Tamal Kundu
Based on ‘The Witcher’ book series by Andrzej Sapkowski, ‘The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf’ is a dark-fantasy anime film that serves as a prequel to Netflix’s live-action TV series, ‘The Witcher.’ The story revolves around the childhood and youth of Vesemir, who goes on to become the mentor of Geralt of Rivia, the protagonist of both the books and the live-action show. If you watched the anime and loved it, we have a perfect list of recommendations for you. You can catch most of these anime similar to ‘The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf’ on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Crunchyroll, or Funimation.
6. Fairy Tail (2009-2019)
The ‘Fairy Tail’ anime series is part of a sprawling franchise that originated from the manga series written and illustrated by Hiro Mashima. The story revolves around Natsu, a dragon slayer wizard affiliated with the titular guild, and his adventures alongside celestial wizard Lucy Heartfilia, Natsu’s Exceed partner Happy, and others across the Kingdom of Fiore. While ‘Fairy Tail’ is much more of a traditional fantasy than a dark fantasy like ‘The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf,’ both projects explore the idea of camaraderie and friendship among magically gifted warriors.
5. Nanatsu no Taizai (2014-2021)
If ‘The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf’ is heavily inspired by the legends and lores of Eastern Europe, ‘Nanatsu no Taizai’ or ‘The Seven Deadly Sins’ draws primarily from Arthurian legends. Based on an original Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nakaba Suzuki, ‘The Seven Deadly Sins’ tells the story of the eponymous group of knights, who, like the Witchers, have garnered widespread notoriety. One of the characters, Ban, the Fox Sin of Greed, has quite a few similarities with Vesemir. Both have a roguish charm and dubious morality and are not beyond taking advantage of people around them. But then again, they are fiercely loyal to their respective groups.
4. Claymore (2007)
Thematically, ‘Claymore,’ the TV anime series developed from the manga series created by Norihiro Yagi, has much in common with ‘The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf.’ In both worlds, there is a hero at the core of the story, which is about hunting monsters. Like the Witchers, the Claymore warriors are created through magic as hybrids between humans and monsters. In this case, the Claymore Warriors, like the protagonist Clare, are hybrids between humans and a species of man-eating shape-shifters called Yoma.
3. Berserk (2016-2017)
The 2016 series is the second TV anime adaption of the immensely popular ‘Berserk’ manga series created by Kentaro Miura. The first one came out between 1997 and 1998. The grimdark fantasy story follows a warrior named Guts, whose life has been riddled with acts of violence since he was a child. In time, he becomes a well-known fighter with a fierce reputation. And this leads to him becoming part of a mercenary group called the Band of the Hawk. After being betrayed by the group’s leader, Griffith, Guts embarks on a path of vengeance, pain, and tragedy. Both ‘Berserk’ and ‘The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf’ revolve around imperfect characters who get betrayed by people they trust.
2. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (2019-)
Set in the early 20th century Japan, ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba’ is based on a manga series by Koyoharu Gotouge. It follows Tanjirou Kamado, a young man who loses almost his entire family in a demon attack. The sole survivor, a sister named Nezuko, is revealed to have been turned into a demon herself. Tanjirou subsequently joins the Demon Slayer Corps and embarks on a journey to find a cure for Nezuko and locate the demon that caused him and his family so much misery and pain. The Demon Slayer Corps and the Witchers of ‘The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf’ perform similar duties in their respective societies.
1. Castlevania (2017-2021)
Based on the namesake game series, ‘Castlevania’ follows monster hunter Trevor Belmont; Adrian “Alucard” Țepeș, a dhampir or human and vampire hybrid; and Speaker magician Sypha Belnades as they take on monsters, vampires, and death itself. Vesemir of ‘The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf’ and Trevor are basically cut from the same cloth. They fight, they drink, and they know how to make each moment of their lives count. They are also remarkably good at their jobs and carry themselves with a certain swagger that can set them apart in any crowd.
Read More: The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf Ending, Explained
