Watching manipulative, thrilling shows must’ve been really interesting and well, strategically fun, making you think deeply about everything. That’s why we are discussing best shows like Classroom of the Elite. To ask you directly, have you ever found yourself craving more of these psychological mind games with unpredictable twists after watching Classroom of the Elite? Perhaps, you’re not alone, as this just gives anime viewers the immersive feeling of being trapped, just the way they liked—what exactly Classroom of the Elite shows. 

What makes these anime stand out isn’t just their overall plots—it’s how they also try to challenge perceptions of intelligence, morality, and human nature. Some may rely on wit itself, but others take a deep reliance on survival instincts, with all of them having a great impact. So, if you’re ready for more mind-twisting narratives, buckle up and prepare yourselves, as this list doesn’t hold back!

Read More: Anime like Avatar: The Last Airbender You Must Watch!

Tomodachi Game

What if your closest friends become your biggest liabilities? Tomodachi Game just brims with trust issues up to the maximum level, where friendship is the ultimate currency, and betrayal is just part of the rules. Yuuichi Katagiri, together with his group of friends, is blackmailed into entering a secretive friendship game after their class trip fund suddenly went missing. They were forced to compete in complicated challenges by going against one another in order to pay off a huge debt, but the real deal? The game master manipulates them into their insecurities, turning allies into enemies. 

This is the kind of death game that thrives more on emotional sabotage rather than any brutal forces or destruction. Just when you think you can fully understand a character’s personality, the show pulls the rug out from under you. If you’re truly a fan of anime like Classroom of the Elite, then this is a must-watch for you.

Danganronpa

Prepare yourself in this death maze where hope and despair collide in ways you couldn’t even imagine. Danganronpa follows the story of Makoto Naegi, who just secured her spot when she was accepted into the elite Hope’s Peak Academy, but not until she wakes up trapped inside with 15 other Ultimate students. Ruled by the Monokuma, which is a robotic bear, they’re forced into a killing game to murder a classmate without getting caught, to escape to be able to survive their gruesome death.

Danganronpa is definitely one of the golden anime series with its perfectly balanced executions and comedic nature. It’s less about the truest social realism and more about how far people will go when they are pushed to their own limit. If you enjoy COE’s scheming story of betrayal, but want something diverse and promising in terms of manipulative essence, Danganronpa will deliver that for you.

My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected

In a high school drama of no ordinary teenagers, a self-proclaimed loner protests against internalizing social hierarchies with the brutal truth—until life eventually lets him care. Meet Hachiman Hikigaya, a socially isolated pessimist, who basically lives his life through writing an essay criticizing shallow school relationships, which further lands him in the Service Club alongside Yukino Yukinoshita and Yui Yuigahama. One way to fully maximize their club? Solve fellow students’ problems! 

Oregairu isn’t just your typical rom-com to watch amidst the problems; it’s a relatable take on our own insecurity, most especially tackling teenagers. Hachiman’s growth into someone who dearly holds onto connection is subtle, but can be felt by the viewers. This anime, like will bring you back into your teenage years, where you can fully experience your emotional growth and such. 

No Game No Life

In a world where everything is decided by games, siblings try to navigate their lives fully depending on their intelligence and a complete lack of shame. No Game No Life follows the story of Sora and Shiro, who are shut-in gaming prodigies known collectively as Blank, and are later on summoned to Disboard, which is a world where violence cannot be used, and all conflicts are settled through games. With the use of their brain power—and a few cheat-like codes to win, they aim to conquer the world’s God of games. 

No Game No Life is also like Classroom of the Elite, but with more cracks, less drama—pure fun to watch if you want something lighter than your favorite manipulative show. This anime series’ pacing is fast, and the games you’ll be witnessing are entertaining. The chemistry between the siblings will also be the main reason for keeping up the story.

Hyouka

Hyouka proves that even the smallest puzzles can be thrilling—if you pay attention. Living off the story with Oreki Houtarou, a boy who conserves energy like it’s a finite resource, got dragged into the Classics Lit Club by his full-of-life classmate Chitanda Eru. The whole journey ventures off as trivial investigations at first, until it slowly goes into full-stack emotions of nostalgia, regret, and true human connection. 

If Classroom of the Elite’s mind games are the kind of anime series that appeal to you, but you still want something softer and less tense to see, Hyouka is the perfect choice for you! It’s a bit of slow-burn with the pacing of the story, but it can somehow feel earned as you watch. Honestly, it will remind you that not all strategic minds should be full of horror and terror. 

Assassination Classroom 

A godlike alien threatens to destroy Earth unless his students can kill him first, and well, he’s also their teacher. Assassination Classroom focuses more on the students of Class 3-E at Kunugigaoka Junior High, who are tasked with assassinating Koro-sensei, an octopus-like creature who destroyed the moon, and plans to do the same to Earth in a year. But the catch is, he’s also the best teacher they’ve ever had; what do you think could possibly happen to the whole class if this is the deal?

You will probably prepare plenty of tissue boxes with this series, as it definitely brings you to your heaviest tears. Instead of hating the villain, you will hate more of its possibility to get killed, plus the overall personalities of the students. This is just generally the greatest pick to watch first to balance your next series. It’s weird, it’s funny, and it gives life lessons naturally.

In/Spectre

In/Spectre follows the story of Kotoko Iwanaga, who became a goddess of wisdom to the spirit world after losing an eye and leg to yokai. Kotoko teams up with Kuro Sakuragawa, who happens to be an immortal who can see ghosts. Together, they solve supernatural mysteries by establishing lies that can manipulate both humans and spirits into peaceful truces. 

Perhaps, this will be your not-so-typical exorcism anime—it’s rather a battle of wits as the weapon in surviving. This anime is all about dialogue, and while that might turn some people off, you will find it interesting and somehow entertaining. The narrative is quirky, and the chemistry between the leads keeps it from feeling too dry.

Durarara

In Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district, gang wars, urban legends, and a headless motorcycle rider enter a web of interconnected stories. Durarara!! follows a naive country boy, a superhuman bartender, a psychotic doctor, and the infamous Black Rider—a headless motorcycle rider who is deeply in search of her stolen head. As their lives intertwine, more hidden secrets and identities get discovered, slowly intervening in it one by one. 

Durarara!! will get you into a wild ride with how chaos comes from any part of their world. Also, the stories will make you feel like finding pieces of a puzzle, until realizing all have started to make sense in their own ways. The characters are so memorable, and the city itself becomes a character, hence making the story in the track that keeps you curious as you watch. 

Terror in Resonance

Two teenage terrorists wage war against the world, but their motives are anything but simple. Nine and Twelve, two boys with a tragic past, put together a series of high-profile bombings across Tokyo, leaving a cryptic message for the police to solve. As detective Kenjirou Shibazaki pieces together their clues, he later reveals their connection to a government experiment, bringing the case to its end. Not until the arrival of Lisa, who becomes a vengeful girl in their world, who further complicates their mission, blurring the boundary between justice and revenge.

To give you an honest take, this anime is short but will leave you with the best impression after. It doesn’t rely well on brutal actions, but it can still build tension with the ambiance it shows. It’s more emotionally heavy than most, and it lingers long after you finish.

Talentless Nana

When a class of superpowered students is being hunted by one of their own, everything starts to get messy. Introducing you to a world where the talented youths get to train to fight alien invaders, Nana Hiiragi appears to be just another student, but behind it, the truth just gets scarier as she’s actually an assassin sent to eliminate them, while their powers become a threat to humanity. Impressing herself as a harmless telepath, she strategically picks off her classmates while maintaining her front, until one student, Kyoya, begins suspecting her.

You will never expect this one to hit as hard as it can. It will keep your expectations early on and just keeps building from there, as you watch Nana’s under-pressure narrative. While it is underrated, Talentless Nana definitely deserves more love than it currently has, letting more anime watchers enjoy a hidden gem!

Conclusion

Truly, Classroom of the Elite left you hungry for more as you’re here to find something awry and similar to its dark and cunning themes. With these top 10 brilliant anime on the list, each one bringing its own flavor of depth, you will get to enjoy more manipulative and witty shows you will surely enjoy. So, choose your next binge, but just don’t be surprised if you start questioning everyone’s motives hour after hour; Happy watching!