The release of Vinland Saga punched above the weight of historical mainstream anime. Those who enjoy heartbreaking backstory with stunning artwork and amazing should keep an eye on this upcoming list. What is the top 10 anime like Vinland Saga for you? We’re sure there’s something on this list that takes your fancy.
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Top 10 Best Anime Like Vinland Saga
1. Attack On Titan
The setting is in a world where humanity lives in cities where surrounded by enormous walls to protect them from gigantic Titans who madly feed on humans without reason.
The anime centers on Eren Jaeger, Mikasa Ackermann, and Armin Arlelt who are witnesses to their family’s dead and their hometown’s destruction after the invasion of a Colossal Titan.
Taking a vow to retrieve the peaceful world from the Titans, the three pals join the Scout Regiment – a group of soldiers who fight for peace outside the walls. None of the protagonists is safe at any moment since they live in a world full of deaths and danger. The duality and vulnerability of these characters make them imperfect so viewers can feel connections.
Listed as the first Vinland Saga recommendation, Attack on Titan is a big splash among international fans. What makes it a great series is this exclusive deals with the reality of war in a historical, non-Japanese setting. It doesn’t follow conventional storytelling but a lighting plot twist, so that means anything can happen at any time.
Check more: Top 10 Best Anime Like Attack On Titan
2. Kingdom
The second choice is a series that showcases the worlds of man and gods. The setting is in ancient China where the period of the 500-year war: the Era of Warring States occurs.
The two main characters are Shin and Hyou, who lost their family due to the war and both share a dream of becoming the Greatest Generals of the Heavens to set free from their slavery life.
One day, a minister takes Hyou to a palace with an unknown purpose and sends back one Hyou with a last gasp. Then, he urges Shin to live in another village where vagabonds and thugs are there.
After that, he encounters the current King of Sei, Ei Sei, and finds out that his best friend who rests in peace now is a body double for this king. Shin decides to leave the revenge plan and seize the opportunity and assist the young king to reclaim his throne.
You may feel a bit skeptical about the idea of the anime in some first episodes. The structure of the story is well developed and you soon can’t get enough of it. The brilliant Shin shows his progression and sticks to the aim of the greatest general under the heavens, which makes a large difference about him compared to other protagonists.
3. Yona Of The Dawn
If you seek a combination of romance and adventure, Yona Of The Dawn will cast a spell on you.
This rom-com anime follows a fantasy series about a princess who has been brought up privileged inland by her father, King Il-Khan. She secretly has a crush on her cousin – Prince Soo-won. He assassinates her father on her birthday and forces Yona and her guard – Hak to flee to Fuuga.
With Hak by her side, they embark on the journey of looking for four Dragon Warriors to reclaim her kingdom.
This is another anime similar to Vinland Saga sharing the same topic about avenging their father’s demise. The female lead is introduced as a seemingly weak and sheltered person at first. After learning about the sudden death of her father, Yona turns into a fierce and responsible version at the end.
Since Yona focuses more on action and adventure to reclaim her position, you may experience just some moments of romance between the characters. Still, this Viking anime is worth watching due to its amazing animation and beautiful storyline.
4. Berserk
Another brilliant Vinland Saga recommendation is Berserk. The series centers on Guts, an alone warrior who was born from a hanged corpse, and now struggles between the border of death and existence. Guts has spent his whole life being a killer machine to figure out the meaning of his life. His life turns to a new chapter after the encounter with Griffith – the leader of The Band of the Hawk.
This skilled swordsman joins forces with Griffith and supports his new team members in every battle. Guts suddenly is dragged into the bloody war of power and witness many unexpected dark sides. Will Guts be able to become a normal warrior just to protect important people?
This anime has a slight horror taste in some scenes but after all, it tells a tale of one pathetic man who is on the way to his meaning of life, desperately looking for how to survive in a brutal world where he has to kill people to stay alive.
5. Drifters
If you are hunting for an action anime like Vinland Saga with R-17, Drifters takes you to the limit. In some first episodes, you’ll see the male lead Toyohisa Shimazu is in the battles of Sekigahara and critically wounded. After that, he suddenly finds himself in a modern, gleaming white hallway.
When his eyes meet a man named Murasaki and countless doors on both sides, he is taken to another world. Landing on a strange planet that is full of fantastical creatures, Toyohisa learns how to survive and adapt to this new cruel world.
Drifters initially leaves the impression of a dark fantasy tale that may test viewers’ patience at the beginning. As soon as the storyline starts to be well-developed, this anime will bring you to the next level of the action genre.
6. Dororo
Dororo creates a strong impact on anime fans after its release. It’s famous for the extraordinary male lead. The story is about Hyakkimaru – who was born handicapped. His father sacrifices his son’s body parts to make a pact with 12 demons and grand him the brutal power.
After that, this cruel man commands his henchmen to throw Hyakkimaru at a river.
Fortunately, Hyakkimaru somehow keeps his body and soul together and is later adopted by a herb doctor. He is ready to set out on the journey of taking back his completed human form. With the assistance of Dororo – who sees himself as a famous thief, will they get through obstacles to defeat 48 demons?
Dororo portrays the same action theme as Vinland Saga but mainly about the internal revenge between a father and a son. The existence of demons and bloody scenes makes the plot darker at every step. However, this darkness deepens to brighten up humanity and gives many life lessons to viewers.
7. The Heroic Legend of Arslan
Another anime like Vinland Saga that may surpass your expectations is The Heroic Legend of Arslan. The storyline follows Arslan – a prince from the Kingdom of Pars. The isolation is ruled by the vicious Andragoras. After being betrayed by a right-hand man, the kingdom is taken by the neighbor’s enemy Lusitania.
The prince flees from the assassination and has a reunion with his loyal servant Daryun. With the reinforcement of the current allies, Arslan builds up a solid legion to reclaim his throne.
This series is a mix of historical and non-supernatural war anime. There is a variety of revenge, betrayal, and plot twists that sharpens the story’s edge. The pace is slow but well planned. It takes time for viewers to string connections and makes their predictions. On top of that, the animation is smooth and the swordplay scenes are well done.
8. Castlevania
Castlevania portrays the story of Count Vlad Dracula Tepes. When his wife – Lisa loses her last breath after being unjustifiably accused of being a witch, this Dracula man vows that he will pay back everything to all people of Wallachia.
He summons an army of demons to make people live in misery and fear. What he never expects is there is an appearance of an outcast monster, which is our male lead in this anime – Trevor Belmont aided by Sypha Belnades and Alucard.
With the help of Sypha and Alucard, will Trevor be successful to complete his quests and defeat the heartbroken Dracula? Castlevania showcases dark concepts like Vinland Saga but is a bit more violent and set in a dark fantasy Medieval.
9. Arslan Senki
Arslan Senki’s concept is about kingdom anime. It tells the journey of Arslan – the prince of the Pars Kingdom, whose father is betrayed by his courtier. He establishes a solid soldier group along with his pals to reclaim the throne.
There are many barriers awaiting him in the future. Can a young prince with no combat experience defeat the invaders and retrieve his throne?
10. Golden Kamuy
In the early 20th century in Hokkaido, the veteran Saichi Sugimoto experiences the most difficult moments in his entire life when working as a panner on an isolated island. When the news about the mysterious Ainu treasure spreads out, he decides to take part in the risky journey to look for it.
But, not only Saichi but also whoever hears about Ainu is willing to step into one’s life to win out it. Luckily, with the support of an Ainu girl named Asirpa, can Saishi overcome obstacles and protect his life from this bloody hunting?
The highlight of this anime is the combination of a national geographic program about the Ainu and the rush for gold among hunters. A huge amount of information is given in the first episode, still, this series has a well-developed plot that viewers can’t take their eyes off it.
Final Words
Even though our top 10 anime to watch if you like Vinland Saga center mostly on revenge and bloody wars, these protagonists are designated to be realistically relatable. Also, they give us many life lessons and have the ability to make us fall in love with their personalities. So, what are you waiting for? Its’ time for some action anime on hot summer days.