Leather jackets and loyalty oaths. Territory wars and family honor. The intoxicating pull of power wrapped in a code of silence.
Gang anime reveal the human drama that unfolds when people create their own families, rules, and kingdoms outside society’s boundaries. These are explorations of loyalty tested by ambition, bonds forged in violence, and the thin line between protection and destruction.
They’ve chosen a dangerous path where every decision carries life-or-death consequences, and where yesterday’s ally might become tomorrow’s enemy.
Ready to enter the underworld where honor is everything and trust is a luxury few can afford?
10. Katekyo Hitman Reborn!
Year: 2006 | Studio: Artland | MAL Score: 8.12
When being Mafia heir means gathering your middle school friends as bodyguards.
What happens when the least likely middle schooler in Japan discovers he’s heir to one of the world’s most powerful Mafia families? Tsunayoshi “Tsuna” Sawada transforms from “No-Good Tsuna” into the 10th generation boss of the Vongola Famiglia under the brutal tutelage of infant hitman Reborn.
This series brilliantly blends shonen friendship themes with Mafia dynasty politics. Tsuna gathers his “Guardians”—classmates who awaken supernatural flame abilities—while facing threats from rival families like the elite Varia assassination squad and the time-traveling Millefiore. The show treats the Mafia less as a criminal enterprise and more as a protective family legacy, exploring how inherited duty can forge unbreakable bonds.
Long-running and character-focused, it allows deep exploration of loyalty, leadership responsibility, and the weight of tradition, making Tsuna’s growth from coward to confident leader genuinely satisfying.
9. Gangsta.
Year: 2015 | Studio: Manglobe | MAL Score: 7.41
In a city that forgot mercy, these mercenaries are the closest thing to heroes.
In the crime-infested sanctuary city of Ergastulum, “Twilights”—superhumans created by drugs—face brutal discrimination while powerful Mafia families control the streets. Worick Arcangelo and Nicolas Brown operate as “Handymen,” mercenaries taking dangerous jobs from both cops and criminals in this powder keg of social tension.
Gangsta. delivers unflinchingly mature storytelling about marginalized communities forced into the underworld by systemic oppression. Nicolas, a deaf Twilight, and Worick navigate gang politics involving the Cristiano, Monroe, and Corsica families while society treats Twilights as subhuman.
The series thoughtfully explores how discrimination creates the very criminal ecosystems it claims to despise. Despite production issues that left the anime unfinished, its complex anti-heroes, gritty world-building, and examination of power structures make it a standout entry that treats gang life as survival rather than glorification.
8. Bungo Stray Dogs
Year: 2016 | Studio: Bones | MAL Score: 7.81
When literary figures get superpowers and join supernatural organized crime.
What if famous authors had supernatural abilities and formed competing organizations? The Armed Detective Agency tackles cases too dangerous for regular police, frequently clashing with the Port Mafia—Yokohama’s dominant criminal organization filled with equally powerful ability users named after literary legends.
The series excels by treating the Port Mafia not as simple villains but as a necessary component of the city’s stability through the “Three-Part Framework”—government by day, Port Mafia by night, and the Detective Agency in the twilight between. Characters like former Port Mafia executive Dazai, ruthless Akutagawa, and powerful Chuuya create complex dynamics where today’s enemies might be tomorrow’s reluctant allies.
The supernatural abilities system keeps fights creative and visually spectacular, while the literary references add intellectual depth. This unique blend of organized crime politics with supernatural mystery creates compelling moral ambiguity.
7. Tokyo Revengers
Year: 2021 | Studio: Liden Films | MAL Score: 7.86
Sometimes fixing the future means diving headfirst into the past’s most dangerous gang.
When 26-year-old failure Takemichi Hanagaki learns his middle school girlfriend was murdered by the Tokyo Manji Gang, he mysteriously travels 12 years into the past. His mission: infiltrate the powerful biker gang Toman during its idealistic beginnings and prevent its descent into murderous criminality.
Tokyo Revengers captures the authentic hierarchy and brutal politics of Japanese biker gangs while exploring how youth crews provide belonging for marginalized kids. Mikey and Draken’s leadership of Toman initially embodies honor over profit, but manipulative figures like Kisaki gradually corrupt the organization.
The time-travel element creates unique tension as Takemichi knows the terrible future these middle schoolers will create. The series examines how youth gangs can start with noble intentions—protection, camaraderie, respect—before ambition and violence twist them into something unrecognizable.
6. Gungrave
Year: 2003 | Studio: Madhouse | MAL Score: 7.81
When brotherhood dies, sometimes only resurrection can settle the score.
Gungrave tells the ultimate tragedy of friendship destroyed by ambition. Brandon Heat and Harry McDowell rise through the ranks of the Millennion crime syndicate as inseparable partners, until Harry’s hunger for power leads him to betray and murder his best friend. Brandon returns as the undead gunman “Beyond the Grave,” seeking vengeance against the organization he once served.
This series perfectly illustrates how criminal organizations corrupt even the purest bonds. Harry’s transformation from loyal friend to paranoid, ruthless leader nicknamed “Bloody Harry” demonstrates how Mafia hierarchies almost inevitably breed betrayal.
The necrolyzation concept—bringing Brandon back from the dead—provides both supernatural revenge fantasy and tragic meditation on the cyclical nature of violence.
The exceptional character development traces how ambition within rigid criminal structures destroys everything meaningful, making Gungrave a deeply emotional exploration of loyalty, corruption, and the devastating price of power.
5. Durarara!!
Year: 2010 | Studio: Brain’s Base | MAL Score: 8.09
In Tokyo’s most chaotic district, even the gangs operate by different rules.
Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district pulses with hidden currents as traditional “color gangs” like the Yellow Scarves clash with the revolutionary internet-based Dollars, while supernatural entities like the headless rider Celty navigate the urban chaos as an underworld courier.
Durarara!! reinvents gang structures for the digital age. The Dollars, founded by timid Mikado Ryugamine, represents how modern anonymity and connectivity create new forms of collective power that challenge traditional territorial crews. The series excels at weaving multiple storylines involving various factions—street gangs, online communities, supernatural beings—into a cohesive tapestry that captures urban alienation and unexpected connection.
Each gang reflects different responses to city life: the Yellow Scarves’ nostalgia for clear hierarchies, the Blue Squares’ violent nihilism, and the Dollars’ chaotic democracy. The ensemble cast and jazz-infused soundtrack create an atmosphere where ordinary people become part of extraordinary urban legends.
4. 91 Days
Year: 2016 | Studio: Shuka | MAL Score: 7.82
Revenge is a dish best served with bootleg whiskey and betrayal.
During Prohibition-era America, Angelo Lagusa assumes the identity “Avilio Bruno” to infiltrate the Vanetti Mafia family—the same organization that murdered his parents and brother. His methodical plan for vengeance draws him into brutal turf wars, bootlegging operations, and the complex relationship with Nero Vanetti, the Don’s son.
91 Days delivers unflinching realism in its Mafia portrayal, avoiding romanticization for raw human drama. Angelo’s cold manipulation pits the Vanetti, Orco, and Galassia families against each other, demonstrating how revenge within organized crime creates endless cycles of violence.
The series’ muted color palette and somber atmosphere perfectly capture Prohibition’s bleakness, while the complex friendship between Angelo and Nero adds emotional depth to the revenge narrative. It’s a mature exploration of how the pursuit of vengeance ultimately corrupts everyone involved, making victory indistinguishable from defeat.
3. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind
Year: 2018 | Studio: David Production | MAL Score: 8.58
When you want to become a Gang-Star, you need equally fabulous allies.
Giorno Giovanna dreams of becoming a “Gang-Star”—seizing control of Italy’s most powerful Mafia family, Passione, to eliminate the drug trade destroying the nation’s youth. Joining Bruno Bucciarati’s squad of Stand-using gangsters, they secretly maneuver to overthrow the mysterious Boss while facing assassins and rival factions.
Golden Wind applies signature JoJo flair—bizarre powers, strategic battles, fabulous fashion—to classic Mafia storytelling with spectacular results. Giorno’s vision represents idealistic rebellion within corrupt systems, positioning him as a revolutionary rather than a typical crime boss.
The Stand battles between Bucciarati’s team and threats like La Squadra Esecuzioni create intricate tactical warfare that goes far beyond simple violence.
David Production’s stylish animation brings the fashion-forward Italian setting to life with incredible detail. The concept of the “Gang-Star” perfectly captures the series’ unique take: using criminal organization structure to achieve heroic goals through spectacular supernatural means.
2. Black Lagoon
Year: 2006 | Studio: Madhouse | MAL Score: 8.03
In a city where every handshake could be your last, trust is the most valuable currency.
Japanese salaryman Rock gets thrust into the criminal underworld when the Lagoon Company—pirate mercenaries operating from lawless Roanapur, Thailand—takes him hostage. This international crime haven hosts Russian Mafia, Chinese Triads, Colombian cartels, and Italian Mafia, all competing for control while the Lagoon Company navigates deadly jobs for various factions.
Black Lagoon delivers unflinchingly realistic modern piracy and international organized crime. Roanapur serves as a microcosm of global criminality where every major syndicate maintains presence and uneasy alliances. The series excels through strong female characters like gunfighter Revy and ex-Soviet commander Balalaika, whose dark backstories add depth to the violence.
Rock’s transformation from timid civilian to pragmatic player provides the perfect lens for exploring moral ambiguity in survival situations. The mature themes, stylish action, and exceptional English dub create an authentic criminal atmosphere where every mission could be the crew’s last.
1. Baccano!
Year: 2007 | Studio: Brain’s Base | MAL Score: 8.35
When immortality meets organized crime, even death becomes negotiable.
Baccano! weaves a non-linear tapestry of interconnected stories featuring warring Mafia families, immortal alchemists, and brutal train hijackings during Prohibition-era America. Multiple gangs—the Gandor, Martillo, and Runorata families, plus street crews like the Russo and Lemure—clash while supernatural elements transform ordinary criminals into something far more dangerous.
The fragmented narrative structure mirrors organized crime’s complex web of hidden connections and competing interests. Rather than following a single gang, Baccano! presents an entire criminal ecosystem where everyone’s story intersects in unexpected ways. The immortality elixir falling into criminal hands creates unique stakes where death isn’t final but consequences remain devastating.
Each character, from the psychotic Ladd Russo to the loyal Firo Prochainezo, represents different aspects of criminal life—ambition, loyalty, madness, honor. The series achieves perfect synthesis of supernatural mystery, Mafia intrigue, and dark comedy, creating a masterpiece that redefined what gang anime could accomplish through innovative storytelling and unforgettable characters.