Hey there, fellow Soul Reapers! If you have just finished the latest arc of Bleach, or maybe you are just looking for that next perfect battle shonen to fill the Ichigo-sized hole in your heart, you have come to the right place. Bleach is an absolute powerhouse, celebrated for its stylish sword fights, incredible character designs, and the epic, high-stakes conflict between the Shinigami and Hollows. Finding any anime that is like Bleach is a serious quest, but thankfully, the genre has some amazing spiritual successors and classic siblings that hit all the right notes.
The Top-Tier Anime That Is Like Bleach
To truly capture the essence of Bleach, we need series that combine the “normal-kid-gets-supernatural-powers” trope with an epic battle system and a mysterious, dark world. The current generation of shonen has delivered two phenomenal contenders.
Jujutsu Kaisen: The Spiritual Successor
Many fans consider Jujutsu Kaisen to be the modern spiritual successor to Bleach, and the similarities are striking. Instead of Shinigami fighting Hollows, you have Jujutsu Sorcerers battling Curses. Protagonist Yuji Itadori is suddenly thrust into this dark world after consuming a cursed object, much like Ichigo Kurosaki gained his powers unexpectedly. The fights are visually stunning, and the ultimate power-up known as a “Domain Expansion” feels just as epic and climactic as a Bankai release.
Demon Slayer: For the Sword Enthusiasts
If what you loved most about Bleach was the dynamic sword-on-monster action, then Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is a perfect choice. Tanjiro Kamado’s journey to hunt demons with his Nichirin Blade is visually breathtaking. Demon Slayer’s elite Demon Slayer Corps, especially the Hashira, function very much like the Captains of the Gotei 13, complete with their specialized forms of swordsmanship and unwavering dedication to protecting humanity from corrupted spirits.
Classic Shonen Must-Watches
Of course, you cannot talk about Bleach without mentioning the other two members of the legendary “Big Three,” or its clear thematic predecessor. Both Naruto and One Piece are massive adventure series with a core focus on friendship, progression, and battle. If you haven’t tackled them yet, they offer the same long-form narrative depth and incredible cast of characters as Bleach. However, if you want something that truly influenced Bleach’s supernatural setup, look no further than Yu Yu Hakusho.
Yu Yu Hakusho: The Blueprint
Written by Yoshihiro Togashi, Yu Yu Hakusho tells the story of Yusuke Urameshi, who is resurrected as a Spirit Detective to fight demons and supernatural creatures. The themes of a teenager balancing a mundane life with a secret spiritual destiny are a clear blueprint for what makes Bleach so great.
More Anime That Is Like Bleach: Unique Supernatural Takes
The supernatural action genre has plenty of other fantastic entries that will appeal to the same fan base. These picks offer a slightly different feel but retain the core elements of spiritual combat and cool organizations.
- Soul Eater: Focuses on the Death Weapon Meister Academy, where human weapons and Meisters collect evil souls. It has a distinct gothic-punk aesthetic and great, stylized action.
- Blue Exorcist: Features a protagonist, Rin Okumura, who is the son of Satan and trains at an exorcist academy to fight demons, very much echoing Ichigo’s own half-human/half-Shinigami identity struggle.
- D. Gray-man: A darker fantasy series where an organization of “Exorcists” fights monstrous machines called Akuma. It has a beautiful gothic atmosphere and emotional depth similar to the darker arcs of Bleach.
- Fire Force: Shares Bleach’s signature stylish action and follows an organization (the Special Fire Force) structured like the Gotei 13, fighting human-turned-monsters with pyrokinesis.
Ultimately, the best anime that is like Bleach will depend on which elements of Tite Kubo’s masterpiece you enjoyed the most. Whether you crave the sword fights of Demon Slayer, the spiritual successor feel of Jujutsu Kaisen, or the classic organizational structure of Soul Eater, there is a whole universe of supernatural action waiting for you to jump in. Get ready to find your next favorite battle shonen!