Top 10 Anime Series Better Than Bleach (2024)

The smash-hit shonen anime Bleach has earned its place in the shonen "big three" thanks to its outsized influence in the shonen demographic and its robus manga volume sales. On the plus side, the Bleach anime features truly memorable character designs, legendary plot twists, and a cool blend of isekai and reverse-isekai with conventional shonen action. The new Bleach anime is even better, though in the long run, this anime still has some issues. For all its strengths, Bleach still has weaknesses like excessive filler, repetitive story beats, and worst of all, countless contrivances.

While Bleach's positives outweigh the negatives, the fact remains that this anime is rather bloated and has aged awkwardly in some ways, while newer anime series are leaner, meaner versions of what Bleach tried to do. Pound for pound, these anime series beat Bleach at its own game, and they offer some truly stunning ideas and scenes that Bleach never had. A few of these anime are a little different than Bleach, but they can still be fairly compared to it, including an anime-adjacent cartoon that should appeal to any Bleach fan.

10 Naruto Has More Resonant Themes and Smarter Action Sequences

It's Famous For Studying the Cycle of Hatred

Naruto is another part of the shonen "big three," alongside Bleach, and it offers plenty of incredible and highly entertaining ideas that Bleach does not. Instead of isekai-style adventures and spirits, the Naruto anime is all about shinobi in a fantasy setting, a world with tense international politics anad worst of all, an ongoing cycle of hatred. That cycle dominated the anime's narrative in the Pain arc, arguably Naruto's best arc of all.

Aside from that big-picture storytelling, the Naruto anime also treats viewers to some truly heartfelt personal arcs, most of all the pain of loneliness that Naruto Uzumaki and Gaara experienced as jinchuriki. Only with that painful empathy could Naruto use his famous "talk jutsu" to redeem Gaara and tell him he's a victim, not a monster. The anime also had some stellar plot twists with the likes of Itachi Uchiba's apparent betrayal and the truth of Tobi.

Naruto

TV-PG

Action

Adventure

Naruto Uzumaki, a mischievous adolescent ninja, struggles as he searches for recognition and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the village's leader and strongest ninja.

Release Date

September 10, 2002

Cast

Junko Takeuchi , Maile Flanagan , Kate Higgins

Main Genre

Anime

Seasons

1

Creator

Masashi Kishimoto

Production Company

Pierrot, Staralis Film Company

Number of Episodes

220

It Discusses War, Human Nature, and Forbidden Science

Despite its relatively short runtime of 64 episodes, the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood anime can outshine other anime series that are two, three, or even four times its length. The Brotherhood anime is a classic example of quality over quantity, packing an incredible amount of philosophy, plot twists, character arcs, and worldbuilding in a remarkably lean frame.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood starts off as a simple quest to obtain the fabled Philospher's Stone, only for the Elric Brothers to get caught up in a shadowy conflict of conspiracies, homunculi, and dire secrets about the Stone that the Elric brothers covet so much. While shonen anime like Bleach take their time with filler or drawn-out battles, Brotherhood gets right to the point and makes itself feel longer than it actually is with such an excellent and densely-packed narrative.

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

TV-14

Action

See Also

15 Best Ninja Anime Recommendations Besides Naruto, There's BatmanTop 10 Anime to Watch If You Like Demon SlayerFirst Look at Minato's One-Shot's Anime Adaptation Would Make Naruto Fans Forget Studio Pierrot Has No Hand in It5 Anime Characters Like Mayuri Kurotsuchi From Bleach

Adventure

Fantasy

Two brothers search for a Philosopher's Stone after an attempt to revive their deceased mother goes awry and leaves them in damaged physical forms.

Release Date

April 5, 2009

Cast

Romi Park , Rie Kugimiya , Vic Mignogna , Maxey Whitehead

Main Genre

Anime

Seasons

1

8 Vinland Saga is a Sweeping Story of Revenge and the Meaning of Life

This Anime Deconstructs Not How, But Why Protagonists Fight

Some anime series stand out not because they make the most of a genre's formula, but because they deconstruct it and question it to make a thought-provoking point about it all. Such is the case with Vinland Saga, because while it has bombastic medieval action in war-torn England, this anime is about why the characters fight, which led Thorfinn Karlsefni to realize that he shouldn't fight anyone at all.

Shonen action anime like Bleach may empower viewers when the heroes win in a fight, but it's even more meaningful when heroes like Thorfinn figure out the truth about violence and enemies. Thorfinn's true life didn't begin until he realized he had no enemies, only a dream of peace and hope in a new colony world free of war or slavery.

Vinland Saga

TV-MA

Anime

Action

Adventure

Following a tragedy, Thorfinn embarks on a journey with the man responsible for it to take his life in a duel as a true and honorable warrior to pay homage.

Release Date

July 6, 2019

Cast

Yûto Uemura , Mike Haimoto , Shinya Takahashi , Alejandro Saab , Hiroki Gotô , Aleks Le , Kaiji Tang , Michael C. Pizzuto

Main Genre

Anime

Seasons

2

Studio

Wit Studio, Studio MAPPA

Creator

Makoto Yukimura

Production Company

Wit Studio, Mappa

Number of Episodes

48 Episodes

Streaming Service(s)

Netflix , Crunchyroll , Amazon Prime Video

7 Death Note Shakes Up the Shonen Formula With a Supernatural Battle of Wits

It Still Has Conventions Like Power-Ups and Rivalries, Too

Comparing Death Note to an anime like Bleach may seem like apples and oranges at first, but deep down, the Death Note anime actually does follow the shonen formula enough so the comparison is valid. Both series star a teenage hero who takes on incredible challenges to protect their own ideals, which includes tense battles and showdowns with their most bitter shonen-style rivals.

Death Note may lack Bleach's worldbuilding and magic powers, but in return, this anime is one of the best crime thrillers in all of anime, a battle of wits that's still legendary to this day. It's also thematically deep and challenges viewers to reconsider what justice really is when someone like Light Yagami can kill criminals with a notebook to protect the innocent.

Death Note (2006)

TV-14

Animation

Crime

Drama

Original title: Death Note: Desu nôto.
An intelligent high school student goes on a secret crusade to eliminate criminals from the world after discovering a notebook capable of killing anyone whose name is written into it.

Release Date

October 21, 2007

Cast

Mamoru Miyano , Brad Swaile , Vincent Tong , Ryō Naitō , Trevor Devall

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

1

6 Attack on Titan Blends Horror Action With Grim Politics

Mecha Meets Zombie Horror and Conspiracy

Attack on Titan remains one of the most memorable, brutal, and even controversial shonen anime series in recent years, if not ever. Like Bleach, Attack on Titan stars a teenage hero with a sword who fights for what he believes in, including powerful rivals and enemy armies, but there are some key differences, too. For one thing, fighting and turning into flesh-eating Titans is a refershing twist on the shonen action formula.

Also, Attack on Titan has more and better plot twists than Bleach does, from Eren being the Attack Titan all the way to the existence of the Marley Empire and Eren's descent into villainy with his plan for the rumbling. In addition, Attack on Titan has a strong political narrative that may challenge viewers to wonder if any war ever truly has good guys or bad guys.

Attack On Titan

TV-MA

Action

Adventure

Original title: Shingeki no Kyojin.
After his hometown is destroyed and his mother is killed, young Eren Jaeger vows to cleanse the earth of the giant humanoid Titans that have brought humanity to the brink of extinction in Attack on Titan.

Release Date

September 28, 2013

Cast

Bryce Papenbrook , Yûki Kaji , Marina Inoue , Hiro Shimono , Takehito Koyasu , Jessie James Grelle

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

4 Seasons

See Also

The 28 Best Anime To Watch If You Like Bleach

Studio

Wit Studios, MAPPA

Creator

Hajime Isayama

Production Company

Number of Episodes

98 Episodes

5 Avatar: The Last Airbender is Perfect For Any Shonen Anime Fan

It Has Some of the Best Character Arcs in Animation

Avatar: The Last Airbender is a winning blend of animation and storytelling creativity from both the East and West, allowing it to beat many shonen action anime at their own game. At first, Avatar may have felt a little too cartoony to compete with the shonen "big three," but then Avatar showed its storytelling chops with strong plot twists, resonant characters arcs, and a simple yet elegant combat system.

This is an action anime/cartoon that gets a lot of work done in its relatively brief runtime, telling the story of the Hundred-Year War's final days as Avatar Aang fights to save the world from certain doom. Meanwhile, Prince Zuko thinks his destiny is to capture Aang for his own glory, only to realize that his true fate is to help Aang protect the world from his own nation and restore peace at last.

Avatar: The Last Airbender

TV-Y7-FV

Animation

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

In a war-torn world of elemental magic, a young boy reawakens to undertake a dangerous mystic quest to fulfill his destiny as the Avatar, and bring peace to the world.

Release Date

February 21, 2005

Cast

Dee Bradley Baker , Mae Whitman , Jack De Sena , Dante Basco

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

3

Studio

Nickelodeon Animation Studio

Franchise

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Creator

Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko

Number of Episodes

61

Network

Nickelodeon

4 My Hero Academia Has Clever Action and Deep Themes About Society

Over Time, MHA Became Deeper Than Bleach Ever Was

At first, the My Hero Academia anime series didn't seem like it would ever rival any member of the shonen "big three," but in the long run, it absolutely did. The anime kept adding more thematic depth to depict a grim world where superhuman Quirks have actually ruined society, and not even the pro hero industry can fix that. Thus, My Hero Academia touched on themes like discrimination, societal inequality, and how power can warp people's perceptions of themselves and each other.

Such themes became apparent in the anime's sixth and seventh seasons, which formed the backbone of character arcs like Dabi's, Himiko Toga's, and certainly Deku's. All of them suffered because of the Quirks they were born with (or without), though they all went in different directions from there. Now, the big question is whether the heroes can fix society even if they defeat supervillains like All For One, a cool narrative that Bleach never had.

My Hero Academia

Action

Superhero

Animation

Izuku has dreamt of being a hero all his life—a lofty goal for anyone, but especially challenging for a kid with no superpowers. That’s right, in a world where eighty percent of the population has some kind of super-powered “quirk,” Izuku was unlucky enough to be born completely normal. But that’s not enough to stop him from enrolling in one of the world’s most prestigious hero academies.

Release Date

April 3, 2016

Cast

Aoi Yuki , Ayane Sakura , Christopher R. Sabat , Yûki Kaji , Nobuhiko Okamoto , Luci Christian , David Matranga , Justin Briner , Kenta Miyake , Clifford Chapin , Daiki Yamashita

Rating

Seasons

7

Website

https://www.funimation.com/shows/my-hero-academia/

Franchise

My Hero Academia

Characters By

Kohei Horikoshi

Distributor

FUNimation Entertainment

Main Characters

Tsuyu Asui, Katsuki Bakugo, Ochaco Uraraka, Izuku Midoriya, Shoto Todoroki, All Might

Production Company

Bones

Story By

Kōhei Horikoshi, Yōsuke Kuroda

Number of Episodes

113

Streaming Service(s)

Hulu , Crunchyroll

3 Hunter x Hunter Boasts One of Shonen's Best Combat Systems Ever

The Nen Combat System is Rewarding to Watch

While the Hunter x Hunter anime still hasn't had a chance to wow fans with a climactic conclusion, this anime still has enough episodes to prove why it's one of the greats in the shonen demographic. One of its best assets is the Nen combat system, which is a flexible and intuitive system that throws open the doors to all kinds of unique moves and styles. One example of many is Hisoka's gum-like Nen, or Kurapika's chains with which to fight the Phantom Troupe.

The story itself is fairly straightforward, with protagonist Gon Freecss traveling the world to follow in his father Ging's footsteps as a hunter. Joining him are heroes like Leorio, Kurapika, and Killua, the latter of whom is a highly popular character who no doubt helped inspire Sasuke Uchiha's design in Naruto. The Hunter x Hunter anime also features some of shonen's most creative villain designs, such as the Phantom Troupe and Meruem.

Hunter x Hunter

TV-14

Animation

Action

Adventure

Gon Freecss aspires to become a Hunter, an exceptional being capable of greatness. With his friends and his potential, he seeks out his father, who left him when he was younger.

Release Date

April 17, 2016

Creator(s)

Yoshihiro Togashi

Cast

Issei Futamata , Megumi Han , Cristina Valenzuela , Mariya Ise , Michael McConnohie

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

1

Creator

Yoshihiro Togashi

Streaming Service(s)

Netflix , Hulu , Crunchyroll , Tubi , Peacock

2 Jujutsu Kaisen is Bleach 2.0, and With Better Pacing

It Refines the Bleach Formula With Better Horror and Personal Stakes

Jujutsu Kaisen is almost like a spiritual successor to Bleach, with author Gege Akutami stating how much Bleach inspired Jujutsu Kaisen's design and style. In many ways, this is Bleach 2.0, taking everything that made Bleach so wonderful and refining it in a leaner, better-paced package. The Jujutsu Kaisen anime also has more frequent and more heart-wrenching plot twists to keep viewers engaged, desperte to see what comes next.

Jujutsu Kaisen also gets a lot of mileage out of the horror genre, with nightmarish curses and bloody action defining the story and making it part of the unofficial "dark trio." Visually and thematically, that helps this excellent anime set itself apart from Bleach and maintain its own voice while still honoring what came before.

Jujutsu Kaisen

TV-MA

Animation

Action

Adventure

A boy swallows a cursed talisman - the finger of a demon - and becomes cursed himself. He enters a shaman's school to be able to locate the demon's other body parts and thus exorcise himself.

Release Date

October 2, 2020

Cast

Junya Enoki , Yuma Uchida , Yuichi Nakamura , Adam McArthur , Asami Seto

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

3

Studio

MAPPA

Creator

Gege Akutami

Main Characters

Yuji Itadori, Satoru Gojo, Ryomen Sukuna

Production Company

Mappa, TOHO animation

Number of Episodes

47 Episodes

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll , Amazon Prime Video

1 One Piece Stands Tall as the Deepest, Richest Shonen Anime of All

This Anime's Worldbuilding Can't Be Matched

Even after all this time, the One Piece franchise is going strong, and age has been kind to Eiichiro Oda's masterpiece. Rather than run out of steam or get repetitive, One Piece has benefitted from the passage of time, regularly expanding its massive lore and worldbuilding to keep upping the ante from one arc to another. What's even more astonishing is how One Piece's many mysteries are still relevant, exciting, and above all, unsolved.

One Piece also has a combat system to rival anything found in Bleach, with highly diverse Devil Fruits granting pirates and Marines all kinds of colorful powers, from elemental attacks to morphing into animals or even controlling gravity or darkness. The action also has incredible personal stakes to give it all some meaning, such as the Straw Hats fighting to rescue Nico Robin at Enies Lobby or Luffy desperately racing against time to save his foster brother Ace at Marineford.

One Piece

TV-14

Action

Adventure

Comedy

Drama

Fantasy

Super Power

Follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his pirate crew in order to find the greatest treasure ever left by the legendary Pirate, Gold Roger. The famous mystery treasure named "One Piece".

Release Date

October 20, 1999

Creator(s)

Eiichiro Oda

Cast

Mayumi Tanaka , Kazuya Nakai , Akemi Okamura , Kappei Yamaguchi , Hiroaki Hirata , Ikue Ôtani , Yuriko Yamaguchi , Kazuki Yao , Chō

Main Genre

Action

Seasons

20

Creator

Production Company

Writers

Junki Takegami , Shoji Yonemura , Hirohiko Uesaka

Number of Episodes

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll

Franchise(s)

One Piece

Directors

Kônosuke Uda , Junji Shimizu , Munehisa Sakai