11 Anime Like Chainsaw Man Driven by Raw Instinct and Dark Humor

Still reeling from the way Chainsaw Man lurched from gory devil carnage to gut-punch heartbreak to absurd comedy, often in the same scene? Plenty of anime like Chainsaw Man deliver the same mix: visceral body-horror violence, a broken, low-key anti-hero, grotesque monster or devil powers, and a modern, punk sensibility that refuses to sit in any one genre. No show fully replaces it, but the closest ones keep you just as off-balance.

The timing is perfect for a watchlist, too. Chainsaw Man roared back in 2025 with The Movie: Reze Arc, MAPPA's theatrical continuation of the story, and with a full Season 2 still on the horizon, the hunger for more of that chaos is very real. These picks are built to feed it.

We ranked these from closest match to loosest, judged on one thing: how much each shares Chainsaw Man's actual build, a modern, genre-subverting dark-action shonen with visceral body-horror violence, a broken anti-hero, a contract-based devil or monster power system, and a tone that swings between bleak horror, absurd comedy, and raw emotion. There is a quick table up top, plus honest notes at the end. A heads-up: like Chainsaw Man, several of these are intensely graphic.

11 shows like Chainsaw Man at a glance

If you just want the fast read, here is the whole roster. The Similarity column is our call on how close each one gets to Chainsaw Man itself, not how good the show is on its own.

Streaming rights shift by region, so these are a starting point. Check what is available where you are before you commit.

The anime most like Chainsaw Man, ranked

Here are the anime like Chainsaw Man that genuinely share its build, ranked from the closest match to the loosest. The Similarity Rating is our read on how near each one gets to Chainsaw Man specifically, not how good the show is overall, and we kept the stars to whole numbers. The build we are measuring against is simple: a modern, genre-subverting dark-action shonen with visceral body-horror violence, a broken anti-hero, a contract-based devil or monster power system, and a tone that swings between horror, comedy, and raw emotion.

1. Dandadan

Similarity Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Anime Overall Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Watch on: Crunchyroll

Synopsis: A girl who believes in ghosts and a boy who believes in aliens make a bet to prove each other wrong, and both turn out to be terrifyingly right. What follows is a frenetic collision of occult spirits, alien invaders, wild romance, and jaw-dropping animation. It swings from gross-out horror to slapstick comedy to genuine tenderness in a single scene. It is one of the most exciting modern anime around.

Of everything here, this is the closest in spirit, and it is no accident: Dandadan's creator worked as an assistant on Chainsaw Man, and it shows. It shares the exact manic energy, the hormone-fueled supernatural chaos, and the refusal to sit in any one genre, swinging between horror, comedy, action, and raw emotion with explosive, unpredictable animation. Both hide a surprisingly tender heart under all the weirdness and grotesquerie. If you loved how Chainsaw Man kept you off-balance, start here.

2. Dorohedoro

Similarity Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Anime Overall Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Watch on: Crunchyroll, Netflix

Synopsis: In a grimy, rain-soaked slum called the Hole, a man with a reptile head and no memory hunts the sorcerers who did this to him, with the help of his fiercely loyal friend. The world is filthy, violent, and strangely cozy, full of gyoza, gore, and bizarre magic. The CG animation is an acquired taste that quickly becomes addictive. It is a cult favorite for good reason.

Dorohedoro is arguably the single closest match in tone. It pairs extreme gore and grotesque body horror with a gritty, grunge-soaked city and a streak of mundane, deadpan humor, exactly the blend of the horrific and the hilarious that Chainsaw Man runs on. The casual way both shows treat violence, the lived-in grime, and the pitch-black comedy all line up. One note: it streams on Crunchyroll in some regions and Netflix in others, so check your area. For Chainsaw Man's weird, bloody, funny core, nothing is closer.

3. Devilman Crybaby

Similarity Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Anime Overall Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Watch on: Netflix

Synopsis: Sensitive teenager Akira merges with a demon to fight the demonic threat rising against humanity, gaining monstrous power while keeping his human heart. What begins as a story about friendship spirals into apocalyptic tragedy. It is raw, stylish, and genuinely upsetting. It is a modern landmark of dark anime.

Devilman Crybaby is practically Chainsaw Man's direct ancestor, and the influence runs deep. The human-demon hybrid premise, with a kind-hearted kid bonded to a monstrous power, is Denji and Pochita in an earlier form, and the raw flesh horror and crushing, nihilistic stakes hit the same devastating way. The apocalyptic bleakness and sudden, shocking losses are pure Chainsaw Man DNA. One caveat: it is a Netflix exclusive, so availability depends on your region, but if you can reach it, it is essential.

4. Jujutsu Kaisen

Similarity Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Anime Overall Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Watch on: Crunchyroll

Synopsis: Yuji Itadori swallows a cursed object to protect his friends and is pulled into a hidden war between sorcerers and curses, the monsters born from human fear. He joins a secret agency as the threats escalate and the body count climbs. The animation, also from MAPPA, is some of the most explosive around. It is one of the defining modern dark-action series.

The build link is the modern, grim, urban monster-hunting dark-action shonen with a contract-like power system and shockingly high body counts, which makes Jujutsu Kaisen one of Chainsaw Man's closest peers. Curses stand in for devils, a shadowy organization sends young people into lethal fights, and the body horror and sudden losses hit the same way. It shares a studio in MAPPA, too, so the visceral animation feels of a piece. It is a little more conventional in structure, but for the modern-dark-monster-action build, it is right there. Our Jujutsu Kaisen filler list marks what matters.

5. Hell's Paradise

Similarity Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Anime Overall Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Watch on: Crunchyroll

Synopsis: A legendary ninja assassin on death row is sent to a mysterious, deadly island to retrieve an elixir of immortality, alongside other condemned criminals. The island turns out to be a nightmare of grotesque monsters and body horror, and the deaths come fast and strange. It is a gorgeous, gruesome survival gauntlet. The creature designs are the stuff of nightmares.

The build connection is the grotesque, organic monster designs and the total lack of plot armor, which share plenty with Chainsaw Man's parade of nightmarish devils and its willingness to kill anyone. The unnatural, half-divine horrors of the island echo the wrongness of Chainsaw Man's devils, and the brutal survival stakes carry the same dread. It is a period setting rather than a modern city, which keeps it a notch lower, but the grotesque-monsters-and-sudden-death build is a strong match.

6. Parasyte: The Maxim

Similarity Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Anime Overall Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Watch on: Crunchyroll, HIDIVE

Synopsis: Alien parasites invade Earth and take over human hosts, but one fails to reach teenager Shinichi's brain and instead infests his hand, forcing the two into an uneasy partnership. Together they fight other parasites while Shinichi slowly loses his grip on his own humanity. It is a tense, gory, philosophical body-horror thriller. It asks hard questions about what it means to be human.

The build connection is the body-morphing hybrid fighting predatory monsters in modern Japan, which directly mirrors Denji and Pochita. Shinichi sharing his body with a sentient creature, battling grotesque versions of the same in a grounded setting soaked in gore, is pure Chainsaw Man DNA. It trades the punk chaos for cold, philosophical dread, which keeps it a notch lower, but the human-and-creature body-horror build is a strong match.

7. Tokyo Ghoul

Similarity Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Anime Overall Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Watch on: Crunchyroll

Synopsis: A shy college student is nearly killed by a flesh-eating ghoul, survives via an emergency transplant, and wakes up as a half-ghoul himself, caught between two worlds. He must learn to live with a monstrous hunger while a brutal war between ghouls and their hunters closes in. It is dark, tragic, and soaked in body horror. It is a modern urban-horror landmark.

The build link is the urban predator-hybrid forced into horrific underground monster factions, which closely echoes Denji's transformation and the grim organizations he gets pulled between. The body horror, the tragic tone, and the collision of a mundane life with grotesque violence all land in Chainsaw Man's territory. It is bleaker and less funny than Chainsaw Man, which keeps it mid-list, but the human-becomes-monster build is a strong fit. Our Tokyo Ghoul filler list sorts out the rough patches.

8. Gleipnir

Similarity Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Anime Overall Rating: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

Watch on: Crunchyroll

Synopsis: An ordinary high schooler discovers he can transform into a hulking, gun-toting mascot-like monster, and is drawn by a ruthless classmate into a violent hunt for coins that grant wishes. The premise is strange, the tone is dark, and the fights are brutal. Beneath the weirdness is a story about trauma and control. It is an underrated body-horror oddity.

The build connection is the ordinary kid who transforms into a bizarre monster and is dragged into a violent, secretive conflict, which rhymes directly with Denji becoming Chainsaw Man. The grotesque transformation, the dark and unpredictable tone, and the mix of body horror with raw teenage emotion all echo Chainsaw Man's strangeness. It is rougher and more uneven than the top picks, which keeps it here, but the transform-into-a-monster build is a genuine match.

9. Undead Unluck

Similarity Rating: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

Anime Overall Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Watch on: Prime Video

Synopsis: A suicidal girl whose touch brings misfortune meets an immortal man who cannot die, and the two are swept into a secret organization fighting to defy the rules of the world itself. It blends absurd comedy, inventive powers, shocking violence, and real heart. The premise sounds grim but the ride is wildly fun. It is an underrated modern action-comedy.

The build connection is the chaotic tone, the violent, self-mutilation-driven combat, and the rule-subverting world, which share Chainsaw Man's energy. Two broken people finding meaning together, in a world of strange abilities and sudden brutality, carries a similar mix of grim and heartfelt. It is brighter and goofier than Chainsaw Man overall, which keeps it lower, but the dark-premise-with-heart build is a fair match.

10. Deadman Wonderland

Similarity Rating: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

Anime Overall Rating: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

Watch on: Crunchyroll

Synopsis: A middle schooler is framed for the massacre of his entire class and thrown into a privatized prison that doubles as a twisted amusement park, where inmates fight to the death for the crowd. He discovers a deadly power tied to his own blood as he struggles to survive and clear his name. It is grim, gory, and relentless. The anime adapts only part of the manga.

The build link is the broken protagonist dragged into a brutal, body-horror death game, with blood-based powers and a hopeless, grimy world, which rhymes with Denji's crush-of-circumstances origin and the violence that follows. The grotesque injuries, the cruelty, and the desperate survival all land in Chainsaw Man's territory. The anime only covers a slice of the story and is rougher than the top picks, which keeps it lower, but the broken-kid-in-a-gore-soaked-world build is a solid match.

11. FLCL

Similarity Rating: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

Anime Overall Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Watch on: Crunchyroll

Synopsis: A bored boy's life is upended when a wild woman smacks him with a guitar and robots start erupting from his head. What follows is six episodes of frantic, surreal coming-of-age chaos set to a blistering soundtrack. It is strange, funny, and secretly about growing up. It is a cult classic that influenced a generation of creators.

The build connection is stylistic: FLCL is effectively the blueprint for the kind of erratic humor, surreal energy, and coming-of-age angst that Chainsaw Man channels. Its willingness to be weird, abrupt, and emotionally raw all at once, wrapped around a frustrated adolescent, is the same creative instinct Fujimoto runs on. There is no monster-hunting or body horror here, which keeps it lower, but for Chainsaw Man's manic, anything-goes spirit, it is a foundational match.

A couple that get recommended but watch differently

Search around for anime similar to Chainsaw Man and a couple of names get thrown at you constantly. They are both worth your time, but they do not quite fit the build.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners has the broke, desperate kid modifying his own body, the doomed crew, and the visceral gore, and plenty of fans cross-recommend it, but it is a cyberpunk sci-fi tragedy, a different genre altogether from Chainsaw Man's modern-devil chaos, which is why it sits off this list. Gantz brings the nihilistic ultra-violence and the shocking, out-of-nowhere deaths just as hard, a real tonal cousin, but it is a grim sci-fi death game that can be genuinely tricky to track down on legal streaming. Both are worth the hunt, just for slightly different reasons.

Rev up your next chainsaw-sharp obsession

Chainsaw Man roared back in 2025 with The Movie: Reze Arc, a theatrical continuation that reminded everyone why MAPPA's adaptation hit so hard, and with a full Season 2 still on the horizon, the appetite for more of that chaos is real. The good news is that plenty of anime like Chainsaw Man carry a piece of what made it special. Start at the top with Dandadan and Dorohedoro for the closest matches on chaotic energy and grimy gore, feel the hybrid body horror with Devilman Crybaby or Parasyte, or sink into the urban dread of Tokyo Ghoul. The whole point of a good list of shows like Chainsaw Man is to keep that mix of gore, heart, and genre-smashing unpredictability going until Denji revs up again.

While you line it all up, come hang out with us at Kaminari, where our weekly newsletter rounds up the shows worth your time, the news that actually matters, and takes written for people who love this stuff as much as you do. We will flag the moment Chainsaw Man's next chapter lands, so you never miss a beat.

FAQs

Is there an anime exactly like Chainsaw Man?

Not a perfect twin, but a few come very close. Dandadan shares Chainsaw Man's exact manic, genre-mashing energy, which makes sense given its creator assisted on the series, while Dorohedoro matches the grimy gore and deadpan humor, and Devilman Crybaby is the human-demon-hybrid story that directly inspired it. Each captures the core of what makes Chainsaw Man tick.

What should you watch after Chainsaw Man Season 1?

First, the Reze Arc movie continues the story directly, so that is the obvious next step. After that, the closest anime like Chainsaw Man are Dandadan and Dorohedoro for the chaotic energy and gore, with Jujutsu Kaisen close behind for the modern urban monster-hunting.

What anime has body horror like Chainsaw Man?

For the grotesque, visceral body horror specifically, Devilman Crybaby, Parasyte: The Maxim, Tokyo Ghoul, and Gleipnir are the top picks, each built on nightmarish transformations and creature designs that rival Chainsaw Man's devils.

Is Chainsaw Man getting a Season 2?

The story continued in 2025 through Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc, a theatrical adaptation of the next arc rather than a TV season. A full Season 2 has not been officially confirmed, though the franchise is clearly still going strong.

Where can you watch anime like Chainsaw Man?

Most of these stream on Crunchyroll, including Chainsaw Man itself, though Devilman Crybaby is a Netflix exclusive, Dorohedoro is split between Crunchyroll and Netflix by region, Undead Unluck is on Hulu and Disney+, and Deadman Wonderland and FLCL are on HIDIVE. Streaming rights shift by region and over time, so double-check what is available where you are before you settle in.