25 Best Anime Like Chainsaw Man You Need to Watch in 2023
Chainsaw Man is a shōnen manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto, the first part of which was published in Shūeisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine between December 2018 and December 2020. An anime adaptation produced by studio MAPPA is in production and will air in 2022; a sequel to the manga is also in development. In this article, we are going to bring you the 25 best anime series like Chainsaw Man.
1. Tokyo Ghoul
Original Run: July 4, 2014 – December 25, 2018
Number of Episodes: 48 (+2 OVA episodes)
Our first entry on this list of best anime like Chainsaw Man is Tokyo Ghoul. The story of Tokyo Ghoul revolves around the student Ken Kaneki, who falls in love with a young woman named Rize Kamishiro. After meeting her, she bites his shoulder in a secluded alley and reveals that she is a ghoul, which shocks Ken.
As Rizeis about to eat Ken, several large metal poles fall on her from the construction site of a building. Roze dies in the process, while Ken is rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries. After recovering, he is released from the hospital. On the day of his release, Ken Kaneki finds out that he is no longer human. He looks in the mirror and shivers run down his spine because he now has one “red eye”.
He realizes that Rize’s organs were transplanted into him in the hospital. Since he now owns Rize’s organs, he is a so-called and very rarely occurring “half-ghoul”.
2. Darker than Black
Original Release: April 6, 2007 – September 29, 2007
Number of Episodes: 25
Darker than Black tells us a story of Hell’s Gate. Ten years ago, a mysterious area known as Hell’s Gate appeared in Tokyo, devastating the landscape and altering the sky. The celestial bodies disappeared, replaced by false stars. Shortly after, we discover the existence of human beings endowed with supernatural powers called “pactisants”.
Today, a vast wall has been built to prevent anyone from approaching Hell’s Gate. Each false star corresponds to a contracting party, vibrates when it uses its power, and disappears if it dies. Pactisants are therefore generally designated using an identifier from an astronomical catalog. Many nations use pactisants as secret agents or assassins.
3. Bleach
Original run: October 5, 2004 – March 27, 2012
Number of episodes: 366
BLEACH follows Ichigo Kurosaki. He is a young man gifted with the ability to see spirits. His life undergoes a drastic change when a Shinigami named Rukia Kuchiki crosses his path in search of a Hollow. During the battle with the spirit, Rukia is seriously injured and is forced to transfer part of her powers to Ichigo, who accepts the Shinigami’s proposal in an attempt to protect her family.
However, during the transfer process, something goes wrong and Ichigo absorbs all of Rukia’s powers, becoming a full-fledged shinigami. Having lost her powers, Rukia gets stuck in the world of the living until she regains her strength. Meanwhile, Ichigo replaces Rukia in her duties as Shinigami, battling the Hollows and leading the souls to the realm of the afterlife, known as the Soul Society.
4. Another
Original Run: January 10, 2012 – March 27, 2012
Number of Episodes: 12 (+ OVA)
Another is an anime series released in 2012 adapted from the manga of the same name. In Another, in 1972, a popular and charismatic student named Misaki Yomiyama from Class 3-3 of North Yomiyama School suddenly died in the middle of the school year. Devastated by the loss, his classmates and teacher acted as if Misaki was still alive and even reserved a spot for him at the graduation ceremony.
What was even more suspicious was that Misaki appeared in the graduation photograph. In the spring of 1998, ninth-year student Kōichi Sakakibara moves from Tokyo to Yomiyama, the hometown of his late mother, because his father has gone to work on research in India. His transfer was to North Yomiyama School, to class 3-3.
5. Death Note
Original Run: October 3, 2006 – June 26, 2007
Number of Episodes: 37
How can we not mention Death Note on this list of best anime like Chainsaw Man? Death Note anime follows Light Yagami he is a model student, bored with his lifestyle and tired of being surrounded by a society filled with crime and corruption. His life takes a decisive turn when one day he finds on the ground a mysterious black notebook, entitled “Death Note”, which bears the following instruction: “The human whose name will be written in this notebook will die”.
Initially skeptical of his authenticity, Light changes his mind when he successfully tests the notebook on two criminals and meets the real owner of the Death Note, a shinigami named Ryuk; he then decides to use this new power to kill all criminals, eradicate evil and become the “God of the new world”.
6. BLOOD+ / BLOOD-C
Original Run: October 8, 2005 – September 30, 2011
Number of Episodes: 62 (+ 1 film)
The BLOOD+ series is set over 30 years after the events of the feature film Blood: The Last Vampire – in 2005. The plot of BLOOD+ introduces lines related to modern intrigues, in which various organizations are involved, including, for example, the US Army, which wants to control vampires in order to use them for their own purposes.
Saya Otonashi lives in a city in Okinawa with her adoptive father, George Miyaguscu, and two brothers, Kai and Rik. Saya does not remember the events of her past until she began living with a new foster family a year ago. For medical reasons, she needs blood transfusions from time to time.
With the exception of these features and an unusually large appetite, Saya lives like an ordinary high school student. However, Saya’s serene life comes to an end, on the day when she comes face to face with a vampire, a monster that kills people and drinks human blood.
From that moment on, a mysterious organization called the Red Shield and its agent David appear on the scene; David explains to Saya that she is the only one who is able to effectively fight these monsters since her blood is lethal to them.
Her duty is to rid the world of bats. From that moment, in addition to the members of the Red Shield, Saya’s friends and family members were drawn into the fight against bats. Together with them and her mysterious loyal servant named Hadji, she sets out on a long, risky journey to destroy bats and, along the way, learn about her past and true origins.
7. Demon Slayer
Original Release: April 6, 2019 – present
Number of Episodes: 34
Demon Slayer is set in Taishō era Japan, Tanjirō is the eldest son of a family of coal merchants whose father has passed away. To meet his needs, he left to sell charcoal in town. Despite the difficulties of life, they manage to find little happiness in their daily life.
One day, due to rumors circulating about a man-eating demon hanging around after dark, he is unable to return home and ends up spending the night with a Good Samaritan in the city. Only, everything changes on his return when he finds his family massacred by a demon.
Nezuko, one of his younger sisters, is the only survivor but she has been transformed into a demon. She initially attacks Tanjirō, but she continues to show signs of human emotions and thoughts, which is when a demon slayer named Giyū Tomioka steps in.
While trying to eliminate Nezuko, Giyū realizes the bond between brother and sister Kamado, and decides to leave them by sheathing his sword. On Giyū’s advice, Tanjirō goes to his master Sakonji Urokodaki to train to become a demon slayer, in order to begin his journey to find an antidote that can make his little sister human again.
8. Soul Eater
Original Run: April 7, 2008 – March 30, 2009
Episodes: 51
Soul Eater anime series revolves around Overlords. To fight the evil Kishin, which can “plunge the world into the abyss of madness”, Shinigami-sama creates The Academy is a place where Weapons and Overlords are trained together.
The former are the very weapons that will stop the death of the world; the second are those who will hold the weapon. The Scythe of Death will be obtained when the weapon eats 99 evil souls ready to become Kishin, and 1 witch soul, and therefore all overlords are actively competing in creating the Death Scythe.
The story of Soul Eater takes place during the main events of the manga and anime, Maka and Soul at that time had not yet become known in the Academy and beyond.
9. Jujutsu Kaisen
Original Run: October 3, 2020 – March 27, 2021
Number of Episodes: 24
One of the most famous entries on this list of anime series like Chainsaw Man. The plot of Jujutsu Kaisen takes place in a world where curses are created from the negative emotions of Humans. Thus, to protect places with a high concentration of these emotions such as schools or hospitals, these infrastructures have a relic, receptacle of a curse, because we can only fight against curses with a more powerful curse.
These are invisible to human eyes except for a handful of people, for example, exorcists. The exorcist’s job is to eliminate the curses and thus protect the people from them, but this is not without risks, because these plagues can be more or less powerful.
10. Hellsing Ultimate
Original Run: October 10, 2001 – January 16, 2002
Number of Episodes: 13 (+10 OVA episodes)
Hellsing Ultimate is set around The Royal Knights of Protestant Order. They are a noble house of London led by Abraham Van Helsing. For generations, he has been fighting against creatures that most ordinary people are unaware of like vampires, ghouls, and any non-human entity that is generally referred to as a “monster”.
The Order operates in great secrecy and has long been a paramilitary organization in the service of her Majesty. Leading the organization is Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, a direct descendant of the first Lord Hellsing. Still a teenager, she is forced to take control of the Order.
Her father Arthur, sick and close to his death, orders his daughter, should she feel threatened, to go down to the basement of the mansion, where there is something able to protect her.
11. Black Clover
Original Run: October 3, 2017 – March 30, 2021
Number of Episodes: 170
Black Clover anime series follows Asta, a determined young boy who lives with his childhood friend, Yuno, in an orphanage in the Clover Kingdom. From a young age, Asta’s ambition was to become the most powerful magician in the kingdom, “Emperor-Mage”, which also inspired Yuno to want the same.
But unfortunately, Asta was born without any magical talent, while Yuno has spectacular predispositions. Asta and Yuno both vow to fight for the title of Emperor Mage. As their paths separate on the Knight-Mage route, their goal is still the same: to become the next Emperor-Mage.
12. Blue Exorcist
Original Run: April 17, 2011 – March 25, 2017
Number of Episodes: 37 (+ 2 OVA)
The world of Blue Exorcist anime is made up of two dimensions that oppose each other like two faces of mirrors. The first is the world in which human beings live, Assiah. The other is the world of demons, Gehenna. Normally, travel and even any form of contact between the two is impossible. However, demons can pass into this world possessing everything that exists within it.
Satan is the god of demons, but there is one thing he does not have: a vessel in the human world powerful enough to contain him. To this end, he fathered Okumura Rin and Okumura Yukio (but only Rin inherited Satan’s powers, Yukio being too weak), his sons, from a human woman, but are the latter in line with his plans, or should they become something else?
After killing the guardian father Fujimoto, in an attempt that should have allowed Rin to return to the demon world, he gives him a dream: to become an exorcist to defeat the god of demons.
13. Elfen Lied
Original Run: July 25, 2004 – October 17, 2004
Number of Episodes: 13 (+ OVA)
The story of Elfen Lied anime is set in Kamakura, Japan, and revolves around the Diclonius, mutant beings very similar to humans but with two strange horns on their heads and endowed with very strong invisible limbs called “vectors”. Believed to be dangerous to the normal human race, Diclonius babies are killed at birth or locked up in research laboratories, subjected to terrible torture, and extremely violent experiments.
One of them, Lucy, however, manages to escape to the sea, massacring anyone who comes in front of her. She is found on the beach by two boys in a complete state of amnesia and double personality, caused by a shot in the head while escaping.
The young Diclonius finds herself with a completely different personality and the two boys decide to call her by the only word she can pronounce, namely “Nyu”. Unable to leave her alone in those conditions, they take her home waiting to find out about her past. But the military does not give up and remains on her trail. What’s more, every time the girl hits her head she goes back to being Lucy.
14. Attack on Titan
Original Run: April 7, 2013 – ongoing
Number of Episodes: 70 (+8 OVA episodes and several movies)
Every list of “best anime” always has Attack on Titan on it, so we decided to put Attack on Titan on our list of best anime like Chainsaw Man. The plot of Attack on Titan anime revolves around the young Eren Jäger, his adoptive sister Mikasa Ackermann and his best friend Armin Arlert, who live together with the rest of humanity in cities that are protected by huge walls from the attacks of the so-called Titans, gigantic humanoid beings who devour people for no apparent reason.
The walls that promised peace have existed for 107 years. But one day the Titans break through the outermost Wall Maria and the people are pushed back further. Eren’s mother dies and he and many other people flee behind the second wall, Wall Rose. Eren swears when his mother dies that he will wipe out the Titans.
15. Hunter x Hunter
Original Release: October 16, 1999 – March 31, 2001 / October 2, 2011 – September 24, 2014
Number of Episodes: 62 / 148
Hunter x Hunter anime revolves around Gon Freecss. Gon Freecss is twelve years old and dreams of becoming a hunter. Hunters are elite citizens authorized to do almost anything they wish on simple presentation of their membership card: they can thus acquire free of charge any object for sale on the funds of the association; requisition all vehicles, accommodation, and tools for their work; and are de facto entitled to exercise all trades in the world, being able to become bounty hunters, chefs, archaeologists, zoologists, vigilantes or consultants in various fields as well.
His father, Ging Freecss, whom he does not know directly, is considered one of the greatest hunters of his time. It is also to find him that Gon wants to become a hunter.
16. Devil May Cry
Original Release: June 14, 2007 – September 6, 2007
Number of Episodes: 12
Devil May Cry anime follows the “demonic” adventures of Dante, demon hunter, and private detective in his agency: the Devil May Cry. He will have to face the most emblematic monsters of the saga and to rub shoulders with characters such as the demon hunter “Lady” and the demon woman Trish.
17. InuYasha
Original run: October 16, 2000 – September 13, 2004 / October 3, 2009 – March 29, 2010
Number of episodes: 167 + 26
The plot featured in the InuYasha anime series is based on the adventures of a half-demon, a teenager from modern Japan, a pervy monk, a fox demon, and a demon exterminator from the Sengoku period, as they search for all the fragments of the Sacred Jewel and try to keep it away from criminals, especially Naraku.
Throughout the series, InuYasha is constantly torn between the desire to have the Sacred Jewel and his feelings for Kagome, considering that his demonic side is what gives him the most power; however, it is revealed that his human side is the strongest, the side exploited when InuYasha finds the Tessaiga sword.
18. Gungrave
Original Run: October 7, 2003 – March 30, 2004
Number of Episodes: 26
The story of Gungrave anime series begins with a truck being surrounded by human-looking monsters. A scientist and a young girl find themselves on board in a very delicate situation. Fortunately, the scientist wakes up Brandon. The man is a real war machine, he easily exterminates the crowd of monsters using his two huge weapons (the Cerberus). But what is behind this attack, what is the story of our protagonists, and who is really Brandon alias “Beyond the Grave”. This is what we discover during a long flashback retracing the lives of two young thugs entering the criminal organization that runs their town.
19. Deadman Wonderland
Original Run: April 17, 2011 – July 3, 2011
Number of Episodes: 12 (+ OVA)
Deadman Wonderland is our next anime series like Chainsaw Man. Deadman Wonderland starts off with a powerful earthquake that ravaged mainland Japan and largely destroyed Tokyo, submerging three-quarters of the city in the ocean. Ten years later, the story centers on Ganta Igarashi, a seemingly ordinary student who attends Nagano Prefecture College.
Although a survivor of the earthquake, Ganta has no memory of the tragedy and has lived an ordinary life. All of this changes when a strange man covered in blood and wearing purple armor floats outside the classroom windows. Smiling like a madman, the Man in Red slaughters Ganta’s entire class and, rather than killing him, embeds a shard of red crystal in his chest.
A few days after the massacre, Ganta is declared the sole suspect and, after a speedy trial, is sentenced to life in prison in Deadman Wonderland, a prison lined with an amusement park.
20. Akame ga Kill!
Original Run: July 7, 2014 – December 15, 2014
Number of Episodes: 24
Akame ga Kill anime series revolves around Tatsumi. Tatsumi is a fighter who leaves for the capital in search of a way to earn money to help his poor village. After being robbed by a woman and losing all of her money, Tatsumi is taken in by an aristocrat named Aria.
The following night, Aria’s mansion is attacked by a group of assassins known as the Night Raid. As Tatsumi attempts to defend Aria from assassin Akame, another member of the group ends the fight.
21. Parasyte
Original Run: October 9, 2014 – March 26, 2015
Episodes: 24
If you like anime series similar to Chainsaw Man, Parasyte might be worth checking out. One night, tennis ball-sized spheres containing snake-like creatures fell in numbers unknown all over the world. They are programmed to take the place of human brains. One of these attacks a young man, Shinichi, during his sleep, trying to enter through his ear but cannot reach him.
Awakened with a shock as the parasite tries to enter through his nose, he tries to defend himself but ends up having his right hand punctured. The high school student then takes his headphones and wraps them around his arm, preventing the parasite from climbing to the brain.
Unable to leave his arm, the latter finally merges with his right hand. Meanwhile, other parasites, having managed to take possession of their host’s brain, begin to feed on humans, while the creature and Shinichi are forced to cohabitate.
22. Berserker
Original Run: October 7, 1997 – March 31, 1998 / 1 July 2016 – 23 June 2017
Number of Episodes: 25 / 24
Berserk anime tells the story of the meeting of Guts and Griffith, leader of the Falcon Troop, a band of mercenaries in the pay of the kingdom of Midland. From this meeting will be born an ambiguous friendship, but nevertheless efficient: the presence of Guts, a warrior with the disproportionate sword, will quickly prove essential to the ambition of the young Griffith, swashbuckler and outstanding tactician.
The Berserker anime is thus the account of the rise and fall of the Falcon Troop, and of the relation between Guts and Griffith, particularly complex, between the relation of interest (Griffith uses the force of Guts), mutual respect ( both see each other as soldiers), and deep affection (each inexplicably needs the other’s presence).
23. Rurouni Kenshin
Original Run: January 10, 1996 – September 8, 1998
Number of Episodes: 95
The story of the Rurouni Kenshin anime series takes place in 1878 in Tokyo. Kenshin Himura, a former assassin nicknamed Battosaï, literally “master in the drawing of the sword”, during the time of the Tokugawa reign, hides a very heavy past. Become a wanderer since the establishment of the Meiji era, he travels the country equipped with his sword with an inverted blade, with the desire not to kill again.
24. GOBLIN SLAYER!
Original run: October 7, 2018 – present
Number of episodes: 12
GOBLIN SLAYER! anime series is set in a fantasy world where the fate of each is governed by the dice rolls of the fate of the deities, adventurers in search of wealth and glory come from all over the world to join the Adventurers Guild.
An inexperienced young priestess who has joined the Guild joins a group of novice adventurers, but her first quest turns into a nightmare when the rest of her team is slaughtered by Goblins: she owes her salvation only to a mysterious man in armor, the “Goblin Slayer”, an adventurer whose one and only objective is the eradication of these creatures.
25. CLAYMORE
Original Run: April 4, 2007 – September 26, 2007
Number of Episodes: 26
CLAYMORE anime is the last series on the list of best anime like Chainsaw Man. CLAYMORE anime series revolves around Claymores. They are half-human, half-demon warriors called upon by villagers to protect themselves from monsters such as demons. Feared and dreaded, they are distinguished by their silver eyes and the gigantic sword they carry on their backs, hence their names by humans of “silver-eyed witches” or “Claymore” (the name of the type of sword they use). Claire is one of them.
Called to a village to eliminate the demons that attack and devour the population, she kills the penultimate member, who has become a monster, of an already decimated family. The last survivor, Raki, finding himself alone, then decides to follow her in her bloodthirsty adventures, as a cook. He will gradually discover the secrets and the tragic destiny of these singular women.
