Anime like Elfen Lied all incorporates a perfect blend of horror, action, romance, and psychological aspects.
And although the following anime come quite close to what you might be looking for, they may not be exact substitutes for the television series in question.
However, the anime indeed explore many familiar themes that are incorporated into the Elfen Lied.
Besides the aforementioned genres, you’ll be able to espy tons of gore, superpowers and even a bit of tragedy. So without further ado, here are our delectable picks.
1 – Gantz:
The storyline employed in Gantz sees the likes of Kei Kurono, a high school student who only looks out for himself.
However, one fateful day, he and his childhood pal, Katou Masaru get run over by a train while attempting to rescue a drunkard.
They get transported to an enclosed apartment which is occupied by other recently deceased individuals.
Things get even more mysterious with the presence of a large black ball, an entity that now controls their existence.
They are all called on to play a ‘game’ that involves horror, violence, and danger.
2 – Darker Than Black:
In Darker Than Black, you’ll be introduced to a group that’s known simply as Contractors. Each individual possesses fantastic paranormal powers.
Among this lot is one such gifted person who’s codenamed Hei. Coming to the scenario, there’s an impenetrable field called Hell’s Gate that appeared in Tokyo nearly a decade ago. And it was during this time that the psychics cropped up all over the place.
Now Hei, along with his blind associate Yin, joins a rival agency and attempts to uncover the mystery behind this occurrence.
What’s more, this entrant in our anime similar to Elfen Lied roster is packed to the hilt with elements like science fiction, drama, and magic.
The story featured in Higurashi When They Cry takes viewers to the year 1983 where a transfer student known as Maebara Keiichi is seen traveling to a peaceful village in Hinamizawa.
There he makes friends with his classmates Mion, Satoko, Rika and Rena, and is even part of the prestigious club that proffers a host of activates like hide-and-seek and card games.
But everything isn’t quite as it seems in Hinamizawa as the place has a few dark secrets and sinister history of its own, and it’s not long until Maebara gets deeply involved in them. Even his new pals may not be everything they say they are.
4 – Ghost Hunt:
If it’s the horror, psychological or supernatural approach you appreciated in Elfen Lied, then you’ll surely love Ghost Hunt in our Elfen Lied alternatives array.
Mai Taniyama is your average 16-year-old first-year high school student. However, the turn of events sees her encountering 17-year-old Kazuya Shibuya who works for the Shibuya Psychic Research Center.
The latter is called upon to investigate paranormal activity at the former’s school.
Now as fate would have it, Kazuya’s assistant gets injured while saving Mai. This means the school girl must now take the assistant’s place and help the detective solve the unexplained.
5 – Blood+:
There’s an intense war that has been going on for centuries now and the two factions on either side of the line are the Chiroptera and Red Shield.
The former clan members need to feed off the blood of a living being and even have the ability to disguise themselves as humans.
Wondering what’s so special about the latter? Well, it’s an organization that’s dedicated to suppressing these miscreants.
There’s also a high school girl called Saya Otonashi who happens to remember only what happened a year back. Anything prior to that appears to be a complete blank.
6 – Deadman Wonderland:
Now if it’s the blood and gore that gets keeps you at the edge of your seat, well why not give Deadman Wonderland in our anime similar to Elfen Lied lineup a try?
The storyline here follows a middle school student named Ganta Igarashi who’s blamed for the massacre that took place in his classroom.
As punishment, he’s sent to rot in one of the most twisted prison enclosures.
Now, this isn’t your ordinary correctional facility. It’s a place where brutal deathmatches between convicts take place.
During his escapades, he befriends an unusual female inmate and even realizes his ability to transform his blood into a weapon.
Framed for the unfortunate school ordeal, he also uncovers some crucial secrets that lead him to the real people responsible for the hideous crime.
7 – Blue Seed:
Our final option puts a girl called Momiji in the spotlight. She was just an average individual until she realized that she was no ordinary person but a descendent of the great Kushinada kin.
Now the whole fate of Japan rests on her shoulders as she’s the only one who can destroy the demonic plant-like menace known as the Aragami.
However, she’s not alone in this endeavor as the Terrestrial Administration Center or TAC and her love interest, Kusanagi also aids her in defeating these monstrosities.
Conclusion:
Elfen Lied revolves around a genetically-altered human who goes by the name of Lucy. She’s a young Diclonius who manages to escape from her confinement and leaves a wake of horrible destruction as she breaks out.
However, during her escapades, she injured and now suffers from amnesia, hence forgetting who she really is.
A kind family happens to find Lucy at a beach and decides to take care of her. And although she appears to be quite harmless, her evil side is still alive within her.
Now if you love plots like this one or the action that’s packed in here, then we’re sure you’ll want to get your hands on all of the aforesaid anime like Elfen Lied.
But before jumping right into them, we urge you to pen down your favorites in the space right here.
