There are some classics so renowned that they serve as the foundation of a new genre. The Lord of the Rings is certainly one of those series, and it's not surprising that Tolkien's seminal works have inspired countless high-fantasy adventure stories. At times, Tolkienism has been to the fantasy genre's detriment. Too often, high-fantasy stories feature familiar medieval settings, royalty, dwarves, and dragons. Fantasy has the potential to be a lot more creative, but even so, the Tolkien framework has produced many excellent series.
A fantasy world populated by monstrous creatures and magical forces, a long, arduous quest across treacherous and beautiful landscapes, themes of loyalty and love, and battles with truly high stakes: all these things ensure that this genre remains excellent entertainment. Tolkien fans looking for adventure will find that the anime medium is rife with stories that fit the bill.
10 The 12 Kingdoms Is A High-Fantasy Isekai Anime
When it comes to high fantasy, there are few anime as loyal to the genre tropes as The Twelve Kingdoms. Among the earliest isekai series, The Twelve Kingdoms featured a dauntless heroine and a second-world setting inspired by Chinese folklore.
When Youka Nakajima is transported from her Japanese high school to the world of the twelve kingdoms and informed that she is, in fact, an empress, she must come to terms with new responsibilities in a foreign landscape. While not terribly original, The Twelve Kingdoms does an excellent job hitting fantasy story beats.
9 Berserk Features Brutal Battles And A Truly Tragic Ending
Berserk is an anime that more or less comes with a warning tag. The original anime is ultra-violent and ruthless with its treatment of characters, and in many regards has aged poorly.
The anime also features one of the darkest endings ever seen in anime, and to this day fans refer to those final episodes with a sort of disgusted reverence. Not many of the characters in Berserk are likable, but for anyone looking for brutal battles against knights and monsters, Berserk is always waiting.
8 Moribito Is A Fantasy Anime That Features Female Characters
Tolkien's works have been praised for their sheer scale and themes, but a fair criticism of Tolkien's work is that it lacks female characters in pivotal leading roles. Aside from Eowyn, who does her best to redeem this flaw, Arwen and Galadriel featured so little in the original books that Peter Jackson had to write more scenes for them in the movie adaptations.
Enter, then, Moribito, which features Balsa the spearwoman, one of the best anime leads of either gender. Balsa is assigned as a bodyguard to a prince whose own father tried to assassinate him. While protecting the prince, Balsa travels across the land trying to atone for the lives she has taken as a warrior. Serious, thoughtful, and classically gorgeous, the world of Moribito is well-worth visiting.
7 The Heroic Legend of Arslan Is An Epic And Rewarding Story With A Slow Start
The bar was set rather high for Arslan, and perhaps that hindered its success. Based on a beloved series of high fantasy novels written by Japanese author Yoshiki Tanaka in the 1980s, the story is set in Pars, a kingdom inspired by ancient Persia. It tells the story of the young Crown Prince, Arslan, who must save his people from a treacherous attack by a neighboring kingdom.
Adapted into a manga by none other than Hiromu Arakawa of Fullmetal Alchemist fame, audiences had high expectations for the series. Arslan takes a good while to get going, but when it does, the story is a rewarding epic.
6 Chaika: The Coffin Princess Follows A Journey Across A World Rife With Magic And Monsters
In some ways, it's surprising that Chaika: The Coffin Princess didn't receive more attention when it aired in 2014. Based on a successful light novel series and skillfully animated by Bones, Coffin Princess tells the story of Toru Acura, a swordsman out of work after the end of a war, who meets a wizard named Chaika.
Chaika is in fact the daughter of the emperor, who was killed and dismembered during the war. Her goal is to collect his body parts from eight warriors who've been using the parts as magic talismans. Toru joins her quest to give her father a proper burial, and the pair travel across a world rife with magic and monsters.
5 Golden Kamuy Usings A Relatively Modern Time Period As The Setting For Its Fantasy Adventure
Always popular among manga readers, Golden Kamuy's legacy appears to be growing significantly. This is one of very few series to depict a character belonging to the Ainu tribe, representative of the indigenous Japanese population, and incorporates a period of Japanese history rarely depicted: the aftermath of the Russo-Japanese War of the early 20th century.
Despite the modernity of the setting, the story has an epic, timeless feel, and the characters' offbeat personalities during their oddball quest for gold has won the hearts of viewers.
4 Vinland Saga Explores The Futility Of Revenge And The Weight Of Our Actions
Vinland Saga doesn't take place in a fantasy world, but it's a fantastic journey all the same. When it comes to doing research, few creators rival Tolkien's efforts, but author Makoto Yukimura is certainly in the running. He traveled to Iceland to study Viking history and has spent more than fifteen years working on this masterpiece.
The story focuses on Thorfinn, who grows up alongside the man who murdered his father, Viking leader Askeladd, intending to grow strong enough to seek revenge. The story features powerful messages about the futility of revenge and the weight of our actions. Thorfinn must learn to seek new shores and leave violence behind to live a life worth living.
3 Demon Slayer Indulges In Breathtaking And Vast Fantastical Storytelling
Given the massive success of Kimetsu No Yaiba, it needs little introduction. But much of what makes this story a roaring success is the same as what drew fans to the story of Frodo and Sam. After his family is brutally murdered by demons and his sister becomes a demon herself, Tanjiro is determined to become a demon slayer and find a cure for his sister.
Ostensibly set in Taisho-era Japan, the story is filled with monsters and magic and the same sort of breathtaking, vast storytelling that sets the best fantasy settings apart.
2 Katanagatari Explores Emotional Bonds And How They Grow
The samurai story has long left its mark on literature and may have inspired Tolkien's quest stories. Katanagatari is a cult hit in arthouse anime circles. Written by the author later acclaimed for the Bakemonogatari series, the story focuses on the strategist Tagame, who enlists the help of the swordless samurai, Shichika, to help her collect 12 magical swords for the shogunate.
The art-style is unique, and the true heart of the story is in the bond that forms between the two leads as the story progresses to an emotional climax that leaves fans stunned.
1 Dororo Follows The Lead As They Recover Their Stolen Humanity
Dororo in its original form was in fact written just after The Lord of the Rings. Osamu Tezuka, the godfather of all anime, penned the series as a manga in the late 1960s, and an early anime adaptation aired in 1969. Renewed by a brilliant 2019 anime by MAPPA, the story has finally received an adaptation that allows its story, characters, and themes to truly shine. Just before his birth, Hyakkimaru's father trades his son's body parts for wealth.
Abandoned, disabled, and devoid of emotion, Hyakkimaru must defeat monsters to regain his missing body parts. During his journey, he is accompanied by an orphan named Dororo who helps him find his humanity as well.
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