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.

Yu-Gi-Oh!
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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

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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.