Are you a fan of mind-bending, action-packed anime like Parasyte? Are you looking for more captivating shows to leave you fixed in your seat?
Look no further! This article has you covered with a selection of anime like Parasyte that will blow your mind and leave you wanting more.
From intense battles against otherworldly beings to deep explorations of the human psyche, these anime shows will surely capture your attention and keep you hooked.
With stunning animation, complex characters, and thought-provoking themes, each series delivers a unique and unforgettable viewing experience.
Whether you’re a seasoned anime fan or just starting, these shows will satisfy your craving for action, suspense, and thrilling storytelling.
So let’s dive into the world of 29 exciting anime like Parasyte!
1. Death Note (2006)
Our main character, Light Yagami, comes upon a strange book, The Death Note, which, as the name suggests, has the power to murder anybody whose name is written in it.
After that, Light begins the process of purifying society by eliminating criminals. After that, the general populace starts to refer to Light as Kira.
A well-known investigator who operates under the nickname L takes up the investigation into Kira. The plot centers on how Light can outwit L and how L can outwit Light.
Death Note and anime like Parasyte have incredible character growth throughout the series. The fundamental idea behind each of these series is quite similar.
2. Jujutsu Kaisen (2020)
Yuji Itadori, our primary protagonist, is a happy-go-lucky young man. In addition to that, he is one of the three people that make up the occult club at the school.
The club unearths an ancient finger covered in a mystery fabric and presents it for examination.
On the same night, they cut open the material, which causes the curses to come to life. Itadori makes an effort to save his companions by consuming the finger.
However, the King of Curses, Sukuna, owns that finger (he isn’t like Kurama).
Sukuna is responsible for all of the curses. The moment he consumes it, he suddenly realizes that he can switch places with Sukuna and will not lose control of his body.
Shortly after, another sorcerer, Gojo Satoru, or the yowaimo person, appears at the location and challenges Sukuna to a duel.
I shouldn’t give away any more of the plot, so I encourage you to watch it.
Similar to anime like Parasyte and Jujutsu Kaisen, the main characters are both mysterious by nature, and the outside entity cannot take control of either of our MCs.
Each of them is characterized by a gloomy undertone that runs throughout it.
3. Shiki (2010)
The population of Sotoba is relatively low due to the size of the settlement.
In the wee hours of the morning, a new family moves into the town, more precisely, into a castle on the outskirts of the hamlet.
People in the community have been mysteriously becoming sick and passing away since they arrived. The diseases tend to have minor symptoms.
Toshio Ozaki, the town doctor, becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth, and as a result, he sacrifices his humanity in the search for answers.
Anything more might be considered a spoiler for the story. In this case, you should take a chance and see what happens.
Similar to anime like Parasyte, Shiki blurs the lines between good and evil to the point that it is difficult to determine which side is on the moral high ground.
This contrasts with most anime, in which there is a clear distinction between people and monsters. Shiki executes this strategy well.
4. Higurashi: When They Cry – Gou (2020)
The narrative of Rika Furude and her friends who live in Hinamizawa is told via the manga and anime series Higurashi.
Rika Furude invites our main character, Keiichi Maebara, to join their buddy group, making him the sole male member of the group.
Several unexplained fatalities have continued to occur on the evening of the Cotton drifting festival known as Watanagashi every year for the previous four years.
Every one of those victims is either brutally killed or vanishes without a trace.
Akin to anime like Parasyte, Higurashi has a horror vibe, a good storyline, and comedic undertones that complement the animation quite well.
If you liked Parasyte, you should give Higurashi a go. You won’t be disappointed.
5. Kabaneri Of The Iron Fortress (2016)
Around the time of the industrial revolution, a virus (don’t worry, it is not a new strain of the COVID-19 virus 😂) transformed those affected into beings known as Kabane.
To destroy a kabane, one must first puncture their heart, shielded by an iron plate. This is the only method to do it.
Our main character, Ikoma, is the one who fashions the weapon known as the Tsuranuki Zutsu.
Ikoma patiently waits for a chance to use the gun, and he finally gets his chance when he meets Mumei, a female exempt from the necessary Kabane inspection. Ikoma takes advantage of the situation.
The fact that the virus and the parasite cannot infect the main character’s brain causes me to think of anime like Parasyte.
The anime is about battling the infected, and both have gore, blood, horror, and science fiction aspects throughout the series.
6. Another (2012)
A kid who excelled in academics and athletics was enrolled in Yomiyama Middle School’s class 3-3.
In his third year, he went away from that classroom in 1972. His name was Misaki. But, when she died unexpectedly, her classmates decided to continue as if she was still alive until graduation.
Twenty-six years later, Sakakibara Kouichi moves to the same classroom. There, he discovers that his new classmates are in a hostile and depressed attitude.
He comes into contact with a student named Mei Misaki, who has an eyepatch, and the two of them work together to find the truth about class 3-3.
Similar to anime like Parasyte, Another gives off a similar aura, as Kouichi and Shinichi are both wimps in the beginning, but with time, they build a strong will to defend the ones who are closest to them.
7. Gleipnir (2020)
The main character in Gleipnir is Suuichi Kaguya, who, like most prominent characters in anime, is a coward and a bit of a wimp.
One day, his classmate Aoki Claire is trapped in a burning building, and he morphs into a monster and rescues her. He manages to get her out of the building.
Aoki then takes a photo of Suuichi and blackmails her into helping her find her sister, who has also become a monster. In exchange, Suuichi is required to assist Aoki in locating her sister.
Gleipnir makes me think of anime like Parasyte because the main characters’ names are similar (Suuichi and Shinichi, respectively).
In both stories, the protagonists can see well without needing glasses. But to be serious, Gleipnir and Parasyte had to cope with an extraterrestrial species and several violent incidents.
8. Gantz (2004)
The game Gantz is structured similarly to that of a survival game. Our main character, Kei Kurono, is killed when he is struck by a train (the moral of the narrative is that train-kun and truck-kun are the two things that cause the most fatalities in anime).
Still, he is not considered to have passed away since he is later revived in excellent health. He has no choice but to battle aliens to stay alive.
Those that perish are immediately succeeded by others tasked with completing the mission and prevailing over the hostile aliens.
Gantz is one of the anime that challenges our assumptions about the world we now inhabit.
It’s similar to anime like Parasyte in that it shows us a part of society that we don’t see all that often, but it’s still interesting to learn about.
9. To Your Eternity (2021)
A sphere looks to have come from space, and it may take on a variety of shapes (technically, anything whose reflection it captures).
This ball undergoes a transformation during the voyage, during which it acquires awareness, develops emotions, and obtains an understanding of humans.
It is a lovely series that will make you get up with tears more than once. To Your Eternity and anime like Parasyte share a similar atmosphere, even though their premises are distinct.
The method that To Your Eternity takes emphasizes drama, while the approach that Parasyte takes concentrates on terror and the psychological aspects of the situation.
10. Devilman Crybaby (2018)
Akira Fudou finds out through his buddy Ryo Asuka that the only way to prevent the demons from reclaiming the planet is to merge with one of them and that this is the only option available to him.
Without a human or other live host, devils cannot exist. The host transforms into a Devilman if they have a strong enough resolve to become one.
The fact that Akira is a Devilman with a weak heart is the origin of his nickname, Devilman Crybaby.
In Devilman Crybaby, the protagonists have a monster living inside of them, and they strive to maintain their humanity despite the presence of this creature.
If you like Parasyte, you will likely find Devilman Crybaby entertaining.
11. Berserk (1997)
If you want to begin the Berserk series, watch the anime version released in 1997.
Berserk is an exceedingly grim series (probably the darkest series on this list).
It tells the story of our main character, Guts, a mercenary who only sticks around in one gang once he encounters the Band of the Hawk.
Guts are dogged by bad luck throughout the story. Griffith, the group’s commander, engages Guts in a battle and quickly wins by knocking him out with a single blow.
In the seinen category, this is hands down my favorite anime. This anime has tremendous violence and some brutal moments reminisce Parasyte.
12. Dororo (2019)
A samurai named Kagemitsu ruled over a territory in its latter days, and that territory was dying.
Kagemitsu struck a deal with 12 demons so that the country would grow, but they would take a body part from his first kid in exchange.
This was Kagemitsu’s last hope of saving the land from extinction. When our main character, Hyakkimaru, Kagemitsu’s first child, is born without eyes, ears, a mouth, limbs, or skin.
Hyakkimaru is also born without skin. After that, Hyakkimaru is left behind on the side of the river.
He is found by an elderly swordsmith who fashions prosthetic limbs, eyes, mouth, ears, and skin for him.
Hyakkimaru matures, and then he must battle and slay the demons to reclaim what rightfully belongs to him.
After that, he continues his journey with Dororo and runs across various monsters.
13. Vampire Hunter D (1985)
Charlotte Elbourne, who has been taken captive, is the target of D, the vampire hunter with a reward on his head.
D has to locate her before it is too late, and those looking for him succeed. There are several parallels between Vampire Hunter D and Parasyte.
The two main characters have the trait of being hand possessors and an intriguing parasite-possessor-host connection that is in no way one-dimensional and has the potential to evolve into something spectacular.
Much like Parasyte: The Maxim, Vampire Hunter D has an appropriate amount of violence, resulting in many exciting moments.
14. Hunter X Hunter (2011)
With the assistance of his close friends Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio, Gon embarks on an epic journey in the anime series Hunter X Hunter to fulfill his dream of becoming a legendary hunter and locating his long-lost father, Ging Freecss.
Throughout the road, he encounters many different characters who each have their reasons for being hunters; this helps to make the anime series fascinating.
During the heated battle sequences, the protagonists rely on their wits and talents, which we see in Hunter X Hunter and anime like Parasyte.
We also witness an entire plot arc revolving around otherworldly entities known as Chimera Ants that pose a danger to humanity, much as the parasites that appeared in Parasyte: The Maxim.
15. Terra Formars (2014)
Mars is the name of the planet to which humankind has sent cockroaches and mosses in an attempt to start a life cycle there.
They had no clue that these little animals would mutate and grow into lethal life forms with enormous power and intelligence in a few hundred years, but it occurred nevertheless!
A potentially lethal virus that originated on Mars has made its way to Earth, and the only chance to preserve our race is to bring back a few samples of terraformars.
The good news is that humanity has already prepared an expedition of highly skilled warriors to carry out that task! Having Terra Formars on your side makes the fight far less complicated.
Imagine that in anime like Parasyte, you have seen the attempts of Parasytes to blend in with society to bring about its downfall from the inside out.
In that situation, it is the other way around for the Teraformars; they are engaging in head-on combat with humans based only on their numerical superiority.
It is a natural tendency for them to have a hostile attitude toward human beings.
16. Elfen Lied (2004)
The human species and the Diclonius race are featured in this anime. Our main character, Lucy, is a creature known as a Diclonius.
She was selected at random to participate in a heinous experiment. She successfully evades capture by the research center, but in fleeing, she sustains a brain injury, resulting in several personalities inside her.
This anime explores various topics, including the importance of human life, the worth of children’s lives, and identity crises.
In addition, it is a sad story than Parasyte, yet it exudes the same sinister atmosphere.
17. Inuyashiki (2018)
Inuyashiki is a lonely elderly guy who lives with a family that does not like him and suffers from back difficulties brought on by his advanced age (the only difference between you and him is that he is old).
One beautiful evening, a light that is impossible to look at hits him. The next thing he knows, he discovers that he has become a cyborg when he wakes up.
Not exactly, but he is transformed into an extraterrestrial robot that retains memories of his previous incarnation.
Inuyashiki and Hiro are the protagonists of this narrative. Both of them have quite distinct perspectives towards humankind.
Both Inuyashiki and Hiro believe they are doing the right thing since they are working to improve humanity uniquely.
Similar to Parasyte, Inuyashiki tells the story of a protagonist who goes through a significant transformation in their body and fights through an identity crisis in which they question whether or not they are still human.
18. Dorohedoro (2020)
The events of Dorohedoro take place in a city known as the Hole, ruled by evil sorcerers who subject innocent citizens to horrifying experiments with black magic.
Caiman is our main character, a reptilian head suffering from a severe amnesia case.
Our main character, together with Nikaidou, decided that the only way to break the spell was to eliminate all of the other sorcerers in the hole and find out who was responsible for casting it on him.
Even though it occurs in a miserable universe, Dorohedoro has sufficient comedic elements.
19. Claymore (2007)
Demons known as Yoma are a pervasive problem across the realm of Claymore.
Our main character, Clare, is a young member of a race called Claymores, which consists of beings who are half human and half Yoma. Her job is to eliminate all complete Yomas.
Clare has been motivated to exact retribution on Yoma since she was younger; she saw Yoma take the lives of those she loved (sounds like a classic shonen setting).
Reading the manga is highly recommended if you want to see another possible conclusion (which is a much better ending).
20. Deadman Wonderland (2011)
Our main character, Ganta Igarashi, has been falsely accused of committing a crime that he did not do.
Gatna and his students were meant to go to a prison amusement park, but instead, one of the inmates, wearing a red cloak and using restraints, killed Gatna’s friends.
After that, the guy fastens a red crystal with a chain to Ganta’s chest. After that, he is taken to the jail he planned to visit.
The moral of the tale is that you should never even consider going to a prison with an amusement park inside; believe me, there are far better ways to spend your time off.
Having been arrested, he must establish his innocence while behind bars.
Shinichi and Ganta have magical talents, so they have a difficult time pondering the ethicality of others’ conduct in their immediate environment.
21. Hellsing Ultimate (2006)
Vampires and high-stakes adventures are the two words that come to mind first when thinking about this series (a lot of action).
The organization known as Hellsing is tasked with defending humanity against evil supernatural powers (vampires).
Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing is the name of the guy in charge of a massive army and is considered the leader of the Hellsing organization.
But, their ace in the hole is Alucard, who is also a vampire but works against his kind (sounds like an anime like Parasyte, doesn’t it?). This gives them a significant advantage.
Hellsing is an action-packed series that will undoubtedly remind you of Parasyte because it involves brutal scenes, and both main characters struggle against others of their kind.
22. From The New World (2021)
One of my all-time favorite dystopian anime is called Shinsekai Yori. This series follows the adventures of a young girl named Saki Watanabe, who is 12 years old and lives in a utopian village in Kamisu’s 66th district with her pals from Sage Academy.
This community is located thousands of years in the future.
Saki’s psychic abilities had only recently been reawakened, and later on, she wonders what happens to youngsters who never activate their psychic abilities.
But quickly, she understands the reality of the universe where she resides (I won’t go into greater detail not to reveal anything).
The plot of each book in this series takes a surprising turn, making it perfect for readers who like solving mysteries.
Akin to anime like Parasyte, Shinsekai Yori will cause you to question who you are and provide you with an unconventional outlook on humanity.
23. Mushishi (2005)
The story of Mushishi revolves around our main character, Ginko, who protects humans from magical beings known as Mushi. This show’s pace is sluggish, and it has little to no bloodshed.
The structure of this narrative is episodic. Mushi has an impact on people and the way they live their lives.
They can bestow abilities onto individuals, but they also have the potential to be a curse since they inhibit their senses.
24. Made In Abyss (2017)
The assertion that “It’s a kid’s program” is the most common misconception about this anime.
The Abyss is a vast pit that stretches on multiple floors and is home to various strange creatures.
Our main character discovers that her mother resides in the Abyss on one of the levels.
Thus, she decides to go on a voyage to find her, accompanied by a cyborg named Reg (do not attempt this at home).
It is an exceptionally gloomy anime with an incredible storyline and world-building.
It calls into question the significance of human life and the value that we place on it.
25. Attack On Titan (2013)
Is there a single person who has yet to become familiar with this series by now?
I recommend viewing this anime series without first reading the story if you are new to anime and have never heard of this series.
But for those who want to know a bit about the series before they start it, creatures known as Titans wipe out all of humanity.
Nowadays, humanity lives inside the confines of three walls. Eren Jaeger, our beloved main character, is a bright and happy little boy (he does not last for long).
Titans attack his city early one morning, and tragically, Eren’s mother is killed in the ensuing battle.
In the aftermath of this assault, Eren is filled with hatred and harbors the desire to wipe out every titan from the planet.
26. Ajin (2016)
It had been 17 years since the first immortals, Ajin, emerged in Africa.
Our main character, Kei, gets involved in a car accident (usually a truck-kun), and when he passes away, he discovers that he is an Ajin (or demi-human).
The folks in his immediate vicinity also know he is an Ajin. From that moment on, his whole existence is turned upside down, and he is on the run (when an Ajin is discovered, they are arrested and taken into custody)
Kei and Shinichi wish to live a regular life, but they soon discover that life has different plans.
27. Tokyo Ghoul (2014)
It is best to start reading the manga from the beginning or reading it from chapter 60.
The novel’s events occur in a world where people are prey for ghouls, and ghouls are hunted for food by humans.
Our tale begins with our main character, Ken Kaneki, expressing an interest in going on a date. Well, from that moment on, things will only become worse.
Our main character has a date with Rize, a young girl known for her enchanting personality and stunning good looks.
The unexpected development in the story is that she is, in fact, a ghoul. After that, she attempts to devour Kaneki.
Kaneki comes to the medical facility where he is being treated and discovers that he is, in fact, a half-ghoul.
Nevertheless, the subpar quality of the anime adaptation of Tokyo Ghoul is the primary reason why the latter is ranked higher than the former on this list.
28. Promised Neverland (2019)
It’s a story about an orphanage where kids are allowed to be happy and have fun for the first 12 years of their lives since, after that, someone adopts them.
But the story has a twist where the kids are fed to monsters in charge of the planet.
The children serve as nothing more than livestock for the monsters.
On the other hand, Emma, Ray, and Norman, three children living on the farm, discover the truth and begin plotting their escape with the other children.
This show is similar to anime like Parasyte in that it’s gloomy and features some ferocious sequences.
29. Death Parade (2015)
There is no hell nor paradise in this anime series. Upon passing away, every human being is sent to a tavern where they play various games to determine whether or not they will be reborn or cast into the Abyss.
The bar’s name is Quindecim, but the arbitrator’s name is Decim.
This anime is not at the top of the list because, in my opinion, anime like Parasyte is more psychological than Death Parade is philosophical.
That is why this anime is not number one. Both parasites and arbiters are curious about the people they encounter and attempt to learn more about them.
