In European folklore, the ghoul is seen as an undead creature that roams the night to devour the flesh of the living and dead. In the Tokyo Ghoul series, the first subject experienced a rapid reproduction of RC cells resulting in a unique transformation before releasing spores that mutated other human beings into ghouls.
Related:Anime Characters With Darkest Origins, Ranked
Despite being aware of the existence of these creatures, young Ken Kaneki is severely injured after being seduced by Rize Kamishiro. After the incident, the doctors surgically replaced one of his eyes with hers, resulting in his hybrid nature. Although frightened, Kaneki learns to manage his new nature while dodging attacks from the CGC and other ghouls. This spectacular plot of Tokyo Ghoul is indeed unique, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other anime shows that can give you a similar experience.
10My Hero Academia
Western audiences have always been fascinated with superheroes, so Japan decided to try its hand at this trend. The result was the worldwide hit,My Hero Academia. While the protagonist Izuku Midoriya may not be a ghoul like Kaneki, he does possess a similar backstory as he was born into a world of heroes without a quirk before receiving one from his hero.
Related:Best Anime Like My Hero Academia
Quirks are the powersthat many individuals possess in the series, and like ghouls, they can provide them with various unique abilities. Fans looking for something more inspirational and light-hearted might enjoy this anime.
9Demon Slayer
Continuing with the theme of action and horror, fans might also be interested in theDemon Slayerseries that revolves around the life of Tanjiro Komada. Young Komada joined theDemon Slayer Corpsafter the death of his family at the hands of Muzan Kibutsuji. Tanjiro traverses the countryside alongside his newly transformed sister Nezuko to protect the innocents from demons.
During his travels, he is met by many allies and foes that would shape the young warrior into the man audiences currently know. Despite suffering from a traumatic experience, Tanjiro and Kaneki strive to protect the ones they love with their newfound abilities.
8Blue Exorcist
While many protagonists become some monster or demons, very few have the privilege of being the progeny of Satan. In the case of Rin Okumura from the Blue Exorcist series, he discovered that he was the son of Satan after a demon had possessed his adoptive father. Stricken with Grief, Rin was persuaded to join his older brother at the True Cross Academy at the behest of its principal, Mephisto Pheles.
There, Rin would come to grips with the powers he inherited from his father and the means to hunt down demons that threaten humanity. While not as popular as the previous entries, Blue Exorcist is defiantly worth checking out.
7Pyscho-Pass
Up next on the list is the cyberpunk-themed anime Psycho-Pass, which was heavily inspired by various films in the West, such as L.A. Confidential and Minority Report. The anime revolves around a society governed by a biomechatronic device dubbed the Sibyl System. The computer systems scan the biometrics of the brain mentality of the citizens, hence the name Psycho-Pass.
A rookie inspector for the Ministry of Welfare Public Safety Bureau’s Criminal Investigation Department named Akane Tsunemori strives to apprehend criminals. While the series does not display the exact mechanics of other anime series, it does depict a detective style presented in Tokyo Ghoul.
6High School DxD
Anime has a reputation for featuring some of the lewdest scenes in the world, and one show that exemplifies this notion is High School DxD. Issei Hyoudou was just an ordinary student with a passion for a woman, and like Keneki, he couldn’t even consider passing the offer of an alluring woman.
Arguably though, Issei’s situation was better considering that he was not only taken in by the beautiful devil Rias Gremory but would be surrounded by multiple women that want to support him. This series does a fantastic job of incorporating mythologies from all over the world into an enticing and satisfying story that fans can enjoy.
5Deadman Wonderland
Even in the non-fictional world, the very thought of prison scares most people from committing any crime, but sometimes justice is blind. Such is the case for young Ganta Igarashi, who was sent to a maximum security prison for the gruesome slaughter of his classmates. Despite being innocent of the crime, Ganta was forced to undergo a procedure that allowed him to manipulate the blood in the system into a firearms-type weapon.
Inmates in this facility are also equipped with a collar that can insert a deadly poison into the body unless given an antidote. To stave off death and prove his innocence, Ganta is pitted against other inmates in a gladiatorial-style event for the aristocrats of society. Despite being canceled, the series is a fantastic watch.
In terms of the dark fantasy genre, Ajin is by far the most similar when compared to the Tokyo Ghoul series. The story follows high school student Nagai Kei who lives in a world where immortal creatures dubbed Ajin dwell in the shadows of society. Deemed dangerous by the government, Ajin is captured and taken to a secret facility that claims to detain these creatures, but in reality, they are subjected to cruel experiments.
One day, Nagai’s life drastically changes when he discovers that he is an Ajin after his regenerative abilities activate upon his death. Nagai agrees to work for the government to avoid persecution by tracking down other Ajin who have escaped their clutches. The Ajin in this series has the same impact on the structure of the world that the ghouls in Tokyo Ghoul do.
3Jujutsu Kaisen
In the fictional sense, Spirits are usually depicted as souls that stay behind in the corporeal world to haunt various locations. Still, inJujutsu Kaisen, they are monsters that feed on people. To quell these attacks, a school was created to train sorcerers to combat these cursed spirits. One such student was Yuji Itadori, who became a part of the school after devouring a cursed item that happened to be the finger of the mighty demon Ryomen Sukuna.
Initially, the exorcists are in favor of destroying Yuji out of fear of the Sukuna demon, but they are persuaded not to by the instructor Satoru Gojo. Gojo suggests letting Yuji devour the rest of the other cursed fingers so they may finally purge the demon for good. Overall the story and fight scenes make this series more worth watching.
2Attack On Titan
Humanity has always felt the need to build structures that surround their homes to protect themselves, but specific dangers they are afraid of are unclear. InAttack On Titan, citizens hide behind their large walls to keep them safe from colossal beings dubbed Titans.
Related:Things Attack On Titan Anime Did Better Than The Manga
Initially, the people living in this closed-off nation were going about their daily lives until the colossal titan breached one of the walls. Devouring humans on sight, the protagonist vows to kill all the Titans after witnessing his mother’s death at the hands of a titan. The series is beautifully written as more and more information comes to light, changing the direction of the anime.
Most monsters portrayed in media are usually of the supernatural variety, but other times beings that come from the stars will come to fill that role. Debuting in October 2014, the Parasyte anime follows the story of high school Shinichi Izumi who was infected with an alien parasite that inhabits his right arm after failing to take him over. While the alien Migi might seem goofy initially, the series turns drastically violent as the protagonist battles other aliens.
This series also makes Shinichi philosophically and morally question life as the carnage around him spirals out of control. Watching friends and lovers be devoured or brutally dismembered changes Shinichi’s perspective. Ultimately the anime is visually fantastic, and the action is so thrilling.
