Anirban Bhattacharya
‘Fairy Tail’ is probably one of the most famous magic-fantasy anime of all time and naturally has millions of fans worldwide. It is set in a world where magic is commonplace, and Mages band together to form guilds and take on jobs. One such guild is the Fairy Tail Guild, whose members have grown so close to one another that they are more like family than a team. The series focuses primarily on the misadventures of the mages from the eponymous guild as they take on new and challenging assignments.
If you are looking for anime that is thematically and stylistically similar to this one, then you have come to the right place. Here’s the list of best anime similar to ‘Fairy Tail.’ You can watch several of these shows on Funimation, Netflix, Crunchyroll, or Hulu.
20. D.Gray-Man (2006)
‘D.Gray-Man’ is a highly popular anime. It has action, adventure, superpowers, and an array of powerful characters. Millenium Earl, the main antagonist of the anime, is a cunning character. He knows how to exploit the weakness of humans and manipulate them. When people lose someone they love, they would naturally wish to resurrect them. Earl uses such instances to his advantage and steals the soul of the person they want to resurrect. He then puts the soul in Akuma, his mechanical device. Allen Walker and other fellow exorcists train to face Millenium Earl and his Akuma by using an Anti-Akuma weapon they call ‘Innocence.’ Allen has a cursed eye that allows him to see souls trapped within Akuma, and his hand acts as innocence. Together, this makes him one of the powerful obstacles standing in front of Millenium Earl and the destruction of the world. You can watch the anime here.
19. Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic (2012)
‘Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic’ is an action-adventure anime show that is set in a fantasy world where magic is real. The Magi are an extremely powerful and rare class of wizards who have created labyrinths known as Dungeons. These labyrinths hold great treasures in them, and the Magi lead people towards them, helping them build their empire. Djinns are said to be the ones who guard these labyrinths. Aladdin is a young magician who is very kind. He wants to explore the world after having spent most of his life in isolation. He meets Alibaba Saluja, and the two become friends. But after an unexpected accident, they decide to conquer the nearest dungeon, which marks the beginning of their adventures in the fantasy world.
18. Soul Eater (2008)
Like ‘Fairy Tail,’ ‘Soul Eater’ has a wonderful array of colorful characters, each having its own definitive traits. Death Weapon Meister Academy is a famous academy in Death City. The head of this academy is Lord Death himself. The academy’s purpose is to raise Death Scythes for the shinigami to use against evil. But these weapons are not made from any physical materials rather, and they are special humans who have the ability to transform into Death Weapons after consuming 99 evil souls and the soul of a witch. The anime accesible on Hulu for streaming.
17. The Slayers (1995)
If you love ‘Fairy Tail’ for its magic, adventure, and comedy, then you might want to check out the next anime on this list — ‘The Slayers’. Lina Inverse is a powerful sorceress who is extremely greedy and travels the world stealing treasures from bandits. But then a band of thieves decides to ambush her in a forest. As she gets ready to face them, a man in armor takes her to be a damsel in distress and saves her from the thieves. He also offers to escort her to Atlas City, to which she reluctantly agrees. But it seems like Lina might have got her hands on an important magical item, and the two mysterious men are after them. You can watch the show on Hulu.
16. Akame ga Kill (2014)
‘Akame ga Kill’ is a great action anime for fans of the fantasy and magic genre. But beware, this show is not for people with a weak heart since it contains a lot of violence and gore. If you like watching ‘The Goblin Slayer’ or ‘Devilman: Crybaby,’ then you will definitely love this anime too. It revolves around Tatsumi, who goes to the capital to find a job but ends up becoming part of an organization named Night Raid who use their special weapons, Teigu, to support the Revolutionary Army to overthrow the Prime Minister accused to be poisoning the mind of the young king.
The anime is available on Crunchyroll.
15. Nanatsu no Taizai (2014)
‘Nanatsu no Taizai’ is very similar to ‘Fairy Tail’ in terms of its settings and characters. The seven deadly sins were a group of powerful knights who served the Kingdom of Liones. But when they decided to attempt a coup, the holy knights swiftly defeated them. Since then, no one knows where they are, but rumors do persist of them being alive. Years later, the Holy Knights themselves attempted a coup and overthrew the king. Princess Elizabeth of the kingdom of Liones decides to go on a journey to find the seven deadly sins so that they can help her regain her kingdom back from the holy knights. The action-adventure anime is accessible on Funimation.
14. Black Clover (2017)
If you like action, magic, or comedy anime, then ‘Black Clover’ is undoubtedly a great show to watch. It has been making some buzz in the market for quite some time now. The story revolves around two boys named Asta and Yuno. They were abandoned and left in an orphanage on the same day. They grew up, learned about the Wizard King, and promised that they would be the ones to compete against each other for the title. But while Yuno is quite talented at magic, Asta is not. At the age of 15, Yuno receives a four-leaf clover grimoire, but Asta receives nothing. Then a man named Lebuty attacks Yuno to steal his grimoire. Asta tries to help, but he is no match for Lebuty. However, after he hears Yuno’s voice, his inner emotions burst out, and he receives a five-leave clover grimoire, which helps him stop Lebuty. The duo then grows even closer to one another and together embark on the journey to become the strongest mage in the world. The show is available on Adult Swim.
13. Rave Master (2001)
‘Rave Master’ is your typical magic anime. The Battle between good and evil is about to happen, and the protagonist is the only one with the power to stop it. That is not to say that anime is not fun. Fifty years ago, a lone swordsman used the power of Rave to destroy the Dark Brings, stones containing dark powers. But the event also destroyed a tenth of the world. Currently, certain people are collecting the fragments of the Dark Brings and are causing destruction. It is up to Haru Glory to use his powers as the inheritor Rave and its guardian to put an end to these people with evil intentions. But he needs to collect the Rave Stones in order to fulfill his goal.
12. Boku no Hero Academia (2016)
‘Boku no Hero Academia’ is set in a fantasy world where quirks special superhuman abilities are common among the human population. Some use it for good, and others use it for evil purposes. People who use it for good are heroes, and they train in-hero academies before they are allowed to take on villains. Midoriya Izuku wants to be a hero like his idol All-Might, but he is quirkless. But after a chance encounter with his idol, he learns that All Might’s quirk is transferable. He begins to train hard to be able to inherit his powers before the entrance exam of UA High school is conducted. You can stream the anime here.
11. Noragami (2014)
‘Noragami’ is an anime that consists of a number of powerful and memorable characters that leave a lasting impression on the viewers. It is a supernatural anime, so if you are into that stuff, you will enjoy it. Yato is a minor deity whose goal is to become a famous God and have millions of followers. So, he goes around placing his number in certain places so that people in need will contact him. But he does not have a single shrine in his name, and his weapon partner leaves after being fed up. Hiyori Iki saves Yato from an accident, which makes her soul loose. Hiyori then asks Yato to fix her but to do that; he needs a partner. Thus, Hiyori reluctantly agrees to help him find a new partner. You can head here to watch the show.
10. Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka (2015)
If you enjoyed watching ‘Fairy Tail’ because of its fantasy and adventure part, then you will love ‘Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka’ as well. Bell Cranel, the protagonist of the anime, wants to be the greatest adventurer. But he has not been on any great adventures. Luckily, a lonely goddess by the name of Hestia decides to help him in his journey, and the two decide to venture into the cities’ mysterious catacombs known as the dungeons. The challenges that lay ahead change Bell’s life forever. The series is accessible on Crunchyroll.
9. Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! (2016)
Kazuma Satou, an ordinary boy, was returning home one ordinary day after buying a game, but he ended up dying in a laughable and pathetic way. In the afterlife, he meets with goddess Aqua who gives him a choice. He can go to heaven or be reincarnated in a fantasy world similar to the game. Which game lover would not want that? He chooses the fantasy land but understands that this is not much different than the ordinary world as he has to work hard and earn his living. He also had the choice to take any item he liked. Kazuma chooses Aqua, only to realize his mistake since Aqua is not of much help as she cannot do anything to make his life easier. You can watch the show here.
8. Naruto (2002)
‘Naruto’ is one of the most popular shounen anime. For many of you, this is probably one of the very first anime that you may have watched. The series is very entertaining and has around 400+ episodes (considering ‘Shippuden’). Naruto is a young ninja who loves creating trouble. He aspires to be the best ninja of his generation and become the leader of his village. But years ago, when the nine-tailed fox demon attacked his village, the Fourth Hokage sealed the beast inside the newborn Naruto. Instead of praising him, people ostracized him. The anime shows us how Naruto went from being a delinquent to becoming the greatest hero of his generation. You can head here to stream the anime.
7. Bleach (2004)
‘Bleach’ is another famous shounen anime. It is filled with action, adventure, and drama. It follows the same trope as that of ‘Naruto,’ ‘Dragon Ball Z’ or any other similar anime. The main character fights the bad guys. The bad guys become stronger, so the main character trains hard and becomes even stronger to defeat them. ‘Bleach’ utilizes this methodology fully. The plot revolves around Ichigo Kurosaki, who becomes a substitute soul reaper to save his family from Hollows after a chance encounter with a soul reaper. From then on, his life completely underwent a radical change as he became the protector of his world. You can watch the show on Hulu.
6. Youjo Senki (2017)
If you love magic anime, then you will definitely enjoy ‘Youjo Senki.’ The series has a protagonist who is very cunning, doesn’t care about others, and is kind of evil. These are the traits you would hope the antagonist to have, but no, here it’s the main character who has them, and you can’t help but find him extremely entertaining. The anime is about a man who denies the existence of God, and so God, or rather, Being X, reincarnates him several years in the past in a world in the middle of magical warfare. Here the man is a girl by the name of Tanya Degurechaff. Tanya still refrains from acknowledging the existence of God and wants to rise in the ranks of the army to be able to leave a peaceful life, thus defeating the purpose of her reincarnation and, in turn, beating Being X himself. All episodes are available here for streaming.
5. Hunter x Hunter (2011)
‘Hunter x Hunter’ follows Gon Freecs, a young boy who wants to become a hunter like his father. Hunter is one of the most respected jobs in the world of ‘Hunter x Hunter.’ They specialize in certain areas, and they take on very dangerous and unique jobs. Gon wants to become a hunter to find his father. But to get his license, he has to pass a really tough exam during which he meets Killua, a boy hailing from a family of assassins, and the two become friends. After successfully completing the exam, they set out to find Gon’s father, which marks the beginning of their adventures. The anime is available on Crunchyroll.
4. One Piece (1999)
You have probably heard of ‘One Piece’ if you have not already seen it. The sheer volume of episodes makes many anime lovers back out from this one. But it is worth investing your time in since the anime is exciting. The show revolves around Monkey D. Luffy, a boy who wants to become the next Pirate King by finding the treasure One Piece left by the previous pirate king Gol D. Roger in the dangerous stretches of Grand Line. Luffy has the power of a devil fruit, which grants him special abilities. Along with an eccentric group of people, he ventures into the dangerous parts of the world to accomplish his wild dreams and find the evasive treasure. You can watch the show on Funimation.
Read More: Anime Like One Piece
3. Sword Art Online (2012)
‘Sword Art Online’ is one of the most famous isekai anime of all time. The show is on this list because the entirety of it takes place in a fantasy land that has magic and guilds. Sword Art Online is a newly released MMORPG, and people are excited because of the latest NervGear technology it has implemented. But when around ten thousand people log in, they find that they cannot log out and that they must stay in and complete all the levels of the game. The creator of the game has trapped them in this virtual world, where if they die, they die in the real world too. Kazuto Kirigaya, the protagonist of the anime, must now try to survive and find a way to get back to the real world. The anime is accessible for streaming on Crunchyroll.
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2. Dragon Ball (1986)
‘Dragon Ball’ is an action anime that serves as the inspiration of several popular shows that were released in the early 21st century. It is a highly entertaining show, and the franchise continues to grow to this day even decades are its first release. Currently, the main characters are on the level of Gods. But it all started way back when Goku (an alien from the planet Saiyan) was still a child trying to live on his own when he met Bulma, Krillin, Master Roshi, and many others. He trains hard to add to his already superhuman abilities and grows to become one of the mightiest heroes of Earth. You can stream all the episodes here.
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1. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009)
‘Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’ is another one of my favorite anime. This series is just too good, and it has everything from action to magic and much more. Edward and Alphonse Elric are brothers who can’t bear the loss of their mother, and they try to use alchemy to bring her back. However, they are too late to realize their mistake, and soon, Alphonse loses his body while Edward loses his leg. It is only after sacrificing his right hand that Edward is able to bind the soul of his brother to metal armor. Now, the brothers are out to search for the philosopher’s stone, which will allow them to get their bodies back. You can watch the anime on Hulu.
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