Top 25 Best Violent Animes with Great Storylines

Violent Anime
Updated:
04 Jan 2021

How Many of These Violent Animes Have You Watched?

There are many anime out there that are full of action and violent battles. But sometimes you don’t just want the blood and guts…you want an engaging storyline that will bring you back again and again. Here are 25 of the best violent anime that also have a great plot.

25. Berserk

Guts is hunting down the ‘friend’ who betrayed him. Demons are hunting down Guts until they kill him. This is a story of a man with a gruesome fate and his quest for vengeance. This anime is violent all the way through!

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Guts is on a mission for revenge.

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Guts suited up and ready to fight!

24. Ninja Scroll

Dark Shoguns roaming Japan? A mysterious Dragon Jewel? Kibagami Jubei is a simple swordsman…or so he pretends. But when strange demons begin to attack Japan, Jubei will have to protect a priestess, a monk, and a thief from those dark forces. Ninja Scroll is an intense anime!

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Jubei is powerful fighter.

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Tessai is one of the many evil forces Jubei must fight.

23. Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse 

In this post-apocalyptic sci-fi, governments are trying to create new weapons to give humanity a chance in the fight against aliens who invaded Earth 30 years ago. Two Army pilots are part of the next generation of ‘surface pilots’ to fight the invaders on the front lines. But soon into the anime, this fight for territory becomes a fight for survival. Will these surface pilots be able to save humanity?

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Yuuya at the controls!

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The whole team of surface pilots gather before a missions.

22. Highschool of the Dead 

When the zombie apocalypse suddenly arrives on a school day, what do you do? In the case of Takashi Kimuro, you gather the survivors from your high school and attempt to seek out any remaining family members. Lucky for them, the group consists of the president of the Kendo club, a girl who loves firearms, the school nurse, and the daughter of an important politician. Together, this group must survive the zombie apocalypse!

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Misu, one of our main characters, is getting a little too close for comfort…

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There are plenty of intense fighting scenes against the undead!

21. Deadman Wonderland 

When a mysterious man murders Ganta Igarashi’s entire class, guess who gets sent to jail for it? Ganta does. To survive in this prison – and to slow the arrival of his death sentence – Ganta must take part in the games of Deadman Wonderland. How long will he last?

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Ganta is the only survivor of his whole class. But he is framed for their murders.

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Shiro, a friend of Ganta, must also participate in the deadly games.

20. God Eater

In a future where man-eating monsters have taken over most of the planet, humanity has figured out a last ditch effort to fight their dangerous foe. Since no conventional weapon can hurt the beasts, humanity has infused certain humans with Oracle cells to wield special weapons that can kill the monsters. As our main characters work to master their powers, the enemy grows stronger too. It’s a race against time!

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The god eaters attack the monsters.

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God eaters can only use special weapons to harm the beasts.

19. Corpse Party

When nine friends gather at their high school one night, they find out that years ago gruesome murders took place in a school that used to stand on the same ground as their current school. The friends find themselves trapped and they must work together to escape…or die gruesome deaths.

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The group accidentally set off the horror with this charm.

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Who will survive?

18. Seraph of the Dead 

When a virus kills any human above the age of thirteen, vampires decide they have the chance to control the world. Yuuichirou and Mikaela Hyakuya convince others to rebel against the blood-sucking monsters, but by the end of this uprising, only Yuuichirou is left. Found by the Japanese Imperial Demon Army, he grows in strength until he can take on the vampires again. But there is a serious twist early on that makes this anime unique.

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Yuuichirou plans a revolt against the vampires.

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On his quest to kill all vampires, Yuuichirou finds someone he didn't expect to meet.

17. Sword Art Online 

When a new, highly anticipated VR game comes out, practically every gamer buys it and logs in, including Kazuto Kirigaya. The game consists of a fantastic world of 100 levels, with a powerful boss protecting the entrance to each level. But soon the gamers discover they can’t logout and if they die in this game, they will die in the real world. Our characters attempt to reach the 100thfloor in an entirely new world.

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Kirito and Asuna team up without really meaning to.

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Kirito fights one of the bosses.

16. World Trigger 

In a world of malicious demons and the Border guards who protect humankind, there are strict rules. Guard trainees cannot fight or use their weapons, called Triggers. But when Osamu Mikumo is forced to choose between the right thing and following the rules, he discovers an important secret that turns his world on its head. Prepare for a fast-paced mystery!

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One of the main characters, Murakami Kou, is also training to become a Guard.

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The Mikumo Unit ready for action!

15. Akame ga kill 

An assassin group called Night Raid is working with revolutionaries against a greedy Prime Minister. Our main character, Tatsumi, joins the Night Raid. Suddenly, between assassinations and every-day poverty, his values are challenged as he discovers how to spend his days violently as an assassin that works for a good cause. How far will his conscience let him go?

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Chelsea, a member of the Night Raid, comes to  Tatsumi’s rescue.

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There are plenty of fast-paced fighting scenes.

14. Claymore 

In this world, a shapeshifting demon that eats people terrorizes a small village. Then a woman arrives, a ‘Claymore,’ that is half-human, half-demon and created to fight the demons. Raki joins the Claymore on her adventures fighting demons in this exciting anime. This is only the beginnings of their adventures!

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Clare is a powerful Claymore who is only half-human.

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Raki, inspired by Clare, wants to join her and fight demons.

13. Tokyo Ghoul

Tokyo has become a cruel city with vicious ghouls lurking around every corner. When Ken Kaneki accidentally travels into the world of the ghouls, he is barely saved from that horrific world. However, he finds he now belongs fully in neither the human world nor the world of the ghouls…

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Ken Kaneki is rescued from the ghouls, but is not entirely human anymore...

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At times, it is difficult for Ken Kaneki to contain his ghoulish tendencies.

12. Kill la Kill

Ryuuko Matoi has searched for her father’s killer for years. Now accepted into Honnouji Academy, she feels she is even closer to uncovering the truth. However, this academy is ruled by a set of elite students, and if our character wants to get anywhere in her search, she will have to fight them. In this crazy take on the classic underdog story, Ryuuko and the elite students battle it out with their superhuman powers. 

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Ryuuko arrives at Honnouji Academy.

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Ryuuko must fight the Class President with a Goku uniform.

11. Elfen Lied

Lucy is born with special powers and the government kidnaps her in order to perform inhumane experiments. And when she has the chance to escape, she violently murders her captors, but receives a blow to her head that reverts her to a childlike state. When two cousins decide to take her in, they find themselves in the middle of a conspiracy that threatens their lives. 

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Lucy's initial escape at the beginning of the anime.

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Lucy and Kouta have a complex relationship.

10. Ghost in the Shell

In a futuristic world, humans can easily transplant parts of their bodies and replace them with machine parts that boost their abilities. But the black market is full of such transplants, and criminals find it easy to use and abuse this tech. In response, the government creates a special police force to combat these dangerous and powerful criminals. This is an intense show that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

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Major Mokoto Kusanagi is part of an elite force.

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Mokoto and her team are after a hacker.

9. Fate/Zero

Kiritsugu Emiya, a famous mercenary, finds himself in a game for survival at the behest of a powerful family. Backed by his familiar, Saber, he must face his enemies. These battles are only the forefront to the Fourth Holy Grail War. Will Kiritsugu beat his six opponents and come out the victor?

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Kiritsugu is a renowned mercenary.

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Saber, Kiritsugu's familiar, helps him fight his opponents.

8. When They Cry

Keiichi Maebara and his family move to a small, idyllic village, where he makes good friends with some of the local kids. But he soon realizes that mysterious murders have taken place over the years, and none of his friends will talk about it. Soon, strange events start to occur, and Keiichi is ever more paranoid. He discovers he may not be able to trust the people in the village, especially his friends. This is a fantastic psychological thriller!

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Keiichi's friends seem normal at first...

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...but you can never be too sure.

7. Attack on Titan

If you don’t know of AoT, you don’t anime. Humans live in fortresses designed to keep man-eating giant humanoid titans at bay. But when Eren Yeager discovers – at great personal cost – how easily a titan can break through the walls and destroy everything, he is changed forever. He joins an elite military group in a brutal war against these titans.

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Humanity must face ginormous titans.

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Eren Yaeger is determined to destroy the titans.

6. Parasyte - The Maxim

Parasitic aliens suddenly invade Earth and take over vulnerable targets, intent on infecting as many as they can. Shinichi Izumi falls victim, but his parasite cannot take control of his mind and instead resides in his right arm. The parasite relies on Shinichi for survival, and it turns out Shinichi needs the parasite to fight against the other parasitic aliens that want him dead. Foe becomes friend as these two figure out how to live together.

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Shinichi finds himself with strange powers.

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This parasite first appeared as a dog.

5. Hellsing (Ultimate)

In a world where horrific creatures lurk in shadowy corners, killing humans whenever they have the chance, there is also Hellsing, an organization dedicated to destroying these monsters. And the Hellsing organization has an ultimate weapon: the powerful vampire Alucard who, for his own reasons, turned his back on his fellow vampires to join Hellsing. But appearances are not what they seem in the Hellsing world…

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Our fabulous vampire hero, Alucard.

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Victoria is Alucard's apprentice.

4. Gurren Lagann

Our characters Simon and Kamina have spent all their lives in an underground village, away from the dangerous surface layer of the Earth. One day, they discover an ancient weapon. Naturally, they use it to go to the surface and are quickly attacked. Thrilled by their ability to fight off the monsters from the surface, our characters quickly join a rebellion against the monsters and use their new weapon to kick some ***!

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Our characters Yoko, Simon, and Kamina aboard the weapon.

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Along the way, Simon finds the mysterious Nia.

3. Death Note

One day, high schooler Light Yagami finds a book called a Death Note. If he writes the name of anyone in it, they will die. Upon understanding its power, he decides to rid the world of all criminals. This sparks the interest of a mysterious and renowned detective to find the criminal serial killer. This thriller cat-and-mouse anime is not to be missed.

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After discovering with the Death Note does, Yagami wants to rid the world of crime.

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The god of death who let Yagami find the Death Note follows him.

2. Hunter x Hunter

In this classic anime, hunters are experts in their chosen fields and have unbelievable resources. The only catch? The only way to become a hunter is to take a deadly exam. Gon Freecss is determined to pass this exam in order to find his missing father, but he isn’t the only one trying to pass the test for important reasons. In this anime, a group of underdogs take on a high-stakes exam, and they must go on a dangerous adventure to achieve their dreams. This is an action-packed anime!

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Despite Gon's youth, he is determined to become a hunter.

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Gon meets others on his journey who also aspire to be hunters.

1. Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood 

In terms of plot, FMA: Brotherhood is undeniably fantastic. After a tragic alchemic accident, brothers Edward and Alphonse attempt to master alchemy in hopes of returning their existences to normal. They seek the Philosopher’s Stone, but as they slowly learn more about the nature of the stone and their country, they begin to question everything they hold dear: their own humanity.

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Edward and Alphonse are ready to fight.

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These two are brothers through and through.

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2006
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