9 Best Dark Supernatural Anime That Aren’t Jujutsu Kaisen

Anime often blends everyday life with the supernatural, creating compelling stories that feel surprisingly relatable. By including ghosts, monsters, or other unusual elements, these shows capture our imaginations and highlight the contrast between what’s real and what isn’t. Jujutsu Kaisen is a prime example – it’s a fantastic supernatural anime that also creates a tense and serious mood, allowing for a more impactful and darker storyline.

Anime often creates a serious or even grim atmosphere by showing characters with weaknesses, including deaths, and exploring sad pasts. Over time, many unsettling stories have been told using supernatural themes. If you like Jujutsu Kaisen, you’ll probably enjoy the following anime because they share similar ideas and feelings.

Ajin

A long time ago, beings who didn’t age and seemed to live forever began showing up among humans. Because of their strange powers, people quickly branded them as dangerous and a threat. They looked just like regular people, which made it hard to identify and get rid of them.

Kei is a dedicated student who doesn’t care about the mysterious beings known as Ajin. However, his life changes dramatically when he dies in an accident, only to return as an Ajin himself. Now, shocked and hunted, he’s forced to flee from a world that suddenly sees him as a monster. The story quickly becomes a thrilling chase as the secrets of the Ajin are revealed. Beyond the action, the anime delves into the darker sides of both these creatures and the ordinary humans motivated by things like greed and power.

Dandadan

Momo was feeling down after her first breakup, so she stepped in to help Ken when he was being bullied. Ken mistakenly thought Momo was only being nice because they both liked aliens, which led to a big argument. Ken was a believer in aliens but didn’t believe in ghosts, and Momo felt the opposite – she believed in ghosts but not aliens. Determined to prove each other right, they set out to find evidence of these mysterious creatures, and they quickly found themselves in trouble when they actually succeeded!

At first, when I started watching Dandadan, it struck me as a really funny and weird show. But it didn’t take long – just a few episodes – for things to get surprisingly complex. The story really dives into the characters’ painful pasts and hardships. It quickly became a lot more emotional and, honestly, pretty heartbreaking to watch.

Hell’s Paradise

Gabimaru, a man seeking redemption, narrowly avoids execution and is given a chance at life with one condition: he must journey to a legendary, deadly island to find the Elixir of Life. Though no one who has gone to the island has ever returned, Gabimaru accepts the perilous mission, driven by his desire to reunite with his wife.

Hell’s Paradise is an action-packed series set in the past, focusing on the lives of criminals. It delves into thought-provoking questions about what it means to be human, examining ideas of right and wrong, and the nature of sin. If you like historical dramas with plenty of fighting, this show is definitely worth checking out.

Mononoke

I’m completely fascinated by Mononoke! It’s this incredible anime series set in old Japan, following a wandering medicine man who also deals with the supernatural. Each episode presents a new, spooky story with unique characters, but it’s not just about scares. It really makes you think! The hero has to uncover how a spirit came to be, why it looks the way it does, and what caused it to appear before he can actually lay it to rest. It’s like a puzzle with these three key questions – Form, Truth, and Reason – and it’s so satisfying when he finally figures everything out!

Mononoke features a distinctive artistic style and tells stories with a haunting, but powerful, impact. The series explores the flaws within human society.

Dororo

Hyakkimaru was born without eyes, ears, or vital organs because his father, Daigo, made a deal with twelve demons. Believing the baby wouldn’t live, Daigo abandoned him. Over the years, Daigo’s land flourished, and he achieved everything he wanted. However, whenever Hyakkimaru defeats a demon, his missing body parts begin to reappear, and Daigo’s land suffers from devastating floods.

Dororo tells the story of Hyakkimaru’s quest to reclaim everything stolen from him, even before he was born. It’s a deeply emotional and action-packed journey of self-discovery, exploring themes of human imperfection, the power of destiny, and the struggle to rise above it.

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To Your Eternity

A strange, reflective orb falls to Earth and can transform into the image of a fading wolf. Because it’s immortal, the wolf can always revive and find its owner. Together, they embark on a quest to find a new world, but the owner ultimately dies. This causes the orb to take on a human form. Now partially human, the orb begins a journey to experience the world its owner always dreamed of seeing.

To Your Eternity is a beautiful story about finding yourself, experiencing the world, and the importance of memories. It’s a show that balances heartwarming and funny scenes with deeply emotional and tragic ones. Through its characters and their struggles, it offers a poignant look at what it means to be human and how society functions.

Serial Experiments Lain

Lain is a quiet, introverted girl who mostly keeps to herself. Her life takes an unexpected turn when classmates begin receiving emails from a deceased friend. Lain also gets an email, and though she’s not tech-savvy, she becomes curious about the virtual world known as the Wired. As strange events unfold, Lain’s life is forever changed.

Serial Experiments Lain is a haunting and enigmatic anime that explores themes of loneliness, identity, and the ways people connect with each other. Its story is told in a unique and often disjointed way, creating a truly immersive experience that demands close attention from the viewer.

Death Note

Light Yagami discovers the Death Note and, though skeptical at first, quickly becomes captivated by its power. He tests it by eliminating a criminal, and to his surprise, it works! Empowered like a god, he starts killing criminals, believing he’s bringing justice. This leads him to create the identity of ‘Kira,’ which draws the attention of the brilliant detective L. A thrilling battle of wits then begins between these two incredibly intelligent adversaries.

For years, Death Note has been praised as a truly exceptional anime. It’s a thrilling, psychological story that makes you question the difference between what’s right and what’s fair. The show features some incredibly complex and well-developed characters, making it stand out in the anime world.

Chainsaw Man

Denji’s life is far from normal because of his father’s huge debts. Just when he and his companion, Pochita, dream of a simple life, Denji finds himself in a deadly situation. Pochita sacrifices himself to save Denji, transforming him into the Chainsaw Man. He’s then recruited by Makima to join the Public Safety Devil Hunters, where he’s constantly challenged to prove himself.

What makes Chainsaw Man stand out is its compelling characters, each haunted by a difficult past. The story follows Denji as he tries to make sense of the world and the people around him, even though it’s often harsh and misleading. It’s full of intense action and deeply emotional scenes, with many moments that are both sad and disturbing. Like these nine anime, each show offers a thought-provoking and impactful story, and features complex characters that will appeal to fans of darker themes. Do you have any other recommendations for shows like these?

2026-03-31 19:41