11 Shonen Anime Like Hunter x Hunter Where Brains Always Beat Raw Brawn

Still thinking about Gon and Killua long after the Chimera Ant arc gutted you? Plenty of anime like Hunter x Hunter deliver the same mix: a deep, rule-based power system, tactical fights won by outthinking the enemy, a sprawling adventure full of exams and arcs, and a story that starts bright and slowly turns far darker and more complex. No show fully replaces it, but the closest ones come close.

Hunter x Hunter itself is a special case. The 2011 anime is a complete journey through the Election arc, and while Yoshihiro Togashi returns to the manga as his health allows, no new anime adaptation has been confirmed. If you are still working through the series, our Hunter x Hunter filler list points you to the parts that matter.

We ranked these from closest match to loosest, judged on one thing: how much each shares Hunter x Hunter's actual build, a shonen adventure built on a deep, rule-based power system and tactical, high-IQ combat, structured around exams and arcs, that starts bright and grows darker and more cerebral, with strong friendships and genre-subverting storytelling. There is a quick table up top, plus honest notes at the end.

11 shows like Hunter x Hunter 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 Hunter x Hunter 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 Hunter x Hunter, ranked

Here are the anime like Hunter x Hunter 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 Hunter x Hunter 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 shonen adventure built on a deep, rule-based power system and tactical, high-IQ combat, structured around exams and arcs, that starts bright and grows darker and more cerebral.

1. Yu Yu Hakusho

Similarity Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Anime Overall Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Watch on: Crunchyroll

Synopsis: Delinquent teenager Yusuke Urameshi dies saving a child and is brought back as a Spirit Detective, tasked with policing threats from the demon world. He gathers a crew of rivals-turned-allies and fights through escalating tournaments and dark conspiracies. Its arcs grow steadily more mature and tactical. It is a foundational classic from the creator of Hunter x Hunter.

Of everything here, this is the undisputed closest match, because Yoshihiro Togashi created it himself, and it reads as the rough prototype for Hunter x Hunter. The core four-man team of Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei is the direct precursor to Gon, Leorio, Kurapika, and Killua, and it runs on the same escalating tournament arcs, dark spirit-world rules, and tactical mind games. It is older and a little rougher around the edges, but if you want the Togashi touch that makes Hunter x Hunter special, start here.

2. Naruto

Similarity Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Anime Overall Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Watch on: Crunchyroll

Synopsis: Naruto Uzumaki is the outcast of his ninja village, mocked for the beast sealed inside him, who trains relentlessly and dreams of becoming its leader. His journey runs through academy exams, fierce rivalries, and escalating wars, with a deep ninja power system underneath. It is one of the foundational shonen epics.

Naruto is the most direct structural heir to Hunter x Hunter. Masashi Kishimoto drew heavily from Togashi: the Hunter Exam directly inspired the Chunin Exams, Nen's conditions and types shaped chakra nature manipulation, and Kurapika's tragic pursuit of the Phantom Troupe was the template for Sasuke and the Uchiha clan massacre. The exam structure, the tactical ability matchups, and the slow deepening of the world all trace back to the same source. It is far more emotionally direct than Hunter x Hunter's cerebral darkness, but structurally it is the closest heir there is.

3. Jujutsu Kaisen

Similarity Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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, enrolling at a secret school for sorcerers. The power system runs on strict rules, and the stakes turn brutal fast. The animation delivers some of the most explosive fights around. It is one of the defining modern dark-action series.

Jujutsu Kaisen is heavily influenced by Togashi's battle logic. Gege Akutami based its complex Cursed Energy system on Nen, complete with Binding Vows that are functionally identical to Nen's Pledges and Restrictions, so fights are won by outthinking an opponent's rules rather than overpowering them. It also shares Hunter x Hunter's willingness to plunge optimistic young characters into brutal, lethal situations with no plot armor. It is more consistently grim than Hunter x Hunter's slow burn, but the Nen-style tactical system makes it one of the closest matches going. Our Jujutsu Kaisen filler list marks what matters.

4. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

Similarity Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Anime Overall Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Watch on: Crunchyroll

Synopsis: Across generations, the Joestar bloodline faces supernatural threats using Stands, physical manifestations of their fighting spirit, each with bizarre, specific powers. The fights are less about strength than about figuring out exactly how a strange ability works and how to counter it. The style is loud, flamboyant, and utterly unique. It is one of anime's most influential franchises.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is the series that originally taught Togashi that fights should be puzzle matches rather than screaming contests. Stand battles rely entirely on specialized rules, environmental awareness, and outwitting the opponent rather than brute strength, which is the foundational philosophy behind Nen. Every fight becomes a question of how to beat one specific, strange ability, the exact tactical thrill Hunter x Hunter is famous for. It is louder and more flamboyant in style, but the puzzle-fight combat is a direct ancestor. Our JoJo's Bizarre Adventure filler list shows where to start.

5. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Similarity Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Anime Overall Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Watch on: Crunchyroll

Synopsis: Two brothers break the ultimate taboo of alchemy trying to resurrect their mother, and pay a terrible price. Their search for a way to restore their bodies pulls them into a sprawling conspiracy with the fate of a nation at stake. It balances humor, horror, and heartbreak flawlessly. It is routinely ranked among the greatest anime ever made.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood matches Hunter x Hunter's tonal duality, its world-spanning adventure, and its strictly governed magic system in alchemy's law of equivalent exchange. Two young brothers travel across a massive world, shifting smoothly from lighthearted exploration into dark state-military conspiracies and grotesque body-horror stakes, the same bright-to-brutal slide Hunter x Hunter is built on. The rule-bound powers make every fight a problem to solve, much like Nen. It is a touch more hopeful overall, but the rule-based-power-and-tonal-shift build is a superb match. Our Fullmetal Alchemist filler list covers both series.

6. Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic

Similarity Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Anime Overall Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Watch on: Crunchyroll

Synopsis: In a world inspired by the tales of the Arabian Nights, a mysterious boy named Aladdin travels with friends who conquer magical dungeons to claim power and shape the fate of kingdoms. What starts as a bright adventure grows into a story of war, ideology, and empire. The scope and ambition are enormous. It is an underrated epic of fantasy adventure.

Magi matches the early Hunter x Hunter sense of high-fantasy adventure and discovery. Aladdin, Alibaba, and Morgiana explore perilous Dungeons that feel very much like Hunter Exam trials and ancient ruins, guided by intricate magic mechanics in the Rukh and Magoi systems and an escalating sense of political morality. The wide-eyed quest that deepens into questions of war and empire tracks Hunter x Hunter's own arc from bright adventure to heavy themes. It is more classically heroic in places, but the adventure-with-deep-mechanics build is a strong fit.

7. Made in Abyss

Similarity Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Anime Overall Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Watch on: Crunchyroll, Prime Video, HIDIVE

Synopsis: A young orphan and a robot boy descend into the Abyss, a vast, mysterious chasm full of wonders and horrors, chasing the girl's missing mother into its deadly depths. The deeper they go, the more beautiful and brutal it becomes. Its adorable art hides some of the most harrowing content in anime. It is an unforgettable, gut-wrenching adventure.

Made in Abyss is the best match for the specific shift seen in Hunter x Hunter's Chimera Ant arc. It presents cute, child-like protagonists embarking on a colorful descent that quickly spirals into visceral dread, mutilation, psychological terror, and unforgiving ecological danger. The sense of exploration into a deep world with its own merciless rules, and the willingness to put children through genuine nightmares, echo Hunter x Hunter's darkest turn exactly. There is no tactical combat system, which keeps it a notch lower, but the bright-to-brutal descent is a near-perfect match.

8. One Piece

Similarity Rating: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

Anime Overall Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Watch on: Crunchyroll

Synopsis: Monkey D. Luffy sets out to become the Pirate King, gathering a crew of misfits as he sails a vast world of islands, mysteries, and escalating threats. Each member joins for a dream of their own, and the worldbuilding deepens endlessly. The scope is enormous. It is the best-selling comic in history for good reason.

One Piece shares Hunter x Hunter's grand, romantic sense of world exploration, deep lore, and uncovering ancient secrets, with Gon's search for Ging mirrored in Luffy's hunt for the One Piece. It sits mid-tier because its Devil Fruit and Haki systems are much simpler than Nen, and the story follows an episodic, island-hopping crew structure rather than Hunter x Hunter's exam-and-tactical-breakdown format. The adventure and the deepening world are a genuine match, but the combat is less cerebral, which is why it lands here. Our One Piece filler list helps you skip the padding.

9. The Promised Neverland

Similarity Rating: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

Anime Overall Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Watch on: Crunchyroll

Synopsis: Three gifted children at a seemingly idyllic orphanage discover the horrifying truth about their home and begin a tense game of wits to escape before they are next. Every plan is a gamble against a smiling adult threat. The first season is a masterclass in suspense. It is a nerve-shredding thriller about children outthinking a predator.

The Promised Neverland captures the ruthless mental chess and psychological survival of the Hunter Exam, where young children must outwit adult predators using deduction, observation, and bluffing. The cerebral, high-stakes planning is the same thrill as a great Nen fight, and the sharp turn from a safe-seeming world into real danger is pure Hunter x Hunter. Its first season is the match, and it lacks a formal power system or ongoing combat, which keeps it lower, but for Hunter x Hunter's mind-games side, it is razor sharp.

10. Chainsaw Man

Similarity Rating: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

Anime Overall Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Watch on: Crunchyroll

Synopsis: Denji, a destitute teenager crushed by debt, merges with his chainsaw devil to become a devil-hunting weapon for a shadowy agency. What follows is a chaotic, unpredictable ride through a world where devils are born from human fears. The tone lurches from bleak to absurd without warning. It is one of the most talked-about modern anime.

Chainsaw Man shares Hunter x Hunter's casual disregard for shonen conventions, subverting standard hero tropes and introducing grotesque, contract-based monster fights with their own rules and costs. The refusal to follow the expected path echoes Togashi's own appetite for breaking conventions. But it is an urban, anarchic character study with fast, visceral brawls rather than the deep, multi-layered strategic mechanics Hunter x Hunter is built on, which keeps it lower. Even so, the convention-breaking, rule-based build is a fair match.

11. Dr. Stone

Similarity Rating: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

Anime Overall Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Watch on: Crunchyroll

Synopsis: After a mysterious flash turns all of humanity to stone, a science genius named Senku awakens thousands of years later and sets out to rebuild civilization from scratch using the power of knowledge. Each problem is solved with real, step-by-step science. It is bright, clever, and genuinely educational. It is one of the most inventive shonen in years.

Dr. Stone features the same high-IQ problem solving Hunter x Hunter fans love, but its build is fundamentally different from a battle shonen. It is an educational civilization-rebuilding story powered by real-world chemistry and engineering rather than martial combat, Nen-style power systems, or hunter licenses. The outsmart-the-problem thrill and the adventure structure are the connection, but with no combat mechanics or darkening descent, it sits at the bottom of the list, a fun watch that shares the brains but little of the rest of the build.

A couple that get recommended but watch differently

A few anime like Hunter x Hunter get recommended constantly but come with asterisks. Search around for anime similar to Hunter x Hunter and two names in particular stand out. They are still worth your time.

Delicious in Dungeon is a wonderful fit on paper, an adventuring party exploring a deep, rule-rich dungeon world with the same curiosity and systematic worldbuilding Hunter x Hunter fans love. The catch is that it is a Netflix exclusive, so depending on your region it may not be available the way the picks above are. Black Clover brings the exam arcs, the power system, and the friendships of a classic shonen, and plenty of Hunter x Hunter fans enjoy it, but it plays those beats much straighter, without the cerebral, darkening complexity that sets Hunter x Hunter apart. Both are worth watching, just with those caveats in mind.

Find your next Nen-worthy obsession

Hunter x Hunter's 2011 anime remains a complete, self-contained journey through the Election arc, and while Togashi returns to the manga in fits and starts as his health allows, there is no new anime adaptation confirmed, which leaves a real itch for more. The good news is that plenty of anime like Hunter x Hunter carry a piece of what made it special. Start at the top with Yu Yu Hakusho and Naruto for the closest Togashi-lineage matches, chase the Nen-style tactical systems of Jujutsu Kaisen and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, or sink into the deepening adventure of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. The whole point of a good list of shows like Hunter x Hunter is to keep that mix of clever combat, deep worlds, and darkening stakes going long after the credits roll.

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 keep flagging the best shonen adventures as they land, so you never miss the next one.

FAQs

Is there an anime exactly like Hunter x Hunter?

Not a perfect twin, but two come very close. Yu Yu Hakusho is from Hunter x Hunter's own creator and reads as its rough prototype, right down to the four-person team, while Naruto is the direct structural heir, with the Chunin Exams modeled on the Hunter Exam and chakra nature drawn from Nen. Each captures the core of what makes Hunter x Hunter tick.

What are the best anime like HxH?

For Togashi's own lineage, Yu Yu Hakusho and Naruto lead the pack. If you want the tactical, rule-based combat specifically, Jujutsu Kaisen and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure are the best anime like HxH to jump into next, both built on powers with strict rules and clever counters that trace straight back to Nen.

What should you watch after Hunter x Hunter?

Start with the closest matches: Yu Yu Hakusho, Naruto, Jujutsu Kaisen, or JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. If you are chasing the adventure and deep worldbuilding instead, Magi and Made in Abyss are the anime similar to HxH worth lining up next.

Is Hunter x Hunter getting a new anime?

No new anime has been confirmed. The 2011 series adapted the story through the Election arc, and the manga has continued only in irregular bursts as Yoshihiro Togashi manages his health, most recently in the Dark Continent and succession storyline. Fans hope for a revival down the line, but nothing official has been announced.

Where can you watch anime like Hunter x Hunter?

Most of these stream on Crunchyroll, including Hunter x Hunter itself, with Made in Abyss also on Prime Video and HIDIVE. Streaming rights shift by region and over time, so double-check what is available where you are before you settle in.