Tokyo Ghoul is a favorite among the anime faithful. Its tragic tale of the young, innocent Ken Kaneki pulled at the heartstrings of many who connected with his involvement in a literal identity war. On the other hand, the anime’s promise and delivery of bloody battles and sadistic scenes attracted many other viewers.
Given its consistent season orders, massive manga sales, and the sheer number of zipper masks at any anime convention, it’s no secret that the war between humanity and ghouls has drawn quite a sizeable crowd. The manga released its final chapter way back in 2014, but Tokyo Ghoul fans might just end up enjoying other anime like this one.
Updated on May 30, 2023 by Ajay Aravind: The Tokyo Ghoul franchise has remained consistently popular for over a decade, and for good reason. This anime’s delightfully bizarre concept, combined with a remarkable sense of character development, has made it truly iconic. As such, we’ve revamped this list with some more information regarding anime series that Tokyo Ghoul fans might enjoy.
15 Inuyashiki
Episodes: 11
From the creator of Gantz, Inuyashiki is a gripping, gritty tale about two different generations grappling with power and technology, much like how the police figures and Ghouls of Tokyo Ghoul struggle with their responsibilities. In Inuyashiki, an old man and a young teenager are resurrected after a terrible accident. They’re equipped with advanced robot bodies capable of both healing people as well as causing mass destruction.
One uses this power to save lives, either as a crime fighter or as a healer. The other, however, liberally uses his power for his own enjoyment, slaughtering people with a smile on his face. For those looking for deep moral exploration with plenty of violence like Tokyo Ghoul, Inuyashiki is an obvious choice.
14 Another
Episodes: 12
While Tokyo Ghoul does have plenty of action, some fans enjoyed it for its horror aspects. Action is a universally beloved genre, but Tokyo Ghoul added a special flavor with lots of gore and terrifying villains. For viewers on the hunt for a decent scare and some dark atmosphere, Another is one of the best horror anime around.
There’s a new kid on the block, and he has to solve the mystery behind a decades-spanning curse that looks to kill his entire classroom. As he tries to befriend the one ostracized student in his class, he learns more about the dark history and rituals of his new town.
13 Demon Slayer
Episodes: 52
Anyone who wants Tokyo Ghoul to be more Shonen-like should probably take a look at the Shonen sensation that had anime fans roaring in 2019, not to mention breaking manga sales records well into 2020. Demon Slayer’s Tanjiro Kamado loses his family to a demon attack and suddenly finds his own sister turning into a blood-thirsty demon.
Not wanting to give up on the only surviving member of his family, Tanjiro continues to protect his sister while learning more about the world that demons reside in. Set during Japan’s Taisho era, Demon Slayer features Tanjiro’s journey as he learns to consolidate all the powers lying dormant within him.
12 Psycho-Pass
Episodes: 22
Tokyo Ghoul’s early years already explored the prospect of a police force using Ghouls. It isn’t until Tokyo Ghoul:re that this idea is given full life, as the series transitions into a crime-solving/thriller series. For those interested in the new police gimmick or another gritty world filled with monsters of a different kind, Psycho-Pass is the perfect fix.
In a cyberpunk world where technology has changed human culture in incredibly invasive ways, governing forces now calculate one’s propensity for wrongdoing with their so-called “crime coefficients.” The police must not only deal with how this fundamentally changes their operations, but also work alongside criminals with special government permissions.
11 Parasyte -The Maxim-
Episodes: 24
Kaneki Ken would really get along with Shinichi Izumi. This is not only because they were both once timid students but also because they were transformed by circumstances beyond their control and now deal with monstrous bodies equipped with incredible power.
The creatures of Parasyte even summon special blades and appendages from their body for combat, much like the Ghouls’ kagune. However, they also get the benefit of horrifying transformation sequences that contort their bodies in admittedly gruesome ways. As a more condensed story than Tokyo Ghoul, Parasyte should be an easy watch for fans.
10 Attack On Titan
Episodes: 88
Attack on Titan revolves around an ongoing war between humans and man-eating monsters, although it’s so much more than that. Tokyo Ghoul approaches its issues with modern sensibility and a vulnerable character, whereas Attack on Titan approaches it through existential terror and political intrigue.
This particular recommendation does not stem from their similarities but rather from the significant change in perspective. Viewers can have Attack on Titan quench their thirst for amazing action and tons of gore, while simultaneously bringing them into the political turmoil contained within three seemingly unassailable Walls.
9 Death Parade
Episodes: 12
Bringing things a little closer to the sadistic and ghoulish, fans searching for supernatural intrigue will definitely be entertained by the ghostly bar hosts of the Quindecim Bar. Death Parade is about a group of bar hosts living in a purgatory world whose jobs are to test the wills and decide the fates of the newly deceased, doing so with horrific death games like darts or air hockey.
It’s an interesting world in its own right. The arbitrators of life in Death Parade are not infallible, absolute beings but subjective observers of the human condition. There’s a sense of humanity and vulnerability in the supernatural, not unlike the macabre cafe in Tokyo Ghoul.
8 Neon Genesis Evangelion
Episodes: 26
Kaneki’s vulnerability and the themes of societal strife creating inner conflict share numerous parallels with the iconic Neon Genesis Evangelion. Ken Kaneki and Shinji Ikari undergo similar experiences as both are thrust into the bloody conflicts of their world with considerable pressure put on their shoulders.
In the case of Shinji, a lot of that stems from a fusion of parental neglect, sexual confusion, and desensitization to war and violence. Much like Tokyo Ghoul’s Kaneki, he’s being broken down throughout the series, and the viewer is just watching that descent in spectacular metaphorical fashion.
7 From The New World
Episodes: 25
There’s a tragic drama about Tokyo Ghoul that forces its viewers to consider their own identities and places within the world, asking cutting questions about who really deserves to live or die. If there’s a desire to dig into the misery and politics of it all, then From the New World is an absolutely amazing choice.
Taking place in a world where humanity has somehow obtained psychic abilities directly tied to their psychological state, this series focuses on the controversies and horrors of the alternate universe. From the New World is a mesmerizing showcase of conspiracy, betrayal, and inhumane experiments at the forefront of an “evolving” society.
6 Deadman Wonderland
Episodes: 12
Similar to Attack on Titan, Deadman Wonderland has its main character manifest a monstrous gift to the military-industrial complex. What this series offers is profanity and gore to compare or even surpass that of Tokyo Ghoul, with its English dub being one of the most profane things to have ever entered Adult Swim (which is saying something).
At the other end of the Deadman Wonderland spectrum is a variety of blood-themed magical attacks, personal to their user and ever dangerous to their target. This premise makes for some incredible and tense battles between a young high schooler and a variety of older, tougher monsters.
5 Future Diary
Episodes: 26
Working into the mindset that Tokyo Ghoul may be a little edgy, Future Diary is a series filled with similar levels of teenage angst and drama as well as over-the-top fantasy and action elements. In this regard, this anime narrative surprisingly similar to Tokyo Ghoul.
Future Diary focuses on a death game to become the new god of the world — each of its participants, including the main character, gain the ability to read the future in some way. What follows is an observation of the modern macabre as a cast of differently unbalanced characters brings about some of the most eccentric scenes in anime history.
4 Beyond The Boundary
Episodes: 12
Moving away from the themes of darkness espoused by Tokyo Ghoul, Beyond the Boundary provides an aesthetically different view of personal and societal turbulence. Taking place in a supernatural world of its own, the story focuses on one of the last of the Spirit Warriors, Mirai Kuriyama, as she tries to kill her fellow classmate Akihito Kanbara, a youmo.
What follows is an oddly heartwarming tale for its premise, as Akihito invites Mirai to the Literary Club, while a battle for humanity creeps forward in the background. Much like Tokyo Ghoul, this series centers on identity and personal responsibility but does so in the cute, heartwarming way that only Kyoto Animation can pull off.
3 Akame Ga Kill!
Episodes: 24
Akame ga Kill! features the rebellion of a motley crew of characters battling an oppressively conspiratorial world. If death and gore is what fans are looking for, they should know that this series includes over-the-top battles and high stakes that consistently make the viewer worried about who’s going to die next — and how.
Moving the stylistic dial, Akame ga Kill! is host to a variety of dark powers, cool weapons, horrifying monsters, and a litany of quirky character designs and personalities that just make the deaths even more painful. Tokyo Ghoul might be more profound, but Akame ga Kill! isn’t exactly simplistic.
2 Gantz
Episodes: 26
Although commonly known as one of the edgiest anime series out there, Gantz still manages to analyze and subvert everything that makes a story gory. Furthermore, it brings a level of shame and introspection to go along with its action, battles, blood, and sex.
Gantz revolves around a dead high schooler who is resurrected to participate in a crazy death game that gifts him alien technology and makes him fight against some of the most terrifying monsters in animanga. At the same time, Gantz offers a deft commentary on the violence and terror present in both society and the human heart.
1 March Comes In Like A Lion
Episodes: 44
Fans of Tokyo Ghoul are perennially concerned for the emotional and physical well-being of its tragic protagonist, a character who defines what it means to be truly innocent. Those who watch Tokyo Ghoul for this reason should have March Comes in Like a Lion be the next stop on their viewing list.
As a grounded yet stylistic series, this anime focuses on depression and societal pressures but does so through a tonal roller coaster. There are emotional tensions that tug at the audience’s heartstrings, but the comfort and sincerity of its characters provide new levels of relief. March Comes in Like a Lion is the soothing drink of water needed to take a break from the dark coldness of Tokyo Ghoul.
