10 Action-Adventure Anime Like Tomb Raider to Watch Right Now

There is something ridiculously satisfying about a good Tomb Raider story. Give me an ancient ruin, a suspicious-looking artifact, a few collapsing floors and someone making a terrible decision about which lever to pull, and I’m probably watching until the credits roll.

That is exactly why finishing Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft left me with the familiar problem: what am I supposed to watch now?

The series managed to combine Lara’s modern survivalist personality with the larger-than-life mythology that has always been part of the franchise. It had ancient mysteries, dangerous expeditions, gunfights, supernatural threats and, most importantly, a protagonist who constantly looked like she had absolutely no business surviving what she had just walked into.

If you are in the same boat, anime has you covered.

Not every recommendation below is a perfect one-to-one replacement for Lara Croft. Some are treasure hunts, some are historical adventures, some focus heavily on combat, and a couple are technically animated series rather than Japanese anime. But they all capture at least one major ingredient of the Tomb Raider formula.

Here are the shows I would put at the top of my list.

1. Spriggan — The Closest Match to Tomb Raider

If someone asked me for one anime like Tomb Raider, I would probably point them toward Spriggan first.

The Netflix adaptation follows Yu Ominae, a teenager who secretly works as an elite operative for ARCAM, an organization dedicated to containing dangerous artifacts left behind by an ancient civilization. Naturally, these artifacts are not exactly harmless museum pieces.

The appeal is immediate. Yu travels around the world, investigates ancient technology and ends up fighting soldiers, assassins and supernatural forces that want to get their hands on the same discoveries.

Sound familiar?

What I really enjoy about Spriggan is that it doesn’t treat archaeology as purely academic. Ancient discoveries can become weapons, and uncovering them can be just as dangerous as destroying them.

Why Tomb Raider fans should watch it: ancient civilizations, mysterious artifacts, international locations, military conspiracies and plenty of explosive action.

2. Tomb Raider King — Pure Tomb-Raiding Chaos

The title alone should tell you why this one belongs here.

Tomb Raider King takes the basic idea of tomb exploration and turns the dial toward fantasy progression. Mysterious Tombs begin appearing throughout the world, and inside them are powerful relics capable of giving their owners extraordinary abilities.

Seo Joo-heon is already an experienced tomb raider when his life takes a particularly nasty turn. Betrayed and left to die, he gets another chance after being sent back in time with his memories intact.

That second chance changes everything.

Instead of making the same mistakes, Joo-heon uses his knowledge of the future to hunt down Tombs, acquire relics and stay several steps ahead of everyone else.

It is much more exaggerated than Lara Croft’s adventures, but honestly, that’s part of the fun. This is the recommendation for people who want more tombs, more relics and more ridiculous supernatural rewards.

3. Master Keaton — For the Lara Croft Brain

Here is my slightly less obvious recommendation.

Master Keaton doesn’t have the same nonstop spectacle as Tomb Raider, and that’s precisely why I think it deserves a place on this list.

Taichi Keaton is an archaeologist, university professor, former SAS survival instructor and insurance investigator. Yes, that’s a lot of qualifications for one character.

His adventures take him across different countries as he investigates crimes, stolen antiquities, suspicious insurance claims and historical mysteries.

The best part is watching Keaton think his way out of problems.

He doesn’t need magical powers or an arsenal of futuristic gadgets. His knowledge of history, geography, survival and human behavior is what keeps him alive.

For me, this captures an underrated part of Lara Croft. She isn’t compelling simply because she can shoot someone. She’s compelling because she understands the world around her.

If the puzzle-solving and archaeological side of Tomb Raider is your favorite part, don’t skip this one.

4. Castlevania & Castlevania: Nocturne — The Darker Side of the Adventure

If your favorite thing about The Legend of Lara Croft was its visual style and brutal action, then Castlevania is an easy recommendation.

Produced by Powerhouse Animation Studios, the series has a cinematic look that should feel familiar to anyone who enjoyed Netflix’s Tomb Raider adaptation.

The stories are obviously very different. Instead of hunting for ancient relics, the characters deal with vampires, demons, magic and centuries-old supernatural conflicts. But the atmosphere is surprisingly compatible.

There are ruined castles, underground locations, mysterious artifacts, violent battles and characters who routinely get thrown into situations that should be fatal.

And yes, the fights are fantastic.

Castlevania: Nocturne continues that visual and tonal tradition while introducing a new generation of characters.

My advice: watch these when you want Tomb Raider’s darker, bloodier side rather than its archaeology.

5. Golden Kamuy — Survival Is the Real Treasure

Golden Kamuy might look like a strange recommendation at first.

It isn’t.

Set in Hokkaido after the Russo-Japanese War, the story follows veteran soldier Saichi Sugimoto and Asirpa, an Ainu girl, as they search for a huge hidden gold stash. The location of the treasure is connected to escaped prisoners whose tattoos collectively form a map.

That’s an excellent setup for a treasure-hunting anime.

What really sold me, though, was the survival aspect. The characters aren’t simply walking from one plot location to another. They’re dealing with freezing weather, hunger, wildlife, hostile terrain and other people who desperately want the treasure.

The historical detail also gives the adventure considerably more weight.

If you liked the feeling in Tomb Raider that the environment itself can be as dangerous as the enemy, Golden Kamuy deserves your attention.

6. Blue Eye Samurai — A Different Kind of Survivor

I wouldn’t call Blue Eye Samurai a Tomb Raider clone. It isn’t remotely that.

But if what you loved about Lara was the strong, damaged protagonist who refuses to stop moving forward, this is an excellent choice.

Mizu is a highly skilled swordfighter living in Edo-period Japan while hiding her identity. Her life is shaped by prejudice, violence and a relentless desire for revenge.

The animation is phenomenal, but the character work is what makes the show special.

Mizu gets hurt. She makes mistakes. She becomes exhausted. She loses people. And somehow she keeps moving.

That physical vulnerability reminds me of the best version of Lara Croft: not an invincible action hero, but someone who survives because she refuses to give up.

7. Lupin the Third: Part 5 — Treasure Hunting With Style

Tomb Raider isn’t always about ancient ruins.

Sometimes Lara is sneaking into heavily guarded facilities, using technology, stealing information and trying to stay ahead of people who would very much like to kill her.

That’s where Lupin the Third: Part 5 fits.

Lupin and his crew operate on a global scale, mixing traditional heists with modern technology and international conspiracies. Historical treasures and valuable artifacts naturally become part of the equation.

The tone is much lighter than Tomb Raider, but the globetrotting adventure energy is absolutely there.

If you want something slick, fast and entertaining between heavier shows, this is a great palate cleanser.

8. Canaan — When the Gunfights Take Over

Let’s be honest: sometimes you don’t care about the archaeology.

Sometimes you just want the shooting.

Canaan delivers exactly that.

The series follows Canaan, an exceptionally skilled mercenary with synesthesia, as she becomes caught in an international conflict involving Alphard and a dangerous criminal organization.

There are gunfights, assassinations, tactical operations, betrayals and plenty of characters who seem to be carrying enough weapons to start a small war.

It doesn’t replicate the exploration side of Tomb Raider, but it captures the mercenary-versus-mercenary action that frequently takes over Lara’s adventures.

For fans who preferred the combat sections of the games, this is one worth trying.

9. El Cazador de la Bruja — A Forgotten Road-Trip Gem

This is probably the most old-school recommendation on the list.

El Cazador de la Bruja follows Nadie, a bounty hunter, and Ellis, a mysterious girl with supernatural abilities and no clear memory of her past. Together they travel through Mexico while trying to uncover the truth behind Ellis’s history.

The series combines Western-inspired gunfights with mystery, supernatural elements and a long journey through unfamiliar territory.

The relationship between Nadie and Ellis is also a major reason to watch. Instead of giving us a lone hero, the show builds its adventure around two very different characters who gradually become connected.

It has a slower, more atmospheric quality than some of the other recommendations here, but that can actually make it more rewarding.

10. Uncharted: Eye of Indra — Basically Mandatory for Treasure Hunters

Okay, this isn’t technically anime.

But if we’re talking about animated adventures for Tomb Raider fans, I can’t leave it out.

Uncharted: Eye of Indra is a motion-comic prequel connected to the Uncharted universe. It follows Nathan Drake as he gets involved in a dangerous search for an ancient artifact.

And yes, that means exactly what you’re expecting: criminals, treasure, betrayal, puzzles and people making increasingly questionable decisions around ancient objects.

If you’ve always enjoyed the connection between Tomb Raider and Uncharted, this is an obvious bonus watch.

Tomb Raider King Anime Review: Is This Action-Fantasy Worth Watching?

My Quick Ranking for Tomb Raider Fans

So, What Should You Watch First?

If you want the closest overall experience to Tomb Raider, start with Spriggan. It has the ancient artifacts, international adventures and explosive action that make the comparison almost unavoidable.

If you specifically want tombs and supernatural relics, go straight to Tomb Raider King.

For something more grounded and intelligent, Master Keaton is my personal wildcard recommendation. It doesn’t look like Tomb Raider on the surface, but it understands the thrill of using knowledge to survive.

And if your priority is simply great adult animation, Castlevania and Blue Eye Samurai are both hard to beat.

That’s ultimately what makes finding anime like Tomb Raider so much fun. There isn’t one exact replacement for Lara Croft. The franchise itself has always been a strange mixture of archaeology, survival horror, action, mythology, character drama and ridiculous blockbuster spectacle.

These shows simply take different pieces of that formula and run with them.

And honestly? That’s probably better than getting another show that tries to copy Lara Croft beat for beat.

Sometimes you want an archaeologist. Sometimes you want a treasure hunter. Sometimes you want a swordfighter covered in blood.

The important thing is that somewhere, someone is probably opening an ancient door they absolutely should have left closed.