At long last, Jujutsu Kaisen is finally returning with its third season this upcoming January. The Jujutsu Kaisen manga might have ended over a year ago, but the series remains as popular as ever with fans and critics, especially with Jujutsu Kaisen’s new sequel, Jujutsu Kaisen Moduloand the anime’s return is the perfect way to keep that going.
Jujutsu Kaisen season 3 will undoubtedly be one of the biggest anime of 2026, but with its premiere still being a few months away, there are still plenty of anime a person can watch before its premiere. A few anime especially stand out, as if someone were a diehard Jujutsu Kaisen fan, they would be remiss to pass any of them up.
10) D.Gray-man
TMS Entertainment’s D.Gray-man takes place in an alternate 19th century, besieged by the fiendish Millennium Earl and his army of bloodthirsty Akuma. The only ones who can protect humanity are the exorcists of the Black Order who weaponize Innocence, the antithesis to Akuma, and their newest member, Allen Walker, might be more connected to everything than anyone thought.
As another anime about exorcists protecting humanity from monsters, D.Gray-man has plenty of overlap with Jujutsu Kaisenand its stellar action and writing make it incredibly fun to watch, as well. Jujutsu Kaisen has even directly referenced D.Gray-man before, so it’s easy to see it as a series that Jujutsu Kaisen fans can get a lot out of.
9) Chainsaw Man
In Map’s’s Chainsaw Mana battle with a deadly Devil causes Denji to fuse with his pet Devil, Pochita, and gain the power to turn into the fearsome Chainsaw Man. From there, Denji is recruited to be a professional Devil Hunter for the government, and despite the danger, it’s the best chance Denji has of living a normal life.
Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man have always overlapped as new-gen dark fantasy stories with violent action, and that level of synergy continues to show itself in the stellar presentation of their anime. Few anime sync with Jujutsu Kaisen as well as Chainsaw Manand with the Chainsaw Man movie coming out soon, now’s an even better time to start watching.
8) My Hero Academia
In Bones Film’s My Hero AcademiaIzuku Midoriya dreams of becoming a hero, despite being born without any powers, and after a chance meeting with his idol, All Might, Izuku will finally get a chance to prove that he has what it takes not just to be a hero, but to be the greatest hero of them all.
While My Hero Academia is essentially Jujutsu Kaisen’s tonal opposite, with My Hero’s own blend of stellar action and heartfelt writing, it’s always just as fun to watch, if not more so. The two shows have been two of the defining hits of modern anime, and with My Hero Academia’s final season coming out, that’s truer than ever.
7) Dark Gathering
In OLM, Inc.’s Dark Gathering, Keitaro Gentoga wants to live a normal college life, despite his ability to sense the supernatural, but that changes when he meets Yayoi, a girl with similar supernatural abilities who drags him along on her mission to capture and enslave violent spirits to prepare for battle against the spirit that stole her mother’s soul.
While not always having the best visuals, Dark Gathering’s strong writing and character designs always did a great job of selling it as an action horror story with plenty of heart to balance things out. In many ways, Dark Gathering handled being an exorcist anime better than Jujutsu Kaisenso it’s perfect to watch before Jujutsu Kaisen season 3 starts.
6) Soul Eater
In the world of Bones Film’s Soul Eatermonsters are very much real and a constant threat to people, especially witches, and under the guidance of Lord Death, students of the DWMA hone their abilities as Meisters and living weapons to defeat them, with both parties bringing out the most in each other by harmonizing through soul resonance.
Not only is Soul Eater another anime about people fighting monsters, but with how eccentric Soul Eater is with its action, visuals, and even its writing, it perfectly complements Jujutsu Kaisen by offering a wholly unique experience. Soul Eater has one of the best takes on the monster-hunting genre, and it’s easy to see why it’s such an endearing classic.
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In Science Saru’s Sluga sudden encounter with deadly aliens and spirits leaves Momo Ayase and Okarun with supernatural powers and Okarun without his genitals, and the two must hone their new powers to get Okarun back to normal while fighting whatever threats they come across and, most importantly, while they slowly fall in love with each other.
Sluglike Jujutsu Kaisenis seen as one of the defining urban fantasy stories of modern anime, and with its gorgeous visuals, creative animation, and surprisingly great handling of romance writing, it more than earns its high praise. The overlap between Slug and Jujutsu Kaisen is undeniable, and with Slug season 3 also in development, that’s truer now than ever.
4) JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
David Production’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is an anthology series centered around the Joestar family, all of whom have names that produce the nickname “JoJo”. Every JoJo finds themselves caught up in appropriately bizarre adventures as they fight to protect the world from evil, most of which involve allies and enemies alike controlling supernatural entities called Stands.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure codified the idea of creative and complex battles in anime, and with how much Jujutsu Kaisen thrives on that style of writing, it’s easy to see it as a major influence on its style. JoJo and Jujutsu Kaisen have incredible synergy, and with Steel Ball Run coming in 2026, there’s no better time to start watching.
3) Yu Yu Hakusho
In Studio Pierrot’s Yu Yu Hakushoafter local delinquent Yusuke Urameshi dies committing a surprise act of selflessness, the forces of the afterlife give him another chance at life as a spirit detective, and it soon falls on Yusuke to use his new spiritual powers to protect humanity from the demons who threaten it on a daily basis.
As one of the oldest urban fantasy anime around, Yu Yu Hakusho had a tremendous influence on Jujutsu Kaisenand with its great writing and surprisingly solid animation, it’s easy to see why. Few ’90s anime are as iconic or fun to watch as Yu Yu Hakushoand any Jujutsu Kaisen fan would be remiss to pass it up.
2) Hunter X Hunter
In Madhouse’s Hunter X HunterGon Freecss sets out to become a Hunter to both find his father and go on an adventure, and while there’s plenty of fun to be had in making new friends and mastering his mysterious Nen abilities, it isn’t long before Gon learns just how cruel the world he wanted to see can be.
Hunter X Hunter clearly influenced Jujutsu Kaisen through how much Jujutsu Kaisen’s cast and power system take after Hunter X Hunterand with how great Hunter X Hunter’s animation and deconstructive writing can be, that’s more than justified. Hunter X Hunter is often a top contender for the best anime of all time, and overall, it’s easy to see why.
1) Bleach
In Studio Pierrot’s BleachIchigo Kurosaki is given the power of a Soul Reaper to protect his loved ones from bloodthirsty monsters called Hollows, but it isn’t long before Ichigo is dealing with more than just simple monsters, with most of his biggest conflicts squarely putting him as the only person who can save the world.
With its stylish action, strong character writing, and thorough worldbuilding, Bleach more than earns its place as one of Shonen Jump’s biggest titles, and its supernatural themes and signature style even arguably had the biggest influence on Jujutsu Kaisen. Jujutsu Kaisen wouldn’t exist without Bleachand that makes Bleach the best anime to watch before Jujutsu Kaisen’s return, by far.
