21 Best Mafia and Gangster Anime: Criminally Good Stories from the Underworld

Time to head to Southeast Asia’s lawless underbelly. Black Lagoon isn’t just about organized crime, it’s about gun-toting mercenaries who make their own rules.

The story follows Rokuro “Rock” Okajima, an ordinary Japanese businessman who gets kidnapped by a group of modern-day pirates and somehow ends up joining them.

With the foul-mouthed, gun-slinging Revy by his side, Rock plunges into a world of smuggling, assassinations, and corporate corruption.

Black Lagoon might just be the definition of cool. The gunfights are explosive, the choreography feels raw and cinematic, and Revy’s twin pistols are the stuff of legend.

But beneath the surface is a fascinating exploration of people who have been cast out by society and have built a new, brutal code of ethics in the lawless underbelly of the world.

Black Lagoon info (MAL):

• Alternative Title: N/A
• Episodes: 12
• Released: Spring 2006
• Studios: Madhouse
• Genres: Action
• Themes: Adult Cast, Organized Crime
• Score: 8.03 (MAL), 7.9 (IMDb)

If “classic mafia revenge” had an anime blueprint, 91 Days would be it.

Set during the Prohibition era, the series follows Angelo Lagusa, a young man whose family was slaughtered by the Vanetti crime family.

Years later, he returns under a new name, Avilio Bruno, and infiltrates the very organization that destroyed his life. His mission is simple: find the men responsible and make them pay.

The atmosphere is flawless. 91 Days doesn’t glorify the mafia life, it shows it for what it is: a brutal, paranoid business where every smile hides a knife.

Expect smoke-filled bars, whiskey deals, bloody betrayals, and men who smile while hiding knives behind their backs.

The story moves slowly and deliberately, letting you sink into Avilio’s head as vengeance starts to eat away at his soul.

His connection with Nero, the son of the man he’s targeting, hits hard. Two people bound by fate, circling each other like friends who might have been brothers if life were kinder.

By the time the final bullet falls, you will be left staring at the screen asking yourself, “was it worth it?”

91 Days info (MAL):

• Alternative Title: N/A
• Episodes: 12
• Released: Summer 2016
• Studios: Shuka
• Genres: Action, Drama, Suspense
• Themes: Adult Cast, Historical, Organized Crime
• Score: 7.82 (MAL), 7.6 (IMDb)

Watch 91 Days trailer:

Banana Fish is a raw, brutal, and emotionally devastating journey into the criminal heart of New York City.

The mafia here is not the old-school cigar-smoking kind. It is ruthless, and sprawling, with the Corsican mob and Chinese gangs battling for dominance in the city’s shadows.

In the middle of it all is a mysterious substance called “Banana Fish,” something so dangerous it could shake the entire world.

Our protagonist, Ash Lynx, is a genius-level fighter and gang leader who gets caught in a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of power.

His past is full of pain, and his future is a fight against the system that broke him.

Then comes Eiji, a kind-hearted photographer from Japan who ends up being Ash’s only source of warmth in a cold and merciless world.

Their connection is fragile and pure, the only light in a story filled with blood and betrayal.

Banana Fish is more than just a gangster anime. It is a gut punch of emotion, a reminder that strength and vulnerability can coexist.

Banana Fish info (MAL):

• Alternative Title: N/A
• Episodes: 24
• Released: Summer 2018
• Studios: MAPPA
• Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama, Suspense
• Themes: Delinquents, Organized Crime, Psychological
• Score: 8.45 (MAL), 8.1 (IMDb)

What happens when you throw gangsters, alchemists, immortals, and chaos into a blender? You get Baccano!, a show that defines the word madness in the best way possible.

Set in 1930s America, it weaves together multiple stories of immortal alchemists, ruthless mafia families, and psychopathic train robbers, all colliding in one bloody, jazz-fueled story.

The timeline jumps back and forth, the cast is enormous, and the show never slows down long enough to explain itself. But that is what makes Baccano! special.

It trusts the audience to ride the madness, to connect the pieces, and when it all fits together, it feels incredible.

The characters are all iconic, from the psychotic duo Isaac and Miria to the unkillable badass Luck Gandor.

Baccano! is peak “organized chaos,” a gangster carnival that proves anime can tell complex, stylish crime stories like no other medium.

Baccano! info (MAL):

• Alternative Title: N/A
• Episodes: 13
• Released: Summer 2007
• Studios: Brain’s Base
• Genres: Action, Mystery, Supernatural
• Themes: Adult Cast, Historical, Organized Crime
• Score: 8.35 (MAL), 8.2 (IMDb)

Ever wonder what the arms trade looks like through an anime lens? Jormungand takes that idea and runs wild with it.

The story follows Koko Hekmatyar, a cheerful yet ruthless arms dealer who travels the world selling weapons to anyone with cash, all while preaching about world peace.

Her crew is a mix of former soldiers, spies, and hardened mercenaries, each with their own scars and secrets.

Among them is Jonah, a child soldier who despises arms dealers on principle. Yeah, the irony could not be stronger.

Jormungand is fascinating because it explores the business of war.

It is not just about gunfights and explosions, it is about politics, money, and the uncomfortable truth that peace often has a price tag.

Koko is a walking contradiction: kind yet ruthless, idealistic yet dangerous. You never quite know if she’s saving the world or setting it on fire.

Watching her clash and connect with Jonah, the boy who sees the world in black and white, is where the show truly shines.

Jormungand info (MAL):

• Alternative Title: N/A
• Episodes: 12
• Released: Spring 2012
• Studios: White Fox
• Genres: Action, Adventure
• Themes: Adult Cast, Military, Organized Crime
• Score: 7.79 (MAL), 7.4 (IMDb)

Watch Jormungand trailer:

Now imagine a mafia war where every character has supernatural powers based on famous authors. That is Bungou Stray Dogs.

The show reimagines real authors like Osamu Dazai, and Atsushi Nakajima as powerful ability users, fighting for control of Yokohama’s criminal underworld.

At the center (especially early on) are two rival forces: the heroic Armed Detective Agency and the deadly Port Mafia

Everything about Bungou Stray Dogs screams style. The lighting, the music, the duels, even the character names carry literary weight.

The Port Mafia stands out as one of the most iconic criminal organizations in anime: ruthless, disciplined, and overflowing with dark aura.

If you want your gangster anime with superpowers, tragedy, and killer fashion sense, Bungou Stray Dogs is exactly what you are looking for.

Bungou Stray Dogs info (MAL):

• Alternative Title: N/A
• Episodes: 12
• Released: Spring 2016
• Studios: Bones
• Genres: Action, Mystery
• Themes: Adult Cast, Detective, Organized Crime, Super Power
• Score: 7.80 (MAL), 7.8 (IMDb)

What’s cooler than a mafia? Yep, mafia in space.

Cowboy Bebop is the ultimate space gangster noir, following bounty hunters Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, and their ragtag crew as they chase criminals across the galaxy.

The criminal underworld runs through every episode, but for Spike, it’s personal. He used to be part of the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate, and no matter how far he flies, that past always catches up.

Spike’s chill attitude, his smooth moves, the cigarette always hanging from his lips, it’s all a front. Beneath that cool exterior is a man haunted by love, loss, and guilt.

That’s what makes Cowboy Bebop special. It’s not just about action or bounty hunting, it’s about broken people trying to find meaning among the stars.

And when Spike finally faces his past head-on in that iconic ending, it’s pure poetry. Decades later, it still gives chills.

Cowboy Bebop info (MAL):

• Alternative Title: N/A
• Episodes: 26
• Released: Spring 1998
• Studios: Sunrise
• Genres: Action, Sci-Fi
• Themes: Adult Cast, Space
• Score: 8.75 (MAL), 8.9 (IMDb)

In the dystopian nightmare of Night City, a poor but ambitious kid named David Martinez gets his hands on a military-grade cybernetic implant.

To survive, he becomes an “Edgerunner,”a high-tech mercenary operating outside the law, running jobs against the all-powerful corporations.

This is the future of gangsterism. The corpos are the new untouchable dons (as always), and the Edgerunners are the street-level crews trying to make a name and a quick eurodollar.

There’s no happy ending here. Just greed, ambition, and dreams that burn out too fast. Night City eats people alive, and David is no exception.

Every frame of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners bursts with emotion, grit, and neon energy. The animation by Studio Trigger is flawless, and every episode hits harder than the last.

And that ending? Absolutely devastating.

This is underworld storytelling at its peak: raw, fast, and unforgettable.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners info (MAL):

• Alternative Title: N/A
• Episodes: 10
• Released: 2022
• Studios: Trigger
• Genres: Action, Sci-Fi
• Themes: Gore, Organized Crime
• Score: 8.62 (MAL), 8.3 (IMDb)

Watch Cyberpunk: Edgerunners trailer:

Now here’s one that defines the mafia anime experience.

Gungrave follows Brandon Heat and Harry MacDowell, two best friends who rise through the ranks of the Millennion crime syndicate.

But when ambition takes hold, Harry betrays Brandon for power.

Years later, Brandon returns as “Beyond the Grave,” an undead enforcer armed with twin machine guns, ready to settle the score.

The show starts as a grounded, emotional mafia drama, then evolves into a tragic revenge epic that feels straight out of a dark myth.

At its core, Gungrave is about friendship, and how power can destroy even the strongest bond. Watching Brandon and Harry’s relationship grow and collapse is gut-wrenching experience.

Skip the first episode and watch the story unfold chronologically, you’ll thank me later. The emotional weight here is immense.

Gungrave info (MAL):

• Alternative Title: N/A
• Episodes: 26
• Released: Fall 2003
• Studios: Madhouse
• Genres: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
• Themes: Adult Cast, Gore, Organized Crime, Super Power
• Score: 7.81 (MAL), 7.9 (IMDb)

Want your yakuza story with a side of absurd comedy? Look no further than Hinamatsuri.

Yoshifumi Nitta, a rising yakuza member, has his life turned upside down when a strange capsule crashes into his apartment and drops off Hina, a deadpan telekinetic menace.

Forced to take her in (literally), this tough gangster slowly becomes a caring father figure.

Instead of fighting rival gangs, he’s now doing grocery, buying furniture, surviving psychic meltdowns, and trying not to get vaporized in his own home.

The yakuza backdrop is mostly used for comedy, showing Nitta’s gang being utterly bewildered by his new “daughter.”

Hinamatsuri nails the yakuza slice-of-life blend: gangsters doing mundane stuff while chaos follows. It’s a lighthearted, hilarious twist on the genre.

It is one of the funniest anime period. It masterfully blends absurd comedy with moments of genuine, tear-jerking emotion.

Hinamatsuri info (MAL):

• Alternative Title: N/A
• Episodes: 12
• Released: Spring 2018
• Studios: feel.
• Genres: Comedy
• Themes: Childcare, Organized Crime, Super Power
• Score: 8.11 (MAL), 7.8 (IMDb)

Watch Hinamatsuri trailer:

Imagine John Wick… but he runs a convenience store now. That’s Sakamoto Days in a nutshell.

Taro Sakamoto was once the world’s deadliest hitman. Then he fell in love, retired, gained some weight, and decided to live a quiet life selling snacks.

But you can’t stay out of the underworld forever. When trouble comes calling, Sakamoto dusts off his old skills and handles business with stealth, strength, and a smile.

Sakamoto Days is a hilarious twist on the assassin and Yakuza trope.

The series is packed with eccentric hitmen, assassins, and underworld figures, all wondering what happened to the legend they once feared.

That contrast between domestic calm and brutal violence is pure comedy gold, and the fight choreography? Clever, wild, and full of heart.

Sakamoto Days info (MAL):

• Alternative Title: N/A
• Episodes: 11
• Released: Winter 2025
• Studios: TMS Entertainment
• Genres: Action, Comedy
• Themes: Adult Cast, Organized Crime
• Score: 7.59 (MAL), 7.5 (IMDb)

Watch Sakamoto Days trailer:

Two hitmen, one kid, zero parenting skills. Buddy Daddies is a blend of found family and organized crime chaos.

Kazuki and Rei, professional assassins with wildly different personalities, find themselves suddenly responsible for a little girl named Miri after a mission goes completely sideways.

It’s part hitman thriller, part wholesome family comedy, and it somehow nails both.

Watching these two try to juggle assassination gigs and fatherhood is as hilarious as it is touching.

If you loved Spy x Family, this one’s absolutely for you. Buddy Daddies is sweet, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt, the perfect cooldown after a marathon of bloody mafia anime.

Buddy Daddies info (MAL):

• Alternative Title: N/A
• Episodes: 12
• Released: Winter 2023
• Studios: P.A. Works
• Genres: Action, Comedy
• Themes: Childcare, Organized Crime
• Score: 8.10 (MAL), 7.9 (IMDb)

Do you know the “Ma” in maid stands for mafia?

At first glance, Akiba Maid War looks like your typical cute slice of life about cafe maids in Akihabara. Nope. Wrong. So, so wrong.

In a bizarre alternate version of Akihabara, maid cafes are run by rival yakuza-like gangs who settle disputes with brutal, all-out violence.

Instead of “Moe Moe Kyun,” you get “Moe Moe BANG!”

Nagomi Wahira, a sweet newbie who just wanted to make people smile, finds out fast that the maid life is brutal. Serving the perfect omelette rice? Life or death situation. Literally.

Akiba Maid War is the most absurd and inspired parody of gangster cinema ever made, complete with turf wars, dramatic standoffs, and Shakespeare-level tragedy… but with maid uniforms.

It’s unhinged in the best way possible. The first episode is a shocking masterpiece that sets the tone perfectly. It’s violent, hilarious, and somehow… heartfelt?

Akiba Maid War info (MAL):

• Alternative Title: Akiba Meido Sensou
• Episodes: 12
• Released: Fall 2022
• Studios: P.A. Works
• Genres: Action, Comedy
• Themes: Organized Crime
• Score: 7.58 (MAL), 7.3 (IMDb)

Watch Akiba Maid War clip:

Durarara!! is a sprawling urban legend brought to life in the streets of modern-day Ikebukuro, Tokyo.

The story throws together a colorless gang, a super-strong bartender, a headless rider, and the city’s biggest troublemaker, Izaya Orihara.

While Durarara!! isn’t about the mafia per se, it nails the gangster vibe: turf wars, loyalty, and underground power dynamics.

Like Baccano! (from the same creator), Durarara!! loves to play with structure.

The story jumps across timelines and perspectives until you realize every thread is connected, and every character is part of something bigger than they know.

The cast is massive, colorful, and unforgettable, especially Izaya, the smug menace who treats the entire city like his personal chessboard. You will love hating him.

Durarara!! info (MAL):

• Alternative Title: N/A
• Episodes: 24
• Released: Winter 2010
• Studios: Brain’s Base
• Genres: Action, Mystery, Supernatural
• Themes: N/A
• Score: 8.09 (MAL), 7.8 (IMDb)

Our protagonist, known only as “The Fable,” is a legendary hitman so skilled he’s considered a myth.

After racking up too many bodies, his yakuza boss tells him to lay low for a year in Osaka and live a completely normal life without killing anyone.

And just like that, the world’s deadliest killer faces his toughest mission: living like an ordinary man. No assassinations, no shady business, just peace and quiet.

The Fable is a grounded, modern yakuza comedy that finds hilarity in the absurd.

The humor and tension spring from watching a natural-born killer try to navigate a life of part-time jobs, neighbors, and moral restraint.

It’s darkly funny, stylishly violent, and unexpectedly thoughtful.

You still get all the cool, calculated energy of a gangster anime, just filtered through a story about what happens when a killer has to pretend to be human.

The Fable info (MAL):

• Alternative Title: N/A
• Episodes: 25
• Released: Spring 2024
• Studios: Tezuka Productions
• Genres: Comedy, Suspense
• Themes: Adult Cast, Organized Crime
• Score: 8.14 (MAL), 6.8 (IMDb)

Now we return to the darker side of the genre with Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom, an underrated gem about brainwashed assassins and the cost of losing your identity.

This underrated masterpiece dives into the lives of Ein and Zwei, two assassins who’ve been stripped of their names, their memories, and their humanity by a secret organization called Inferno.

They’re killers without pasts, puppets forced to obey… until their buried identities start to awaken, and the cracks in their obedience begin to show.

It’s bleak, beautiful, and deeply psychological. Every mission and betrayal cuts deep, asking what it means to be human in a world that treats you as expendable.

Phantom is a slow-burn crime anime with philosophical depth. The bond between Zwei and Ein is tender yet tragic, and by the time the finale hits, it leaves you shattered.

Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom info (MAL):

• Alternative Title: N/A
• Episodes: 26
• Released: Spring 2009
• Studios: Bee Train
• Genres: Action, Drama, Suspense
• Themes: Organized Crime
• Score: 7.92 (MAL), 7.5 (IMDb)

Now, let’s step into Ergastulum, where the air smells like blood and corruption, and the word “law” barely means anything.

Gangsta follows Worick and Nicolas, two “handymen” who take jobs from both the mafia and the police. They’re the guys who do the dirty work no one else will touch.

Worick and Nic are both broken in their own ways, but they keep going because that’s all they know. And that’s what makes Gangsta hit harder than your average underworld anime.

Even though the anime never got the continuation it deserved, Gangsta remains one of the most stylish and tragic takes on gangster life.

Gangsta. info (MAL):

• Alternative Title: N/A
• Episodes: 12
• Released: Summer 2015
• Studios: Manglobe
• Genres: Action, Drama
• Themes: Adult Cast, Organized Crime
• Score: 7.42 (MAL), 7.2 (IMDb)

Wind Breaker is what happens when street fights meet good intentions.

Set in a town where strength means everything, it follows Haruka Sakura, a tough guy who joins Bofurin, a gang that protects the weak instead of preying on them.

While not traditional yakuza or mafia, delinquent culture is a cornerstone of Japanese gangster media. It’s all about turf, respect, and fighting for your found family.

The fights? Gorgeous. The animation flows like butter and every punch feels earned.

Combine that with killer character designs and you’ve got one of the freshest delinquent anime in years.

Wind Breaker proves that even gangsters can have a heart, and still throw hands like champions.

Wind Breaker info (MAL):

• Alternative Title: N/A
• Episodes: 13
• Released: Spring 2024
• Studios: CloverWorks
• Genres: Action
• Themes: Delinquents, School
• Score: 7.73 (MAL), 7.4 (IMDb)

Picture this: an alternate Japan where seven mighty Kings rule over color-coded factions, each one glowing with supernatural power.

The story begins with Yatogami Kuroh, a swordsman from the disbanded Colorless Clan, investigating Yashiro Isana, an ordinary teenager accused of murdering a member of the Red Clan.

While they’re called “clans,” the clans in K-Project function very much like super-powered mafia families. Rivalries, loyalty, and blood ties define their every move.

And the vibe? Absolutely immaculate. K-Project is one of the most stylish anime out there. The animation glows, the soundtrack hits, and every frame looks like a digital painting.

The world building feels alive, and the mystery surrounding the Kings and their powers pulls you in right away.

K-Project is a slick, stylish, and emotionally charged take on the classic “factions at war” story and it looks damn good doing it.

K-Project info (MAL):

• Alternative Title: N/A
• Episodes: 13
• Released: Fall 2012
• Studios: GoHands
• Genres: Action, Mystery
• Themes: Super Power
• Score: 7.42 (MAL), 7.0 (IMDb)

And finally, the modern classic that brought back the delinquent genre with a vengeance: Tokyo Revengers.

Takemichi Hanagaki, a total nobody, suddenly gets the chance to rewrite his past. Specifically, to save his ex-girlfriend and stop the Tokyo Manji Gang from tearing everything apart.

The show blends youth, redemption, and street gang violence in a way that’s both emotional and adrenaline-pumping.

Bonds, betrayals, and brutal brawls make this one of the best gang anime of the decade.

The emotional stakes are sky-high, and every character feels like they’re one bad decision away from tragedy.

Tokyo Revengers info (MAL):

• Alternative Title: N/A
• Episodes: 24
• Released: Spring 2021
• Studios: LIDENFILMS
• Genres: Action, Drama
• Themes: Delinquents, Time Travel
• Score: 7.84 (MAL), 7.7 (IMDb)

The Way of the Househusband is a short-form comedy about a retired yakuza legend trying to live a quiet married life.

Tatsu, known as The Immortal Dragon, was once the most feared yakuza in the underworld. Now he’s a devoted househusband… but somehow still terrifying.

He applies the same intensity and ferocity to cooking, cleaning, and couponing that he once did to gang wars. It’s pure comedy gold.

Watching Tatsu go from intimidating gangsters to obsessing over bento boxes never gets old.

While it’s more slice-of-life than underworld thriller, it perfectly captures the redemption arc of a gangster: a guy who’s still terrifying but now uses his energy for good.

The Way of the Househusband info (MAL):

• Alternative Title: Gokushufudou
• Episodes: 5
• Released: 2021
• Studios: J.C.Staff
• Genres: Comedy
• Themes: Adult Cast, Gag Humor, Organized Crime
• Score: 7.26 (MAL), 7.3 (IMDb)

Conclusion: Welcome to The Underworld

At the end of the day, mafia and gangster anime just hit different. They’re not just about crime, they’re about survival in the shadows.

They pull us into smoky bars, rain-soaked alleyways, and blood-stained boardrooms where trust is currency, and betrayal is always a heartbeat away.

Sure, these stories are packed with guns, violence, and grit.

But what makes them unforgettable is the humanity buried underneath: the loyalty, the heartbreak, and those sparks of light in a world built on darkness.

These are stories about people doing whatever it takes to survive, to protect what little they have, or to find redemption in a place that offers none.