15 Animes Similar to Black Panther With Power & Legacy

Black Panther revolutionized superhero storytelling by blending advanced technology with deep cultural themes, exploring power dynamics, and centering underdog narratives. Similarly, these underrated anime series resonate through their focus on royalty, societal struggles, and subversion of expectations.

Despite critical acclaim, they remain overlooked gems that deserve wider recognition for their innovative storytelling and thematic depth.

1. Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit (2007)

• Streaming Availability: Amazon Prime, Crunchyroll
• Plot: A spear-wielding bodyguard protects a prince targeted by his own father for harboring a mythical water spirit, navigating political intrigue and supernatural threats.
• Similarities: Explores royal duty, protector roles, and cultural identity, mirroring T’Challa’s struggle to defend his legacy.
• Episodes: 26
• MAL Rating: 8.13
• Studio: Production I.G (Ghost in the Shell)
• Awards: Batchelder Award for translated literature adaptation.

2. Wolf’s Rain (2003)

• Streaming Availability: Funimation, Crunchyroll
• Plot: Disguised as humans, wolves seek a mythical paradise in a dystopian world, facing persecution and betrayal.
• Similarities: Themes of marginalized groups fighting for utopia and leadership parallels akin to Wakanda’s isolationism.
• Episodes: 30 (26 TV + 4 OVA)
• MAL Rating: 7.8
• Studio: Bones (My Hero Academia)

3. Somali and the Forest Spirit (2020)

• Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll
• Plot: A golem protects a human child in a monster-dominated world where humans face extinction, forging a father-daughter bond.
• Similarities: Echoes Black Panther’s protector dynamics and themes of safeguarding the vulnerable against systemic oppression.
• Episodes: 12
• MAL Rating: 7.6
• Awards: Crunchyroll Anime Awards nominee (Best Drama, 2021).

4. Ranking of Kings (2021)

• Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll
• Plot: A deaf prince deemed weak strives to become king, challenging societal prejudices with the help of a shadow-assassin companion.
• Similarities: Underdog royalty narrative and subversion of power expectations, reflecting T’Challa’s journey.
• Episodes: 23
• MAL Rating: 8.4
• Studio: Wit Studio (Attack on Titan)
• Awards: Nominated for Anime of the Year (Crunchyroll Awards 2023).

5. Cannon Busters (2019)

• Streaming Availability: Netflix
• Plot: A royal-class droid, a fugitive, and a maintenance robot journey to save a besieged kingdom’s heir.
• Similarities: Tech-driven quests and loyalty themes, with creator LeSean Thomas emphasizing Black narratives like Wakanda’s innovation.
• Episodes: 12
• IMDb Rating: 6.6
• Studio: Satelight (Macross Delta)

6. Yasuke (2021)

• Streaming Availability: Netflix
• Plot: Based on history’s first African samurai, Yasuke protects a girl with magical powers in a sci-fi feudal Japan.
• Similarities: Black protagonist in a leadership role, blending tradition and technology, akin to Wakanda’s ethos.
• Episodes: 6
• Studio: MAPPA (Jujutsu Kaisen)

7. Michiko & Hatchin (2008)

• Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll
• Plot: A fugitive woman and an orphan girl search for the girl’s father across a Latin-inspired landscape.
• Similarities: Strong Black female lead and found-family dynamics, emphasizing resilience against oppression.
• Episodes: 22
• MAL Rating: 8.0
• Studio: Manglobe (Samurai Champloo)

8. Afro Samurai (2007)

• Streaming Availability: Hulu, Crunchyroll
• Plot: A swordsman seeks vengeance for his father’s death in a cyberpunk feudal Japan.
• Similarities: Black protagonist in a tech-fused warrior culture, exploring legacy and power.
• Episodes: 5
• Awards: Emmy for Outstanding Animation.

9. Ergo Proxy (2006)

• Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll
• Plot: An inspector uncovers a dystopian city’s secrets involving sentient androids and existential conspiracies.
• Similarities: Advanced societies hiding dark truths and power struggles, similar to Wakanda’s hidden vibranium.
• Episodes: 23
• MAL Rating: 7.8
• Studio: Manglobe (Gangsta.)

10. Shinsekai Yori (2012)

• Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll
• Plot: Children in a utopian future uncover their society’s horrifying psychic-power hierarchy.
• Similarities: Deconstructs power systems and societal control, mirroring Killmonger’s critique of Wakanda.
• Episodes: 25
• MAL Rating: 8.3
• Studio: A-1 Pictures (Sword Art Online)

11. Now and Then, Here and There (1999)

• Streaming Availability: RetroCrush
• Plot: A boy is trapped in a war-torn world, protecting a girl from a tyrant seeking her power.
• Similarities: Underdog resistance against oppressive rulers, reflecting T’Challa’s moral conflicts.
• Episodes: 13
• MAL Rating: 8.2

12. Golden Kamuy (2018)

• Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll
• Plot: A soldier and an Ainu girl hunt for gold in post-war Hokkaido, battling factions and preserving indigenous culture.
• Similarities: Cultural preservation and survival against colonial forces, akin to Wakanda’s isolation.
• Episodes: 48
• MAL Rating: 8.0

13. Kyousougiga (2013)

• Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll
• Plot: A family reunites across dimensions in a surreal city, confronting legacy and loss.
• Similarities: Vibrant worldbuilding and themes of legacy, echoing Black Panther’s generational stakes.
• Episodes: 10
• MAL Rating: 7.8
• Studio: Toei Animation (Dragon Ball)

14. The Big O (1999)

• Streaming Availability: Crunchyroll
• Plot: A negotiator pilots a giant robot in a retro-futuristic city with lost memories.
• Similarities: Tech-driven class struggles and noir-inspired leadership dilemmas.
• Episodes: 26
• MAL Rating: 7.5

15. Basquash! (2009)

• Streaming Availability: HiDive
• Plot: Street basketball players use mechs to challenge elitist sports systems on a colony moon.
• Similarities: Underdogs leveraging technology to disrupt power hierarchies, similar to Shuri’s innovations.
• Episodes: 26
• Studio: Satelight (AKB0048)

Why These Anime Work for Black Panther Fans

These series mirror Black Panther’s core elements: power systems (e.g., Ergo Proxy’s dystopian control), underdog narratives (e.g., Bojji’s rise in Ranking of Kings), and subverted expectations (e.g., Shinsekai Yori’s utopian facade). They emphasize cultural identity (Golden Kamuy), protector roles (Moribito), and tech-ethics (Cannon Busters), offering nuanced perspectives often absent in mainstream anime. Their underrated status highlights untapped storytelling richness, making them essential for fans seeking depth beyond typical superhero tropes.