If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers then the 7 anime like Death Note is just what the doctor ordered. In Death Note, an ordinary student is endowed with the power to kill people and form an ideal world without evil, all thanks to a notebook called Death Note. The story revolves around deception and logic, and even features a battle of wits that develops between Light and a legendary detective known simply as L. Now, why do we love Death Note so much? Well, for one, it’s packed to the brim with suspense scenarios and has the ability to keep you engaged every step of the way. Similarly, each of our hand-picked choices perfectly reflects these themes, so take a look.
1 – Code Geass:
Code Geass seems to be the closest option when it comes to jotting down Death Note alternatives. And as you might have already guessed, it indeed includes elements like science fiction, supernatural, psychological, action and drama. Here, the Holy Empire of Britannia has taken over Japan and christened it Area 11. The inhabitants of the place are now called Elevens. Aiding the Britannia Empire in their conquering endeavors are robotic weapons known as Knightmares.
A Britannian called Lelouch or the black prince has been blessed with the power of Geass and is bent on building a world that’s based on his ideals. On the other hand, there’s Suzaku Kururugi, the white knight, who strives for justice. He is assigned to command the Knightmare Frame called Lancelot. Watch what happens when these 2 forces clash.
2 – Monster:
Crime, tragedy, and mystery are revisited with the mention of Monsters in our anime similar to Death Note roster. The story sees a Japanese neurosurgeon that goes by the name of Dr. Kenzou Tenma, choosing to save the life of a boy called Johan Liebert instead of the mayor. For this, he loses his position at the hospital as well as the support of the hospital director and even his beautiful fiancé.
But after some time, all those individuals involved with his replacement have been mysteriously murdered, putting Tenma in the acme spot. He also becomes the chief suspect. Now in order to clear his name, he must get to the heart of the situation. What’s more, the boy who Kenzou saved seems to have something to do with the murders.
3 – Blood+:
In Blood+, the war never ceases. It extends its bloody grip beyond the eras of history. This particular conflict is being fought between 2 mighty sides namely, the Chiroptera and Red Shield. The former has the ability to alter their appearance and take on the disguise of a human. What’s more, they also feed off the blood of the living to survive.
Now, an organization known as Red Shield has forever been fighting to annihilate this menace. The story follows the escapades of a high school girl known as Saya Otonashi who has no memory of her life, save for the past year.
4 – Hell Girl:
There’s more girl power to be had in our Death Note alternatives array with Hell Girl. Instead of using the Death Note notebook to strike down people, individuals in this entrant can turn to the World Wide Web to accomplish the same. There’s a particular website known as HellCorrespondence.com that one can access only at the stroke of midnight.
The word out there is that when anyone posts a grudge on the site, Jigoku Shoujo will drag their tormentor into the murky depths of hell. However, whoever posts on the site must also stay true to their end of the bargain and also descend into hell when they pass from this life. The girl who’s responsible for this act lives with her grandmother and a trio of magical straw dolls that do her bidding.
5 – Darker Than Black:
The storyline featured in the anime Darker Than Black sees the entry of an impenetrable field called Hell’s Gate that appeared in Tokyo around a decade ago. While this phenomenon was taking place, psychics with paranormal powers began to appear on the scene.
And among the gifted lot is the most powerful one known as Hei. He and his blind associate, Yin are employed by a rival agency who is attempting to decipher the mystery behind Hell’s Gate. There’s lots of magic, drama, science fiction and mystery to relish in Darker Than Black.
6 – Steins;Gate:
Steins;Gate revolves around a group of friends who fashion a clever device that can send text messages back to the past. However, they must steer clear of an international scientific organization known simply as SERN. Self-proclaimed mad scientist Rintaro Okabe believes that SERN wants to shape the world as per its own interests.
The experiments that Okabe and his friend’s conduct have made alterations to the present. What’s more, only Rintaro knows about the changes because he possesses a Reading Steiner, which is the ability to preserve the memories plucked right out from previous experienced timelines. Now he must try and undo his actions as he attempts to rescue his lab partners. Watch how things unfurl in this exciting inclusion in our anime similar to Death Note lineup.
There are more psychological, horror and thriller elements coming your way in Higurashi When They Cry. The events that take place here occur in 1983. A transfer student called Maebara Keiichi is seen traveling to a peaceful village in Hinamizawa. Once settled in, Keiichi makes friends with his classmates Mion, Satoko, Rena and Rika, and even becomes a member of the club.
However, it doesn’t seem that simple and rosy in the rural village when Maebara comes across the dark history of Hinamizawa. He also finds out that his new pals may not be everything they say they are.
Conclusion:
Do dark-themed anime delight you? Like to sit back and relax with a good series that’s infused with loads of mystery, drama and psychological elements? Well then, the aforementioned 7 anime like Death Note should perfectly cater to all these needs. After providing action enthusiasts with alternatives to Naruto, InuYasha, Fairy Tail, and Bleach, we provided fans of romance with some great Clannad substitutes.
Now, we call on those who love to dabble in dark gems and invoke their response to our extensive list. Feel free to leave your comments in the box below and stay tuned to this spot for more anime alternatives.