Best Anime Ghost Hunters

The world is dangerous for many anime characters, surrounded by killers, monsters, evil armies, demons, and creatures stranger still. One of the most persistent threats these characters face no longer has a mortal form: ghosts.

Whether they died by violence, illness, accident, or some other tragedy, the spirits of the departed remain to haunt the living. Some of these retain much of what made them human, while others are reduced to twisted curses, existing only to torment the living. With so many ghosts around to cause trouble, it’s no surprise that anime is full of ghost hunters doing their best to track down and combat these elusive threats. Here are some of anime’s most iconic.

Updated on December 7, 2024, by Mark Sammut: Fall 2024 is nearly at an end, and the season does not contain any ghost hunters. That said, Dandadan’s main duo, Ken and Momo, spend quite a bit of time fighting ghosts, so they nearly qualify. However, they are not actively pursuing them but are rather dragged into their worlds. Natsume’s Book of Friends is similar, but it would not be fitting to describe the kind-hearted Natsume as a “hunter” of any kind.

Consequently, two anime ghost hunters from older shows have been added.

One character per anime. Also, this is not a ranking of strongest anime ghost hunters.

12 Tooru Muhyou

Muhyo & Roji’s Bureau of Supernatural Investigation

Muhyo & Roji’s Bureau of Supernatural Investigation had to wait roughly a decade after the manga’s conclusion to receive an adaptation, but the series was successful enough in Japan to receive two seasons. While not a huge hit outside its country of origin, the anime is an enjoyable watch and an easy recommendation for anyone craving a supernatural mystery akin to something like Ghost Hunt, albeit with a more fantastical edge.

As the central ghost hunter, Tooru Muhyo is by far the star of the show, with his aggressive approach to maintaining spiritual order fueling most of the anime’s highlights. Fully aware of his power and not afraid to show it, Muhyo is a refreshingly proactive protagonist.

11 Yakumo Saitou

Psychic Detective Yakumo

A somewhat forgotten show from yesteryear, Psychic Detective Yakumo is the definition of competent, even if it struggles to surpass the barrier. The story revolves around Yakumo, the eponymous detective, and Haruka, a student who gets dragged into the world of the supernatural. Their relationship serves as the story’s heart; however, the main focus is on the cases they investigate, which are pretty entertaining without necessarily being all that scary.

Yakumo can be a touch off-putting at first since he is quite arrogant and tends to push people away. Ultimately, this is just a defense mechanism to protect others from getting involved in the life of an exorcist, and he is willing to do nearly anything to ensure people’s safety.

10 Kuro Sakuragawa

In/Spectre

A divisive show that drove some people away due to an unnecessarily long season 1 arc, In/Spectre is nevertheless worth watching for anyone craving a mystery anime with a supernatural edge and a romantic touch. Each season is split into multiple cases that usually revolve around a spirit haunting a human; however, the anime’s uniqueness comes from the fact that the protagonists – Kotoko and Kuro – take both sides into account. In fact, Kotoko is the Goddess of Wisdom who effectively acts to protect (or punish) spirits, so she tends to take a neutral approach that does not automatically favor the living over the dead.

Honestly, Kotoko is comfortably the best part of In/Spectre, but she is not a ghost hunter. However, Kuro is another matter entirely, and he essentially acts as Kotoko’s sword and shield. If a ghost needs to be fought, he is the one who will step up, even if his better half will still be the brains of the operation.

9 Kitaro

GeGeGe no Kitaro

Kitaro is one of the most legendary anime ghost hunters who have been taking fans on hilarious and spooky adventures for years. GeGeGe no Kitaro‘s ghost hunter is capable of navigating the world of humans and supernatural beings and tries to make sure that the two worlds can coexist and will not collide in catastrophe.

Thanks to this iconic show, anime fans have been able to go on many fun and spooky adventures while enjoying whimsical art and endearing stories with unique ghosts. Many of GeGeGe no Kitaro‘s stories were also inspired by Japanese folklore, and urban legends, so fans can even learn a bit about Japanese culture while embarking on these supernatural adventures.

8 Satoru Gojo

Jujutsu Kaisen

Arguably the strongest jujutsu sorcerer in Jujutsu Kaisen, Satoru Gojo isn’t just one of the strongest characters in his own anime, he’s one of the strongest ghost-hunters in any anime. Gojo devotes himself to more than just the exorcism of Curses, however.

Gojo is responsible for training the next generation of sorcerers. Without him, characters like Nobara Kugisaki, Yuji Itadori, and Megumi Fushiguro may never have developed their skills in the way that they did. While Nobara’s look is arguably more iconic than Gojo’s, Gojo is a fantastic character and ghost-hunter in his own right. His power is just the tip of that iceberg.

Frankly, most of
Jujutsu Kaisen
‘s main characters are among the
best anime ghost hunters
; however, Gojo was picked as the representative for the series.

7 Yayoi Hozuki

Dark Gathering

Yayoi Hozuki is one of the cutest and newest anime ghost hunters, and she is a force to be reckoned with. Dark Gathering‘s tiny ghost hunter is a genius strategist who is also highly intelligent with an IQ of over 160. Yayoi is obsessed with ghosts since she wants to save her mother’s spirit from the wicked ghost, Kuubo.

While she’s driven by vendetta, she still has a strong moral compass, and she’s not punishing all ghosts only the truly evil ones who killed and tortured people. The story follows her and Keitaro’s adventures as they meet all kinds of ghosts and try to capture Japan’s most terrifying ghosts and ghouls.

6 Ginko

Mushi-shi

Mushi-shi is often praised as one of the greatest seinen anime shows of all time and its lead Ginko is a friendly and wise spirit expert. Ginko is a Mushishi who travels around Japan while trying to help people with their Mushi-related problems.

Mushi are a kind of spirit that can cause serious problems and come in many different shapes. While Ginko doesn’t stay for long in the same place, he still cares about people and does everything in his power to help them with their supernatural issues. Ginko also loves his job and is always excited to find new Mushi species he hasn’t seen before.

“Ghost hunter” is not the best descriptor for Ginko as he is not specifically hunting mushi, but he does occasionally have to step in.

5 Mikami

Ghost Sweeper Mikami

Mikami is one of the most stylish anime ghost hunters of all time who was the owner of a private exorcist company. She and her assistants helped people with their ghost and spirit-related problems. This fun classic ghost anime series is set in a fictional version of Japan where ghosts have lost their homes due to overdevelopment.

Mikami and other Ghost Sweepers work hard to help people with their ghost issues who hire them for good money. Ghost Sweeper Mikami has great characters as well as fun adventures and is filled with all kinds of unique ghosts.

4 Kazuya Shibuya

Ghost Hunt

An anime with the name Ghost Hunt had better have a good ghost hunter or two, and thankfully it does. While Mai Taniyama works well as the audience’s surrogate as she gets drawn into the world of ghost hunting, she is very the assistant to the story’s actual ghost hunter: Kazuya.

Cold, determined, and intelligent, Kazuya has a deep understanding of the supernatural, and he takes on otherworldly cases intending to force any evil spirit to move on. He approaches most scenarios with a logical mind, and while showing some skepticism, he generally accepts that the world is filled with phenomena that go beyond his comprehension.

3 Mob

Mob Psycho 100

Mob Psycho 100 is one of the most visually distinct anime around, with characters, special abilities, and even settings that can’t help but capture the eye. Mob himself is a dead-eyed little boy with a bowl-cut and overwhelming supernatural powers, which is just part of what makes him so memorable.

Mob isn’t just a fantastic ghost hunter: he’s a gullible one. Watching his supposed mentor mislead, manipulate, and exploit him–all to cover up his own lack of psychic ability–is one of the show’s highlights. Mob is fantastic on his own, but watching him be led astray again and again, failing to pick up on the less-than-subtle clues, is even better. For high-caliber ghost-hunting action and stunning visuals, Mob is hard to beat.

2 Yusuke Urameshi

Yu Yu Hakusho

Yu Yu Hakusho is a classic shonen anime with fans all over the world, and its protagonist Yusuke Urameshi is why. After sacrificing himself to save the life of a young boy, teenage punk Yusuke is resurrected as a Spirit Detective and tasked with solving crimes in the Human World involving the supernatural.

His Spirit Gun is an anime weapon almost as iconic as Goku’s kamehameha, and between his slicked-back hair and bad attitude, Yusuke has a way of sticking in fans’ minds. While he starts the series with a nasty demeanor, he sees a lot of growth, making him one of the rounder characters in the ghost-hunter lineup as he fights his way through the Dark Tournament.

1 The Medicine Seller

Mononoke

The protagonist of Toei Animation’s avant-garde anime Mononoke is the Medicine Seller, an enigmatic merchant who uses his expertise in the supernatural to find, identify, and destroy spirits. Everything about the Medicine Seller, from his look to his mannerisms to his mysterious title, attracts the viewer’s attention.

Mononoke is an extraordinary achievement in anime, but even if he had appeared in a mediocre anime the Medicine Seller likely would have been one of the most engaging ghost-hunters of all time. For style as much as effectiveness, the Medicine Seller must be counted among the very best.