If you just wrapped up Chainsaw Man season one, had a blast with the movie, and are now waiting (less than patiently) for the release of season two in (fingers crossed) 2026, here are our picks for the best anime like Chainsaw Man to keep you entertained in the meantime.
What is the best anime like Chainsaw Man?
Chainsaw Man is one of those anime creations that’s equal parts violent and entertaining. It’s got humor, absurdity, supernatural elements, and some truly graphic depictions of brutality. Well, most of us would consider it brutal — you might have a higher threshold. Our picks take all of these qualities into consideration.
Psycho-Pass
Produced by Production I.G., Psycho Pass is a cyberpunk supernatural thriller co-directed by Naoyoshi Shiotani and Katsuyuki Motohiro and written by Gen Urobuchi. Set in a futuristic Japan, the series follows Akane Tsunemori, a novice inspector in Division One of the Public Safety Bureau’s Criminal Investigation Division. These guys essentially scan citizens’ brains to detect potential for criminal behavior. This assessment potential is given a Crime Code Index, or a Psycho-Pass. It’s very dystopian surveillance. If a person’s code exceeds a specific limit, they’re pursued and exterminated.
That’s your general setup, but the sci-fi detective thriller series itself is a fan favorite that often appears on lists of what to watch after Chainsaw Man. So, we won’t be contrarian for the heck of it, and it’ll start our list too. Though the anime styles are very different — this one was inspired by films like Blade Runner and Minority Report, while Chainsaw Man has far more horror imagery — both share somber themes and dark tones. It’s a good one.
Jujutsu Kaisen
This is an easy pick based on the similarity of the premise and in that it was produced by MAPPA, the same studio as Chainsaw Man. This anime series follows a high school student named Yuji Itadori, who joins a society of sorcerers to eliminate a curse. Drawing on Japanese folklore, the curse stems from the negative energy released by all humans. While negative emotions flow naturally, it’s when they’re uncontrolled and released that the energy compiles and forms a curse.
But the plot itself gets complicated when this high schooler sorcerer swallows the finger of a demon, a cursed talisman, and becomes cursed himself. This one is a great watch because of the complex systems of the world, the animation style, and the writing. It fulfills every need you’d want out of shonen, and we know we can trust it based on the production studio alone.
Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku
Hell’s Paradise, another series from MAPPA, is an animated web series that is gory, dramatic, and beautiful. Set in the Edo period of Japan, the story follows Gabimaru, a ninja who is sentenced to execution after being captured while on an assassination mission. However, this sentence fails, as not much seems to affect his superhuman body. He’s been given the opportunity for a pardon if he finds the elixir of life. Along with other death row prisoners — and their executioners — Gabimaru sets off to find the elixir. Cue the quest and multiple side quests.
Only the first 13 episodes of season one are currently available to stream online, but the second season is set to drop in January 2026.
Dorohedoro
This pick is so fantastical and ludicrous, it’s almost hard to describe. But if you can go along with a story about a guy who can turn his arms into chainsaws, this should be no problem. Caiman is a man with a lizard head (we’re off to a good start) and amnesia. He’s after the dark wizard who cursed him to “the Hole,” and he’ll take out pretty much anyone he meets along the way who might give off the appearance of being a wizard. He’s got amnesia, remember? Along with his best friend, who is very talented at making gyoza, they set off on this revenge mission. But another powerful wizard hears of this and sends other wizards after him.
While it may not be the closest series to Chainsaw Man, Chainsaw Man may be the closest series to Dorohedoro in terms of style, grit, absurdity, and tone. If you like this one, definitely check out the manga series, which gets even crazier.
(Dorohedoro Blu-rays are ridiculously expensive, so you can buy the manga below.)
Parasyte: The Maxim
This series was one of the first anime to bring body horror to the mainstream. From Madhouse studio, Parasyte: The Maxim gives us a high school protagonist who lives with his family in Fukuyama. One night, parasitic aliens arrive on Earth and begin infecting their hosts by crawling into their ears and noses while they sleep. What these parasites can do to humans is pretty gnarly. But high schooler Shinichi Izumi wakes up before he can be fully infected, and the parasite lodges in his arm instead. Because the parasite wasn’t able to fully take over Shinichi’s brain, Shinichi and the parasite can retain their own identities, and an unlikely alliance forms. This unlikely parasitic relationship blossoms, and the two work together to fight off other human-attacking parasites.
Like Chainsaw Man, Parasyte: The Maxim is great storytelling, complete with great action, strange concepts, character development, and plenty of body-horror images to give you the creeps.
How we picked the best anime like Chainsaw Man
There is so much great anime that feels like Chainsaw Man. We narrowed our picks to shows that felt similar in tone, in their supernatural or superhero elements, and, of course, in their violence. Other honorable mentions that didn’t make the list but are worth mentioning include Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Kekkeai Sensen, and Another.
