[Top 10] Best Anime Like Yu Yu Hakusho
(Yusuke and friends)
Wassup, my fellow shounen fans. Your friendly neighborhood shounen man here once again to help you find the best answers to all your anime related questions. Have you seen Yu-Yu-Hakusho all the way through? Are you left wanting more after finishing this amazing anime? Do you feel like nothing will ever match-up to its greatness? Well not to worry friends. I’m here to tell you that everything is ok. There are other options out there that fit with all its different themes. Do you want something that is filled with demons? Or a show that is all about tournaments? Maybe it’s the investigation parts that you liked the most. Perhaps you’re just interested in the action. This list is going to prove to you that there are other great animes that fit your needs.
10. Inuyasha
(Inuyasha staring at the sky)
To start us off at number ten is Inuyasha. If you love the demon aspects of Yu-Yu-Hakusho then you will definitely love this show. It's about a young girl named Kagome who discovers a portal to an ancient time where demons actually exist. She finds a half-demon unconscious and stuck to a tree with an arrow. After reviving him the two would-be heroes travel across the land finding new partners and destroying any evil monsters they find along the way.
You'll Love This Anime if…
- You enjoy the demons in Yu-Yu-Hakusho and seeing a wide variety of different types. A story about a reluctant group of friends and how they deal with the harsh world around them as well as each other.
- If you like watching a good love story that is mixed with back to back action.
- If you love sword fights. Inuyasha’s Tetsusaiga is a huge and powerful sword like no other.
9. Deadman Wonderland
(Shiro and Ganta)
At number nine we have a dark action-packed anime by the name of Deadman Wonderland. This shows main protagonist is Ganta. He’s a young man who was wrongfully accused of mass murder after the death of his whole class. Ganta is convicted and sent to Japan's only privatized prison, a place called Deadman wonderland. In this prison, the inmates have to compete in games for their very survival. Between the collars on their neck injecting them with poison as well as all the dangers in the crazy games they must play, the threat of death is always looming.
You'll Love This Anime if…
- If you enjoyed the darker themes that played out in some of Yu-Yu-Hakusho’s gritty arcs.
- If you loved Yusuke’s spirit gun. In this show, Ganta has the Ganta gun which is like a bloody version of the spirit detective's famous attack.
- If you love twists and turns where your not sure who is an enemy and who is a friend.
8. Trigun
(Vash the Stampede winking)
Trigun is a classic anime with a very similar animation style to Yu-Yu-Hakusho having come out a mere six years later. The main character is Vash the Stampede, also known as the humanoid typhoon, who is a wanderer that is always being hunted due to the huge bounty on his head. He travels around trying to keep his head down while helping out anyone that needs his assistance. He is haunted by a disaster called the July incident. He tries to avoid fighting anyone and lives as a pacifist. To his dismay, he is regularly forced into battle.
You'll Love This Anime if…
- You enjoyed the art and animation style of Yu-Yu-Hakusho.
- If you like the western style setting of the planet of gunsmoke.
- If you love great gunfights and a protagonist who’s true origins are surrounded by mystery.
7. Cowboy Bebop
(Spike sanding in the rain)
For number seven we have a very popular and classic anime known as Cowboy Bebop. This show is all about a group of bounty hunters in space hunting down their targets for a payday. The main character is an always play it cool type person by the name of Spike. He together with his partner Jet Black flies all over space going after criminals while trying to keep food in their bellies. With a cast of unique and interesting characters, Cowboy Bebop never ceases to keep the viewer’s interest.
You'll Love This Anime if…
- If you enjoyed the investigative and hunting down targets part of the first Yu-Yu-Hakusho arc.
- If you enjoy an action-packed anime. Between the spaceship chases, gun battles and fistfights filled with martial arts this anime will never leave you wanting.
- If you enjoy wacky side characters that you never really know what they are going to do.
6. D-Gray Man
(Main cast of D-Gray Man)
With a kind personality and a lot of power from the beginning, D-Gray man’s protagonist, Allen Walker, is fairly different from Yusuke Urameshi. The black order is a group that hunts down Akouma which are not unlike the demons in Yu-Yu-Hakusho. The main antagonist, the Millenium Earl, tricks grieving people into agreeing to a contract that will bring their loved ones back to the living world turning them into an Akouma. What he doesn’t bother to mention is the Akouma’s first action is to kill the person that wished them back and wear their skin.
You'll Love This Anime if…
- If you love the crazy powers gained in Yu-Yu-Hakusho then this show is perfect for you. They gain them from a mysterious crystal known as innocence.
- If you love character development and a really fleshed out cast of side characters.
- If you love there not being a clearly defined line between good and evil, and instead, having enemies who are just as sympathetic as they are dangerous.
5. Bleach
(Ichigo Kurosaki)
Coming in at number five is Bleach. The main character of this show is very similar to Yu-Yu-Hakusho’s Yusuke Urameshi. A young brash man by the name of Ichigo. He is seen as a delinquent by most people at the beginning of the show. He is aggressive and foul-mouthed but has a heroic heart. After meeting a girl named Rukia he becomes a Soul Reaper, which is very similar to a spirit detective, whose job is to protect humanity from hollows.
You'll Love This Anime if…
- If you really liked the supernatural element of Yu-Yu-Hakusho then this show will scratch that itch for you.
- If you loved Yusuke hunting down demons and battling them. Bleach hollow battles will leave you satisfied.
- If you love over the top battles where the characters battle with weaponry and crazy abilities.
4. DragonBall Z
(Dragon Ball Z heroes and villains)
Dragon Ball Z needs no introduction but I’m going to give you one anyway. This show is all about Goku and his journey to becoming the most powerful warrior in the universe. In this story, martial artists can control and manipulate energy called ki to produce some truly insane effects. From beam cannons to teleportation they can do many amazing things. Dbz is well known for its action-packed battles as well as its characters’ intense transformations. This show also hosts Vegeta my favorite character in all of Anime who has some of the best character development around.
You'll Love This Anime if…
- If you loved some of the crazier fights from Yu-Yu-Hakusho then Dbz is right up your alley.
- If you love seeing a huge variety of techniques and abilities. If you love seeing heroes and enemies constantly one-upping each other.
- If you enjoy high stakes and universal-sized consequences that depend on the outcome of the hero's battles.
3. FullMetal Alchemist Brotherhood
(Edward Elrich, State Alchemists, and villains)
“Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy’s first law of equivalent exchange.” This is one of the most famous quotes from anime. There is a reason FullMetal Alchemist brotherhood tops many people’s favorite anime list. The main protagonist Edward Elric is the FullMetal Alchemist. He has a robotic arm and leg as well as the unique ability to cast alchemy without a transmutation circle due to spoilers. His brother Alphonse is a soul inside a suit of armor.
You'll Love This Anime if…
- If you love hard-hitting in-depth storytelling paired with beautifully choreographed action.
- If you love political and philosophical points that are complex enough to still cause long-running fans to break into debates and discussions over it.
- If you want to see the hilarious relationships between Ed, his brother, and their friends.
2. Demon Slayer
(Nezuko best girl with Demon slayers)
The break-out anime from 2019 this show has burst into people’s hearts becoming one of the most talked-about animes.t. Since it was released it has won many awards for animation, adaptation as well as character design. The main character is a young man named Tanjiro who is looking to kill the demon that slaughtered his family and turned his sister into a demon. The demon Muzan, who is the antagonist of the story, performed these as well as many other terrible acts throughout the show. With his group that consists of his sister as well as his friends Zenitsu and Inosuke, he joined the demon slayers.
You'll Love This Anime if…
- If you wanna see one of the most beautifully animated shows and the most intricate choreography in an anime ever.
- If you love grand shows of unique abilities during very action-packed and emotionally intense battles.
- If you want to see an amazing example of, in this humble shounen man’s opinion, how to do new anime right.
1. Hunter x Hunter
(Characters from all arcs)
This show starts with one boy’s quest to find his father. The main character, a boy named Gon, heads off on a journey to join the Hunters Association which is the same organization that his father belongs to in the hope of locating him. He is a naive kid who tries to see the best in everything and everyone but has a hot temper that can make him seem anything but. He has a great supporting cast. His best friend Killua who is the child of an assassin family travels with him. There is also Kurapika and Leorio both of which have many interesting twists and turns in their development.
You'll Love This Anime if…
- If you loved Yu-Yu-Hakusho as this was made by the same creator and his tells can be seen all over it.
- If you love tournament arcs, battles where not only power matters but also unique strategies due to it having one of the best power systems in all of anime.
- If you love character development then this show is a must-see for you due to it having some of the best of all time. This applies not only to its protagonist but its antagonists as well.
