After a gate to another world opens, Mikado City is invaded by mysterious creatures impervious to traditional weaponry called Neighbors. Shortly after, a military organization called the Border Defense Agency is formed where members use mysterious, unique weaponry known as Triggers to fight back against the invaders.
Years later, Neighbor attacks become more infrequent, but the Border Defense Agency remains vigilant. Osamu Mikumo is a recruit in training who is still not permitted to have a Trigger outside of headquarters. However, when he watches a mysterious new student dragged into a dangerous zone by bullies who are then attacked by Neighbors, he takes action.
Much to his surprise, this new student defeats the Neighbors and reveals that he is actually a humanoid Neighbor in disguise.
While it takes a minute to “get good,” World Trigger offers unique sci-fi shounen action that is always full of new twists to keep things interesting. If you are looking for more anime recommendations like World Trigger, head on down below.
Anime Like World Trigger
For Fans of Gates to Another World
Scarlet Nexus
Humanity is suddenly under attack by mysterious monsters called Others that descend from the sky and feed on human brains. However, almost as soon as the monsters appeared, a hormone called psionics was discovered in certain individuals that gave them extrasensory abilities that were effective in combating the Others.
To keep humanity safe, the Other Suppression Force was created to recruit those with psionics to fight against the Others.
Among a batch of new recruits is Yuito Sumeragi, son of the nation’s founder who was saved by a woman in the OSF as a boy. To repay the debt, he joined the force, but has discovered that one of his peers bears a striking resemblance to the woman that once saved him many years ago.
Similarities Between World Trigger and Scarlet Nexus
- Humanity is attacked by otherworlders
- A military organization is established to fight back that recruits users that can use special abilities/weapons
- Great action and building intrigue in the unique sci-fi stories
Differences Between World Trigger and Scarlet Nexus
- Scarlet Nexus, as it is based off a game, has a more linear narrative than the lengthy, occasionally meandering World Trigger
- Scarlet Nexus is more psychic abilities than specific weapon types like World Trigger
Twin Star Exorcists
Parallel to our world is Magano where the Kegare dwell. Exorcists are sent in to deal with these monsters and cleanse impurities.
One day, a talented young exorcist named Benio is returning to Tokyo in order to meet with the Exorcists Union. On the road, she meets a young exorcist named Rokuro. After seeing some kids being plagued by Kegare, Benio rushes in and drags Rokuro with her. There, she discovers he has skill to rival her own, but refuses to fight.
Being paired up by the head exorcist, they are lauded as the Twin Star Exorcists and prophesied as the future parents of the reincarnation of the Abe no Seimei, who will cleanse the world of Kegare.
Similarities Between World Trigger and Twin Star Exorcist
- Both series feature humanity occasionally attacked by creatures that come from another world through portals
- An organization was established to fight these beings
- The series focuses on duos/teams of characters in battle
- Interesting action with building intrigue in the plot
Differences Between World Trigger and Twin Star Exorcist
- Twin Star Exorcists is Onmyoji-themed about fighting demons/spirits and not sci-fi like World Trigger
- Twin Star Exorcist is built on the back of baiting romance while World Trigger lacks a romantic element
A.I.C.O. Incarnation
It was at a Japanese research facility where an incident known as The Burst occurred. They had created a rapidly expanding, consuming, and self-replicating Matter that quickly took over the area. To this day, the Matter is still being fought back from consuming any further by various task forces.
Aiko Tachibana is one of the few people rescued from the Matter. Due to her exposure, she is under constant medical surveillance, but one day at school new transfer student Yuuya Kanzaki points out a number of inconsistencies about her body.
Among these claims, he also suggests that she knows more than she may believe about the Matter, and is perhaps the key to stopping it. However, learning the truth means making the dangerous journey through the infested gorge to the heart of the incident.
Similarities Between World Trigger and AICO Incarnation
- The world was rocked by a sudden catastrophic emergence, but has it under control by the time the series starts
- The military is in charge of keeping back the catastrophe
- A main character has a connection to the enemy that is unraveled over time
- Sci-fi action and intrigue story
Differences Between World Trigger and AICO Incarnation
- As AICO is about rapidly expanding, self-replicating matter and not an actual enemy, the series is more focused on intrigue than fighting. World Trigger is much the opposite.
- AICO is more about a journey to solve a mystery rather than fighting to defend humanity
Gate – Thus The JSDF Fought There
Japanese Self-Defense Force solider and otaku Youji Itami is in the Ginza district of Tokyo feeding his hobby one afternoon when a gate to another world opens and medieval soldiers flood modern day Japan.
While Itami, in conjunction with the local police, manage to save many civilian lives, his hero status forces him to go beyond the gate with his fellow soldiers to explore a mysterious new world filled with swords, magic, elves, and dragons.
Similarities Between World Trigger and Gate
- Humanity is suddenly attacked by invaders from a portal to another world
- Both follow the military organizations that are assigned to handle the threat
- Humans and otherworlders start working together
Differences Between World Trigger and Gate
- Gate is more “modern military meets medieval fantasy” while World Trigger is more sci-fi
- Gate, because the modern military has such an overwhelming combat advantage against medieval armies, is a little more focused on diplomacy and forging peace with the invaders
- Gate spends more time in “the other world”
For Fans of Fighting For Humanity
Seraph of the End – Vampire’s Reign
After a mysterious virus killed every human over 13 years old, the vampires rose up with a promise to protect the survivors. The only thing they asked in return is donations of blood.
For Yuuichirou and Mikaela, they have grown tired of being livestock and pose a daring escape plan. It ultimately fails with only Yuuichirou left alive. However, after joining up with a mercenary company, he swears vengeance on the vampires, no matter the cost.
Similarities Between World Trigger and Seraph of the End
- Humanity is threatened by a different species
- Humanity has become militarized due to this endless war
- The main characters fight with specialized, personalized sort of weapon
- Energetic shounen battles
Differences Between World Trigger and Seraph of the End
- While Seraph of the End has its elements, it is more post-apocalypse than sci-fi like World Trigger
- They are fighting vampires in Seraph of the End rather than more ambiguous aliens
- World Trigger is about teaming up with an alien, Seraph of the End is more about fighting an old friend who became a vampire
God Eater
In the year 2071, humanity has been pushed to the brink of extinction by man-eating monsters called Aragami. Immune to traditional weapons, they roam the land, but an organization called Fenrir with it’s human-hybrid God Eaters are the only ones capable of killing these Aragami.
Lenka is a new God Eater who must master his powers in order to have any hope of fulfilling his wish to wipe out the Aragami once and for all.
Similarities Between World Trigger and God Eater
- Sci-fi apocalyptic event where strange creatures attack humanity
- These invaders can only be killed by people who wield special weapons
- The main character is a bit of a newbie in combat and has a lot to learn
Differences Between World Trigger and God Eater
- As God Eater is based on a video game, the characters are more creatively designed than the militant and bland-by-comparison characters in World Trigger
- God Eater is very much in the post-apocalypse with much of the world ravaged while World Trigger has things more under control
- The weapons in God Eater are huge and unique-looking unlike in World Trigger.
Qualidea Code
One day, the sky split open and aliens known as Unknown poured in for a brutal attack. To keep humanity’s future safe, children were rounded up and put into cryosleep during the war.
Years later, humanity has been pushed to the brink and found that the children they put in cryosleep have awakened with unique supernatural powers that allow them to fight back against the Unknown. The most powerful among them were given cities to govern, but over time, petty rivalries has seen what should be a strong alliance fracture.
However, with the Unknown ramping up their attack, it is either learn to work together or face the end of the human race.
Similarities Between World Trigger and Qualidea Code
- Portals open that allow otherworlders to attack humanity
- Both series start years after the first attacks when humanity has a better handle on the frequent attacks
- Characters can fight back using special abilities/weapons
- Sci-fi action series transform into building intrigue
Differences Between World Trigger and Qualidea Code
- Qualidea Code is about children frozen during the first attack developing abilities when they wake up, then some of those children given leadership positions – which causes as much conflict as the actual enemy.
- Qualidea Code is more about in-fighting than alien fighting
Black Bullet
In the year 2021, a parasitic virus has ravaged humanity by turning them into monsters, driving the remaining humans into massive walled cities.
However, while a special metal can keep these monsters at bay and fight them, children are already being born with the virus dormant within them. It is decided that these “cursed children” are humanity’s best hope for fighting the virus.
Similarities Between World Trigger and Black Bullet
- Humanity is under attack
- Only a specific weapon can fight back
- Sci-fi action and intrigue
Differences Between World Trigger and Black Bullet
- Black Bullet is about a virus that transforms humans into monsters, so it is not about fighting aliens like World Trigger
- Black Bullet’s “special weapon” is really just children that are infected with the virus but who don’t turn
- Black Bullet is vastly more focused on action than anything else
For Fans of Enemy Allies Fighting Their Own Kind
Parasyte
One night, sixteen-year-old Shinichi Izumi was peacefully sleeping when a race of parasitic aliens descended on Earth.
One parasite infects Shinichi, trying to get to his brain to take over his body, but ends up getting stuck in his right hand. Unable to relocate to the brain, the alien, named Migi, now has no choice but to learn to coexist with Shinichi in his body in order to stay alive.
Unfortunately, the other parasitic aliens are not so friendly with humans or to parasites that failed to complete their mission.
Similarities Between World Trigger and Parasyte
- Both feature a normal human teaming up with an enemy alien
- The alien is really the “powerful one” of the team
- The human and alien have a snarky, but friendly relationship
- High energy action scenes, done frequently
Differences Between World Trigger and Parasyte
- The alien ally in Parasyte is neutral to humanity at best while Yuuma has more noble motives
- World Trigger follows a team of main characters while Parasyte is a one man
- Parasyte is a bit more gory and focused on the personal emotional impact of the alien invasion while World Trigger is more a standard shounen action anime experience
Attack on Titan
Facing imminent extinction, humanity retreated behind a series of tall, thick walls to escape their most dangerous threat – massive human-like Titans with a taste for human flesh.
With an enemy that eats humanity for fun rather than food, they are constantly threatened. As such, it is the duty of every human to defend the species.
Enter Eren Yegaer who, after his village was destroyed by Titans breaching the outer wall, he and his adopted sister Mikasa join the Survey Corps. They are one of three factions of the military that scouts and combats Titans outside the walls.
After joining in the brutal war, Eren discovers a secret about himself that could unravel what the world thinks they know about Titans.
Similarities Between World Trigger and Attack on Titan
- Both series feature humanity fighting a singular enemy species, and a main character being a part of that enemy species
- Visually impressive action as well as increasingly interesting intrigue
- The members are part of a military organization that fight humanity’s enemy
Differences Between World Trigger and Attack on Titan
- Attack on Titan is more medieval post-apocalypse with some advanced technology while World Trigger is very clearly sci-fi
- Attack on Titan is more graphic with the gore than the more toned down shounen experience that is World Trigger
- Attack on Titan’s plot is full of twists and gets way more complex as it goes on
Kaiju No. 8
For years, grotesque giant monsters have appeared suddenly to attack Japan. To combat the destructive threat, the Defense Corps was established to fight them and the Professional Kaiju Cleaner Corporation was created to clean up the massive remains.
Kafka Hibino is a middle-aged man who works as a sweeper cleaning up remains despite his big childhood dreams of becoming a Defense Corps member with his childhood friend. While his friend thrives as a powerful asset in the Defense Corps, Kafka has failed the recruitment exam numerous times.
After meeting an ambitious new recruit to his sweeper unit named Reno, a kaiju attack leaves them both in the hospital where a small, parasitic kaiju embeds himself in Kafka and turns him into a monster.
With Reno’s help, Kafka is able to flee and eventually transform back into a human, but he is left with the ability to become a kaiju at will and has access to superhuman abilities that he can use to fight kaiju.
Similarities Between World Trigger and Kaiju No. 8
- Humans fighting enemies from another world using a specific military organization
- Both follow squads of quirky misfits that also feature a main character that is the same enemy they are fighting
- The main characters uses their abilities to fight their own kind as an ally of humanity
- Solid action, suspense, and some good, small moments of comedy
Differences Between World Trigger and Kaiju No. 8
- Kaiju No. 8 is about a human turned into a kaiju hybrid suddenly, which is a bit different from the born and raised Neighbor that Yuuma is.
- While both are action anime, World Trigger features more shounen-type battles while Kaiju No. 8 presents itself as a more mature, gory action story.
Do you have more anime recommendations like World Trigger? Let fans know in the comments section below.