When Dragon Ball Z first aired, it didn’t just become a hit; it rewired an entire generation. It shaped modern shonen from the ground up, set the standard for power scaling, and turned training arcs into full-blown emotional journeys. From Goku’s first Kamehameha to the battles on Namek, it wasn’t just a show; it was the blueprint. Nearly every action anime that followed owes something to its legacy.
Now that Dragon Ball Super is on pause and fans are left waiting for the next chapter, the void is real. But it doesn’t have to stay empty. These ten anime bring the same energy, the raw ambition, over-the-top fights, and impossible stakes that made Dragon Ball iconic. Until Goku’s back to blowing up galaxies again, these shows like Dragon Ball Super are more than enough to keep that flame burning.
1) Gurren the song
Simon and Kamina live trapped underground, mining tunnels and dreaming of the surface. Until Simon unearths a mysterious Core Drill and activates Lagann, a miniature mecha. With Kamina’s sheer determination, they punch through the Earth’s crust and spark a rebellion against the Spiral King.
Over 27 episodes, the story rockets from underground skirmishes to galactic-scale confrontations, even spawning two hit films that reimagine key battles. This is pure power escalation; a journey from “we’ll win one fight” to “we’ll punch galaxies.” It hits the same energy as Dragon Ball Super’s multiverse and Ultra Instinct moments.
Like Goku and Vegeta, Simon and Kamina push each other past their limits, delivering emotional moments that land like cosmic pep talks. Whether it’s the towering mecha spectacle or Kamina’s defiant battle cries, DB Super fans will feel a familiar thrill. If you miss DB’s big, bold transformations and emotional payoffs, Gurren the song offers that same joy.
2) Yu Yu Hakusho
Yusuke Urameshi is the kind of kid teachers warn you about: short-tempered, always skipping class, and not exactly a role model. But when he dies saving a child from an oncoming car, even the afterlife is caught off guard. With no spot prepared for him in heaven or hell, he ends up earning a second shot at life as a Spirit Detective.
The show kicks off like a ghost story but quickly turns into a shonen powerhouse. By the time the Dark Tournament rolls around, it’s all about bone-breaking fights, strategy-heavy matchups, and characters who keep breaking their own limits just to survive. It’s got that same power-up frenzy Dragon Ball is known for, with fighters clashing in massive arenas, backed by pride, loyalty, and wild transformations.
Yusuke himself feels like a more jaded version of Goku. A street brawler turned warrior, always charging forward even when the odds are stacked. While Kuwabara, Hiei, and Kurama round out the lineup with their own unique fighting styles and personalities, giving strong Z-Fighter energy.
3) Yaiba
If Dragon Ball had a loud little cousin raised on chaos and samurai movies, it would be Yaiba. Yaiba Kurogane is a wild, over-the-top kid who’s basically Goku with a katana; always hungry, always charging headfirst into battle, and somehow too dumb to stay down. His journey kicks off when he stumbles into modern Japan after training in the jungle, only to discover he’s destined to defeat the reincarnated demon god, Onimaru.
What makes Yaiba such a fun ride is how unfiltered it feels. Fights escalate fast, power-ups get ridiculous, and the enemies are straight out of a fever dream. One moment, it’s a sword duel; the next, it’s giant robots and magical girl parodies. It takes Dragon Ball’s early humor, combines it with supernatural mayhem, and cranks the energy to eleven.
Even the art style echoes early DBZwhich makes sense since Gosho Aoyama leaned heavily into Akira Toriyama’s influence. For fans who miss the pure chaos of Dragon Ball’s OG days, before gods, angels, and timelines, Yaiba brings back that reckless fun. It’s not about perfect animation or complex arcs. It’s about throwing hands, cracking jokes, and seeing how many explosions you can fit into twenty minutes.
4) Fist of the North Star
A brutal martial arts saga set in a post-apocalyptic world where only the strong survive, Fist of the North Star is pure ‘80s shonen. The premise is as heavy as the punches. After nuclear war turns Earth into a desert wasteland, Kenshiro wanders the ruins in search of his kidnapped fiancée and justice, taking down tyrants and gangs with the ancient assassination art of Hokuto Shinken. Each arc escalates the stakes, introducing rival martial artists who are just as unhinged and powerful, with philosophies shaped by loss, war, and raw survival instinct.
While Dragon Ball leaned into adventure and growth, Fist of the North Star dives deep into stoic masculinity and moral retribution. Still, the DNA is similar. Both shows revolve around superhuman martial arts, training that borders on torture, and fights that blow the laws of physics out of the sky.
5) Baki the Grappler
Baki Hanma doesn’t shoot lasers or charge up energy waves, but he does break bones with his bare hands. Born to Yujiro Hanma, the strongest man alive, Baki trains nonstop to one day beat his dad. This anime is less about saving the world and more about surviving fights that feel like life-or-death every single time.
The show dives straight into underground fighting rings, where strength rules and every punch could end a match. There’s no magic system here. Just brute force, crazy technique, and fighters who’ve pushed their bodies to the edge. Baki takes hits that should end careers and keeps getting up, just like a certain Saiyan fans know well. The series also has the same spirit of pushing limits, meaning Dragon Ball fans who love high-stakes one-on-ones and intense training arcs will feel right at home.
6) Saint Seiya
Saint Seiya drops you into a mythical world where young warriors don magical clothes tied to constellations. Their goal? Protect Athena and beat divine foes. But what starts as a straight-up tournament soon morphs into epic cosmic battles, with armor upgrades, unleashed powers, and foes who could give gods a run for their money.
This anime hits Dragon Ball fans right in the feels. It’s full of loud transformations, raw emotion-fueled attacks, and teammates shouting about destiny and friendship mid-fight. But the twist here is the mythic setting: armor that evolves during combat and characters that can tap into celestial energy. If Dragon Ball Super’s multiverse fights made your heart race, Saint Seiya delivers that same vibe with a starry, mythological twist.
7) Shaman King
Yoh Asakura’s goal is simple: become Shaman King. That title lets you merge with the Great Spirit and reshape the world, but to get there, you’ve got to fight through a full-blown tournament where every shaman has a spirit partner backing them in battle. Yoh’s relaxed confidence and natural talent channel Goku’s vibe perfectly. And unlike most shonen MCs, he actually listens during fights, which is incredibly refreshing.
When he fuses with his samurai ghost Amidamaru, things get serious fast. The show mixes sword fights, energy blasts, and wild spirit forms in a way that scratches the same itch as Dragon Ball’s flashiest transformations. There’s a full crew of rivals, friends, and unpredictable powers. It’s not just a battle of strength, but of who connects best with their spirit. And that emotional core hits the same way as Goku syncing with his allies to overcome the impossible.
Brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric broke the biggest taboo in alchemy: trying to bring their mother back from the dead. What they got instead was missing body parts, metal limbs, and a soul bound to a suit of armor. They chase after the Philosopher’s Stone in an attempt to fix what they lost, but there are world-level stakes, corrupt governments, ancient beings playing god, and a whole army of characters you’ll either love or hate.
Don’t expect energy blasts and screaming power-ups here. The fights are smart, fast, and full of tricks. Alchemy lets them reshape the world in an instant, and it makes for wild one-on-ones. Edward’s got that Goku-style stubbornness, never backing down, always fighting for what’s right, but this story dives deeper. If you want shonen with brains, heart, and battles that go beyond fists, Brotherhood is one of the best picks out there.
9) Jujutsu Kaisen
Yuji Itadori was just a regular teen with freakish strength and a big heart, until he swallowed a cursed object and became the host to Ryomen Sukuna, the King of Curses. Yuji channels Goku’s “fight for others” mindset but walks a darker path. He doesn’t just fight to get stronger. He fights to give people a proper death, something Goku fans will recognize as that same deep-rooted sense of honor.
Right out of the gate, you get fast-paced action, clever power systems, and battles that feel like chess matches with fists. Jujutsu sorcery works like a gritty version of ki; it’s about controlling negative energy, and every technique is loaded with risk and reward. With beautiful animation, brutal fights, and stakes that climb fast, Jujutsu Kaisen is shonen turned up to eleven, making it a no-brainer for anyone craving raw power and emotional weight.
10) Black Clover
Asta is the kind of guy who stares destiny in the face and tells it to take a hike. Born without an ounce of magic in a world where spells are everything, he gets laughed at but refuses to back down. His childhood rival Yuno is a magic prodigy, but Asta? He just hits the gym harder than anyone alive and swings a massive sword that cancels out magic itself.
What makes this anime a standout for Dragon Ball fans is how closely Asta mirrors Goku’s grind. Both start with nothing but raw drive, and both climb higher than anyone through pure willpower. But while Goku walks a divine path with god-level ki and Ultra Instinct, Asta taps into something darker, a devilish power, and still manages to keep his soul intact.
