Hunter x Hunter is often listed as one of the best anime shows of all time. The series is an action-packed adventure, with some phenomenal fight scenes and strong friendships at the heart of the story. The anime follows the main character Gon and his friends as they embark on becoming Hunters in a world filled with criminals and mysterious beasts. It isn’t without darkness, though, as it explores the depths and depravity that our young heroes have to face on their quest to gain strength in the hopes of one-day meeting Gon’s estranged father, the famous Hunter Ging.
Fans have loved this show since it first graced our screens, but alas, it went on hiatus back in 2014, and, despite the manga continuing beyond, it would seem that its anime journey may have ended there. But not to worry, because here is a list of anime similar to Hunter x Hunter that may satiate your desire for action-packed, adventure-themed storytelling with great characters and equally awesome fight scenes.
One Punch Man
One Punch Man is set in a world where monsters threaten the safety of civilians and heroes must take action against them, it is remarkably similar to Hunter x Hunter in this sense, as you can compare the Hunter Association with the Hero Association in this show. They have a test (though far less brutal than the Hunter Examination) to find individuals strong enough to be considered pro-heroes, and like the Hunter Association’s Zodiac members, the Hero Association has its S-Class Heroes, considered the strongest of them all.
The setup for the two shows is remarkably similar, there are even similar villains. The main difference is between the shows’ protagonists, with Gon being a jovial, enthusiastic young boy just coming into his power compared to Saitama’s bored and listless life having gained all the power that anyone could ever need and then some. One Punch Man season one was well received, with season two receiving mixed reviews, but it’s still a great recommendation if you enjoyed Hunter x Hunter.
Yu Yu Hakusho
This anime has a clear connection to Hunter x Hunter, as both manga, upon which the anime are based, were written by Yoshihiro Togashi. This anime came quite a bit before Gon and his friends, as it was released in 1992 and ran until 1995, with 112 episodes in total. In this anime, Yusuke, a teenage delinquent, in a surprising act of bravery, is killed as he pushes a young boy out of the way of the car. Upon reaching the Underworld, Yusuke finds they have no idea where to place him and offer him a chance to return to his body and act as a detective on behalf of the underworld. Yusuke must investigate supernatural activity on earth, using a technique “Rei Gun” where he can shoot energy from his fingers (similar to the “nen” abilities we see in Hunter x Hunter). The series was voted best anime in 1992 and 1995 by Animage Anime Grand Prix.
Bleach
Bleach is a classic anime from the 00s that has a cult following amongst its fans and has recently seen a resurgence in popularity. Unlike Gon, the protagonist Ichigo doesn’t seek out the power that is placed upon him. After meeting an injured Rukia, a Soul Reaper, Ichigo is asked to substitute for her after she discovers he has the ability to see ghosts, transferring her powers over to him. His ability to see the spirits is not unique to himself as he finds that many of his classmates are also spiritually aware and have powers of their own. Ichigo is thrust into a world where he must engage in battling Hallows, monstrous souls that feed on others if not slain and purified. Ichigo must now train and fight to maintain the balance between the human and spirit world.
Like Hunter x Hunter, we see our protagonist and his friends train in their powers to overcome evil in their world. With compelling characters and an interesting plot, Bleach is definitely an anime that should be on all anime fans’ lists.
One Piece
Like Hunter x Hunter, One Piece is an action-adventure anime that follows Monkey D. Luffy. Inspired by his idol the pirate “Red Haired” Shanks, Luffy seeks to find the mysterious treasure, One Piece, in order to proclaim himself King of the Pirates. The show is set in a world with various creatures and races including giants, dwarves, merfolk, and human-animal hybrids called minks. Luffy himself has his own ability after eating a devil fruit, which, depending on the fruit, grants the eater powers. In Luffy’s case, his body has the properties of rubber. Luffy goes around collecting crew members and fighting villains on his quest just like how Gon gains more allies and enemies on his journey.
The franchise is one of the most popular media franchises in the world and one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time, having grossed around $12.7 million since its inception in 1997. It has aired more than 1000 episodes and is still ongoing meaning you won’t have to worry about burning through it any time soon.
Attack on Titan
Eren Jaeger lives in a walled city, there to protect people from the monstrous Titans that roam the wild and feast on flesh. One day, the outer wall is breached and Titans enter, destroying and consuming all around including Eren’s mother whom he sees eaten right in front of him. With his friends Mikasa and Armen, he escapes and vows to wipe out all Titans by joining the Survey Corps who actively seek out and destroy the giant humanoids. When another incident occurs and a wall is breached once more Eren is swallowed by a Titan and, upon this life-threatening situation he finds himself in, he turns into a Titan himself, fighting off the invading Titans before turning back into himself. The show is full of mystery and intrigue as more is discovered about the true nature of Eren and the Titans, whilst Eren himself grapples with what he has become and if he can control it.
Like Hunter x Hunter this show contains a fair amount of violence, though is even darker in tone with very little humor or lightness. It too is a coming-of-age story for the protagonists, as they come to realize the complexities and dangers in their world beyond what they had already experienced much like Gon comes to know by the end of the Chimera Ant arc.
Naruto
Anyone who knows their anime will know of Naruto and it’s second part Naruto: Shippuden. Naruto, when we first meet him, is a young ninja in his village who dreams of one day becoming the Hokage (leader of the village) but is cursed after his father, and then Hokage, sealed the spirit of a nine-tailed fox inside his newborn son, dying in the process. The village is wary of the boy, but he overcomes that and is able to train as a ninja alongside Sasuke and Sakura, the latter of which he has a crush on. They go on assignments for the village, and Naruto shows that he is a kind, determined young boy who only wishes to serve his village. The plot does progress as outside forces come to bear down on their village, threatening Naruto and his friends and alter the world they know.
Naruto is a world-famous anime running from 2002 to 2007 with Naruto Shippuden continuing from 2007 to 2017.
Fairy Tail
Fairy Tail is an epic shounen anime that revolves around the members of the wizard guild ‘Fairy Tail.’ We predominantly follow a few main characters, but our primary character would be Natsu Dragneel, a dragon slayer wizard who was raised by the fire dragon Igneel. There are various arcs throughout the long-running shows as our protagonists go up against multiple villains growing in strength from season to season. Eventually, we see a main villain emerge in the form of the cursed dark wizard Zeref and Natsu and the guild battle the offspring of Zeref’s book of demons.
This anime is very similar to Hunter x Hunter as we see our protagonists trying to gain more strength with the help and support of those around them. Fairy Tale is highly comedic, with plenty of slapdash humor and themes of friendship, which is what keeps the guild going. The anime finished in 2019 with over 300 episodes, the manga has continued in the form of Fairy Tail: 100 Year Quest.
My Hero Academia
My Hero Academia is very similar to Hunter x Hunter in a lot of ways, especially in their two lead characters who even have similar designs. Izuku Midoriya is born into a world where people who are born with powers, or “quirks,” are very commonplace, so much so that roughly 80 percent of the population is powered. Of these, a few go on to become heroes, chasing down and defeating criminals and villains with the most popular being given the title pro-hero. Izuku was not so lucky having been born quirkless, for which he is violently bullied. Fortunately for Izuku, he is scouted by his favorite hero of all time, All Might, who sees potential in the boy. All Might passes on his power to the boy and enrolls him in Y.A High School where he trains to become a hero.
The trials and training that Izuku and his classmates go through are similar to what Gon and his friends experience as they aim to become pro-hunters. Once again it is an anime following the hopes and dreams of a young boy as he trains to find strength and help the friends he makes along the way.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
Demon Slayer is set in a world where demons live and attack civilians. The demons gain strength through consuming human flesh, very similar to the chimera ants arc in Hunter x Hunter. Tanjiro loses his entire family, with the exception of his sister Nezuko, to a demon attack. Nezuko, though surviving, is transformed into a demon but she shows her love for her brother by protecting him. She gains strength through rest rather than the consumption of human flesh. Tanjiro knows he must become stronger to avenge his family’s death and protect his sister. So, he embarks on a journey to become a demon slayer, similar to Gon’s journey to becoming a pro-hunter. Along the way, he makes friends with Zenitsu and Inosuke, just like Gon’s friendships with Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio.
This story has a lot in common with Hunter x Hunter and has gone on to achieve huge success in it’s own right with the movie, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train, going on to knock Spirited Away off its perch as the highest-grossing film at the Japanese box office.
Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood
If you love the fight scenes and the slightly darker side of Hunter x Hunter you will love Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood. This series follows the Elric brothers, Edward and Alphonse as they aim to track down the philosopher’s stone. After practicing forbidden alchemy as young boys in an attempt to resurrect their mother, Alphonse loses his body and Edward attaches his soul to a suit of armor costing him literally an arm and a leg in the whole process. They believe the philosopher’s stone will allow them to gain back what they have lost but realize along the way that the cost may be too high. The use of alchemy in this series, and how different characters wield it according to their strengths, is similar to how the characters wield aura in Hunter x Hunter.
Here is some phenomenal storytelling, with gripping characters, alchemical powers, and amazing fight scenes. One of the great thing about this anime is that it has some truly well-written, strong female characters that are empowered and dangerous in their own right. Another thing you might be happy to hear, is that this anime has an ending. Fans won’t be left hanging to wonder if you will ever find out what happens to your beloved heroes as with so many anime.