Tokyo Ghoul is a favorite among the anime faithful. Its tragic tale of the young, innocent Ken Kaneki pulled at the heartstrings of many who connected with his involvement in a literal identity war. On the other hand, the anime's promise and delivery of bloody battles and sadistic scenes attracted many other viewers.

Given its consistent season orders, massive manga sales, and the sheer number of zipper masks at any anime convention, it's no secret that the war between humanity and ghouls has drawn quite a sizeable crowd. The manga released its final chapter way back in 2014, but Tokyo Ghoul fans might just end up enjoying other anime like this one.

Updated on November 17th, 2023 by Louis Kemner: The Tokyo Ghoul franchise's delightfully bizarre concept, combined with a remarkable sense of character development, has made it truly iconic. Anyone who loved the story of Ken Kaneki the half-ghoul is sure to love some other anime like Tokyo Ghoul, which often have similar themes. This list of anime similar to Tokyo Ghoul has also been updated to adhere to CBR's current publication standards.

Tokyo Ghoul Fans Might Like These Zombie Anime, Too

15 Inuyashiki Shows Unusual Self Discovery

From the creator of Gantz, Inuyashiki is a gripping, gritty tale about two different generations grappling with power and technology, much like how the police figures and Ghouls of Tokyo Ghoul struggle with their responsibilities. In Inuyashiki, an old man and a young teenager are resurrected after a terrible accident. They're equipped with advanced robot bodies capable of both healing people as well as causing mass destruction.

One uses this power to save lives, either as a crime fighter or as a healer. The other, however, liberally uses his power for his own enjoyment, slaughtering people with a smile on his face. For those looking for deep moral exploration with plenty of violence like Tokyo Ghoul, Inuyashiki is an obvious choice.

14 Another Is a Grim Horror Anime Set in High School

While Tokyo Ghoul does have plenty of action, some fans enjoyed it for its horror aspects. Action is a universally beloved genre, but Tokyo Ghoul added a special flavor with lots of gore and terrifying villains. For viewers on the hunt for a decent scare and some dark atmosphere, Another is one of the best horror anime around.

There's a new kid on the block, and he has to solve the mystery behind a decades-spanning curse that looks to kill his entire classroom. As he tries to befriend the one ostracized student in his class, he learns more about the dark history and rituals of his new town.

13 Demon Slayer Depicts Heroes Fighting Monsters at Night

Demon Slayer Has Some Truly Hype Scenes

Anyone who wants Tokyo Ghoul to be more Shonen-like should probably take a look at the Shonen sensation that had anime fans roaring in 2019, not to mention breaking manga sales records well into 2020. Demon Slayer's Tanjiro Kamado loses his family to a demon attack and suddenly finds his own sister turning into a blood-thirsty demon.

Not wanting to give up on the only surviving member of his family, Tanjiro continues to protect his sister while learning more about the world in which demons reside. Set during Japan's Taisho era, Demon Slayer features Tanjiro's journey as he learns to consolidate all the powers lying dormant within him.

12 Psycho-Pass Features Akane's Battle to Free the World From Tyranny

Tokyo Ghoul's early years already explored the prospect of a police force using Ghouls. It isn't until Tokyo Ghoul:re that this idea is given full life, as the series transitions into a crime-solving/thriller series. For those interested in the new police gimmick or another gritty world filled with monsters of a different kind, Psycho-Pass is the perfect fix.

In a cyberpunk world where technology has changed human culture in incredibly invasive ways, governing forces now calculate one's propensity for wrongdoing with their so-called "crime coefficients." The police must not only deal with how this fundamentally changes their operations, but also work alongside criminals with special government permissions.

11 Parasyte -The Maxim- Features a Gruesome Half-Other Protagonist

Kaneki Ken would really get along with Shinichi Izumi. This is not only because they were both once timid students but also because they were transformed by circumstances beyond their control and now deal with monstrous bodies equipped with incredible power.

The creatures of Parasyte even summon special blades and appendages from their body for combat, much like the Ghouls' kagune. However, they also get the benefit of horrifying transformation sequences that contort their bodies in admittedly gruesome ways. As a more condensed story than Tokyo Ghoul, Parasyte should be an easy watch for fans.

10 Attack On Titan's Hero Becomes a Twisted Half-Other With Incredible Powers

Attack On Titan's Ending Broke the Internet

Attack on Titan revolves around an ongoing war between humans and man-eating monsters, although it's so much more than that. Tokyo Ghoul approaches its issues with modern sensibility and a vulnerable character, whereas Attack on Titan approaches it through existential terror and political intrigue.

This particular recommendation does not stem from their similarities but rather from the significant change in perspective. Viewers can have Attack on Titan quench their thirst for amazing action and tons of gore, while simultaneously bringing them into the political turmoil contained within three seemingly unassailable Walls.

9 Death Parade Explores the Human Condition On a Dark & Raw Level

Bringing things a little closer to the sadistic and ghoulish, fans searching for supernatural intrigue will definitely be entertained by the ghostly bar hosts of the Quindecim Bar. Death Parade is about a group of bar hosts living in a purgatory world whose jobs are to test the wills and decide the fates of the newly deceased, doing so with horrific death games like darts or air hockey.

It's an interesting world in its own right. The arbitrators of life in Death Parade are not infallible, absolute beings but subjective observers of the human condition. There's a sense of humanity and vulnerability in the supernatural, not unlike the macabre cafe in Tokyo Ghoul.

8 Neon Genesis Evangelion's Hero is Broken Down, Like Ken Kaneki

Kaneki's vulnerability and the themes of societal strife creating inner conflict share numerous parallels with the iconic Neon Genesis Evangelion. Ken Kaneki and Shinji Ikari undergo similar experiences as both are thrust into the bloody conflicts of their world with considerable pressure put on their shoulders.

In the case of Shinji, a lot of that stems from a fusion of parental neglect, sexual confusion, and desensitization to war and violence. Much like Tokyo Ghoul's Kaneki, he's being broken down throughout the series, and the viewer is just watching that descent in spectacular metaphorical fashion.

7 From The New World Is About Finding Purpose

There's a tragic drama about Tokyo Ghoul that forces its viewers to consider their own identities and places within the world, asking cutting questions about who really deserves to live or die. If there's a desire to dig into the misery and politics of it all, then From the New World is an absolutely amazing choice.

Taking place in a world where humanity has somehow obtained psychic abilities directly tied to their psychological state, this series focuses on the controversies and horrors of the alternate universe. From the New World is a mesmerizing showcase of conspiracy, betrayal, and inhumane experiments at the forefront of an "evolving" society.

6 Deadman Wonderland is a Classic Hero Vs. Horrible Monster's Tale

Deadman Wonderland is a Cool Survival Anime

Similar to Attack on Titan, Deadman Wonderland has its main character manifest a monstrous gift to the military-industrial complex. What this series offers is profanity and gore to compare or even surpass that of Tokyo Ghoul, with its English dub being one of the most profane things to have ever entered Adult Swim (which is saying something).

At the other end of the Deadman Wonderland spectrum is a variety of blood-themed magical attacks, personal to their user and ever dangerous to their target. This premise makes for some incredible and tense battles between a young high schooler and a variety of older, tougher monsters.

5 Future Diary Stars a Grim Antihero Who Embraces His Dark side

Working into the mindset that Tokyo Ghoul may be a little edgy, Future Diary is a series filled with similar levels of teenage angst and drama as well as over-the-top fantasy and action elements. In this regard, this anime narrative surprisingly similar to Tokyo Ghoul.

Future Diary focuses on a death game to become the new god of the world — each of its participants, including the main character, gain the ability to read the future in some way. What follows is an observation of the modern macabre as a cast of differently unbalanced characters brings about some of the most eccentric scenes in anime history.

4 Beyond The Boundary Explores Themes of Personal Identity & Humanity

Moving away from the themes of darkness espoused by Tokyo Ghoul, Beyond the Boundary provides an aesthetically different view of personal and societal turbulence. Taking place in a supernatural world of its own, the story focuses on one of the last of the Spirit Warriors, Mirai Kuriyama, as she tries to kill her fellow classmate Akihito Kanbara, a youmo.

What follows is an oddly heartwarming tale for its premise, as Akihito invites Mirai to the Literary Club, while a battle for humanity creeps forward in the background. Much like Tokyo Ghoul, this series centers on identity and personal responsibility but does so in the cute, heartwarming way that only Kyoto Animation can pull off.

3 Akame Ga Kill! is a Dark Anime About Fighting With Villainous Powers

Akame Ga Kill! Is Divisive, Just Like Game of Thrones

Akame ga Kill! features the rebellion of a motley crew of characters battling an oppressively conspiratorial world. If death and gore is what fans are looking for, they should know that this series includes over-the-top battles and high stakes that consistently make the viewer worried about who's going to die next — and how.

Moving the stylistic dial, Akame ga Kill! is host to a variety of dark powers, cool weapons, horrifying monsters, and a litany of quirky character designs and personalities that just make the deaths even more painful. Tokyo Ghoul might be more profound, but Akame ga Kill! isn't exactly simplistic.

2 Gantz Pits Its Gritty Heroes Against Horrific Monsters

Although commonly known as one of the edgiest anime series out there, Gantz still manages to analyze and subvert everything that makes a story gory. Furthermore, it brings a level of shame and introspection to go along with its action, battles, blood, and sex.

Gantz revolves around a dead high schooler who is resurrected to participate in a crazy death game that gifts him alien technology and makes him fight against some of the most terrifying monsters in animanga. At the same time, Gantz offers a deft commentary on the violence and terror present in both society and the human heart.

1 March Comes in Like a Lion Dives Into Themes of Innocence & Introspection

Fans of Tokyo Ghoul are perennially concerned for the emotional and physical well-being of its tragic protagonist, a character who defines what it means to be truly innocent. Those who watch Tokyo Ghoul for this reason should have March Comes in Like a Lion be the next stop on their viewing list.

As a grounded yet stylistic series, this anime focuses on depression and societal pressures but does so through a tonal roller coaster. There are emotional tensions that tug at the audience's heartstrings, but the comfort and sincerity of its characters provide new levels of relief. March Comes in Like a Lion is the soothing drink of water needed to take a break from the dark coldness of Tokyo Ghoul.

The cover of the first volume of Tokyo Ghoul's manga
Tokyo Ghoul

Tokyo Ghoul took the world by storm when it debuted during the summer of 2014. Studio Pierrot does some wonderful work adapting author Sui Ishida’s dark fantasy series. Tokyo Ghoul isn’t for the faint of heart. This anime combines several genres such as horror, psychological thriller, action, and drama to great success.

Genre
Animation, Action, Horror
Language
English
Number of Seasons
4
Debut Date
July 3, 2014
Studio
Pierrot