10 Best Shows Like Black Butler That You Should Watching Update 03/2024

Shows Like Black Butler

The gothic horror subgenre emerged in the late 1800s. We had Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Dracula by Bram Stoker, the stories of Edgar Allan Poe and Lord Byron, and the infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper amongst other great works of literature.. Using these literary and historical references as inspiration, Yana Toboso created a baroque London setting for Black Butler, complete with intriguing characters, stunning visuals, a memorable soundtrack, and just the right amount of suspense and humor to keep audiences engaged.

When Sebastian, a devilishly handsome butler (excuse the tasteless pun), falls in love with Earl Phantomhive, the owner of a huge toy company and the Queen’s underdog, their master-servant relationship begins to unravel. It’s impossible to deny that Sebastian is the pinnacle of perfection and the reason why Black Butler has become so popular. It’s hard to believe that he’s a demon despite his stunning good looks, impressive abilities, refined sense of humor, and affinity for cats. He must serve and fight faithfully for Ciel until he exacts vengeance on those who have wronged him (in exchange for his soul).

The following list is sure to please anyone who enjoys a good mystery, an entertaining relationship between a strong servant and a weaker, younger master, or just some good eye candy. The following list has something for everyone.

1. Pandora Hearts

Pandora Hearts

In the midst of Oz Vessalius’ coming-of-age ceremony, the heir to the Vessalius Duke House is sent to the Abyss, where life forms known as Chains live. Unless these entities enter into contracts with humans, they will be unable to exist in the real world. There he meets Alice, a Chain who agrees to return him to the real world if he fulfills his end of the bargain. Together with Pandora’s members, they search for Alice’s missing memory fragments, learn about the mysteries of the Abyss, and try to figure out if they can get out of this contract alive.

Both shows feature arrogant and snobbish young adults named Ciel and Oz, who come from affluent families in historical London and have a close bond with their servants. There is a dark plot running through both shows, in which the boys enter into contracts with otherworldly creatures who possess supernatural abilities and have enigmatic personalities. Despite the similarities in setting and atmosphere, Kuroshitsuji is significantly darker than Pandora Hearts. It has more comic relief and is less dark in the eyes than Kuroshitsuji’s heavily gothic elements, but they both have a lot of great humor, eccentric characters, and the occasional fanservice between the master and servant.

2. Nabari no Ou

Miharu is a carefree 14-year-old boy who is apathetic and quiet. Without his knowledge, he holds the Shinrabanshou, a powerful technique that many ninja clans strive to obtain in order to become Nabari’s king. To ensure his survival in the face of countless attacks and kidnapping attempts, Miharu teams up with his friends who have vowed to protect him. Through this process, he learns to control his power and moves closer to becoming the ruler of Nabari.

Nabari no Ou, despite its style, will remind you of Kuroshitsuji because of the similarities between Ciel and Miharu’s personalities. Yoite and Miharu’s romance will certainly suit your fancy if you enjoy characters who appear apathetic and emotionless and who have older characters protecting them. Additionally, both plots revolve around a contractual relationship, and it’s worth noting that the character designs for Yoite and Sebastian share a similar vibe.

3. Makai Ouji: Devils and Realist

Makai Ouji Devils and Realist

Willie Twining is a wealthy nobleman with a sharp mind who enjoys an enviable lifestyle. When he returns home, he discovers that his family has gone bankrupt and relocated. As he searches the house for anything of value left by his ancestor, he discovers an underground room where he summons a devil named Dantalion by accident. The next ruler of the demon world will be chosen by Dantalion, who now reveals to William that he is in charge of making that decision.

Rich little brats with an attitude problem are overconfident, intelligent, ambitious, and shamelessly arrogant. Contracts, demons, butlers, supernatural events with a gothic aura, and occasional fanservice and fighting scenes round out the mix nicely. If you combine the great gothic art style with the good comedy and humor elements, this pretty much sums up both shows. It’s clear that the premise of Kuroshitsuji is more sinister than that of Makai Ouji, and one major difference between the two protagonists is that William is more cynical than Ciel, which provides the overall plot with more material for jokes.

4. Gosick

In the early twentieth century, as part of a Japan-Saubure exchange program, Kazuya moves to a prestigious academy. As he wanders the library one day, Kazuya stumbles upon a botanical garden where he meets Victorique, a small blonde-haired girl with extraordinary foresight and the ability to solve even the most difficult and dangerous mysteries. They begin working on a variety of mysteries, putting their special talents to use in order to solve them.

There are a lot of mysteries and crimes to be solved in both shows set in Victorian times, but there are also horror elements sprinkled throughout the stories. Gosick has a sidekick, while Kuroshitsuji has a formidable butler (pardon the pun), but they both have a dark, brooding atmosphere, as well as stunning artwork that is strikingly similar. Look no further than this anime for an experience similar to Kuroshitsuji, but with a loli tsundere instead of a hot butler!

5. Death Note

Death Note

Light Yagami is the protagonist of the story, who discovers a black notebook labeled Death Note. According to the writing on the book’s pages, whoever’s name is found there will perish. He takes it upon himself to purge the world of evil with the help of the death god Ryuk, but his actions will not go unopposed.

Death Note is well-known to anyone who has read Kuroshitsuji, but just in case, I’m writing this for the stragglers among you. If you don’t immediately see the similarities between these two, it’s because they both have a dark atmosphere with mysteries and detectives as well as supernatural entities acting as central characters in their stories. Despite the fact that their stories take place in vastly different eras, Ryuk and Light have a connection that is reminiscent of Sebastian and Ciel. If you exclude the fanservice between Light and Ryuk, the dynamic between the two duos is very similar. You have no idea who is good and who is bad.

Manga, anime, film, and television adaptations of Death Note character Light Yagami

6. Hellsing

Hellsing is a group dedicated to eradicating the vampire menace that has spread throughout the world. Alucard, a vampire, is the organization’s best agent and reports directly to Integra Hellsing, the group’s leader. Until he takes pity on a young girl named Seras and accepts her as a new member of the organization, no one has any idea who this mysterious figure is fighting the dark arts.

Hellsing resembles Kuroshitsuji in that it is more violent and somber. As a result of their incredible fighting skills and supernatural abilities, Alucard and Sebastian share a lot in common with each other, making them a strikingly similar pair. Given that he is a good deal older than Kuroshitsuji, one could compare Alucard to Sebastian’s paternal grandfather. Integra and Ciel have similar personalities in that they both come from hardworking families and are unyielding in their pursuit of their goals no matter what it takes. Hellsing, on the other hand, has a darker, bloodier tone, but regardless of the differences in tone, if you enjoy one, you’ll enjoy the other as well.

7. D.Gray-man

D.Gray-man

An akuma is a soul that has been resurrected by Millenium Earl using sadness and despair. Those who belong to the Black Order have vowed to purify the akuma’s souls and gather the ephemeral substance known as ‘innocence,’ which they plan to use to do so. An exorcist named Allen Walker has been sent to the organization with the mission of stopping the Millennium Earl. Allen has an arm that represents his innocence and a cursed eye that sees the suffering souls of Akuma.

Kuroshitsuji’s focus is on uncovering the truth behind Ciel’s tragic past, whereas D. Gray-man is on the lookout for a way to thwart a global conspiracy that threatens to end the world as we know it. The same Victorian era, action and comedy, demons and supernatural elements make these shows very similar even though they are quite different in general. They both have a dark, brooding tone that is rarely brightened by silly or lighthearted humor, but D.Gray-man is able to get more character and plot development due to the show’s longer episodes.

8. Inu x Boku Secret Service

A well-known and wealthy family has raised Ririchiyo Shirakiin. After being shielded her entire life, she decides to venture out on her own and moves into Maison de Ayakashi, a high-security apartment building that houses a strange population of people who are half-human and half-youkai.. Her new residence also stipulates that she must have a bodyguard with her at all times. Soushi Miketsukami, her new friend, is handsome and quiet, but he can also be creepy and overly dependent on her. It appears as though she’ll have a difficult road ahead of her.

Ririchiyo is a terrible communicator with a venomous tongue she can’t control. What about that annoying little brat Ciel comes to mind? They’re both about a demon who serves a child from a wealthy family, but Inu x Boku SS features a romantic relationship between the servant and the master, whereas in Ririchiyo, the servant is a youkai. Both feature supernatural events and contracts to achieve “greater goals,” but InuxBokuSS is more lighthearted and humorous than Kuroshitsuji. (which is perhaps a little bit darker).

9. Darker Than Black

Darker Than Black

While on various missions to bring the Contractors under control and learn more about the “Hell’s Gate,” a Chinese contractor codenamed “Hei,” a member of the Foreign Affairs Public Security, is featured in the narrative.

I’m not sure why these shows remind me of one another to this day. Most likely as a result of the fact that Hei and Sebastian have a lot in common. Although the shows are set in different time periods and have different charismatic male leads with supernatural powers, the character designs and exciting action sequences in both shows will be to your liking. A great deal of mystery surrounds each show, and you could say that both are thematically concerned with determining the meaning of being human and distinguishing good from bad.

10. Loveless

12-year-old Red Ritsuka has lost both his memories and the love of his mother. One of his only allies had been brutally assassinated: his older brother. It happens to him on the first day of college. Agatsuma Soubi approaches him, claiming to have known his late brother. Ritsuka learns that Agatsuma and his brother used to be rivals and that Agatsuma has inherited Ritsuga as a result of his brother’s death. Ritsuka is shocked. They work together to uncover the truth about his brother’s death.

First and foremost, Loveless is a shounen-ai title, so if you aren’t into that sort of subject matter, you might want to skip it altogether.. Despite the fact that Kuroshitsuji isn’t shounen-ai, the romance between Ciel and Sebastian will have you thinking of Ritsuka and Soubi’s relationship. Aside from their divergent stories, the protagonists in both films seem to share some traits. As they have lost their families and are searching for answers or vengeance, Ciel and Ritsuka are the same age, stubborn, tough, and determined. Similarities abound between Soubi and Sebastian: they’re both cool heads with strong personalities who are also loyal and obedient. The only difference between Sebastian and Soubi is that Sebastian is a butler with a darker demeanor. Because of their shared trauma, the two main characters in these stories form an unbreakable bond, and while Loveless attempts to show an ambiguous take on what it means to be loved, Kuroshitsujias does an excellent job of showing the true nature of humanity.