Back in 2008, we received our first Black Butleranime. This original run introduced us to iconic characters like Ciel Phantomhive, Sebastian, and Grell. Since then, several new seasons of Black Butler have aired, including a movie that came out in 2017. If you still can’t get enough though, we’ve got you covered.

In this list, we are going to take a look at some of the best anime to watch if you like Black Butler. These recommendations vary in similarity, such as the actual content or the general vibe. Overall, though, you are bound to find something that interests you.

The two main characters from Gosick outdoors.

8Gosick

Gosick is set in the 1920s; this isn’t quite the Victorian era like Black Butler, but it definitely has a Victorian feel. This anime follows Victorique and Kujo, whojoin together to solve mysteriesthat occur at their school.

Overall, Gosick perfectly combines the rich Victorian era with a detective story. There is even a sprinkle of romance. Though there is only one season of the anime, Gosick is actually based on a light novel series that has tons of books.

Light Yagami and Naomi Misora out in public in Death Note.

7Death Note

We all know Death Note at this point. Most anime fans have at least heard of it, and the unfortunate few may have even seen the Netflix live-action version. If you haven’t seen the anime yet, don’t let this discourage you!The Death Note animeis an absolute classic.

While the setting is a bit different from Black Butler, Death Note has a similar dark tones along with complex and interesting characters. Death Note also has mystery elements that will keep you hanging on to each episode.

The main character from Pandora Hearts raising their hand.

6Pandora Hearts

Pandora Hearts may be the most similar to Black Butler than any anime on our list. The show follows 15-year-old Oz Vessalius, who lives a rich noble life, and is trapped in the Abyss at his coming-of-age ceremony. Here, he forms a contract with a mysterious creature called Alice.

Notice the similarities between Black Butler? Rich young boy? Check. Contract between a creature? Check. As you may have guessed from the name ‘Alice’, this show is reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland as well.

Alucard from Hellsing looking forward.

5Hellsing

Many people across the anime community believe that Hellsing served as the inspiration for Black Butler, so why not give it a try?Hellsing is about a vampirenamed Alucard, who works for a family to kill other vampires.

Ther are a lot of similarities between these two shows, including a pack between human and non-human, rich families, and a dark Victorian setting. Hellsing is a bit more serious and violent than Black Butler, but it’s still worth the watch for any Black Butler fan.

Characters from Soul Eater standing together on an orange background.

4Soul Eater

Soul Eater is another classic anime that aired around the same time the first season of Black Butler did. This is another show that features the bonds between two characters in a contract-type manner, though in the case of Soul Eater, it’s between a Death Scythe and its wielder.

Although not set in a semi-realistic Victorian world, Soul Eater has an incredibly unique art style and background scenery that’s unlike other anime. With a whopping 51 episodes, Soul Eater will keep you occupied for a while; after you’ve finished, you’re able to play one of the three Soul Eater games.

The three main characters from Undead Girl Murder Farce.

Do you just really love the Victorian setting of Black Butler? If so, then Undead Girl Murder Farce is the first show that you should be watching. This anime takes place in a hybrid Victorian/Meiji era world where things like vampires and werewolves roam around.

The setting of Undead Girl Murder Farce is quite unique; Aya Rindo is quite literally just a head in a cage. Of course, she is on the search for her body alongside her maid and a half-human named Tsugaru Shunichi. Overall, Undead Girl Murder Farce definitely seems to be a bit underrated, but it’s definitely worth the watch.

William Moriarty smoking and looking off to the side, from Moriarty the patriot.

2Moriarty The Patriot

Moriarty The Patriot is a great anime to watch if you enjoy both Black Butler and Sherlock Holmes stories. This anime follows William James Moriarty living in Great Britain during the late 19th century. During this time, the economic hierarchy influences pretty much everything.

This anime involves many characters from Doyle’s original work,including Sherlock Holmes himself!Within Doyle’s works, Moriarty appears or is mentioned in several stories as Sherlock’s ‘enemy’.

Lelouch from Code Geass walking down a hallway.

William is a noble who also works to help commoners with their problems. This anime provides a great look into the class differences of this world, and how Moriarty may not be as bad as originally written to be.

1Code Geass

Lastly, we have Code Geass, which is an anime original. Like many of the other anime on our list, this is a classic from the 2000’s. Set in an alternate version of our world, Code Geass follows the story of Lelouch, who stumbles into the power to essentially mind control others.

With this power, Lelouch aims to basically take over the world. While this may sound a bit different than Black Butler, the general vibe of “young person with power that can come with consequences” is the same.