Top Anti-Hero Anime Recommendations

DEATH NOTE

Also known as Death Note.

Studio: MADHOUSE
Status: Finished
Genres: Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural , Thriller

Light Yagami is a genius high school student who is about to learn about life through a book of death. When a bored shinigami, a God of Death, named Ryuk drops a black notepad called a Death Note, Light receives power over life and death with the stroke of a pen. Determined to use this dark gift for the best, Light sets out to rid the world of evil… namely, the people he believes to be evil. Should anyone hold such power?

The consequences of Light’s actions will set the world ablaze.



Tags: Crime , Detective , Anti-Hero , Male Protagonist , Police , Philosophy , Tragedy , Primarily Adult Cast , Kuudere , Fugitive , Memory Manipulation , Gods , Urban Fantasy , Unrequited Love , Urban , Primarily Male Cast , Yandere , Amnesia , Espionage , Shounen , Suicide , Tennis , Acting , Time Skip , Assassins , Feet , Achronological Order , Asexual

HUNTER×HUNTER (2011)

Also known as Hunter x Hunter (2011).

Studio: MADHOUSE
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Fantasy

A new adaption of the manga of the same name by Togashi Yoshihiro.

A Hunter is one who travels the world doing all sorts of dangerous tasks. From capturing criminals to searching deep within uncharted lands for any lost treasures. Gon is a young boy whose father disappeared long ago, being a Hunter. He believes if he could also follow his father's path, he could one day reunite with him.

After becoming 12, Gon leaves his home and takes on the task of entering the Hunter exam, notorious for its low success rate and high probability of death to become an official Hunter. He befriends the revenge-driven Kurapika, the doctor-to-be Leorio and the rebellious ex-assassin Killua in the exam, with their friendship prevailing throughout the many trials and threats they come upon taking on the dangerous career of a Hunter.

Tags: Shounen , Super Power , Male Protagonist , Tragedy , Ensemble Cast , Travel , Martial Arts , Primarily Male Cast , Revenge , Chimera , Primarily Teen Cast , Virtual World , Crime , Urban Fantasy , Assassins , Environmental , Anthropomorphism , Mafia , Card Battle , Anti-Hero , Gangs , Body Horror , Board Game , Politics , Video Games , Animals , Shogi , Coming of Age , Transgender , Yandere

Tokyo Ghoul

Also known as Tokyo Ghoul.

Studio: Studio Pierrot
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural

The suspense horror/dark fantasy story is set in Tokyo, which is haunted by mysterious "ghouls" who are devouring humans. People are gripped by the fear of these ghouls whose identities are masked in mystery. An ordinary college student named Kaneki encounters Rize, a girl who is an avid reader like him, at the café he frequents. Little does he realize that his fate will change overnight.



Tags: Gore , Urban Fantasy , Tragedy , Survival , Torture , Male Protagonist , Body Horror , Anti-Hero , Seinen , Coming of Age , Urban , Police , Cannibalism , Detective , Crime , Henshin , Primarily Adult Cast , Mythology , Heterosexual , College

Shingeki no Kyojin 2

Also known as Attack on Titan Season 2.

Studio: Wit Studio
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Fantasy , Mystery

Eren Jaeger swore to wipe out every last Titan, but in a battle for his life he wound up becoming the thing he hates most. With his new powers, he fights for humanity's freedom facing the monsters that threaten his home. After a bittersweet victory against the Female Titan, Eren finds no time to rest—a horde of Titans is approaching Wall Rose and the battle for humanity continues!



Tags: Survival , Post-Apocalyptic , Shapeshifting , Tragedy , Espionage , Military , Kaiju , Dystopian , Primarily Teen Cast , Gore , Revenge , Politics , Henshin , Anti-Hero , Ensemble Cast , Super Power , Shounen , Male Protagonist , Cult , Incest , Kuudere , Dissociative Identities , Coming of Age , LGBTQ+ Themes , Steampunk , Cannibalism , Primarily Male Cast , CGI , Swordplay , Female Protagonist , Primarily Adult Cast , Unrequited Love , Matriarchy , Rural

ONE PIECE

Also known as ONE PIECE.

Studio: Toei Animation
Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Drama , Fantasy

Gold Roger was known as the Pirate King, the strongest and most infamous being to have sailed the Grand Line. The capture and death of Roger by the World Government brought a change throughout the world. His last words before his death revealed the location of the greatest treasure in the world, One Piece. It was this revelation that brought about the Grand Age of Pirates, men who dreamed of finding One Piece (which promises an unlimited amount of riches and fame), and quite possibly the most coveted of titles for the person who found it, the title of the Pirate King.

Enter Monkey D. Luffy, a 17-year-old boy that defies your standard definition of a pirate. Rather than the popular persona of a wicked, hardened, toothless pirate who ransacks villages for fun, Luffy’s reason for being a pirate is one of pure wonder; the thought of an exciting adventure and meeting new and intriguing people, along with finding One Piece, are his reasons of becoming a pirate. Following in the footsteps of his childhood hero, Luffy and his crew travel across the Grand Line, experiencing crazy adventures, unveiling dark mysteries and battling strong enemies, all in order to reach One Piece.

*This includes following special episodes:
- Chopperman to the Rescue! Protect the TV Station by the Shore! (Episode 336)
- The Strongest Tag-Team! Luffy and Toriko's Hard Struggle! (Episode 492)
- Team Formation! Save Chopper (Episode 542)
- History's Strongest Collaboration vs. Glutton of the Sea (Episode 590)
- 20th Anniversary! Special Romance Dawn (Episode 907)

Tags: Pirates , Travel , Shounen , Ensemble Cast , Super Power , Found Family , Male Protagonist , Ships , Conspiracy , Slapstick , Time Skip , Tragedy , Slavery , Politics , War , Fugitive , Dystopian , Crime , Gods , Prison , Lost Civilization , Swordplay , Samurai , Monster Boy , Henshin , Food , Anthropomorphism , Medicine , Shapeshifting , Cyborg , Robots , Primarily Adult Cast , Desert , Nudity , Animals , Guns , Skeleton , Anti-Hero , Artificial Intelligence , Anachronism , Marriage , Espionage , Dragons , Asexual , Monster Girl , Fairy , Post-Apocalyptic , Drugs , Kuudere , Assassins , Philosophy , Clone , Battle Royale , Aromantic , Trains , Ninja , Adoption , Female Protagonist , Mermaid , Gender Bending , Time Manipulation , Musical Theater , CGI , Angels , Zombie , Revenge , Unrequited Love , Body Swapping , Acting

Shingeki no Kyojin 3

Also known as Attack on Titan Season 3.

Studio: Wit Studio
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Fantasy , Mystery

Eren and his companions in the 104th are assigned to the newly-formed Levi Squad, whose assignment is to keep Eren and Historia safe given Eren's newly-discovered power and Historia's knowledge and pedigree. Levi and Erwin have good reason to be concerned, because the priest of the Church that Hanji had hidden away was found tortured to death, making it clear that the Military Police are involved with the cover-up. Things get more harrowing when the MPs make a move on Erwin and the Levi Squad narrowly avoids capture. Eren is also having problems with his Titan transformation, and a deadly killer has been hired to secure Eren and Historia, one Levi knows all too well from his youth.



Tags: Conspiracy , Military , Tragedy , Shapeshifting , Politics , Memory Manipulation , Dystopian , Fugitive , Male Protagonist , Revenge , Henshin , Super Power , Crime , Kaiju , Gore , Survival , Shounen , Yandere , Guns , Ensemble Cast , Matriarchy , Steampunk , Anti-Hero , Primarily Male Cast , CGI , Torture , Swordplay , Primarily Adult Cast , Crossdressing , Kuudere

Shingeki no Kyojin: The Final Season

Also known as Attack on Titan Final Season.

Studio: MAPPA
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Fantasy , Mystery

It’s been four years since the Scout Regiment reached the shoreline, and the world looks different now. Things are heating up as the fate of the Scout Regiment—and the people of Paradis—are determined at last. However, Eren is missing. Will he reappear before age-old tensions between Marleyans and Eldians result in the war of all wars?



Tags: War , Tragedy , Military , Kaiju , Anti-Hero , Revenge , Politics , Dystopian , Survival , Time Skip , Ensemble Cast , Shapeshifting , Male Protagonist , Super Power , Primarily Male Cast , Henshin , Primarily Adult Cast , Conspiracy , Terrorism , Espionage , Gore , CGI , Body Horror , Foreign , Guns , Memory Manipulation , Shounen , Steampunk , Rotoscoping , Dissociative Identities , Rural , Kuudere , Matriarchy , Philosophy

Ansatsu Kyoushitsu

Also known as Assassination Classroom.

Studio: Lerche
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Drama , Supernatural

The students of class 3-E have a mission: kill their teacher before graduation. He has already destroyed the moon, and has promised to destroy the Earth if he can not be killed within a year. But how can this class of misfits kill a tentacled monster, capable of reaching Mach 20 speed, who may be the best teacher any of them have ever had?

Tags: Assassins , School , Teacher , Primarily Teen Cast , Shounen , Ensemble Cast , Anti-Hero , Episodic , Super Power , Male Protagonist , Guns , Crime , Bullying , Found Family , Artificial Intelligence , Femboy , School Club , Baseball , Tentacles , Suicide , Tragedy , Aliens

NARUTO: Shippuuden

Also known as Naruto: Shippuden.

Studio: Studio Pierrot
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Drama , Fantasy , Supernatural

Naruto: Shippuuden is the continuation of the original animated TV series Naruto. The story revolves around an older and slightly more matured Uzumaki Naruto and his quest to save his friend Uchiha Sasuke from the grips of the snake-like Shinobi, Orochimaru. After 2 and a half years Naruto finally returns to his village of Konoha, and sets about putting his ambitions to work, though it will not be easy, as he has amassed a few (more dangerous) enemies, in the likes of the shinobi organization; Akatsuki.



Tags: Ninja , Shounen , Super Power , Male Protagonist , Tragedy , War , Revenge , Coming of Age , Orphan , Martial Arts , Conspiracy , Cultivation , Ensemble Cast , Necromancy , Anti-Hero , Politics , Time Skip , Gods , Swordplay , Fugitive , Terrorism , Military , Anachronism , Travel , Unrequited Love , Aliens , Kaiju , Shapeshifting , Nudity , Gender Bending , Slapstick , Estranged Family

Shingeki no Kyojin 3 Part 2

Also known as Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2.

Studio: Wit Studio
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Fantasy , Mystery

The battle to retake Wall Maria begins now! With Eren’s new hardening ability, the Scouts are confident they can seal the wall and take back Shiganshina District. If they succeed, Eren can finally unlock the secrets of the basement—and the world. But danger lies in wait as Reiner, Bertholdt, and the Beast Titan have plans of their own. Could this be humanity’s final battle for survival?



Tags: Dystopian , Military , Conspiracy , Tragedy , Survival , Memory Manipulation , Shapeshifting , Super Power , War , Shounen , Espionage , Ensemble Cast , Revenge , Henshin , Male Protagonist , Gore , Primarily Adult Cast , Anti-Hero , Steampunk , Swordplay , Primarily Male Cast , CGI , Dissociative Identities , Drugs , Kuudere , Matriarchy

Noragami

Also known as Noragami.

Studio: bones
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Supernatural

Minor god Yato is down on his luck. Fed up with his slacker lifestyle, his partner abruptly quits. He has no money, no worshippers, and no shrine to call home. But just when things are starting to seem hopeless, a bus accident forces him to cross paths with Hiyori Iki, a sweet and perky high school girl. After the accident, Hiyori's soul has a bad habit of slipping out of her body, and after enlisting Yato's help to get her back to normal, she begins to fall into the world of spirits and gods.

But Hiyori's not the only one who's keeping tabs on Yato. A god from Yato's past is back, and he's not interested in a friendly reunion.



Tags: Gods , Youkai , Female Protagonist , Urban Fantasy , Shounen , Mythology , Anti-Hero , Shapeshifting , Swordplay , Memory Manipulation , Found Family , Urban , Nekomimi , Shrine Maiden , Revenge , Outdoor , Age Gap , Bullying , Environmental , Exorcism

Chainsaw Man

Also known as Chainsaw Man.

Studio: MAPPA
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Horror , Supernatural

Denji is a teenage boy living with a Chainsaw Devil named Pochita. Due to the debt his father left behind, he has been living a rock-bottom life while repaying his debt by harvesting devil corpses with Pochita.

One day, Denji is betrayed and killed. As his consciousness fades, he makes a contract with Pochita and gets revived as "Chainsaw Man" — a man with a devil's heart.



Tags: Demons , Monster Boy , Urban Fantasy , Male Protagonist , Gore , Tragedy , Body Horror , Urban , Shapeshifting , Henshin , Shounen , Surreal Comedy , Found Family , Monster Girl , Primarily Adult Cast , Anthropomorphism , Coming of Age , Assassins , Heterosexual , Guns , Age Gap , Cannibalism , CGI , Police , Anti-Hero , Crime , Yandere , POV , Amnesia , Homeless , Tomboy , Revenge , Zombie , Angels , Nudity

Akame ga Kill!

Also known as Akame ga Kill!.

Studio: White Fox
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama , Fantasy , Horror , Psychological , Thriller

In a land where corruption rules and a ruthless Prime Minister has turned the puppet Emperor's armies of soldiers, assassins and secret police against the people, only one force dares to stand against them: Night Raid, an elite team of relentless killers, each equipped with an Imperial Arm - legendary weapons with unique and incredible powers created in the distant past.

Rescued from a fate worse than death by Night Raid, young Tatsumi is offered the chance to join their lethal ranks… but it's a deadly choice, as few can master an Imperial Arm and even fewer survive when two Arms go against each other in combat. The battle is on, and only the strongest will make it out alive.



Tags: Assassins , Tragedy , Shounen , Politics , Gore , Crime , Henshin , Primarily Adult Cast , Swordplay , Revenge , Super Power , Anti-Hero , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Kuudere , Heterosexual , Female Harem , Kaiju , Yandere , Tomboy , Demons , Nekomimi , Time Manipulation , Shapeshifting , Guns , Kemonomimi , Love Triangle , Tsundere

Nanatsu no Taizai

Also known as The Seven Deadly Sins.

Studio: A-1 Pictures
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Ecchi , Fantasy , Supernatural

When they were accused of trying to overthrow the monarchy, the feared warriors the Seven Deadly Sins were sent into exile. Princess Elizabeth discovers the truth - the Sins were framed by the king's guard, the Holy Knights - too late to prevent them from assassinating her father and seizing the throne!
Now the princess is on the run, seeking the Sins to help her reclaim the kingdom. But the first Sin she meets, Meliodas, is a little innkeeper with a talking pig. He doesn't even have a real sword! Have the legends of the Sins' strength been exaggerated?



Tags: Ensemble Cast , Shounen , Magic , Demons , Male Protagonist , Age Gap , Heterosexual , Spearplay , Super Power , Swordplay , Anti-Hero , Dissociative Identities , Reincarnation , Fairy , Love Triangle , Animals , Bar , Revenge , Nudity

Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!

Also known as KONOSUBA -God's blessing on this wonderful world!.

Studio: Studio DEEN
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Comedy , Ecchi , Fantasy

Kazuma Satou decides that today is the day to get out of the house for a bit. Since he dies, pointlessly, it's clearly a bad choice. The goddess who greets him in the afterlife, however, offers him a chance to be reborn in a world not unlike that of a video game, and as a bonus she'll even throw in a cool item or power! Can't possibly be a bad choice, right? Except he arrives with no money at all, dead average skills, and his "bonus" isn't useful at all--since he picked the goddess, Aqua, herself. How are the two of them supposed to defeat the evil Devil King and live happily ever after? Well, for them, it probably starts with day laboring rather than adventuring. And it's only going to get more disappointing from there!



Tags: Isekai , Satire , Parody , Primarily Female Cast , Male Protagonist , Ensemble Cast , Magic , Slapstick , Masochism , Anti-Hero , Afterlife , Gods , Reincarnation , Meta , Chuunibyou , Primarily Adult Cast , Alternate Universe , Dullahan , Swordplay , Dungeon , Succubus , Nudity , Shounen

Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu

Also known as Parasyte -the maxim-.

Studio: MADHOUSE
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Horror , Psychological , Sci-Fi

They arrive in silence and darkness. They descend from the skies. They have a hunger for human flesh. They are everywhere. They are parasites, alien creatures who must invade–and take control of–a human host to survive. And once they have infected their victims, they can assume any deadly form they choose: monsters with giant teeth, winged demons, creatures with blades for hands. But most have chosen to conceal their lethal purpose behind ordinary human faces. So no one knows their secret–except an ordinary high school student. Shin is battling for control of his own body against an alien parasite, but can he find a way to warn humanity of the horrors to come?



Tags: Body Horror , Shapeshifting , Survival , Aliens , Male Protagonist , Philosophy , Gore , Anti-Hero , Revenge , Seinen , Heterosexual , Crime , Tragedy , Cannibalism , Environmental , School , Primarily Teen Cast , Urban , Military , Coming of Age , Love Triangle , Villainess , Guns , Bullying , Female Harem , Unrequited Love , Nudity

VINLAND SAGA

Also known as Vinland Saga.

Studio: Wit Studio
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama

Thorfinn is son to one of the Vikings' greatest warriors, but when his father is killed in battle by the mercenary leader Askeladd, he swears to have his revenge. Thorfinn joins Askeladd's band in order to challenge him to a duel, and ends up caught in the middle of a war for the crown of England.



Tags: Vikings , Revenge , Foreign , Historical , Male Protagonist , War , Tragedy , Philosophy , Coming of Age , Seinen , Primarily Male Cast , Anti-Hero , Military , Politics , Swordplay , Primarily Adult Cast , Gore , Travel , Survival , Ships , Conspiracy , Slavery , Time Skip , Pirates , Language Barrier , Orphan , Spearplay , Religion , Snowscape , CGI , Archery , Heterosexual , Cult

Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch

Also known as Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion.

Studio: Sunrise
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Mecha , Sci-Fi , Thriller

On August 10th of the year 2010 the Holy Empire of Britannia began a campaign of conquest, its sights set on Japan. Operations were completed in one month thanks to Britannia's deployment of new mobile humanoid armor vehicles dubbed Knightmare Frames. Japan's rights and identity were stripped away, the once proud nation now referred to as Area 11. Its citizens, Elevens, are forced to scratch out a living while the Britannian aristocracy lives comfortably within their settlements. Pockets of resistance appear throughout Area 11, working towards independence for Japan.

Lelouch, an exiled Imperial Prince of Britannia posing as a student, finds himself in the heart of the ongoing conflict for the island nation. Through a chance meeting with a mysterious girl named C.C., Lelouch gains his Geass, the power of the king. Now endowed with absolute dominance over any person, Lelouch may finally realize his goal of bringing down Britannia from within!



Tags: Anti-Hero , War , Military , Class Struggle , Politics , Super Power , Revenge , Male Protagonist , Terrorism , Tragedy , Real Robot , Dystopian , Philosophy , Super Robot , Boarding School , Memory Manipulation , Primarily Teen Cast , Amnesia , Ensemble Cast , Foreign , Urban Fantasy , Disability , Heterosexual , Female Harem , Nudity , Kuudere , School Club , Masturbation , Age Gap , Tanned Skin , CGI , Swordplay , Gambling

Kakegurui

Also known as Kakegurui.

Studio: MAPPA
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Psychological

During daylight hours, an exclusive, elite private school prepares its illustrious students for careers in business, politics, and high society. But when darkness falls, the halls of this esteemed establishment transform into an underground gambling den where bright-eyed youngsters learn the timeless art of bluffing, backdoor dealings and social manipulation. In this school for the rich and elite, money is power, and the tyrant of the betting books rules with an iron fist. So when the beautiful Yumeko Jabami upsets the academy hierarchy with her voracious appetite for the thrill of the gamble, the entire student body mobilizes to send her house of cards tumbling down.



Tags: Gambling , Female Protagonist , School , Primarily Female Cast , Body Horror , Masochism , CGI , Primarily Teen Cast , Poker , Ojou-sama , School Club , LGBTQ+ Themes , Anti-Hero , Shounen , Bullying , Villainess , Slavery , Death Game , Yandere , Idol , Delinquents , Guns , Battle Royale , Male Protagonist

One Punch Man 2

Also known as One-Punch Man Season 2.

Studio: J.C. Staff
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Sci-Fi , Supernatural

Saitama is a hero who only became a hero for fun. After three years of “special training,” he’s become so strong that he’s practically invincible. In fact, he’s too strong—even his mightiest opponents are taken out with a single punch. Now, the great seer Madame Shibabawa’s prediction about the Earth being doomed seems to be coming true as the frequency of monster incidents escalates. Alongside Genos, his faithful disciple, Saitama begins his official hero duties as a member of the Hero Association, while Garou, a man utterly fascinated by monsters, makes his appearance.

Tags: Superhero , Urban , Super Power , Male Protagonist , Parody , Satire , Cyborg , Primarily Male Cast , Anti-Hero , Primarily Adult Cast , Surreal Comedy , Seinen , Urban Fantasy , Ensemble Cast , Martial Arts , Kaiju , Video Games