15 Animes Similar to Dororo

Dororo, the 2019 anime adaptation of Osamu Tezuka’s classic manga, follows Hyakkimaru, a young warrior cursed from birth as demons steal his body parts in exchange for his father’s prosperity, and his companion Dororo on a quest for revenge and restoration in feudal Japan. The series masterfully blends dark fantasy with themes of power systems tied to supernatural curses, underdog protagonists overcoming immense hardships, and subversions of traditional heroism by exploring moral ambiguity and human suffering.

These 15 underrated anime deserve more attention for their innovative takes on similar elements, often overshadowed by mainstream hits, offering fresh perspectives on revenge, folklore, and personal growth through unique storytelling and animation styles.

1. Sword of the Stranger (2007)

• Current Streaming Availability: Available on Crunchyroll and Prime Video.
• Brief Plot Summary: A young boy named Kotaro and his dog flee mysterious pursuers, enlisting the help of a nameless ronin haunted by his past, as they uncover a plot involving Chinese assassins seeking a powerful artifact.
• Specific Similarities to Dororo: Like Dororo, it features a protective dynamic between a cursed warrior and a child in feudal Japan, with themes of redemption and battles against supernatural forces subverting expectations of samurai honor.
• Current MAL Rating: 8.3/10.
• Episode Count: Feature film (1 episode equivalent, 102 minutes).
• Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Masahiro Andō at Studio Bones, with character designs by Atsushi Morikawa.
• Awards or Recognition: Nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 2008 Asia Pacific Screen Awards and Japan’s submission for the Oscars.

2. Mushishi (2005)

• Current Streaming Availability: Available on Crunchyroll and Hulu.
• Brief Plot Summary: Ginko, a wandering mushi master, travels through rural Japan investigating ethereal creatures called mushi that cause supernatural afflictions, helping those affected while grappling with their elusive nature.
• Specific Similarities to Dororo: Both explore folklore-inspired entities disrupting human lives, with underdog protagonists navigating moral complexities and subverting expectations through introspective, episodic storytelling rather than constant action.
• Current MAL Rating: 8.7/10.
• Episode Count: 26 episodes (Season 1).
• Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Hiroshi Nagahama at Artland, with music by Toshio Masuda emphasizing atmospheric soundscapes.
• Awards or Recognition: Won the Tokyo Anime Award for Television in 2006.

3. Samurai Champloo (2004)

• Current Streaming Availability: Available on Crunchyroll and Hulu.
• Brief Plot Summary: Fuu enlists two mismatched swordsmen, Mugen and Jin, to help find a samurai who smells of sunflowers, leading to episodic adventures blending hip-hop influences with Edo-period chaos.
• Specific Similarities to Dororo: Shares a feudal Japan setting with underdog travelers facing societal outcasts and demons, subverting samurai tropes through stylistic anachronisms and character-driven subversion of loyalty.
• Current MAL Rating: 8.5/10.
• Episode Count: 26 episodes.
• Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Shinichiro Watanabe at Manglobe, with music by Tsutchie and Fat Jon.
• Awards or Recognition: Nominated for Best TV Series at the 2005 Annecy International Animated Film Festival.

4. Inuyasha (2000)

• Current Streaming Availability: Available on Netflix and Hulu.
• Brief Plot Summary: Modern girl Kagome is pulled into feudal Japan, teaming up with half-demon Inuyasha to collect shards of a powerful jewel while battling demons and uncovering personal histories.
• Specific Similarities to Dororo: Features demon-hunting in a yokai-filled world, with underdog protagonists reclaiming lost power and subverting expectations through time-travel twists and emotional depth.
• Current MAL Rating: 7.9/10.
• Episode Count: 167 episodes.
• Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Masashi Ikeda at Sunrise, based on Rumiko Takahashi’s manga.
• Awards or Recognition: Won the Shogakukan Manga Award in 2002.

5. Vinland Saga (2019)

• Current Streaming Availability: Available on Netflix and Crunchyroll.
• Brief Plot Summary: Young Thorfinn seeks revenge against the mercenary who killed his father, joining his band to duel him, only to confront the brutal realities of Viking warfare and personal growth.
• Specific Similarities to Dororo: Echoes underdog revenge quests in historical settings, with power systems tied to survival skills and subversions of glory through themes of pacifism and moral awakening.
• Current MAL Rating: 8.8/10.
• Episode Count: 24 episodes (Season 1).
• Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Shuhei Yabuta at Wit Studio, with character designs by Takahiko Abiru.
• Awards or Recognition: Won Best Drama at the 2020 Crunchyroll Anime Awards.

6. Blade of the Immortal (2019)

• Current Streaming Availability: Available on Prime Video.
• Brief Plot Summary: Immortal samurai Manji, cursed with eternal life, agrees to protect orphan Rin on her revenge quest against the Ittou-ryu school that killed her family.
• Specific Similarities to Dororo: Centers on a cursed warrior aiding a child in feudal Japan, exploring immortality as a power system and subverting heroism through endless violence and redemption.
• Current MAL Rating: 7.6/10.
• Episode Count: 24 episodes.
• Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Hiroshi Hamasaki at Liden Films, based on Hiroaki Samura’s manga.
• Awards or Recognition: Nominated for Best Action at the 2020 Crunchyroll Anime Awards.

7. GeGeGe no Kitaro (2018)

• Current Streaming Availability: Available on Crunchyroll.
• Brief Plot Summary: Yokai boy Kitaro protects humans from mischievous spirits, solving supernatural mysteries with his allies in a modernizing Japan.
• Specific Similarities to Dororo: Draws from Japanese folklore with yokai battles, underdog guardians subverting human-yokai relations through episodic tales of coexistence.
• Current MAL Rating: 7.2/10.
• Episode Count: 97 episodes.
• Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Koji Ogawa at Toei Animation, based on Shigeru Mizuki’s manga.
• Awards or Recognition: Won the Tokyo Anime Award for Animation of the Year in 2019.

8. Joran: The Princess of Snow and Blood (2021)

• Current Streaming Availability: Available on Crunchyroll.
• Brief Plot Summary: In an alternate 1931 Japan, assassin Sawa Yukimura seeks revenge on those who slaughtered her clan, wielding blue blood powers in a secret war against revolutionaries.
• Specific Similarities to Dororo: Features revenge-driven underdogs with supernatural blood-based powers, subverting historical norms in a demon-infused alternate Japan.
• Current MAL Rating: 6.8/10.
• Episode Count: 12 episodes.
• Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Susumu Kudo at Bakken Record, with music by Michiru.
• Awards or Recognition: Nominated for Best Original Anime at the 2021 Crunchyroll Anime Awards.

9. Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit (2007)

• Current Streaming Availability: Available on Crunchyroll.
• Brief Plot Summary: Spear-wielding bodyguard Balsa protects a prince possessed by a water spirit from assassins, embarking on a journey to save him from imperial forces.
• Specific Similarities to Dororo: Involves protective bonds in feudal settings, with spirit possession as a power system and underdog subversion through themes of destiny and sacrifice.
• Current MAL Rating: 8.1/10.
• Episode Count: 26 episodes.
• Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Kenji Kamiyama at Production I.G.
• Awards or Recognition: Won Best TV Anime at the 2008 Tokyo International Anime Fair.

10. Basilisk (2005)

• Current Streaming Availability: Available on Crunchyroll.
• Brief Plot Summary: Two ninja clans battle in a deadly succession war, with star-crossed lovers caught in the crossfire amid supernatural abilities and clan loyalties.
• Specific Similarities to Dororo: Explores feudal rivalries with cursed powers, underdog survivors subverting clan expectations through tragic romance and betrayal.
• Current MAL Rating: 7.6/10.
• Episode Count: 24 episodes.
• Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Fuminori Kizaki at Gonzo.
• Awards or Recognition: Nominated for Best Action Anime in 2006.

11. Mononoke (2007)

Current Streaming Availability: Available on Crunchyroll.

• Brief Plot Summary: A mysterious medicine seller exorcises malevolent spirits by uncovering their form, truth, and reason in Edo-period Japan.
• Specific Similarities to Dororo: Uses unique, artistic animation for yokai encounters, with an underdog exorcist subverting horror tropes through psychological depth.
• Current MAL Rating: 8.4/10.
• Episode Count: 12 episodes.
• Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Kenji Nakamura at Toei Animation.
• Awards or Recognition: Won the Grand Prize at the 2008 Japan Media Arts Festival.

12. Claymore (2007)

• Current Streaming Availability: Available on Crunchyroll.
• Brief Plot Summary: Half-human, half-demon warriors called Claymores hunt shape-shifting yoma, with protagonist Clare seeking revenge against a powerful awakened being.
• Specific Similarities to Dororo: Focuses on hybrid underdogs with demonic powers, subverting humanity through body horror and quests for lost identity.
• Current MAL Rating: 7.7/10.
• Episode Count: 26 episodes.
• Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Hiroyuki Tanaka at Madhouse.
• Awards or Recognition: Nominated for Best Fantasy Anime in 2008.

13. Parasyte: The Maxim (2014)

• Current Streaming Availability: Available on Crunchyroll and Netflix.
• Brief Plot Summary: Teen Shinichi merges with an alien parasite, fighting others invading human bodies while questioning his own humanity.
• Specific Similarities to Dororo: Involves body-altering entities and underdog survival, subverting normalcy with philosophical takes on power and coexistence.
• Current MAL Rating: 8.3/10.
• Episode Count: 24 episodes.
• Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Kenichi Shimizu at Madhouse.
• Awards or Recognition: Won Best Adaptation at the 2015 Tokyo Anime Awards.

14.Devilman Crybaby (2018)

• Current Streaming Availability: Available on Netflix.
• Brief Plot Summary: Akira fuses with a demon to battle others threatening humanity, descending into apocalyptic chaos.
• Specific Similarities to Dororo: Explores demonic possession and underdog heroism, subverting morality with raw, visceral animation and themes of inner demons.
• Current MAL Rating: 7.8/10.
• Episode Count: 10 episodes.
• Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Masaaki Yuasa at Science SARU.
• Awards or Recognition: Won Best Streaming Anime at the 2019 Crunchyroll Anime Awards.

15. Akame ga Kill! (2014)

• Current Streaming Availability: Available on Netflix and Crunchyroll.
• Brief Plot Summary: Tatsumi joins assassin group Night Raid to overthrow a corrupt empire, wielding cursed weapons in brutal battles.
• Specific Similarities to Dororo: Features underdog revolutionaries with deadly power systems, subverting shonen tropes through high-stakes deaths and moral ambiguity.
• Current MAL Rating: 7.5/10.
• Episode Count: 24 episodes.
• Notable Staff/Studio Involvement: Directed by Tomoki Kobayashi at White Fox.
• Awards or Recognition: Nominated for Best Action at the 2015 Newtype Anime Awards.

Why These Anime Work for Dororo Fans

These selections resonate with Dororo enthusiasts by delving into underdog narratives where protagonists reclaim agency against supernatural odds, often in historical or folklore-rich worlds that subvert traditional power dynamics and expectations. Their mix of older classics and recent hidden gems provides diverse animation styles—from Mushishi’s ethereal watercolor aesthetics to Devilman Crybaby’s bold, psychedelic visuals—ensuring fresh yet familiar explorations of revenge, identity, and humanity that reward viewers seeking depth beyond the mainstream.