Growing up in the shadow of your father can be difficult. There are expectations that you will eventually become either just as great or surpass him. Thorfinn in many ways mirrors his Viking fighter by being a young warrior with an already tremendous amount of fighting skill. Thorfinn uses this ability to join a traveling band of warriors whose leader—Askeladd—was responsible for killing Thorfinn’s father a while ago. Thorfinn will need to continue to grow stronger so he can hopefully one-day defeat Askeladd and avenge both his family and his father.

Vinland Saga begins our list of 6 Manga Like Claymore and it is a very fitting start. Both Claymore and Vinland Saga deal with themes of revenge, bloody combat and adventuring. Though what captivates most—including us here at Honey’s Anime—is the incredible art work and narration by mangaka Yukimura Makoto. Vinland Saga is a must read not only for fans of Claymore but for anyone who likes mature manga filled with action and adventure in equal measure. Now we do wonder, when will volume 20 release we can’t wait any longer!

Shinmen Takezou leads a life that is far away from the word proper. With an unkempt appearance and an overly aggressive nature, Takezou is disliked and feared throughout the village. However, Takezou still has one close friend by the name of Matahachi Honiden and when the two finally decide their lives need a change, they run away together and join the Toyotomi army. As the two friends fight for their new army, the war goes against the Toyotomi and the two friends barely live to tell the tale. Separated at one point, Takezou returns home to tell Matahachi’s family of his survival but finds his friend has been murdered and he is the prime suspect. What will transpire next for the young swordsman is learned through his story in Vagabond.

Vagabond is what many consider one of the greatest manga of all time. It’s not hard to imagine thanks to Vagabond’s awe-inspiring art and mature tale of a man’s will to become stronger not just physically but in spirit as well. Claymore and Vagabond share these themes and thus why we felt Vagabond should be read by those who enjoyed Claymore. If you want a more traditional Japanese setting then the fantasy-like setting of Claymore, you’re going to quickly come to love Vagabond.

The town of Barnard was once beautiful and peaceful for those who lived in its domain. However, that peace was destroyed when evil monsters known as the Dark Ones began killing people left and right in the world outside. In response to the Dark Ones, several guilds began to form to help different towns like Barnard stay safe from the threat. One of the guilds known as the Guild of Assassins housed a powerful warrior known as Leroy Schwartz who works for the guild alongside his sentient large sword Ragnarok. Though for Leroy, killing the Dark Ones for the Guild of Assassins is just a means of helping him fulfill his own secret agenda.

Let us dive back into stories that center around monsters and such with Ragnarok. This short 3 volume work by mangaka duo Kotobuki Tsukasa and Yasui Kentarou really screams a similar story to Claymore’s main female lead Clare. Both Leroy and Clare work for organizations who deal with killing beasts but each of these warriors aim for more in their quests. With impressive art and a great short story, Ragnarok gets a full recommendation from us here at Honey’s Anime. Now go forth and read Ragnarok so you can tell us your thoughts in the comments down below.

Teacher Aoshika one-night saw something that she still couldn’t believe with her eyes. Aoshika witnessed a young man get devoured by creatures and then hit by a car by thugs. Then to her amazement ,Aoshika’s transfer student—Akira Inugami—appears before her striking the same look at the teen she saw the night before! Akira claims that this wasn’t him but Aoshika has her doubts. Though Akira is quite aware of the night she is talking about as that was the night his curse overtook him…

Fantasy settings, medieval times and the samurai days of Japan are all fine and good but sometimes we know manga readers want something a bit more modern. That’s why for our 6 Manga Like Claymore list we look at Wolf Guy: Ookami no Monshou which is set in the modern day of Japan. Like Clare from Claymore—who we know harbors a demonic power within her like all Claymores—Akira suffers from his own inner power that threatens his livelihood and those around him. Wolf Guy: Ookami no Monshou is both a strong manga with impressive art and a narrative that really shows what a life is willing to struggle with for the idea of normality. We don’t hear many manga readers mention Wolf Guy: Ookami no Monshou and we hope this list convinces you to read it for yourself and spread the word of how awesome this manga is.

Rome has always been known for its gladiator battles. Men would engage other warriors for fame and possibly freedom, sometimes even glory. Fin—a gladiator himself—fights to survive, to see the next day. Raised by the last living beast known as a wyvern Fin must show his fighting aptitude to keep himself alive and always victorious. However, can Fin accomplish this task when fate seems to want him dead?

It’s quite rare for manga to be set in Rome but when it does happen you know it should be an interesting story. That definitely can be said about mangaka Kakizaki Masasumi’s work titled Bestiarius. Filled with bloody battles and ancient beasts, Bestiarius mirrors the greatness of Claymore but is just set in a different timeline and setting. We honestly don’t know what we love about Bestiarius more, the epic art that just jumps off the page or the unique story being told. Though we do know one thing for sure, if you need a current manga to get invested in, you’re going to want to check our Bestiarius as soon as you can.

As a traveling mercenary for hire, Guts has lived a hard life of death, betrayal and carnage. As time went by, Guts finally found a home with a traveling mercenary band known as the Band of the Hawk, it’s leader Griffith takes in Guts and the two become partners in making Griffith’s dream come true. However, as Guts and his team will soon learn, dreams can always become nightmares and some nightmares can kill. Guts will soon end up in a life of constant survival and horror the likes no normal man could ever survive.

For our 6 Manga Like Claymore list, we saved the best manga like Claymore for last, Berserk. If you go right now on my anime list, you will see Berserk listed as the number one manga and just one look at the page of mangaka Miura Kentarou’s work will make you understand why. Equally seeing as how both Claymore and Berserk share similar themes and concepts it’s a no brainer that Berserk should be read by those who love the dark fantasy setting embedded in Claymore. Folks, we really say you need to read something here at Honey’s Anime because we feel everyone has a choice in what they can read and enjoy. Though we do think you should 100% read Berserk for its absolutely stunning dark fantasy art and story that surpasses most other works out there. Find out for yourself why most manga readers out there consider this the shining example of what an excellent manga should look like.