The Best Anime to Watch if You Like Chainsaw Man

The popular manga series Chainsaw Man has certainly made an impression on the manga world. It looks terrifying yet wonderful, with its character designs and a story that matches them perfectly. Fans are eagerly waiting for the anime adaptation to come out, after the trailer for it was released.

With the anime still only in its first season, there are plenty of other anime shows that fans can watch to tide them over. Some might be a little light on the horror elements, but these anime shows are great choices for Chainsaw Man fans.

Updated December 2, 2023 by Sarah Prado: With the success of the first season of the Chainsaw Man anime out, fans are hoping that season two will be announced. Until then, fans should check out these animes if they’re looking for something new to watch. These shows have some similarities with Chainsaw Man, whether it’s their similar characters, parallel storylines, or the same dark atmosphere. There’s a mix of horror, horror comedy, sci-fi, and psychological thrillers to choose from, and they are some of the best in their respective genres. These will keep fans entertained for a while until season two of Chainsaw Man comes out.

26 Inuyashiki

Underdog Protagonists Who Change The World Around Them

• Release Year: 2017
• Genre: Sci-fi, psychological thriller, action
• Studio: MAPPA
• Number of episodes: 11

Ichiro Inuyashiki is a man with a normal, if boring, life. His family is more or less indifferent to him, and his frequent health problems don’t offer him a moment of peace. One day, his life is turned upside down after he’s injured by an explosion of extraterrestrial origin and wakes up to find that his body has been replaced with a mechanical one. Inuyashiki decides to use his newfound powers to help others. Meanwhile, Hiro Shishigami also got caught in the explosion and receives a mechanical body, but doesn’t use his body modifications for good.

It’s not every day that an older person is the protagonist in an anime. But Ichiro shows that a young lead isn’t necessary for a successful show. Shishigami is also a pretty cool villain who leaves viewers feeling a mix of emotions. He has moments of pure evil, as well as moments where he shows concern about his mother and friends.

25 Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

Similar Action, But Different Genre

David Martinez is a young man who lives in Santo Domingo, a poor district in Night City. David’s life takes a tragic turn at the beginning of the series, and he is lost on where to go in life until he meets Lucy. She brings David into the criminal underworld of Night City and he becomes a mercenary for the group Lucy works for.

This show is considered one of the best anime to release in 2022 thanks to its amazing story and characters along with the animation. It’s the perfect show for those looking for a cyberpunk, sci-fi, and psychological thriller anime. Even if people weren’t fans of Cyberpunk 2077, this show is a standalone story that deserves a chance.

24 Demon Slayer

Slaying Demons In Style

One of the best and most popular anime out there right now, Demon Slayer follows Tanjiro Kamado. He’s a young man who joins the Demon Slayer Corps after his family is slaughtered and his younger sister Nezuko is turned into a demon by one. Together with their friends, Zenitsu and Inosuke, they go on missions to stop the demons from terrorizing humanity and end their leader, Muzan, once and for all.

Demon Slayer has taken the anime world by storm since its debut. With great characters, character development, an amazing story, and stellar animation, this anime has a lot going for it. Even supporting characters like the Hashira or villains like the Twelve Kizuki have managed to become memorable because of how strong and amazing they are.

23 Hellsing: Ultimate

Heroes That Feel More Villainous Than Heroic

This anime doesn’t hold back on violence. Hellsing: Ultimate is about Alucard, a vampire who is considered the strongest of his kind. He hunts other vampires for the Hellsing Organization which protects humanity from creatures of the night. With his new vampire assistant, Seras Victoria, Alucard, and the organization make it their mission to destroy any and all evil that threatens their queen and country.

Full of violence and blood, this anime has everything horror fans would want. Alucard isn’t entirely good, but he’s not entirely evil, which makes him a compelling character to watch. The only thing that’s certain is that he’s loyal to Integra and respects Seras.

22 Kekkai Sensen, AKA Blood Blockade Battlefront

Supernatural Setting with Eccentric Characters

Living with supernatural creatures is part of everyday life in tHellsalem’s Lot, formerly known as New York City. To prevent these supernatural creatures from terrorizing the outside world, a protective bubble covers the city to keep them in. The anime follows a young man named Leonardo Watch, who was living a normal life until he got the “All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods” at the cost of his sister’s eyesight. Now, he’s searching for a cure for her while also learning about his new abilities.

This show has a great balance of action and comedy with a sci-fi twist that will keep fans entertained. Though there are only 12 episodes, it manages to do a lot at a good pace that some anime can’t do with more episodes and has amazing characters to a good storyline.

21 Ajin: Demi-Human

A Protagonist Who Is More Anti-Hero

Kei Nagai is a seemingly normal young man in high school who has a rather uneventful life. One day, he gets hit by a truck and lives. He and everyone around him realize that he’s an Ajin, an immortal being with regenerative abilities and being able to summon “black ghosts.” Kei finds himself now living on the run and finds himself in the middle of an upcoming war between Ajin and humans.

Though there are only two seasons, Ajin: Demi-Human was one of the most popular anime during its time. Kei is not a traditional protagonist out to do the right thing, but a young man who is not afraid to use people in order to achieve goals. Sato, the main antagonist, is one of the most chilling villains. He is a scary mix of charismatic and convincing as he recruits other Ajin for his cause to wipe out humanity.

20 Berserk

Similar Dark Story Tones And Graphic Violence

One of the best dark fantasy anime and manga of all time, Berserk follows Guts, a man who works as a mercenary after his adoptive father tried to kill him when he was a child. He’s recruited into the Band of the Hawk led by Griffith, a man with some ambitious plans. Together, they fight in many battles and help end a war, but Guts leaves the group not long after. He returns after hearing that Griffith has been taken prisoner and helps save him.

However, Griffith sacrifices the group for power in the worst way possible and this marks the beginning of Guts’ journey to get revenge. Berserk has something for just about everyone wanting to see a fantasy show that has the perfect blend of horror and psychological thriller. It might not be the most graphic out there, but the violence in this anime is not for the faint of heart. For anyone wanting to start this, the 1997 series and the Golden Age Arc trilogy movies are the best to watch.

19 Gantz

Fighting Supernatural Beings to Survive

This anime shows that the afterlife might not be the peaceful utopia one would hope for. After friends Kei Kurono and Masaru Kato are hit and killed by a train, they find themselves in a mysterious apartment with other people and a large black sphere known as Gantz.

It is revealed that their lives now belong to Gantz and that they must participate in a survival game in which they must fight alien creatures. Gritty and gruesome, Gantz is a great sci-fi horror that’s hard to look away from once it starts. There are plenty of bloody action sequences that might make those with weak stomachs feel a little squeamish.

18 Attack On Titan

Gritty Horror Themes Leave Fans Shaken

Remaining consistently good from its debut to its end, Attack on Titan started off as a show in which humanity has lived within large walled cities to protect themselves against the man-eating Titans. Eren Yeager and his friends joined the Survey Corps to try and help take back some of the land. The battle went far beyond the walls of the city, however, and Eren has seen both sides of the war. By the end, the only thing he can focus on is his goal: ending all Titans.

Not only is there a great story, but also very good character development. It’s pretty dark and starts off strong, while also being suspenseful. Fair warning though: viewers should avoid getting too attached to the characters. Just about everyone, main and supporting, is fair game for getting killed off.

17 Hell’s Paradise

Parallel Problems Set in a Different Time Period

Gabimaru is an assassin who’s been captured by his enemies and is set for execution. However, all attempts to execute fail because of his superhuman anatomy. It’s up to Sagiri Yamada Asaemon to find a way to kill him. Instead of doing this, Saigiri decides to give Gabimaru a chance to gain full pardon if he helps her find the Elixir of Life.

If fans are looking for something with ninjas that has action, dark fantasy, and some psychological thriller elements, this is a good one to watch. With many elements mixed in with a little horror and adventure, it’s sure to keep viewers watching and on the edge of their seats.

16 Devilman

Protagonist with Devil Powers Fighting for Good

A manga with plenty of anime adaptations, Devilman follows Akira Fudo, who becomes possessed by the demon Amon. Though Amon is known as one of the strongest demons in existence, Akira can control him thanks to his pure soul. Together they become the Devilman and strive to stop demons from terrorizing humanity.

Whether viewers watch the 1972 series, Amon: The Apocalypse of Devilman, or Devilman Crybaby, all the anime works are great watches. Full of violence, blood, and deaths of beloved characters, the series has a lot of good things going for it that’ll keep viewers glued to the screen.

15 Another

No Shortage Of Horror and Gore

One of the most popular horror anime, Another is about a high school student named Kouichi Sakakibara who transfers to a new school. He notices that something is off about his class, specifically his classmate, Mei Misaki. He later learns about a curse put on his class and tries to find out more about it. Students and even people such as family members or school staff are at a high risk of being killed by the curse for just being associated with Kouichi and his class.

For anyone looking for a murder mystery with horror elements, this anime is the one to watch. The story has plenty of plots and twists that keep viewers watching to see what happens next, and who might be next to get taken out by the curse.

14 Junji Ito Collection

A Horror Setting that Makes Fans Feel Uneasy

When some think of Junji Ito’s work, horror is one of the first things to come to mind. This anime is an anthology of Junji Ito’s work brought to life. Each episode is different from the previous and there’s no storyline to follow.

Some scenes will leave viewers cringing and wanting to look away from the screen. Other scenes might make viewers laugh at how over-the-top the horror is. Either way, it’s be a great introduction to Junji’s Ito works, which are some of the best horror material to read.

13 Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-Chan

A Mix Of Comedy and Gore

This anime might look cute, but there’s a lot more to it. Dokuro is an angel sent back in time to assassinate Sakura Kusakabe, a middle school student. This is to prevent him from making an invention that inadvertently makes all humans immortal, but also for less-than-noble reasons. Dokuro doesn’t kill him and instead decices to distract him so that he will never invent it. However, it seems Dokuro might actually be a bigger threat to Sakura than anything else.

With her volatile nature, Dokuro kills Sakura over and over again but is able to bring him back to life. This is a little more on the comedy side, but it can be a little unnerving to see Sakura get his head bashed in. Dokuro has itchy fingers when it comes to using her weapon . Sakura could be talking one second, and his head might be gone the next.

12 Castlevania

Horror and Gore Galore

Based on the video games series of the same name, this show follows Trevor Belmont, a vampire hunter, who seeks to stop Dracula from wiping out humanity. To do this, he teams up with Alucard, Dracula’s son, and Sypha Belnades, a mage, to keep humanity safe.

Even if viewers haven’t played the games, it’s not needed to understand what’s going on. Fans will get to see how Dracula was before he became the villain they know and love. Between the familiar characters and a great storyline, this is one anime that vampire fans will love.

11 Kabaneri Of The Iron Fortress

Protecting Humanity from Demons with Demonic Powers

This post-apocalyptic anime has fantasy and steampunk elements. During the Industrial Revolution, a mysterious virus infected humanity, turning most of them into zombie-like creatures called kabane. The kabane are protected by a layer of iron and most weapons aren’t effective against them. Ikoma, an engineer, has invented a weapon that’s able to piece their skin but is bitten in the process.

He is able to keep himself from being fully infected, and becomes a human-kabane hybrid. He and a group of survivors travel to find a safe place, fighting hordes of kabane throughout their journey. For those looking for a show that’s more zombie survival-esque, this show is worth the watch. Featuring a great story, strong characters, and great animation, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress is an excellent treat.

10 Blood+

Using Dark Powers To Fight Evil

The predecessor of the popular horror anime Blood-C, Blood+ was one of the darkest anime shows of its time. Saya Otonashi is a high school girl who has no memory of her past, but seems normal overall. She is attacked by a mysterious creature that feeds on human blood, and learns that she is the only one capable of defeating it and others like it. Saya embarks on a journey to defeat these mysterious creatures and find out more about her past, which might be a lot darker than she’s anticipating.

While Blood+ and Blood-C are a part of the Blood series, they are different shows that share a few similarities. Even now, Blood+ still holds up against more modern works. Both series have plenty of action and amazing stories that are worth watching.

9 Dorohedoro

Similar Dark Humor and Grim Elements

This post-apocalyptic anime follows a man named Caiman, who has the head of a lizard and no memory of his past life after being transformed by a sorcerer. Caiman and his friend Nikaido set out to find the sorcerer responsible for this. They draw attention because of their violent attacks on sorcerers. It also doesn’t help that Caiman is immune to the magical effects of most sorcerer attacks.

The animation and design of the background and characters are unique compared to most anime. All the characters have cool designs that are just as unique and are almost similar to Chainsaw Man characters. They give the series some lighthearted moments in between the dark ones.

8 Witch Hunter Robin

Teen With Supernatural Powers Working for an Organization

This anime might not be as horrific and bloody as most horror anime, but it still packs a punch. Robin is a 15-year-old girl who works for a secret organization that hunts down witches. She also happens to be a witch, and uses her powers to do her job.

Throughout the series, Robin begins to question if what she’s doing is right and if one day the organization she works for will hunt her down. There’s no over-the-top violence, but the story is a good psychological thriller. It’s a must-watch for anyone who loves action with supernatural elements.

7 Claymore

Half-Demon Protagonist Hunting Demons

Clare is a Claymore, a warrior woman who is half-human and half-Yoma. Yoma are shapeshifters who feed on humans, and Claymores protect humanity from them. At the beginning of the series, Clare travels with Teresa, a fellow Claymore who serves as her mother figure.

Teresa is killed in front of Clare after another Claymore gives in to their Yoma side. After this, Clare swears revenge on the one responsible and voluntarily becomes a Claymore herself. It’s a great anime for anyone wanting to watch a good old revenge story. It’s a little reminiscent of Berserk, but nowhere near as violent.