Jujutsu Kaisen has redefined modern shonen with its ultra-high-budget fights, iconic character roster and willingness to have real consequences. If you've already finished both seasons — and the film Jujutsu Kaisen 0 — and are wondering what to watch next, this guide gathers the 12 anime most similar to JJK you can watch right now: from series that share the same supernatural combat universe to those that match its narrative depth.
What Makes Jujutsu Kaisen Special?
Before the recommendations, it's worth identifying what makes JJK so hard to replace. Not every anime on this list replicates all of these elements, but each shares at least three defining characteristics:
- Power system with internal rules: curses and exorcism techniques have their own logic; they're not arbitrary powers.
- Organization with hierarchy and internal politics: the Jujutsu HQ isn't just backdrop; its decisions drive the plot.
- Secondary characters as good as the protagonist: Gojo, Nanami, Nobara, Megumi each carry their own narrative weight.
- Reference-level combat animation: MAPPA raised the bar for anime fights in JJK.
- Permanent consequences: characters aren't protected by their plot importance. JJK kills without warning.
- Dark tone without abandoning humor: the balance between tragedy and absurd comedy is part of the series' identity.
The 12 Best Anime Like Jujutsu Kaisen
Chainsaw Man
Chainsaw Man is the most obvious recommendation for very concrete reasons: same studio (MAPPA), same animation quality, same tone of darkness mixed with absurd humor, and the same premise of a protagonist merging his body with a supernatural entity to fight demons. Denji, like Yuji, is an ordinary guy who ends up absorbing the power of a non-human being and working for an organization that hunts demons. The difference is that Chainsaw Man is even more nihilistic and experimental in its narrative. Season 2 (School Devil Hunter arc) is in production.
Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba)
The most frequent comparison in current shonen. Demon Slayer shares with JJK the structure of ranked hunter organizations, demonic antagonists with personality and their own motivations, and reference-level combat animation (ufotable instead of MAPPA, but equally spectacular). The main difference is tone: Demon Slayer is more emotional and family-friendly. If you liked JJK for its fights and enemy design, Demon Slayer is the most natural transition. The Mugen Train film is one of the greatest box office successes in the history of anime cinema.
Naruto / Naruto Shippuden
JJK draws directly from Naruto: the ninja academy as an institution, the protagonist trio (Yuji-Megumi-Nobara echoes Naruto-Sasuke-Sakura), selection exam arcs, powerful mentors with relaxed appearances hiding extreme power (Gojo-Kakashi). To understand the DNA of Jujutsu Kaisen, watching Naruto is almost mandatory. Shippuden considerably raises the dark tone. The Pain saga and the Fourth Ninja War arc are absolute references in shonen.
Hunter x Hunter (2011)
The anime with the most elaborate power system in shonen history. Hunter x Hunter shares with JJK a ranked organization (the Hunters), supernatural power with complex internal rules (Nen instead of cursed energy), and a willingness to go to dark places other shonen avoid. The Chimera Ant arc — the second half of the series — is as ambitious and disturbing as JJK's Shibuya arc. The downside: the manga has been on hiatus for years, and the anime doesn't have a resolved ending.
Blue Exorcist (Ao no Exorcist)
The most direct premise connection: exorcists trained in an academic institution to fight demons, a protagonist with a cursed power tied to his bloodline, and the tension between belonging to the human world and the supernatural one. Blue Exorcist follows Rin Okumura, son of Satan who becomes an exorcist. Season 1 deviates from the manga in its final arc, but Season 2 (Kyoto Saga) is faithful to the source and of higher quality. Kazue Kato's manga is still active and goes much deeper into the lore.
My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia)
The superhero academy series par excellence. My Hero Academia shares with JJK the academy structure for young people with powers, legendary mentors guiding the new generation, and antagonists with motivations the audience ends up understanding. The later seasons shift toward a darkness and stakes it didn't have at the start, bringing it closer to JJK's tone. If you liked JJK for the generational conflict between institutions and enemies, MHA has a parallel arc with the same narrative weight in its final stretch.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
The benchmark for mature shonen. FMA: Brotherhood shares with JJK antagonists with understandable motivations, worldbuilding with a corrupt organization the protagonists must navigate, and secondary characters as well-constructed as the main duo. Alchemy has an internal logic as elaborate as JJK's cursed techniques. It's the anime with the most satisfying closed story in modern shonen and the one most JJK fans recommend as a mandatory next step.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War
Bleach TYBW is the return of one of shonen's great franchises with animation quality comparable to JJK at its best. The Bleach universe — shinigami, hollows, secret ranked organizations, sword-spirit based powers — shares the same supernatural DNA as JJK. The Quincy arc is the darkest and most elaborate of the entire franchise. If you want more high-quality fights with the same type of supernatural powers and hierarchical organization, Bleach TYBW is the answer.
Soul Eater
Soul Eater has one of the most original concepts in shonen: academy students who fight evil souls, where companions themselves can transform into weapons. Shibusen Academy serves the same institutional function as the Jujutsu HQ: training young people with special powers to maintain the world's balance. The art style (dark, expressive, Tim Burton-influenced) and absurd humor recall JJK's visual style. The anime ending differs from the manga, which is darker.
Noragami
Noragami blends the world of Japanese gods (kami) with evil spirits in contemporary Japan. Yato, a minor god with no followers, works as an ayakashi exterminator with his Shinki (a weapon with a soul of the dead). It shares with JJK the modern Japan setting with a superimposed supernatural world, absurd humor mixed with genuine darkness, and secondary characters that turn out more complex than they first appear. More accessible than JJK, but with the same underlying energy.
Black Clover
If you liked JJK for the academy, the companions and the power escalation, Black Clover is the natural follow-up. Protagonist Asta has no magic in a world where everyone does, and compensates with raw strength and an anti-magic grimoire. The series has knight guilds (equivalent to JJK's schools), antagonists with secret organizations and a magic system with rules. The initial pace is slow, but from the Elf arc onward the series settles and clearly surpasses its starting point.
Dororo (2019)
Also produced by MAPPA, Dororo adapts Osamu Tezuka's classic manga with a darkness many didn't expect. Hyakkimaru was born without organs or limbs because his father bargained them away to 48 demons. Each demon he kills recovers a piece of his body. It's a supernatural demon-hunting anime, dark and poetic, without JJK's academic structures but with the same willingness to accept permanent consequences and the same type of combat against Japanese supernatural entities. An underrated gem within MAPPA's catalogue.
Comparison Table: Anime Similar to Jujutsu Kaisen
| Anime | Length | Key Similarity | Tone | Watch if… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chainsaw Man | 12 eps (S1) | MAPPA + supernatural fusion + darkness | Very dark + absurd | You want the closest in style |
| Demon Slayer | 4 seasons | Hunters/sorcerers + epic combat | Emotional + dark | You want the same animation level |
| Naruto / Shippuden | 720 eps (filtered) | Original genre DNA, academy + mentors | Varies widely | You want to understand JJK's origins |
| Hunter x Hunter | 148 eps | Most elaborate power system | Dark (grows) | You value internal power logic |
| Blue Exorcist | 37 eps | Exorcist academy + cursed power | Dark but accessible | You want the most direct premise |
| My Hero Academia | 7 seasons | Academy + mentors + complex villains | Balanced → dark | You prefer more hours of content |
| FMA: Brotherhood | 64 eps | Corrupt organization + twists + antagonists | Mature + balanced | You want the best closed story |
| Bleach TYBW | 52 eps | Organization + supernatural powers + combat | Dark + epic | You want more high-quality fights |
| Soul Eater | 51 eps | Academy + soul hunting + dark humor | Dark + humor | You liked JJK's visual tone |
| Noragami | 25 eps | Supernatural world in modern Japan | Light → dark | You want something more accessible first |
| Black Clover | 170 eps | Academy + power escalation + rivals | Classic shonen | You want many hours of content |
| Dororo (2019) | 24 eps | MAPPA + demon hunting + darkness | Dark + poetic | You want MAPPA's hidden gem |
Where to Start After Finishing JJK?
It depends on what you miss most about Jujutsu Kaisen:
- The animation and visual style: start with Chainsaw Man. Same studio, same level, same chaos.
- The spectacular fights: Demon Slayer has the highest-budget animation fights currently.
- The depth of the power system: Hunter x Hunter and its Nen system are the absolute reference.
- The academy and secondary characters: My Hero Academia or Blue Exorcist.
- A closed, satisfying story: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, without question.
- Something short to try: Noragami (25 eps) or Dororo (24 eps).
Gege Akutami's manga is complete in 27 volumes. The final arc has developments the anime will take years to adapt, and many lore details that the animation condenses.
View Jujutsu Kaisen manga on AmazonAffiliate link: we receive a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you.
Where to Watch These Anime (2026)
| Anime | Main Platform | English Dub | English Sub |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chainsaw Man | Crunchyroll | Yes | Yes |
| Demon Slayer | Crunchyroll / Netflix | Yes | Yes |
| Naruto / Shippuden | Crunchyroll | Yes | Yes |
| Hunter x Hunter | Netflix / Crunchyroll | Yes | Yes |
| Blue Exorcist | Crunchyroll | Yes | Yes |
| My Hero Academia | Crunchyroll | Yes | Yes |
| FMA: Brotherhood | Crunchyroll / Netflix | Yes | Yes |
| Bleach TYBW | Disney+ | Yes | Yes |
| Soul Eater | Crunchyroll | Yes | Yes |
| Noragami | Crunchyroll | Yes | Yes |
| Black Clover | Crunchyroll | Yes | Yes |
| Dororo (2019) | Prime Video | Yes | Yes |
Frequently Asked Questions About JJK and Similar Anime
What anime is most similar to Jujutsu Kaisen?
Chainsaw Man (MAPPA, 2022) is probably the closest in tone, animation style and darkness. Both are produced by MAPPA, feature protagonists who merge their bodies with a supernatural entity, and combine brutal action with emotional moments. Demon Slayer is another very direct option if you want high-budget fights with a similar aesthetic.
How many seasons does Jujutsu Kaisen have?
Jujutsu Kaisen has 3 seasons (2020, 2023, and Season 3 airing in 2026) plus the film Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (2021), a prequel focused on Yuta Okkotsu. Season 2 includes the Shibuya Incident arc, considered one of the best moments in modern shonen. Gege Akutami's manga is already finished.
Where can I watch Jujutsu Kaisen?
Jujutsu Kaisen is available on Crunchyroll with English subtitles and dubbing. The film Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is also on Crunchyroll. It has been available on Netflix at various times. Crunchyroll is the most reliable option for watching all seasons and Season 3 simulcast.
Is Chainsaw Man better than Jujutsu Kaisen?
It depends on personal taste. Chainsaw Man has a more experimental and nihilistic narrative with a more antiheroic protagonist. Jujutsu Kaisen has more secondary character development and a more elaborate power system. Both are landmark works of modern shonen. Ideally, watch both.
What anime has a power system similar to Jujutsu Kaisen?
Naruto is the classic reference (chakra with complex internal rules). Hunter x Hunter has the Nen system, which many consider the best designed in anime. My Hero Academia has powers with clear physical limitations. Blue Exorcist shares the premise of exorcists with supernatural powers fighting demons.
Are there exorcist anime similar to Jujutsu Kaisen?
Yes. Blue Exorcist follows Rin Okumura, son of Satan, who becomes an exorcist. Soul Eater has academies of soul hunters. Dororo blends Japanese spirits and combat in feudal Japan. Noragami deals with Japanese gods and spirits with a lighter tone.
Is Demon Slayer similar to Jujutsu Kaisen?
Yes, they share many elements: ranked hunter/sorcerer organizations, demonic antagonists with personality, very high-budget fights and protagonists who train to overcome their limits. The main difference is tone: Demon Slayer has more emotional and family moments, while JJK tends to be darker and more cynical.
How long does Jujutsu Kaisen take to get interesting?
The first episode is already impactful, but the anime settles around episodes 5-7. For many fans, the point of no return is the Kyoto tournament (episodes 17-20) and above all the Shibuya arc in Season 2, where the anime reaches its peak.
Is Black Clover similar to Jujutsu Kaisen?
Yes, especially in structure: academies/guilds, a protagonist with a mysterious power they shouldn't have, rivals/companions with parallel development, and progressive power escalation. Black Clover is more optimistic and its protagonist (Asta) is louder than Yuji. It's a solid option if you want more hours of content.
Is there supernatural battle anime as good as JJK?
Hunter x Hunter (2011) and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood are the two most serious candidates to match or surpass JJK in quality. In terms of pure combat animation, Demon Slayer (especially the Mugen Train film) is unmatched. For the most recent output, Chainsaw Man and Blue Lock are the highest-quality offerings.
Does JJK have a better manga than anime?
Gege Akutami's manga has a more compact pace and is complete, offering a closed narrative experience. However, MAPPA's animation in the Shibuya arc surpasses visually what the manga can convey: fights in motion are one of the reasons Season 2 became a phenomenon.
Why is Jujutsu Kaisen so popular?
JJK combines several factors: MAPPA's extremely high-quality animation (especially in fights), a balanced cast of characters with clear motivations for each side, the introduction of Gojo Satoru as one of the most iconic characters in modern shonen, and real darkness where characters aren't protected by plot armor. The Shibuya arc (Season 2) proved the manga has no fear of permanent consequences.