If you’re a fan of the wild, over-the-top adventures in One Punch Man and are looking for your next watch, you’re in luck. There are plenty of other series with a similar vibe. Here are our picks for the best anime like One Punch Man.
What are the best anime like One Punch Man?
It can be hard to narrow down exactly what One Punch Man is doing so well, or exactly what genre it fits into. There’s a lot to compare it to, as the series itself includes a wide range of genres. Still, generally speaking, we can say we’re here for one powerhouse of a protagonist, the comedic writing, the superheroic aesthetic, and the art’s action dynamism. These are just a few of the great anime that include all of these factors.
Mob Psycho 100
The anime that shows up at the top of pretty much every list when you search this query, Mob Psycho 100, is an easy pick. It shares the same creator as One Punch Man, so you already know there’s going to be a lot of crossover in terms of style. Though the creator said the series was meant to be opposites, the themes are undeniably in discourse with one another. Based on the manga by ONE and produced by Studio Bones, Mob Psycho 100 follows Kageyama Shigeo, better known as Mob, who’s just trying to have a normal school experience but also happens to be an esper with incredible psychic powers.
He does his best to keep those abilities under wraps in the hopes of living a regular life — make some friends, meet a girl, you remember how it goes. But since his powers are tied to his emotions, that complicates things. Those abilities do, however, come in handy as he runs into more and more supernatural threats. But there’s a big learning curve in figuring out how to regulate emotions rather than suppress them. Also know that if you’re a fan of One Punch Man’s art, Mob Psycho 100 gets even better.
My Hero Academia
My Hero Academia gives us a story set in a similar kind of world, but it takes a very different approach to its gifted protagonists. While One Punch Man has a hero who’s bored out of his mind by his own powers, and Mob Psycho 100 follows someone who tries to suppress his, My Hero Academia gives us a protagonist who’s the outsider precisely because he doesn’t have any powers in a hero-centric society where abilities or “quirks” are the norm.
Based on the manga by Horikoshi Kouhei, it’s one of the most popular shonen anime of the last decade, so odds are you already know the premise (or you’ve watched the entire thing more than once). But if you’re somehow new to anime, or a longtime fan who just hasn’t gotten around to it yet, take this as your sign.
Mashle: Magic and Muscles
Released in 2023, Mashle: Magic and Muscles takes a totally different approach to our previous picks. This one plops us into a universe that feels very akin to the Wizarding World. Often described as a parody of Harry Potter, this shonen fantasy anime features a human protagonist with no magical ability in a society where people without magic are basically exterminated. But Mash, out of sheer necessity, has trained his body to such an absurd degree that he can fake magic through physical force. There are plenty of laughs to be milked from this setup.
While the story synopsis sounds like it could veer into darker territory, the series leans into its comedy. There is plenty of commentary on different superhero anime, plus witchy pop culture gags. The series is based on the manga by Hajime Kōmoto and produced by A-1 Pictures.
Tiger & Bunny
Tiger & Bunny takes the superhero world and matures it. It’s no longer a coming-of-age protagonist in a superhero or magical world; everything is already established and running like a well-oiled, albeit slightly chaotic, machine. (As an aside for any gamers, if you’ve heard anything about the concept for Dispatch, which is basically superheroes meets workplace environment, then that might lend a tone to what Tiger & Bunny is working with.) Though, of course, T&B came out in 2011, well before Dispatch.
Set in a futuristic city, Tiger & Bunny gives us a story about corporate-sponsored superheroes who are also part of a reality TV series where they earn points based on their performance. Here, we get the unexpected camaraderie of Tiger and Bunny — one a veteran in the superhero world who’s been around the block a few times, and the other a rising rookie still figuring out the ropes. The show leans into their dynamic, showing us that even with a generational gap and wildly different approaches, these heroes can team up to save the day.
The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.
Produced by the studio (J.C.Staff) that made the second season of One Punch Man, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. is a heavily comedic pick that gives us another flavor of the ultra-powerful hero just trying to live a normal life. We’re essentially mashing together One Punch Man and Mob Psycho 100 with an apathetic protagonist who is exceptionally powerful and has control over his abilities, but is still desperate to blend in.
The show drops us into Saiki’s everyday world, where he can read minds, teleport, move objects, and basically break reality if he sneezes the wrong way. And yet, he wants nothing more than to stay under the radar. But that doesn’t stop Saiki from absolutely annihilating enemies in the most ridiculous ways. And, like some of our other entries, the central theme goes back to the idea of controlling and understanding the self rather than taking it out on others (even if they definitely had it coming).
How we picked the best anime like One Punch Man
There are actually a few anime that hit the factors we considered. If you need a quick recap, we were looking at a hero-centric world, strong artwork, comedic writing, and, of course, a powerful protagonist (though not always equipped with superpowers). These are just a few of our favorite picks, but there are plenty of others. If these don’t stand out to you, Solo Leveling and Cautious Hero: The Hero is Overpowered but Overly Cautious are also great anime similar to One Punch Man.
