Immortality is a double-edged sword, making it such a great topic to explore in anime. How does someone live when they can't die? Is it a blessing or a curse? A boon or a bane?
While many anime series about immortals have nothing new to say and drown in stale tropes and clichés, there are others that are fresh, fascinating, and downright thrilling.
From protagonists seeking never-ending life to unkillable villains who are ruining the world, here are our picks for the best anime series about immortals and the meaning of immortality.
11. Blood Blockade Battlefront
Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Supernatural
Originally aired 2015 to 2017
24 episodes (2 seasons)
Blood Blockade Battlefront is a two-season anime series adapted from the manga of the same name, which was written and illustrated by Yasuhiro Nightow.
It follows the story of Leo and his journeys in Hellsalem's Lot, which is the rebuilt version of a destroyed New York City.
Hellsalem's Lot is no ordinary city. It's where an otherworldly dimension connects to the human realm, bringing forth all kinds of creatures and monsters—including the immortal beings called Blood Breeds, who can't be killed by any means.
Fortunately, the organization named Libra handles these supernatural cases. They're comprised of individuals who have an array of superhuman abilities, like Klaus who uses blood-based abilities to attack and seal their immortal enemies.
10. Baccano!
Baccano! is an anime series based on the light novel of the same name, which was written by Ryohgo Narita and illustrated by Katsumi Enami.
The series may seem like a clichéd hodge-podge of elements—including mafia, thieves, and some other random dudes—but Baccano! feels fresh as you watch. Plus, there's Szilard Quates, an alchemist who wants to gain complete immortality.
While the story pulls its characters into chaotic twists and turns centered on the elixir of immortality, the plot remains engaging with its interesting character developments and intense scenes.
9. Record of Ragnarok
Record of Ragnarok is an anime series featuring the mythical battle between the gods and select human beings. This battle will decide the fate of humanity: if they win, they'll be spared, but if not, they'll be punished and annihilated.
The gods in Record of Ragnarok are based on several real-life mythologies—including Greek and Norse mythologies—and are known as powerful, immortal beings. They're immune to aging and can live millions of years!
While they seem to have an advantage in the fight against humans, the Valkyries are there to help humanity survive by becoming Divine Weapons that can wound and even kill the gods.
8. The Seven Deadly Sins
The Seven Deadly Sins is an anime featuring a fantasy world where five main races—humans, goddesses, giants, fairies, and demons—coexisted peacefully until the demon race was sealed by the Stigma.
At first, Ban was introduced as the immortal one, granted this by the Fountain of Youth from the Fairy King's Forest. His wounds could instantly heal, even if his body was split in half or crushed.
But the primary immortal character in The Seven Deadly Sins is Meliodas. Unlike Ban, his immortality is different: it's a curse cast on him by the Supreme Deity of the Goddess clan, which revives him after he dies while retaining his memories.
And courtesy of the Demon King, Meliodas's lover Elizabeth was cursed with perpetual reincarnation, so he's been living for 3,000 years and having to watch his lover die over and over across the centuries.
7. To Your Eternity
The anime series To Your Eternity is adapted from the manga of the same name, written and illustrated by Yoshitoki Oima. It follows the story of a formless yet immortal orb that can take the form of anything, including living creatures.
At first, he mimics a rock and assumes that form for a very long time, until a wolf appears and dies beside him. He takes the wolf's form and eventually befriends a human boy. When the boy dies, he takes his form and lives on as the boy.
As a human, he begins to learn the meaning of life with the help of the people he encounters. However, it won't be easy because of the supernatural "nokkers" that exist to hinder him.
6. Demon Slayer
The antagonistic "demons" in Koyoharu Gotouge's Demon Slayer are pretty overpowered. They have immense physical strength, durability, and magical powers called Blood Demon Arts.
On top of all that, they're also equipped with the ability to regenerate their destroyed bodies, thus making them immortals who are able to live for hundreds of years, feasting on human flesh.
But these demons have an important weakness: they crumble and turn to dust when exposed to the sun. They can also be killed if they're beheaded by Demon Slayers who wield Nichirin Swords, which are forged from special ores that absorb sunlight.
The progenitor of the demons, Muzan Kibutsuji, wants to conquer his only weakness and become immune to the sun—and he's almost there, unless the Demon Slayer Corps can stop him.
5. Re:Zero
Re:Zero (fully titled as Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World) is an isekai anime series that follows the story of Subaru Natsuki, who's whisked away to a fantasy world.
Subaru has a few badass abilities up his sleeve in this new world, but he's best known for his Return by Death ability, which allows him to revive at uncontrollable "save points" in the past when he dies.
The dark twist of his immortality is that he retains all the memories of his life before he dies, but everyone else's memories are "reset" to the save point timeline. This means no one else knows that he's been dying multiple times to save his friends.
Re:Zero was adapted from the light novel of the same name, which was written by Tappei Nagatsuki and illustrated by Shin'ichirō Ōtsuka, with the studio White Fox working on its animation.
4. Ajin: Demi-Human
Action, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Supernatural
Originally aired 2016
26 episodes (2 seasons)
In Ajin: Demi-Human, there's a very small fraction of the population who are born as "Ajin" and have the ability to return to life after death. Moments after they die, they simply revive in place, unscathed.
Ajin aren't considered humans and they have bounties on their heads for their capture so they can be turned into lab rats for the government's scientists. As such, Kei Nagai's life takes a downhill turn after he finds out that he's actually an Ajin.
Kei Nagai ends up caught in a conflict between those who want to suppress the Ajin and those who want the Ajin for military uses.
On top of their immortality, Ajin also have something called Invisible Black Matter (IBM), which appears out of nowhere and takes the form of a ghostly figure, adding a layer of badassery to the series.
3. Blade of the Immortal
Action, Adventure, Drama, Supernatural
Originally aired 2019 to 2020
24 episodes (1 season)
Themes of immortality can get pretty dark, but few anime series have gone darker than Blade of the Immortal.
It follows the story of Manji, a ronin who's been cursed to suffer immortality. The only way he can end his suffering is to regain his mortality, which requires killing 1,000 evil men.
Manji's body is unique, being host to special worms that patch up his wounds and reconnect severed limbs, which makes him unkillable in his many swordfights.
Liden Films produced the 2019 version of Blade of the Immortal, adapted from the seinen manga of the same name, which was written and illustrated by Hiroaki Samura.
While this version of the anime series is a complete adaptation, Bee Train Production's 2008 version is also pretty good if you're into classic series with a dark, bloody, and gory premise.
2. Hell's Paradise
MAPPA's Hell's Paradise is the anime adaptation of the manga of the same name, which was written and illustrated by Yuji Kaku.
Set during the Edo period of Japan's history, it follows the story of Gabimaru, a ninja who's ordered to retrieve the "elixir of immortality" from the "other shore" in exchange for his freedom.
While on his journey to "paradise," several other dangerous death row criminals (and their executioner handlers) embark on the same task with him, who will either compete or team up with each other.
This retrieval mission won't be easy since "paradise" is full of unknown creatures—and if they fail, they'll become a corpse flower pot.
1. Hellsing Ultimate
We all know that vampires are immortal. These creatures feed on the blood of human beings and are afraid of sunlight because it's their weakness. That, and a wooden stake through the heart.
There are many vampire anime series out there, but the most iconic one is Hellsing Ultimate, featuring the badass vampire Alucard.
Alucard works for the Hellsing Organization, which secretly protects Great Britain against all kinds of supernatural threats, including ghouls and other undead like him.
Hellsing Ultimate is an anime adaptation of Kouta Hirano's manga of the same name. While the original Hellsing anime is pretty good, Hellsing Ultimate more faithfully adapts the source material.
