Demon Slayer has easily become one of the biggest manga series of the last decade, with a hit anime adaptation that has garnered even more attention from audiences across the world. The story focuses on siblings Tanjiro and Nezuko Kamado and their journey to reverse Nezuko’s transformation into a demon; along the way, both brother and sister become embroiled in a centuries-old fight against evil forces that wish to destroy humanity. Demon Slayer can be classified as a dark fantasy and is recognized for its art style, world-building, and the deep bond between Tanjiro and Nezuko, which drives the plot.
While the Demon Slayer manga ended years ago (2020, to be precise), the anime is still ongoing with the “Infinity Castle” arc currently being broken into three theatrical release movies. Regardless, the story has come to a close, and fans of the series are on the hunt for the next big thing that will fill the slot on their reading list. This list will give you a handful of manga recommendations similar to Demon Slayer in either theme, genre, or tone. If you’re looking for a great new manga to start, I’d highly suggest checking one of these manga out; chances are you won’t be disappointed.
10) Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun
An awesome supernatural fantasy series to read is Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun. Part of the manga’s pull is the endearing artwork, strong bonds between the main group of characters, and the introduction of intriguing supernatural beings. Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun also has an anime adaptation that debuted in 2020, with a second season that was released in 2025. The series addresses themes such as trauma, grief and loss, learning from the past, and the importance of friendship.
The manga plot starts with Nene Yashiro, a young girl who decides to summon Hanako-kun, the rumored school spirit said to reside in the girls’ toilets. Nene believes that successfully summoning the ghost will allow her wish to become popular and wanted by boys to be granted. Instead of the female spirit she expected, Nene instead meets Hanako, the spirit of a young boy who passed away years ago. Hanako recruits Nene as his assistant, both of them handling different problems arising around school in the supernatural world to restore and keep the balance.
9) Tokyo Ghoul
Tokyo Ghoul is a manga series that gained a lot of popularity in the mid-2010s for its dark tone and gritty art style. The manga first began in 2012, and had a total of 143 chapters; the series had a sequel manga, Tokyo Ghoul:re, with 179 chapters ending in 2018. There was also an anime adaptation of the primary manga series, debuting in 2014. The anime itself was regarded as a huge disappointment by many fans, deviating heavily from the original story in the manga. Tokyo Ghoul deals with themes such as identity, the nature of humanity, trauma, and the importance of empathy.
In Tokyo Ghoul, our protagonist is Ken Kaneki, a young college student who goes on a date with Rize Kamishiro. The event ends in tragedy when Rize is revealed to be a Ghoul: a humanoid being that craves human flesh. While Kaneki survives the attack, he learns that it was only due to Rize’s organs being transplanted into him, giving Kaneki the abilities of a Ghoul along with the desire to eat humans. Terrified of his newfound powers and status, Kaneki is taken to work at the Anteiku coffee shop, a place where Ghouls are able to freely exist without the constant fear of investigators looming over their shoulders. Here, Kaneki becomes embroiled in numerous plots that force him to embrace his nature.
8) Ajin: Demi-Human
Ajin: Demi-Human is a lesser-known manga series that combines elements of horror, the supernatural, and action genres. The manga was first released in 2012 until 2021, with a final count of 86 chapters and 17 volumes. It also has an anime show adaptation that began in 2016 and has two total seasons available to watch. Ajin: Demi-Human handles themes such as immortality, the concept of humanity, grey morality, and exploitation of the weak. The series is notable for its dark storyline that doesn’t let up on the complex ideology presented throughout the entire plot, making it great for fans of manga that make you think about the lessons being taught.
During Ajin: Demi-Human, we follow Kei Nagai, a high schooler who has a relatively normal life until tragedy forces him to discover a secret: Kei is actually an Ajin. In the manga, Ajin are essentially human-like beings that appear normal but can heal any grievous energy with ease; Ajin are also capable of producing something called Invisible Black Matter, a powerful substance that can be used to form entities called Black Ghosts. With his new status, Kei becomes a fugitive from the government due to Ajin’s being feared and hated by most normal humans. He’s rescued by Sato, an Ajin with nefarious ideas on how to deal with humanity. Kei must then make the choice either to embrace his new identity or to protect those who want him dead.
7) D. Gray-man
D. Gray-man is an often forgotten manga that deals with the supernatural, specifically demons and exorcists. It takes place in a gothic-inspired world that serves to emphasize the darkness of the setting and overall tone. The manga was first released in 2004, and is actually still ongoing with frequent pauses in chapter releases due to the author’s health fluctuating; there are currently around 255 chapters available to read. D. Gray-man also has an anime show based on the series that came out in 2006; a sequel anime, D. Gray-man Hallow, began in 2016.
The plot of D. Gray-man takes place in the nineteenth century, and follows Allen Walker, a young man who decides to join the Black Order, a league of exorcists dedicated to fighting an ever-growing army of demons. Armed with holy artifacts called Innocence, the exorcists serve to beat back the forces of the Millennium Earl, a creature responsible for reanimating the dead to create new demons. Allen becomes involved in a fight to discover the Heart, an all-powerful artifact that will influence the outcome of the holy war humanity has found itself entrenched in.
Fullmetal Alchemist is an iconic manga that features one of the strongest sibling bonds in the genre. The series was first released in 2001 in Monthly Shonen Gangan, and ended after 108 chapters were released in 2010. The manga was adapted twice into anime shows, first with Fullmetal Alchemist (2004), and then again with Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009). It explores themes such as redemption, the importance of family, loss, government corruption, and the dangers of ambition. This series was a huge influence on later dark fantasy shonen manga and is recently regarded more and more as a modern classic.
In Fullmetal Alchemist, our main characters are siblings Edward and Alphonse Elric. The two brothers decide to perform a risky alchemical ritual to revive their dead mother; in the aftermath, Alphonse’s body is destroyed and his soul is tied to a suit of armor, while Ed loses multiple limbs. The two brothers decide to abandon their hometown and travel to the capital with the goal of becoming state-sanctioned alchemists. Their hope is to gain the knowledge to someday recover the bodies they lost in the accident, though this goal becomes entwined with the hidden secret of the Philosopher’s Stone, a legendary tool that can heal both brothers if they manage to find it.
5) The Promised Neverland
The Promised Neverland is a manga that places heavy emphasis on the importance of friendship and found family in a world designed to treat children like cattle. The manga was released in 2016 as part of Weekly Shonen Jump, and ended after 181 chapters that were split between 20 volumes. An anime show was created from the manga storyline in 2019, though the second season heavily deviated from the original plot and is considered to be a poor representation by many fans. Despite this, the manga still holds tons of value and entertainment, with themes like hope, trusting in others, overcoming loss, and the cost of freedom presented in the story’s message.
The Promised Neverland takes place in a mysterious orphanage where a select number of orphans are raised in seclusion. The main trio, Emma, Ray, and Norman, are the eldest and most intelligent of the orphans, watching out for the younger children around them. This task proves to be near impossible when the three gradually realize the orphanage is actually a farm that raises children to be slaughtered and eaten by paying demons. Armed with this terrifying knowledge and a ticking clock until their own purchase, the children must find a way to escape the orphanage and make their own way in the free world outside the farms.
4) Soul Eater
Soul Eater is an amazing supernatural, dark fantasy hybrid manga series with a lot of heart and emotion. The manga series was released in 2003 and ended in 2013, spanning a decade of run-time with a total of 113 chapters. It was quickly turned into an anime adaptation that aired in 2008; however, the show caught up to the manga’s storyline and then diverged from the author’s intended plot, giving the anime a different ending from the written series. Soul Eater addresses themes like insanity, the danger of amassing power, the scale of morality, and the power of strong bonds.
The story of Soul Eater centers around a world where certain individuals are able to turn into weapons, while people dubbed “Meisters” wield these weapons. Maka Albarn is a Meister who is paired with Soul Evans. Both hold the dream of one day becoming a Death Scythe, mythically powerful weapons that assist the Grim Reaper. To realize this goal, both Maka and Soul decide to attend Death Weapon Meister Academy to learn how to work together as a team and excel in battle. The plot follows both as they overcome trials, battle enemies, and team up with other students to become stronger, all while an ancient evil stirs from sleep.
3) Blue Exorcist
Blue Exorcist is a great supernatural-based anime that deals with demons, sibling bonds, and the struggle between good and evil. The manga series began in 2009, serialized in Shueisha’s Jump Square magazine, and is still ongoing as of 2025. It’s also been adapted into an anime show, the first episode debuting back in 2014 with a total of four seasons. Blue Exorcist handles mature themes such as inheritance, self-identity and discovery, the rejection of destiny, and the power of teamwork. This manga is great for any readers who enjoy complex character relationships and intricate fight scenes.
The plot of Blue Exorcist follows siblings Rin and Yukio Okumura, twins who were raised by expert exorcist Shiro Fujimoto. When their adoptive father is murdered by the Demon King himself, Rin learns that Satan is his true father, and he’s inherited a series of demonic powers sealed away in his sword. Rin decides to seek revenge by joining True Cross Academy in the hopes of becoming a powerful exorcist and one day defeating Satan, earning justice for Shiro and ridding the world of Satan’s influence once and for all.
2) Dandadan
Dandadan is a supernatural manga that has recently blown up in the community, partially because of its anime adaptation. The series was first released in 2021 and is currently ongoing, but has amassed over 200 chapters as of 2025. The anime show aired in 2024 to widespread acclaim, and had its second season air in the summer of 2025. Dandadan explores themes such as friendship, exploring the unknown, the power of belief, and the importance of bravery. It packs plenty of high-impact action scenes with healthy doses of humor that serve to make a fascinating, easy read.
In Dandadan, the story centers around Momo and Okarun, high schoolers who respectively hold strong beliefs regarding the supernatural: Momo believes in ghosts while Okarun is convinced aliens exist. After a chance encounter, the two form an unlikely connection and decide to set out to prove the other’s theories true or false. This results in Okarun being possessed by a powerful spirit and imbued with its powers, while Momo is abducted by aliens and has psychic abilities awakened. Together, the two band into a team to fight supernatural threats and enemies that threaten humanity.
1) Dororo
Dororo is a compelling tale that looks at the cycle of revenge and violence against a wartorn background. The manga was first released in 1967, making it the oldest manga series on this list. As you’d expect, it had an older anime adaptation from 1969; however, the Dororo anime series from 2019 reinvented the storyline and introduced it to modern audiences. The series dives into themes such as good and evil, the concept of humanity, healing from trauma, and forming genuine connections. Set in feudal Japan, Dororo uses its setting and ambience to drive home the importance and gravity of its main character’s journey and goals.
The plot of Dororo follows samurai Hyakkimaru, who travels the landscape to reclaim what he lost. As a child, Hyakkimaru’s father sacrificed his son’s body parts to demons to gain power and prosperity for his land. Making use of numerous prosthetics, Hyakkimaru sets out to fight the demons hiding his stolen body parts and slowly rebuilds his body. Along the way, he meets the young thief, Dororo, who becomes his traveling companion and his sense of conscience. Together, the two encounter numerous demons and supernatural threats while relying on each other in a world filled with bleakness and violence.
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