Anime like Vampire Knight that you should watch include Diabolik Lovers, Black Butler, Seraph of the End, Kamisama Kiss, and Fruits Basket. If you loved the gothic mood, the doomed love triangle, and the fangs, this list is for you.
Vampire Knight is peak dark-fantasy shoujo: a love triangle between Yuki, Zero, and Kaname, set at a school that quietly houses vampires, with a lot of tragic backstory bubbling under it. It ran for two seasons, the original and Vampire Knight: Guilty, and once you finish both, the hunt for something with the same vibe kicks in.
So here are my favorite anime like Vampire Knight, from close vampire-romance matches to a few gothic outliers. I have sorted them roughly closest first.
The best anime like Vampire Knight
Some of these are full-on vampire anime, some just share the gothic romance atmosphere.
All of them scratch a similar itch.
Diabolik Lovers
If you want the most obvious anime like Vampire Knight, this is it: a whole mansion of vampire brothers instead of a single love triangle. Yui gets sent to live with the six Sakamaki brothers, and the show leans all the way into the dark, gothic, one-girl-many-suitors setup. I will be honest, it is far more twisted than Vampire Knight and the romance is properly toxic, so go in knowing that.
But if it is the vampire reverse-harem atmosphere you are chasing, nothing matches it this closely.
Dance with Devils
Dance with Devils is Vampire Knight by way of a gothic musical, and yes, the characters occasionally break into song. Ritsuka gets dragged into a secret war between vampires and devils, both hunting a powerful grimoire, with a student council full of impossibly pretty boys circling her.
It is a reverse-harem supernatural romance with real style, and the vampire-versus-devil angle gives it more plot than you might expect from the premise.
Black Butler
Black Butler shares Vampire Knight’s gothic, aristocratic mood, you just swap the vampires for a demon butler. Young Ciel Phantomhive makes a Faustian pact with Sebastian, a demon bound to serve him until his revenge is complete. The Victorian setting is gorgeous and clearly well researched, and Sebastian is my favorite character by a mile, all menace wrapped in perfect manners.
If you loved Vampire Knight’s dark elegance, this delivers it in spades.
Kamisama Kiss
Kamisama Kiss is the sweeter, funnier cousin of this list. Nanami ends up homeless, accidentally becomes a local land god, and inherits a grumpy fox spirit named Tomoe as her familiar. It is a supernatural romance with a slow, earned buildup between a human girl and a not-quite-human guy, which is the exact dynamic Vampire Knight fans tend to fall for.
The art is lovely and it made me tear up more than once.
The Ancient Magus Bride
The Ancient Magus Bride swaps vampires for old-world magic, but the beauty-and-the-beast romance will feel familiar. Chise, a girl who can see spirits, is bought at auction by Elias, a towering mage with an animal skull for a head, who calmly announces she will be his apprentice and his bride.
It sounds grim, and parts of it are, but at heart it is about two broken people slowly healing each other. The animation is some of the prettiest on this whole list.
Seraph of the End
If you want a proper vampire anime with more action in it, Seraph of the End is the pick. After a virus wipes out most of humanity, vampires rule what is left and farm the survivors for blood, and Yu joins a military squad to fight back. It is darker and more shonen than Vampire Knight, and it runs on found-family bonds.
Yu irritated me at first, but his growth, plus Guren and Mika, won me over completely by the end.
Devil’s Line
Devil’s Line is a moodier, more adult take on the human-loves-a-monster idea. It follows a half-vampire who fights to control his bloodlust while falling for a human woman, and it takes that push and pull seriously. If you liked the forbidden-romance ache of Vampire Knight and do not mind something a bit more mature, this vampire romance anime is worth a look.
My only complaint is that I really wanted a second season. It sits in similar territory to Tokyo Ghoul, just softer around the edges.
Ouran High School Host Club
Ouran is here purely for the reverse-harem energy, played entirely for laughs. Haruhi, a scholarship student, breaks an expensive vase and has to work off the debt in the school’s host club, surrounded by a lineup of rich, ridiculous boys. It is a comedy first, so it is far lighter than Vampire Knight, but the elite-academy setting and the one-girl-many-guys setup scratch a similar itch.
It is also one of the most rewatchable anime ever made.
Maid Sama!
Maid Sama is a classic tsundere school romance. Misaki is the tough student council president who secretly works at a maid cafe to help her family, and Usui, the most popular boy in school, finds out and starts orbiting her life. The push and pull between a guarded girl and a charming guy who always seems one step ahead is very Vampire Knight, just minus the fangs.
It is warm, funny, and dangerously easy to binge in one sitting.
The Earl and the Fairy
The Earl and the Fairy is a lovely deep cut for anyone who loved the Victorian romance side of Vampire Knight. Lydia, a fairy doctor, gets swept up with a charming rogue of an earl, a mysterious inheritance, and, yes, a cat with a taste for scotch. It packs romance, suspense, and a dose of British folklore into a short, breezy run.
Hardly anyone talks about this one, and they really should.
Fruits Basket
Fruits Basket is the emotional heavyweight here. Tohru stumbles onto the Sohma family’s secret: they transform into zodiac animals when hugged by the opposite sex. What starts out cute slowly becomes one of the most beautiful stories about trauma and healing in all of anime.
The 2019 remake finally adapts the entire manga, and it wrecked me in the best possible way. If you came to Vampire Knight for the romance and stayed for the feelings, this is your next watch.
Elfen Lied
Elfen Lied is the wild card, and I need to flag it up front: it is extremely violent and not for everyone. It blends brutal gore with a strange, tender romance and a lot of tragedy, following Lucy, a horned Diclonius with deadly invisible arms, and her childlike alter-ego Nyu.
If it was Vampire Knight’s darker, more tragic side that pulled you in, and you have a strong stomach, Elfen Lied hits hard. Just go in knowing exactly what you are signing up for.
More anime like Vampire Knight
Twelve is barely scratching the surface of gothic romance and vampire anime, so here is a quick-reference table of more anime like Vampire Knight, spanning reverse-harem, vampires, and supernatural romance. Save it for when you tear through the list above.
| Anime | Genre or vibe |
|---|---|
| Betrayal Knows My Name (Uraboku) | Supernatural bishonen tragedy |
| Hakuoki | Historical reverse-harem, demons |
| Brothers Conflict | Reverse-harem drama |
| Amnesia | Gothic otome reverse-harem |
| Blood+ | Vampire action |
| Rosario + Vampire | Monster-school romance |
| Karin (Chibi Vampire) | Vampire romcom |
| Servamp | Vampire supernatural action |
| Devils and Realist | Victorian demons, bishonen |
| Vampire in the Garden | Dark vampire fantasy |
That is my full list of anime like Vampire Knight, from close vampire-romance matches to a few beautiful gothic outliers.
Whether you want more fangs, more forbidden romance, or just that same moody atmosphere, there is something here for you. Which one are you starting with, and did I miss a vampire anime you love?
Let me know in the comments.
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Anime I Would Watch If I Liked Vampire Knight
1. Diabolik Lovers – Year: 2013 – Type: vampire reverse harem / dark romance – Why I would watch it: If I wanted something with the same dark vampire-boy energy as Vampire Knight, this would be one of the first anime I would try. It has a gothic mood, a human girl surrounded by vampires, and a much darker romance style.
2. Diabolik Lovers More, Blood – Year: 2015 – Type: vampire reverse harem / toxic dark romance – Why I would watch it: I would watch this if I wanted even more vampire drama, possessive male characters, and a darker supernatural romance atmosphere.
3. Vampire Dormitory – Year: 2024 – Type: vampire shoujo romance / gender disguise – Why I would watch it: This feels like a good modern pick if I liked Vampire Knight because it has a young heroine, vampire romance, secret identity drama, and a strong shoujo feeling.
4. Dance with Devils – Year: 2015 – Type: supernatural reverse harem / vampire and demon romance – Why I would watch it: I would pick this if I wanted a dramatic girl-surrounded-by-supernatural-boys setup. It has vampires, devils, romance tension, and a gothic fantasy style.
5. The Case Study of Vanitas – Year: 2021 – Type: vampire fantasy / gothic mystery / romance tension – Why I would watch it: This is one I would recommend if I wanted vampires with a prettier gothic world, mystery, drama, and romantic tension without feeling exactly like a school romance.
6. Call of the Night – Year: 2022 – Type: vampire romance / night-life supernatural anime – Why I would watch it: I would watch this if I wanted a more modern vampire romance with a stylish nighttime mood. It is less school-gothic than Vampire Knight, but it still has that vampire attraction and emotional loneliness.
7. Rosario + Vampire – Year: 2008 – Type: monster school / vampire girl romance / comedy harem – Why I would watch it: If I wanted the school setting and vampire romance but with more comedy, this would be a fun pick. It is lighter and sillier than Vampire Knight, but the monster academy idea is similar.
8. Rosario + Vampire Capu2 – Year: 2008 – Type: monster school / vampire comedy romance – Why I would watch it: I would watch this if I enjoyed the first season and wanted more supernatural school chaos, monster girls, and vampire romance moments.
9. Karin / Chibi Vampire – Year: 2005 – Type: vampire school rom-com – Why I would watch it: I would choose this if I wanted a softer and funnier vampire romance. It still has vampires and school-life romance, but the tone is much sweeter than Vampire Knight.
10. Actually, I Am – Year: 2015 – Type: school romantic comedy / vampire girl secret – Why I would watch it: I would watch this if I wanted the secret vampire idea, but in a much lighter comedy form. It is more goofy than gothic, but it is still a good vampire-school romance pick.
11. Blood+ – Year: 2005 – Type: vampire action drama / dark fantasy – Why I would watch it: I would recommend this if I liked the darker vampire side of Vampire Knight more than the school romance side. It has blood, tragedy, family mystery, and supernatural action.
12. Blood-C – Year: 2011 – Type: vampire-adjacent horror / monster mystery – Why I would watch it: I would watch this if I wanted something darker, bloodier, and more horror-focused. It is not the same kind of romance anime, but it fits if I wanted a much scarier supernatural story.
13. Devils’ Line – Year: 2018 – Type: dark vampire romance / adult supernatural drama – Why I would watch it: This is one I would watch if I wanted a more adult vampire romance. It has danger, attraction, bloodlust, and a romance that feels tense and emotional.
14. Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut – Year: 2021 – Type: vampire romance / sci-fi drama – Why I would watch it: I would watch this if I wanted a more emotional and unusual vampire romance. It is not gothic school drama, but the bond between the vampire girl and human man gives it a strong romantic pull.
15. Black Butler – Year: 2008 – Type: gothic supernatural / dark fantasy – Why I would watch it: I would pick this if I liked Vampire Knight for its dark, elegant, gothic atmosphere. It is not a vampire romance, but it has beautiful character designs, mystery, demons, and a similar dark shoujo-style appeal.
16. Black Butler: Book of Circus – Year: 2014 – Type: gothic mystery / supernatural drama – Why I would watch it: I would watch this if I wanted one of the stronger Black Butler arcs with a darker mood, creepy mystery, and stylish supernatural storytelling.
17. Ouran High School Host Club – Year: 2006 – Type: school reverse harem / romantic comedy – Why I would watch it: I would recommend this if I liked the pretty-boy school setup in Vampire Knight but wanted something funny and light instead of dark and dramatic.
18. Fruits Basket – Year: 2001 – Type: supernatural shoujo romance / emotional drama – Why I would watch it: I would watch this if I liked the emotional side of Vampire Knight. It has family secrets, romance tension, supernatural curses, and characters carrying a lot of pain.
19. Fruits Basket – Year: 2019 – Type: supernatural shoujo romance / complete remake – Why I would watch it: I would choose the 2019 version if I wanted the fuller story. It has the emotional drama, character healing, and romantic tension that Vampire Knight fans might enjoy.
20. Kamisama Kiss – Year: 2012 – Type: supernatural shoujo romance / fantasy comedy – Why I would watch it: I would watch this if I wanted another supernatural romance with a strong heroine and a mysterious male lead. It is lighter than Vampire Knight, but the romance is very easy to get attached to.
21. Kamisama Kiss Season 2 – Year: 2015 – Type: supernatural shoujo romance / fantasy romance – Why I would watch it: I would continue with this if I liked the relationship growth, spirit-world setting, and sweet romantic tension from the first season.
22. Inu x Boku SS – Year: 2012 – Type: supernatural romance / bodyguard romance – Why I would watch it: I would pick this if I wanted a romantic supernatural anime with pretty character designs, secrets, protective male leads, and a soft but mysterious atmosphere.
23. Hiiro no Kakera – Year: 2012 – Type: supernatural reverse harem / fantasy romance – Why I would watch it: I would watch this if I wanted a girl surrounded by handsome supernatural protectors. It has a similar shoujo fantasy feeling, even though it is not about vampires.
24. La Corda d’Oro: Primo Passo – Year: 2006 – Type: school reverse harem / music romance – Why I would watch it: I would recommend this if I liked the elegant school mood and multiple male love-interest feeling from Vampire Knight, but wanted music and romance instead of vampires.
25. Uta no Prince-sama – Year: 2011 – Type: reverse harem / idol romance – Why I would watch it: I would watch this if I wanted a pretty-boy cast, romantic tension, and a female lead surrounded by stylish male characters. It is much brighter than Vampire Knight, but it fits the reverse-harem side.
26. Hakuoki – Year: 2010 – Type: historical reverse harem / supernatural drama – Why I would watch it: I would choose this if I wanted a more serious reverse-harem story with handsome warriors, danger, tragedy, and supernatural elements.
27. Dance in the Vampire Bund – Year: 2010 – Type: vampire politics / dark romance – Why I would watch it: I would watch this if I wanted vampire royalty, darker themes, and a more mature supernatural world. It is not the same shoujo tone, but it does have vampire drama.
28. Strike the Blood – Year: 2013 – Type: vampire action / harem romance – Why I would watch it: I would pick this if I wanted a male vampire lead, supernatural battles, and romantic harem energy. It is more action-based than Vampire Knight.
29. Trinity Blood – Year: 2005 – Type: vampire action / gothic sci-fi fantasy – Why I would watch it: I would watch this if I liked the vampire nobility and gothic worldbuilding side of Vampire Knight. It is more action and political drama than romance, but the vampire atmosphere is strong.
30. Hellsing Ultimate – Year: 2006 – Type: vampire action horror / gothic violence – Why I would watch it: I would only recommend this if I wanted a much darker and bloodier vampire anime. It is not a romance like Vampire Knight, but it is one of the most iconic vampire anime for gothic action fans.
31. Vampire Princess Miyu – Year: 1988 OVA / 1997 TV – Type: gothic vampire horror / supernatural mystery – Why I would watch it: I would watch this if I wanted an older, moodier vampire anime with a mysterious female vampire lead and a haunting atmosphere.
32. Shiki – Year: 2010 – Type: vampire horror / village mystery – Why I would watch it: I would pick this if I wanted vampires but in a darker horror direction. It is less romantic, but the mood, mystery, and slow dread make it worth watching.
33. Fortune Arterial: Akai Yakusoku – Year: 2010 – Type: school vampire romance / visual novel adaptation – Why I would watch it: I would watch this if I wanted another school setting with vampire secrets and romance drama. It is a softer pick compared to Vampire Knight.
34. Vassalord – Year: 2013 – Type: vampire OVA / BL-adjacent gothic action – Why I would watch it: I would recommend this if I wanted something short, stylish, and vampire-focused with strong queer or BL energy. It is not a full series, but the gothic vampire mood fits.
35. Vampire in the Garden – Year: 2022 – Type: vampire drama / tragic fantasy / queer-adjacent – Why I would watch it: I would watch this if I wanted a short and emotional vampire story with a human girl and a vampire queen. It is more tragic and subtle than Vampire Knight, but the vampire-human bond is powerful.