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Exorcisms are hot right now in anime — though, to be fair, they always have been. Killing demons and banishing some spirits back to where they belong is often an interesting sight. Exorcism anime tend to blend action and horror in that regard due to the manner of their subject matter. And when two genres coexist well in one medium, it's always a treat for the viewers.

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If said anime has awesome visuals and takes away plenty from other successful titles, then that's all the more reason to watch it. Jujutsu Kaisen is one such anime and admittedly a simple formula where people from all walks of life risk their lives to exorcise some uglies. Too bad that one's ending but fret not, as there are more anime about exorcism to maintain the momentum.

Updated on October 2, 2022, by Sid Natividad: Jujutsu Kaisen ended its first season on March 27, 2021. The anime was a success, comfortably ranking among the best shows of both 2020 and 2021. A second season has yet to be announced, although it seems unlikely that MAPPA will opt against continuing this story considering Jujutsu Kaisen's popularity. While this show covered the topic better than most, Jujutsu Kaisen was hardly the first property to tackle exorcism; in fact, the subject often comes up in anime and western media. The wait for more adventures starring Yuji Itadori might prove to be a rather long one, so what better way to pass the time than by checking out some of the best anime about exorcists?

Now, with Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 just around the corner, it's high time to take a look back at what makes exorcism such an action-packed sub-genre in anime. It's mostly thanks to the anime themselves that feature humans and their war with demons, ghosts, and other paranormal beings. These binge-worthy anime about exorcism ought to prepare you for more of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2's upcoming action.

20 Jujutsu Kaisen

Scene from action-adventure anime Jujutsu Kaiser. The main character Itadori prepares for an attack.
Scene from action-adventure anime Jujutsu Kaiser. The main character Itadori prepares for an attack.

For anyone who loves Naruto, Bleach, Fairy Tale, and most other tried-and-tested shonen anime, then Jujutsu Kaisen is the end result of such pop-culture overload. It makes many pages from other anime and puts its own twist on top of insane action and animation.

The result is everything you love in shonen but still relatively fresh. Jujutsu Kaisen's plot and premise are also simple; a young man named Itadori Yuji was compelled to become a vessel for an old godlike demon or curse. From there on, it's up to Itadori to use his newfound powers for good, but the catch is that he'll have to kick the bucket someday after becoming too powerful. The journey's certainly fun, though.

19 Dororo (Reboot)

Hyakkimaru from Dororo

The original Dororo was an interesting tale of vengeance, but it lacked the dark ominousness the show needed to convey the struggles of its protagonists. Thankfully, the 2019 reboot changed the tone. It's a tale about a young disabled man named Hyakkimaru whose body parts were consumed and kept hostage by demons after his father sacrificed him.

Hyakkimaru, with the help of prosthetics and his newfound friend and companion, Dororo, must now set out to slay the very demons who took his body parts. The premise alone makes this demon-slaying show worth watching; one doesn't see exciting formulas like that these days.

18 Twin Star Exorcists

Twin Star Exorcists image (1)

Twin Star Exorcists tells a standard story about a couple of young and talented exorcists whose job is to purge the impurities of Magano, a parallel realm full of monsters and demons. A prophecy foretells of a fabled pair of talented exorcists who will cleanse Magano of all its impurities.

Apparently, this prophecy falls into the laps of prodigies Benio and Rokuro. The two must set aside their differences and work together in order to fulfill their prophecy or perish and fail in their destiny.

17 Kyoukai no Rinne

Rinne anime image

For something a little more lighthearted compared to the usual high-octane exorcism, Kyoukai no Rinne, or just Rin-Ne in English, offers a comedic change of scenery. It's about the titular character whose still in high school, but instead of sports or school clubs, his extracurricular activities involve helping spirits get to the other side.

Due to this, Rinne often doesn't have money for his necessities and finds himself gradually failing at school. To make matters worse, Rinne also has an esper classmate who claims that only she can see him, leading both to believe that Rinne might be a ghost. The whole anime deals with their misadventures and efforts to learn about Rinne's true nature.

16 Nisemonogatari

Nisemonogatari image (1)

The Monogatari series is filled with plenty of supernatural stuff, but exorcism was at its height during the Nisemonogatari chapter in the show. This lighthearted comedy with plenty of fan service tackles exorcism like some kind of side dish since it involves several girls surviving spiritual entities and vampire attacks.

At the heart of it, all is Koyomi Araragi, who, in this chapter, gets kidnapped and tied up by his own girlfriend as some kind of elaborate plot to keep him safe. At times, the whole anime can feel directionless and pointless, but that's its whole schtick with some exorcism sprinkled in.

15 Ushio and Tora

Ushio and Tora anime image (1)

Ushio and Tora portray a story similar to that of Jujutsu Kaisen. It's about a young man who reluctantly has to rely on an old evil being in order to save people (initially just his family). This all began after Ushio, the young man in question, happened upon an imprisoned demon named Tora in his father's temple.

Ushio had to release this destructive demon in order to save his family due to a youkai outbreak. In order to keep Tora in check, Ushio kept the imprisonment spear nearby as the two, and their unlikely alliance waged war against the youkai of the spiritual realm.

14 Zenki

Zenki anime image (1)

Speaking of old, imprisoned demons, there's plenty of that in Zenki. This old classic follows the adventures of Chiaki and her shaman family as they hunt evil using evil itself, namely a tamed demon lord named Zenki. Their family struck a one-sided deal with Zenki long ago to keep the demon fed with the spirits of his defeated kind.

It just so happens that these spirits were mobilizing en masse in the modern world, so they once again needed Zenki's help with the purge. This classic 1990s anime action is filled with some old signature tropes that ought to be a nostalgic trip for many anime fans.

13 The Morose Mononokean

Morose Mononokean - Ashiya and Abeno

One day, Hanae Ashiya finds himself in a rather sticky situation; apparently, a demon has latched onto the high schooler, making him sick. Luckily for Hanae, an exorcist, Haruitsuki Abeno, happens to be a student at his school. Naturally, this sparks a strained but ultimately beautiful friendship.

Split into two seasons; The Morose Mononokean is less action-driven than something like Jujutsu Kaisen, as the anime's focus is primarily on world and character building. The series also appreciates a good laugh, particularly in its first season. While a bit slow-paced, The Morose Mononokean is a pretty fun series, with Haruitsuki being a great protagonist. Hanae is more of an acquired taste.

12 Mononoke

Mononoke - medicine seller

Mononoke is an artful mystery series that expertly utilizes unsettling visuals and sound design to create a constant sense of discomfort. Split into five arcs; each one revolves around the Medicine Seller, a being who investigates cases where a spirit has attached itself to a human. In order to exorcise the Mononoke, the Medicine Seller must learn its Form, Truth, and Reason.

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Mononoke dives deep into the possessed humans, exploring the situations and emotions that led to the spirit's arrival. The anime's fluid structure allows it to play around with its settings, themes, and pacing – creating a show that never ceases to surprise, terrify, and captivate.

11 Beyond The Boundary

Beyond The Boundary Akihito, Mirai

Meet cutes do not typically involve one character stabbing their future partner with a sword, but love works in mysterious ways. Beyond the Boundary is a bit all over the place; a hodgepodge of (great) action, (silly) humor, (depressing) backstories, and (awkward but ultimately likable) romance.

The action part comes courtesy of Mirai's role as a Spirit World Warrior, which means she fights youmu to keep the clueless humans safe. While these spirits are born from negative emotions, they are not necessarily evil or dangerous; however, some do need to be taken out.

10 Chrono Crusade

Rosette and Chrono from the Order of Magdalene

A somewhat forgotten anime from the early 2000s, Chrono Crusade very much feels like a product of its time, although that is not necessarily a bad thing. The anime centers around Sister Rosette, an exorcist, and Chrono, a neutered demon who partners up with the nun. Together, they set out to find and hopefully rescue Rosette's brother, Joshua; in the meantime, they also have to exorcise a lot of demons.

Although not without moments of levity courtesy of Rosette, Chrono Crusade frequently gets dark and depressing. The anime's religious iconography also gives it a unique edge, something the series explores quite well.

9 Demon Slayer

Tanjiro fighting Rui in Demon Slayer

Demon Slayer is another straightforward anime involving, well, demons and their slayers. The basic plot is made more interesting thanks to the demon slayer protagonist and his demon sister, both of whom defy the stereotypes and conventions of their kind.

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That demon slayer is Tanjiro Kamado, and his sister is Nezuko. The problem is, Nezuko didn't even choose to become a demon. So it's up to his good brother Tanjiro to enlist the help of the Demon Slayer corps to rid Nezuko of her disposition.

8 Gensoumaden Saiyuuki

anime-series-like-saiyuki

An oldie but goodie this one, Gensoumaden Saiyuki has a lot in common with Jujutsu Kaisen, except it focuses more on the exploits of its four protagonists. All four of them are led by Sanzou Genjou, a warrior monk who's also a reincarnation of the god Konzen Douji.

Sanzou, however, isn't your particular priest or protagonist. He's apathetic and cranky, but who wouldn't be if they're tasked to prevent the resurrection of a great demon who wants to disrupt the peace between demons and humans? It doesn't help that Sanzou's three companions are headaches for him.

7 Blue Exorcist

A bunch of characters stand together with the backdrop of a sky in Blue Exorcist

Blue Exorcist isn't unlike Jujutsu Kaisen. It's about a boy or young man who suddenly becomes special after finding out his link to a demonic being. In this case, the boy would be Rin Okumura. He's a regular teenager; angsty, rebellious, and loud.

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In short, he's the perfect candidate for Satan's son. That's not a joke; Satan literally wants to take over the world in this one and needs a host. However, Rin figured that he didn't need to follow that path, so he did the exact opposite of what Satan wanted and became an exorcist. Hooray for Satan's lack of foresight.

6 Kekkaishi

kekkaishi anime scene

Kekkaishi is another exorcism anime with a straightforward premise. It features a boy named Yoshimura Sumimura, who comes from a long line of exorcists that defend a town from demons with a fancier name than usual.

The conflict is that Yoshimura would rather do cakes than demons. Too bad he couldn't escape predeterminism since his hometown is the favorite hangout and buffet spot of the said demons. Luckily, Yoshimura has formed an alliance with a friend from a rival clan in order to fight off the troublemakers so he can get back to his cake boss dreams.

5 Mushishi

mushishi anime

Mushishi is more horror than action, but it still captures the eerie side of the human-spirit/demon relationship; the best part is that it conveys this through a mellow and gloomy atmosphere or art style.

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At its core, Mushishi is Ginko's philosophical journey as a man chasing the Mushi or the odd forms of life residing in his world. Ginko seeks to find out the meaning behind their existence and learn more about them while also fixing some of the troubles related to them.

4 Tokyo Majin

tokyo majin cover

Tokyo Majin is quite close as an experience to Jujutsu Kaisen, although don't expect the characters to display the same level of depth or likability. Most of them are negative or emotionless, making the show seem darker and gloomier than others.

Tokyo Majin follows the story of five teenagers who were accidentally bestowed with some supernatural powers and thus now have to deal with demonic beings who have made it their goal to assault Tokyo.

3 Mob Psycho 100

mob psycho 100 scene

For a nice change of pace and scenery compared to the usual exorcism anime plot, take a good look into Mob Psycho 100. It's about a teenage boy (yes, again but it's different) who discovered his psychic powers at a young age.

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He is then enlisted for work by a shady con artist and thus exorcises spirits on a daily basis. The problem is, the protagonist's potential is extremely high and can result in a catastrophe if uncontrolled or left rampant. So, the anime is mostly the protagonist's battle against himself as well as those who seek to exploit him.

2 D.Gray-Man

the main antagonist from the D.Gray-man anime with many monster minions

D.Gray-Man is yet again another anime where the villain plots to destroy the world, not caring where he'll live afterward. In the anime's case, that process of destruction is a bit alarming since the villain, called Millennium Earl, does it by entrapping the souls of the dead in monstrous husks or Akuma.

So it's up to exorcist Allen Walker and the Black Order to stop the Millennium Earl one Akuma at a time. As always, each character's method of exorcism is different or flashier than the rest. Regardless, there's plenty of action to be had here.

1 Noragami

noragami scene

Noragami's fans will likely swear that Jujutsu Kaisen feels the same as this one is one of the most similar exorcism anime to the latter. It follows the tale of a petty god named Yato. Yato is struggling to become relevant to the world until he was saved by a girl who sacrificed herself. Problems arise when the girl's spirit failed to separate from her body.

Yato, being powerful, now has to help exorcise the girl and deal with other problems. If you liked the comedic aspects of Jujutsu Kaisen, then there's no reason to not watch this one.

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