6 Anime Like Mars Red [Recommendations]

Mars Red’s beautiful theatrical representation, the influence of Oscar Wilde’s one-act tragedy Salome, and the aspect ratio of 2.35:1 make it one of the most visually appealing anime of Spring 2021. Sadly, one of the most underrated too. Set in the year 1923, Mars Red tells the story about a special force named Code Zero formed to stop the uprising of vampires in Tokyo. It also depicts the constant struggle of the individuals who are not able to abandon humanity despite turning into vampires.

If you are looking for more anime like Mars Red, we have made a list for you. Here you can find anime with vampire-killing organizations, vampires aiding humanity to fight against vampires, protagonists affected by the woman from their past, and most importantly, the visuals that enhance the experience of vampire anime. Without any further ado, let’s dive right into the list of 6 anime like Mars Red.


Similar Anime to Mars Red

1. Shiki

  • Episodes: 22
  • Aired: July 2010 - December 2010

Megumi Shimizu wants a life full of fame and glamour. But alas, she lives in Sotoba, a village with a population of a mere thirteen hundred far away from the bustling city life of her dreams. Megumi was the talk of the town until her sudden death started a chain of events resulting in more mysterious deaths. Amidst the crisis, Dr. Toshio Ozaki is unable to get to the root of the sudden deaths while Natsuno Yuuki is anxious about Megumi stalking him even after her demise. To stop the uprising of vampires in the village, both of them team up to uproot the cause of the epidemic once and for all.

Shiki and Mars Red both have a female character filled with hope and dreams which were soon turned into despair following their tragic deaths. Both Megumi and Misaki became vampires and the male protagonists were haunted by their existence since then. With a conspiracy behind the vampire’s uprising in both Mars Red and Shiki, these anime ask the same question “Why do vampires classify as a monster and humans aren’t?” Shiki brings in more cinematic freedom to showcase gore, bloodshed while diving deep into the conscience of vampires.


2. Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign)

  • Episodes: 12
  • Aired: April 2015 - June 2015

The fate of mankind is now in the hands of vampires after a mysterious virus kills everyone above the age of 13. In return for the blood of the survivors, the vampires will provide them with food and shelter. Within the uncountable victims, orphans Yuuichiro and Mikaela of the Hyakuya orphanage are under custody of the vampires along with the other orphans. Mikaela devises an escape plan using his wit but fails, which leaves Yuuichirou as the only survivor. Losing his family to the vampires, Yuuichirou joins the Moon Demon Company to erase the very existence of vampires.

Like the vampire-hunting unit Code Zero in Mars Red, there is the Moon Demon company dedicated to exterminating vampires in Owari no Seraph. Both Mars Red and Seraph of the End tackle the vampire outbreak posing danger to humanity. If Mars Red reminds you of a theater play, Seraph of the End will remind you of a colorful canvas stained with blood. Owari no Seraph is a strong recommendation for anyone who loved the struggle of human existence amidst the vampire uprising in Mars Red.

Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign Trailer


3. Sirius (Sirius the Jaeger)

  • Episodes: 12
  • Aired: July 2018 - September 2018

Yuliy is the sole survivor of the vampire raid on his village and currently is part of Jaegers, a group disguised as musicians, known to hunt down vampires without any mercy. Besides being the sole survivor, Yuliy is also blessed with werewolf strength running through his blood. Upon the rise of vampire cases in Tokyo, the Jaegers were invited to Japan to exterminate those vampires. Besides helping the police to track down those vampires, the Jaegers are searching for the Ark of Sirius, the artifact with the power to rule the world. Will the Jaegers get their hands on the Ark of Sirius before the vampires?

Taking place in the early 1900s, both the story of Sirius the Jaeger and Mars Red are based in Tokyo, Japan. Similar to vampire hunting group Jaegers in Sirius, Mars Red has Code Zero for the same. While Mars Red has an action on a minimal scale, Sirius the Jaeger is a spectacle when it comes to action choreography. And if you love that, what are you waiting for, go watch Sirius the Jaeger right now. Loved the setting of human and vampire’s struggle for existence amidst the aesthetics of the early 90s in Japan, if so, Sirius the Jaeger is a must-watch for you.

Sirius PV



Any Anime Like Mars Red ?

4. Hellsing Ultimate

  • Episodes: 10
  • Aired: February 2006 - December 2012

After her father’s demise, Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing became the head of the Hellsing family, which controls the most powerful military against supernatural creatures. Though Hellsing has a vast army, the numbers mean nothing to Integra’s ultimate weapon and protector, Alucard, a vampire loyal to the Hellsing family. Besides exterminating the beings of his kind, Alucard also exterminates anyone who stands in the way of Hellsing, good or evil doesn’t matter. Along the way, he is accompanied by Seras Victoria, Alucard’s vampire servant.

Among numerous similarities between Hellsing Ultimate and Mars Red, the most common is the vampire exterminating organizations, Code Zero in Mars Red and Hellsing in Hellsing Ultimate. Another similarity between these two vampire anime is the presence of vampires in the vampire-extermination unit, both of them led by a human, Integra in Hellsing in and Nakajima in Mars Red. While Mars Red has action sequences, it is nowhere near the action sequences with blood and gore in Hellsing Ultimate.

Hellsing Ultimate Trailer:


5. Blood+

  • Episodes: 50
  • Aired: October 2005 - September 2006

With no memories of the past year, Saya Otonashi lives the life of a normal high school girl until she is attacked by a vampiric beast that feeds on human blood. Just when her life was flashing in front of her eyes, Saya was saved by a mysterious man who force-feeds his blood to her. Following which she enters a state and loses her self-consciousness. In that state, she slashes the beast in two halves, but soon after regaining consciousness, she faints from the sight of blood on her. Later, she comes across Red Shield, the organization that exterminates those vampiric beasts and joins it. Along with the mysterious man named Haji, Saya must keep fighting against these creatures to unlock the hidden past.

In terms of similarities, both of these vampire anime have organizations that eradicate vampires, Code Zero in Mars Red and Red Shield in Blood+. Just like the presence of vampires in Mars Red’s Code Zero, Blood+’s Red Shield also have vampires in their ranks including Saya and Haji. Blood+ takes the organization killing vampires plot a step further by blending in the underlying secrets about the protagonist’s past. If that sounds like your cup of tea, Blood+ should be your next watch.


6. Trinity Blood

  • Episodes: 24
  • Aired: April 2005 - October 2005

After surviving Armageddon, an apocalyptic war, despair rained down on humanity with the arrival of vampires. With constant friction between humans and vampires, both races have divided. While a group of humans is affiliated with a particular race of vampires named Methuselah, the other group of humans is allied with the Vatican. With the hopes of peaceful co-existence between the human and vampires, a unit named AX formed by the Vatican looks after vampire-related incidents to avoid wars fueled by terrorist organizations. Amongst them is a catholic priest and a crusnik, Abel Nightroad, a vampire feeding on the blood of vampires. Meanwhile, Abel’s twin Cain is trying to take over the world by continuing the war and it is up to Abel and other AX members to stop him.

The AX unit in Trinity Blood and Code Zero in Mars Red consists of vampires that help humanity with their fight against vampires. Both the protagonists, Abel of Trinity Blood and Colonel Maeda of Mars Red come across a woman who looks similar to the woman from their pasts rekindling their hidden feelings. Stopping the vampires from taking over the world is the fuel that runs both Trinity Blood and Mars Red. If you haven’t noticed already, Trinity Blood is a vampire version of Trigun, if that doesn’t make you wanna watch Trinity Blood, we don’t know what will.

Trinity Blood Trailer


Final Thoughts

And with that, we present to you the six anime similar to Mars Red. Be it a vampiric action fest like Hellsing Ultimate or a creepy crawler like Shiki, these anime will surely quench your never-ending bloodthirst.

Have you watched any of these anime from our recommendations? If not, which anime has piqued your interest and why? And if there is any other anime that you think is similar, please let us know in the comments down below.

by Abhradip Acharya