Anime Similar to Inuyasha
Yona of the Dawn
After enjoying a childhood free of conflict or difficulty, the Kohka Kingdom’s princess Yona finds her world shattered after a coup leaves her father dead and her own life up for grabs by assassins.
Her only hope for survival, and for restoring the kingdom to peace, is to gather the four Dragon Warriors. Each is blessed with the powers of a Dragon, and can take down entire armies when they join together toward a common cause.
With no other choice, she sets out alongside her bodyguard Hak, determined to set things right and become the ruler the kingdom so desperately needs.
While Yona of the Dawn may not dive fully into supernatural themes the way Inuyasha does, it provides the same sense of growth and progression from its characters.
It also provides a fun love story with plenty of twists and turns, thanks to its bevy of potential male suitors, which keeps the more dire moments from overshadowing the fun the series can provide.
Anime Similar to Inuyasha
Dragon Ball
Though the series definitely veers toward pure shonen action in its later parts, the original run of Dragon Ball enjoys the same zany, comical aesthetic that Inuyasha does.
While out on an adventure to find seven magical, wish-granting orbs known as Dragon Balls, the young girl Bulma encounters Goku, a young boy of immense strength with the tail of a monkey.
He has lived alone in the mountains since his grandfather’s death, and after meeting Bulma he decides he wants to see the world and help her to find the rest of the Dragon Balls.
From here, the story goes in any number of directions. The two amass a group of friends, take on evil villains aplenty and track down the Dragon Balls over and over again in search of wishes minor and life-changing.
All the while, you grow to love each and every character the show provides, their personality becoming familiar and endearing the same way Inuyasha’s main cast does the longer you watch.
Anime Similar to Inuyasha
Kekkaishi
In the land of Karasumori, there exists a strange presence that draws ayakashi toward it without end. As a result, the Tokimori clan was founded to keep them at bay, their Kekkaishi exorcising the more ferocious spirits before they can hurt any civilians.
The latest Kekkaishi to take up this clan’s duty are Yoshimori and Tokine, two high schoolers who patrol the grounds of their school by night to maintain peace and order.
The two are diligent in their duties, but as time progresses it becomes clear something is making the ayakashi more powerful. Their only hope is to uncover the true cause of the Ayakashis’ gathering, and seal it off for good.
Inuyasha fans will feel right at home thanks to the similarities between Kekkaishi‘s main characters and Miroku.
Likewise, its plethora of supernatural elements both quirky and terrifying lines up perfectly with Inuyasha’s, and provides an enjoyable enough experience across its 52 episode run.
Anime Similar to Inuyasha
Fruits Basket
After a string of unfortunate events result in her living on her own, Tohru Honda finds her life change for the better when she starts living with her popular classmate Yuki Sohma and his cousin Shigure.
Shortly after moving in however, she accidentally bumps into the two’s cousin Kyo, turning him into a cat and revealing an ancient curse that has afflicted the family for generations.
The curse causes each of the family’s twelve members to turn into an animal of the zodiac whenever they make contact with the opposite sex. As a result, they have remained isolated alongside each other for generations, many unable to open up to anyone.
After hearing this, Tohru becomes determined to help them break their curse, showing each new member of the family she meets kindness and compassion that they’ve so sorely lacked and which she, too, so sorely needs.
Admittedly more of a straight shojo than Inuyasha, Fruits Basket has enough supernatural elements and strong enough writing that fans shouldn’t be disappointed by.
Its characters likewise become hard not to love the more you see of them, with each having a slew of quirks and traits that help them stand out every time they’re on screen.
It also helps that the series will soon receive a full reboot a la Fullmetal Brotherhood, covering the manga’s entire story from start to finish and making the original series a must watch in the meantime.
Anime Similar to Inuyasha
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
After an attempt to bring their mother back to life goes horribly wrong, the brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric set out on a journey across the world in search of the philosopher’s stone.
Legend says it can create anything and overcome any of the laws of alchemy, and as a result can restore what they’ve lost due to their failed ritual.
Along the way though, they’ll meet new friends and allies as well as learn the true cost of the Philosopher’s Stone’s use, forcing them to decide whether what they want is truly worth the sacrifice of so much more.
Like Inuyasha, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood offers a tragic epic where the characters’ journey is fraught with adventure, hardship and heartbreak in equal measure.
Both also have a similar sense of humor, cutting up the drama with a few recurring jokes and bits that keep things from ever feeling to serious along the way to major revelations or confrontations.
Fans won’t be disappointed, and by the end of Brotherhood’s 64 episode run they may even have a new favorite series.
Anime Similar to Inuyasha
Spice and Wolf
Even if it is a flip on the dynamic of Inuyasha’s main characters, Spice and Wolf has just as much to offer in terms of story and character growth.
While passing through a remote farming town, the merchant Kraft Lawrence encounters the wolf god Holo, a deity who has watched over the town since ancient times.
In the present, however, she is no longer needed to protect the town’s crops, and as a result wishes to return to her home in the north. Already on his way there, the two strike a deal to travel together for a short time.
What follows is a slow but heartfelt forming of affection between the two as they travel the land. Both will experience love, heartbreak and danger along the way, but by the end they may both find what they’ve been missing all along.
Between the wolf-eared protagonist, the steadily progressing romance between its leads and the sense of wonder and adventure the series provides, there’s plenty on the surface that makes Spice and Wolf a good fit for Inuyasha fans.
Looking deeper though, it also gives viewers a fun and engaging world to get lost in. Each new episode offers something new to stoke your imagination, and by the time the final episode’s credits role, viewers will wish there was more to see.
Anime Similar to Inuyasha
Blue Exorcist
Rin Okumura is a bit of a screw-up, always getting into trouble and causing trouble for his brother Yukio and their adoptive father Shiro. Most of the time though, this is due to the demons that plague him and those around him for unknown reasons.
On one fateful night though, a demon attacks Rin and reveals that he is the son of Satan, destined to bring about the end of the world with a blade that has sealed his demonic powers up to this point.
Before he can be dragged to hell though, Shiro intervenes and saves him, but is possessed as a result.
To save him, Rin unseals the sword and unleashes his demonic powers, banishing the demon in Shiro a moment too late. Wracked with anger and guilt, Rin swears he’ll defeat Satan and bring about the peaceful world Shiro always wished for.
Full of supernatural swordplay, visually memorable demons and hints of romance, Blue Exorcist is one of the more promising new shonen series to emerge in recent years.
Fans of the genre will love its action and battles, while Inuyasha fans, in particular, will love the way it blends its character arcs with moments of comedy and tragedy in equal measure.
Anime Similar to Inuyasha
The Vision of Escaflowne
Hitomi Kanzaki lives the normal life of a high schooler until she is drawn into the world of Gaea.
Created by the citizens of Atlantis before it sunk into the sea, the planet enjoys the same aspects of life on earth but with more fantastical elements made real like psychokinesis, flight and massive mechs used for war.
Hitomi soon learns, though, that Gaea is currently in the midst of a violent war between the Zaibach Empire and the many peaceful countries around it, and that she may play a crucial part in its conclusion.
Only with the help of a ragtag group of allies will she be able to see the war to a peaceful conclusion, and maybe one day return home to her normal life.
Aside from the obvious similarities of being whisked to another world, The Vision of Escaflowne‘s character arks of Hitomi and Inuyasha’s Kagame are strikingly similar.
So long as viewers don’t mind swapping regular sword battles out for a giant mech variant, there’s plenty to like about this oft forgotten classic.
Anime Similar to Inuyasha
Noragami
After a bus accident leaves her soul in limbo between this world and the next, Hiyori Iki enlists the help of a god for hire named Yato.
Though he initially promises a quick solution, one unfortunate event after another delays Hiyori’s return to a normal life, instead exposing her further to the spirit world that lies just beyond the veil of reality.
With time though, she begins to learn of Yato’s past and the reasons for his dogged pursuit of helping others. Before long, she begins to see him as an ally, and eventually tries to find a way to help him overcome the demons from his past.
Host to some truly gorgeous animation and excellent battle scenes mixed with touching interactions between characters, Noragami will scratch the itch of fantasy, shonen and shoo fans alike.
At only 29 episodes in length, it’s easy to binge through too, making for a solid weekend of anime action if you’ve burnt yourself out on Inuyasha with too many re-viewings.
Anime Similar to Inuyasha
Ushio and Tora
While looking through the basement of his family’s temple, Ushio Aotsuki uncovers a hidden cave. Inside is an ancient demon named Tora pinned to a rock with the legendary Beast Spear, said to be able to vanquish even the most malevolent evil.
Though he refuses to remove the spear at first, a demon attack forces him to take it and fend them off, freeing Tora as a result.
Though he makes his intentions to eat Ushio clear, Tora decides to ally with Ushio for a time and fight the demons that are now aware of his return. Before long though, the two forge a friendship that will see them through a looming threat of world-ending proportions.
Another series with a slight variation on Inuyasha’s story, Ushio and Tora does a lot of classic anime tropes and norms exceptionally well.
Its animation is generally high quality, and over the course of its 39 episode run, viewers will find more and more to love about the leading duo.
Check it out if Inuyasha’s action and characters were the main draw for your enjoyment of the series.
Looking for more anime recommendations? Check out our list of the best anime to check out on Crunchyroll this season as well as every anime you should look forward to in 2019.
