It’s one thing to watch a shonen anime, but quite another to get enamored with gorgeous anime designs, a compelling narrative, and engaging combat design; all things that Bleach has in abundance. This action-packed shonen anime stars Ichigo Kurosaki, an ordinary high school student dragged into the world of the supernatural as he temporarily gets the powers of a Shinigami: a Soul Reaper. Armed with the zanpakuto and newfound strength, Ichigo has to fight various supernatural threats to stop them from harming the mortal world.

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Unlike other shonen anime, the supernatural “punk” aspect of Bleach makes it extremely attractive to fans who just want a weekly dose of awesome. And, for fans still waiting for the anime adaptation of the manga’s final arc, there are a couple of other anime that are similar to Bleach.

Updated by Rhenn Taguiam on April 7, 2024: With Bleach’s third and final part of its Thousand Year Blood War slated for a 2024 release, fans of Tite Kubo’s acclaimed work who want to watch something similar to Ichigo’s adventures should look no further, as many anime specifically dabble into the supernatural, school-set fights, and even technical combat. Some anime include a baby who somehow ends up bringing demonic forces into the real world, a teenager who overpowers a demon who tries to possess him in order to fight other demons, people and spirits waging a secret war for a wish-granting artifact, demi-humans living alongside each other fighting for survival, and exploring a mystery in one of Japan’s most densely-populated areas. All of these anime have been added in this latest update.

25 Beelzebub

MyAnimeList Rating: 7.8

It’s not often that a student finds a random baby who somehow bestows on him the power of demons, but this is what happens to Tatsumi Oga when he finds baby Beel at the beginning of Beelzebub. After finding the mysterious infant near a river, he initially tries to give him to other troublemakers in the juvenile delinquent school of Ishiyama High. Unfortunately for Oga, constant troubles with other students would just increase Beel’s admiration for his first benefactor, eventually gaining enhanced physical abilities due to his newfound demonic power.

Oga’s encounter with Beel will send forces from the Demon World right to his doorstep - something that isn’t ideal for the protagonist, who’s already constantly in trouble with his schoolmates. Regardless of how intense things can become, Oga’s penchant for street fighting will help him and his friends save the day in the nick of time.

Beelzebub: How Similar Is It To Bleach?

While Beelzebub’s stories are not as intense as Bleach’s storylines, the school setting of Beelzebub is a perfect callback to the beginning parts of Tite Kubo’s acclaimed hit. Denizens of the Demon World wreaking havoc at school can give Bleach fans a sense of nostalgia about Ichigo’s first adventures as a Substitute Shinigami, especially when they come in the form of various factions with unique motivations and personalities. The comedic focus of Beelzebub can be a welcome change of pace for Bleach fans, who appreciate good fights with none of the pressures of understanding technical concepts.

24 Ajin: Demi-Human

MyAnimeList Rating: 7.4

When Nagai Kei dies in a fatal traffic accident, he miraculously revives with his body intact. In the world of Ajin: Demi-Human, Kei discovers that he’s part of the said mysterious species. While most people see him as an ordinary human being, he is something more sinister. Ajin are mysterious humans with miraculous regenerative abilities, and are practically immortal, as they can resurrect from any leftover body parts. They are made out of mysterious Invisible Black Matter, which they can also control to create Black Ghosts that they can command remotely.

In the world of Ajin, the dangerous nature of the Ajin makes them detested by both humans and governments. Due to their mysterious nature, Ajin are often the subjects of human experiments. Kei’s main objective in the series is to fight Satou, a fellow Ajin who gets fed up with the government experimenting on them for nefarious reasons.

Ajin: Demi-Human: How Similar Is It To Bleach?

While Ajin: Demi-Human does lack some of the supernatural elements of Bleach, the idea of a species blending in with humans and fighting with each other is reminiscent of the Shinigami versus Quincy conflict. All Ajin possess the same properties, which can make fights fairly technical, with minor changes in fighting style having a huge impact on the outcome of battles. Bleach fans who appreciate technical fight scenes may be interested in theorycrafting Ajin’s own fights, especially when Kei starts to have better control over his abilities.

23 Durarara!!

MyAnimeList Rating: 8.1

When Mikado Ryugamine reunites with his childhood friend Masaomi Kida at Raira Academy, Mikado’s thirst for adventure in Durarara!! encourages him to explore the streets of Ikebukuro. Despite Masaomi’s guidance against interacting with suspicious Ikebukuro folk like The Dollars and the supposedly-headless Black Rider, circumstances would eventually put the duo at the center of an incident that no one could exactly piece together.

Throughout the anime’s first season, viewers are treated to a mystery that would have them try to piece together a narrative involving all the main characters equally. When Mikado and his new acquaintances become centerpieces of every episode, and with every episode offering a new take on the central narrative, exactly whose perspectives are real?

Durarara!!: How Similar Is It To Bleach?

Unlike Bleach, fans of Durarara!! would describe the anime as more of a mystery story with a dash of the supernatural. Bleach lovers who get invested in the series’ lore, even outside the fights, would appreciate the sheer thrill in Durarara!!’s exploration of a pseudo-criminal underworld, especially with its ongoing mystery elements. While the anime’s pacing gives it a slice-of-life feel, the eventual reveals of the darker parts of every character’s personality can make the progression as worthwhile as the buildup towards Bleach’s Sosuke Aizen as one of its central villains.

22 Devilman Crybaby

MyAnimeList Rating: 7.8

Originally created as a celebratory piece to Go Nagai’s 50th Anniversary as a creator, Devilman Crybaby is a modern reimagining of Nagai’s Devilman manga. Now set in the 21st Century instead of the 1970s, Devilman Crybaby depicts a world where an ancient race of demons are blending in with humanity, with friends Akira Fudo and Ryo Asuka working together to fight them in secret. When Akira manages to unite with a demon called Amon, he uses its powers to become Devilman and fight the forces of demonkind before it’s too late for humanity.

Praised for both its animation quality and its renewed take on a classic narrative, Devilman: Crybaby tackles themes of coming-of-age, love and sexuality, and even bigotry, as it explores the friendship of Akira and Ryo. While fans criticize the anime’s ending, Devilman: Crybaby blends supernatural action with a dash of philosophy as humanity slowly descends into chaos.

Devilman Crybaby: How Similar Is It To Bleach?

Akira taking on the powers of demon to fight demons is similar to how Ichigo has taken on the powers of the Shinigami to fight supernatural Hollows. Seeing Akira as Devilman rip demons to shreds while learning how to control his powers is reminiscent of Ichigo’s journey from a mere sword-swinging Substitute Shinigami into a force to be reckoned with across Bleach. The darker nature of Devilman: Crybaby’s story can make fans wonder how grim Bleach could have been had Tite Kubo decided to not tackle a traditional shonen premise of Ichigo being able to eventually defeat most threats.

21 Fate/Zero

MyAnimeList Rating: 8.3

The world of Fate is known for its Holy Grail War - a secret conflict between Masters and summoned Servants as they fight for the wish-granting Holy Grail. While Shiro Emiya and Saber become prominent figures in the Fate/Stay Night series, Shiro’s adoptive father Emiya Kiritsugu takes center stage in Fate/Zero - the prequel series that would explore the origins of many of Stay Night’s popular figures and the grim background of their motivations.

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Set in the Fourth Holy Grail War, Fate/Zero reveals a darker past to the adoptive father Shiro constantly idolized. As the Holy Grail War is do-or-die, Masters and Servants will do whatever it takes to win - be it lie, deceive, or cheat their way into defeating their enemies. As a series penned by Gen "Urobutcher" Urobuchi himself, fans can expect no traditional happy endings for any member of the series’ cast by the time it ends.

Fate/Zero: How Similar Is It To Bleach?

The setting of Fate/Zero being that of a world with secret societies fits right into the premise of a Bleach-esque series, especially with the realization that Servants being Heroic Spirits given form is quite similar to Soul Society’s denizens attaining a physical presence whenever they travel to Earth. The premise of a secret Holy Grail War unknown to man is akin to the secret conflict between Shinigami and Hollows, only this time there’s no bystander like Ichigo who’s suddenly thrust into an unknown world. The Fate/Zero cast knowing exactly what is going on in their high-stakes Holy Grail War adds a level of intensity that Bleach only achieves in its boss-level fights, especially with the Nasuverse’s rather technical magic and ability system. As such, the guessing game between Servants as they try to outwit each other through their unique abilities can make each battle just as intense as the last - especially with Ufotable at the helm with its impressive animations.

20 Flame Of Recca (1997)

MyAnimeList: 7.34

Despite its age, Flame of Recca has quite the accessible premise that the typical shonen enjoyer may get into. The ninja anime stars the eponymous Recca Hanabishi, a wannabe ninja who learns he can control flames, and his promise to protect his self-proclaimed princess Yanagi, who is hunted down by evildoers for her ability to heal any injury.

Unfortunately for the duo, things get complicated when they get absorbed into the world of Madogu or psychic devices that grant users special abilities. With the realization that he descended from a Sengoku-era ninja clan who created the very Madogu, Recca and his friends take it upon themselves to protect the world and Yanagi from the threats these devices pose. While its premise is a bit convoluted, Flame of Recca doesn’t slack off with its breathtaking action scenes. Not only that, the technicalities of how each Madogu is used have paved the way for memorable and interesting fights.

Flame Of Recca: The Similarities With Bleach

Be it the Shikai and Bankai for Shinigami, the Resurreccion for the Arrancar, and the Schrift for the Quincy Sternritters - each new combatant’s ability is a much sought-after revelation throughout the series. This concept is similar to the Madogu in Flame of Recca, as many fighters across the anime developed some form of mastery with their special mystical weapon. Seeing Fuko Kirisawa develop mastery with her air-based Fujin gauntlet and Tokiya Mikagami demonstrate immense water control with the Ensui can make for interesting match-ups with flame-toting Recca.

19 Saint Seiya (1986)

MyAnimeList: 7.75

While the original Saint Seiya anime aired in 1986, an assortment of spinoffs and reboots paved the way for one of the most iconic anime franchises of all time. Starring the eponymous Seiya, the protagonist pledges to become a warrior Saint to protect the Goddess Athena in exchange for help finding his sister. Despite this personal goal, Seiya’s eventual friendships with his fellow Saints make him more than willing to put his life on the line to protect Athena from other gods who want to defeat her and dominate Earth.

Typical with most shonen anime, the loyal Seiya is accompanied by various Saints with different personalities and motivations. Each of them can wield special armors called Cloths that grant them special abilities, with Seiya’s Pegasus Cloth endowing him with great speed. Fights in Saint Seiya usually start with action-packed fistfights before evolving into grand showcases of power not dissimilar to Bleach’s more chaotic fights.

Saint Seiya: The Similarities With Bleach

The Saints being bestowed special armor to protect and defend Athena are reminiscent of the Shinigami being assigned to protect Soul Society. While technically not facing ghosts and supernatural threats, both Saints and Shinigami share similar powersets, with the Saints’ specific Cloths and a Shinigami’s specific Zanpakuto being the only aspects of their fighting styles that add a bit of variability. Despite its age and multiple iterations, seeing each Saint Seiya anime tackle characters grows into their Cloth’s special abilities.

18 Jujutsu Kaisen (2020)

MyAnimeList: 8.63

Anime fans interested in paranormal stories that mirror Bleach’s Shinigami concept may take a liking to Jujutsu Kaisen, detailing the adventures of Jujutsu Sorcerers who can manipulate negative energy in their body to fight Curses, malevolent manifestations of the same power. The series stars Yuji Itadori, a high school student taught to always help others, and a dangerous mishap involving the local Occult Club. When he swallows a finger in a sealing gone wrong, Yuji gains the powers of the Curse named Sukuna.

With other Jujutsu Sorcerers witnessing Yuji retaining control over his body, he’s taken to Tokyo Prefectural Jujutsu High School to train as a Jujutsu Sorcerer. Jujutsu Kaisen can be a decent watch for Bleach fans looking for intense action that remains grounded on how techniques and special abilities are used, letting viewers speculate on how matches go based on the knowledge the anime gives them.

Jujutsu Kaisen: The Similarities With Bleach

Much like how the Shinigami maintain the balance of souls between Soul Society and the Human World, Jujutsu Sorcerers of Jujutsu Kaisen are in charge of helping mankind defend itself from cursed spirits. Whereas Shinigami use Reiatsu to aid their abilities, Jujutsu Sorcerers use curse energy for their abilities. Similar to a Shinigami’s Hado or Kido, Jujutsu Sorcerers project these energies into Cursed Techniques that are both taught and innate to individuals. This allows Jujutsuu Kaisen characters to work within similar powersets, making fights more technically compelling.

17 Freezing (2011)

MyAnimeList: 6.80

One can’t deny that the women of Bleach gained huge fan appeal not just for their appearances but also for unique power sets, something that Freezing also offers action fans. This shonen anime stars pairs of Limiters and Pandora, students with special abilities to fight the global threat of monstrous Nova. Protagonist Kazuya Aoi is a Limiter, meaning he can immobilize Nova through an ability called Freezing, who becomes a person of interest in West Genetics Academy as his sister is a Pandora. Partnered with him is Satellizer el Bridget, a powerful Pandora known as the “Untouchable Queen” for her intense apiphobia and intense personality.

Despite the immediate romcom element with Kazuya and Satellizer’s partnership, much of Freezing’s appeal lies in its action scenes. While all Limiters aid their Pandora by Freezing their opponents, all Pandora have access to Stigmata that augment their physical attributes and summon weapons. While all Limiters and Pandora have similar power sets, every Pandora has a unique fighting style that explores the depths of just how creative combatants could get while using the same abilities.

Freezing: The Similarities With Bleach

Similar to Bleach, the anime adaptation of Freezing has quite a lot of fanservice tied to its female characters. It’s a common sight for intense fights to result in school uniforms being torn apart, explaining the gravity of battles involving the characters. Moreover, Freezing abilities working within the same powerset means fights are always a matter of who can utilize their skills better, something that Bleach fans would find reminiscent of Tite Kubo’s technical approach to fights.

16 Claymore (2007)

MyAnimeList: 7.74

Perhaps Claymore holds the distinction of being the most action-packed take on the “superpowered women” concept in anime, as what it lacks in wild abilities it more than makes up for with technical mastery. Set on an unnamed island, Claymore stars the eponymous Claymores, or special female soldiers trained to kill monstrous Yokai. Armed only with their silver garb and signature Claymore, these warriors use physical prowess, enhanced speed, and improved senses to overpower various monsters - much like the Shinigami in Bleach.

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The anime in particular tells the story of No. 47, nicknamed Claire, whose adventures lead her to cross paths with Raki, a young boy who aspires to become a warrior. Although they don’t adventure together, their interactions with other Claymore flesh out a gripping story made only more intense with fairly technical fights. Despite their similar powersets, the different personalities and fighting styles of Claymores give combat a distinct flair where no one unnecessarily overpowers another with no proper explanation.

Claymore: The Similarities With Bleach

Despite being similar to Freezing in having characters work in similar powersets, Claymore stays true to its monster-hunting themes, much like how Bleach focuses on different spiritual entities. The individual Claymores function like Shinigami Captains with stronger base abilities and the lack of elaborate Bankai, transforming fights against Yokai and with each other more tense due to the reliance on the same skillset. Seeing Claymores push their limits in both swordplay, speed, and accessing their Yokai abilities can lead to intense encounters.

15 Bungo Stray Dogs (2016)

MyAnimeList: 7.82

It’s not uncommon for an action anime to feature protagonists with supernatural abilities. Still, Bungo Stray Dogs kicks this up with a rather somber story and many literary references. The story focuses on the budding friendship of weretiger Atsushi Nakajima and ability-nullifying Ozamu Dazai and their eventual establishment of the Armed Detective Agency. Their adventures would eventually have them recruit other supernaturally powerful individuals into their team and discover their desire to protect Yokohama against the mafia.

Like the Fate franchise, Bungo Stray Dogs not only appears with its action premise but also in its portrayal of its characters based on authors. While not extremely accurate to a tee, the anime’s take on these protagonists, who in some way carry traits of the authors they’re named after alongside their works, adds a new level of awesome to both fight scenes and drama.

Bungo Stray Dogs: The Similarities With Bleach

While Bungo Stray Dogs has a more self-contained story, fans of Bleach may appreciate each character having different powersets much like how Shinigami has different Zanpakuto. Moreover, the smaller-scale stories give Bungo Stray Dogs a lot of room for personal development, giving readers a chance to see how characters with a similar quirkiness to those in Bleach could get further developed as a small cast.

14 Akame Ga Kill! (2014)

MyAnimeList: 7.47

Fans of anime who want a more straightforward take on the action genre may appreciate Akame ga Kill! In its story, young fighter Tatsumi only planned on going to the Capital to earn money and help his poverty-stricken village when he got himself tangled up with the assassin group Night Raid. In the group, he meets warriors such as eponymous swordsman Akame alongside other assassins who wield mystical weapons called the Teigu, who serve as part of the anime’s main selling point.

Similar to other action-packed anime, scenes in Akame ga Kill! are sights to behold, especially when Teigu users such as Akame and her Kiriichimonji get to fight one another. While simplistic in terms of its premise, the story’s eventual intensity becomes something worth the watch, especially to those looking for a gritty

Akame Ga Kill: The Similarities With Bleach

Night Raid being a division of the Revolutionary Army is reminiscent of the Shinigami Corps being a division of Soul Society, with each assassin’s mysterious Teigu Weapons reminiscent of the Zanpakuto used by Shinigami. Whereas Teigu lacks the “basic katana” form of all Zanpakuto, all Teigu have unique appearances much like Shikai associated with each Bleach weapon. Moreover, Teigu all contain a Danger Beast that risks “leaking out” through overuse, similar to how each Zanpakuto has a “spirit” inside it that regularly communes with its wielders.

13 Seven Deadly Sins (2014)

MyAnimeList: 7.65

Action fans interested in a unique take on the supernatural fantasy genre may want to consider giving Seven Deadly Sins a shot. In its story, protagonist Meliodas sought to reunite his formerly-disbanded Seven Deadly Sins to liberate the land of Britannia from the corrupted Holy Knights. Throughout their journey, Meliodas discovers himself in a conflict against his brother Zeldris and his team, the Ten Commandments.

It’s interesting how Seven Deadly Sins isn’t solely based on Christian lore with its inclusion of the “Sins” and the “Commandments,” but it also had its spin on other fantastical concepts such as those of fairies and magic. Alongside the fact that each of its characters has unique abilities that reflect their titles, Seven Deadly Sins has equal parts compelling story arcs and intense action sequences.

Seven Deadly Sins: The Similarities With Bleach

Fans eager for a story similar to Bleach in using supernatural themes could appreciate the way Seven Deadly Sins makes use of Sins, Ten Commandments, and even Holy Knights to populate its setting of Britannia. Despite being forces of “good,” the titular Seven Deadly Sins carry the burden of their sins as the cruelest among the Holy Knights while they are tasked to fight the Demon Clan’s Ten Commandments. All characters in the anime boast a unique ability, with fights revolving around outsmarting each other’s usage of their skills amid flashy combat - much like how Bleach emphasizes technical powersets amid spectacular fight scenes.

12 Fairy Tail (2009)

MyAnimeList: 7.57

Set in the world of Earth-land, Fairy Tail shows the adventures of traveling wizard Natsu Dragneel and his spellcasting guild, the Fairy Tail. Although his initial goal is to look for the dragon Igneel to help him finally come to terms with his past, Natsu’s adventures lead to him eventually recruiting other wizards into the guild and helping them resolve their conflicts.

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Aside from giving a spellcasting take on the One Piece adventure formula, Fairy Tail boasts a solid magic system to complement its fair share of intense fight scenes. With wizards being categorized as having specific forms of magic that they may share to varying degrees, Fairy Tail has become a decent anime to watch, especially for theorycrafters and action enthusiasts interested to see how creative these protagonists could approach their fight scenes.

Fairy Tail: The Similarities With Bleach

Despite its fantasy premise, Fairy Tail has a rather elaborate magic system that encompasses a multitude of sub-types, much like how using Reiatsu in Bleach can extend not just to physical displays but also to Kido and Hado. Fights in Fairy Tail may resemble how Shinigami “spellcasters” use Kido, Hado, and even Shunpo in combat. A particularly interesting magic concept in Fairy Tail is Erza Scarlet’s Requip, wherein her particular version “The Knight” allows her to wield more than 100 sets of armor.

11 Demon Slayer (2019)

MyAnimeList: 8.49

Fans of Bleach would immediately see similarities when they realize that Demon Slayer has a premise involving blade-toting, kimono-wearing warriors slaying demons. However, whereas Bleach is set primarily in the various realms of the afterlife, Demon Slayer’s Taisho-era Japan setting adds a Feudal Japanese twist to its action premise. In its story, kindhearted Tanjiro Kamado undergoes training as a member of the Demon Slayer Corps to avenge his family and turn his sister, who had become a demon, back to human form.

Unlike other typical supernatural anime, sword-fighting in Demon Slayer isn’t solely a matter of having flashy techniques to accompany their swords. Rather, Demon Slayer has “Breathing Techniques,” or sword-fighting styles that use breathing during strikes to summon various elemental powers. Combined with its stellar use of animation, Demon Slayer is a treat in terms of narrative and action scenes.

Demon Slayer: The Similarities With Bleach

Demon Slayer's eponymous Demon Slayer Corps functions quite similarly to the Shinigami Corps. However, while the Shinigami can work across different planes of existence, Demon Slayers operate in secret within Japan. On top of both anime featuring groups of monster hunters, action fans may appreciate the more grounded nature of Demon Slayer fights. While the anime’s demons have different abilities, Demon Slayers use a similar powerset via Breathing Techniques that augment their swordsmanship, making for stylish but also technical fights.

10 Soul Eater (2008)

MyAnimeList: 7.84

What better anime to watch after Bleach than one that has a thematically-similar motif? Soul Eater fits that demographic perfectly. Whereas the Shinigami of Bleach are tasked to exterminate supernatural threats, Soul Eater has Death himself head a school for supernatural warriors. The anime stars Maka Albarn, a Weapon Meister, and her transforming Demon Weapon Soul Eater as they embark on various adventures to save the underworld from powerful Witches and their cohorts.

While Bleach handles matters in the real world, Soul Eater deals with things exclusively in the underworld, sporting a unique supernatural punk aesthetic that focuses more on musical themes. However, its rather straightforward technical combat system is a delight to see, especially when viewers see how Demon Weapons use their forms while dishing out unique techniques.

Soul Eater: The Similarities With Bleach

While Soul Eater only has a single “Shinigami” in the form of DWMA’s principal, Weapon Meisters and Demon Weapons perform the same purpose as Bleach’s Shinigami: hunt monsters. And while Bleach appeals to fans by doing the “rule of cool” to the traditional samurai aesthetic, Soul Eater does the same to students by applying a combination of gritty “skullcore” and musical themes. Fans looking for fights featuring diverse powersets that remain grounded within proper progression may appreciate Soul Eater’s fight scenes, especially when each of its characters not only has different abilities but also receives relevant character development arcs.

9 Hellsing Ultimate (2014)

MyAnimeList: 8.35

While not necessarily dealing with death gods and death reapers, Hellsing Ultimate deals with something just as bad: vampires. And, with the world being plunged into a conspiracy involving vampire soldiers, Integra Hellsing of the Hellsing Organization activates her team’s ultimate vampire-killing weapon: Alucard, the first vampire himself.

Alucard’s adventures as the overtly violent and chaotic vampire slayer aren’t easy, though, as he sires police officer Seras Victoria as his vampire servant. Despite the crazy premise of the series, Hellsing Ultimate is very similar to Bleach in terms of its over-the-top plot. Its crazy battles involving swords and spiritual blasts are somewhat reminiscent too, though they tend to feature a lot more bullets.

Hellsing Ultimate: The Similarities With Bleach

Viewers wondering about Hellsing Ultimate should focus on two key visuals from Bleach: Ichigo resorting to his Hollow Form or moments when “Number One” plays with his scenes. These Bleach scenes are often characterized by flashy visuals and intense fights, often capitalizing on moments of lost hope that Ichigo revitalizes by clinging to mysterious powers. This is a feeling encapsulated by Hellsing Ultimate’s fight scenes with a penchant for the hyper-violent. Bleach fans who want to see supernatural creatures get messed up will appreciate Hellsing Ultimate for Alucard never showing mercy to his opponents - especially with his signature grin.

8 Yu Yu Hakusho (1992)

MyAnimeList: 8.46

Despite its age, Yu Yu Hakusho is probably one of the first modern supernatural anime to fit the classification. The anime stars delinquent Yusuke Urameshi as he loses his life saving a kid from a car accident, which then ends up giving him a second chance in life as a Spirit Detective. His cases solving supernatural mysteries lead to Yusuke and his newfound friends saving the world against numerous threats.

While Yu Yu Hakusho has quite a straightforward way of dealing with its narratives, such as tournament arcs and one-on-one battles, their displays of supernatural abilities aren’t over-the-top to the point of exaggeration. Not only that, but even the character development of Yusuke would give Ichigo vibes, especially when Yusuke is a delightful ball of arrogance mixed with an odd sense of loyalty and friendship.

YuYu Hakusho: The Similarities With Bleach

Yusuke Urameshi being dragged into a job as a Spirit Detective after death has all the tellings of Ichigo’s first job as a Substitute Shinigami, at least without the dying part. Ichigo defending Karakura Town from Hollows without being seen can easily be juxtaposed with Yusuke’s first missions, and Ichigo eventually becoming allies with other humans is similar to Yusuke earning companions in the form of fellow delinquent Kuwabara, the mysterious Kurama, and the rather aggressive Hiei.

7 Dragon Ball (1986)

MyAnimeList: 7.96

While the first episode of Dragon Ball debuted as far back as 1986, fans and newcomers to the franchise certainly couldn’t deny that the franchise has come a long way since then. Son Goku and his signature Kamehameha have evolved with multiple Super Saiyan forms, an extended family, and even a heritage that spans across planets. And while fans might think that each iteration of Dragon Ball is getting more and more ridiculous, giving Goku and his pals vastly broken power scaling, fans of Bleach should feel right at home.

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After all, even Bleach started relatively mundanely, with Ichigo struggling to use his newfound Shinigami powers against ordinary creatures. As the story progressed, however, Ichigo not only had to face enemies of increasing orders of magnitude. But rather, Ichigo somehow defeats them by accessing a form similar to the enemies he’s facing. Did it make sense in the end? It tried. But, like in Dragon Ball, it doesn't really matter.

Dragon Ball: The Similarities With Bleach

Fans of Bleach who appreciate the flashier takes on fight scenes involving Ichigo and his fiercest rivals would appreciate the escalation of combat in the Dragon Ball series. Goku’s desire for growth and sheer talent for adapting to fights is reminiscent of Ichigo’s ability to turn the tide of battle out of sheer willpower. Moreover, Goku and his friends’ constant display of improving over time through different Super Saiyan transformations are similar to Ichigo’s own progression - from his Hollow Forms, his Bankai, and everything in between.

6 Fire Force (2019)

MyAnimeList: 7.71

Fans of Bleach who want to see what it would feel like if elements from the real world dealt with supernatural threats will appreciate Fire Force. This story, which is confirmed to be a prequel to Soul Eater, stars members of the Fire Force as they defend the Tokyo Empire from Infernals or people who spontaneously combust and transform into demonic beings.

At first glance, its firefighter aesthetic is certainly a fresh sight to see in terms of shonen anime. However, its fire-heavy motif greatly grounds Fire Force in terms of combat mechanics; there’s a lot of flexibility involved in how abilities are used in fights. For instance, Shinra Kusakabe can use fire to speed himself up, allowing him to fight Infernals through sheer mobility. This kind of flexibility in combat will greatly appeal to Bleach fans, especially when Ichigo and his comrades have to use their powers in unique ways to fight threats.

Fire Force: The Similarities With Bleach

Action fans who want the familiar flashiness of Bleach’s combat may appreciate Fire Force, especially given its heavy emphasis on using fire to fight Infernals. However, unlike in Bleach where Shinigami have similar powersets but vastly different special abilities, combat enthusiasts will delight in seeing the various ways members of Fire Force use flames to their advantage. This potential of the anime to bring more technical fights without sacrificing visual allure easily makes it a decent Bleach-esque experience.