Exorcisms are hot right now in anime — though to be fair they always have been. Killing demons and banishing some spirits back to where they belong is often an interesting sight. Exorcism anime tend to blend action and horror in that regard due to the manner of their subject matter. And when two genres coexist well in one medium, it's always a treat for the viewers.
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If said anime has awesome visuals and takes away plenty from other successful titles, then that's all the more reason to watch it. Jujutsu Kaisen is one such anime and admittedly a simple formula where people from all walks of life risk their lives to exorcise some uglies. Too bad that one's ending but fret not as there are more anime about exorcism to maintain the momentum.
Updated on August 15, 2021 by Mark Sammut: Jujutsu Kaisen ended its first season on March 27, 2021. The anime was a success, comfortably ranking among the best shows of both 2020 and 2021. A second season has yet to be announced, although it seems unlikely that MAPPA will opt against continuing this story considering Jujutsu Kaisen's popularity. While this show covered the topic better than most, Jujutsu Kaisen was hardly the first property to tackle exorcism; in fact, the subject comes up often in anime and western media. The wait for more adventures starring Yuji Itadori might prove to be a rather long one, so what better way to pass the time than by checking out some of the best anime about exorcists?
14 Jujutsu Kaisen
For anyone who loves Naruto, Bleach, Fairy Tale, and most other tried-and-tested shonen anime, then Jujutsu Kaisen is the end result of such pop-culture overload. It makes many pages from other anime and puts its own twist on top of insane action and animation.
The result is everything you love in shonen but still relatively fresh. Jujutsu Kaisen's plot and premise are also simple, a young man named Itadori Yuji was compelled to become a vessel for an old godlike demon or curse. From there on, it's up to Itadori to use his newfound powers for good but the catch is that he'll have to kick the bucket someday after becoming too powerful. The journey's certainly fun though.
13 The Morose Mononokean
One day, Hanae Ashiya finds himself in a rather sticky situation; apparently, a demon has latched onto the high schooler, making him sick. Luckily for Hanae, an exorcist, Haruitsuki Abeno, happens to be a student at his school. Naturally, this sparks a strained but ultimately beautiful friendship.
Split into two seasons, The Morose Mononokean is less action-driven than something like Jujutsu Kaisen as the anime's focus is primarily on world and character building. The series also appreciates a good laugh, particularly in its first season. While a bit slow-paced, The Morose Mononokean is a pretty fun series, with Haruitsuki being a great protagonist. Hanae is more of an acquired taste.
12 Mononoke
Mononoke is an artful mystery series that expertly utilizes unsettling visuals and sound design to create a constant sense of discomfort. Split into five arcs, each one revolves around the Medicine Seller, a being who investigates cases where a spirit has attached itself to a human. In order to exorcise the Mononoke, the Medicine Seller must learn its Form, Truth, and Reason.
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Mononoke dives deep into the possessed humans, exploring the situations and emotions that led to the spirit's arrival. The anime's fluid structure allows it to play around with its settings, themes, and pacing – creating a show that never ceases to surprise, terrify, and captivate.
11 Beyond The Boundary
Meet cutes do not typically involve one character stabbing their future partner with a sword, but love works in mysterious ways. Beyond the Boundary is a bit all over the place; a hodgepodge of (great) action, (silly) humor, (depressing) backstories, and (awkward but ultimately likable) romance.
The action part comes courtesy of Mirai's role as a Spirit World Warrior, which means she fights youmu to keep the clueless humans safe. While these spirits are born from negative emotions, they are not necessarily evil or dangerous; however, some do need to be taken out.
10 Chrono Crusade
A somewhat forgotten anime from the early 2000s, Chrono Crusade very much feels like a product of its time, although that is not necessarily a bad thing. The anime centers around Sister Rosette, an exorcist, and Chrono, a neutered demon who partners up with the nun. Together, they set out to find and hopefully rescue Rosette's brother, Joshua; in the meantime, they also have to exorcise a lot of demons.
Although not without moments of levity courtesy of Rosette, Chrono Crusade frequently gets dark and depressing. The anime's religious iconography also gives it a unique edge, something the series explores quite well.
9 Demon Slayer
Demon Slayer is another straightforward anime involving, well, demons and their slayers. The basic plot is made more interesting thanks to the demon slayer protagonist and his demon sister, both of whom defy the stereotypes and conventions of their kind.
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That demon slayer is Tanjiro Kamado and his sister is Nezuko. The problem is, Nezuko didn't even choose to become a demon. So it's up to his good brother Tanjiro to enlist the help of the Demon Slayer corps to rid Nezuko of her disposition.
8 Gensoumaden Saiyuuki
An oldie but goodie this one, Gensoumaden Saiyuki has a lot in common with Jujutsu Kaisen except it focuses more on the exploits of its four protagonists. All four of them are led by Sanzou Genjou, a warrior monk who's also a reincarnation of the god Konzen Douji.
Sanzou, however, isn't your particular priest or protagonist. He's apathetic and cranky but who wouldn't be if they're tasked to prevent the resurrection of a great demon who wants to disrupt the peace between demons and humans? It doesn't help that Sanzou's three companions are headaches for him.
7 Blue Exorcist
Blue Exorcist isn't unlike Jujutsu Kaisen. It's about a boy or young man who suddenly becomes special after finding out his link to a demonic being. In this case, the boy would be Rin Okumura. He's a regular teenager; angsty, rebellious, and loud.
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In short, he's the perfect candidate for Satan's son. That's not a joke, Satan literally wants to take over the world in this one and needed a host. However, Rin figured that he doesn't need to follow that path so he did the exact opposite of what Satan wanted and became an exorcist. Hooray for Satan's lack of foresight.
6 Kekkaishi
Kekkaishi is another exorcism anime with a straightforward premise. It features a boy named Yoshimura Sumimura who comes from a long line of exorcists that defend a town from demons with a fancier name than usual.
The conflict is that Yoshimura would rather do cakes than demons. Too bad he couldn't escape predeterminism since his hometown is the favorite hangout and buffet spot of the said demons. Luckily, Yoshimura has formed an alliance with a friend from a rival clan in order to fight off the troublemakers so he can get back to his cake boss dreams.
5 Mushishi
Mushishi is more horror than action but it still captures the eerie side of the human-spirit/demon relationship; the best part is that it conveys this through a mellow and gloomy atmosphere or art style.
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At its core, Mushishi is Ginko's philosophical journey as a man chasing the Mushi or the odd forms of life residing in his world. Ginko seeks to find out the meaning behind their existence and learn more about them while also fixing some of the troubles related to them.
4 Tokyo Majin
Tokyo Majin is quite close as an experience to Jujutsu Kaisen, although don't expect the characters to display the same level of depth or likability. Most of them are negative or emotionless, making the show seem darker and gloomier than others.
Tokyo Majin follows the story of five teenagers who were accidentally bestowed with some supernatural powers and thus now have to deal with demonic beings who have made it their goal to assault Tokyo.
3 Mob Psycho 100
For a nice change of pace and scenery compared to the usual exorcism anime plot, take a good look into Mob Psycho 100. It's about a teenage boy (yes, again but it's different) who discovered his psychic powers at a young age.
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He is then enlisted for work by a shady con-artist and thus exorcises spirits on a daily basis. The problem is, the protagonist's potential is extremely high and can result in a catastrophe if uncontrolled or left rampant. So, the anime is mostly the protagonist's battle against himself as well as those who seek to exploit him.
2 D.Gray-Man
D.Gray-Man is yet again another anime where the villain plots to destroy the world, not caring where he'll live afterward. In the anime's case, that process of destruction is a bit alarming since the villain, called Millennium Earl, does it by entrapping the souls of the dead in monstrous husks or Akuma.
So it's up to exorcist Allen Walker and the Black Order to stop the Millennium Earl one Akuma at a time. As always, each character's method of exorcism is different or flashier than the rest. Regardless, there's plenty of action to be had in here.
1 Noragami
Noragami's fans will likely swear that Jujutsu Kaisen feels the same as this one is one of the most similar exorcism anime to the latter. It follows the tale of a petty god named Yato. Yato is struggling to become relevant to the world until he was saved by a girl who sacrificed herself. Problems arise when the girl's spirit failed to separate from her body.
Yato, being powerful, now has to help exorcise the girl and deal with other problems. If you liked the comedic aspects of Jujutsu Kaisen, then there's no reason to not watch this one.
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