10 Greatest Supernatural Anime Series of the 21st Century, Ranked

Supernatural anime has never lacked wild ideas. Some come with a notebook that kills, others with a chainsaw-headed hero, a cursed finger, or a vampire on a leash. Since the 2000s, the genre has kept giving us shows that grab hold and refuse to let go.

This list ranks ten of the best, from thriller classics to newer hits still finding their feet. Every pick earned its spot, and every spot is open to debate. So, let’s grab a snack and settle in as we go through some of the most popular and iconic names that will likely never fade in reputation.

10 Black Clover: A Magicless Orphan Chasing the Title of Wizard King

Black Clover‘s Asta is an orphan born without a drop of magic in a kingdom where magic is everything. He gets a rare five-leaf grimoire full of anti-magic, joins the Black Bulls, and swears he’ll become the Wizard King, right alongside his fellow orphan and rival Yuno. Pierrot’s 170-episode run from 2017 to 2021 is loud, hopeful, and all about never quitting. It takes the last spot since it leans more toward magic adventure than the supernatural, though it has heart to burn.

9 Hellsing Ultimate: A Vampire on a Leash and a War Against Millennium

Alucard is a centuries-old vampire in Hellsing Ultimate who works for the Hellsing Organization, and he clearly enjoys it. In the first episode, he turns police officer Seras Victoria into a vampire. Their main enemy is Millennium, a leftover Nazi group with a vampire army and a leader called the Major. Ten OVA episodes came out from 2006 to 2012, and they stick closer to Kouta Hirano’s manga than the 2001 TV series did. Ninth place suits it, since the shows above it go deeper, though it has swagger to spare.

8 Lord of Mysteries: A Fool, a Tarot Club, and a Steampunk Nightmare

Zhou Mingrui wakes up inside the body of a man named Klein Moretti, in the Victorian-style world of Lord of Mysteries with steam and occult horror. Beyonder potions and tarot cards are tied to how people gain power here, and Klein wants answers without getting killed. Before long, he’s leading a secret Tarot Club as The Fool. B.CMay Pictures made it as a Chinese donghua, and the first season only covers the novel’s opening volume, “The Clown.” Eighth place suits it, since so much of the story hasn’t been told yet.

7 Chainsaw Man: A Broke Teen and His Chainsaw Devil Get a Second Life

Denji is broke, stuck with his dead father’s Yakuza debt, and killing Devils alongside a Chainsaw Devil named Pochita to get by. Then the yakuza betray him, Pochita becomes his heart, and Denji comes back able to sprout chainsaws. He joins the Public Safety Devil Hunters and meets Makima. For the first time, he’s comfortable, and he has to work out what he wants. MAPPA animated 12 episodes of Chainsaw Man in 2022, and it’s rough and funny. Seventh, since one TV season and a movie still leave you hungry for more.

6 Jujutsu Kaisen: A Kid Swallows a Cursed Finger and Life Falls Apart

In Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen, Yuji Itadori is a high schooler with unreal strength who swallows a cursed finger to protect Megumi Fushiguro. That makes him the host of Ryomen Sukuna, a legendary curse, and the jujutsu higher-ups want him gone. Satoru Gojo argues he should live long enough to eat the rest of the fingers. MAPPA’s fights are the main draw, and the Shibuya Incident in season two is still what fans keep bringing up. Sixth place fits, since the action is elite even if the tone swings around a lot.

5 Dandadan: Ghosts, Aliens, and Two Teens Proving Each Other Wrong

Momo Ayase believes in ghosts but scoffs at aliens. Her classmate Ken Takakura, better known as Okarun, believes in aliens but not ghosts. So each heads off to prove the other wrong in Dandadan, and both end up being right, which is a huge problem. Science SARU’s animation is loud, colorful, and never sits still, and the show throws romance, comedy, and horror into the same scene. The anime first premiered in October 2024. Fifth place is its spot for now, since it’s still young, though it’s a blast.

4 Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Is the Return Fans Begged For

Ichigo Kurosaki finally came back to the screen after ten years away in Bleach TYBW. The original anime wrapped up in 2012 without ever touching the manga’s last arc, so Pierrot went back and adapted it. This time the enemy is Yhwach, the Quincy king, and his army is out to wipe the Soul Society off the map. It looks sharper, hits harder, and feels like a big thank-you to longtime fans. One of the greatest shonen anime of all time shines again. Fourth place fits, since newcomers may need some homework to feel the full weight.

3 Mob Psycho 100: A Quiet Kid, a Fake Psychic, and a Very Big Feeling

Shigeo Kageyama, or Mob, is a middle schooler with absurd psychic power who mostly wants to be normal. He works for Reigen Arataka, a con man posing as a psychic, and somehow Reigen turns out to be the mentor Mob needs. When Mob’s emotions climb toward 100%, things get loud and weird in Mob Psycho 100. Bones animated all three seasons between 2016 and 2022. It’s goofy, sweet, and a lot warmer than you’d guess. It lands at third because it says so much about growing up without lecturing you.

2 Demon Slayer: A Big-Hearted Swordsman Chasing a Cure for His Sister

The Naruto-inspired Demon Slayer begins with Tanjiro Kamado coming home to find his family killed and his little sister Nezuko turned into a demon. Rather than give up on her, he joins the Demon Slayer Corps to look for a cure. Ufotable’s animation gets mentioned first, and fair enough, since the fights look like moving paintings. What keeps you around is Tanjiro’s kindness, which never fades, even when things turn ugly. The first season ran 26 episodes in 2019. Second place feels right, because it’s warm and beautiful, though Death Note hooks a little tighter.

1 Death Note: A Bored Genius, a Cursed Notebook, and a Deadly Duel

Ryuk was bored, so he dropped a notebook into the human world. Light Yagami, a genius student who’s bored with life too, picks it up and learns it can kill anyone whose name and face he knows; that’s basically the premise of Death Note. He becomes Kira, and a mysterious detective called L starts closing in. Madhouse packed it into 37 episodes that play like a chess match where nobody raises their voice. Most scenes are two sharp minds guessing at the other’s next move. It takes the top spot because it hooks you with conversation alone.

What are your thoughts on our take on the greatest supernatural anime of the 21st century? We’d love to know your favourite in the comments below.