Television series

Hellsing Ultimate

Name: Hellsing Ultimate
Genre: Drama, Action, Anime, Horror
Released: 2006
Cast: Fumiko Orikasa, Jouji Nakata, Yoshiko Sakakibara, Norio Wakamoto

Hellsing Ultimate is a visceral, darkly comic action series about an ancient vampire working for a secret British organization to stop supernatural threats. It's grotesquely violent, wildly entertaining, and unapologetically pulpy—anime at its most indulgent. For fans of gothic horror meets spy thriller, delivered with maximum gore and operatic conviction.

TVMaze rating

3.7

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy gleefully over-the-top vampire violence, with theatrical villains and a stylish, pulpy swagger that treats gore as a kind of performance.

Skip it if the show leans hard on bloodshed and a neo-Nazi enemy group, so it sits badly if you want restraint or slow character build-up.

What it asks of you: Ten short episodes, each a dense burst of action, so you keep pace with loud set-pieces rather than settling into a slow, gradual rhythm.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Castlevania: Nocturne2023

Another anime-adjacent action series mixing supernatural horror with human drama. Stunning animation, complex characters, and that same gothic atmosphere where the rules of reality bend around supernatural power.

But Slower pacing and more introspection than Hellsing. If you're here purely for action and camp, the character building might feel like padding.

Trigun1998

A charismatic anti-hero vampire gunslinger trying not to destroy everything around him. Same energy of an overpowered protagonist learning restraint, wrapped in philosophy and absurdist humor. Anime doing genre confidently.

But Softer tone overall and less graphic violence. The philosophical bent isn't for everyone, and it asks you to sit with quieter moments.

Bleach2004

A secret supernatural organization, baroque visual design, and fight choreography that prioritizes style over realism. That same blend of gothic aesthetics with shonen action logic, delivered with absolute commitment.

But Runs to 366 episodes. Filler exists. The power-scaling becomes absurd even by anime standards, and patience is required.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Hellsing Ultimate

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Millennium Actress2002

Both are obsessed with performance as a form of power and identity. Alucard performs monstrosity; the actress in Millennium Actress performs humanity. Both explore how the roles we play consume us.

A documentary filmmaker chases a reclusive actress through decades of cinema history, blurring film with reality until you can't tell where one ends and the other begins. Visually audacious, emotionally devastating, and completely unlike anything else—a love letter to cinema itself.

But Experimental structure and deliberately disorienting. No action, no genre thrills. If you need plot coherence, this will frustrate you; it operates on mood and metaphor.

Blood of Zeus2020

A son discovering his supernatural heritage while fighting monstrous enemies. Gothic, violent, and visually striking with strong character moments between set pieces. Scratches that same action-horror itch efficiently.

But Shorter and less eccentric than Hellsing. The tone is more straightforward; there's less weirdness and dark comedy to cushion the brutality.

Jujutsu Kaisen2020

Stunning animation serves a story about young people learning to harness dark powers to fight creatures. Modern sensibility but same structural DNA: the cost of power, strange allies, and fight sequences that are genuinely architectural.

But Much more optimistic and earnest. Hellsing's cynicism and pulpy excess are replaced by genuinely heartfelt character growth, which some might find less fun.

Demon Slayer2019

A teenager inherits a sword and joins an organization of killers protecting humanity from demons. The animation is transcendent, the action is breathtaking, and there's real weight to each death.

But More earnest and shonen-conventional than Hellsing's weirdness. The emotional beats are sincere where Hellsing leans into dark comedy; some will find that saccharine.

Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch2006

A brilliant protagonist given supernatural power discovers it corrupts everything it touches. High concept, morally complicated, and visually distinctive. Anime treating its premise with theatrical seriousness.

But Mecha elements and a different genre entirely. If you're watching for vampire action, the giant robot diversion will frustrate you.

Hellsing2001

The original 13-episode series that started it all. Looser, campier take on the same characters and premise. If you want to see where this came from and enjoy the different directional choices.

But Less faithful to source material, and the animation budget shows. Hellsing Ultimate remakes this more faithfully with better resources; watching the original can feel dated now.

Black Lagoon2006

A corporate salary man joins a crew of mercenaries and supernatural operators. Action-heavy, morally ambiguous characters, and a willingness to let scenes breathe before exploding. Pulpy adult anime done right.

But More grounded crime thriller than gothic horror. The supernatural elements are lighter and fewer; if you're here for vampires and Nazis, this won't deliver that specific collision.

Afro Samurai2007

Both are revenge narratives built on visual maximalism and performers giving committed voice work to over-the-top material. Both treat pulp with absolute seriousness, which is exactly the point.

A Black samurai pursues revenge across a surreal, hip-hop infused landscape. Pulpy, violent, and visually distinctive in a totally different way. Samuel L. Jackson as the voice of your protagonist. Anime that doesn't apologize for its excess.

But Stylistic choices can feel indulgent rather than functional. Some visual sequences are more about looking cool than narrative clarity, and the plot is straightforward to the point of simplicity.

Perfect Blue1998

Both use animation to explore what happens when power corrupts the self. Alucard loses his humanity through power; the protagonist here loses her identity through performance. Both ask: who are you when everyone demands you be something else?

A J-pop idol's reality fractures as she pursues a film career. Psychological horror that uses animation's freedoms to blur dream and waking, identity and performance. Relentless, disturbing, and visually inventive in ways live action can't touch.

But Intense and disorienting by design. Sexual violence and psychological torture are core to the experience, not decorative. This is not entertainment in the traditional sense; it's an assault on the viewer.