The world of anime is vast and ever-expanding. No matter what genre, show, or franchise you’re into, you’re bound to find an Anime out there that fits your taste perfectly. Enjoy the Japanese animated series known as Tokyo Ghoul. You’ll be happy to know there are quite a few anime out there that are similar. These shows have many plot similarities but also share many of the same tropes as Tokyo Ghoul.
What’s The Story Of Tokyo Ghoul?
Tokyo Ghoul is a dark fantasy & horror anime, set in a very similar world, yet with one key difference. In this world, ghouls live among the human population, disguising themselves as normal individuals. The story follows Ken Kaneki, a young college student who barely survives a deadly encounter with Rize Kamishiro, his date who reveals herself as a ghoul. After being taken to the hospital, Ken undergoes surgery that transforms him into a half-ghoul. Now, the question remains: how will Ken deal with his newfound powers?
Tokyo Ghoul is a great anime that captivated many fans from the first episode, but there are many other series that are just as good. So if you’re looking for a new show to watch or just want to explore some similar shows, here are 15 Anime like Tokyo Ghoul
14. Elfen Lied
Elfen Lied (エルフェンリート, Erufenn Rīto) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Lynn Okamoto.
The Elfen Lied genre is more diffi to classify as the story has elements of drama, horror, psychological thriller, romance, and action. The story follows young Lucy, born with Diclonius horns on her head after her pregnant mother was experimented on by the government agency called “The Company.”
Both The Elfen Lied and Tokyo Ghoul follow a similar theme regarding aggression ‘s psychological effect on the human psyche. While both animes are vastly different from each other, they share a similar basic concept.
While in Tokyo Ghoul, the focus is on the psychological effects on the main character himself. In Elfen Lied, the focus is on the psychological effects it has on others.
13. Parade
Parade is a bizarre take on what happens to those who have had their life stripped from them in an instant. The anime centers around two ‘people’ who have lost their lives and are sent to a mysterious bar. They participate in games that test their humanity. Parade is a dark but fascinating show with some twists and turns that skirt around the moral line but never cross it, unlike many other shows of its kind.
Parade is a dark yet psychological anime with a captivating plotline. It is similar to Tokyo Ghoul in many ways. These include a complex arrangement of characters, an obsession with the main character, and a mixture of different sub-genres. Also, the storyline is similar because the main character is a aggressive person and both anime have a similar atmosphere.
Check Out: 9 Must Watch Anime After You Finished Note
12. Claymore
Claymore is a post-apocalyptic anime with dark fantasy elements. The series follows Clare, an experienced Claymore warrior, on her quest for revenge against the Organization that turned her into a half-Yoma half-human hybrid. To do this, she teams up with other Claymores to battle the Yoma together while living an isolated yet peaceful life in Rabona.
The show was so well received by fans and critics alike, which gave it immense popularity among the anime community.
The one thing that stands out the most about Claymore is that the fight scenes are very similar to the fight scenes in Tokyo Ghoul. The characters in the anime are very strong, but they both have weaknesses. Claymore is set in a medieval setting, while Tokyo Ghoul is in the modern-day. Claymore is a bit more aggressive, but both have intense themes.
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11. Blue Exorcist
It follows Rin Okumura, a somewhat troublesome teenager who, after being ambushed by demons, finds that he really is a son of Lucifer and that his father wishes for him to return to him so they can defeat Assiah.
Rin decides not to join the king of Gehenna, instead deciding to begin training to be an exorcist to help his brother Yukio defend Assiah.
Blue Exorcist is one of those anime where the plot is very similar to Tokyo Ghoul. There are many similarities between the two anime that it would be impossible to list them all. Both anime have the same plot of an average high school student who gets involved with the supernatural creatures and discovers that they are now part of that world. Both main characters get involved with afallen angel and ghoul hunter and have to train to become stronger.
Check Out: 30 Of The Best Fantasy Anime You Need To Watch Today: 2021
10. Note
Note is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. Note follows the story of Light Yagami, a high school student who finds the book of that has been dropped by a shinigami named Ryuk. The book gives him the power to take the life of anyone, so he sets out on a quest to create his perfect world. Over time as he becomes more influential, A special investigator known as L attempts to stop him in fear that one day Light might succeed and lead humanity into chaos.
The plot of Note is similar to Tokyo Ghoul in that both series deal with the themes of morality, justice, and the law.
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9. Psycho-Pass
Psycho-Pass takes place in an authoritarian society where people’s mental state and personality traits are constantly being measured and ranked by the Sibyl System, an electronic “brainwash” that controls law enforcement. The series follows Akane Tsunemori, who works in the Criminal Investigation Division of the Public Safety Bureau (PSB).
Both anime have to do with the expectations of society and sense of justice. They also go into what is going on in the character’s head, making the story more interesting. They both have relatable characters.
The theme of the anime is to show how an impersonal society influences the actions of individuals and juxtaposes that with a world with very little freedom and liberty. I would like to think that Tokyo Ghouls is more focused on the wild side of humanity than Psycho-pass.
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8. Seraph Of The End: Vampire Reign
Seraph Of The End: Vampire Reign is based on the vampire novel series written by Takaya Kagami and illustrated by Yamato Yamamoto. The series was published by Shueisha and has sold over 1 million copies. The story is about a world plagued with a virus that turns humans into vampires. Vampires have existed for centuries and are the Earth’s dominant species. The story is set in the fictional world, where vampires reign supreme. They feed on humans and use their blood for nourishment.
Tokyo Ghoul and Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign shares some similarities. Both are dark anime about humans fighting against supernatural creatures who want to take over the human world. In both series, the creatures live among humans, feeding off their blood, with no one else aware of their existence.
Check out: Top 20 Vampire Anime Of All Time
7. Pupa
The pupa is an anime about Utsutsu and his younger sister, Yume, who has a disease that causes her to turn into a monster. As the disease continues to progress, Yume is faced with the grim reality that he may have to put his sister down. However, when a parasite reveals itself, Yume must figure out whether his sister is actually a monster or if the disease is what is truly monstrous.
Pupa and Tokyo Ghoul both have a protagonist that is dealing with the reality of supernatural beings ruining their lives. They have lost family and friends due to these supernatural forces,. It often feels like there is no escape from the terror that surrounds them every day.
6. Akame Ga Kill
Akame ga Kill!, or “Akame kills!” is an anime based on the manga of the same name. The series is written by Takahiro and illustrated by Tetsuya Tashiro, and it ran from July 2014 to December 2014. The series occurs in a fictional world and follows a group of rebels fighting against the corrupt empire.
This gruesome anime is filled with gory and disturbing scenes, that you might want to thank your lucky stars that the show isn’t real. The anime contains brutal and graphic aggression Tokyo Ghoul is famous for.
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5. Shiki
Having witnessed a young girl lose one’s life unexpectedly, Shiki tells the story of a ferocious epidemic that struck the small village of Sotoba.
In the meantime, the antisocial teenager, Yuuki, is dealing with the sudden of his best friend, Megumi. The town’s physician, Ozaki, has doubts about the nature of the disease and slowly comes to understand the truth behind it.
Yuuki and Ozaki must solve the mystery plaguing what was once Ozaki’s village before it transforms into a ghost town of vampires.
One thing about Shiki and Tokyo Ghoul is that they try to humanize the traditionally evil monster, treading the line between good and bad.
This raises the question, “should we ignore the fact that our loved ones need human flesh?” Also, Shiki contributes significantly to the carnage genre with its blood spatters and aggressive action sequences.
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4. Deadman Wonderland
When a mysterious man in red massacres his entire class, Ganta Igarashi is framed and sentenced to . He is sent to Deadman Wonderland to serve his sentence.
The prison is not your typical prison. It is an amusement park in which convicts perform dangerous performances for the entertainment of park visitors. But, the prison offers much more than its bizarre take on entertainment.
Ganta, like Kaneki and other characters in Tokyo Ghoul, are ordinary boys who have their fate turned upside down by an event the rest of the world does not view and are forced to grow in this new world in the hopes of staying alive.
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3. Attack On Titan
For anyone who wants to watch an ongoing war between humans and man-eating monsters with the subplot of an incidental bond between the two, both Tokyo Ghoul and Attack on Titan are pretty awesome. But don’t let that get in the way of watching either.
Attack on Titan deals with its issues through existential terror. In contrast, Tokyo Ghoul approaches them through a modern sensibility and vulnerable character. Let this recommendation not stem from their similarities but from their differing points of view.
In addition to incredible action and carnage, Attack on Titan will also bring the viewer into the political strife inside its walls.
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2. Another
Misaki Yomiyama is a 3-3 student wholost life in 1972 and left the town and school in a state of fear and . Years later, a new class of students decided to label Mei Misaki as the one who did not exist.
Then Kouichi, a new student, is introduced to Mei. He disregards the other students’ warnings about her and ends up getting closer to her. Meanwhile, he also tries to discover the source of an unusual phenomenon plaguing classrooms 3-3.
While Another occupies a similar sentiment and tone to Tokyo Ghoul, it has its own feel to it. It explores similar dark and horror themes. It is also noteworthy that this is not the first or last time another horror show has tried to take on the carnage genre.
The two series also feature a protagonist with an eyepatch, which gives them a fresh sense of identity.
1. Parasyte
Aliens who descended to Earth as parasites invade the minds of unsuspecting humans, infiltrating society through their brains.
The high school student Shinichi Izumi falls sufferer to one of these parasites. Still, unlike the others, it does not succeed in its mission and instead lands in the right hand of Shinichi. No way out. The parasite relies on Shinichi to survive.
This uneasy coexistence creates an adverse combination between the two species and forces the parasites to defend themselves against a new threat to their species.
Despite being once timid students, both Kaneki Ken and Shinichi Izumi were transformed by circumstances they could not control and are now adversaries faced with monstrous bodies with powerful and lethal capabilities.
They summon blades and appendages that are akin to Ghouls’ kagune for combat, and they emerge from the flesh of their bodies when battling.
Parasyte also has horrifying transformation sequences that contort bodies for any purpose. Being contained inside a shorter story than Tokyo Ghoul, Parasyte should be a guaranteed hit among fans.
