It finally happened. You’ve exhausted every single episode of Inuyasha there is to enjoy, alongside the slew of films made to accompany the series. You might have even re-watched all of this media too, but the end result is the same. Now, you’re on the hunt for shows that scratch a similar itch. Fortunately for you, we’ve got exactly that. Read on to see our picks for 15 anime like Inuyasha if you’re looking for something similar.
Yona of the Dawn
After enjoying a childhood free of conflict or difficulty, the Kohka Kingdom’s princess Yona finds her world shattered after a coup leaves her father dead and her own life up for grabs by assassins.
Her only hope for survival, and for restoring the kingdom to peace, is to gather the four Dragon Warriors. Each is blessed with the powers of a Dragon and can take down entire armies when they join together toward a common cause. With no other choice, she sets out alongside her bodyguard Hak, determined to set things right and become the ruler the kingdom so desperately needs.
While Yona of the Dawn may not dive fully into supernatural themes the way Inuyasha does, it provides the same sense of growth and progression from its characters. It also offers a fun love story with plenty of twists and turns thanks to its bevy of potential male suitors, which keeps the more dire moments from overshadowing the fun the series can provide.
Dragon Ball
Although the series definitely veers toward pure shonen action in its later parts, the original run of Dragon Ball enjoys the same zany, comical aesthetic that Inuyasha does.
While out on an adventure to find seven magical, wish-granting orbs known as Dragon Balls, a young girl named Bulma encounters Goku, a young boy of immense strength with the tail of a monkey. He has lived alone in the mountains since his grandfather’s death, and after meeting Bulma he decides he wants to see the world and help her to find the rest of the Dragon Balls.
From here, the story goes in any number of directions. The two amass a group of friends, take on evil villains aplenty, and track down the Dragon Balls over and over again in search of wishes minor and life-changing. All the while, you grow to love each and every character the show provides, their personalities becoming familiar and endearing the same way Inuyasha’s main cast does the longer you watch.
Kekkaishi
In the land of Karasumori, there exists a strange presence that draws Ayakashi toward it without end. As a result, the Tokimori clan was founded to keep them at bay, their Kekkaishi exorcising the more ferocious spirits before they can hurt any civilians.
The latest Kekkaishi to take up this clan’s duty are Yoshimori and Tokine, two high schoolers who patrol the grounds of their school by night to maintain peace and order. The two are diligent in their duties, but as time progresses it becomes clear something is making the Ayakashi more powerful. Their only hope is to uncover the true cause of the Ayakashis’ gathering and seal it off for good.
Inuyasha fans will feel right at home thanks to the similarities between the relationship of Kekkaishi‘s main pair and that of Inuyasha and Kagome. Likewise, its plethora of supernatural elements both quirky and terrifying line up perfectly with Inuyasha’s, and provide an enjoyable enough experience across its 52-episode run.
It’s also worth noting that the series is produced by Sunrise as well, resulting in a similar style of animation that makes the viewing transition from one show to the other that much easier.
Fruits Basket (2019)
After a string of unfortunate events results in her living on her own, Tohru Honda finds her life change for the better when she moved in with her popular classmate, Yuki Sohma, and his cousin, Shigure. Shortly after moving in, however, she accidentally bumps into the two’s cousin, Kyo, turning him into a cat and revealing an ancient curse that has afflicted the family for generations.
The curse causes each of the family’s twelve members to turn into an animal of the zodiac whenever they make contact with the opposite sex. As a result, they have remained isolated alongside each other for generations, many unable to open up to anyone. After discovering this, Tohru becomes determined to help them break their curse, showing each new member of the family she meets kindness and compassion that they’ve so sorely lacked. In the process, she too may receive the affection she so sorely needs.
Admittedly more of a straight Shojo than Inuyasha, Fruits Basket has enough supernatural elements and strong enough writing that fans shouldn’t be disappointed by. Its characters likewise become hard not to love the more you see of them, with each having a slew of quirks and traits that help them stand out every time they’re on screen.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
After an attempt to bring their mother back to life goes horribly wrong, the brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric set out on a journey across the world in search of the philosopher’s stone. Legend says it can create anything and overcome any of the laws of alchemy, and as a result, can restore what they’ve lost due to their failed ritual.
Along the way though, they uncover a sinister plot centered around the true cost of the Philosopher’s Stone’s use, forcing them to decide whether what they want is truly worth the sacrifice of so much more.
Like Inuyasha, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood offers a tragic epic where the characters’ journey is fraught with adventure, hardship, and heartbreak in equal measure. Both also have a similar sense of humor, cutting up the drama with a few recurring jokes and bits that keep things from ever feeling too serious along the way to major revelations or confrontations. By the end of Brotherhood’s 64-episode run, you may even have a new favorite series.
Spice and Wolf
Even if it is a flip on the dynamic of Inuyasha’s main characters, Spice and Wolf has just as much to offer in terms of story and character growth.
While passing through a remote farming town, the merchant Kraft Lawrence encounters the wolf god Holo, a deity who has watched over the town since ancient times. In the present, however, she is no longer needed to protect the town’s crops, and as a result, wishes to return to her home in the north. Already on his way there, the two strikes a deal to travel together for a short time.
What follows is a slow but heartfelt forming of affection between the two as they travel the land. Both will experience love, heartbreak, and danger along the way, but by the end, they may both find what they’ve been missing all along.
Between the wolf-eared protagonist, the steadily progressing romance between its leads, and the sense of wonder and adventure the series provides, there’s plenty on the surface that makes Spice and Wolf a good fit for sating your Inuyasha void. Looking deeper though, it also gives you a fun and engaging world to get lost in. Each new episode offers something new to stoke your imagination, and by the time the final episode’s credits roll, you’ll wish there was more to see.
Blue Exorcist
Rin Okumura is a bit of a screw-up, always getting into trouble and causing trouble for his brother Yukio and their adoptive father Shiro. Most of the time, this is due to the demons that plague him and those around him for unknown reasons.
On one fateful night though, a demon attacks Rin and reveals that he is the son of Satan, destined to bring about the end of the world with a blade that has sealed his demonic powers up to this point. Before he can be dragged to hell though, Shiro intervenes and saves him, but is possessed as a result. To save him, Rin unseals the sword and unleashes his demonic powers, banishing the demon in Shiro a moment too late. Wracked with anger and guilt, Rin swears he’ll defeat Satan and bring about the peaceful world Shiro always wished for.
Full of supernatural swordplay, visually memorable demons, and hints of romance, Blue Exorcist is one of the more promising new Shonen series to emerge in recent years. Fans of the genre will love its action and battles, while Inuyasha fans in particular will love the way it blends its character arcs with moments of comedy and tragedy in equal measure.
The Vision of Escaflowne
Hitomi Kanzaki lives the normal life of a high schooler until she is drawn into the world of Gaea. Created by the citizens of Atlantis before it sunk into the sea, the planet enjoys the same aspects of life on earth but with more fantastical elements made real like psychokinesis, flight, and massive mechs used for war. Hitomi soon learns, however, that Gaea is currently in the midst of a violent war between the Zaibach Empire and the many peaceful countries around it, and that she may play a crucial part in its conclusion.
Only with the help of a ragtag group of allies will she be able to see the war to a peaceful conclusion, and maybe one day return home to her normal life.
Aside from the obvious similarities of being whisked to another world, The Vision of Escaflowne‘s character arcs of Hitomi and Inuyasha’s Kagome are strikingly similar. Both serve as a perfect means of learning about a fantastical new world and drive the plot forward in some interesting ways. So long as you don’t mind swapping regular sword battles out for a giant mech variant, there’s plenty to like about this oft-forgotten classic.
Noragami
After a bus accident leaves her soul in limbo between this world and the next, Hiyori Iki enlists the help of a god for hire named Yato. Though he initially promises a quick solution, one unfortunate event after another delay Hiyori’s return to a normal life, instead exposing her further to the spirit world that lies just beyond the veil of reality.
With time though, she begins to learn of Yato’s past and the reasons for his dogged pursuit of helping others. Before long, she begins to see him as an ally and eventually tries to find a way to help him overcome the demons from his past.
Host to some truly gorgeous animation and excellent battle scenes mixed with touching interactions between characters, Noragami will scratch the itch of fantasy, Shonen, and shoo fans alike. At only 29 episodes in length, it’s easy to binge through too, making for a solid weekend of anime action if you’ve burnt yourself out on Inuyasha with too many re-viewings.
Ushio and Tora
While looking through the basement of his family’s temple, Ushio Aotsuki uncovers a hidden cave. Inside is an ancient demon named Tora pinned to a rock with the legendary Beast Spear, said to be able to vanquish even the most malevolent evil. Though he refuses to remove the spear at first, a demon attack forces him to take it and fend them off, freeing Tora as a result.
While he makes his intentions to eat Ushio clear, Tora decides to ally with Ushio for a time and fight the demons that are now aware of his return. Before long though, the two forge a friendship that will see them through a looming threat of world-ending proportions.
Another series with a slight variation on Inuyasha’s story, Ushio and Tora does a lot of classic anime tropes and norms exceptionally well. Its animation is generally high quality, and over the course of its 39-episode run, viewers will find more and more to love about the leading duo. Check it out if Inuyasha’s actions and characters were the main draws for your enjoyment of the series.
Yu Yu Hakusho
Much like Inuyasha, Yu Yu Hakusho serves as one of the better classic Shonen series one could hope to find.
Following a freak accident, protagonist Yusuke Urameshi is dragged into a world of supernatural wonder alongside his friends and loved ones. This forces him to fight against forces that aim to drag the rest of the world into turmoil, and as he takes on these threats, he must gain more power and uncover the truth of his origins.
Don’t be fooled by this general description though: There’s more than enough comedy and romance scattered throughout the series to mix things up, and the more classic feel of the show makes it just as distinct as Inuyasha in terms of appearance and aesthetic.
Full Metal Panic!
Even if it might not be as prominent as it was in years past, Full Metal Panic! is still a great show to check out for action and romance alike.
Similar to Inuyasha, the series places its female lead Kaname Chidori in exceptional circumstances that bring her closer to the male lead Sousuke Sagara. In place of a fantasy setting though, the two are in a more realistic setting and must overcome dangers revolving around mechs and subterfuge. Likewise, there’s not so much a sense of adventure as there is one of dealing with day-to-day problems that just so happen to be out of the ordinary for most.
All the same, the pair still manage to find their way into all sorts of adventures and odd situations that make for great comedy. It’s also got a large catalog of episodes across a variety of series, so give it a look if you need something to binge for an extended period.
Urusei Yatsura
If you’re out to see another quirky romance with supernatural elements, look no further than Urusei Yatsura.
While it does flip the dynamic of Inuyasha’s main pair by making the female character a powerful non-human and the male character an ordinary person, the show ticks off a lot of the same boxes in every other regard. There’s an expanded world full of humor and wonder, characters with outlandish but loveable personalities, and an art style that feels fun and lively from scene to scene.
It’s also a show that takes its time to establish the main pair’s romance, offering plenty of hijinks for them to get into as they grow closer. This makes the moments where they do edge toward confessing their feelings all the more exciting and will keep you engaged throughout the series’ run.
Saiyuki Reload Blast
While we do recommend watching Saiyuki Reload Blast if you’re looking for a show similar to Inuyasha, we do need to make it clear that the vouch comes with a big asterisk.
To be sure, the show scratches a lot of the same itches that Inuyasha does. It features a group of eclectic characters — many of which are Demons — who must travel the land in order to complete a task of the utmost importance to the fate of the world. It also blends comedy with action to a pretty impressive degree, and the wider world’s mythology and lore are interesting enough to keep you engaged through the entirety of its runtime.
And yet, it’s also an incredibly brief experience at only 12 episodes. Not only that, but it ends on a bit of a down note due to the series being incomplete. It’s still an experience worth undertaking, but keep the above factors in mind before diving in.
Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon
It should really be a no-brainer that Yashahime: Half-Demon Princess is one of your best alternatives to watching Inuyasha proper, especially given it’s a direct sequel.
Set several years after the events of the original series, the show offers a new adventure with the children of Inuyasha’s core cast serving as the new main characters. Due to a variety of time travel-based shenanigans, each has been separated from their families for an extended period of time. They likewise learn that a new threat to the world is operating behind the scenes, and it’s up to them to set things right before it’s too late.
Though it can feel a little by the books at times, Yashahime is about as perfect of a sequel to Inuyasha as you could find. The characters are just as vibrant as the original cast, and the latter make appearances throughout the series for an extra dose of fan service.
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