10 Masterpiece Anime Every Marvel And DC Fan Has To Watch At Least Once

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Chainsaw Man Denji and Kaiju No. 8 Kafka Featured Image

Published Oct 17, 2026, 11:30 PM EDT

Casandra Ronning is a staff writer for Screen Rant's anime section. Since mid-2024, she has dedicated herself to expanding her knowledge and experience in the entertainment industry. She is most proud of conducting an exclusive interview with popular voice actor Stephanie Nadolny.

Fans of Marvel and DC often enjoy superhero stories or action-packed series that quickly hook their attention. Comics house some of the greatest stories ever told, but for fans looking for a different medium, whether for a change of pace or simply to explore something new, anime is arguably one of the best places to start.

Anime spans every genre imaginable, ensuring there’s a series for everyone to enjoy. However, fans of DC and Marvel Comics looking for similar action-packed, in-depth narratives will find shōnen, supernatural, or superhero titles among the most natural starting points. Yet, with hundreds of titles to choose from, finding a series that aligns with certain interests could be difficult, but the following anime stand as excellent picks for comic fans.

Bungo Stray Dogs

Bungo Stray Dogs centers on a young man named Atsushi Nakajima. He’s an orphan who unexpectedly discovers that he has the ability to transform into a white tiger, driving him to join the Armed Detective Agency in Yokohama, an organization filled with other gifted investigators who take on cases that are beyond the police’s capabilities.

The series is packed with action and morally complex characters, giving it a highly distinctive identity among other seinen shows. While the first season kicks the story off at a slower pace, later seasons stand as thrilling and engaging, creating a story that viewers won’t regret investing their time in. As a supernatural thriller, Bungo Stray Dogs stands as a worthy addition to anyone’s watchlist.

Psyren

Psyren is a newly released anime series that debuted on October 5, 2026, based on the manga of the same name, first published in 2007. It follows high school student Ageha Yoshina, whose search for a missing classmate leads him into a deadly game in an apocalyptic future. There, he and his classmate must travel through a dangerous wasteland to reach the escape point before they lose their lives.

As the story unfolds, it gradually grows into a higher-stakes fight for the future of humanity itself, adding tension and suspense to the story. Beyond that, it stands out for its unique power system and intense battles, making it perfect for fans of complex, superpowered sci-fi epics.

Tiger & Bunny

Taking place in the futuristic Stern Bild City, Tiger & Bunny centers around superpowered crime-fighters known as NEXT, who protect the public while competing on a televised program called Hero TV. When veteran hero Kotetsu T. Kaburagi, known as Wild Tiger, is partnered with ambitious newcomer Barnaby Brooks Jr., their opposing ideologies clash, making their pairing an uneasy one.

Tiger & Bunny is perfect for fans of buddy-cop dynamics and is packed with action and humor. It also stands out for its exploration of commercialized heroism, corporate manipulation, and what it truly means to be a hero. Beyond that, the anime doesn’t shy away from heavier themes and complex social commentary, making it a well-rounded, superhero series.

One-Punch Man (Season 1)

Saitama flying through the sky in One-Punch Man

One-Punch Man follows Saitama, a hero so powerful that he defeats every challenger with a single punch. Rather than feeling thrilled or accomplished after achieving the power he sought and trained for, Saitama finds that his immense strength makes life disappointingly monotonous and lacking. Even so, he and his disciple, Genos, join the Hero Association, where they earn rankings and fight against various opponents.

The first season in particular stands out as a must-watch. When it was first aired in 2015, it took the world by storm, quickly gaining popularity for its humor, subversion of tropes, and heavily relatable moments. While later seasons unfortunately don’t live up to the original’s standards, the first season still stands out as a must-watch experience.

To Be Hero X

To Be Hero X takes place in a world where public trust determines a hero’s strength, powers, status, and even their appearance, capabilities, and personality. It’s an anthology that follows the top ten heroes and their lives before a tournament that takes place every two years to determine which among them will earn the title of X, the top hero.

To Be Hero X is a Chinese animated series that stands out for its experimental style, switching from 3D animation to various 2D styles, and its non-linear storytelling structure. On the surface, it appears to be a lighthearted superhero series, but gradually exposes a far darker underbelly as the heroes find themselves caught between public expectations and behind-the-scenes manipulations.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes

Taking place several years before the start of the main series, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes centers on college student Koichi Haimawari as he uses his quirk to help people without an official hero license. Alongside his newfound allies, Pop Step and Knuckleduster, he soon becomes a crime fighter and investigator, taking on cases that pro heroes often overlook.

In comparison to the original series, Vigilantes is darker and grittier, exploring the universe from a street-level perspective. Beyond expanding the world and offering a less straightforward portrayal of heroism, the series also stands out for its thrilling backstories of major characters in My Hero Academia, including Shota Aizawa and the Hero Killer Stain.

Chainsaw Man

Denji holding a chainsaw while Pochita rests on his shoulder, in front of a paint-splattered background.

Chainsaw Man follows Denji, an impoverished young man whose life changes when his companion, the devil Pochita, merges with his body after a fatal encounter with the Zombie Devil. He’s recruited by government devil hunters, giving him a place to stay and food to eat in exchange for his services in hunting down and killing devils and fiends.

On the surface, the series stands out for its crude humor and chaotic action with intense graphic violence. However, the story and its characters are far deeper and much more relatable than audiences might initially think. It explores trauma, exploitation, connection, and autonomy in ways that leave a long-lasting impression, making it an incredibly worthwhile experience.

Kaiju No. 8

Unlike most anime series that follow younger protagonists, Kaiju No. 8 stands out for centering on Kafka Hibino, a 32-year-old worker who believed his dream of joining the Defense Force was beyond his reach. However, when he learns the Defense Force’s enrollment age limit has been raised to 33 and he unexpectedly gains the ability to transform into a kaiju himself, he can finally join the team, giving him a chance to fulfill a childhood promise while hiding the truth about his transformation.

From the very first episode, it captures viewers' attention and doesn’t let go...

The series subverts multiple tropes and stands out for its exploration of ambition, regrets, second chances, and perseverance. From the very first episode, it captures viewers' attention and doesn’t let go, pulling audiences along its intense battles and thrilling plot twists. Beyond the central hero, the supporting cast also gets meaningful arcs and moments to shine, keeping the viewing experience well-rounded and never dull.

Mob Psycho 100

Mob Psycho 100 follows Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama, a reserved middle school boy with extraordinary psychic abilities who just wants to fit in. He works part-time for Reigen Arataka, a con man and self-proclaimed spirit expert with no actual abilities, where Mob takes on various supernatural threats as he struggles to understand his own emotions.

Easily one of the greatest anime of all time, Mob Psycho 100 is a definitive must-watch. It’s filled with both humor and heart alongside its action elements, making it a deeply rewarding experience for any viewer. While the animation may not seem impressive on the surface, it also houses some of the most cinematic animated sequences that can’t be missed.

My Hero Academia

My Hero Academia is a modern shōnen series that centers on Izuku Midoriya, a young boy born without a quirk in a world where the vast majority of the population has a unique power or skill. His dream of becoming a pro hero seems out of reach until the world’s greatest hero chooses him to inherit his immense power, pushing Midoriya to enroll at U.A. High, where he trains alongside other aspiring heroes as a growing villain threat begins to emerge.

From the Slime Villain to the Final War · Eight Questions How Well Do You Know My Hero Academia? “Plus Ultra!”

🏫U.A. HighClass 1-A

🧡All MightSymbol of Peace

💥BakugoDIE!!! (affectionately)

❄️Half-Cold Half-HotTodoroki Shoto

👻League of VillainsDecay incarnate

GO BEYOND →

My Hero Academia’s protagonist is a Quirkless boy in a Quirk-saturated world who dreams of becoming a hero. Bakugo derisively nicknames him “Deku” (a play on the kanji for “useless”) before he eventually reclaims it as a hero name. What’s his actual name?

AIzuku Midoriya BEijiro Kirishima CTenya Iida DDenki Kaminari

✓ Correct! Izuku Midoriya. The series opens with him as a 14-year-old Quirkless middle schooler obsessively cataloguing pro heroes in his battered notebooks. The kanji for his nickname Deku (弟卜) reads as “useless” in Bakugo’s mocking context, but Uraraka points out it can also be read as “dekiru” (“you can do it”) — which is the framing he eventually adopts as his hero name.

✗ Wrong. The answer is Izuku Midoriya. Eijiro Kirishima is the red-haired Hardening Quirk user who’s Bakugo’s best friend. Tenya Iida is the engine-legged class president. Denki Kaminari is the Electrification Quirk user who short-circuits into “wheyyy” mode at his limit. Deku is Izuku Midoriya.

In the show’s opening arc, All Might passes his unique stockpile-and-transfer Quirk to Deku, making him the ninth holder of a power that has been refined across generations. Each previous holder leaves behind their own ability inside it. Name the Quirk.

AAll For One BOne For All CPlus Ultra DSymbol Quirk

✓ Correct! One For All — a Quirk created when the original Quirkless holder was given a power-stockpiling ability by his villainous brother, who would later become All For One. Each holder strengthens it before passing it on. By the time Deku inherits it, six previous wielders’ Quirks (Float, Blackwhip, Smokescreen, Fa Jin, Danger Sense and Gearshift) are also accessible from within. He’s the ninth and (initially) final user.

✗ Wrong. The answer is One For All. All For One is the antagonist Quirk — the one that steals and gives Quirks — and is also the name of the original villain who founded it. “Plus Ultra” is U.A.’s school motto. Deku’s inherited power is One For All.

Class 1-A’s perpetually-exhausted homeroom teacher is also the underground hero Eraser Head, whose Quirk lets him cancel another person’s Quirk simply by looking at them. He sleeps in a yellow caterpillar-style sleeping bag, drinks jelly pouches and is fiercely protective of his students. What’s his name?

AHizashi Yamada BShota Aizawa CToshinori Yagi DSekijiro Kan

✓ Correct! Shota Aizawa — hero name Eraser Head, civilian name perpetually-rumpled Class 1-A homeroom teacher. His capture-weapon scarf and Erasure Quirk make him one of U.A.’s most dangerous combatants in close quarters — though the Quirk only works while his eyes are open, which he uses dramatically to prep dramatic stares before unleashing. Voiced by Junichi Suwabe in Japanese and Christopher Sabat in English.

✗ Wrong. The answer is Shota Aizawa. Hizashi Yamada is Aizawa’s loud blonde best friend — the hero Present Mic. Toshinori Yagi is the civilian name of All Might. Sekijiro Kan is Class 1-B’s homeroom teacher Vlad King. Eraser Head is Aizawa.

Deku’s childhood frenemy Katsuki Bakugo is one of the franchise’s most popular characters — explosive in temperament and in Quirk. His sweat is nitroglycerine-like, ignited at his palms to produce concussive blasts. Name his Quirk (which is also the official Quirk name).

ADetonation BHellflame CExplosion DCombustion

✓ Correct! Explosion. Bakugo can secrete a nitroglycerine-like sweat from his palms and ignite it — the harder he’s sweating, the bigger the boom. His U.A. Sports Festival hero costume includes the iconic grenade-shaped gauntlets that store and release the sweat for his “Howitzer Impact” ultimate move. After much fan voting and his own multiple rejections of cute hero-name suggestions, his final hero name is Dynamight, the God of Explosive Destruction.

✗ Wrong. The answer is Explosion. Hellflame is Endeavor’s Quirk — the #1 hero post-All Might. “Detonation” and “Combustion” aren’t official Quirks. Bakugo’s sweat-into-nitroglycerine palm-ignition power is officially named Explosion.

The League of Villains is led by an unstable, severed-hand-wearing young man with a Quirk called Decay — touch with all five fingers, and matter crumbles to dust. Trained by All For One as the heir to his throne, he eventually inherits the original villain’s Quirk-stealing power. Name him.

ADabi BTomura Shigaraki CStain DKurogiri

✓ Correct! Tomura Shigaraki — born Tenko Shimura, grandson of the seventh One For All wielder Nana Shimura, raised after a tragedy by All For One himself. Decay is one of the franchise’s most terrifying Quirks (it spreads on contact and has no upper limit). After the Paranormal Liberation War arc he absorbs All For One’s power and becomes the series’ final-arc primary antagonist.

✗ Wrong. The answer is Tomura Shigaraki. Dabi is the League’s blue-flame user (and a Todoroki family secret). Stain is the “Hero Killer” ideologue who inspires the League. Kurogiri is the misty warp-gate butler. Shigaraki is the League’s leader, identifiable by the array of severed hands he wears as a self-soothing fashion choice.

All Might is the world’s top hero and the eighth holder of One For All before passing it to Deku. In his weakened civilian form — the result of a brutal injury inflicted by All For One years before the series begins — he’s a hollow-cheeked, blood-coughing teacher at U.A. What’s All Might’s civilian name?

AToshinori Yagi BEnji Todoroki CKeigo Takami DDaigoro Banjo

✓ Correct! Toshinori Yagi. The injury that left him with a perpetually-bleeding stomach wound came in his climactic fight against All For One five years before the series begins — the same fight that killed his predecessor and mentor Nana Shimura’s legacy. Toshinori’s gaunt civilian form vs. his bulked-out hero form is among anime’s most distinctive transformation gags. Voiced by Kenta Miyake in Japanese, Christopher Sabat in English.

✗ Wrong. The answer is Toshinori Yagi. Enji Todoroki is Endeavor (Shoto’s father, the new #1 hero after All Might retires). Keigo Takami is the Wing Hero Hawks. Daigoro Banjo is the fifth wielder of One For All. All Might’s civilian self is Toshinori Yagi.

My Hero Academia began serialisation in Weekly Shonen Jump in July 2014, ran for over 10 years and over 430 chapters before concluding in August 2024 — one of the defining shonen titles of the 2010s and 2020s. Name its mangaka, who has openly cited Naruto and Western superhero comics as primary influences.

ATatsuki Fujimoto BGege Akutami CKohei Horikoshi DEiichiro Oda

✓ Correct! Kohei Horikoshi. He’d previously had two short-lived Jump series (Oumagadoki Doubutsuen, Barrage) before pitching MHA, with All Might consciously designed as an Americanised Superman/Bruce Timm pastiche. The series accumulated over 100 million copies in print and ran from July 2014 to August 2024. Horikoshi is also a fervent ghibli/Western-superhero fan; he’s done illustrated tributes to Spider-Man and Batman.

✗ Wrong. The answer is Kohei Horikoshi. Tatsuki Fujimoto created Chainsaw Man and Fire Punch. Gege Akutami created Jujutsu Kaisen. Eiichiro Oda created One Piece. Horikoshi is MHA’s mangaka and was one of Weekly Shonen Jump’s headline creators throughout the 2010s.

The MHA anime adaptation has been a flagship of its production studio since the first season aired in 2016, with seven seasons, four films and a regular slot in the global streaming spotlight. The same studio is behind Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Mob Psycho 100 and Bungo Stray Dogs. Name it.

AMAPPA BStudio Bones CWit Studio DMadhouse

✓ Correct! Studio Bones (officially BONES Inc.) — the Suginami-based studio founded by ex-Sunrise producers in 1998. Bones is one of the most respected action-anime houses, with credits including Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Soul Eater, Eureka Seven, Mob Psycho 100, Cowboy Bebop: Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door and Bungo Stray Dogs. MHA has been their flagship contemporary IP since 2016.

✗ Wrong. The answer is Studio Bones. MAPPA does Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man and the final Attack on Titan seasons. Wit Studio did the early Attack on Titan seasons (1–3) before MAPPA took over, plus Vinland Saga and Spy x Family. Madhouse did One Punch Man season 1, Death Note and Hunter x Hunter (2011). MHA’s anime is Bones.

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U.A. Provisional License · Final Score Your Hero Standing

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Symbol of Peace — or still Quirkless?

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The series stands out most for its action and deeply rewarding character arcs. The characters all change and evolve from their initial appearances, delivering satisfying payoffs and unforgettable moments that often resonate with viewers. Paired with its themes of saving others and being saved, My Hero Academia stands as a must-watch superhero anime.

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