10 Books/Manga Like Blue Exorcist
Blue Exorcist is a fantastic Shonen series with great characters and storytelling. It’s written and illustrated by Kazue Kato and gained a following after its first anime season debuted in 2011. The story follows Rin, a boy who discovers he’s the son of Satan. After witnessing his father’s demise at their home church, Rin enrolls in a school to channel his powers. He hopes to vanquish his father and prevent him from turning the world into his playground.
If you’re in the mood for more action or supernatural-themed books/manga that offer a similar vibe, fear not! We’ve gathered together 10 books/manga to check out when you’ve caught up with Blue Exorcist. Of course, if you feel we’ve missed any of your favorites, do comment below and let us know!
Jujutsu Kaisen – Gege Akutami
Similarities – Action & Supernatural
Jujutsu Kaisen is a modern shonen title that’s gained a lot of traction due to its compelling cast, intricate storytelling, and incredible action sequences. Like Blue Exorcist, this story features a protagonist who becomes involved in a secret society of exorcists, using their own unique powers to battle against evil forces.
Both stories examine their characters’ growth and the bonds they forge as they navigate their respective, dangerous, and mystical worlds. In Jujutsu Kaisen, we follow Yuji Itadori, a boy who gains immense strength after consuming a powerful object from an alleged powerhouse. This gets Yuji roped into a world full of curses, demons, and exorcists, as he attends a prolific school to hone his skills. This mirrors Rin’s journey in Blue Exorcist, as he learns he’s the son of Satan and must attend the True Cross Academy to become an exorcist.
If you’re looking for a story with a bit more complexity though, give Jujutsu Kaisen a shot.
D.Gray-man – Katsura Hoshino
Similarities – Action, Themes, Supernatural
D.Gray-man is a classic and dark story from Shonen Jump’s catalog that’ll appeal to Blue Exorcist fans. It’s another story that immerses readers in its supernatural setting and focuses on exorcism. It follows Allen Walker, a boy who gets sent to train under the Black Order to fight their long-time nemesis. Upon arriving, he becomes an exorcist and will attain a weapon that will aid him on his mission.
Like Blue Exorcist, this story explores themes of good vs. evil and its protagonist’s internal struggles exceptionally well. Allen and Rin carry special traits that help them stand out as powerful protagonists. However, they’re not too overly formidable, which will relieve fans who don’t adore overpowered leads. Nonetheless, their unique traits add depth to their respective stories.
In addition to having well-drawn battle scenes that display both characters’ expertise, D.Gray-man is a great alternative for Blue Exorcist fans to read.
Bleach – Tite Kubo
Similarities – Action, Shonen, Supernatural
Bleach is a well-beloved work by many Shonen Jump enthusiasts. It’s up there with Naruto and One Piece for ushering in a new wave of modern stories due to its iconic characters, fun storytelling, and dark world. Regarding Blue Exorcist, Bleach contains a protagonist who becomes entangled in a secret society full of formidable warriors who fight off demonic and humane enemies to save the world.
Like Rin, Bleach’s protagonist, Ichigo Kurosaki, can interact with spirits and exceptionally develops his supernatural skills to pull off insane attacks with his iconic sword. Both protagonists face hardships as they try to harness their respective powers effectively, leaving viewers in awe at their marvelous gradual growth over time.
Furthermore, both stories offer captivating gritty worlds. Ichigo will meet many weird otherworldly entities during his adventures in Bleach. From a talking lion-like plushie named Kon to the demonic Hollows, Blue Exorcist fans will adore Bleach’s creative setting.
If you’re curious, I’d recommend giving this Shonen Jump classic a binge.
Noragami – Adachitoka
Similarities – Action, Themes, Supernatural
Noragami is a great supernatural series that gained traction after its first and second seasons finished airing. This series is loved for its incredible action, compelling themes, and the complex relationships between humans and the supernatural.
In Noragami, Yato, a forgotten god, performs odd jobs in hopes of gaining followers. One day, he gets roped into a saddening situation involving our female lead, Hiyori, and promises to assist her with her issues.
As Blue Exorcist fans can tell, Rin and Yato are protagonists who find themselves caught in a world where humans and supernatural entities coexist. They must overcome the challenges that come with their powers and divine status. This results in several action-packed, comedic, and slightly dramatic scenarios that’ll keep fans occupied.
Friendship is a key theme shared between these works. Blue Exorcist fans will adore seeing Yato and Hiyori’s relationship blossom into something spectacular. It’ll echo the same feelings they may have had witnessing Rin develop close ties with his brother and fellow exorcists at the academy.
Kemono Jihen – Shou Aimoto
Similarities – Action & Supernatural
Shou Aimoto’s Kemono Jihen isn’t the most popular work on this list, but it has some connections with Blue Exorcist. Its tale centers around Kohachi, a specialist who visits a remote village to solve a dead animal case. This leads him to take a boy named Kabane under his wing after realizing he’s a half-human-and-monster hybrid called a Kemono. We witness the pair solve several cases together.
Based on Kabane’s description, many Blue Exorcist fans will be reminded of Rin’s status in Blue Exorcist. Like Rin, Kabane will struggle to grapple with his identity and will be discriminated against by others in their world. Nevertheless, both characters find solace in the relationships they forge with specific individuals, leading them to develop a new appreciation for life.
If you’re looking for another supernatural protagonist who navigates through thrilling and emotional scenarios, check out Kemono Jihen.
Naruto – Masashi Kishimoto
Similarities – Action, Characters, Themes
Naruto is a classic and joins Bleach in being a Shonen Jump series that inspired many mangakas during its release. Our tale follows Naruto, a knuckle-head ninja who likes to cause his village trouble with his pranks. Despite his crude behavior, Naruto dreams of becoming his village’s Hokage, no matter the cost. While his goals differ from Rin’s, Naruto and Blue Exorcist have similarities.
Firstly, Naruto and Rin face personal struggles and strive to protect their loved ones from malevolent forces. Both characters harbor incredible power due to demonic influences. For Rin, his powers stem from his blood ties to Satan while Naruto harbors the Nine-Tailed Fox, a crafty and maniacal creature that laid waste to his village and parents in the past.
Moreover, both stories highlight the importance of friendship and the bonds formed between characters. Although Naruto has it rough during the early portions of the manga, he’ll work hard to earn the respect of his comrades, villagers, and other notable ninja. This mirrors the dedication and effort Rin puts into achieving similar praise and love in Blue Exorcist.
If you like Rin’s journey, you’ll adore Naruto’s.
Kekkaishi – Yellow Tanabe
Similarities – Action, Supernatural, Themes
Kekkaishi is a great supernatural adventure manga that’s earned a plethora of awards after its release. The story follows Sumimura, a demon hunter and kind boy. He hopes to become the best demon hunter of all time, but he’ll need to upstage his rival Yukimura first to achieve that goal.
Blue Exorcist and Kekkaishi explore the notion of destiny and the burden of inheriting unique abilities. Along with his goal to become a phenomenal demon hunter, Sumimura must protect his family’s sacred land from evil spirits. This mirrors Rin’s goal to protect the world from his demonic father Satan. The people that surround these characters have high expectations for them, leading to Rin and Sumimura questioning themselves and struggling to meet those expectations.
Additionally, both stories delve into the idea of family legacies and the influence they have on the protagonists. From Sumimura’s generational duty to Rin needing to channel and use his demonic powers for good, readers will love how their family ties play a significant role in their storylines.
Soul Eater – Atsushi Ookubo
Similarities – Action & Supernatural
Soul Eater is a colorful and fun series Blue Exorcist fans will get a kick out of. This story explores similar ideas pertaining to supernatural schools, and unique partnerships, and features our characters battling against malevolent forces. Both stories feature special schools where students learn to harness their abilities to protect their worlds from danger.
That said, Blue Exorcist and Soul Eater focus on the student’s growth within their special academy settings. In Soul Eater, the students attend Death Weapon Meister Academy to practice with their special weaponry while Rin and his friends attend True Cross Academy to become formidable exorcists to battle demons.
These schools serve as hubs that’ll lead to characters establishing close ties and developing their distinct innate abilities. Both stories emphasize the importance of partnerships and the bonds created between students with unique powers. Where Soul Eater examines Meisters and Weapon partners, Blue Exorcist focuses on exorcists and their familiars.
On top of having phenomenal action sequences and stellar character design, Soul Eater is a must-read for Blue Exorcist fans.
Chainsaw Man – Tatsuki Fujimoto
Similarities – Characters & Action
Chainsaw Man is a modern Shonen series with intense violence and supernatural richness. Despite being more violent and explicit than Blue Exorcist, Blue Exorcist fans will adore Chainsaw Man for its themes, world, and compelling characters.
The story follows Denji and his Chainsaw Devil companion, Pochita, as they tackle devil-themed odd jobs for the yakuza. After the yakuza leave them for dead, Pochita sacrifices himself to Denji, granting Denji the ability to become Chainsaw Man. After slaughtering the yakuza and their devil adversary, a woman named Makima approaches Denji with a job offer. This leads Denji to experience a life of his wildest dreams.
Like Rin, Denji embarks on a quest through a dark world to discover his true self. His world’s filled with maniacal human figures and grotesque, conniving devils. The battles he takes part in are thrilling at their core and will leave you speechless due to Fujimoto’s excellent penmanship. Like Rin, Denji won’t be alone in his demon-slaying endeavors. He’ll be joined by other formidable companions. Each has a unique goal, background, and personality that fans will love.
If you’re after another tale with epic battles and interesting characters, check out Chainsaw Man.
Pandora Hearts – Jun Mochizuki
Similarities – Action, Supernatural, Themes
Pandora Hearts is a jack of all trades. It’s known for exploring numerous genres and for presenting readers with a narrative rich in depth and imagination. Like Blue Exorcist, Pandora Heartrts features a mysterious world, delves into concepts like destiny, and contains enough supernatural elements to keep fans immersed.
In Pandora Hearts, we follow Oz, a boy who embarks on a quest to uncover the truth behind his existence and the mysteries surrounding the Abyss. Like Rin, Oz faces many challenges and must come to terms with his destiny, which will lead him to embrace the person he’s become. Oz will forge tight connections with strangers, much like Rin.
Alice is as compelling of a companion as Ryuuji, Shiemi, and the others are to Rin in Blue Exorcist. Moreover, both works contain fantastic battles that get more intense as the story continues.
Therefore, if you’re after another manga with a rich cast, epic battles, and fantastic artwork, Pandora Hearts is worth your time.
So there we have it, our 10 books/manga to read after you’re caught up with Blue Exorcist.
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!