Jujutsu Kaisen took the world by storm when MAPPA aired its first season back in 2020, and the hype hasn’t died down since. The anime’s ongoing third season takes a refreshingly inventive approach to Gege Akutami’s acclaimed source material. Akutami’s sprawling dark fantasy saga uses the most exciting aspects of battle shōnen stories in an intriguing setting where negative human emotions manifest as Cursed Energy, which births malevolent entities named Curses.
Jujutsu Kaisen focuses on Yuji Itadori’s heartbreaking arc as the vessel for the King of Curses, but the series broadly explores what it’s like living in a world that favors the strongest jujutsu sorcerers, and treats younger or weaker ones as disposable cogs within the societal machine. These storytelling draws, combined with MAPPA’s astonishing visual artistry, have rightfully earned Jujutsu Kaisen its record-breaking popularity.
No two battle shōnen have the same tone or premise, but they share some core characteristics. For instance, both Naruto and Bleach excel in intricately structured combat and dense world-building, but they have wildly distinct aesthetics and character rosters. When considering stories that are similar to Jujutsu Kaisen, obvious titles like Hunter x Hunter or Demon Slayer come to mind, along with slightly lesser-known ones like Osamu Tezuka’s Dororo or Yongje Park’s manhwa, The God of High School. Taking this genre range into consideration, here are 10 anime worth checking out if you like Jujutsu Kaisen.
1
Hell’s Paradise
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
A shinobi’s life is often colored by the need for honor or revenge, but Gabimaru the Hollow isn’t driven by such lofty ideals in MAPPA’s Hell’s Paradise. Once Gabimaru is sentenced to execution after a botched assassination mission, the Shogun sends him and a band of death-row convicts to the island of Shinsenkyō to retrieve the elusive elixir of immortality. But Shinsenkyō is no paradise. Gabimaru and the other convicts are immediately threatened by strange monsters and deadly flora scattered about the island. Over time, they must band together to survive against the Tensen, near-immortal beings that excel in mastering the life force known as Tao.
Gabimaru’s unshakable willpower doesn’t stem from supernatural strength, but the vulnerable desire to return home to his wife, Yui. This reads as a somewhat uncharacteristic motivation for a shōnen protagonist, but Gabimaru fulfills genre expectations through bombastic combat and power-ups, such as in the season 2 fight between him and bandit leader Aza Chōbei. The anime also sports a vibrant visual style with surreal undertones, allowing the more blood-soaked sequences to stand out against a picturesque backdrop. Despite a complex thematic fabric that dabbles in redemption and spirituality, Hell’s Paradise is an overlooked MAPPA entry that undoubtedly deserves more appreciation.
2
Blue Exorcist
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
Any shōnen that leverages religious mythology and symbolism to flesh out its world-building is already off to a great start, and Blue Exorcist makes good use of this premise. Two mirror dimensions exist: Assiah, the material world for humans, and Gehenna, the demonic realm ruled by Satan. The demons often breach through the earthly realm via human possession, which is why we have Exorcists, who secretly work for the Vatican and take down these threats. Our protagonist is Rin Okamura (and to an extent, his twin Yukio), who learn that they’re sons of Satan after witnessing their human father’s death.
This may sound a lot like Devil May Cry‘s core premise, the similarities stop there, as the anime embraces its battle shōnen tropes to carve a distinct identity. That said, you can expect Rin and Yukio to indulge in Dante and Vergil-esque shenanigans (one twin is rowdy and earnest, while the other is dark and brooding), but the tone is much more lighthearted. Once Rin enrolls in an exorcist cram school named True Cross Academy, he is exposed to long-buried secrets about his family and lineage, and compelled to make new friends who share a similar goal. The rest is an eventful, though wacky, coming-of-age saga that balances brutality and levity rather well.
3
Mob Psycho 100
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
Shigeo Kageyama, nicknamed Mob, seems like your average introverted kid, but he’s actually a formidable esper with powerful psychic abilities in Mob Psycho 100. Manga artist One, best known for One Punch Man, gives Mob Psycho 100 some delightful quirks and a humble protagonist who must learn to stop repressing his emotions to forge meaningful bonds with others. Mob doesn’t start with complete control over his powers, which are intimately linked to his repressed emotions. To master his skills, Mob becomes the assistant to con-man Arataka Reigen, who claims to be a spirit medium to earn a quick buck.
While Mob and Arataka’s bond is the beating heart of this story, seeing Mob gradually open up and become more outgoing is just as rewarding to watch. Some of this growth is channeled through gorgeous fights, where Mob’s restraint is often tested and pushed to extremes (such as when he fights the brash spirit Dimple for the first time, where he reaches 100% Rage). There’s a charming element to Mob’s journey, since the stakes are often more personal than your typical shōnen lead who carries the weight of the world on their shoulders. His anxiety-ridden efforts to step outside his comfort zone wind up feeling even more impressive than his overpowered psychic abilities.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
The law of equivalent exchange haunts the lives of brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric, who lose parts of their bodies after a failed alchemical transmutation in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Studio Bones brings Hiromu Arakawa’s brilliant manga series to life, creating a stunning kaleidoscope of conflicting motivations in a world where the scientific magic of alchemy reigns supreme. As the brothers embark on a quest to regain what they’ve lost, their primary goal is finding the fabled Philosopher’s Stone, but that quest brings them into conflict with a wide-ranging cast of antagonists.
Brotherhood is as heartbreaking and beautiful as that premise suggests. It races through different points in time to unravel morality and its impact on human history as a whole. Every character, from State Alchemist Roy Mustang to the Homunculus modeled after the seven deadly sins, brings an operatic element to the combat. Also, Ed and Al are compelling protagonists, as children who constantly grapple with the horrors of war and how it impacts their loved ones — and the lives of the innocent. Few shōnen anime live up to the satisfaction of completing Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, so this one’s hard to top.
5
Soul Eater
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
Atsushi Ohkubo’s Soul Eater takes place at the Death Weapon Meister Academy, a training facility for humans who can transform into weapons, as well as their wielders. Maka Albarn and her partner Soul Eater (who can turn into a scythe!) make a great team, and we’re also introduced to Tsubaki Nakatsukasa (who inherits multiple weapon forms) and Shinigami’s son, Death the Kid, among others. Their collective goal is to have the weapons absorb the souls of 99 evil humans and a singular witch, as it will turn them into Death Scythes of immeasurable power. Unfortunately, such an ambitious mission comes with great obstacles, which translates to a lot of wicked fun.
Soul Eater relies heavily on comedy to tell its story, which works for the most part, except when it doesn’t. The anime is fast-paced and stylish, mixing the manga’s Gothic aesthetic with some whimsical visual elements. This, combined with a unique central gimmick, lends to a perfectly enjoyable experience, which explains why Soul Eater was so popular when it first started airing in 2008. The only major flaw is the anime-only ending, which deviates greatly from the source material and feels a tad rushed. But that shouldn’t deter anyone from checking out Soul Eater, as it’s chock-full of characters that boast layered motivations within its complex power system.
6
Chainsaw Man
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man feels like a robust counterpart to Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen, as MAPPA has turned both stories into competent adaptations. The box-office success of Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc is further proof of this. The film succeeds in pulling off a standalone arc despite being a direct continuation of the anime storyline. Chainsaw Man follows Denji, a down-on-his-luck kid plagued by his father’s debt to the mob. During a grisly first episode, Denji winds up fusing with his pet, the Chainsaw Devil named Pochita. This gets him dragged into joining the Public Safety Division’s devil-hunting unit. Denji’s powers as the titular Chainsaw Man put a target on his back, and the tonal disconnect between his emotional immaturity and the gravity of his situation makes for one of the most compelling aspects of the show.
Chainsaw Man is full of long, flashy fight sequences between dangerous Devils and equally ferocious devil hunters. MAPPA designs these fights with fluid kineticism, introducing a constant sense of dread to a setting where no one is safe. While Fujimoto is adept at driving these central conflicts, the strength of his writing lies in layered characterization and the cyclical themes that define the people inhabiting these worlds. Denji’s Chainsaw heart is tempered by strength and vulnerability, and he must contend with both to preserve his autonomy. That said, Denji’s predicament is inherently tragic, as children like him are used as pawns in this world by people who feed on their dreams.
7
Blood Blockade Battlefront
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
Yasuhiro Nightow’s Blood Blockade Battlefront is probably the most chaotic anime on this list. A cataclysmic event (later dubbed the Great Collapse) occurs when a portal to the Otherworld opens in New York City. As expected, alien creatures pour into the city, prompting the crime-fighting organization Libra to keep the peace between humans and these creatures from beyond. New York City, now aptly renamed Hellsalem’s Lot after its destruction and rebuilding, has evolved into a seat of power for those interested in reshaping the world. Against this backdrop, a young photojournalist named Leonardo Watch gains the All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods at the cost of his sister’s eyesight. Overwhelmed by his newfound power, Leo joins Libra to situate himself at the heart of the conflict in Hellsalem’s Lot.
Leo’s trajectory in Blood Blockade Battlefront is interesting. He lacks innate power, but is suddenly thrust into a life-or-death scenario. Any character wearing the shoes of a hero must embrace their full potential, and Leo accomplishes this by gradually finding the strength to stand up to moral wrongdoing. The story’s willingness to cast its protagonist in such a flawed mold makes Blood Blockade Battlefront an unconventional genre entry, even though it conforms to the expectations that come with such an action-heavy premise. The anime does a particularly good job of fleshing out a stacked cast without throttling the narrative, and features jaw-dropping animation perfectly suited to its gripping premise.
8
Yu Yu Hakusho
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
Any discourse involving shōnen as a genre is incomplete without Yoshihiro Togashi’s Yu Yu Hakusho, which serves as the blueprint for every shōnen you know and love. The story opens with the death of our protagonist, Yusuke, a teenage delinquent who is hit by a car after he pushes a young boy out of its way. His soul is ferried to the Underworld by a woman named Botan, who informs him that his lifelong actions defy categorization into heaven or hell. Yusuke is offered a rare chance to return to his body: After passing through a series of tests, he goes back to the human world as a spirit detective. This might sound like a simplistic premise by contemporary standards, but Togashi’s manga felt timeless when it was serialized from 1990 to 1994.
The Yu Yu Hakusho anime captures this sense of timelessness, even though it follows a predictable Hero’s Journey format that involves the protagonist teaming up with friends to squash evil. Beautiful fight sequences capture the frenetic nature of Yusuke’s journey, where he must prove himself to be more than a wayward kid in this first brush with responsibility. Sometimes, these fights against preternatural spirits feel hopeless, but Yusuke reaches into the time-tested “power of friendship” trope to overcome every obstacle. This might feel like a nostalgic watch in comparison to the postmodern backdrop of Jujutsu Kaisen, but it is well worth your time.
9
Dorohedoro
Where to watch: Netflix
Anyone with an affinity for dense post-apocalyptic stories in anime will appreciate Dorohedoro. Q Hayashida’s manga series is technically a seinen (Japanese manga/anime aimed at adult men), but also incorporates ample shōnen elements to switch things up. This fictional setting has three separate realms: a heavily polluted, ungoverned megacity; a Gothic class society controlled by a crime boss; and a demon-ruled afterlife for sorcerers. Sorcerers enjoy affluence as a result of their innate (and often unchecked) powers, while humans are subjected to unprovoked violence in the most overlooked parts of the megacity. This grounded premise leads up to the absurd predicament protagonist Caiman ends up in: He’s searching for the sorcerer who erased his memories and gave him a lizard’s head. His only lead is a man who lives inside his throat, capable of sliding out and identifying the culprit if Caiman places a suspect’s head in his mouth.
Caiman’s journey is a wild one, full of dark humor, fitting for such a bonkers mission and the grim nature of living in such a lawless world. Despite its gritty, hellish overtones, Dorohedoro refuses to embrace self-seriousness, opting for a whimsical approach instead. It’s hard to put the experience into words, as it is extremely charming for a post-apocalyptic tale with tons of gory combat, and it genre-hops at will without making anything feel tacked-on. Moral conundrums aren’t presented in a didactic way, and the anime plays around with audience perception to make the most out of its vivid but desolate setting.
10
Parasyte: The Maxim
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
Hitoshi Iwaaki’s Parasyte falls into the sci-fi horror category, suited for a more mature audience due to its psychologically dense themes. The same can be said about Madhouse’s anime adaptation, Parasyte: The Maxim, which follows high-schooler Shinichi Izumi, who survives a parasite’s attempt to take over his brain. The parasite in question, Migi, infects and takes over his arm instead, leading to a Venom/Eddie Brock scenario that forces these incompatible beings to coexist within the same body. This symbiotic bond reveals a lot about human and parasitic nature, as Migi’s brutal survival instincts clash with Shinichi’s ethical stance on violence.
Parasyte: The Maxim backs the awkward Shinichi into a corner when he starts losing his close friends to parasite attacks. This compels him to hunt down these creatures, and Migi even supports him in this pursuit, since their kind thrives on an individualistic principle of survival. While Madhouse does sanitize the manga’s gritty edge to an extent, the anime features striking animation and a competent handling of the story’s philosophical underpinnings. This is supposed to be a more cerebral experience, not unlike some parts of Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen, which scrape the surface of what it means to be human, and the responsibilities the strongest have toward those who can’t protect themselves.
