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Anime like Sword Art Online

These 12 shows score most like Sword Art Online (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 Sword Art Online.

The short answer

If you liked Sword Art Online, start with Bleach (6.55 out of 10) — the closest match to it on the Anime Codex six-criterion rubric.

Bleach
Loved Sword Art Online? Start here
Bleach
Shared strengths in cultural impact and animation — same Shonen demographic.
Bleach
6.55
Bleach
2004Top: Cultural 8.5

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

Solo Leveling
6.45
Solo Leveling
2024Top: Cultural 9.0

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

Soul Eater
6.38
Soul Eater
2008Top: Animation 8.0

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

Ranma ½
6.22
Ranma ½
1989Top: Cultural 8.0

Shared strength in cultural impact — same Shonen demographic.

InuYasha
6.53
InuYasha
2000Top: Cultural 8.0

Shared strength in cultural impact — same Shonen demographic.

Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji)
6.55
Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji)
2008Top: Animation 7.5

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

Kaiju No. 8
6.82
Kaiju No. 8
2024Top: Animation 7.8

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

Urusei Yatsura
6.93
Urusei Yatsura
2022Top: Cultural 9.0

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

Kakegurui
6.40
Kakegurui
2017Top: Animation 7.5

Shared strength in animation — same Shonen demographic.

Fairy Tail
6.25
Fairy Tail
2009Top: Cultural 7.5

Shared strength in cultural impact — same Shonen demographic.

The Seven Deadly Sins
6.60
The Seven Deadly Sins
2014Top: Animation 7.2

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

Mashle: Magic and Muscles
5.63
Mashle: Magic and Muscles
2023Top: Animation 7.0

Shared strength in animation — same Shonen demographic, same studio.

Related rankings

Best Shonen animeBest anime by A-1 PicturesBest 2010s anime

Keep exploring

Anime like BleachAnime like Solo LevelingAnime like Soul EaterAnime like Ranma ½Anime like InuYashaAnime like Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji)

FAQ

What anime is most like Sword Art Online?
Bleach (6.55) tops the list as the closest match to Sword Art Online on the Anime Codex rubric. Shared strengths in cultural impact and animation — same Shonen demographic.
How are "anime like Sword Art Online" picks chosen?
Each show is scored on six criteria. We rank every other title by how close its six-criterion profile is to Sword Art Online, preferring the same demographic — so the matches share what actually made Sword Art Online good, not just surface tags.