Akame ga Kill! is a gripping dark fantasy anime that follows Tatsumi, a young warrior who joins the assassin group Night Raid to overthrow a corrupt empire, blending intense action with themes of rebellion and moral ambiguity. At its core, the series explores intricate power systems like the Teigu weapons, underdog protagonists fighting against overwhelming odds, and a subversion of expectations through unpredictable character deaths and plot twists.
The following 15 underrated anime deserve more attention for their fresh takes on similar elements, offering thrilling narratives that challenge viewers while delivering high-stakes drama and unique world-building.
1. Akudama Drive (2020)
- Current Streaming Availability: Netflix, Crunchyroll.
- Brief Plot Summary: In a dystopian cyberpunk world, a group of notorious criminals known as Akudama are hired for a high-stakes heist that spirals into a chaotic rebellion against a tyrannical government, with an ordinary girl accidentally joining their ranks.
- Specific Similarities to Akame ga Kill!: Like Night Raid’s fight against corruption, this series features anti-hero ensembles using unique abilities in brutal, no-holds-barred battles, with themes of injustice and unexpected alliances subverting viewer expectations.
- Current MAL Rating: 7.56.
- Episode Count: 12.
- Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Tomohisa Taguchi at Studio Pierrot; conceptualized by Kazutaka Kodaka (Danganronpa creator).
- Awards/Recognition: Nominated for Best Action at the 2021 Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
2. Black Bullet (2014)
- Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll, Hulu.
- Brief Plot Summary: In a post-apocalyptic world overrun by parasitic monsters called Gastrea, civil security agent Rentaro Satomi teams up with his cursed child partner Enju to protect humanity’s remnants from extinction.
- Specific Similarities to Akame ga Kill!: Echoes the underdog theme with protagonists wielding specialized powers against monstrous threats, featuring dark societal corruption and high character mortality that subverts heroic tropes.
- Current MAL Rating: 7.07.
- Episode Count: 13.
- Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Produced by Kinema Citrus; music by Shiro Sagisu (Evangelion).
- Awards/Recognition: None major, but praised for its intense action sequences in fan communities.
3. Guilty Crown (2011)
- Current Streaming Availability: Hulu, Crunchyroll.
- Brief Plot Summary: High school student Shu Ouma gains the “Power of the King” to extract weapons from people’s hearts and joins a resistance group fighting against an oppressive regime in a virus-ravaged Japan.
- Specific Similarities to Akame ga Kill!: Shares power systems akin to Teigu, with underdog rebels battling corruption and betrayal, often subverting alliances and delivering shocking twists.
- Current MAL Rating: 7.41.
- Episode Count: 22.
- Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Tetsuro Araki at Production I.G; script by Hiroyuki Yoshino.
- Awards/Recognition: Won Best Original Anime at the 2012 Newtype Anime Awards.
4. Goblin Slayer (2018)
- Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll, Hulu.
- Brief Plot Summary: A stoic adventurer known as Goblin Slayer dedicates his life to eradicating goblins, forming unlikely alliances to tackle increasingly dangerous quests in a brutal fantasy world.
- Specific Similarities to Akame ga Kill!: Mirrors the dark underdog narrative with gritty, unforgiving combat and a focus on overlooked threats, subverting fantasy expectations through graphic violence and character peril.
- Current MAL Rating: 7.41.
- Episode Count: 12 (Season 1).
- Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Produced by White Fox; directed by Takaharu Ozaki.
- Awards/Recognition: Nominated for Best Fantasy at the 2019 Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
5. Seraph of the End (2015)
- Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll, Funimation.
- Brief Plot Summary: After a virus wipes out adults, young Yuichiro Hyakuya joins a demon army to fight vampires who enslave humanity, seeking revenge for his lost family.
- Specific Similarities to Akame ga Kill!: Features underdog protagonists with demonic powers rebelling against supernatural oppressors, with themes of loss and subversion through unpredictable betrayals.
- Current MAL Rating: 7.48.
- Episode Count: 24 (across two seasons).
- Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Produced by Wit Studio; directed by Daisuke Tokudo.
- Awards/Recognition: None major, but noted for its vampire lore in genre discussions.
6. Dorohedoro (2020)
- Current Streaming Availability: Netflix.
- Brief Plot Summary: Amnesiac lizard-man Caiman and his friend Nikaido navigate a chaotic, magic-infested world called Hole, hunting sorcerers to uncover Caiman’s lost memories.
- Specific Similarities to Akame ga Kill!: Blends bizarre power systems with underdog survival stories in a corrupt society, subverting norms through grotesque violence and quirky character dynamics.
- Current MAL Rating: 8.04.
- Episode Count: 12.
- Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Produced by MAPPA; directed by Yuichiro Hayashi.
- Awards/Recognition: Won Best Animation at the 2021 Tokyo Anime Award Festival.
7. Future Diary (2011)
- Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll, Hulu.
- Brief Plot Summary: Lonely teen Yukiteru Amano enters a deadly survival game where participants use future-predicting diaries to eliminate each other and become a god.
- Specific Similarities to Akame ga Kill!: Involves unique power systems in a high-stakes battle royale, with underdog twists and subversion via psychological manipulation and sudden deaths.
- Current MAL Rating: 7.41.
- Episode Count: 26.
- Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Produced by Asread; directed by Naoto Hosoda.
- Awards/Recognition: None major, but cult following for its thriller elements.
8. Kill la Kill (2013)
- Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll, Hulu.
- Brief Plot Summary: Transfer student Ryuko Matoi wields a sentient uniform to battle a tyrannical student council at Honnouji Academy, uncovering secrets about her father’s death.
- Specific Similarities to Akame ga Kill!: Shares over-the-top power systems from clothing-based abilities, with underdog rebellion against authority and subversive, high-energy action.
- Current MAL Rating: 8.03.
- Episode Count: 24.
- Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Produced by Trigger; directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi.
- Awards/Recognition: Won Best Character Design at the 2014 Newtype Anime Awards.
9. Tokyo Ghoul (2014)
- Current Streaming Availability: Hulu, Crunchyroll.
- Brief Plot Summary: College student Ken Kaneki becomes a half-ghoul after a tragic encounter and must navigate a hidden world of flesh-eating beings while clinging to his humanity.
- Specific Similarities to Akame ga Kill!: Explores dark power systems and underdog struggles in a corrupt society, subverting expectations with moral ambiguity and visceral fights.youtube+1
- Current MAL Rating: 7.79.
- Episode Count: 12 (Season 1).
- Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Produced by Pierrot; directed by Shuhei Morita.
- Awards/Recognition: Nominated for Best TV Anime at the 2015 Tokyo Anime Award Festival.
10. Claymore (2007)
- Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll, Funimation.
- Brief Plot Summary: In a medieval world plagued by shape-shifting demons, half-human warriors called Claymores hunt them down, with one seeking revenge against a powerful entity.
- Specific Similarities to Akame ga Kill!: Features warrior women with unique powers fighting monstrous foes, echoing underdog themes and subversion through betrayal and high stakes.
- Current MAL Rating: 7.73.
- Episode Count: 26.
- Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Produced by Madhouse; directed by Hiroyuki Tanaka.
- Awards/Recognition: None major, but acclaimed for its dark fantasy adaptation.
11. Deadman Wonderland (2011)
- Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll, Funimation.
- Brief Plot Summary: Framed for murder, Ganta Igarashi is sent to a deadly prison where inmates with blood-manipulating powers compete in lethal games for survival.
- Specific Similarities to Akame ga Kill!: Involves brutal power systems in a corrupt institution, with underdog protagonists subverting survival norms through gore and twists.
- Current MAL Rating: 7.14.
- Episode Count: 12.
- Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Produced by Manglobe; directed by Koichi Hatsumi.
- Awards/Recognition: None major, but noted for its intense thriller elements.
12. Hell’s Paradise (2023)
- Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll.
- Brief Plot Summary: Death row criminal Gabimaru joins an expedition to a mysterious island in search of the elixir of life, facing deadly creatures and rival explorers.
- Specific Similarities to Akame ga Kill!: Blends underdog assassins with supernatural powers against impossible odds, subverting alliances in a violent, expectation-defying quest.
- Current MAL Rating: 8.14.
- Episode Count: 13 (Season 1).
- Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Produced by MAPPA; directed by Kaori Makita.
- Awards/Recognition: Nominated for Best Action at the 2024 Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
13. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (2022)
- Current Streaming Availability: Netflix.
- Brief Plot Summary: In a cybernetic dystopia, young street kid David Martinez becomes a mercenary edgerunner, enhancing his body to survive high-risk jobs and corporate wars.
- Specific Similarities to Akame ga Kill!: Captures underdog rebellion with cybernetic power systems, subverting futures through tragic losses and anti-hero narratives.
- Current MAL Rating: 8.60.
- Episode Count: 10.
- Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Produced by Trigger; directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi.
- Awards/Recognition: Won Anime of the Year at the 2023 Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
14. Basilisk (2005)
- Current Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll, Funimation.
- Brief Plot Summary: Two rival ninja clans engage in a deadly war for supremacy, with star-crossed lovers caught in the crossfire of ancient feuds and supernatural abilities.
- Specific Similarities to Akame ga Kill!: Echoes clan-based power systems and underdog survival in a brutal conflict, subverting romance with high mortality and twists.
- Current MAL Rating: 7.55.
- Episode Count: 24.
- Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Produced by Gonzo; directed by Fuminori Kizaki.
- Awards/Recognition: None major, but influential in ninja anime subgenre.
15. Pluto (2023)
- Current Streaming Availability: Netflix.
- Brief Plot Summary: Robotic detective Gesicht investigates murders of advanced robots in a world where humans and machines coexist, uncovering a conspiracy threatening peace.
- Specific Similarities to Akame ga Kill!: Explores underdog investigators with advanced powers against systemic corruption, subverting sci-fi norms with philosophical depth and surprises.
- Current MAL Rating: 8.51.
- Episode Count: 8.
- Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Produced by Studio M2; directed by Toshio Kawaguchi.
- Awards/Recognition: Won Best Sci-Fi at the 2024 Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
Why These Anime Work for Akame ga Kill! Fans
These series capture the essence of Akame ga Kill! through their emphasis on complex power dynamics, resilient underdogs, and narrative twists that keep audiences on edge, while often flying under the radar compared to mainstream hits. They provide a mix of visceral action, moral gray areas, and innovative storytelling that rewards fans seeking depth beyond typical shonen fare, making them perfect for those craving more rebellion-fueled adventures.
