10 best anime to watch if you like The Boys

The Boys has captivated audiences with its fresh take on the superhero genre, subverting common tropes with a darker, more cynical perspective.

Centered around the eponymous team monitoring and policing dangerously depraved superheroes, the show tackles complex themes like celebrity culture, corruption, and morality with graphic intensity.

Those who enjoy The Boys' unique sensibilities will love exploring the rich world of anime, where unforgettable series have long pushed the envelope with surreal animation, morally complex plots, shocking twists, and stylistic violence. Here are 10 incredible anime every fan of The Boys simply must add to their watchlist.

Note: The opinions expressed are solely those of the author.

10 must-watch anime for fans of The Boys

1. Akira

The cyberpunk sci-fi masterpiece Akira remains an absolute must-watch classic, especially for fans of The Boys' antihero themes. Set in a dystopian future, Neo-Tokyo, Akira focuses on Shotaro Kaneda's efforts to rescue his friend Tetsuo Shima from a secret government project unlocking frightening telekinetic abilities.

With its revolutionary hand-drawn animation, an iconic motorcycle-filled chase scene, and a foreboding score accentuating Neo-Tokyo's decaying urban landscapes, Akira sets a high standard for cerebral storytelling fused with visual splendor.

Much like The Boys, Akira explores complex questions about the dangers of superpowers, portrayed through Tetsuo's maniacal and destructive god complex, fueled by his psychic abilities, threatening civilization itself.

2. Devilman Crybaby

Devilman Crybaby (Image via Science SARU)

For a modern anime loaded with shocking NSFW moments, look no further than the sexually charged, violent masterpiece Devilman Crybaby. Based on Go Nagai's original Devilman manga, it tells the visually stunning story of Akira Fudo merging with the powerful demon Amon to become the Devilman.

Akira struggles to balance his humanity with Amon's violent bloodlust while battling other demons. With explicit scenes and emotionally charged plotting complemented by Masaaki Yuasa's signature offbeat animation, it resembles The Boys in how it fuses taboo themes with compelling characterization.

Both shows feature supernatural powers manifesting through brutal, almost poetic imagery. And much like The Boys meticulously deconstructs superhero mythology, Devilman Crybaby subverts religious iconography and biblical references with sinister undertones.

3. One Punch Man

One Punch Man (Image via Madhouse, J.C. Staff)

What if a hero became so strong that they could defeat any foe with a single punch? That comedic premise lies at the heart of the action comedy series One Punch Man. The show follows Saitama on his quest to find a worthy opponent after he loses his hair from three years of intense superhero training.

Along with the cyborg Genos, who becomes his disciple, Saitama applies to join the Hero Association for official recognition. With its colorful animation and offbeat sense of humor mocking common superhero tropes, One Punch Man shares the parody spirit of The Boys.

While Saitama's pure quest for a challenge is unique, his boredom with unmatched power can resonate with the jadedness seen in some über-powerful figures in The Boys, even if their ultimate desires diverge.

4. Hellsing Ultimate

Hellsing Ultimate (Image via Madhouse, Satelight, Geneon, Graphinica)

For a malevolent take on superpowered beings, look no further than Hellsing Ultimate. Set in England, Hellsing Organization leader Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing commands a powerful vampire named Alucard against other undead threats.

With Alucard's terrifying abilities and the organization's advanced weaponry, they protect Britain from monstrous forces like Millennium (The Last Battalion). Blood, gore, and violence take center stage in stylishly animated action sequences.

Like The Boys, Hellsing Ultimate centers on an elite force monitoring and taking down dangerous individuals. Fans will surely get a kick from Alucard's ominously evil presence and noble-yet-ruthless demeanor.

5. Psycho-Pass

This cerebral sci-fi set in a dystopian future Japan focuses on the Sibyl System, which actively measures the psyche and emotional state of all citizens.

Using this "Psycho-Pass scan," the Sibyl System quantifies a "hue" that classifies people into states of criminality. Psycho-Pass explores justice and judgment as Inspector Akane Tsunemori tracks down master criminals alongside the Enforcers – latent criminals weaponized to tackle others like themselves.

With tight plots exploring police overreach and corruption, Psycho-Pass calls to mind The Boys' relentless questioning of absolute power and control over superpowered individuals.

6. Berserk

Spanning a few anime adaptations, the evergreen dark fantasy series Berserk follows the lone mercenary Guts on his quest for revenge. After enduring relentless tragedy, Guts bears a symbolic brand that attracts demonic forces that merge the physical world with a hellish realm.

With his giant sword and mechanical prosthetic arm, Guts kills supernatural Apostles that feed on sin and depravity. Despite his stoic demeanor hiding inner turmoil, Guts struggles onward in a bleak world filled with moral and literal monsters.

Fans of The Boys' gritty sensibilities will connect with both Guts' rage-fueled fighting and his complex characterization framed against harsh realism and cruelty.

7. Parasyte: The Maxim

Parasyte: The Maxim (Image via Madhouse)

Parasyte's anxiety-inducing body horror storyline kicks off when parasitic aliens invade Earth and take over human hosts by entering their brains. Average student Shinichi Izumi manages to stop a parasite from reaching his brain, but it infects his right hand instead.

Forced into an uneasy symbiotic coexistence, Shinichi and his sentient hand Migi must cooperate to battle full-bodied parasites feasting on human flesh. With this fresh premise melding sci-fi and horror, Parasyte explores altruism and morality from the parasite's perspective.

Fusing battle scenes with body horror and moral questions reminiscent of The Boys, Parasyte offers cerebral commentary on human nature itself.

8. Death Note

This classic cat-and-mouse anime has a killer hook – high school student Light Yagami finds a supernatural notebook called the Death Note, which kills anyone whose name gets written within its pages.

Initially using the Death Note to purge criminals and enact justice beyond a corrupt system, Light's ideals descend into megalomania warped by a vision of himself as god of a new world. Battling master detective L, who gets on his trail, Light desperately attempts to maintain his secret identity as serial murderer Kira.

This cerebral series thematically aligns with The Boys through Light's gradual corruption by power gained suddenly through the Death Note, making him analogous to morally compromised individuals with unchecked abilities.

9. Chainsaw Man

Denji is an impoverished teenage boy living with his chainsaw demon pet Pochita, who fuses with Denji's heart to save his life, transforming him into the Chainsaw Man.

Recruited into the government's Public Safety Division, Denji learns to control his newfound chainsaw powers to battle similarly demonically empowered opponents called "devils" that threaten humanity.

With Studio MAPPA's striking animation adapting Tatsuki Fujimoto's original gritty manga, Chainsaw Man resembles The Boys with a similarly weary, grounded view of superpowers contrasted by stylized fight scenes. Denji's new circumstances also force self-reflection about his identity and place in the world.

10. Gantz

Last on our list lies the ultra-violent sci-fi series Gantz, centered around individuals revived after their death by a mysterious black orb.

Forced to participate in deadly battles against bizarre alien beings hiding among humans, protagonists Kei Kurono and Masaru Katou fight alongside other recently deceased people summoned and armed by the Gantz technology.

With explorations of mortality and graphic violence involving dismemberment and decapitation, Gantz's blood-soaked fights channel The Boys' shock value. Much like the show, Gantz also features ordinary individuals battling strange powers beyond their understanding or control.

Conclusion

Part of what makes The Boys so impactful lies in its gritty subversion of standard superhero tropes. Similarly, all these classic anime series put unique spins on science fiction, horror, action, and superhuman themes.

So those who are hunting for more shocking moments, complex characterization, dark storylines, or experimental animation, look no further than these incredible shows. Every entry on this list of the 10 best anime for The Boys fans has something special to offer.