If you just wrapped up Chainsaw Man season one and have already had a blast with the movie, we imagine you’re now joining the rest of us as we less-than-patiently twiddle our thumbs and pace restlessly as we await the release of season two sometime this year. If you’re looking for something to watch in the meantime, there are fortunately plenty of other great anime picks to choose from. To help you narrow it down, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite entries for the best anime like Chainsaw Man.
What is the best anime like Chainsaw Man?
Equal parts violent, entertaining, and funny, Chainsaw Man is one of the best action horror out there. It’s got humor, absurdity, supernatural elements, and some truly graphic depictions of brutality. Well, most of us would consider it brutal — you might have a higher threshold. Our picks take all these qualities into consideration.
Psycho-Pass (2012)
Produced by Production I.G., Psycho Pass is a cyberpunk supernatural thriller co-directed by Naoyoshi Shiotani and Katsuyuki Motohiro and written by Gen Urobuchi. Set in a futuristic Japan, the series follows Akane Tsunemori, a novice inspector in Division One of the Public Safety Bureau’s Criminal Investigation Division. These guys essentially scan citizens’ brains to detect potential for criminal behavior. This assessment potential is given a Crime Code Index, or a Psycho-Pass. It’s very dystopian surveillance. If a person’s code exceeds a specific limit, they’re pursued and exterminated.
That’s your general setup, but the sci-fi detective thriller series itself is a fan favorite that often appears on lists of what to watch after Chainsaw Man. So, we won’t be contrarian for the heck of it, and it’ll start our list too. Though the anime styles are very different — this one was inspired by films like Blade Runner and Minority Report, while Chainsaw Man has far more horror imagery — both share somber themes and dark tones. It’s a good one.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventures (2012)
One of the best parts of Chainsaw Man is its absurd black comedy, a tone not every anime can pull off, but JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure does it equally well. While the worlds of the two series aren’t the same, fans of one might appreciate the other’s mix of outrageous humor, action, and often over-the-top battles. There’s a lot to appreciate crammed into this one series that often flies under the radar, but we’re happy to give it a spot on our best-of list.
Adapted from one of the most popular shonen (now seinen) manga series, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure ran for six seasons from 2012 to 2022. Each part functions as a mini-anthology connected by the world and the Joestar family, a lineage of talented individuals with extraordinary psychic abilities. The series begins with Jonathan Joestar in 19th-century England, follows Jonathan’s grandson, Joseph, in 1938 Germany, and continues through various times and places, each with its own cast, villains, and bizarre adventures that define the family’s legacy.
Another (2012)
Directed by Tsutomu Mizushima, Another is a 12-episode anime series that stands out as another standout horror anime. Adapted from the 2009 Japanese horror novel, which was then turned into a manga series, Another follows a high school transfer student, Kouichi Sakakibara, who joins a cursed class. Upon arrival, Kouichi befriends the mysterious Mei Meisaki, a student whom both classmates and the teacher ignore. Soon, Kouichi finds himself in a mystery involving violent, senseless deaths at the school. It’s like Final Destination meets Stephen King, wrapped in a perfect anime format.
Parasyte: The Maxim (2014)
This series was one of the first anime to bring body horror to the mainstream. From Madhouse, Parasyte: The Maxim features a high school protagonist who lives with his family in Fukuyama. One night, parasitic aliens arrive on Earth and begin infecting their hosts by crawling into their ears and noses while they sleep. What these parasites can do to humans is pretty gnarly. But high schooler Shinichi Izumi wakes up before he can be fully infected, and the parasite lodges in his arm instead. Because the parasite wasn’t able to fully take over Shinichi’s brain, Shinichi and the parasite can retain their own identities, and an unlikely alliance forms. This unlikely parasitic relationship blossoms, and the two work together to fight off other parasites that attack humans.
Like Chainsaw Man, Parasyte: The Maxim is great storytelling, complete with great action, strange concepts, character development, and plenty of body-horror images to give you the creeps.
Kekkai Sensen (2015)
Also known as Blood Blockade Battlefront, Kekkai Senseen is set in a former New York City where a breach between worlds opens up and releases creatures from the underworld into the earth. Now, all the inhabitants, both human and otherwise, are trapped in an impenetrable bubble, known as Hellsalem’s Lot. This is one of those anime series that’s a blast to watch if you’re into supernatural violence, and particularly if you’re a fan of Chainsaw Man. Expect great animation, writing, and a killer soundtrack. There are also some graphic scenes like limb severance, blood on blood, and heads exploding, just to be clear about what we’re getting into.
DEVILMAN Crybaby (2018)
If you’re looking for a series that directly influenced Chainsaw Man, this would be the pick for you. Then again, Devilman Crybaby influenced more than just Chainsaw Man. A slightly exaggerated, but still more accurate assumption would be that 95% of manga and anime (give or take a few percentage points) have been influenced by it.
The 2018 series on Netflix, adapted from the manga, features a high school student, Akira Fudo, who becomes Devilman when he absorbs the power of a demon “Amon” to fight in a war against other demons. Though the Netflix adaptation from Masaaki Yausi isn’t exactly faithful to the source material, this anime series captures the best parts of the story. From writing to animation to direction, Devilman Crybaby is well worth a watch.
Jujutsu Kaisen (2020)
This is an easy pick based on the similarity of the premise, and in that it was produced by MAPPA, the same studio as Chainsaw Man. This anime series follows a high school student named Yuji Itadori, who joins a society of sorcerers to eliminate a curse. Drawing on Japanese folklore, the curse stems from the negative energy released by all humans. While negative emotions flow naturally, it’s when they’re uncontrolled and released that the energy compiles and forms a curse.
But the plot itself gets complicated when this high school sorcerer swallows the finger of a demon, a cursed talisman, and becomes cursed himself. This one is a great watch because of its complex world systems, animation style, and writing. It fulfills every need you’d want out of shonen, and we know we can trust it based on the production studio alone.
Dorohedoro (2020)
This pick is so fantastical and ludicrous, it’s almost hard to describe. But if you can go along with a story about a guy who can turn his arms into chainsaws, this should be no problem. Caiman is a man with a lizard head (we’re off to a good start) and amnesia. He’s after the dark wizard who cursed him to “the Hole,” and he’ll take out pretty much anyone he meets along the way who might give off the appearance of being a wizard. He’s got amnesia, remember? Along with his best friend, who is very talented at making gyoza, they set off on this revenge mission. But another powerful wizard hears of this and sends other wizards after him.
While it may not be the closest series to Chainsaw Man, it may be the closest to Dorohedoro in terms of style, grit, absurdity, and tone. If you like this one, definitely check out the manga series, which gets even crazier.
(Dorohedoro Blu-rays are ridiculously expensive, so you can buy the manga below.)
Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku (2023)
Hell’s Paradise, another from MAPPA, is a gory, dramatic, and beautiful animated web series. Set in the Edo period of Japan, the story follows Gabimaru, a ninja who is sentenced to execution after being captured while on an assassination mission. However, this sentence fails, as not much seems to affect his superhuman body. He’s been given the opportunity for a pardon if he finds the elixir of life. Along with other death row prisoners — and their executioners — Gabimaru sets off to find the elixir. Cue the quest and multiple side quests.
Dan Da Dan (2024)
Though the series lacks the violence of Chainsaw Man, there’s plenty of heart and great storytelling, plus it’s downright funny and strange. Plus, it was written by Fujimoto’s assistants, so it’s likely you’ll be able to see the similarities. The series follows two teenagers, Momo and Okarun, who hold differing views on the supernatural. Momo believes in aliens but not ghosts, and Okarun believes in ghosts but not aliens. The two are in for it, though, when the supernaturally gifted high schoolers end up facing not only ghosts and aliens, but all sorts of yōkai. The first two seasons are available to stream now, but you can still enjoy the anticipation until the third season drops in 2027.
How we picked the best anime like Chainsaw Man
There is so much great anime that feels like Chainsaw Man, which means many great anime have regrettably been left off the list. We narrowed our picks to shows that felt similar in tone, in their supernatural or superhero elements, and, of course, in their violence.
