The rumbling finally stopped. After a decade of watching Eren Yeager transform from a traumatized kid into the very thing he hated most, the credits have rolled. You're likely sitting there with a massive void in your chest, staring at a blank screen and wondering if anything else will ever hit that hard. Honestly, it’s a rough spot to be in because Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) wasn't just an anime; it was a generational event that blended political intrigue, existential dread, and high-octane horror.
Trying to find what to watch after Attack on Titan is basically like trying to find a five-course meal after you've already tasted the best steak of your life. Most things feel thin. Most stories feel small. But if you look in the right places—beyond the generic "top 10" lists—there are shows that capture that same sense of scale, that same crushing weight of consequence, and that same "everything I thought I knew was a lie" feeling.
The Psychological Burden of Choice
We need to talk about why it’s so hard to move on. Hajime Isayama didn't just write an action show. He wrote a story about the cycle of hatred and the crushing cost of freedom. If you’re looking for a replacement, you aren't just looking for cool fights. You’re looking for a specific type of narrative trauma.
You want something that makes you question the protagonist's morality. You want a world that feels lived-in and dangerously indifferent to the lives of the characters. Most importantly, you want a mystery that actually pays off.
Vinland Saga is the Immediate Answer
If you haven't started Vinland Saga yet, stop reading and go do it. Seriously. While Titan is a dark fantasy, Vinland Saga is a historical epic, but the DNA is nearly identical. Produced initially by WIT Studio (the same folks who gave us the first three seasons of AoT), it follows Thorfinn, a young boy consumed by the need for revenge after his father is murdered.
It's brutal. It’s gritty. But here is the kicker: Season 1 is a prologue. Much like how Attack on Titan flips the script in Season 4, Vinland Saga Season 2 completely redefines what the show is about. It moves from a story of "cool Viking battles" to a profound meditation on violence, slavery, and whether it’s actually possible to "have no enemies." If the political maneuvering and character growth of Eren Yeager were what kept you hooked, Thorfinn’s journey is the only thing that comes close to that level of complexity.
Why 86 Eighty-Six Feels Like the Spiritual Successor
For a lot of fans, the best part of Attack on Titan was the mystery of the basement and the revelation of the world outside the walls. If that specific "us vs. them" dynamic coupled with heavy military themes is your vibe, 86 Eighty-Six is non-negotiable.
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The premise sounds standard at first: The Republic of San Magnolia is at war with an empire of autonomous drones. They claim they have no casualties because the war is fought by "unmanned" machines. Except, they aren't unmanned. They are piloted by the "86," a marginalized group of people stripped of their humanity and forced to fight from the shadows.
The parallels are striking. You have the racial segregation, the propaganda, and a group of young soldiers who know they are likely going to die for a country that hates them. The direction by Toshimasa Ishii is some of the most cinematic work in modern anime, using visual metaphors that would make Isayama proud. It deals with the same heavy themes of dehumanization that made the Marley arc so gut-wrenching.
Don't Sleep on Monster
Maybe the "giant monsters" weren't why you stayed. Maybe it was the psychological thriller aspect. If you want a story where the "villain" is a terrifyingly charismatic force of nature, you have to watch Monster.
It’s older. It’s slower. But Johan Liebert is arguably one of the few antagonists in fiction who can stand toe-to-toe with the complexity of Eren or Zeke. It’s a cat-and-mouse game across Germany involving a brilliant surgeon, Dr. Kenzo Tenma, who saves a young boy's life, only to realize years later that he saved a literal monster. There are no superpowers here. No Titans. Just the sheer, terrifying capacity for human evil. It’s a long burn, but the payoff is legendary.
Breaking the Cycle: Shows That Subvert Your Expectations
One of the biggest draws of Attack on Titan was its ability to make you feel like the floor was constantly dropping out from under you. You think it's a zombie show? Nope, it’s a mecha show. You think it's about survival? Nope, it’s about international geopolitics and ancestral memories.
If you want that "everything is a lie" sensation, check out these:
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- Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Don't let the art style fool you. This isn't a "cute" show. It is a cosmic horror story disguised as a magical girl anime. It deconstructs its genre with the same ruthlessness that AoT deconstructed the Shonen hero trope. Give it three episodes. By the end of the third, you’ll understand why it’s on this list.
- The Promised Neverland (Season 1 Only): I cannot emphasize "Season 1 only" enough. The first season is a masterclass in tension, featuring kids in an orphanage who realize they are being raised as livestock. It captures that early AoT feeling of being trapped in a cage and needing to escape at any cost. Just... skip Season 2 and read the manga. Trust me.
- Code Geass: If you loved the "Genius Protagonist vs. The World" energy of the later seasons, Lelouch vi Britannia is your man. He’s a disgraced prince who gains the power to command anyone to do anything and uses it to take down an empire. It’s more "theatrical" than Titan, but the ending is widely considered one of the greatest in anime history—one that many people actually compare to the ending of Attack on Titan.
The "Dark Shonen" Trio and Why They Might (or Might Not) Work
The industry has moved into a "Dark Shonen" era lately, largely thanks to the success of AoT. Shows like Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, and Hell’s Paradise are often recommended when people ask what to watch after Attack on Titan.
Jujutsu Kaisen is fantastic, but it’s much more focused on high-level combat and power systems. It’s "cool," whereas Titan was "heavy." If you want the "heavy," Chainsaw Man is actually a better bet. On the surface, it looks like a crude show about a guy with chainsaws for a head. In reality, it’s a deeply melancholic story about grief, grooming, and the desire for human connection. It has a cinematic "uncomfyness" that mirrors MAPPA’s work on the final seasons of AoT.
Hell’s Paradise (Jigokuraku) is another strong contender. It follows a group of death row convicts sent to a mysterious, horrifying island to find the elixir of life. The body horror is top-tier, and the sense of "we are all going to die in this nightmare place" is very reminiscent of the Survey Corps' early missions.
Looking Outside the Medium: Blue Eye Samurai and Arcane
Sometimes the best thing to watch after a masterpiece isn't another anime, but high-budget Western animation that shares the same mature DNA.
Arcane is a miracle of a show. Even if you hate League of Legends, the storytelling here is impeccable. It’s a tragedy about two sisters on opposite sides of a class war. The world-building is dense, the stakes are personal, and the animation is arguably the best in the world right now. It has that same "no one is truly a villain, everyone is a victim of their circumstances" nuance that defined the later parts of the AoT story.
Then there’s Blue Eye Samurai on Netflix. It’s a revenge story set in Edo-period Japan. It’s incredibly violent, beautifully written, and features a protagonist, Mizu, who possesses a singular, destructive drive that feels very similar to Eren Yeager’s "keep moving forward" mentality. It doesn't hold your hand, and it doesn't shy away from the darker parts of human nature.
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Addressing the "Eren Yeager" Sized Hole
Let’s be real: some of you are just looking for a character like Eren. You want someone who starts off as a "hero" and ends up somewhere much darker. This "hero's descent" is a rare trope to pull off well.
Check out Death Note if you somehow haven't. Light Yagami is the blueprint for the protagonist-turned-antagonist. However, if you want something more modern and perhaps more "fantasy-political," look into Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These. It’s a space opera, but it handles the "two sides of a war" theme better than almost anything else in existence. You follow two brilliant commanders on opposite sides of a galactic conflict, and much like AoT, you find yourself rooting for both, even though you know only one can win.
A Quick Word on Berserk
You will see Berserk recommended everywhere. Here is the truth: The 1997 anime is a masterpiece of dark fantasy and character study. It captures the "struggler" spirit perfectly. However, the modern sequels (2016/2017) are... difficult to watch due to the CGI. If you want the ultimate "after AoT" experience, the Berserk manga is the gold standard, but if you're sticking to TV, the 1997 series or the Memorial Edition movie trilogy are the only ways to go.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Binge
Don't just jump into the next 100-episode series immediately. You need a palette cleanser or a very specific pivot to avoid "reviewers' fatigue."
- Identify what you miss most: Was it the mystery? Watch Odd Taxi (don't let the animals fool you, it's a gritty noir thriller) or Summertime Rendering. Was it the political war? Watch 86 Eighty-Six. Was it the gore and horror? Watch Parasyte: The Maxim.
- Switch the Tone: If you're feeling burned out by tragedy, watch Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. It’s still tragic and violent, but it’s high-energy, neon-soaked, and much shorter (10 episodes). It’s a quick hit of adrenaline to get you out of the AoT funk.
- Go Historical: Sometimes moving away from fantasy helps. Kingdom (the manga is better, but the anime gets good after the rough CGI of Season 1) offers massive scale warfare and political maneuvering that rivals the Shiganshina arc.
- Embrace the "New Gen": Give Chainsaw Man or Jujutsu Kaisen a fair shake. They are the current leaders of the industry for a reason, even if they feel a bit more "polished" and less "grungy" than early Titan.
The post-anime depression after a show like Attack on Titan is real. It’s a testament to how well Isayama crafted that world. But the medium is vast. Whether it's the frozen fjords of Vinland Saga or the segregated battlefields of 86, there are other stories out there that will make you feel that same spark of terror and wonder. You just have to be willing to look past the walls.