Castlevania is a dark fantasy animated series set in the realm of Wallachia, where Vlad Tepes rules with an army of monsters, spreading fear and horror across the land. It falls to heroes such as his dhampir son Alucard and the monster hunter Trevor Belmont to take him down. Castlevania has become wildly popular, boasting four seasons of animated mayhem.
The series is a bit short, so once Castlevania fans get their fill, they will want some more dark fantasy shows or Gothic horror tales to keep them sated, and the world of anime is ready to deliver. Horror and dark fantasy boast some remarkable titles, and many of them can match Castlevania's high standards.
10 Berserk Is A Dark Fantasy Landmark
Kentaro Miura's famous epic manga series Berserk has inspired an entire legion of fans around the world, and it's been running since 1989. It's set in a dark and violent medieval-style world where knights, inquisitors, mercenaries, monstrous Apostles and more are the norm, and ambitious people like Griffith are free to make a deal with the devil at any time.
That "devil" is the God Hand, four supreme beings of darkness, and they and their minions are all cruel tyrants, just like Vlad Tepes. Fighting back against these horrors is the mercenary swordsman Guts, who burns for revenge. The 1997 and 2016 anime are both available for Castlevania fans to try out.
9 Vinland Saga Is A Medieval Epic Of Revenge & Destiny
Visually, Vinland Saga isn't quite as dark as Berserk or Castlevania, since plenty of scenes take place in the daytime, in the lush wilderness of the British Isles and Iceland. Still, this is not a peaceful or idyllic world. It's the Viking age, where powerful warlords and petty feudal kings are the norm.
The antihero, Thorfinn Karlsefni, isn't on a quest to save the world; not at first, that is. He longs for revenge against his father's killer, Askeladd, and he will soon learn that there's more to this vicious world than revenge. What if he could find Vinland instead?
8 D.Gray-Man Is A Classic Gothic Anime Series
At times, D.Gray-Man is more cartoony than Castlevania and certainly Berserk, but it's still a beloved and action-packed title with more than a little drama and horror in its episodes. It's set in an alternate Victorian-era Europe, where monsters known as Akuma disguise themselves as human until the moment they strike.
Only exorcists such as Allen Walker, Lenalee Lee and Yu Kanda can fight back, and they face unspeakable horrors in the night as they purge the world of Akuma. Meanwhile, the Millennium Earl and the Noah family are poised to remake the world, unless Allen and co. can stop them.
7 Attack On Titan Has Horror & Fantasy Elements To It
Castlevania and Attack on Titan only have limited overlap, and in later episodes, Attack on Titan has an early modern setting that Castlevania lacks, mostly in terms of the Marley Empire. Still, Attack on Titan is a smash-hit for a reason, and Castlevania fans will find plenty to like.
Early on, Attack on Titan has horror elements and intense action scenes pitting desperate, sword-slinging heroes against the brutal Titans, and it all takes place in a gritty, gas lamp fantasy setting surrounded by imposing walls.
6 Tokyo Ghoul Is Bloody, Dark & Fun
Sui Ishida's original Tokyo Ghoul manga had a slightly rough transition into anime form, but the anime does boast classic credits music and remarkable visual effects, and it can act as a fine gateway to the manga series and its sequel, Tokyo Ghoul:re.
In this story, ghouls are akin to vampires, being supernatural humanoids who hunt humans by night with impunity. Humanity's defenders are the skilled CCG investigators who hunt these ghouls, and the half-ghoul Ken Kaneki is trying to broker peace between the feuding sides.
5 The Rising Of The Shield Hero Is A Hardcore Isekai Story
It's true that Castlevania doesn't have any isekai elements to it, and the isekai genre is known for its many frivolous, silly fantasy titles. But that's not an absolute rule. The Rising of the Shield Hero is a serious and dark take on the genre, complete with slavery, bloody revenge, betrayal and more.
The unwitting hero, Naofumi Iwatani, can only use shields in battle, and he's been cut off from the other three isekai heroes as waves of monsters approach. So, he forms a new adventuring party and fights back any way he can.
4 Akame Ga Kill! Holds Nothing Back
Akame Ga Kill! can be considered the Berserk of shonen, and indeed, it might border on seinen at times. It's set in a fantasy world where assassins are everywhere, and most of them are bloodthirsty thugs and mercenaries for hire. Hero Tatsumi soon learns that the hard way.
Tatsumi quickly learns the ways of Night Raid, the assassination gang he joined, and much blood will be shed as Night Raid clashes with its many enemies. No one is safe, not even Tatsumi's closest friends, and he'll need all his wits to survive.
3 Soul Eater Is A Cartoony Gothic Show
If Castlevania fans are in the mood for a gothic fantasy series with a much lighter edge but plenty of brutal action, then Soul Eater is a must-watch. It might also remind fans of D.Gray-Man, though it doesn't involve Akuma or the end of the world.
In this story, the heroes use their own partners as weapons, and Soul Eater Evans, for example, can turn into a scythe that Maka Albarn wields in battle. All kinds of grotesque monsters and maniacs haunt the night under the eerie crescent moon, and Maka is ready to take them all on.
2 Demon Slayer Pits Monster Hunters Against Powerful Demons
The smash-hit series Demon Slayer fits the "monster hunter" theme along with D.Gray-Man, and it has even better animation, including its movie, Mugen Train. In early modern Japan, flesh-eating demons are the equivalent of vampires, and only specialized hunters, the demon slayers, can take them on.
It's always an unfair fight, where demons can easily overwhelm most demon slayers, but it's one that must be fought all the same. Hero Tanjiro Kamado is a rookie demon slayer with a mission: to restore his little sister Nezuko's humanity and take down the father of all demons, Muzan Kibutsuji.
1 Jujutsu Kaisen Has Action, Gore & Horror Elements
Although Jujutsu Kaisen is a stock shonen action series with plenty of humor, there is still a lot for Castlevania fans to like about this series. It's set in a grim world where negative human emotions coalesce to form curses, and only jujutsu sorcerers can fight back with their own cursed energy.
Hero Yuji Itadori has the ultimate curse inside him, Sukuna, and he must learn to control and tame this power or be overwhelmed. Along the way, he'll face all sorts of horrors and bloodshed, including the death of a dear friend. These curse monsters have no mercy on anyone.