10 best anime to watch if you like The Promised Neverland

The Promised Neverland has become one of the most popular and talked-about anime in recent years. This dark fantasy series follows a group of orphaned children who uncover the sinister secrets behind their idyllic orphanage. They discover that they are actually being raised as food for demonic creatures.

Armed with this horrifying truth, the children begin hatching complex plans to escape their farm prison and outwit their evil caretaker, Isabella. With its unique blend of mystery, horror, psychological thriller, and dark fantasy elements, The Promised Neverland offers a genre-defying ride that has captivated legions of anime fans.

If you're looking for more anime series that capture a similar essence and elements, here are 10 great recommendations.

10 must-watch anime for the fans of The Promised Neverland

1. Death Note

Death Note follows Light Yagami, a high school student who finds a supernatural notebook that allows him to kill anyone simply by writing their name. With this power, Light aims to create a crime-free utopia by eliminating all criminals. However, his actions attract the attention of an enigmatic detective known only as "L".

Death Note, like The Promised Neverland, has extremely intelligent main characters and explores complex moral issues. It also has a dark, suspenseful tone with high-stakes cat-and-mouse games between Light and L.

If you enjoyed the battle of wits in The Promised Neverland, Death Note offers more of the same on an epic scale.

2. Attack on Titan

In the world of Attack on Titan, the last remnants of humanity live within giant walls protecting them from man-eating Titans. The story follows Eren Yeager and the Survey Corps, a military branch that ventures outside the walls to reclaim territory.

Like The Promised Neverland, Attack on Titan features children forced to grow up fast in a dangerous world. It has high-stakes action, complex schemes and plans, morally ambiguous characters, and dark secrets that get revealed as the story progresses.

The mystery surrounding the Titans also mirrors the intrigue behind the demons in The Promised Neverland.

3. Parasyte: The Maxim

Parasyte: the maxim (Image via Madhouse)

Parasyte centers on 17-year-old Shinichi Izumi, who becomes partially infected by a strange parasitic creature. These parasites have invaded Earth and taken over human brains, morphing into grotesque killing machines. Shinichi manages to stop his parasite from reaching his brain, forcing the two to coexist.

As with The Promised Neverland, the horror and survival themes are strong with Parasyte. Both shows feature young protagonists who must outsmart deadly non-human entities to stay alive. Parasyte is just as suspenseful and graphic, making it a great choice for horror fans.

4. Made in Abyss

Made in Abyss takes place around a giant hole in the ground called the Abyss, a place filled with relics from an ancient civilization. The story follows a young orphan girl named Riko, who dreams of exploring the Abyss and discovering its secrets.

Like the children in The Promised Neverland, Riko has only known life in her orphanage but yearns to explore the dangerous world beyond. Made in Abyss shares dark, disturbing themes and is not afraid to put its young characters into harrowing situations.

Both shows also feature intriguing mysteries and worldbuilding that get revealed over time.

5. Psycho-Pass

In a dystopian future ruled by the Sibyl System, Psycho-Pass follows Akane Tsunemori - a new Inspector tasked with hunting down criminals and apprehending them when their criminal intent, known as Crime Coefficient, exceeds acceptable levels.

Psycho-Pass has the same dystopian, dark sci-fi atmosphere that defines The Promised Neverland. They both focus on corrupt centralized systems and feature strong, idealistic main characters trying to uncover the truth.

The genius antagonist Makishima will likewise remind viewers of antagonist Isabella from The Promised Neverland.

6. Monster

Monster spans decades and continents to tell the story of Kenzo Tenma, a Japanese surgeon living in Germany whose life is upended after becoming involved with a young sociopath named Johan Liebert.

Like The Promised Neverland, Monster features a cat-and-mouse dynamic between the protagonist and antagonist. Johan's sinister personality and genius also mirror the antagonist Isabella. Monster has the same mature appeal—exploring philosophical themes amidst the mystery and suspense.

7. Shinsekai Yori (From The New World)

Shinsekai Yori (From The New World) (Image via A-1 Pictures)

Set 1000 years into the future, Shinsekai Yori follows Saki Watanabe and her friends, who grow up in a peaceful utopian village. But as they come of age, they develop psychic powers and gradually uncover the dark secrets that underpin their so-called utopia.

Shinsekai Yori starts off deceptively calm before the disturbing revelations come crashing in, mirroring The Promised Neverland's progression. Both shows feature coming-of-age stories that transition into dark, genre-bending territory. Themes of corruption and surveillance states also run strong in both.

Viewers who enjoyed The Promised Neverland's mix of mystery, horror, and sci-fi should definitely check out Shinsekai Yori.

8. Erased

Erased follows Satoru Fujinuma, a 29-year-old manga artist who possesses a strange ability called Revival, which sends him back in time before life-threatening incidents to prevent them. When his mother is murdered by an unknown assailant, Satoru is sent 18 years back to his childhood days.

He then attempts to uncover the identity of the killer and prevent the death of his mother. Much like The Promised Neverland, Erased is a suspenseful mystery thriller with high emotional stakes. It also features the same dark, grounded tone combined with supernatural elements.

Satoru's desperate struggle to change the past in order to protect his loved ones mirrors Emma's motivations in The Promised Neverland as well. Viewers who enjoyed the constant twists and emotional gut punches of the latter will surely love what Erased brings to the table.

9. Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Puella Magi Madoka Magica (Image via Shaft)

Despite its cute magical girl aesthetics, Puella Magi Madoka Magica takes a dark, deconstructive turn. The story revolves around a group of magical girls who make contracts with the strange creature Kyubey to gain magical powers in exchange for fighting surreal enemies called "witches."

However, there are sinister secrets behind Kyubey's motives and the magical girl system. Puella Magi Madoka Magica also hides plenty of dark twists and horrors behind a layer of innocence and charm. It lulls viewers into a false sense of security before pulling the rug out from under them.

Both shows feature fragile characters thrust into violent, high-stakes situations beyond their control. So if you enjoyed having your expectations subverted by The Promised Neverland, Puella Magi Madoka Magica offers a similarly wild, genre-defying ride.

10. Boogiepop and Others

Boogiepop and Others (Image via Madhouse)

Boogiepop and Others is set in an unnamed Japanese city and follows an enigmatic entity named Boogiepop as it intervenes in the lives of people experiencing intense pain, enemies of society, or those who commit crimes out of necessity.

This supernatural entity manifests through an alter ego in the form of a high school girl. Boogiepop also has a non-linear, puzzle-like structure where small pieces of the overall picture get revealed bit-by-bit across different character perspectives and timelines.

It also features the same mature, horror-mystery tone combined with supernatural elements. If you enjoyed piecing together the creepy secrets in The Promised Neverland, Boogiepop offers a similarly cryptic and unnerving viewing experience.

Conclusion

With its unique blend of mystery, horror, psychological thriller, and dark fantasy elements, The Promised Neverland has captivated legions of anime fans. For viewers looking to dive into similar series, the shows covered here capture the same genre-blending appeal.

Whether you crave more battles of wits, morally complex dilemmas, coming-of-age struggles, or simply an anime that will keep you on the edge of your seat, you'll find plenty to enjoy among these recommendations. So check out these 10 fantastic anime if you're a fan of The Promised Neverland!