Over the past decade, anime has become more and more popular because people now realize that it is a legitimate form of entertainment. Most shows may cater to teenagers and young adults, but there are plenty of series for more mature audiences, andTokyo Ghoulis not intended for children. The seriestakes place in an alternate worldwhere people live alongside Ghouls, creatures who feed on human flesh.
The story centers around Ken Kaneki, a young student who becomes half-ghoul after being attacked by a female Ghoul. When he realizes what has happened to him, he must learn to live with his new diet and abilities. He gets involved in several battles, and he joins various groups along the way until he finds himself living a peaceful life.Tokyo Ghoulis a great example ofGothic anime, and there are other series with similar themes and visuals that fans would likely enjoy. Let’s go over some of thebest anime likeTokyo Ghoul.
Updated July 02, 2025 by Mark Sammut:Due to a questionable adaptation, Tokyo Ghoul seems destined to never make its return to animated content, which is a shame since the manga is an all-time great. Fortunately, fans who want something that can fill the void have plenty of anime similar to Tokyo Ghoul that they can check out. Two more shows have been added as recommendations.
Despite being a Shonen anime compared toTokyo Ghoul’s Seinen classification,Chainsaw Manprimarily targets older viewers, with both the manga and anime featuring gory and, at times, uncomfortable action. Akin to Kaneki, Denji gains a transformation when he is on the verge of death due to combining with a Devil called Pochita. Now, Denji can transform into the eponymous Chainsaw Man, an unapologetically brutal “hero” who can and will tear his enemies apart.
Similar toTokyo Ghoul, Denji’s present situation causes him to be dragged completely into an extremely dangerous world, forcing him to become part of thePublic Safety Divisionthat deals with Devils. Although they generally exist to protect the peace, the PSD is far from a noble institution, particularly when it comes to its leader, Makima.
Very loosely based on Go Nagai’s influentialDevilmanmanga,Devilman Crybabyis a purposefully hard-to-watch show that touches on a few similar themes asTokyo Ghoul. Both anime revolve around weak protagonists who gain power from a questionable source that gradually influences their personalities, causing them internal strife as they try to resist becoming somebody they do not recognize.
Filled with religious imagery, intense sequences, sexual themes, and horrifying violence,Devilman Crybabyis not for everyone, nor should it be. However, anyone craving a show that takes an ambitious and subversive look at tropes commonly found in Battle Shonen will want to give this a look. Beware, this anime is solely for adults.
Netflix has a decent number ofgreat anime series, including lesser-known shows likeAjin: Demi-Human.The series features 3D animation, and there are surprisingly quite a few similarities between it andTokyo Ghoul.Kei Nagai is the main protagonist, and he discovers that he is an Ajin after getting fatally injured in a traffic accident.
Like Ghouls, Ajin are humanoid beings, but Ajin are immortal and do not need to feed on humans. Instead of Kagune, the Ajin can summon black ghosts for battle, and they can produce harsh screams. Kei was forced into this world just like Kaneki was, and the humans capture and experiment on Ajin, which is similar to how the CCG treats Ghouls.
Tokyo Ghoulis known for being edgy, and that is the reason why fans of the series will enjoyFuture Diary.Thissurvival game animecenters onYukiteru Amano, a teenage loner who befriends a god of space and time. The god turns Yukiteru’s phone into a Future Diary, which allows him to partially see up to 90 days into the future.
The protagonist then finds himself in a battle royale with 11 other individuals, and the winner will become the next god who will stop an upcoming apocalypse.Future Diaryhas the type of teenage drama and action thatTokyo Ghoulfans enjoy, and to make things even more interesting, most of the characters are insane to some degree.
At first glance, ananime likePsycho-Passwould not seem interesting toTokyo Ghoulfans, but they should give it a shot.Psycho-Passis set in a world where cybernetic augmentation has run rampant, and there is a system in place that determines a person’s likelihood of committing a crime.
The first part ofTokyo Ghoul:refelt more like a crime-solving or thriller series, which is exactly whatPsycho-Passis, so fans will enjoy that aspect. In terms of violence,Psycho-Passdoes not shy away from it, and the series' main police force possesses special authority similar to the CCG.
Many considerNeon Genesis Evangelionto be one of thebest mecha animeof all time, which is understandable given its brilliant storytelling and characters. On the surface,EvangelionandTokyo Ghoulare completely different, but fans who like Kaneki will also like Shinji Ikari.
Both characters are forced into bloody conflicts which place the weight of the world on their shoulders. They are also forced into leadership roles that they are not prepared for. Fans who watched Kaneki break down throughoutTokyo Ghoulwill notice that the same thing happens to Shinji.
There are severalgreat horror animeto choose from, andAnotheris one of the more popular series.Anotherstarts in 1998, and it deals with a student’s unexpected death. Her classmates cope by pretending she is still alive, but doing so causes them to summon an evil spirit that goes on a killing spree.
The series features a surprising amount of gore, whichTokyo Ghoulfans will be accustomed to.Anothermay be a gruesome series that centers around a mystery, but it explores dark themes just likeTokyo Ghoul.
When Ghouls fight, they activate their Kagune, which alters their bodies in some way. This type of body transformation occurs inTerra Formarsas well, which is whyTokyo Ghoulfans will find it interesting.The anime also features a good amount of violence and action.
Terra Formarsis agreat science fantasy animethatcenters around a conflict on Mars. Unfortunately, the planet is filled with mutated cockroaches who all look like massive humans. Two manned missions are sent to Mars, and they consist of humans who survived a special operation that allows them to transform into animal and insect hybrids.
Claymoremay not bethe best anime for newcomers, but it shares a lot of similarities withTokyo Ghouland is great for seasoned fans. The story focuses on a female warrior named Clare, who underwent a procedure to become a claymore. These warriors are part Yokai, and they are tasked with eliminating man-eating monsters and other warriors with their Yokai powers.
Clare and Kaneki share similar personalities, and they both have to fight monsters who appear to be human. Both series fit into the horror, mystery, and action genres, and they deal with romance in similar ways as well.
Blue Exorcistdeals with the ongoing conflict between demons andthe various classes of demon hunters. The main character is Rin Okumura, who happens to be the son of Satan, which explains why he is capable of producing and manipulating intense blue flames.
LikeTokyo Ghoul,Blue Exorcistfeatures a group tasked with trying to maintain peace despite the existence of powerful non-human entities, and both main characters are forced to deal with major life changes.Blue Exorcistmay not be as violent, but it still tells a decent story that spans multiple seasons, most of which improve on their predecessors.
