Anime Codex
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Anime like Dragon Ball

These 12 shows score most like Dragon Ball (Shonen) across all six Codex criteria — not just same-genre guesses, but the closest matches on the actual rubric. Ranked by how near their criterion profile sits to Dragon Ball.

The short answer

If you liked Dragon Ball, start with Yu-Gi-Oh! (6.60 out of 10) — the closest match to it on the Anime Codex six-criterion rubric.

Yu-Gi-Oh!
Loved Dragon Ball? Start here
Yu-Gi-Oh!
Shared strengths in cultural impact and world-building — same Shonen demographic.
Yu-Gi-Oh!
6.60
Yu-Gi-Oh!
2000Top: Cultural 9.0

Shared strengths in cultural impact and world-building — same Shonen demographic.

Captain Tsubasa
6.68
Captain Tsubasa
1983Top: Cultural 9.5

Shared strengths in cultural impact and world-building — same Shonen demographic.

Detective Conan (Case Closed)
6.55
Detective Conan (Case Closed)
1996Top: Cultural 9.0

Shared strengths in cultural impact and storytelling — same Shonen demographic.

Bleach
6.55
Bleach
2004Top: Cultural 8.5

Shared strengths in cultural impact and world-building — same Shonen demographic.

Saint Seiya
7.11
Saint Seiya
1986Top: Cultural 9.0

Shared strengths in cultural impact and world-building — same Shonen demographic, same studio.

Fist of the North Star
7.05
Fist of the North Star
1984Top: Cultural 9.0

Shared strengths in cultural impact and storytelling — same Shonen demographic, same studio.

Urusei Yatsura
6.93
Urusei Yatsura
2022Top: Cultural 9.0

Shared strengths in cultural impact and world-building — same Shonen demographic.

Dr. Slump
6.88
Dr. Slump
1981Top: Cultural 8.5

Shared strengths in cultural impact and world-building — same Shonen demographic, same studio.

Naruto
7.28
Naruto
2007Top: Cultural 9.5

Shared strengths in cultural impact and world-building — same Shonen demographic.

Astro Boy (Tetsuwan Atom)
6.87
Astro Boy (Tetsuwan Atom)
1963Top: Cultural 10.0

Shared strengths in cultural impact and world-building — same Shonen demographic.

The Kindaichi Case Files
7.10
The Kindaichi Case Files
1997Top: Story 8.0

Shared strengths in cultural impact and storytelling — same Shonen demographic, same studio.

KochiKame: Tokyo Beat Cops
6.70
KochiKame: Tokyo Beat Cops
1996Top: Cultural 8.0

Shared strengths in cultural impact and world-building — same Shonen demographic.

Related rankings

Best Shonen animeBest anime by Toei AnimationBest 1980s anime

Keep exploring

Anime like Yu-Gi-Oh!Anime like Captain TsubasaAnime like Detective Conan (Case Closed)Anime like BleachAnime like Saint SeiyaAnime like Fist of the North Star

FAQ

What anime is most like Dragon Ball?
Yu-Gi-Oh! (6.60) tops the list as the closest match to Dragon Ball on the Anime Codex rubric. Shared strengths in cultural impact and world-building — same Shonen demographic.
How are "anime like Dragon Ball" picks chosen?
Each show is scored on six criteria. We rank every other title by how close its six-criterion profile is to Dragon Ball, preferring the same demographic — so the matches share what actually made Dragon Ball good, not just surface tags.