Summary
- Horror anime employs graphic sequences and intense narratives to captivate viewers through psychological pressure.
- Completed horror anime maintain tension by exploring themes like death and torture beyond shock value.
- The best horror anime rely on body horror, gruesome scenes, and ominous atmospheres to build fear and unease.
Horror remains a frequent focus in anime that choose a distinctive approach, with layered narratives designed to terrify or disgust viewers through psychological pressure or graphic sequences, revealing grim spectacles that capture attention. Such tension grows when the deterioration of the human body appears on screen, turning flesh and gore into central storytelling tools for powerful narratives.
In the best completed horror anime, tension remains constant by sustaining mystery in each episode, raising viewer expectation for an epic finale that rewards dedicated attention. These narratives explore themes like death and torture in a way that goes beyond shock value, framing loss as the outcome of a curse designed to shape characters in unique ways.
21 Great Horror Mangaka Who Are Not Junji Ito
Fans of Junji Ito who want to experience other horror mangaka should take a look at these artists.
10 High School Of The Dead
One of the best zombie anime ever made
Highschool Of The Dead
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2011 - 2011-00-00
WHERE TO WATCH
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- Madhouse
- Creator
- Daisuke Satō
- Streaming Service(s)
- HIDIVE
In a world devastated by a zombie apocalypse, a group of survivors searches for a secure haven while moral lines blur, revealing how far individuals may go for safety. The horror emerges in relentless undead hordes and the erosion of humanity, forcing each person to confront gravely serious choices tied to survival and unresolved trauma.
Frenetic combat and recurring losses shape High School Of The Dead, sustaining an intense pace through violent clashes and grim backdrops. As one of the best zombie anime, it relies on graphic cruelty and humanity’s moral decay, embracing a brutal and selfish path that brings out the darkest aspects of survival amid widespread terror, which intensifies the overall sense of doom.
9 Corpse Party: Tortured Souls
One of the most brutal anime in its deaths
Corpse Party: Tortured Souls
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2013 - 2013-00-00
- Directors
- Akira Iwanaga
- Seasons
- 1
- Producers
- Kozue Kananiwa
Centered on mystery and supernatural themes, Corpse Party: Tortured Souls explores the bonds among classmates trapped in a frightening dimension. On a stormy night when they gather to say farewell to Mayu, these students use a ritual that transports them to the cursed Heavenly Host Elementary School, where each becomes isolated in a macabre labyrinth.
Dark hallways, twisted monsters, and brutal fates define the journey, creating a relentless atmosphere that pushes characters toward grim outcomes. As one of the best horror anime already completed, it dwells on violent deaths and a hidden truth, using terror as a backdrop for shocking and raw revelations that reshape how each survivor confronts fear.
8 Tokyo Ghoul
The anime explores monstrosity in humanity
Tokyo Ghoul
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2014 - 2018-00-00
- Seasons
- 4
- Studio
- Pierrot
- Creator
- Sui Ishida
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Hulu
Tokyo Ghoul stands out for its memorable opening and its reliance on lurking horrors in a dark urban environment, showcasing a menacing transformation that leaves audiences uneasy. The plot follows Kaneki Ken, a resident of Tokyo who becomes half-ghoul after a date with Rize goes wrong, sparking a gruesome conflict among humans and these sinister beings.
Body horror dominates this universe, highlighting ghoul transformations and their dependence on cannibalism for greater power. The protagonist’s dwindling humanity reinforces the show’s atmosphere of dread, setting Tokyo Ghoul among the best horror anime for viewers who appreciate dark cityscapes, oppressive tension, unsettling visuals, and monstrous secrets hidden behind everyday life, fueling a never-ending sense of threat.
7 Mononoke
The anime’s stunning visuals enhance its horror
Mononoke
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2007 - 2007
WHERE TO WATCH
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- Toei Animation
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix
Renowned for a striking aesthetic, Mononoke crafts an unsettling ambiance with vibrant colors and surreal shapes. The story follows the Medicine Seller on a mission to vanquish wandering spirits, where each encounter reveals monstrous entities that feed on human essence and exploit hidden darkness, requiring an unusual exorcism ritual to banish them from unsuspecting victims.
Scariest Psychological Horror Manga
For manga readers looking to get deeply disturbed, these terrifying psychological horror mangas are perfect.
Its eerie creatures and surreal backdrops create a hypnotic visual style, surprising viewers who expect something less disturbing. That uneasy contrast between vibrant design and haunting backstory defines Mononoke as one of the best horror anime, unsettling anyone who delves into its episodes by revealing the twisted origins of each spirit and the secret traumas behind them.
6 Parasyte: The Maxim
An alien invasion becomes a visceral horror
Parasyte: The Maxim
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2014 - 2015-00-00
- Directors
- Ken'ichi Shimizu
- Writers
- Shoji Yonemura, Shinzô Fujita
- Seasons
- 1
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Hulu
- Creator(s)
- Hitoshi Iwaaki
Body horror reaches new levels in Parasyte: The Maxim, depicting unsettling transformations that defy normal biology. In a quiet Tokyo neighborhood, student Izumi Shinichi fends off a parasite that tries to consume his entire body, but the creature merges with his right arm and forces a fragile alliance against other aliens that threaten the planet.
Human hosts fall prey to violent mutations, creating scenes that emphasize the grotesque potential of the human form. Gory battles escalate as these parasites spread, positioning Parasyte: The Maxim as one of the best horror anime already concluded, given its relentless tone and bold depiction of alien infiltration, along with the grave panic they unleash.
5 Gantz
Life after death is a visceral experience
Gantz
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2004 - 2004
- Network
- Fuji TV, AT-X
- Directors
- Atsushi Nigorikawa, Hirotaka Endo
- Seasons
- 2
- Studio
- Gonzo
- Creator
- Hiroya Oku
- Number of Episodes
- 26
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
Gantz throws participants into a brutal game where resurrection is the ultimate prize, immersing them in life-or-death scenarios that reveal humanity’s darkest impulses. Violent missions, oppressive atmospheres, and terrifying adversaries combine in an arena that demands ruthless combat from newly resurrected players, who confront alien threats and savage creatures well beyond mortal comprehension, intensifying the dread.
The narrative follows Kei Kurano, who dies in a subway accident and awakens in a room presided over by a sphere called Gantz. Its horrifying tasks force participants to hunt dangerous extraterrestrials, with each bizarre monster showcasing repulsive forms that intensify the show’s horror anime credentials, driving home a sense of futility in a place stripped of hope.
4 Elfen Lied
The anime reveals one of the bloodiest protagonists
Elfen Lied
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2004 - 2004
- Network
- AT-X
- Directors
- Keizo Kusakawa
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- Arms, Studio Guts
- Creator
- Lynn Okamoto
- Streaming Service(s)
- Prime Video
Renowned for unflinching violence, Elfen Lied tests the boundaries of human cruelty, delving into the anguish that spurs savage retaliation. The narrative follows Lucy, the most powerful Diclonius, who escapes a cruel facility after committing a massacre, tormented by abuse and repeated loss and convinced that humanity’s only possible fate is annihilation, and rampages without remorse.
Though Lucy’s relationship with Kouta briefly restrains her murderous intent, she remains a walking threat. Anchored by mystery and drastic twists, Elfen Lied stands among the best horror anime for its unforgiving portrayal of human frailty and malice when facing the unknown, pushing boundaries of gore and cruelty in each confrontation and fueling constant dread.
3 Shiki
One of the best completed horror anime
Shiki
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2010 - 2010-00-00
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- Daume
In a quiet village, Shiki chronicles the rise of bloodthirsty creatures that unsettle daily life, turning ordinary routines into nightmares. A dark and supernatural atmosphere unfolds, presenting brutal deaths that emphasize bodily corruption while despair creeps into each resident who realizes the threat, and wages battle to safeguard any remaining hope or risk collective annihilation.
10 Scariest Body Horror Manga, Ranked
These body horror manga push the boundaries of fear, showcasing grotesque transformations and unsettling stories that leave a lasting impact.
The narrative follows Yuuki Natsuno, who moves to Sotoba after leaving city life behind. Mysterious deaths circle around him, and a vicious transformation turns him into a werewolf, an offshoot of the shiki, enabling a fierce stand against the plague threatening the village, which merges monstrous instincts with desperate heroism and raises moral dilemmas within him.
2 Another
The anime’s most violent deaths take center stage
Another
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- January 10, 2012
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
Mystery heightens the terror in Another, placing it among the best horror anime for its relentless suspense and creeping dread. A curse plagues Class 3-3 every 26 years, causing bizarre fatalities until the extra student is uncovered, with Sakakibara Kouichi’s arrival triggering events marked by elaborate, violent ends that shatter any entire sense of normalcy.
Its melancholy atmosphere grips viewers from start to finish, fueled by a well-structured enigma. Deaths stand out for their graphic detail, plunging each character deeper into psychological turmoil until the grand finale unravels the chilling secret behind the curse, ensuring an ever-escalating dread that cements Another among the best horror anime and solidifies its lasting impact.
1 Hellsing Ultimate
The best horror anime of all time
Hellsing Ultimate
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2006 - 2012
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- Satelight, Madhouse, Graphinica
- Creator
- Kouta Hirano
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
Shadowy alleys and foul sewers in London harbor blood-hungry creatures in Hellsing, an anime consumed by countless grim hunts and unstoppable supernatural threats. The Royal Order of Protestant Knights, founded by Abraham Van Helsing, seeks to eradicate these undead beings, trusting Alucard, an original vampire now bound to serve and protect the remaining Helsing lineage.
A dark mythos frames each clash, spotlighting the extremes of human corruption and gore. This grim perspective cements Hellsing as the best horror anime of all time, leaving no room for hope as mortals and monsters clash in a realm where shadows devour every glimmer of light and intensify the darkness that engulfs every battlefield.
10 Best Female Protagonists in Horror Manga, Ranked
Discover the best female protagonists in horror manga, from resilient survivors to tragic figures in dark, gripping stories.