14 Seven Deadly Sins
It’s not all the time that the actual Seven Deadly Sins of the Bible become a star in their own series, but The Seven Deadly Sins anime do exactly that. In the land of Britannia, a group of knights known as the Seven Deadly Sins are in a quest to redeem their name after being accused of plotting a coup against the Liones Kingdom. A series of events would have the Sins’ leader, Meliodas, reform the team and fight against his brother, Zeldris, and the Ten Commandments, his own group of Holy Knights.
What’s perhaps interesting about Seven Deadly Sins is how each member of both the Seven Deadly Sins and the Ten Commandments have abilities uniquely tied to the Sins and Virtues they represent. The anime also boasts quite a new take on the idea of humans, demons, and other mythological creatures as they coexist in wartorn Britannia.
13 Blue Exorcist
Naruto Uzumaki isn’t the only protagonist to discover a horrific lineage that he manages to stop controlling his destiny. In Blue Exorcist, twins Rin and Yukio Okumura discover that they’re both sons of Satan, giving them traits of both humans and demons. After witnessing the death of their surrogate father, Rin uses the demon-slaying sword Kurikara and releases the full extent of his demonic heritage. Vowing to stop demons from hurting others, he enrolls in Cross Academy to become an Exorcist, a demon hunter.
Much to his surprise, Rin discovers that Yukio isn’t just an Exorcist by secret, but he is also veteran enough to become his teacher. Such begins Rin’s journey to accepting his demonic heritage but also maintaining his humanity despite seeing the horrors of demons he’s fighting. Blue Exorcist boasts spectacular fights and abilities, something Naruto fans will undoubtedly delight in seeing.
12 Fairy Tail
Taking after guilds of fantasy worlds, Fairy Tail tells the exploits of Dragon Slayer wizard Natsu Dragneel as he searches for his missing father. Accompanied by his companions from the Fairy Tail guild, Natsu meets and recruits other powerful wizards, each boasting unique forms of magic, and ends up fighting villain after villain who wanted to use their abilities to harm the world at large.
Similar to Naruto, Fairy Tail boasts a whopping 328 episodes, each detailing arcs of Natsu and his friends being one step closer to finding his father. The anime has its fair share of epic battles, with wizards displaying the full brunt of their unique abilities – from ice and fire magic, to armor-changing magic, and even summoning creatures.
11 Tokyo Ghoul
It’s not all the time for dark fantasy manga to feature vampire analogs in a modern setting. In Tokyo Ghoul, mysterious human-eating creatures known as Ghouls secretly coexist with humans. Unfortunately for Ken Kaneki, a violent interaction with a Ghoul would have him thrust into their world and fight for his own survival. Throughout Tokyo Ghoul, Kaneki would have to preserve his humanity while coming to grips with his new identity and abilities.
Fans of dark fantasy are likely to enjoy Tokyo Ghoul for its unique depiction of “creatures of the night,” making Ghouls as both similar yet separate to vampires. With Ghouls possessing unique abilities and the Commission of Counter Ghoul hunting them down with unique armaments, fights and storylines in Tokyo Ghoul are both gripping and suspenseful.
10 Bleach
What better anime to watch after Naruto than one of its rivals? Whereas Naruto explores Naruto’s journey in becoming Hokage, Bleach explores the adventures of Ichigo Kurosaki as he protects the world from supernatural threats. Unlike Naruto, Ichigo is thrust into the affairs of Soul Society as he takes on the role of a Substitute Shinigami. At first, Ichigo is tasked to eliminate Hollows and preserve the balance between the worlds of the living and the dead.
Unfortunately for Ichigo, his involvement will soon attract the attention of unsavory powers in Soul Society. Viewers intrigued by the premise will love Bleach’s intense battles, highlighted by author Tite Kubo’s specialty in creating unique abilities and techniques.
9 Yu Yu Hakusho
When Yusuke Urameshi dies to save a child, a crazy series of events transforms him into a Spirit Detective to solve supernatural cases that plague the real world. Being the loud-mouthed troublemaker that he is, Yusuke often ends up in trouble, to the point of making a few friends in his many adventures. Armed with his Spirit Gun, Yusuke continues to dish out spiritual justice to baddies that try to harm innocents and the people he cares about.
Fans of Naruto should find Yusuke’s comedic and troublemaking exploits extremely similar to Uzumaki’s. However, Yusuke should also appeal to fans through his immense pride in his skills that just screams pure determination with a dash of badassery.
8 Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
Granted, Boruto has a middling reception among the larger Naruto fanbase for its fast-paced story, seemingly overpowered characters, and underutilization of its setting. However, Boruto remains worth a shot for those who want a canonical take on what happens to Naruto’s cast. With its Next Generations subtitle, fans may also want to see how their children take the lead in protecting Konoha.
Taking place in a more modern Konoha, Boruto and his friends struggle to balance post-war peace and the role of shinobi in Hidden Villages. With Konoha’s inevitable destruction and looming threats ahead, Boruto and his friends will slowly face new challenges that may result in the same growth Naruto and his peers had before. And despite the lackluster start to the anime, series creator Masashi Kishimoto taking the helm may finally see Boruto live up to its full potential.
7 Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba
Tanjiro Kamado’s peaceful life in Taisho-era Japan ends abruptly when demons kill his parents and inflict a demonic curse on his sister Nezuko. Soon enough, Tanjiro finds himself joining the Demon Slayer Corps, a secret cadre of humans trained to fight the threat of demons in the land.
Fans of Naruto will appreciate Demon Slayer and its strong attachment to themes of justice, friendship, and overcoming perseverance. Actions lovers will also admire the animefor its unique Breathing Styles concept, captivating combat, and jaw-dropping action sequences.
6 Claymore
Claymore is set on a medieval island infested by the monstrous Yoma. To fight these threats, the mysterious Organization employs female warriors called Claymores. Named after their signature claymore weapon and silver eyes, Claymores use their half-Yoma physiology to gain power and strength equal to the monsters they face.
In this story, Claymore No. 47 Clare ends up embroiled in a conspiracy that would have her question the very Organization she grew up in. Unlike the more cheerful Naruto, Claymore has a darker and more realistic take on the horrors of life in a world plagued by monsters. However, similar to Naruto, Claymore boasts its fair share of exciting fights.
5 Soul Eater
Soul Eater takes viewers to the afterlife, where the Death Weapon Meister Academy trains students to hunt the souls of evil humans, Witches, and other supernatural entities. Headed by Death himself, the DWMA is composed of two-person teams consisting of a Demon Weapon, or a human that can transform into a weapon, and a Meister who wields them.
In the story, Maka Albarn and Soul Eater team up with fellow students to stop the ever-present threat of Witches. The Witch Medusa, in particular, appears to have a sinister plot that will upend the status quo of the afterlife at large. Soul Eater is easily a must-recommend for Naruto fans courtesy of its amazing action scenes, interesting power concepts, and strong themes of friendship.
4 Hunter X Hunter
Set in a world where Hunters exist to hunt a variety of things (from treasures, exotic species, to people), Gon Freecs of Hunter X Hunter aspires to become a Hunter and look for his missing father. Along the way, Gon meets fellow Hunter hopefuls, each with backstories that drag them into various adventures.
At his core, the cheerful Gon is quite different to the rowdy Naruto. However, both protagonists stick true to the values of friendship, hard work, and resolve. Not to mention, those missing Naruto’s action scenes will love Hunter X Hunter, as its Nen concept provides a common powerset to characters that they eventually transform to unique abilities.
3 Shaman King
Shaman King takes place in a world where Shamans connect the real world and the afterlife. Through bonds with spirits, a Shaman can obtain powerful abilities. However, contacting the Great Spirit can give a Shaman enough power to reshape the world in their image. To do this, Shamans participate in the Shaman Fight, a tournament that takes place once every 500 years.
Unlike Naruto, Shaman King protagonist Yoh Asakura is equal parts quiet and meek. However, Yoh is always prepared to defend his friends with the help of Amidamaru, his warrior spirit. Similar to Naruto, Shaman King boasts stellar fights and unique powersets that make each character unique. Its straightforward premise that leads into the Shaman Fight is reminiscent of Naruto’s Chunin Exams, but this time around with the entire world at stake.
2 Fullmetal Alchemist
Despite its action-packed premise, Fullmetal Alchemist is one of the most compelling tales of perseverance and sacrifice ever to grace anime. Set in a world where alchemy has become an exact science, brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric paid a hefty price trying to revive their mother with forbidden human transmutation. Now adults, Ed and Al travel the world in search of the Philosopher’s Stone to right their wrongs.
Fullmetal Alchemist superbly condenses the tale of the Elric brothers in a story that weaves their growth, their relationships with their comrades, and overcoming their struggles. Perhaps most importantly, Ed and Al’s perspectives towards sacrifice become a good parallel to Naruto’s persistence to make a connection with everyone. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood fully adapts the manga, while the original Fullmetal Alchemist anime diverges onto its own path around halfway through. Both series have their strengths.
1 My Hero Academia
Superhero fans can rely on My Hero Academia for the right blend of heroics and jaw-dropping anime action. Its story takes place in a world where the emergence of superpowers called Quirks inspired the arrival of Heroes, aka superhumans who fight Villains in pursuit of justice. Amid the Quirk-enhanced populace is Izuku Midoriya, a Quirkless human with a strong sense of justice that aspires to become a Hero himself.
Much to his surprise, his idol All Might bestows unto him his own Quirk called the One For All. And with this newfound power, Deku enrolls in UA High School to become a Pro Hero and help save the world. Aside from a diverse cast of characters and a gripping story, My Hero Academia and its pursuit of justice for all becomes reminiscent of Naruto’s timeless lessons.
