The Best Anime Most Like D&D, Ranked

The crossover appeal between Dungeons & Dragons and anime is undeniable, each synonymous with epic adventures, powerful bonds between friends and rivals, and meticulous world-building. Since Dungeons & Dragons is a time-consuming hobby and most well-known anime offerings tend to be long-running series, knowing how and where to get started can be a daunting task for D&D players looking to dive into the genre.

Anime, however, doesn’t just offer its audiences a diverse range of rich universes and immersive storytelling but a potential wellspring of inspiration, particularly for D&D players. Both players and Dungeon Masters hunting for a creative spark have a whole world awaiting them filled with fully realized fantasy-tinged anime that can encourage a newfound love for the genre.

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20 Best Fantasy Anime, Ranked

The many sub-genres of fantasy anime provide a wide variety of titles to choose from that can suit anyone’s taste, and here are some of the best.

10 Delicious in Dungeon Uses Sleight of Hand to Deliver an Emotional Punch

Streaming now on Netflix

With familiar tropes as their anchor, anime rookie D&D fans can easily acclimate to anime with the help of Delicious in Dungeon. Peppering in cooking sim elements on a dungeon crawl backdrop, Delicious in Dungeon follows a party of four from different backgrounds coming together to delve into the titular dungeon’s depths. The goal is to rescue the group leader’s sister from the clutches of a powerful dragon — and make dinner out of monsters they slay as they go. Thanks to its unique blend of anime subgenres, Delicious offers a healthy diet of contemplative character moments while dinner roasts on the fire balanced with action-packed encounters with mythic creatures also found in D&D, like Kelpies and animated armor.

Delicious in Dungeon got heart, too. While it’s Delicious in Dungeon party rogue Chilchuck who is known for his sneakiness, it’s the show at large that most notably sneaks to deliver surprising but welcome emotional heft. Using flashbacks, surprise side-character encounters, and a slow trickle of its characters’ backstories and motivations, Delicious in Dungeon deploys familiar D&D storytelling styles to deliver one of 2024’s best new anime series.

Delicious in Dungeon

Can sisters be reincarnated from dragon poop? Laios and his friends Marcille and Chilchuck delve into an endless dungeon in search of his fallen sister, fighting monsters, starvation, and corruption.

Release Date

January 4, 2023

Studio

Trigger

Main Cast

Sayaka Senbongi, Kentarou Kumagai, Hiroshi Naka and Asuna Tomari

9 Kino’s Journey Captures the Essence of D&D’s Town-Hopping Ways

Both the original and remake series streaming now on Crunchyroll

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Kino’s Journey 2003 vs. 2017: Which Anime Version Is Better?

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Surprising as it may be, Kino’s Journey, which follows the adventures of the androgynous nomad Kino and Hermes, their talking motorcycle, as they explore the world, will resonate strongly with Dungeons and Dragons fans and players. After all, one of Dungeons & Dragons’ most engaging elements is its storytelling flexibility. To a Dungeon Master and their adventuring party, each town, encounter, or tavern offers a new chance to get steeped into a new theme or genre. Parties can plane shift to a dystopian-style world one day only to encounter a sci-fi mecha the next.

Kino’s Journey — both the original 2003 series and the 2017 reboot — is a must for D&D players familiar with that style of genre-hopping story. Even though each country Kino and Hermes encounter is entirely distinct in theme and concept, each is rendered with meticulous, genre-specific detail that captivates both Kino and audiences. Kino navigates each country with eyes equal parts investigative and open-hearted, not unlike skeptical but enthusiastic D&D players entering a new campaign setting for the first time. It’s Dungeon Masters who may especially appreciate Kino’s Journey, which, in the sum of parts, is a love letter to immersive storytelling with an ability to deliver fully believable fantasy scenarios and settings in its condensed runtime.

8 Made in Abyss Has a Clear Mission, If D&D Fans Choose to Accept It

Streaming now on Amazon Prime

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Is Made In Abyss For Kids?

On the surface, Made in Abyss certainly looks like a kid-friendly series. But there’s something much darker that lurks within its depths.

Made in Abyss follows aspiring adventurer Riko and her robot-pal Reg. Against better judgment and with an optimistic sense of adventure befitting their young age, Riko and Reg journey into the eponymous bottomless pit in search of magical artifacts and realize Riko’s dream of being a Cave Raider. Most importantly, Riko hopes to search for her lost mother, who’s a legendary White Whistle Cave Raider. The singular destination packing an infinitum of possibilities will ring as familiar for D&D diehards who will happily spend multiple hours and sessions exploring a singular setting or investigating a specific mystery.

More than just the destination, Made in Abyss, like D&D, is about the journey. Along their way, orphan Riko and company cross paths with curses and engage in violent encounters that subvert Made in Abyss‘ cute character designs to truly traumatic results. This title is binge-worthy for D&D fans who can stomach the gore and tragedy it puts its child-lead character through. Made In Abyss’ unexpected dichotomies and subsequent devastations evoke similar dynamic possibilities in D&D gameplay, which can suddenly turn calamitous after a critical failure.

Made in Abyss

A girl and her robot companion search for her mother, who’s lost within a vast chasm.

Release Date

July 7, 2017

Cast

Luci Christian

Seasons

2

Creator

Akihito Tsukushi

7 Yu Yu Hakusho Starts With a Deal With a Deity — the Rest Is History

Streaming now on Crunchyroll. New live-action adaption streaming now on Netflix

Dungeons & Dragons is no stranger to pulling from existing legends to inform its stories. With that in mind, Yu Yu Hakusho, inspired by Asian folklore and Buddhist beliefs, fits right alongside Dungeons & Dragons with regard to its mythic inspirations. A standout classic in anime’s 1990s golden age, Yu Yu Hakusho still endures as one of anime’s most influential shows. Its iconic place in anime makes it the perfect choice for a D&D-loving anime newbie pre-loaded with a penchant for stories surrounding a party comprised of folks with different abilities coming together to fight a common evil.

In a shared plot with many D&D Warlocks, Yu Yu Hakusho‘s main character Yusuke is indentured to an afterlife deity and forced to do their bidding, which, in this instance, is to become an Underworld Detective investigating supernatural and demonic mysteries. The adventures that ensue are highly D&D-coded, with magical and martial elements that have even produced fan-made Yu Yu Hakusho-inspired homebrews among D&D players who are already fans of the beloved anime.

Yu Yu Hakusho

After a teenage delinquent is killed while saving a child’s life from an approaching car, the rulers of the underworld send him back to become an “Underworld Detective” investigating demons apparitions in the human world.

Release Date

October 10, 1992

Cast

Nozomu Sasaki , Justin Cook , Tomomichi Nishimura , Sanae Miyuki , Shigeru Chiba , Christopher Sabat

Seasons

1

Studio

Pierrot

Creator

Yoshihiro Togashi

Number of Episodes

112

6 Golden Kamuy Makes Anime Magic Despite Its Real-Life-Inspired Story

Streaming now on Crunchyroll

Set in the early 20th century, Golden Kamuy is actually a historical action-adventure series inspired by the Russo-Japanese War. Despite its grounded basis, Golden Kamuy‘s party dynamics and diverse ensemble make it a worthy addition to a D&D player’s anime intake. Following Saichi “Immortal” Sugimoto, a war veteran who’s turned to a life of treasure-hunting, and Asirpa, an Ainu girl with unparalleled tracking skills, the two embark on a treacherous quest to find lost Ainu gold.

Whether it be skilled marksmen or cunning tricksters, Golden Kamuy is populated with characters that mirror many different D&D classes and lineages players encounter during campaigns. Even with its real-world inspired setting, Kamuy manages to excel at world-building in ways D&D loyalists will admire. Golden Kamyu’s harsh landscape that its ensemble treks through is the impetus to reveal character truths as well as introduce elements of Ainu culture, folklore, and history, all while never wavering on a healthy dose of action.

Golden Kamuy

In the early 20th century in Hokkaido, Japan, a treasure hunt between various parties takes place for a hidden stash of gold.

Release Date

April 9, 2018

Seasons

4

Studio

Geno Studios, Brain’s Base

5 One Piece’s Straw Hats are the Quintessential Anime Party

Streaming on Netflix and Crunchyroll

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Paramount to anything else, D&D players have spent decades gathered around the table to play the beloved TTRPG because of the bonds built in and out of game. The memories built over the cumulative hours rolling dice and immersed in fantastical campaign settings strengthen the connections between player characters and the players themselves.

One of anime’s most adored and long-running titles, One Piece lays the groundwork for similar friendship-filled adventures throughout its 1,000+ episodes and 15-and-counting movies. Following rubber-super-powered protagonist Luffy, One Piece tells the story of his crew, known as the Straw Hat Pirates, as they pursue the fabled One Piece treasure and clash with other pirate factions along the way. With so much content and meticulously paced and fully fleshed-out storytelling, a crunchier D&D fan will enjoy the slow-burn immersion. In any case, One Piece is an anime crown jewel that treats D&D fans to anime’s most lovable band of heroes.

4 Overlord’s MMORPG Mechanics Make For Easy D&D Comparisons

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10 Isekai Anime With the Best Worldbuilding

Isekai anime take their viewers to new worlds, and series like Overlord and Sword Art Online feature rich and expansive worldbuilding.

While plenty of isekai use the stuck-in-a-video game template, Overlord, which takes place in the fantasy world of an MMORPG, is among the best that do and the most evocative of Dungeons & Dragons. Overlord provides a unique concoction of fantasy warfare throughout its four seasons, spotlighting elements of battle strategy and demonic political intrigue that would be welcome at any D&D table.

Given Overlord’s high-fantasy setting and MMORPG foundation, it’s no surprise there’s a lot of crossover here for D&D players to sink their teeth into. Familiar creature and monster lineages, outrageous NPC interactions, and skill tree mechanics will buoy folks as they watch main character Ainz Ooal Gown bombastic ascent to become overlord of Yggdrasil.

Overlord

An office worker in a dystopian world logs onto a video game for the last time only to find out that he, along with his entire guild, has been transported to another reality.

Release Date

July 7, 2015

Cast

Satoshi Hino

Seasons

4

Studio

Madhouse

Number of Episodes

52

3 Little Witch Academia Gently Casts An Anime Love Spell

Streaming now on Netflix

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On the other side of D&D releases like Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos, a shared embrace of magical academies and whimsical fantasy adventures can officially be added to D&D and anime commonalities. For those TTRPGing folks who can’t get enough charming bookish, school-set heroics, Little Witch Academia is here to fill a need. A lighter fare than many D&D-tinged offerings, Little Witch Academia offers a gentle welcome for D&D players just entering the world of anime.

Little Witch’s hero Atsuko “Akko” Kagari is a witch hopeful enrolled at the prestigious Luna Nova Magical Academy navigating the ups and downs often associated with being a kid in school. The only difference is that Atusko has to hone her magical skills. Whether drawn to earnest, youthful spellcaster stories or interested in introducing D&D parties to the more content rife with supernatural, Little Witch Academia promises a quality wholesome, D&D-reminiscent entry point for newcomers.

Little Witch Academia

Akko enrolls at the Luna Nova Witchcraft Academy. She’s not the best student, but her bright attitude is the key to her and her friends’ success.

Release Date

June 30, 2017

Cast

Megumi Han , Fumiko Orikasa , Stephanie Sheh , Noriko Hidaka

Seasons

1

Production Company

Trigger, TOHO animation, Good Smile Company

Number of Episodes

25

Streaming now on Netflix

Following the adventures of brothers Edward and Alphonse as the former seeks out the Philosophor’s Stone to use and transform the latter back into his human form, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood‘s plot alone could easily be slotted in as a D&D artificer’s backstory. With Alphonse’s consciousness stuck in an iron golem, there are no lengths Ed won’t go or battles he won’t stare in the face to cure his brother.

Like a Dungeons & Dragons campaign’s most emotionally impactful moments, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood similarly puts its characters through trials of sacrifice, battles between magic and morality, and burdens them with the responsibility of their loved one’s welfare. It’s not dramatic beats alone that appeal to D&D players. The familiar aesthetics of steampunky D&D’s Forgotten Realms settings like Waterdeep and Eberron lingers in each Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood episode, which similarly draws Industrial Revolution inspiration and transmutes it to supernatural degrees to compliment its fantasy settings.

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

Two brothers search for a Philosopher’s Stone after an attempt to revive their deceased mother goes awry and leaves them in damaged physical forms.

Release Date

April 5, 2009

Cast

Romi Park , Rie Kugimiya , Vic Mignogna , Maxey Whitehead

Seasons

1

1 Frieren Is An Artful Contemplation on the Meaning of Time and Elfhood

Streaming now on Crunchyroll

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The Lord of the Rings fans should try a newly-airing fantasy anime rather than rewatching this beloved trilogy.

Anyone whose D&D character flirts with immortality can draw an immeasurable amount of inspiration from Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. Already buzzed about as one of the best anime releases in recent memory, Frieren unspools its title character’s past and present adventures throughout its still-airing episodes with rich dramatic detail. Despite not being considered old by elven standards, Frieren is over 1,000 years old. At that age, she not only has accrued great power but also has a wellspring of memories and relationships that — after the death of her previous adventure party’s hero — she’s only now starting to consider.

With a premise so ripe for fantasy-flavored character investigation and a main character as powerful as the eponymous elf, Frieren never fails to deliver emotionally provocative and impressive spellcasting displays. By adding Frieren into rotation, D&D players can glean insight into playing or playing alongside characters of a similar ilk and encourage a greater appreciation for the depth of storytelling at their fingertips. The show may also resonate with longtime D&D campaigns that have experienced a revolving door of players that have come and gone; Frieren has found ways to move forward and so can they.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

An elf and her friends defeat a demon king in a great war. But the war is over, and the elf must search for a new way of life.

Release Date

September 29, 2023

Cast

Atsumi Tanezaki , Kana Ichinose , Mallorie Rodak , Jill Harris

Seasons

1

Creator

Tsukasa Abe, Kanehito Yamada

Production Company

Aniplex, Dentsu, Madhouse, Shogakukan, TOHO animation, Toho