30+ Anime Recommendations for Fans of Death Note

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Anime & manga expert Simon Zeng recommends what to watch after you finish Death Note

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IN THIS ARTICLE

1 Code Geass

2 Monster

3 Tokyo Ghoul

4 Death Parade

5 Parasyte: The Maxim

6 Paranoia Agent

7 Attack on Titan

8 Steins;Gate

9 Kaiji

10 Bungo Stray Dogs

11 Re:ZERO

12 Psycho-Pass

13 Classroom of the Elite

14 Tomodachi Game

15 Bakuman

16 My Home Hero

17 Future Diary

18 Link Click

19 Ergo Proxy

20 Terror in Resonance

21 One Outs

22 Talentless Nana

23 Oshi No Ko

24 Kaguya-sama: Love Is War

25 The Promised Neverland

26 Moriarty the Patriot

27 Vinland Saga

28 Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex

29 Erased

30 Hell’s Paradise

31 Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything with Low-Level Spells

32 Heaven’s Memo Pad

33 The Most Notorious “Talker” Runs the World’s Greatest Clan

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Co-authored by Simon Zeng and Raven Minyard, BA

Last Updated: May 21, 2026 Fact Checked

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Death Note is one of the most popular anime series out there. It follows Light Yagami as he discovers a supernatural notebook that kills anyone whose name he writes down. While nothing can truly compare to Death Note, there are a lot of other great anime series with similar tones, characters, or plot elements. If you’re looking for your next watch, keep reading, as we’ll explore 30+ anime like Death Note, with exclusive insights from an anime & manga expert.

Anime to Watch After Death Note

Anime & manga expert Simon Zeng says if you’re looking for something with a similar vibe as Death Note, try Attack on Titan, Code Geass, and Re:Zero. Other similar anime include Monster, Tokyo Ghoul, Psycho-Pass, and Future Diary.

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1

Code Geass

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1. 
   Code Geass follows Lelouch vi Britannia, an exiled prince, after he gains a mystical power called Geass that grants him total control over other people. Lelouch attempts to use his power to lead a rebellion against Japan’s oppressors. While the plot is quite different from Death Note, the protagonists are similar, as both Lelouch and Light Yagami use their intelligence to outsmart their enemies and attempt to achieve the “perfect” world with their supernatural abilities.

   • Zeng recommends this as one of his picks to watch after Death Note.

   Meet the wikiHow Expert

   Simon Zeng is an anime expert and content creator. He’s been a fan of anime since he was 15, and is especially drawn to slice of life and romance anime.
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2

Monster

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1. 
   Monster is a highly popular horror anime that follows Dr. Kenzo Tenma, a surgeon who discovers he saved the life of a boy, Johan Liebert, who turns out to be a serial killer. The cat-and-mouse game between Johan and Tenma is similar to that of Light and L’s in Death Note. Monster is perfect for those who want to explore more morally ambiguous characters.

3

Tokyo Ghoul

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1. 
   Tokyo Ghoul and Death Note are both incredibly popular series that share a dark and twisted tone. This series follows college student Ken Kaneki after he becomes a half-ghoul after an encounter with a monster. He then struggles with his hunger for human flesh and his desire to maintain his humanity.
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4

Death Parade

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1. 
   Like Death Note, Death Parade is a unique take on death in which the protagonist gets to decide whether people live or die. When people die, their souls arrive at a bar called Quindecim, and they’re forced to compete in various Death Games to determine if they’ll be reincarnated or sent to the void.

5

Parasyte: The Maxim

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1. 
   Parasyte: The Maxim follows Shinichi Izumi, a 16-year-old who is attacked by a parasitic alien that can take over people’s minds. However, when the alien attempted to take control of his body, it could only control Shinichi’s right hand. You might be interested in this series if you enjoyed watching the relationship between Light and Ryuk.
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6

Paranoia Agent

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1. 
   Though their premises are pretty different, Paranoia Agent will give you the same psychological thrills as Death Note. The series follows detectives Keiichi Ikari and Mitsuhiro Maniwa as they investigate several attacks committed by Lil’ Slugger, an elementary school boy who assaults people with a golden baseball bat. What’s most surprising is that the victims’ lives seem to improve after the attacks.

7

Attack on Titan

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1. 
   Attack on Titan and Death Note may not have a lot in common at first glance, but many fans enjoy watching both because of their plot twists and complex narratives, says Zeng. Attack on Titan is a survival horror and political thriller that takes place in a world in which humans are forced to live within massive walls to avoid being killed by giant humanoids called Titans.

   • This is another recommendation from Zeng, who says Attack on Titan is pretty dark and has a plot twist like in Death Note. Plus, in his opinion, it's one of the best anime series ever.
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8

Steins;Gate

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1. 
   Steins;Gate follows Rintaro Okabe, a self-proclaimed mad scientist who accidentally discovers time travel and is forced to deal with the consequences of altering timelines. This series is similar to Death Note because they both follow main characters who use supernatural abilities in an attempt to change the world.

9

Kaiji

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1. 
   If you like the psychological aspects of Death Note but don’t care for the supernatural elements, Kaiji might be for you. This series follows gambling addict Kaiji Itou as he is forced into life-or-death situations to pay off his debts. He must outsmart his enemies to save himself.
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10

Bungo Stray Dogs

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1. 
   Bungo Stray Dogs is similar to Death Note in that both series center around detectives with supernatural tools or powers. This series follows Atsushi Nakajima, a weretiger detective at the Armed Detective Agency. He and other detectives team up to solve mysteries, and the characters often end up p playing mind games with each other.

11

Re:ZERO

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1. 
   Zeng also recommends watching Re:ZERO, which he says has a mature feel similar to Death Note. This is a dark, tense anime that centers on a boy named Subaru who’s transported to another world. Subaru uses an ability called “Return By Death” to rewind time when he dies—and to save his friends, he forces himself to die over and over to keep resetting events until he gets the outcome he needs.
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12

Psycho-Pass

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1. 
   Set in a near-future dystopia, Psycho-Pass follows an inspector named Akane Tsunemori who hunts down criminals using the Sibyl System, which measures people’s Psycho-Pass, or mental state, to determine how likely they are to commit crimes. Like Death Note, Psycho-Pass has a dark, gritty tone, deals with intelligent criminals, and will leave you questioning what’s right and wrong.

13

Classroom of the Elite

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1. 
   If you’re looking for a manipulative protagonist like Light, check out Classroom of the Elite. This psychological thriller series centers around a high school in which students are ranked by merit. Kiyotaka Ayanokouji is assigned to Class D, the class for underperformers, and is forced to participate in intense physical and mental tests in which the students attempt to outwit each other. Ayanokouji acts unassuming, but he’s actually orchestrating his class’s rise to power.
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14

Tomodachi Game

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1. 
   Tomodachi Game is the perfect series for those who enjoyed the psychological warfare and dimension of Death Note. When a group of school friends are forced to compete in a series of games to pay a shared debt, they must decide whether or not you can put a price on friendship. If one person is willing to betray the group, their debts will be paid and everyone else will be left to fend for themselves.

15

Bakuman

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1. 
   While Bakuman is very different from Death Note, it was created by the same writer, Tsugumi Ohba, so you may want to check it out if you’re a fan of his work. The story follows two high schoolers, Moritaka Mashiro and Akito Takagi, as they team up to write and illustrate their own manga. Even though the plot has nothing in common with Death Note, both series show the creator’s talent for creating characters and tension.
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16

My Home Hero

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1. 
   My Home Hero features a lot of cliffhangers and plot twists, so it’ll keep Death Note fans on the edge of their seat. Tetsuo is an average man who has a difficult relationship with his daughter. He’s believed to be spineless, but when he discovers his daughter’s boyfriend has been abusing her, Tetsuo kills him. The story follows Tetsuo and his wife as they try to outwit different characters and survive the situation.

17

Future Diary

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1. 
   Future Diary, or Mirai Nikki, shares many of the same themes as Death Note. After Yukiteru Amano’s cellphone develops the ability to tell the future, he is forced to use his new “Future Diary” to compete in a deadly battle royale. The last player left alive after 90 days will become the new God of Time and Space. Like Death Note, this anime follows teenagers who suddenly obtain supernatural powers and must deal with the consequences.
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18

Link Click

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1. 
   Link Click is perfect for Death Note fans who enjoy the crime and paranormal elements of the series. Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang run a private detective agency. What makes them unique is that Cheng can travel back in time via photographs to gather new information. As the series develops, the two of them end up having to take on a serial killer who also possesses unique abilities.

19

Ergo Proxy

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1. 
   Ergo Proxy has a dark, mysterious atmosphere that many Death Note fans will love. It’s set in the post-apocalyptic city of Romdeau, as surviving humans attempt to coexist with androids called AutoReivs. However, the AutoReivs become infected with a virus that causes them to commit murders, which threatens society and reveals secret government experiments.
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20

Terror in Resonance

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1. 
   If you’re a fan of L and Near’s pursuit of Kira, you’ll likely enjoy the plot of Terror in Resonance. It follows Nine and Twelve, two teen boys who carried out several bombings across Tokyo. Detective Kenjirou Shibazaki must then attempt to stop them as they continue to taunt the police with videos about a dark government conspiracy.

21

One Outs

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1. 
   You wouldn’t think Death Note would have much in common with a baseball anime, but hear us out. One Outs follows Toua Tokuchi, who is a very skilled baseball player and gambler. Tokuchi constantly outsmarts his opponents just like Light. Plus, these two series have similar art styles because they’re produced by the same animation studio.
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22

Talentless Nana

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1. 
   Talentless Nana and Death Note both center on killers who think they have the right to decide who lives and who dies. This series follows Nana as she begins killing people and tries to avoid getting caught by Kyouya, one of her classmates. Their actions result in a cat-and-mouse dynamic similar to that of Light and L.

23

Oshi No Ko

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1. 
   Combining elements from thriller, slice of life, and reincarnation anime, Oshi No Ko has something for everyone, including Death Note fans. After his famous mother is murdered, Aqua enters the entertainment industry in hopes of finding and getting revenge on her killer. The series explores the dark side of the entertainment industry.
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24

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War

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1. 
   While Kaguya-sama and Death Note have very different genres and tones, you may like this one if you’re a fan of the rivalry between Light and L. Miyuki and Kaguya are geniuses who run the student council together at Shuchi'in Academy. While they both secretly like each other, neither wants to admit it. Instead, they play a bunch of mind games to try to get the other person to confess first.

25

The Promised Neverland

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1. 
   Like Death Note, The Promised Neverland is a psychological thriller filled with mind games. It follows a group of orphans who realize the orphanage they live in is actually raising them as food for demons. Characters Emma, Norman, and Ray must then outsmart their caretaker and escape.
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26

Moriarty the Patriot

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1. 
   Moriarty the Patriot is inspired by Sherlock Holmes, so it’s no surprise that, like Death Note, its protagonist is pretty intelligent. The show centers around Sherlock’s nemesis, William James Moriarty, and portrays him as an anti-hero who wants to destroy England’s oppressive class system. He isn’t afraid to use murder and manipulation to punish corrupt nobles, so it’s easy to see the similarities between him and Light.

27

Vinland Saga

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1. 
   Vinland Saga and Death Note both deal with themes of right and wrong and how to tell the difference between them. Vinland Saga follows Viking Thorfinn as he sets off on a quest to get revenge on the man who killed his family.
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28

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex

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1. 
   This series is ideal for those who enjoyed the cat-and-mouse dynamic of Death Note. Set in a futuristic Japan, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex follows Major Motoko Kusanagi and her team as they attempt to track down the elusive hacker known as the Laughing Man.

29

Erased

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1. 
   If Death Note put you in the mood for a dark thriller, check out Erased. This series follows Satoru Fujinuma, who is transported to the past after being falsely accused of his mother’s murder. In an attempt to prevent her death, he soon discovers that his classmate’s kidnapping was the catalyst.
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30

Hell’s Paradise

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1. 
   Like Death Note, Hell’s Paradise deals with themes of justice, morality, and good and evil. Set in Japan’s Edo Period, this series centers on Gabimaru, a ninja who travels to a deadly island to find the Elixir of Life while competing against other criminals and trying to survive against monsters.

31

Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything with Low-Level Spells

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1. 
   Failure Frame is an isekai anime, so plot-wise, it and Death Note are very different. However, the protagonist, Touka, shares some similarities with Light—they’re both edgy, ruthless, and use their wit to outsmart their enemies. After a goddess sends Touka and his classmates to another world, he ends up in prison and discovers that his spells never miss. So, he escapes and sets out for revenge.
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32

Heaven’s Memo Pad

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1. 
   Heaven’s Memo Pad is a teen detective series, so it’s pretty similar to Death Note. Student Narumi Fujishima joins NEET, a detective network, and works alongside a hacker named Alice to solve various crimes, including drug rings, Yakuza disputes, and the disappearance of Narumi’s classmate Ayaka Shinozaki.

33

The Most Notorious “Talker” Runs the World’s Greatest Clan

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1. 
   While these two series are pretty different, Death Note fans may enjoy Noel, the edgy protagonist of The Most Notorious “Talker” Runs the World’s Greatest Clan. In the show, Noel is a “Talker,” which is a support role, but he wants to become a strong “Seeker,” or adventurer. He creates his own adventuring party, and together, they do various quests in an attempt to make a name for themselves.
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