Demon Slayer is a global phenomenon in the anime industry, and fans could argue that it's one of shonen's new "big three" anime series thanks to its winning combination of astonishing animation by studio UFOtable, heartfelt main characters, stylish Japanese setting and intriguing plot. However, even this series must come to an end eventually.
Any Demon Slayer fan who gets caught up on the ongoing anime or finishes the best-selling original manga will be hungry for more, and fortunately for them, the world of anime and manga has many great series to help fill the void. Any Demon Slayer fan who wants another fantasy "monster hunter" story can try out these five particular anime series and let a new adventure begin.
Jujutsu Kaisen Is A Slightly Darker Demon Slayer
It's likely that many Demon Slayer fans are already on board with popular modern titles like Jujutsu Kaisen, and if not, viewers are in for a treat with this ongoing series. Just like Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen boasts astonishing animation, a cast of sympathetic and exciting characters, terrifying monsters called curses, powerful mentors like Gojo Satoru to guide the heroes and much more.
Unlike Demon Slayer, this series takes place in modern-day society, where negative human emotions give rise to powerful curses and supernatural monsters that only trained jujutsu sorcerers like Yuji and his friends can slay. The anime has one 24-episode season plus a movie around the corner, and Season 2 is set to begin airing in Winter 2023. The manga has even more material, and it's selling almost as well as Demon Slayer's own.
Bleach Is Like Demon Slayer's Older Cousin
One of the original "big three" is Tite Kubo's hit series Bleach, and fans of Demon Slayer will see countless parallels between these two franchises. Both stories feature sword-wielding monster hunters who must protect humanity from terrifying beasts, and in Bleach's case, those hunters are black-robed Soul Reapers hunting evil spirits called Hollows. The hero is Kurosaki Ichigo, a seemingly ordinary human boy who gains the powers of a Soul Reaper one fateful night, and then his monster-slaying ventures began.
In addition, Bleach offers some isekai elements with Ichigo's journey to the Soul Society and the deserts of Hueco Mundo, and Bleach has its own version of the Kizuki, the ten deadly Espadas, or unmasked Hollows that have swords of their own. Bleach's anime was canceled, but the manga is complete and the anime will soon return with the "Thousand-Year Blood War" arc, just in time for Demon Slayer fans to try something new.
D.Gray-Man Is A Semi-Obscure Gem Of Gothic Fantasy
D.Gray-Man is an action anime based on author Katsura Hoshino's original manga, and while the manga has experienced numerous hiatuses, the anime is still a worthwhile adventure for any Demon Slayer fan who's hungry for more. This is yet another "monster hunter" anime featuring a kind-hearted teenage hero named Allen Walker, who wields a magical power called Innocence to slay monsters known as Akuma.
While Demon Slayer is set in Taisho-era Japan, D.Gray-Man is set in Gothic Europe, complete with spooky castles, vampires, Halloween vibes and more. The "Muzan" of D.Gray-Man is the cartoony but evil Millennium Earl who, along with his Noah family minions, torments humanity with the Akuma he creates, and only the Black Order, this anime's version of the Demon Slayer Corps, can stop him.
InuYasha Is All About Japanese Demons & Swords
InuYasha is an older but beloved series by author Rumiko Takahashi, who also penned the comedy series Ranma 1/2 and Maison Ikkoku, among others. This is an early modern isekai anime, starring the 1990s-era student Higurashi Kagome and her adventures down the well into feudal Japan, which is overrun by monsters. The "Muzan" of InuYasha is the greedy demon lord Naraku, who aspires to claim InuYasha's lover Kikyo for himself and become the most powerful creature in all of existence, and he has more than a few demons backing him up.
Fans of Demon Slayer will love the colorful variety of monsters and characters in InuYasha, not to mention the classical Japanese setting and careful balance of humor, drama and action. The original series is complete, and a successor, YashaHime, is currently ongoing.
Fire Force Is Steampunk Demon Slayer
Fire Force is a series by the same author as Soul Eater, Atsushi Okubo. The original manga is wrapping up with its final chapter, while the anime has two seasons of 24 episodes each to its name. This is a "monster hunter" anime in the same vein as Demon Slayer, except it's set in a steampunk future world that has been rebuilt after a fiery cataclysm that burned everything to the ground. Now, fire soldiers like Shinra Kusakabe and Maki Oze must risk their very lives to battle monsters called Infernals, or humans suffering from spontaneous combustion, and purify their souls.
However, there's even more to it than that. Shinra must also face a doomsday cult called the Cult of the Ashen Flame, whose goal is to cleanse the world with a second cataclysm in the name of their mysterious Evangelist leader. The fight is personal for Shinra, as his little brother Sho was recruited into the cult, and Shinra must somehow bring him back. This may remind Demon Slayer fans of the dynamic between Tanjiro and Nezuko.