If You Love To Be Hero X, These 10 Action Fantasy Series Are Essential to Watch Next

by

Action-packed fantasy anime is incredibly popular, drawing audiences into exciting worlds filled with intense competition, evolving relationships, and the discovery of incredible abilities. To Be Hero X builds on these well-loved themes, but stands out with its distinctive approach. Created in China, the show features a striking blend of 2D and 3D animation, making each scene visually impressive. As the story continues to develop, you’ll likely find yourself wanting more – and if you do, here are ten anime worth checking out.

These series all fall into the action-fantasy genre, but each one creates its own distinct world. Fate/Grand Order draws on mythology and features large-scale, intense battles. Space Dandy leans into science fiction with exciting space adventures that can be surprisingly emotional. Black Clover centers on the humorous and motivating rivalry between two friends. And My Hero Academia explores the challenges and pressures of being a hero in a highly controlled society.

10) Fate/Grand Order

In Fate/Grand Order, players take on the role of Ritsuka Fujimaru, a newly appointed Master at Chaldea. Partnered with Mash Kyrielight, a unique demi-servant who acts as both companion and protector, Ritsuka must travel through time to fix disruptions in history. These disruptions, called Singularities, threaten humanity’s existence, and Ritsuka and Mash use a technique called Rayshifting to journey to different eras and restore the proper timeline.

I’m a huge fan of how both To Be Hero X and Fate/Grand Order connect a hero’s power to people! In To Be Hero X, it’s all about public trust giving the hero strength, and in Fate/Grand Order, the Servants get stronger based on how well people remember their legends. What’s really interesting is how each series challenges its characters – Lin Ling has to maintain a perfect image, while Mash is burdened by fate and the weight of history. When it comes to the action, To Be Hero X is just a blast with its over-the-top, funny battles, while Fate/Grand Order’s fights are more about careful planning and strategy. But honestly, both series are perfect for anyone who loves a good action fantasy!

9) Dungeon (or DanMachi) 

If you enjoyed how To Be Hero X showed how public support affects a hero’s power, you might also like DanMachi. Both series explore this idea, but with a different approach. In To Be Hero X, a hero’s strength fluctuates based on how much people believe in him, leading to regular tournaments to prove his worth. DanMachi uses a similar concept, where adventurers gain power through the blessings of the gods instead of public faith.

Bell Cranel is a new adventurer who teams up with the goddess Hestia. She gives him the power to explore the dangerous Dungeon beneath the city of Orario, where adventurers battle monsters to level up and improve their standing. Though he starts out inexperienced, Bell is determined to become a powerful hero and works hard to achieve his dream with each fight.

8) Devilman Crybaby

Devilman Crybaby centers around Akira Fudo, a teenager whose life is turned upside down when he reconnects with his childhood friend, Ryo Asuka. Akira transforms into a Devilman – a powerful being with demonic strength but a human soul. Similar to Lin Ling in To Be Hero X, this change isolates Akira, forcing him to adapt to a completely new reality. Both Akira and Lin Ling grapple with inner turmoil as they experience significant loss and face betrayal.

While both shows explore feelings of isolation, the challenges faced by the characters are quite different. Lin Ling battles a broken superhero world, while Akira confronts a full-scale apocalypse caused by demons and human wickedness. Devilman Crybaby takes these themes to a much more intense and disturbing level, making it best suited for mature viewers due to its graphic content and harsh realities.

7) Space Dandy

Both To Be Hero X and Space Dandy are known for their unique animation and mind-bending stories. To Be Hero X centers on Lin Ling, who takes on the mantle of a hero and discovers secrets about a broken system. Space Dandy follows the adventurous alien hunter Dandy on strange journeys throughout space. However, his seemingly random missions are actually connected to a bigger, cosmic mystery involving his own identity and the nature of reality.

One thing you’ll quickly notice about Space Dandy is how it changes mood frequently, jumping suddenly from funny to more serious topics. This is comparable to To Be Hero X, which also keeps things unpredictable with its themes. Similar to the character Lin Ling, Dandy also has a hidden and surprisingly complex past.

6) Black Clover

I’m totally hooked on Black Clover! It’s about Asta and Yuno, who both dream of becoming the Wizard King – basically, the most powerful magic user in the kingdom. The amazing thing is, Asta can’t actually use magic himself! But he gets this incredibly rare five-leaf clover grimoire that gives him the power to negate other people’s magic. It’s such a cool twist, and it finally gives him a shot at competing with Yuno and achieving their dream together!

Both Black Clover and To Be Hero X tell stories of characters who start with the odds stacked against them in worlds filled with magic or superpowers. Asta, who is born without any magical ability, and Lin Ling, a regular office worker, both struggle against systems that don’t accept them. They each develop a special power – Asta gains the ability to nullify magic, and Lin Ling becomes a hero with a mysterious curse. Ultimately, both heroes fight to prove themselves in worlds that try to hold them back.

5) My Hero Academia

While To Be Hero X presents a cynical view of the superhero world, My Hero Academia takes a more traditional approach. Both Lin Ling and Izuku Midoriya begin their journeys without powers, but each is chosen by their hero – All Might for Izuku – to inherit a powerful legacy. However, unlike Lin Ling, Izuku doesn’t immediately enter a corrupt system. He first hones his skills at U.A. High, a school dedicated to training the next generation of professional heroes.

Despite its differences, My Hero Academia shares some surprising similarities with To Be Hero X. Both anime feature televised hero tournaments where heroes demonstrate their abilities and are publicly ranked. They also both depict a highly structured professional hero system and explore the heavy responsibility that comes with inheriting powerful abilities, like when Izuku receives One For All.

4) Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

I was completely hooked by Cyberpunk: Edgerunners! It tells the story of David Martinez, a young guy just trying to make it on the streets of Night City after a really tough loss. He becomes a mercenary – an ‘edgerunner’ – to survive in this crazy corporate world, but things quickly get out of hand. It’s a wild ride that unfortunately leads him down a path of cybernetic enhancements and, ultimately, a really heartbreaking tragedy. Seriously, it’s a powerful story.

If you enjoyed how To Be Hero X delved into the difficult realities behind being a hero, you’ll likely appreciate Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. Both shows focus on characters with serious flaws who are caught in unfair and harsh worlds that reveal the downsides of power. Similar to how Lin Ling struggles with the pressures of being a good person, David is ultimately used and abandoned by the powerful corporations in Night City.

3) Link Click

Both Link Click and To Be Hero X were created by the same director, Li Haoling. These anime combine comedy and action to explore serious themes. Link Click centers around Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang, who can enter photographs to fulfill requests. However, they soon discover that altering the past can have difficult and unforeseen consequences on the future.

Link Click starts with seemingly harmless photo requests, but soon becomes a gripping mystery. Similar to To Be Hero X, the series focuses on characters with flaws who face serious consequences for their powers. Cheng Xiaoshi is haunted by painful memories he’s forced to relive, while Lin Ling struggles with the weight of being Nice.

2) Mob Psycho 100

If you enjoyed To Be Hero X, you’ll likely appreciate Mob Psycho 100, though it focuses more on personal struggles. While Lin Ling tries to maintain a flawless public image, Mob deals with the burden of his psychic abilities. The core similarity between the two shows is that both main characters possess immense power, yet depend on flawed mentors for guidance.

Lin Ling draws inspiration from heroes of the past, while Mob learns from Reigen, a seemingly dishonest man who surprisingly offers good guidance. The energetic and visually striking battles in To Be Hero X are similar to those in Mob Psycho 100, as both series feature fights that can rapidly escalate depending on the hero’s feelings. This shared element creates a smooth viewing experience, since both shows follow the path of a reluctant and imperfect hero.

1) One Piece

Like To Be Hero X, One Piece also offers a critique of society, but it does so on a much larger scale. The story centers around Monkey D. Luffy, a cheerful and resolute pirate, and his crew as they journey to find the famous treasure, the One Piece. Both series demonstrate how easily reputations can be twisted and used to influence people.

I’m completely hooked on both of these series! It’s fascinating to see how they approach heroism. With To Be Hero X, it’s all about flashy action fueled by satire, which is super fun. But One Piece really hits different – it uses its incredible battles to explore much heavier stuff like injustice and the abuse of power. Luffy’s becoming a real problem for the World Government simply because he’s gaining so much popularity and standing up for what’s right. And Lin Ling? She’s this amazing character stuck in a system that profits off people’s faith, and it’s heartbreaking to watch. Honestly, the arcs where Luffy confronts unfairness are some of the most impactful storytelling I’ve ever seen.

https://comicbook.com/anime/list/10-best-anime-style-cartoons-list/embed/#

Read More

2026-01-02 01:12