Best Anime Like Bleach

It’s one thing to watch a shonen anime, but quite another to get enamored with gorgeous anime designs, a compelling narrative, and engaging combat design; all things that Bleach has in abundance. This action-packed shonen anime stars Ichigo Kurosaki, an ordinary high school student dragged into the world of the supernatural as he temporarily gets the powers of a Shinigami: a Soul Reaper. Armed with the zanpakuto and newfound strength, Ichigo has to fight various supernatural threats to stop them from harming the mortal world.

Related

Most Ruthless Anime Villains

The following infamous anime villains take their ruthlessness to the next level.

Posts

By  Rhenn Taguiam

Unlike other shonen anime, the supernatural “punk” aspect of Bleach makes it extremely attractive to fans who just want a weekly dose of awesome. And, for fans still waiting for the anime adaptation of the manga’s final arc, there are a couple of other anime like Bleach.

Updated on November 26, 2024 by Rhenn Taguiam: With Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War about to reach its climax with Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends facing off against Yhwach in a bid to save all three realms, fans of the series might be wondering if there are other anime like Bleach that could help viewers reach similar levels of worldbuilding and intense fights. Thankfully, the anime scene does provide many anime similar to Bleach in different ways - some of which include an anime adaptation of a manhwa that involves humans borrowing abilities from gods and spirits, a mediator between realms solving spiritual crimes, and a world where the supernatural and paranormal clash together.

1 God Of High School

Dominate High School With The Power Of Mythology

In the world of God of High School where taekwondo specialist Jin Mori participates in “The God of High School” tournament in the hopes of attaining any wish, he gets thrust in a supernatural conspiracy involving gods, demons, and humans who can access “Borrowed Power” from these supernatural entities. Accompanied by karate expert Han Daewi and swordsmaster Yoo Mira, the trio fight against other martial artists from other schools in order to slowly make their way to the top.

Regardless of the anime’s premise of being a standard tournament, the trio’s emergence as users of Borrowed Power will pave the way for spectacular battles and intrigue surrounding their very allies and higher powers. While much of the action in God of High School is confined in the tournament proper, its power scaling and high-octane fight scenes can scratch the itch for anyone missing Bleach fights.

God Of High School: How Is It Similar To Bleach?

The three-world premise of God of High School can immediately remind fans of the structure of Bleach’s Soul Society. In the former, the universe is separated into the Sage Realm populated by mythical creatures, the Heavenly Realm containing the gods, and the Human World where humans are blessed with the ability to use Borrowed Power to fight against demons. Unlike Bleach where characters often have wildly different abilities, Borrowed Powers taking some inspiration from pre-existing mythological figures will leave fans with some idea of how these abilities manifest, making fight scenes more exciting as viewers have to anticipate just how the story will showcase these powers in a visually-spectacular fashion.

2 In/Spectre

A Wild Supernatural Investigation

The story of In/Spectre is wild even in the context of anime - a university student named Kotoko Iwanaga approaches a fellow student named Kuro Sakuragawa, who at the time is struggling to move on from a break-up. In their encounter, Kotoko declares she has been in love with Kuro for the past two years, that she’s a “Goddess of Wisdom” in charge of mediating on matters between yokai and humans, and she believes Kuro is hiding something supernatural. One thing leads to the other and the two pair up to investigate supernatural mysteries.

This crazy premise extends to one overarching mystery, which in itself is slowly tackled from the perspective of different cases. In/Spectre focuses on Kotoko “solving” what actually happened in the case they were presented, piecing together blocks of what happened until she lands into the closest-possible version of events. Unlike other supernatural mystery-esque anime that devolves into a full-blown drama mid-way, I n/Spectre strives to remain a mystery show through and through - something Bleach fans would appreciate in terms of consistency.

In/Spectre: How Is It Similar To Bleach?

While there are less spectacular fights in In/Spectre compared to Bleach, fans of the latter would appreciate the former for exploring the more mysterious side of living in two worlds. Whereas Shinigami of Bleach are mostly in charge of leading souls into Soul Society and exterminating Hollows, In/Spectre taps into the mystery-solving aspect that the first part of Bleach tried to pursue during Ichigo’s time as a Substitute Shinigami. This more subtle approach to exploring a supernatural world can be much-appreciated by Bleach fans who wanted a more grounded approach to tackling mysteries involving supernatural creatures.

3 Dandadan

Aliens And Ghosts Unite In Crazy Psychic Hijinks

The story of Dandadan is as wild as it gets - highschooler Momo Ayase believes in ghosts but not aliens, and her friend Ken Takakura believes in aliens but not ghosts. Unfortunately for them, a dare to visit sites related to the supernatural end up convincing them that the things they didn’t believe in were actually real… and they got more than what they bargained for. Now, Ayase gets abducted by aliens and unlocks her latent psychic abilities and Okarun is possessed by a ghost and can undergo a transformation. Since these events, the duo encounter various spirits and aliens - of which they fight with the help of friends and family.

The story of Momo and Okarun and the “Family” throughout Dandadan is filled with equal parts hijinks, intense fights, and serious moments. Unlike other supernatural anime which focuses on a hard story with equally-captivating fight scenes, it’s the innate silliness of Dandadan that makes it quite the must-watch for Bleach fans.

Dandadan: How Is It Similar To Bleach?

Fans of Bleach don’t just stay for the story and the fight scenes - especially when Tite Kubo also excels in building rapport between characters through funny moments and witty banter. Now imagine Dandadan as taking this banter to 100, with a lot of high-octane action pieces often including this in the process. Fans who love Bleach for its fight scenes will appreciate the level of detail in Dandadan’s fights, especially

4 Tokyo Revengers

A Gutsy Time-Traveling Gangster Story

Gangsters and time travel are two themes that don’t often mix in media, and yet Tokyo Revengers makes the concept work in a gutsy and angsty pseudo-sci-fi story. Set in 2017, the story of Tokyo Revengers begins when freeter Takemichi Hanagaki learns that his middle school ex-girlfriend Hinata Tachibana and her younger brother were killed by the Tokyo Manji Gang. When a trip to the subway ends with Takemichi being pushed to a train platform, his supposed death instead brings him twelve years in the past in 2005.

Now dead-set on preventing the events that led to the death of his ex-girlfriend, Takemichi realizes certain actions in the past spiral into drastic events in his present. However, his efforts to find ways of saving Hinata lead to more complicated consequences that become out of his control.

Tokyo Revengers: How Is It Similar To Bleach?

Despite its gangster time travel premise, Tokyo Revengers has a unique take on its aesthetic that may interest Bleach fans. While Takemichi’s crybaby nature is a far cry from Ichigo’s cool demeanor, their resolute nature and desire to overcome all odds make both of them attractive protagonists. Not only that, Tokyo Revengers has quite a vibrant supporting cast that meshes well with its sci-fi elements - two things that flow and clash beautifully by the time the plot starts getting neck-deep into their time travel shenanigans.

5 Witch Hunter Robin

A Self-Contained Story Of Science And Witches

Set in a world where Witchcraft is a dormant trait in humans, Witch Hunter Robin stars Craft user Robin Sena as she’s drafted into the ranks of Solomin’s STN-J branch in Japan to help them hunt Awakened Witches. Robin and her companions are all Seeds, or natural-born unawakened Witches who can access unique powers who have yet to experience the homicidal madness accompanied by their eventual Awakening.

The series initially follows a monster-of-the-week format, with Robin using her pyrokinesis to capture other Awakened Witches while her companions use power-dampening Orbo bullets to weaken them. As the series progresses, Robin starts to see something amiss in their cause to “keep the world safe” - a discovery that would put grave danger to herself.

Witch Hunter Robin: How Is It Similar To Bleach?

The supernatural premise of Witch Hunter Robin can capture the interest of Bleach fans, especially with the latter beginning its initial storyline with Shinigami hunting Hollows. Not only that, Witch Hunter Robin having a more toned-down world can be a breath of fresh air to Bleach’s theatrics. This time around, the suspense isn’t necessarily with how the protagonist can scale up to the level of a powerful villain - but rather how a meek protagonist like Robin can begin to fight a system that is slowly turning against the very things they wanted to save.

6 Blue Exorcist

An Action-Packed Story In An Exorcist Cram School

Set in the material world of Assiah and the underworld of Gehenna, Blue Exorcist explores the life of twins Rin Okumura and Yukio Okumura as they’re revealed to be sons of Gehenna’s ruler Satan, and how the untimely death of their adoptive father Shiro introduces them to the dangerous world of Exorcists and Demons. When Rin enrolls at the True Cross Academy to cram his way into being an Exorcist, his twin Yukio is already a full-fledged Exorcist.

With Rin unlocking a unique power that allows him to burn almost anything he touches, Rin will try to find a way to navigate this new world as he and his comrades stop Gehenna’s forces from world domination. Throughout the anime, Rin slowly makes his way through the ranks of an Exorcist - from being a lowly Page to discovering his specialization Meister, and even encountering rivals along the way.

Blue Exorcist: How Is It Similar To Bleach?

Fans of Bleach will appreciate Blue Exorcist for having a more “direct” similarity in terms of overall plot and feeling. While twin protagonists Rin and Yukio Okumura provide a breath of fresh air as comrades compared to the initial hostility between Ichigo Kurosaki and Uryu Ishida in Bleach, the overall setting of Blue Exorcist feels like home to Bleach aficionados. Exorcists having specializations in the form of Meisters helps divide characters across power categories that don’t stray too far from the anime’s premise, allowing action enthusiasts to savor fight scenes and theory-crafting between characters.

7 Beelzebub

Street Fights With The Devil

It’s not often that a student finds a random baby who somehow bestows on him the power of demons, but this is what happens to Tatsumi Oga when he finds baby Beel at the beginning of Beelzebub. After finding the mysterious infant near a river, he initially tries to give him to other troublemakers in the juvenile delinquent school of Ishiyama High. Unfortunately for Oga, constant troubles with other students would just increase Beel’s admiration for his first benefactor, eventually gaining enhanced physical abilities due to his newfound demonic power.

Related

19 Isekai Anime To Watch If You Love How A Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom

Here are some Anime to watch if you love How A Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom.

Posts

By  Danny Guan

Oga’s encounter with Beel will send forces from the Demon World right to his doorstep - something that isn’t ideal for the protagonist, who’s already constantly in trouble with his schoolmates. Regardless of how intense things can become, Oga’s penchant for street fighting will help him and his friends save the day in the nick of time.

Beelzebub: How Similar Is It To Bleach?

While Beelzebub’s stories are not as intense as Bleach’s storylines, the school setting of Beelzebub is a perfect callback to the beginning parts of Tite Kubo’s acclaimed hit. Denizens of the Demon World wreaking havoc at school can give Bleach fans a sense of nostalgia about Ichigo’s first adventures as a Substitute Shinigami, especially when they come in the form of various factions with unique motivations and personalities. The comedic focus of Beelzebub can be a welcome change of pace for Bleach fans, who appreciate good fights with none of the pressures of understanding technical concepts.

8 Ajin: Demi-Human

Immortals Who Live Among Humans

When Nagai Kei dies in a fatal traffic accident, he miraculously revives with his body intact. In the world of Ajin: Demi-Human, Kei discovers that he’s part of the said mysterious species. While most people see him as an ordinary human being, he is something more sinister. Ajin are mysterious humans with miraculous regenerative abilities, and are practically immortal, as they can resurrect from any leftover body parts. They are made out of mysterious Invisible Black Matter, which they can also control to create Black Ghosts that they can command remotely.

In the world of Ajin, the dangerous nature of the Ajin makes them detested by both humans and governments. Due to their mysterious nature, Ajin are often the subjects of human experiments. Kei’s main objective in the series is to fight Satou, a fellow Ajin who gets fed up with the government experimenting on them for nefarious reasons.

Ajin: Demi-Human: How Similar Is It To Bleach?

While Ajin: Demi-Human does lack some of the supernatural elements of Bleach, the idea of a species blending in with humans and fighting with each other is reminiscent of the Shinigami versus Quincy conflict. All Ajin possess the same properties, which can make fights fairly technical, with minor changes in fighting style having a huge impact on the outcome of battles. Bleach fans who appreciate technical fight scenes may be interested in theory-crafting Ajin’s own fights, especially when Kei starts to have better control over his abilities.

9 Durarara!!

Unlocking The Mystery Behind Ikebukuro

When Mikado Ryugamine reunites with his childhood friend Masaomi Kida at Raira Academy, Mikado’s thirst for adventure in Durarara!! Encourages him to explore the streets of Ikebukuro. Despite Masaomi’s guidance against interacting with suspicious Ikebukuro folk like The Dollars and the supposedly headless Black Rider, circumstances would eventually put the duo at the center of an incident that no one could exactly piece together.

Throughout the anime’s first season, viewers are treated to a mystery that would have them try to piece together a narrative involving all the main characters equally. When Mikado and his new acquaintances become centerpieces of every episode, and with every episode offering a new take on the central narrative, exactly whose perspectives are real?

Durarara!!: How Similar Is It To Bleach?

Unlike Bleach, fans of Durarara!! Would describe the anime as more of a mystery story with a dash of the supernatural. Bleach lovers who get invested in the series’ lore, even outside the fights, would appreciate the sheer thrill in Durarara!!’s exploration of a pseudo-criminal underworld, especially with its ongoing mystery elements. While the anime’s pacing gives it a slice-of-life feel, the eventual reveals of the darker parts of every character’s personality can make the progression as worthwhile as the buildup towards Bleach’s Sosuke Aizen as one of its central villains.

10 Devilman Crybaby

A Protagonist Who Becomes The Devil Incarnate

Created as a celebratory piece to Go Nagai’s 50th Anniversary, Devilman Crybaby is a modern reimagining of Nagai’s Devilman manga. Now set in the 21st Century instead of the 1970s, Devilman Crybaby depicts a world where an ancient race of demons are blending in with humanity, with friends Akira Fudo and Ryo Asuka working together to fight them in secret. When Akira manages to unite with a demon called Amon, he uses its powers to become Devilman and fight the forces of demonkind before it’s too late for humanity.

Praised for both its animation quality and its renewed take on a classic narrative, Devilman: Crybaby tackles themes of coming-of-age, love and sexuality, and even bigotry, as it explores the friendship of Akira and Ryo. While fans criticize the anime’s ending, Devilman: Crybaby blends supernatural action with a dash of philosophy as humanity slowly descends into chaos.

Devilman Crybaby: How Similar Is It To Bleach?

Akira taking on the powers of a demon to fight demons is similar to how Ichigo has taken on the powers of the Shinigami to fight supernatural Hollows. Seeing Akira as Devilman rip demons to shreds while learning how to control his powers is reminiscent of Ichigo’s journey from a mere sword-swinging Substitute Shinigami into a force to be reckoned with across Bleach. The darker nature of Devilman: Crybaby’s story can make fans wonder how grim Bleach could have been had Tite Kubo decided to not tackle a traditional shonen premise of Ichigo being able to eventually defeat most threats.