In every generation, there are manga authors who set a new standard for the medium and inspire younger creators to follow in their footsteps. An early example is the late Akira Toriyama, whose landmark Dragon Ball franchise laid the groundwork for the shonen "big three," including author Tite Kubo's Bleach. In turn, Mr. Kubo's legendary fantasy manga inspired and influenced plenty of manga artists in the next generation.
In some cases, manga artists have openly credited Bleach as a major source of inspiration, and in other cases, Bleach's influence is clear and being a part of the Big Three, even if the author hasn't directly acknowledged it. Fans can infer that Bleach's premise of sword-wielding monster hunters has had a serious impact on nearly every shonen series out there, mostly shonen action stories that are bound to appeal to Bleach fans.
10 Jujutsu Kaisen is Bleach 2.0
Jujutsu Kaisen is one of several modern shonen anime that is definitely derived from the classic Bleach manga/anime series. Author Gege Akutami directly named Bleach as a major source of inspiration, and it's easy to see the parallels. Both series are shonen action stories about a tough high schooler who obtained supernatural powers one night to fight monsters on the streets. Yuji Itadori is the new Ichigo, and curses are the new Hollows.
Granted, the Jujutsu Kaisen anime evidently drew from Naruto as well, such as the new Team 7 with Yuji's trio of shonen heroes and Satoru Gojo's physical resemblance to Kakashi Hatake. Still, Bleach fans can rest assured that Jujutsu Kaisen is primarily Bleach 2.0, a leaner and meaner version of Tite Kubo's original work that's always worth a watch for any action anime fan.
9 Demon Slayer Is a More Emotionally Impactful Version of Bleach
Demon Slayer is another action anime series that is confirmed to be a Bleach successor. Author Koyouharu Gotoge cited Bleach as a major source of inspiration, since both series depict sword-wielding warriors defending humanity from deadly monsters. The demon slayer corps even has its own version of the thirteen Captains with the nine elite Hashira.
One major difference is that Demon Slayer focuses even more on the emotional impact, starting with Muzan's slaughter of the Kamado family and Tanjiro's personal stakes of restoring Nezuko's humanity. The series also has a small but colorful cast of lovable characters and astonishing animation to make every fight look dazzling in ways the original Bleach anime never did.
8 Black Clover Definitely Borrowed a Few Things From Bleach
The long-running high fantasy anime Black Clover is yet another shonen action story that definitely drew heavy inspiration from the Bleach anime. Protagonist Asta was born with no powers, but he didn't let that fact stop him from dreaming of becoming the wizard king. He also wields a large sword, not unlike Ichigo Kurosaki with his bankai, and Asta even has a demonic power on his side, a being named Liebe.
Liebe is clearly the next Hollow Ichigo, a formidable but scary power that the protagonist must learn to wield without losing himself in the process. Also, Black Clover has some individual character designs that were evidently lifted from Bleach, including Nozel Silva, a nobleman warrior who secretly cares for his sister. That's a clear parallel to Bleach's Byakuya Kuchiki and his foster sister Rukia.
7 My Hero Academia Owes its Existence to Bleach
Bleach had a strong yet indirect impact on the creation of My Hero Academia. The actual story and powers found in My Hero Academia may not resemble Bleach much, but then again, author Kohei Horikoshi has said in interviews that Bleach helped inspire him in his youth to become a manga artist. He would even draw people holding and using Bleach-style zanpakuto.
Authors Kohei Horikoshi and Tite Kubo get along well and have been interviewed together, meaning their respective series are connected on a meta level. Sometimes, an author Tite Kubo won't just inspire certain powers or character designs in a newer manga, but inspire a reader to become a manga artist and create their own works. Instead of swords, though, the characters of My Hero Academia fight using a Quirk-based combat system, which has proven to be one of shonen's best.
6 Soul Eater Shows Warriors Fighting With Partner Weapons
Author Atsushi Okubo wrote not just one, but two different shonen manga series that almost definitely took a few cues from Bleach, starting with the popular Soul Eater manga. Like Bleach, this fantasy action anime depicts heroes who fight with transforming weapons that aren't just tools, but conscious beings who forge a bond of trust with their wielders. That's similar to how the zanpakuto in Bleach aren't just swords, but battle partners for their Soul Reaper wielders.
The Soul Eater anime also has a slight Bleach vibe with its characters and visuals, including the skull-headed personification of death itself, who may give fans some Hollow and Soul Reaper vibes. The protagonist Maka Albarn also feels reminsicent of Ichigo Kurosaki, a hot-tempered yet kind hero with a powerful blade and a wacky single father.
5 Fire Force Is Bleach With Firefighters and an Apocalyptic Cult
Fire Force is author Atsushi Okubo's other hit manga that almost definitely took a few cues from the venerable Bleach franchise. Like Bleach before it, the Fire Force anime is a "monster hunter" anime where trained professionals use unique weapons and abilities to defeat deadly monsters who threaten everyday citizens on the streets. In this case, people will spontaneously combust and turn into Infernals, or deadly fire monsters.
It's up to fire soldiers like Shinra Kusakabe to use their ignition abilities to hunt and destroy Infernals, but there's more to the story than that. A shadowly doomsday cult is preparing a sinister scheme that may destroy all of society, and Shinra will learn that he has a personal connection to the White-Clad cult, which will be a game-changer for him just as he's starting his fire soldier career.
4 D.Gray-Man is a Gothic Monster Hunter Adventure
First launching in 2004, D.Gray-Man is an underrated shonen action anime that follows protagonist Allen Walker as he fights monsters and villains all over the globe in the Victorian era. This is one of many "monster hunter" anime with terrifying creatures and an organization of slayers who hunt them. In D.Gray-Man's case, the monsters are Akuma, and the slayers are the Exorcists of the Black Order.
Allen Walker won't just be fighting Akuma for long when he joins the Black Order. He will learn about the Black Order's ultimate nemesis, the villainous Millennium Earl, who creates Akuma and has a family of powerful minions known as the Noah Family by his side. Allen will also meet fascinating people in his job and recruit them as friends, including a misunderstood vampire.
3 Claymore is All About Swords and Deadly Creatures
Claymore is a shonen action adventure that, like Bleach, is all about professional sword users fighting to save people from horrifying creatures known as Yoma. Taking place on a fictional island with a medieval setting, Claymore stars Clare, a Claymore warrior who is determined to avenge her fallen mother figure, Theresa.
Claymores like Clare fight on behalf of the mysterious Organization, which turns people like Clare into half-Yoma so they have the strength necessary to fight these monsters. Claymores can even awaken their Yoki energy to become an Awakened Being, a vivid example of the half-other anime trope that many anime fans might not be aware of. Anyone who enjoys anime like Bleach or Demon Slayer is sure to like Claymore, too.
2 Hell's Paradise Has Some Subtle Bleach Elements in its Narrative
Anime fans wouldn't call Hell's Paradise a spiritiual successor to Bleach like Jujutsu Kaisen is, but both series clearly drew a few elements from Tite Kubo's work, with Hell's Paradise evidently doing so more subtly. This is a dark fantasy action series that pits warriors like Gabimaru the ninja and his swordswoman friend Sagiri against plant-based monsters on a secluded island.
Gabimaru is one of many criminals who was asked to retrieve the Elixir of Life in exchange for a pardon, and it's a rough deal for all the criminal warriors on this eerie island. Hell's Paradise and Bleach are both deceptively terrifying action anime with sword-wielding heroes and ninjas, along with bizarre monsters for them to fight. The main difference is that the plant-based monsters in Hell's Paradise are more mysterious than the Hollows in Bleach.
1 Chainsaw Man is a Subversive Take on Bleach's Formula
The subversive anime seriesChainsaw Man is a bizarre but compelling take on Bleach's original formula. Each series stars a punkish teenage boy who gained supernatural powers one day so he can fight monsters on the streets, with devils being the new Hollows and a trio of chainsaw blades being Denji's half-other zanpakuto of sorts.
Unlike Ichigo Kurosaki, though, Denji is a vulnerable young man who gets used and pushed around by people like Makima, who may or may not have his best interests in mind as he fights devils for pay. The battles in Chainsaw Man are often personal for Denji, such as his feud with Katana Man and saving Power's cat Meowy from the bat devil, which adds both humor and drama to the story.
