Introduction
Hunter x Hunter stands apart from many long-running battle shonen because its fights are rarely just contests of raw strength. Nen rewards preparation, information, restrictions, and creative use of abilities, while Gon and Killua’s journey keeps moving into situations with entirely different rules and risks.
That combination makes choosing what to watch next a little more specific than simply finding another action anime. Some Hunter x Hunter fans want more tactical fights. Others miss the sense of entering an unknown world, the evolving friendship between young characters, or the way an adventurous story can suddenly become much more dangerous.
These five anime approach those strengths from different directions. The best starting point depends on whether you want more of Togashi’s style, Nen-like problem solving, dangerous exploration, long-term character growth, or a tightly connected world with a rule-based power system.
Everything below is spoiler-free.
Quick List: Best Anime Like Hunter x Hunter
- Yu Yu Hakusho — Start here if you want the closest connection to Yoshihiro Togashi’s character writing and increasingly tactical battles.
- JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure — Choose this if Nen’s rules, counters, and creative ability matchups were your favorite part.
- Made in Abyss — Best for viewers who want exploration of an unknown world where every new area brings unfamiliar dangers.
- Naruto — A strong choice for fans who want more exams, training, rivalries, teamwork, and long-term growth.
- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood — Pick this for rule-based powers, expanding conflicts, and a more tightly connected overarching story.
1. Yu Yu Hakusho
Start Here for More of Togashi’s Style
The most direct reason to try Yu Yu Hakusho after Hunter x Hunter is that both come from Yoshihiro Togashi. That connection matters beyond the creator credit: the series share an interest in contrasting personalities, unusual opponents, and battles that become more interesting when characters have to adapt rather than simply overpower each other.
If you enjoyed how Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio bring very different personalities and skills into the same story, Yu Yu Hakusho offers another memorable group built around strong character chemistry. The humor and conversations between its main characters are also an important part of the experience rather than filler between fights.
The Strongest Connection
As the combat becomes more prominent, matchups increasingly depend on individual strengths, weaknesses, and decisions. It does not use a system as detailed as Nen, but Hunter x Hunter fans who enjoy seeing characters think their way through dangerous encounters should find familiar appeal.
The biggest difference is the structure. Hunter x Hunter regularly changes locations, goals, and even the type of story being told, while Yu Yu Hakusho spends more of its energy on supernatural conflict and combat.
This is the best first choice if you want Togashi’s approach to characters and fights more than Hunter x Hunter’s exploration-heavy worldbuilding.
2. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
If Nen Battles Were the Highlight
One of Nen’s biggest strengths is that knowing an opponent’s ability can matter as much as having a stronger ability yourself. Conditions, limitations, range, timing, and unexpected applications can completely change a fight.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a strong next choice for that specific reason. As its ability-based battles develop, many confrontations revolve around identifying what an opponent can do, understanding the rules, and finding an unconventional way around an apparent disadvantage.
Instead of asking, “Who has the bigger attack?” the more useful question is often, “How does this ability actually work?”
What Feels Very Different
JoJo has a much more exaggerated identity than Hunter x Hunter. Its visual presentation, dialogue, poses, humor, and character behavior can feel deliberately theatrical, so viewers looking for Hunter x Hunter’s more restrained presentation may need time to adjust.
The tradeoff is worthwhile if tactical ability matchups were your favorite part of Nen. Among these five recommendations, JoJo provides the clearest alternative for viewers who enjoy rules, counters, deception, and creative problem solving inside battles.
3. Made in Abyss
For the Sense of Entering the Unknown
Hunter x Hunter becomes especially compelling when its characters enter places where they do not fully understand the environment, its rules, or the people they may encounter. Made in Abyss takes that feeling and makes exploration itself the central attraction.
The Abyss is not simply a fantasy backdrop. Traveling deeper means learning about unfamiliar environments, creatures, hazards, and restrictions. Discovery therefore carries both excitement and genuine risk.
If one of your favorite things about Hunter x Hunter was wondering what might exist beyond the next destination, Made in Abyss offers the strongest exploration-focused option on this list.
Know the Difference Before Watching
The main difference is where the tension comes from. Hunter x Hunter frequently uses battles, competitions, and character confrontations, while Made in Abyss places much more emphasis on the dangers of the environment and the cost of exploration.
Its tone can also become considerably heavier than its character designs initially suggest.
This may not be the best match if you mainly want another traditional battle shonen. It is much better suited to viewers who enjoyed Hunter x Hunter’s dangerous worldbuilding and its ability to move from wonder into genuine tension.
4. Naruto
For More Training, Exams, and Rivalries
If the Hunter Exam and the early stages of Gon and Killua’s development were major reasons you enjoyed Hunter x Hunter, Naruto is one of the easiest connections to make.
Young ninja are placed in teams, tested through increasingly demanding situations, trained to improve specific abilities, and pushed by both allies and competitors. Character relationships therefore develop alongside combat skills rather than existing separately from them.
The Growth Is the Main Reason to Watch
Naruto gives training, rivalry, teamwork, and long-term improvement more consistent emphasis than several other choices on this list. Viewers who enjoy watching young characters discover their strengths, confront weaknesses, and measure themselves against peers have plenty to follow.
The combat can involve tactics and specialized techniques, but it is not structured exactly like Nen. Hunter x Hunter often focuses heavily on restrictions, conditions, and unusual matchups, while Naruto is more closely tied to the familiar rhythms of a long-running battle shonen.
Choose Naruto if Gon and Killua’s growth, friendship, competition, and progression through tests and challenges mattered more to you than the technical details of Nen itself.
5. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
For Rule-Based Powers and a Tighter Story
Hunter x Hunter fans often appreciate that Nen has boundaries. An ability is more interesting because of what the user can and cannot do, and those rules influence decisions during conflicts.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood offers a different system but shares that preference for abilities that operate within established principles. Alchemy is not simply unlimited magic; its rules matter to the characters and to the choices they make.
The series also combines action with travel, political tension, mystery, and conflicts involving multiple groups. That makes it a strong choice for viewers who liked watching Hunter x Hunter expand beyond a simple adventure premise.
Where the Experience Changes
The most important difference is narrative structure. Hunter x Hunter can feel deliberately unpredictable as each major arc introduces a new location, objective, and style of conflict.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is more tightly organized around a central story, with characters and events increasingly connecting as that story develops.
That makes it particularly suitable for Hunter x Hunter fans who want a defined power system and a large world, but prefer a more unified long-form narrative.
Which Anime Should You Watch First?
There is no need to look for one series that copies every part of Hunter x Hunter. A more useful question is: Which part of Hunter x Hunter do you most want your next anime to preserve?
If You Mainly Miss Togashi’s Characters and Battle Writing
Start with Yu Yu Hakusho.
It has the strongest creative connection to Hunter x Hunter and is the most natural first step if character chemistry and increasingly tactical confrontations were your priorities.
If Nen Was Your Favorite Part
Watch JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.
It does not recreate Nen, but it consistently rewards understanding unusual abilities, recognizing conditions, and finding counters rather than relying only on greater power.
If You Want Another Dangerous Journey Into the Unknown
Choose Made in Abyss.
It moves away from battle-shonen structure, but it captures the excitement of exploring a world where new discoveries can also introduce new dangers.
If Gon and Killua’s Growth Was the Main Appeal
Try Naruto.
Training, exams, teammates, rivals, and gradual improvement are major parts of the experience, making it better for viewers who want another long character journey.
If You Want Powers, Worldbuilding, and a More Connected Plot
Go with Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.
It combines clearly defined abilities with a broad cast and expanding conflict while keeping its central narrative more tightly connected than Hunter x Hunter.
FAQ
Which anime has battles most similar to Hunter x Hunter’s Nen fights?
From this list, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is the strongest choice if you specifically want battles built around unusual abilities, rules, counters, and tactical problem solving.
The systems are very different, but both can make understanding an opponent more important than simply overpowering them.
Which recommendation is best if I liked Hunter x Hunter’s exploration?
Try Made in Abyss if discovery and the danger of entering unknown territory were your priorities. Its story places exploration and the rules of its environment much closer to the center.
If you want exploration combined with a more traditional shonen structure, Naruto may be an easier transition.
Should Hunter x Hunter fans watch Yu Yu Hakusho first?
It is the most logical starting point if Yoshihiro Togashi’s character interactions and battle writing were what you enjoyed most.
If Nen’s detailed tactical mechanics matter more to you than the creator connection, however, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure may be the better first choice.
Related Anime Recommendations
- Anime Like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
- Anime Like One Piece: 5 Anime to Watch Next
- Anime Like Jujutsu Kaisen: 5 Anime to Watch Next
- Best Shonen Anime to Watch: 5 Great Series
Conclusion
Hunter x Hunter works because its strongest elements reinforce one another: Gon and Killua keep growing, the world keeps introducing unfamiliar rules, and fights often demand more thought than raw power.
For the closest continuation of Togashi’s character and combat sensibilities, Yu Yu Hakusho is the best place to start. If Nen’s tactical structure was the main attraction, move to JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure instead; if the thrill of entering dangerous unknown territory mattered more, Made in Abyss is the more focused choice.
Naruto is better for viewers who want another long journey built around training, rivals, and friendships, while Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is the strongest option for those who want defined powers and broad worldbuilding inside a more tightly connected story.