10 best anime without romance that you should try

Anime is loved by many for its gripping stories, lovable characters, and captivating animation. While romance is a popular genre, there are many acclaimed anime that focus on other themes like psychological thrillers, adventures, or action.

These anime showcase that one doesn't need a love story to tell a riveting tale. Many anime fans get invested by becoming engrossed in meticulously crafted fictional worlds and connecting deeply with the characters within them.

Strong writing and animation quality can build tension, inspire awe, and provoke tears without ever delving into romance. For those looking to get into anime without sappy love stories, here are 10 of the best anime without romance.

10 Amazing anime without romance that keep you hooked

1) Monster

Monster is a gripping psychological thriller and drama following Dr. Kenzo Tenma. A promising Japanese brain surgeon living in Germany until one fateful day, Dr. Tenma chooses to save the life of a young boy named Johan Liebert instead of the town's mayor.

This fateful decision leads to a chain of grisly murders. It soon becomes apparent that the very boy Tenma saved may be behind the killings. The anime follows Dr. Tenma as he tries to unravel the mystery of this terrifying series of deaths.

He seeks to understand Johan's past and psyche to judge his redemption. Praised for its thought-provoking themes, Monster is a tense thriller exploring philosophical questions about human morality. With 74 episodes, this long-running anime offers an intricate plot without distractions from romantic subplots.

2) Death Note

Few anime without romance have premises as instantly gripping as Death Note's. The show follows highly intelligent high school student Light Yagami, who acquires a supernatural notebook with deadly powers—any name written within it dies.

Initially using the lethal notebook to punish criminals, Light descends into megalomania as he aims to become the god of a new world free from injustice. Trying to capture the self-proclaimed "Kira" is enigmatic detective L, whose identity remains a mystery.

Their ensuing battle of wits drives this fast-paced psychological thriller forward across 37 episodes. Suspense and cerebral mind games take center stage in this clever cat-and-mouse tale.

3) Made in Abyss

In a world focused around a giant hole housing relics and creatures from a bygone age, young Riko dreams of following in her missing mother’s footsteps by becoming a Cave Raider and delving into the abyss’ depths. When she finds a strange robot boy named Reg, the two partner up to plumb the hole’s mysteries.

Blending fantasy, sci-fi, drama, adventure, and even disturbing moments of body horror, Made in Abyss crafts a rich world begging to be explored across a mesmerizing first season. Its episodes witness the burgeoning bond between Riko and Reg facing fantastic wonders and horrors lurking far below.

4) One Punch Man

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

In a superhero parody turned straight-faced action epic, One Punch Man chronicles Saitama on his quest to find a worthy battle. After a simple yet intense training regimen, Saitama has become so powerful he defeats any foe with a single punch.

While possessing deadpan humor examining tropes of the genre, this anime without romance delivers absurdly over-the-top fight sequences as bizarre villains challenge Saitama.

With crisp animation and action-packed episodes, One Punch Man provides wild entertainment through creative battles rather than romantic tension.

5) Mob Psycho 100

From the same creator as One Punch Man comes the similarly offbeat and action-packed Mob Psycho 100. It follows psychic middle schooler Shigeo Kageyama, nicknamed Mob, due to lacking discernible personality traits beyond psychic powers.

Despite the immense psychic potential, Mob tries living a normal life until emotions cause his abilities to dangerously erupt. Balancing slice-of-life school comedy with emotional drama and over-the-top psychic battles, this anime without romance has three seasons while delivering consistently stunning animation.

6) Jujutsu Kaisen

After high school student Yuji Itadori swallows a cursed finger to save his friends from a deadly curse, he joins a secret exorcist society. Here, he learns to control the immense power now dwelling within himself, guided by the formidable Satoru Gojo, his reserved teammate Megumi Fushiguro, and Nobara Kugisaki.

Blending shonen action tropes with darker horror elements, Jujutsu Kaisen delivers visceral battles against ghoulish Cursed Spirits across 24 episodes. Yuji grapples with the ominous destiny tied to the being whose finger he consumed while lending his strengthened abilities to the fight against Cursed Spirits.

7) Attack on Titan

Attack on Titan (Image via Wit Studio, MAPPA)

Humanity faces near extinction in Attack on Titan’s dark fantasy setting. Behind concentric walls hiding civilization’s last vestiges, people live in fear of the Titans roaming beyond. Standing over 50 feet tall, Titans feast on humans.

When enormous Colossal and Armored Titans breach the outermost wall, young Eren Yeager vows revenge after Titans kill his mother and destroy his hometown. He enlists in the Scout Regiment to fight the Titans and reclaim the world for humanity.

Spanning drama, mystery, political intrigue, and visceral action meticulously animated across four seasons, this anime without romance keeps eyes glued to the screen through seasons of escalating stakes rather than romantic subplots.

8) Dorohedoro

Waking up in a post-apocalyptic city plagued by sorcerers, amnesiac reptilian-man Caiman seeks to undo the crocodile head they cursed him with. Aiding his quest for a cure and understanding his mystifying origin is his friend Nikaido, who runs the Hungry Bug diner catering to the city’s many magic users and their victims.

Unpredictable and bizarre while mixing comedy and brutality, Dorohedoro introduces viewers to the strange world's distinct visual style and characters. As Nikaido and Caiman investigate his past, their journey pulls back the curtain on society’s underlying darker machinations.

9) Dr. Stone

A mysterious green flash petrifies all humans on Earth into stone in Dr. Stone. Thousands of years later, scientific prodigy Senku awakens. Resolving to rebuild civilization with the power of science, he works to revive his friend Taiju so they can accomplish the towering task together.

Meticulously exploring scientific principles, Dr. Stone sets up shop in a lush post-apocalyptic future Earth prime for exploration and ingenuity. Mystery surrounds the source of the green light as Senku contends with those reviving who want to twist science toward violence rather than cooperation.

10) Vinland Saga

Vinland Saga (Image via Wit Studio, MAPPA)

A historical action epic, Vinland Saga opens at the height of Viking dominance in Northern Europe through the adventures of warrior Thors Snorresson. After Thors’ death in battle, his son Thorfinn continues to fight driven solely by vengeance against his father’s killer, Askeladd.

Spanning the Danish invasion of London across 24 episodes in its first season, Vinland Saga delivers grounded warfare action and dramatic twists bolstered by stellar animation. Inner turmoil accompanies the exterior battles, as Thorfinn grapples with the bloody path his single-minded revenge quest sends him down.

Conclusion

Romance may permeate countless beloved anime, but compelling series exist well outside the genre. Offering instead tightly plotted psychological thrillers, sweeping fantasy adventures, absurdist comedy action, and more—this selection provides only a sample of acclaimed anime where romance plays little to no role.

While some of these anime without romance contain minimal romantic elements, they remain insignificant to the overarching story, ensuring the focus stays on action, mystery, or psychological depth.