The bloody mist of darkness rolls in. Demons devour lives. This strange world of Tanjiro in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba couldn’t be less terrible with these bloodthirsty creatures slaughtering humanity. Avenging the loss of his family and the miserable fate of his sister who has transformed into a demon, Tanjiro needs to put an end to this catastrophic age of demons.
Demon Slayer is a beautifully crafted anime series, known for its top-notch visuals by studio Ufotable. The story centers on the dark adventures of Tanjiro as he journeys to eradicate demons. It’s full of action scenes, sword fights, and supernatural elements.
The anime was one of the most anticipated titles of 2019. If you are looking for more titles that strike the same appeal, here are anime series that will give you the same sensational feelings!
Spring 2009
64 Episodes
One of the most well-known anime series of all time, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood has gained a massive number of fans and positive feedback from newcomers in anime. The anime explores heavy themes on family and some issues on military power, and showcases them with its emotional story. Following the Law of Equivalent Exchange, the Elric Brothers embark on a journey to search for the legendary Philosopher’s Stone with the hope of bringing their bodies back to their original forms.
Fullmetal Alchemist has a remarkable storyline that tackles on the law of alchemy, the dark side of human nature, and it also involves some political and moral issues. While the story focuses more on the strong brotherly relationship between Edward and Alphonse, the anime captures Tanjiro’s struggle to restore his sister back to her human form. Both Fullmetal Alchemist and Demon Slayer are full of exciting action and adventures, and the dramatic family themes on family in both stories.
Summer 2016 (Season 1): 12 Episodes
Winter 2017 (Season 2): 13 Episodes
Based on the Tales series game franchise developed by Bandai Namco, Tales of Zestiria the X is set in a beautiful world where humans and Seraphim coexist. The protagonist, Sorey, is a young man who is fascinated by the Celestial Records that tell the existence of Seraphim. While exploring about them, however, he and his companion, Mikleo, are trapped in a historical site and encounters a mysterious girl seeking help to save the world from darkness. This is the story of humanity greatly consumed by malevolence and human emotions.
If you’re charmed by the outstanding visuals of Demon Slayer with its good animation and incredible fight scenes, then you’ll feel the same with Tales of Zestiria the X as they are both produced by Ufotable. Both series are focused on the adventures and rich interactions between characters that are equally fun and serious. The anime also involves monster killing, but unlike Demon Slayer, it is less violent and gory.
Winter 2019
24 Episodes
The story is set during the Sengoku period focusing on the life of a ronin named Hyakkimaru and a young orphan named Dororo. The ronin was born malformed due to a pact forged by his father with 48 sealed demons in order to increase the wealth of their land and to protect it from famines. Adrift on the river, the newborn was then found by Dr. Jukai who gave the child prostheses. Soon after, a young thief named Dororo joins the ronin’s adventures to get rid of supernatural beings.
Dororo deals with demon hunting similar to Tanjiro’s adventures. Both main characters set on their journey to regain something back, and their struggles are contagious as they induce pain and keep you emotional. The dark ambiance of Dororo is similar to Demon Slayer.
Spring 2015 (Season 1): 12 Episodes
Fall 2015 (Season 2): 12 Episodes
The series is set in a post-apocalyptic world where vampires reign over everything. Children are taken into custody and treated like livestock by these cruel vampires. The Hyakuya brothers plot to escape from their miserable life. However, their attempt ends in tragedy. As other orphans are murdered, Mikaela sacrifices himself in order for Yuichiro to escape. Yuichiro joins the Moon Demon Company to seek revenge against the vampires for murdering his family.
Similar to Tanjiro’s journey, the story of Yuichiro stems from revenge. The strong family themes are also present in Seraph of the End. While Demon Slayer is about the journey of Tanjiro towards killing all the demons, Seraph of the End’s storyline centers on eradicating vampires.
Summer 2017
13 Episodes
Touken Ranbu is one of the most popular web browser games in Japan. It’s all about beautiful personified swords who are protecting Japanese history. The characters are named after the swords of the real-life Shinsengumi and other prominent historical references. These people are tasked to protect Japanese history against the Time Retrograde Army that is capable of altering history.
Another anime by Ufotable, the Touken Ranbu franchise has the same vibes with Demon Slayer in terms of their dark setting. Both main characters are skilled in sword fighting, and they eliminate strange creatures. As expected from the studio, Katsugeki/Touken Ranbu offers spectacular visuals and flawless action scenes similar to Demon Slayer.
Spring 2011
25 Episodes
The anime is full of demon fighting and supernatural elements. It centers on Rin Okumura, a boy who is the son of a demon known as Satan. He and his brother Yukio embark on a journey to become exorcists to protect the human world and to seek revenge against his demonic father for killing Shiro, their foster father.
Both Blue Exorcist and Demon Slayer have protagonists who seek revenge. Tanjiro and Rin wield their swords to eradicate demons. Their sword fights are worth watching as both series deliver good animation. Both protagonists display extraordinary strength and a positive outlook during their challenging journey.
Blue Exorcist -Kyoto Impure King Arc- (Winter 2017) Series Review
2003
24 Episodes
This anime is set in nineteenth century Japan before the Meiji Restoration. It is the story of Tetsunosuke Ichimura, a 15-year-old boy who ends up joining the Shinsengumi faction to get revenge for his murdered family. With his desire to get more strength and skills in swordsmanship, he does his best to become a big help for the Shinsengumi.
Peacemaker Kurogane offers the same vibes with Demon Slayer as they are both set in historical Japan, they have dark undertones, and both anime involve sword fighting. Both protagonists are strong-willed and follow the same path: to avenge the death of their families.
Summer 2014
12 Episodes
Tokyo Ghoul is one of the top rated supernatural horror manga. While it focuses more on the horror side, the psychological part is also exceptional. The story centers on Ken Kaneki, an ordinary college student who encounters Rize Kamishiro, an avid reader like he is. Rize, however, is a ghoul who devours humans. Kaneki’s fate changes as he follows a journey around Tokyo to discover more about ghouls, humans, and half ghouls.
Demons are no strangers in the story of Tokyo Ghoul. Like Demon Slayer, it is packed with bizarre creatures and dark adventures. Although it doesn’t bear a close resemblance to the plot of Demon Slayer, it offers incredible action scenes and interesting character tropes that remind you of Tanjiro’s struggles in a horrifying world of demons.
Spring 2007
26 Episodes
The series is set in the world of ‘Yoma’, deadly creatures that feed on humans. Clare is the protagonist of the story who joins an organization that trains warriors to kill Yoma for a fee. She then encounters Raki, a young boy whose family was killed by Yoma. With nowhere else to go, he joins Clare, and travel together to kill more Yoma.
Claymore and Demon Slayer are dark fantasy series that are both about seeking vengeance. Both anime include organizations that aim to kill monsters and demons. Although they have different settings (Claymore has European ambiance), their protagonists, Clare and Tanjiro, are tough, and their prowess skills in swordsmanship are praiseworthy.
Spring 2008
51 Episodes
Soul Eater is packed with action and fun-filled quests. The story is set in a fictional world of Nevada where the Death Weapon Meister Academy is situated. The school serves as a training facility for humans with the ability to transform into weapons and for their wielders called Meisters. Attending the school is Maka Albarn and her scythe master Soul Eater. The goal of the students is to collect the souls of 99 evil humans and one witch, which further intensify the power of their weapons and turn them into death scythes.
If you’re a big fan of shonen battles, then you will find in Soul Eater the same tension you have experienced in Demon Slayer. The action in both series is incredible and dynamically enjoyable. While Soul Eater gives off generic shonen vibes and has a brighter ambiance, unlike Demon Slayer, the story of Soul Eater still captures the excitement we find in Tanjiro’s demon hunting adventures.
Demon Slayer has become one of the top anime of 2019. It’s a good series that has everything a shonen fan needs: flawless animation, well-written characters, and of course, an emotional story that is profoundly beautiful. The anime titles on this list are the perfect stories to check out if you are Tanjiro’s fan.
Do you have more titles you think are similar to Demon Slayer? Let us know in the comments and on our social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, and Pinterest.
The summer anime season is over. We had a few refreshing titles that kept us company through the hot months, but fall is bringing so many new titles and a few sequels we’ve been waiting for a long time.
