If you want to introduce your friends to the action-adventure subgenre, you can’t go wrong with one of the “big three,” Bleach. Based on Tite Kubo’s enormous manga series, Bleach has 366 episodes that follow high schooler Ichigo’s transformation into a Soul Reaper and growth into a hunter. Ichigo is tasked with tracking down and stopping malevolent spirits known as Hollows from eating human souls. With precise animation and vivid character designs, it’s suspenseful, action-packed, and character-driven. There’s nothing wrong with going for a classic and settling down for the long haul now and then. Even better, the series’ final arc premiered in October 2022.

D.Gray-Man is set in an alternate 19th-century Japan and follows Allen Walker, a young man who joins the Black Order, an exorcist organization, to learn how to use his sacred weapon, Innocence, and confront evil. The storyline centers around Walker and other magical warriors combating demons known as Akuma, who may emerge out of humans at random. The Black Order must meet to face Millennium Earl, an evil maniac bent on eradicating humanity using the Akuma. D.Gray-Man is a gradual burn since it pushes into its dark fantasy edge. But if you stick with it, the storyline and action will become their own.

In Ushio and Tora, a teenage Ushio uncovers a hidden cellar in his father’s temple and discovers Tora, a demon trapped under the temple by a magical spear. The spear attracts monsters and demons to the temple, and the two must defend themselves against these supernatural threats. It’s a colorful, odd duo with just the perfect mayhem and humor.

If the style of Demon Slayer appeals to you, check out Rumiko Takahashi’s Inuyasha. It’s a time-travel story about a high school girl transported to medieval Japan plagued by demons. Inuyasha, a half-dog demon, appears to her. The couple must rescue the parts of the broken Jewel of Four Souls and keep them out of the clutches of evildoers with the help of a small group of varied allies. Despite its age, Inuyasha is still a stylistic marvel, with compelling characters, high-octane battle sequences, endearing characters, and a great plot.

It cannot be overstated that Hunter x Hunter is one of the best shonen action animes ever. The anime follows Young Gon as he finds his father, who has gone missing. Along the trip, he meets new people, participates in a martial arts tournament, and encounters monstrous creatures. The basic idea may pique your interest, but the character depth, darker tone, compelling and progressively intricate story arc, and spectacular action moments truly bring it all together.

Despite the fact that Fate/Zero and Fate/Stay Night revolve around a magical war royale known as the Holy Grail War, seeing great heroes combat each other makes it the ideal action anime for Demon Slayer Alternatives fans. At its best, it’s stylistically distinct and propelled by harsh dark fantasy.

Hyakkimaru, a teenage ronin, and his imp companion Dororo set out on a mission to regain his body after his father sold them as a bargain to demons. Hyakkimaru, who has been trained as a swordsman, must now slay the 12 demons in order to reclaim his body parts. This dark fantasy realm is the ideal setting for the titular heroes’ revenge journey, filled with magical mayhem and lovable friendship. Dororo is an excellent addition to your demon-hunting anime watch list.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’s inevitable successor is Demon Slayer. If you haven’t seen FMAB, now is the time to learn about two brothers on a journey for the Philosopher’s Stone in order to return their bodies to normal following an alchemic mistake. Because the series is over, there is no need to worry about season cliffhangers. The artwork is superb, the animation is stunning, and the action is energetic as the plot blurs the borders between heroes and villains. And it is great for cosplaying.

Berserk is a twenty-five-episode anime series (1997) based on Kentaro Miura’s manga about Guts, a talented lone warrior, and Griffith, head of the “Band of the Hawk” mercenaries. They get together and win fights as an unrivaled battle group. Nevertheless, a disagreement causes Guts to abandon the Hawks, triggering a series of events that leads to a battle with the gods, which loses him an eye and an arm. Guts live against overwhelming obstacles and sorrow. After that, he becomes known as the Black Swordsman and embarks on a mission for vengeance against God’s Hand and its apostles. Berserk is not for the oversensitive; all of its themes are mature. This masterpiece has stood the test of time, and it pioneered many of the concepts that have gone on to make Demon Slayer Alternatives the great dark fantasy it is.