Anime has become more popular than ever thanks to the combined effort of new shows and their increasing quality. One such anime is Jujutsu Kaisen, which follows the teenager Yuji Itadori after he eats an ancient demon’s finger, helping protect the world from curses and demons. The anime blew up in 2020, bringing countless new anime fans to the medium, but while fans are still feeling the excitement from the end of season 2, the Jujutsu Kaisen manga just ended.
The anime adapts the manga into its glorious action-packed and stylish series, and while fans can look forward to more seasons in the future, knowing that the story has concluded may leave a hole in many hearts. However, just because Jujutsu Kaisen is over doesn’t mean there aren’t any good anime like it. This list breaks down the ten best anime to watch if fans enjoyed Jujutsu Kaisen, whether they are similar in content or quality.
10 ‘Noragami’ (2014)
Studio: Bones
Following a god of destruction named Yato, Noragami is an anime about said god and Hiyori Iku, whose fates get entangled. With not many people believing in Yato, his power and influence are waning, leading him to work odd jobs to gain recognition. During this, Hiyori’s soul crosses over to the spirit world, leading them to work together to save her while fighting countless other mysterious foes.
With a three-person team like
Jujutsu Kaisen
,
Noragami
creates different dynamics with the characters that directly tie into the anime’s plot.
Using the same trope of invisible curses that feed off humans’ negative emotions, Noragami instead uses a unique twist that helps explore the lore. With a three-person team like Jujutsu Kaisen, Noragami creates different dynamics with the characters that directly tie into the anime’s plot, adding fascinating consequences of their relationship. With fantastic anime music, well-animated action and spirits in the modern world, Noragami shares enough similarities to make it a worthy watch.
WATCH ON CRUNCHYROLL
9 ‘Shaman King’ (2001)
Studio: Xebec
With a large battle brewing in Tokyo, Shaman King follows You Asakura, entering the Shaman tournament which happens every 500 years. Shamans are those who can control spirits and use them to fight against other Shamans, whether it be for good or evil purposes. You and his friends enter the Shaman fight, battling other powerful enemies for the right to become the Shaman King.
Unfortunately, issues have plagued the Shaman King franchise, with the studio canceling the manga, the anime never finishing, and the remake providing lackluster quality. While the 2001 anime is an enjoyable series, fans can’t legally stream it, so the 2021 remake is the best fans can get. Either way, the use of spirits to fight in a battle-focused anime should be right up any Jujutsu Kaisen fan’s alley.
- Release Date
- July 4, 2001
- Cast
- Inuko Inuyama , Katsuyuki Konishi , Masahiko Tanaka , Yuuko Satou , Megumi Hayashibara , Romi Park , Takehito Koyasu , Yoko Soumi
- Seasons
- 1
WATCH ON NETFLIX
8 ‘Soul Eater’ (2008)
Studio: Bones
Soul Eater takes place in the fictional world of Death City, a spooky location where Lord Death has a school to teach shinigami and their death scythes. The anime follows a group of students, both scythes and shinigami, as they work to collect the 99 evil souls and one witch soul needed to become demon weapons. They do this by protecting the city and uncovering a wicked plot they must stop.
With a similar school setting and dark overtones, Soul Eater still adds a more stylized world and goofy characters, allowing for more bizarre and outrageous creativity. The action and characters are fun, but the spooky aesthetic is the best part of the anime, making it the perfect show to watch on Halloween. Unfortunately, the anime ending strays from the source manga, resulting in a confusing and boring finale. But this shouldn’t keep fans away from Soul Eater, as it is an incredibly unique and fun anime.
Soul Eater
- Release Date
- April 7, 2008
- Cast
- Laura Bailey , Micah Solusod , Brittney Karbowski , Monica Rial , Todd Haberkorn , Jamie Marchi , Cherami Leigh
- Seasons
- 1
7 ‘Hell’s Paradise’ (2023)
Studio: MAPPA
In ancient Japan, they discovered a mystical island with dangerous creatures and, supposedly, the elixir of life that was said to grant immortality. Hell’s Paradise follows Gabimaru, a death row criminal, and his samurai handler Sagiri, as they, along with other criminals and handlers, are sent to this island to find the elixir. With whoever finds the elixir being pardoned for their crimes, this hunt becomes a bloodbath as everyone fights each other and the many haunting creatures and deities on the island.
With the same studio making Hell’s Paradise, Jujutsu Kaisen fans can be sure this anime will feature stellar animation, gorgeous fights, and a dark, fantastical atmosphere. The excellent ensemble cast each adds their own personality and dynamic, adding depth to the anime as fans witness how each character fights. With beautiful worldbuilding and incredible fights, season two of Hell’s Paradise can’t come soon enough.
Hell’s Paradise
- Release Date
- April 1, 2023
- Seasons
- 1
- Story By
- Yuji Kaku
- Directors
- Kaori Makita
6 ‘Demon Slayer’ (2019)
Studio: ufotable
Fans shouldn’t need any introduction to Demon Slayer, as it is possibly the only recent anime more popular than Jujutsu Kaisen. After a demon turns his little sister Nezuko into one, Tanjiro must protect her and become a demon slayer to find a cure. Along the way, he teams up with other slayers who help him fight the many dangerous demons as they hunt for the Muzan, the one who turned his sister into a demon.
While Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen may not have glaring similarities, they both share in common spectacular animation and some of the greatest fights in anime. If fans enjoy Jujutsu Kaisen, they will definitely like Demon Slayer, as each show possesses some of the most epic battles in anime. This show is pure entertainment, and while that means the story is lacking, the enjoyability is enough to get fans excited after Jujutsu Kaisen‘s manga finale.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
- Release Date
- April 6, 2019
- Cast
- Natsuki Hanae , Zach Aguilar , Abby Trott , Akari Kitō , Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
- Seasons
- 5
5 ‘Yu Yu Hakusho’ (1992)
Studio: Pierrot
Written by the creator of Hunter x Hunter, Yu Yu Hakusho, was Yoshihiro Togashi‘s first big hit, revolutionizing the shōnen genre. After dying an early and avoidable death, the spirit world doesn’t know what to do with Yusuke Urameshi. He can return to his life if he completes a set of tasks. However, the now spirit detective solves and stops supernatural crimes along with his oddball gang of friends and demons.
As the oldest anime on this list, the aging animation may put some fans off. However, if they can get past that, they are in store for one of the greatest long-running battle shōnen anime. While the only similarity between Yu Yu Hakusho and Jujutsu Kaisen is the aspect of the spirit world, even those elements are handled very differently. However, Yu Yu Hakusho is an incredibly stylish and entertaining anime featuring thrilling arcs that pioneered the genre.
- Release Date
- October 10, 1992
- Cast
- Nozomu Sasaki , Shigeru Chiba , Megumi Ogata , Nobuyuki Hiyama , Yuri Amano , Hisako Kyôda , Mayumi Tanaka , Ai Orikasa , Sanae Miyuki
- Creator
4 ‘Dorohedoro’ (2020)
Studio: MAPPA
Animated by the same studio as Jujutsu Kaisen, Dorohedoro is a 12-episode anime taking place in a grisly world. There is a clearly divided line in this world: the Realm of Sorcers, where the elite mages live, and the Hole, where the outcasts live a grungy life pestered by the mages experimenting on them. Caiman is one such experiment; with him losing his memory and becoming a crocodile, he goes on a mission with his friend Nikaido to learn the truth.
While worldbuilding isn’t precisely a strong point of Jujutsu Kaisen, the grim and odd world of Dorohedoro is the perfect place for fans to jump into and get accustomed to a very different dark fantasy. With bizarre characters and a peculiar power system, Dorohedoro is one of the weirdest anime out there, but in the most gruesomely endearing way possible. It may be different, but this anime is full of dark comedy, action, mystery, and intrigue, which makes it the perfect new anime to start, especially with a new season on the way.
- Release Date
- January 13, 2020
- Cast
- Reina Kondō , Wataru Takagi , Yu Kobayashi , Yoshimasa Hosoya , Kenyu Horiuchi , Kengo Takanashi , Miyu Tomita , Mitsuhiro Ichiki , Hisao Egawa , Soungdok , Tetsu Inada , Shin-ichiro Miki , Anri Katsu , Hozumi Gôda , Mayu Udono , Tôru Nara , Takuma Terashima , Ryōhei Kimura , Yûki Kaji , Takehito Koyasu , Miyuri Shimabukuro , Shigeru Chiba , Hiro Shimono
3 ‘Blue Exorcist’ (2011)
Studio: A-1 Pictures
After lying dormant for nearly a decade between multiple seasons, the Blue Exorcist anime has returned and is better than ever, with numerous seasons already confirmed for the classic anime. The anime follows Rin Okumura, the secret son of Satan fostered by an exorcist. After learning the truth, he enrolls in a school for exorcists, where he trains using his forbidden power and defeats the demons lurking in the shadows of humanity.
Incredibly popular for its time, Blue Exorcist was the original Jujutsu Kaisen in many ways. While Blue Exorcist didn’t reach the same popularity or feature its themes in similar ways, they have a lot in common. From the hidden demons to a school where they train using cursed powers and the strongest devil linked to the protagonist, Blue Exorcist is the most similar anime to Jujutsu Kaisen. The anime is home to an incredible cast that makes the lows of certain seasons better. Still, Blue Exorcist also has a unique world and a captivating plot that only gets better, with the upcoming seasons sure to deliver on the hype.
Blue Exorcist
- Release Date
- April 17, 2011
- Production Company
- A-1 Pictures
- Number of Episodes
- 49
2 ‘Bleach’ (2004)
Studio: Pierrot
Along with One Piece and Naruto, Bleach is one of the Big Three, a title given to the most popular anime that were running simultaneously. Since then, fans have created the new Gen Big Three, or the dark Big Three, trying to replicate said success. Bleach follows Ichigo, a teenager who can speak with the dead, who must become a soul reaper and protect his and their world from unimaginable terrors.
With Bleach serving as a significant inspiration for Jujutsu Kaisen, it’s only fitting to watch this anime after the JJK manga’s ending. With stylish, cool characters, invisible demons that they hunt, horror aspects, and a focus on delivering the best action possible, these two series have a lot in common. Bleach is revolutionary and one of the best anime of the 2000s. It has some of the best arcs in anime, and with its return, fans will witness the epic conclusion over the next few years, with the next season airing in October 2024.
Bleach
- Release Date
- September 9, 2006
- Cast
- Masakazu Morita , Fumiko Orikasa , Hiroki Yasumoto , Yuki Matsuoka , Noriaki Sugiyama , Kentarô Itô , Shinichirô Miki , Hisayoshi Suganuma
- Seasons
- 16
1 ‘Chainsaw Man’ (2022)
Studio: MAPPA
It seems that every year, a new top anime comes along, taking over people’s lives and always remains popular. In 2020, it was Jujutsu Kaisen; in 2022, it was Chainsaw Man. The anime follows Denji, an outcast living a life of poverty, while a crime boss exports him and his devil companion. However, after Makima frees him, Denji learns the blessing of a normal life, as he must fight stronger demons to earn said luxury.
If Blue Exorcist isn’t the most similar anime to Jujutsu Kaisen, then Chainsaw Man definitely is. It features a main trio with similar personalities, demons in a modern-day setting, devil hunters with unique powers, and a dark, gritty story with plenty of gorgeous animation. It’s unfortunate that Chainsaw Man only has twelve episodes because fans can breeze past it in a day, leaving them wanting more. The bizarrely endearing characters and outlandishly dark plot create a unique experience and one of the greatest anime of this decade. Jujutsu Kaisen fans will love delving into this series and possibly exploring the manga, which is still ongoing.
- Release Date
- October 11, 2022
- Cast
- Kikunosuke Toya , Suzie Yeung , Ryan Colt Levy , Tomori Kusunoki
- Seasons
- 1
