There are very few anime that have left a brain-itching impact like Death Note. With its unique concept, twisted mind games, and moral dilemmas, it didn’t just entertain—it converted millions into full-time anime fans, and I am one of them.
If you’ve finished it and now stare at your screen wondering what could possibly fill that psychological void, don’t worry, you’re not alone. There are other shows that provide similar themes to Death Note. So if you’re craving unexpected twists, a messed-up protagonist, and psychological gore, you’re in the right place.
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10: Erased
Before you begin scratching your head about how the hell Erased is similar to Death Note. There is no exact replica of Death Note. Erased anime mind games resemble Death Note vastly.
If you’re a guy who loves Death Note for its psychologically intense mind games between Light and L, Erased will hit you with the exact level of psychological intensity. It’s totally unpredictable, like in Death Note, where Satoru Fujinuma, a 29-year-old unemployed manga artist, does time travel to catch a serial killer.
9: The Promised Neverland
As a Death Note fan, you already know how thrilling it is to watch genius characters outsmart each other in a deadly game of wits.
The Promised Neverland gives you that same rush. Watching Emma, Norman, and Ray plot their escape from a creepy orphanage (that’s secretly a farm for demons). Both shows keep you on edge with every twist and turn.
The stakes are high, the characters are brilliant, and you’ll constantly find yourself thinking about how these mini Light versions are going to get out of this place alive.
8: Chainsaw Man
Chainsaw Man couldn’t be on this list if it didn’t share a very critical similarity with Death Note. You guessed it right. It’s the main character, Denji, who makes Death Note and Chainsaw Man similar.
On one side, we have Ryuk, a tall, creepy-looking Shinigami whose powers help our protagonist. On the other side, we have Chainsaw Man Devil (Pochita). The most fearsome devil of hell has the ability to erase the existence of anybody.
If you are an anime fan, you should definitely watch this action-packed masterpiece from Mappa Studios.
7: The Future Diary
If Death Note gave you chills with its “deadly notebook” concept, Future Diary cranks that chaos up to eleven. Both shows revolve around teenagers who suddenly get god-like powers. In this case, a phone that tells the future.
Like Light, Yukiteru is thrown into a high-stakes game of life and death where he has to eliminate some other characters who have gifts like Yuki. And let’s not forget Yuno, the most terrifyingly devoted “girlfriend” in anime history. Those who complain about the absence of a romantic aspect in Death Note can binge-watch Future Diary.
6: Classroom Of The Elite
It’s always refreshing to see your favorite character dominating the rivals with his sheer brilliance and tactics, just like how Light dominates in Death Note. If you binge-watch this aspect of the hero, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji can be your next prodigy.
Who is as smart as Light and a perfect prodigy who likes to operate from the backend while controlling people like pawns in chess? Classroom of the Elite is psychologically thrilling, but there is no supernatural stuff like Death Note, and much gore. It’s based in a high school where you’ll find unrealistically clever students competing to get promoted into high-class rankings for more luxurious school life.
5: Paranoia Agent
It’s a curse that most newbie anime fans would rather watch the latest anime or some top-of-the-line classics like Death Note, and this way, masterpieces like Paranoia Agent remain hidden.
Paranoia Agent and Death Note both dive deep into the human psyche, exploring how fear, guilt, and pressure can spiral into madness. While Death Note gives us Light’s descent into god-complex territory, Paranoia Agent shows an entire city slowly losing its grip on reality thanks to a mysterious kid with a golden bat. If you liked the mental chess and moral breakdowns in Death Note, you’ll love this chaotic trip.
4: Death Parade
Where do people go after death? Is it Hell or Paradise? In Death Parade, they arrive in a bar where your gameplay decides whether you’ll live another life or be removed from existence.
Death Parade and Death Note might look different on the surface, but they both ask one haunting question: who truly deserves to live or die? You’ll find yourself questioning your own values and what your purpose of existence is. It’s almost a decade old, so the art-style animation is fair enough.
3: Monster
If you loved Death Note for its slow-burn tension and genius-level mind games, then Monster is like its older, creepier cousin. Both shows revolve around insanely smart protagonists. Light in Death Note, Dr. Tenma in Monster.
Dr.Tenma gets caught in deadly moral dilemmas and obsessive cat-and-mouse chases. But while Light chooses to become the monster, Tenma is trying to stop one: a child he once saved who grew up to be a chilling, manipulative killer. No supernatural notebooks here, just pure psychological warfare and a villain so calm that you’ll crave him more than Hero.
2: Psycho Pass
Can we really trust anyone to decide who’s good or evil? In Psycho-Pass, a futuristic system predicts if someone might commit a crime so justice can be served even without committing the crime.
Both shows dive deep into justice, free will, and the terrifying idea of one person (or system) having too much power. Psycho-Pass is a 2012 product with almost 41 episodes, which is quite demanding.
1: Code Geass
Code Geass is probably the closest thing you’ll get to reliving the rush of Death Note. I say that as someone who’s watched both more than once. At its core, both shows follow genius teenage boys, Light Yagami and Lelouch Lamperouge, who gain extraordinary powers and set out to change the world according to their definition of justice.
But where Light uses a notebook to kill criminals, Lelouch gets a power called Geass that lets him control anyone with a single command.
Both protagonists are brilliant, manipulative, and morally complex. Watching them outsmart their enemies is half the fun—the other half is watching them slowly become the very thing they swore to destroy.
Conclusion:
These are the most relatable suggestions regarding Death Note. These are not exact replicas and give you a unique experience by blending one or more similarities from Death Note. Hope you’ll enjoy each one.
