While looking to enhance her magic, celestial mage Lucy meets an energetic fire mage named Natsu. After finding out he is a member of the famous wizard guild Fairy Tail that she has long admired, the pair travel home so Lucy can join.
Together with her new guildmates, Lucy and Natsu embark on adventures to help people, make money, and explore their vast magical world.
Shounen is the genre of youthful exciting adventure, and few actually capture that quite as magically as Fairy Tail does. If you are looking for more anime recommendations like Fairy Tail, head on down below.
Anime Like Fairy Tail
For Fans of Mages
Black Clover
After being abandoned at the same church, Asta and Yuno grew up together. Together they also grew up aiming for the same title – The Wizard King, the strongest wizard in the kingdom.
However, it soon became apparent that while Yuno has skill with magic, Asta couldn’t use it at all. This all changed when they were attacked and Asta was given a strange grimoire that granted him the ability to nullify magic.
Similarities Between Fairy Tail and Black Clover
- Both series are shounen action adventure anime that specifically follow mages and magic as a power system.
- Both series feature a main character joining a larger magical organization of some infamy (if you consider Lucy the main character of Fairy Tail, anyway)
- The main character makes a core group of friends within the organization
- The plot structure is often about them going on missions, if not just helping people with their problems.
- Mostly light-hearted shounen, but definitely both feature darker moments.
- Both prominently feature a rivalry between two guys that love/hate each other.
Differences Between Fairy Tail and Black Clover
- Black Clover features a main character that can’t actually use magic, unlike Fairy Tail where they all have aptitude, but varied skill.
- Black Clover features a fiery male main character that wants to be Wizard King whereas Fairy Tail is more about the adventure had by the group.
- Fairy Tail is just a guild, Magic Knights are the military of a kingdom in Black Clover.
Magi – The Labyrinth of Magic
After spending his life in isolation, Aladdin and his djinn Ugo set off on a journey to see the world. Soon after, he becomes friends with Alibaba, a young merchant that has ambitions of wealth, after he destroys his supply cart.
In order to pay of the damages, Alibaba suggests the supremely powerful Aladdin helps him conquer a dungeon full of danger and wealth.
Similarities Between Fairy Tail and Magi
- Both series are shounen action anime where mages and magic are the primary power system
- Both are shounen action anime that have a more specific focus on the adventure aspect.
- Both series focus more on the core group than just a main character
- Both feel more youthful at first, but manifest darker plots later
- Vast worlds that get thoroughly explored
Differences Between Fairy Tail and Magi
- Magi features a distinct Middle Eastern theme and setting, though is still a fantasy land.
- Magi’s magic system is not quite as detailed and diverse like Fairy Tail
- Magi becomes more of a political story as it goes on, leaving the adventure aspect behind a bit.
- It takes more time for Magi to get to the “action” part of the action adventure story.
Radiant
The world is ravaged by monsters called Nemesis. These demons fall from the sky and cause complete destruction to everything around them. In their path are Sorcerers that wield the powerful magic that can defeat them.
Seth is one such Sorcerer that seeks to destroy every Nemesis. He travels with his friends to destroy the near-mythical source of these monsters – Radiant.
Similarities Between Fairy Tail and Radiant
- Both series are shounen action adventure anime where mages and magic are the primary power system.
- Radiant features a very Natsu-like main character in both attitude and mysterious backstory
- Both series feature a group of friends exploring a vast world
- The main characters need to hone their magic skill compared to their more experienced friends and mentors.
- Both series feature the main character joining a larger organization of mage peers.
Differences Between Fairy Tail and Radiant
- Radiant portrays Sorcerers as beings that normal people discriminate against
- Radiant has a specific enemy that the characters are fighting whereas Fairy Tail is more diverse with the missions.
For Fans of World Traveling Adventures of Friendship and Fights
One Piece
With his dying breath, legendary Pirate King Gol D. Roger let the world know about his treasure, setting in motion the Grand Age of Pirates.
Among the many crews that set out to look for the legendary One Piece treasure is Monkey D. Luffy, a young man that has assembled a rag-tag crew to sail the Grand Line and hunt down One Piece.
Similarities Between Fairy Tail and One Piece
- Both series are action adventure shounen with an extra high emphasis on world traveling adventure
- Fairy Tail and One Piece are the two most quintessential “power of friendship” type shounen.
- Main characters have set abilities that sparingly power up over the course of the story
- What is a pirate crew if not a guild?
- Varied arcs that fully explore a vast-feeling world
- Both series start very cheerful, but grow darker over time
Differences Between Fairy Tail and One Piece
- One Piece is about pirates and not mages like Fairy Tail
- Fairy Tail concludes, or at least concludes main character stories. One Piece is eternal.
- While both enjoy more eccentric characters, One Piece is by far and wide the more eccentric series with its character designs.
Naruto
Orphaned at a young age and ostracized by his village due to the nine-tailed fox demon that was sealed within him at birth, Naruto aims for the top. His dream is to eventually become the leader of his village, the Hokage.
However, first he must actually become a ninja and gain strength enough to rise to this pinnacle.
Similarities Between Fairy Tail and Naruto
- Both series are action adventure shounen that emphasizes mission-based storytelling and world traveling
- Cheerful, youthful characters that you essentially watch grow and mature over the long journey
- Both series focus on the core main cast, but explore side character stories on occasion.
- Both series feature a hot-headed loudmouth as a main/major character as well as a broody dark-haired boy and a naive girl as part of the main cast.
- Romance sub-plots between main/major characters
Differences Between Fairy Tail and Naruto
- Naruto is about ninjas, Fairy Tail is about mages. Though many ninja jutsus in Naruto are not so different from literal magic.
- Naruto reminds you that it is a pretty dark series early and often while Fairy Tail starts out more cheerful before becoming darker.
- There is no particular overall goal in Fairy Tail whereas Naruto is about his journey to become Hokage.
Rave Master
With the advent of the Dark Brings, a portion of the world was destroyed by an event brought on by their power. Now, an organization called Demon Card seeks their power for nefarious means.
Haru Glory, a teenage swordsman, has recently inherited the title of Rave Master, a person who can wield Rave Stones capable of destroying the Dark Brings.
Together he gathers friends and allies as he travels the world to find these Rave Stones.
Similarities Between Fairy Tail and Rave Master
- Made by the same author, and it shows.
- Both series feature a girl befriending a mysterious boy and going on world-traveling adventures with him.
- Action adventure shounen anime with unique magic power systems
- Both series look cheerful, but hide some darker stories
Differences Between Fairy Tail and Rave Master
- Rave Master isn’t about mages, specifically. It also has a more obvious music inspirations fused into its world.
- A lot of what Rave Master does, from its characters to its storytelling, feels like a rough draft that Fairy Tail would later refine.
Edens Zero
At Granbell Kingdom, an abandoned amusement park inhabited by machines, Shiki, the sole human, has lived among them since he was a young child.
One day, another human named Rebecca comes to Granbell Kingdom with her feline companion, Happy. Rebecca set out to make a good video for her B-Cube channel, but ends up becoming friends with Shiki and ferrying him off planet instead.
Together, they set out on a journey through space and time to make interesting videos, make friends, and find the elusive goddess Mother that dwells somewhere in the universe.
Similarities Between Fairy Tail and Edens Zero
- Made by the same author, and it shows – a lot.
- Blonde hair girls befriend a mysterious powerful boy, they gain some friends, and adventure around their worlds/universes.
- I guess Mashima liked Lucy, Happy, and Erza because he just reused their character designs for Edens Zero.
- Both are shounen action adventure anime that put a bigger emphasis on adventure.
- The cheerful art and characters hides some darker stories.
Differences Between Fairy Tail and Edens Zero
- Edens Zero takes place in space.
- Edens Zero really is just a sci-fi Fairy Tail in space, but if you liked Fairy Tail, then that is kind of a great thing.
Hunter X Hunter
Twelve-year-old Gon Freecss is determined to become a world-class Hunter, a skilled individual that performs all manner of dangerous tasks, just like his long-absent father.
However, Gon finds that the path to achieving his goals is more challenging than he could have ever imagined, but in order to overcome it, Gon recruits some powerful friends.
Similarities Between Fairy Tail and Hunter X Hunter
- Both series are action adventure shounen anime where you follow the characters often traveling the world.
- Both series start with a main character joining, or hoping to join, a famous organization full of talented individuals.
- A cheerful veneer masks darker stories. More specifically, both series start off feeling almost childish/immature, but that definitely changes as the story goes on.
- Often not interconnected adventures send the main cast of characters around the world
Differences Between Fairy Tail and Hunter X Hunter
- Fairy Tail is about mages, Hunter X Hunter is about Hunters, which employ a wider variety of abilities and techniques.
- Fairy Tail follows a larger group while Hunter X Hunter is often just Gon and Killua traveling together.
Orient
After their descent 150 years ago, the demons demanded reverence from humanity as gods. Standing up against these new overlords were the Bushi, who still battle to this day, but the demons preach that they are enemies.
Hinamoto, freed from Bushi rule many years ago, lives peacefully and reveres demons. The residents mine rocks for the demons to consume, but for Musashi, a miner in training, he craves freedom.
Together with his childhood friend Koujiro, a boy outcasted for being a descendants of a Bushi, they start a fight against the demons for freedom, only to be saved by an actual Bushi band.
Seeing them fight and destroy the demons, the pair decide they will form a Bushi band of their own!
Similarities Between Fairy Tail and Orient
- Both series are action adventure shounen anime about a core group of friends traveling the world.
- Both series feature a specific type of power system (Magic, Magic swords)
- The art style and character designs often make the series seem more cheerful than the actual stories it tells.
- Both main characters end up joining (or forming) an organization that they admire (the Fairy Tail Guild, Bushi Band)
- The male main/major character has a bit of a mystery as to why his powers are so strong that the series slowly unravels.
- Both feature a visually colorful cast of characters.
Differences Between Fairy Tail and Orient
- Fairy Tail is an original fantasy world, Orient is a Japan alt-history fantasy world.
- Fairy Tail is about mages, Orient is about samurai who gain powers from their swords.
- Fairy Tail is about Lucy joining the long-established Fairy Tail Guild, Orient is about newly liberated once-slaves forming their own Bushi Band and trying to recruit others/defeat demons.
Katekyo Hitman Reborn
Clumsy and talentless, Tsunayoshi Sawada, dubbed “Loser Tsuna” by his class, is the personification of failure. However, this loser’s boring life takes a new turn when he encounters Reborn, a baby and a hitman from the strongest Mafia family in Italy.
Reborn has been sent to whip this middle school loser into shape because he is the heir to the Vongola Mafia Family. However, as heir, he now faces a constant onslaught of rivals that Reborn needs to help him learn to take down.
Similarities Between Fairy Tail and Katekyo Hitman Reborn
- Both are often more cheerful and comedic shounen, but have decent action
- Both enjoy the use of chibi characters for comedic relief
- Both series are specifically themed (Mages, Mafia)
Differences Between Fairy Tail and Katekyo Hitman Reborn
- Katekyo Hitman Reborn often takes place in a modern school, so it is both occasionally a school-based shounen and not so big on traveling the world like Fairy Tail.
- Katekyo primarily follows one main character and isn’t so focused on the group like Fairy Tail
- You can say that, since the main character can’t use his powers without help, Katekyo has the more infrequent and less satisfying action. However, that changes as it goes on.
Seven Deadly Sins
In this feudal world, the realm is protected from those who seek to spread their evil by the Holy Knights. However, in the kingdom of Liones, a small group of Holy Knights known as the Seven Deadly Sins sought to overthrown the king only to be driven off.
Now, ten years later, the world hunts for the Seven Deadly Sins, but the Holy Knights have now turned their blades on the king and taken control of the kingdom.
Now it is up to his third daughter, Elizabeth, to find the Sins and help them take back control.
Similarities Between Fairy Tail and Seven Deadly Sins
- Both series are shounen action adventure anime that follow the characters often traveling the world
- Both series feature a larger main group as the main/major characters.
- The main organization is infamous throughout the world (Fairy Tail Guild, Seven Deadly Sins Knights)
- The main characters employ the power of friendship, but are still often contentious with each other for comedy.
- Male main/major characters have a mysterious past that is slowly being unraveled and serves as the crux to each series.
- Romance sub-plots between main/major characters.
Differences Between Fairy Tail and Seven Deadly Sins
- Fairy Tail is mages, Seven Deadly Sins is more mythical creatures and/or knights with super-powered weapons/armor/abilities.
- Fairy Tail is structured often around each arc starting with a mission from the guild while Seven Deadly Sins is more journey-based where they are traveling with specific goals and often wander into new events.
- Seven Deadly Sins is specifically a medieval-themed fantasy world while Fairy Tail is an original fantasy world with many modern touches.
Shaman King
There is a battle about to begin in Tokyo – the Shaman Fight.
This tournament is held every 500 years where shamans, those who command spirits, test their skills in combat. The winner becomes the Shaman King and gains command of the Great Spirit.
Shaman King follows the story of the carefree Yoh Asakura and his spirit Amidamaru.
Similarities Between Fairy Tail and Shaman King
- Both series are action adventure shounen anime whose plot encourages the characters to travel the world.
- Both series have a strict power system that allows a lot of different abilities, but are all bound by a set of rules (Shamans/Spirits, Mages/Magic)
- The main characters quickly form a core group that they work with
- Romance sub-plot between main/major characters
- Youthful characters hide darker plots.
Differences Between Fairy Tail and Shaman King
- Shaman King is a tournament-style series where they are traveling to fight new opponents in order to win. Fairy Tail is more open ended with its plot.
- Fairy Tail is set in a fully original fantasy world with modern touches, Shaman King is set in a modern world with fantasy touches.
Law of Ueki
Unknown to most humans, an otherworldly tournament occasionally takes place to decide the next God of the Heavenly World. In this tournament, god candidates choose human partners to battle as their champion, bestowing them heavenly powers.
For middle schooler Kousuke Ueki, he has been chosen to battle and granted the seemingly miraculous power to turn trash into trees.
Similarities Between Fairy Tail and Law of Ueki
- Both series are action adventure shounen that emphasis world traveling
- The power of friendship is strong in both series
- Ueki and Natsu share a similar personality type – Hot-blooded shounen main character.
- Both series feature diverse powers, but that are bound by a specific power system (Mages/magic, Champions of the God Candidates/those god’s abilities)
- Eccentric characters and plenty of lighter comedy.
Differences Between Fairy Tail and Law of Ueki
- The Law of Ueki is framed as a tournament with humans that are the proxy fighters of God Candidates, which is pretty different from Fairy Tail
- The Law of Ueki is more unique in the powers people have, in that those powers are not always super useful seeming.
Soul Eater
Death City is home to a famous technical academy and ran by Lord Death himself.
At this academy, meisters train with their human weapons in order to evolve them into Death Scythes to be wielded by the Grim Reaper, Lord Death. Only by consuming 99 evils souls and the soul of one witch will a weapon be able to evolve.
This is the story of several students of the academy as they try to grow stronger and protect Death City in the process.
Similarities Between Fairy Tail and Soul Eater
- Both series feature a core group of main characters in the same organization that are often sent on missions together.
- Both are shounen action adventure anime where the characters often travel the world
- Both series work with a specific power system (Miesters/Scythes, Mages/Magic)
- A set of male major characters are contentious friends/rivals
- Eccentric characters and frequent youthful comedy
Differences Between Fairy Tail and Soul Eater
- Fairy Tail looks light-hearted, but features some darker arcs later on. Soul Eater looks more macabre, but is actually lighter than you’d expect.
- Soul Eater takes place in, what can best be described as, a Nightmare Before Christmas version of the afterlife whereas Fairy Tail is a fully original fantasy world.
Do you have more anime recommendations like Fairy Tail? Let fans know in the comments section below.
Seven Deadly Sins was good thanks to Escanor