Anime like parasyte

25+ Anime Like Parasyte (RECOMMENDATIONS)

Parasyte: The Maxim is an anime that most weebs would consider a horror masterpiece and one of the only anime that has satisfied me with its ending. Parasyte is much more than blood and gore and has become the best horror and sci-fi show ever since it was aired back in 2014.

One day, a parasite of unknown origin enters his body, creating quite the unorthodox, symbiotic relationship with our MC. With cliffhangers that leave you at the edge of your seat at the end of each episode, to the humans that can morph into blades and mold their faces/ bodies.

Today, we are going to list 25+ anime that are similar to Parasyte: The Maxim. So, without any further ado, let’s begin our list.

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Anime Like Parasyte the Maxin

26. Higurashi: When They Cry – Gou

Higurashi When They Cry
Similarity Character
Writing
Plot Animation Total
4/20
4/10
4/10
6/10
18/50

Higurashi tells the story of Rika Furude and her friends living in Hinamizawa. Rika Furude welcomes our protagonist, Keiichi Maebara (move to a new town they said, it’ll be fun they said) to their friend group making him the only guy in the group. 

For the past four years, on the night of Watanagashi, the Cotton drifting festival, a series of mysterious deaths keeps occuring. Every one of those victims is either brutally murdered or dissapears without a trace.

Both Parasyte and Higurashi have a horror atmosphere with a decent plot and bits of comedy that mixes well with the anime. If you enjoyed Parasyte, you should try giving Higurashi a chance.

 

25. Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress

kabaneri of the iron fortress
Similarity Character
Writing
Plot Animation Total
5/20
5/10
5/10
5/10
20/50

During the industrial revolution, a virus (don’t worry, it’s not a new covid variant) turns the infected into undead creatures called Kabane. The only way to defeat a kabane is to pierce their heart which is protected by an iron plate.

Our protagonist, Ikoma, creates a weapon called the Tsuranuki Zutsu. Ikoma waits for an opportunity to use the weapon and an opportunity does arise when he meets a girl, Mumei, who is excused from mandatory Kabane inspection. 

So this anime reminds me of parasyte because both the parasite and the virus fail to reach the MC’s brain. Both of the anime are about fighting the infected and this series is filled with gore, blood, horror and sci-fi elements. 

 

24. Another

ANOTHER
Similarity Character
Writing
Plot Animation Total
5/20
5/10
5/10
5/10
20/50

In 1972, in a third year classroom of Yomiyama Middle School’s class 3-3, an honors student who was also good at sports passed away. His name was Misaki. But when she abruptly passed away her classmates decided to carry on as if she was alive until graduation. 

Twenty six years later, Sakakibara Kouichi transfers to the same classroom and finds a crepuscular and depressing mood among his classmates. He meets an eye-patch wearing student who goes by the name of Mei Misaki and tries to uncover the truth of the class 3-3.

Parasyte and Another give off a similar vibe as in Kouichi and Shinichi are both wimps at the beginning but overtime, gain a strong resolve to protect the ones close to them.

 

23. Gleipnir

Gleipnir​
Similarity Character
Writing
Plot Animation Total
6/20
5/10
4/10
6/10
21/50

Gleipnir is about Suuichi Kaguya who, like any other anime MC, is weak and a bit of a simp. One day, his classmate, Aoki Claire, is trapped inside a burning building, he decides to transform into a monster(a dangerous looking puppy) and saves her.

Aoki then takes a picture and blackmails Suuichi and in return, Suuichi has to help Aoki track her sister who also became a monster. 

Gleipnir reminds me of Parayste because both the MCs have similar names(Suuichi and Shinichi) and both the MCs lose the need to use their glasses. But in all seriousness, Gleipnir and Parasyte deal with an alien race and a lot of gore scenes.

 

22. Gantz

GANTZ
Similarity Character
Writing
Plot Animation Total
7/20
6/10
6/10
5/10
24/50

Gantz has a survival game kind of setting. Our MC, Kei Kurono, gets hit by a train(moral of the story: train-kun and truck-kun cause the most deaths in anime) and dies, well not technically because he is brought back to life in perfect condition. He is forced to fight aliens and survive. Those who die are replaced by others who have to complete the mission and defeat aliens.

Gantz is one of the anime that makes us question the society we live in. It’s similar to Parasyte as it gives us the impression of the other side of society that we don’t quite see that often.

 

21. Elfen Lied

Elfen Lied
Similarity Character
Writing
Plot Animation Total
10/20
4/10
6/10
6/10
26/50

In this anime, there  are two races namely-humans and Diclonius. Lucy, our protagonist, is a Diclonius. She is a victim of a cruel scientific experiment. She makes an escape from the research facility, however during her escape, she receives a head injury which gives her a split personality.

This anime touches upon themes such as identity crisis, child abuse, value of human life and similar concepts. It’s a very thought provoking anime that reminds me of Parasyte because of these themes. Also, it is more tragic than Parasyte but it gives off a similar dark vibe.

 

20. Inuyashiki

Inuyashiki
Similarity Character
Writing
Plot Animation Total
10/20
6/10
8/10
6/10
30/50

Inuyashiki is a man with no friends, a family that dislikes him and he has back problems because of his old age(the only difference between you and him is that he is old). One fine evening, a blinding light strikes him. When he wakes up, he realizes that he has turned into a cyborg. Not really but he turns into an alien robot with memories of his former self.

This story follows Inuyashiki and Hiro. Both of them have different views on humanity. Each feels that they are doing the right thing, for Inuyashiki is helping humanity and Hiro is cleansing it.

Both, Parasyte and Inuyashiki, are about a protagonist who undergoes a massive change in their body and struggles with an identity crisis, where they aren’t sure if they are human or not.

 

19. Dorohedoro

dorohedoro
Similarity Character
Writing
Plot Animation Total
10/20
6/10
8/10
6/10
30/50

Dorohedoro takes place in a city called the “Hole” where sorcerers use the civilians as guinea pigs for horrible experiments with dark magic. Our protagonist, Caiman, is a reptile head with a severe case of amnesia. To undo the spell, our protagonist along with Nikaidou, set out to kill the sorcerers in the Hole in search of the sorcerer that casted the spell on him.

Even though Dorohedoro is set in a depressing world, it has a healthy blend of comedy. Dorohedoro has extremely violent and gory scenes which reminded me of Parasyte.

 

18. Claymore

Claymore
Similarity Character
Writing
Plot Animation Total
10/20
7/10
8/10
6/10
31/50

The world in Claymore is plagued with demons called Yoma. Our protagonist, Clare, is a young member of Claymores, who are half human and half Yoma, and her mission is to exterminate full Yomas.

Clare seeks revenge against Yoma because when she was younger, she lost her loved ones to a Yoma(sounds like a classic shonen setting). I would recommend reading the manga for an alternative ending (which is a much better ending).

The violence in this anime resembles that of parasyte hence, it has made it this far in the list.

 

17. Deadman Wonderland

deadman wonderland
Similarity Character
Writing
Plot Animation Total
11/20
6/10
7/10
7/10
31/50

Our protagonist, Ganta Igarashi, is framed for a crime that he didn’t commit. Him and his classmates are supposed to visit a prison amusement park but Gatna’s classmates are murdered by a man in a red cape with restrains. That man then attaches a red crystal to Ganta’s chest.

He is then thrown into the same prison that he was supposed to visit (moral of the story: don’t even think about visiting a prison amusement park, there are better ways to spend your holidays trust me). He is now forced to survive in a prison and prove his innocence

Both Shinichi and Ganta get supernatural powers and have a hard time contemplating the morality of the actions of those around them.

 

16. Hellsing Ultimate

Hellsing Ultimate
Similarity Character
Writing
Plot Animation Total
11/20
8/10
7/10
6/10
32/50

The easiest way to describe this series is- vampires and action (a lot of action). Hellsing is an organization that protects humanity from supernatural forces (vampires). The head of the Hellsing group is a man who commands an enormous army and his name is Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing. However, their trump card is Alucard, who is also a vampire who fights against his race (reminds you of parasyte, doesn’t it?).

Hellsing is an action packed series and is a series that will definitely remind you of Parasyte as it contains gory scenes and both the MCs fight against their own kind.

 

15. From The New World

From the new world
Similarity Character
Writing
Plot Animation Total
9/20
8/10
9/10
7/10
32/50

Shinsekai Yori is one of my favorite dystopian anime. This series is centered around a 12 year old namely Saki Watanabe, who, along with her friends at Sage Academy, lives in a utopian town in Kamisu’s 66th district, thousands of years in the future. 

Saki has recently awakened her psychic powers and she later questions what happens to children who don’t awaken their psychic power. But soon, she realizes the true nature of the world that she is living in (I don’t want to spoil any further). This series is filled with unexpected twists and is something mystery lovers would enjoy. 

Parasyte and Shinsekai Yori make you doubt yourself and give you a rather unorthodox perspective on humanity.

 

14. Mushishi

Mushishi
Similarity Character
Writing
Plot Animation Total
14/20
7/10
6/10
6/10
33/50

Mushishi follows our protagonist, Ginko, who helps people from supernatural creatures called Mushi. This is a very slow series and has little to no violence. This story is built in an episodic nature.  

Mushi influences humans and their way of living. They can grant people powers but they can also be a curse as it obstructs their senses. It is a very beautiful series which seems simple yet it feels complex.

I would recommend watching one episode a day.

 

13. Made In Abyss

Made in Abyss
Similarity Character
Writing
Plot Animation Total
10/20
7/10
8/10
8/10
33/50

“It’s a kids show” is the biggest lie you will hear about this anime. The Abyss is a giant chasm that has several levels and is filled with mysterious monsters. Our protagonist learns that her mother is in one of the levels in the Abyss. So, she sets out on a journey to meet her along with a cyborg called Reg (please don’t try this at home).

It is an extremely dark anime with an amazing plot and worldbuilding. It makes you question the value of human life and its importance. 

 

12. Attack on Titan

Attack on Titan
Similarity Character
Writing
Plot Animation Total
6/20
10/10
9/10
9/10
34/50

Is there any weeb out there who hasn’t heard of this series? If you’re new to anime and have never heard of this series, I would recommend watching this series without reading the plot. 

But for those who want to know a little about the series before they start, humans are exterminated by monsters called titans. Humanity now dwells under 3 walls. Our beloved MC, Eren Jaeger, is a bright and cheerful kid (does not last for long). One fine morning, titans attack his city and Eren’s mother passes away in that attack. After this attack, Eren is filled with rage and wishes to exterminate all the titans from the world.

AOT shares a lot of gory and violent scenes which are similar to Parasyte.

 

11. Death Note

Death Note
Similarity Character
Writing
Plot Animation Total
8/20
9/10
9/10
8/10
34/50

Our MC, Light Yagami, finds a mysterious book (Death Note duh) that can kill anyone if their name is written in the book. Light then proceeds to cleanse society by killing off criminals. The public then starts calling Light, “Kira”. A very famous detective who goes by the alias, L, takes on the Kira case. 

The story revolves around how Light outsmarts L and L outsmarts light. 

Death note and Parasyte have amazing character development. I also feel that both of these series have a similar premise.

 

10. Jujutsu Kaisen

Jujutsu Kaisen
Similarity Character
Writing
Plot Animation Total
12/20
7/10
6/10
10/10
34/50

Our main character, Yuji Itadori, is a bright and cheerful boy. He is also a part of the school’s occult club which has 2 other members. The club discovers an old finger which is wrapped in a mysterious cloth. That night, they open the cloth which triggers curses to awaken. 

Itadori tries to save his friends by eating the finger. Unfortunately, that finger belongs to the King of Curses- Sukuna (trust me he isn’t like Kurama). As soon as he eats it, he realizes that he can swap with Sukuna and can maintain control over his body. Soon, another sorcerer by the name of Gojo Satoru (the yowaimo guy) arrives at the scene and challenges Sukuna. I shouldn’t spoil any further, please watch it.

Both of our MCs from Parasyte and Jujutsu Kaisen are enigmatic in nature, and the foreign entity fails to take over our MCs. Both of them have a similar dark theme attached to it.

 

9. Shiki

Shiki anime
Similarity Character
Writing
Plot Animation Total
13/20
8/10
7/10
7/10
35/50

Sotoba is a small village with a small population. One fine morning, a new family comes to live in the village, specifically in a castle on the outskirts of the village. Ever since they arrived in the village, people start dying of mysterious illnesses with rather mild symptoms. 

The village doctor, Toshio Ozaki, sets out to figure out the truth and in the process, he loses his humanity. Anything more could be a potential spoiler. I would recommend going blind on this one.

There’s a fine line between monsters and humans in most anime but it’s non existent in both Parasyte and Shiki, good and bad start to shift to a point where it becomes hard to say which side is right. I think Shiki does this perfectly.

 

8. Ajin

Ajin
Similarity Character
Writing
Plot Animation Total
14/20
7/10
6/10
6/10
35/50

17 years ago, the first immortals appeared in Africa, and they were called Ajin. Our protagonist, Kei, dies in a traffic accident (it’s always truck-kun) and he realizes that he is an Ajin (or demi human). The people around him also notice that he is an Ajin. From that day his life turns around and he is being hunted (when an Ajin is discovered they are arrested and taken into custody)

Kei and Shinichi are very similar protagonists as both of them want a normal life but then they realize that life has other plans for them.

 

7. Tokyo Ghoul

Tokyo Ghoul
Similarity Character
Writing
Plot Animation Total
20/20
3/10
5/10
8/10
36/50

I would recommend reading the manga from the beginning or reading the manga from chapter 60. The story is set in a world where ghouls eat humans and humans hunt ghouls for their survival.

This story starts with our protagonist, Ken Kaneki, who wants a date. Yeah, everything goes downhill from that point. Our protagonist goes on a date with Rize, a very charming and beautiful young lady. The plot twist is that she is actually a ghoul. She then tries to eat Kaneki. Kaneki wakes up in the hospital and learns that he is actually a half-ghoul

Tokyo Ghoul and Parasyte are almost identical in every aspect but the reason why Tokyo Ghoul is not number one on the list is because of the terrible anime adaptation. (Personal recommendation please: read the manga.

 

6. Promised Neverland season 1

THE PROMISED NEVERLAND SEASON 1
Similarity Character
Writing
Plot Animation Total
10/20
8/10
9/10
9/10
36/50

It’s a series about an orphanage where kids are happy and have fun for the first 12 years of their life because after that someone adopts them, plot twist: they are actually fed to monsters that rule the world. The kids are basically cattle for the monsters.

However, three of the kids from the farm, Emma, Ray and Norman, find out the truth and plan their escape along with the other kids. 

This series is very dark and has gory scenes that are similar to Parasyte. However, I would not recommend watching season 2. Read the manga from chapter 38.

 

5. Death Parade

Death Parade
Similarity Character
Writing
Plot Animation Total
14/20
8/10
8/10
7/10
37/50

Disclaimer: if you’re looking for an action packed series this is not the one. 

In this anime, there is no hell or heaven. After death, every human is brought to a bar where they play games and decide if they will be reincarnated or will they be sent to the void. The bar is called Quindecim and the arbiter’s name is Decim.

The reason why this anime is not number one on the list is because I feel Parasyte is psychological and Death Parade is philosophical. Parasites and arbiters try to learn about humans that they come in contact with.

 

4. To Your Eternity

to your eternity
Similarity Character
Writing
Plot Animation Total
11/20
9/10
8/10
9/10
37/50

An orb appears from outer space and it takes on multiple forms (technically anything whose reflection it captures). The journey is about how this orb takes on different forms and how it gains consciousness, develops emotions and understands mankind

It is a really beautiful series and will have you tearing up.

Although To Your Eternity and Parasyte have a different premise they have the same vibe. The approach taken by To Your Eternity focuses on drama while Parasyte has a horror and psychological approach.

 

3. Devilman Crybaby

Devilman Crybaby
Similarity Character
Writing
Plot Animation Total
16/20
7/10
8/10
7/10
38/50

Akira Fudou learns from his friend, Ryo Asuka, that devils will rise and reclaim the world and the only way to avoid this would be to merge with a devil. Devils cannot exist without a living host. If the will of the host is strong, the host becomes a Devilman.

Even though Akira is a Devilman he has a weak heart hence the name- Devilman Crybaby.

In both Parasyte and Devilman Crybaby, the protagonists have a monster inside of them and they struggle to keep their humanity intact. If you liked Parasyte, you will definitely like Devilman Crybaby.

 

2. Berserk

berserk
Similarity Character
Writing
Plot Animation Total
12/20
10/10
10/10
7/10
39/50

If you wanna get started with the Berserk series, I would recommend the 1997 anime adaptation. Berserk is an extremely dark series (probably the darkest series on this list). It is about our protagonist, Guts, who is surrounded by misfortune and is a mercenary who doesn’t stay in a group for long until he meets the Band of the Hawk. The leader of the group, Griffith challenges Guts to a duel and defeats him in one hit.

This is my favorite anime from the seinen genre. This anime contains extreme violence and has gory scenes which resemble Parasyte. I would highly recommend berserk if you liked Parasyte

 

1. Dororo

Dororo
Similarity Character
Writing
Plot Animation Total
15/20
10/10
10/10
9/10
44/50

A samurai by the name of Kagemitsu was the ruler of a land and that land was dying. To prevent it from dying, Kagemitsu made a pact with 12 demons who would make the land prosperous but in return they would take the body part of his first child. When our MC, Hyakkimaru, Kagemitsu’s first child is born, he is born without eyes, ears, mouth, limbs, or skin.

Hyakkimaru is then abandoned on the river bank. An old swordsmith finds him and makes prosthetic limbs, eyes, mouth, ears and skin for him. Hyakkimaru grows up and must then fight and kill the demons to get back what was his. He then travels with Dororo and encounters different demons.

Dororo is a MASTERPIECE and I am sure that you will enjoy this anime if you liked Parasyte.

 

Comment Down Below

dororo

So that’s it for our list of the 26 anime like Parasyte: The Maxim. If you think we’ve missed some series or you have a different ranking, make sure to let us know in the comments below!

 

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