fans of one piece Adventure with Luffy and his crew for over two decades. As soon as you start reading manga or watching anime, you are treated to a pirate fantasy world full of action, adventure, comedy, drama and a variety of colorful characters.
With so much charm, a massive cast of characters, and an immersive world, Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece deserves its own legacy in anime history.
But alas, one day manga and anime must come to an end. And everyone who’s caught up with anime wants to watch a similar series while waiting for the next One Piece episode. When you’re not watching One Piece, this top ten list shares some of the best series to help you get your anime fix.
Naruto
Top 10 Best Anime Series Like One Piece
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Like every entry on this list, Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto fits into the shonen type by targeting young male teens. Set in the world of ninja fantasy, the main protagonist is (you guessed it) Naruto Uzumaki. Just like Luffy, he starts out as a young boy. Instead of gomu gomu fruit power, Naruto uses his chakra and hand signals to unleash ninjutsu or genjutsu techniques. He also contends with the mythical Nine-Tails demon fox locked within his body.
Naruto’s vision and determination are very similar to Luffy’s. By becoming the greatest ninja, he might as well be the Hawkage of the Hidden Leaf Village. But he’s not alone, joining him with a large and diverse cast of other supporting ninja characters. The sinking world of Naruto is also very rich in lore and history. The first 220 episodes are part one, and Shippuden is part two. A follow-up series titled Next Generation focuses on Naruto’s son, Boruto. Now that the main series is over, there is a lot to enjoy here when it comes to action, comedy, amazing duets and character development.
Dragon Ball
Top 10 Best Anime Series Like One Piece
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Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball series is one of the earliest and most important shonen series ever, as good as you can get. Goku, the main protagonist, begins as a young boy with the tail of a monkey who is an alien from the Saiyan race. Trained in martial arts, he learns about the mythical dragon balls. These seven dragon balls can be collected and brought together to summon the ancient dragon Shenron to grant a wish before disintegrating again. Dragon Ball revolutionized anime and animation in general with its hyper-fighting style and outrageous display of explosive Super Saiyan power-ups and key-blasting power.
When comparing to the main heroes, Goku easily shares the same innocence, charm, (and appetite) as Luffy. And in the beginning, the story of Dragon Ball revolves around the evolution of Goku, just as we see Luffy grow stronger. But the cast also expands with a variety of heroes joining Goku’s crew and helping him eliminate evil villains. It all takes place in a re-imagined world that resembles a modern Asia and will help keep your one piece cravings under control.
jojo’s bizarre adventure
Top 10 Best Anime Series Like One Piece
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One of Japan’s best-selling manga of all time, the series focuses not only on Jojo, but also on members of his family and lineage. Jojo’s Bizarre is a great alternative to Adventure One Piece because it has all the unique powers of a hero and a villain. Instead of fruit powers, some characters can use their spiritual power and manifest it in a stand with unique abilities.
As with its spin-offs, this multi-generational series offers a multitude of highly stylized characters who look like they could fit easily into the world of One Piece. There are lots of great fighting scenes and adventures. You’ll easily miss Luffy and his crew of Straw Hat pirates as you join JoJo and company in their fight against evil.
Hunter x Hunter
Top 10 Best Anime Series Like One Piece
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Hunter x Hunter takes all the tropes from shonen with inspiration from the other anime on this list. The main character, Gone Freaks, strives to become a world famous hunter like his father. In this fantasy world, hunters are people who are specially licensed to hunt various things. His unique powers are powered by an energy technique called Nan.
The Hunter x Hunter anime follows the journey of Gon as he earns his official hunter license thanks to the resolve of his personal quest to find his father. Gon’s Nan type is Enhancer, which means he can increase his physical abilities. And like Luffy, Gon is forced into a lot of intense fights as he gets closer to achieving his dreams. Hunter X Hunter is a great alternative to One Piece or any shonen anime.
gintama
Top 10 Best Anime Series Like One Piece
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Gintama has been around for over a decade and was created to be a parody of shonen and its tropes. Gintoki Sakata is a former samurai who befriends a dojo student and a young foreign girl. The opening premise follows Gintoki’s independent adventures as he takes a job to earn money to pay his rent. Although the cast of heroic characters can’t be compared to One Piece, there are plenty of science-fiction world-buildings that will give you the same immersion and satisfaction that One Piece has.
Now that the series is complete, there are more than enough episodes to binge. As the series continued to build and gain more popularity, the stories evolved and transformed Gintama into its own unique comedy action anime. One Piece fans will appreciate Gintama for all of its wacky adventures, settings, and characters that they have evolved to expect from the world of Luffy.
bleach
Top 10 Best Anime Series Like One Piece
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In Bleach, Ichigo Kurosaki inherits the power of a Soul Reaper. As a member of the Soul Society, he gains the ability to fight the evil spirits they call the Hollow. Compared to One Piece, this anime has a slightly darker tone due to its blending of modern horror and urban fantasy. But it captures the same shonen high-powered fight scenes that fans will love.
The Bleach manga has already ended, but the entirety of the anime was canceled ahead of time. The good news is that the final arc of the Bleach anime is scheduled for October 2022. The story and familiar aspects of the shonen anime will quickly fall into place once viewers start watching Bleach. This anime will keep One Piece fans enjoying shonen from a pseudo-horror perspective.
Rurouni Kenshin
Top 10 Best Anime Series Like One Piece
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Rurouni Kenshin is a historical fantasy anime that tells the story of Batousai, Kenshin Himura, set in feudal Japan. Faced with a tragic past, Kenshin vows that he will never again kill anyone with his sword. He fights to protect others and helps Japan usher in a new political era of peace. Kenshin and Luffy both share the same belief that Luffy always helps those who are oppressed or exploited.
And like Luffy, Kenshin brings together a close-knit group of friends and allies on his adventures. They make a strong team and as they get closer together they get closer. Although no one has supernatural powers, the characters have a lot of characteristics that make them formidable warriors.
With special techniques, training and weapons, there is no shortage of exciting duels and thrilling battles. At a deeper level, many topics have been explored regarding humanity, society and relationships. The same is true for Luffy’s story as he comes as close to his dream. There’s more here to satisfy any One Piece fan.
Yu Yu Hakusho
Top 10 Best Anime Series Like One Piece
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In Yu Yu Hakusho, the main protagonist is a fourteen-year-old criminal named Yusuke Uramashi. One day, he tries to save a young child from being hit by a car, and Yusuke himself is killed and then killed. Thereafter, he passes several tests given by the prince of the underworld. Returning to his body, Yusuke is tasked with being a Spirit World Detective.
Along with his closest friends and new allies, he runs cases that lead him into a supernatural battle against demons. In this regard, Yusuke needs to grow and grow stronger throughout the series to help him save and protect his friends and innocent people.
This is where Yu Yu Hakusho and One Piece cross similar paths. The series is another prime alternative to One Piece for those who want to experience a different take on shonen while still feeling familiar.
My Hero Academia
Top 10 Best Anime Series Like One Piece
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My Hero Academia merges shonen with inspiration from American-style superheroes. Izuku Midoriya is similar to Luffy, the main protagonist, in that he has a singular goal: to become the greatest superhero. The problem is that while many people are born with powerful quirks, Izuku was born with none. But that doesn’t stop him as he devotes his life to chasing his dream, no matter what.
Eventually, Izuku joins Yue High School, one of the most highly ranked hero academies. It sets him on the path to achieve his dream, get stronger and face the evil villains. My Hero Academia offers an action-packed formula similar to Shonen and One Piece, plus lots of quirky characters.
fist of the North Star
Top 10 Best Anime Series Like One Piece
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In Fist of the Northstar, we have a deeper and more mature look at shonen manga and anime. It’s clear to see how both One Piece and Fist of the Northstar have stories that are based on extreme super-powered battles. The major fights in One Piece are some of the most anticipated events in any One Piece story arc, and the same is true for Fist of the Northstar.
The world of Fist of the Northstar dates back to science-fiction and post-apocalypse, but it’s still full of incredible heroes and villains, just like One Piece. And as viewers join Kenshiro’s journey to help and protect the human race, they will learn to appreciate the history of Shnen further with this classic and mythological series.
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