Enjoy the nightmare fuel! Join Ashley as we look over the most disturbing anime to come out over the years
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most terrifying anime
00:10ever.
00:1530.
00:20Hell Girl
00:21Hell hath no fury like a spirit girl scorned, especially when said spirit girl is the one
00:27sending people down below.
00:28Yeah, you don't get a name like Hell Girl for nothing.
00:35Each episode features Ai Enma living up to her name by sending all sorts of miscreants
00:40to their doom.
00:41She's not a monster, though.
00:43Ai always offers a chance to repent, and only once they fail to do so, they get sent to
00:48the fire and brimstone.
00:51It's usually deserved, but that doesn't make it a pleasant watch by any means.
00:57Their screams will haunt your nightmares for weeks.
01:0129.
01:04Junji Ito Collection
01:05In the market for a reliable horror writer, you won't find anyone better than Junji Ito.
01:11His work in the genre is so prolific, they didn't even have to name the anime adaptation
01:16of his work.
01:20Ito's name speaks for itself.
01:22The 12-episode series is a squirm-inducing anthology that will have you retching, shivering,
01:28reaching for the remotes, or all three at the same time.
01:36It's genuinely impressive how Ito manages to make each story more uniquely disturbing
01:47than the last.
01:48No wonder his work is so beloved.
01:50He really knows how to get under your skin.
01:5628.
01:57Detective Conan
01:58Okay, hear us out.
02:00We know Detective Conan doesn't seem like it'd be a scream-worthy scarefest, but there's
02:04some truly unnerving cases mixed in with its procedural casework.
02:09The spine-tingling bandage man comes to mind, as does the murderous library arc.
02:18You want more?
02:19There's plenty.
02:21Every now and then, Detective Conan airs an episode that feels like a straight-up horror
02:25film brought to life.
02:29The fact that it comes from a show that's usually family-friendly just makes it all
02:33the more shocking.
02:34There's no mystery here.
02:36Detective Conan is seriously creepy.
02:38Don't say we didn't warn you.
02:4327.
02:46Ghost Hunt
02:47Being surrounded by experienced paranormal investigators would keep the scares in check.
02:52It doesn't.
02:53As Mai learns throughout Ghost Hunt, there's no amount of preparation or fancy plans that
02:58can stop the innate fear of staring a spirit in the eyes.
03:05If anything, the show's grounded approach to the genre makes the threat feel closer
03:09than ever before.
03:15While Ghost Hunt leans a lot on Mai's growing relationship with her partner, Kazuya, there's
03:20still plenty of ghoulish cases to keep you on the edge of your seat.
03:24Especially once Mai's work starts becoming literal nightmare fuel.
03:2926.
03:31Gantz Zero
03:32When waves of monsters overrun the city, Kato and his team have two hours to purge them,
03:38or they'll be the ones getting buried.
03:46They don't have a second to waste, and neither does Gantz Zero.
03:50Instead, the movie throws you right into all kinds of bloody mayhem.
03:54If you're the type of person who gets queasy around monster guts, this is your warning
03:58to start watching something else.
04:06In Gantz Zero, the creatures are grotesque, the deaths are brutal, and the action never
04:11lets up.
04:12Seriously, some of these scenes should have come with a barf bag.
04:15Or better yet, a blindfold.
04:2525.
04:29Kaiji
04:30No, Kaiji isn't a traditional horror series.
04:33But it's definitely horrifying.
04:35As it turns out, gambling is scary.
04:38So is walking between skyscrapers on a rickety steel beam.
04:44Kaiji just doesn't know when to cash out.
04:47And that puts him in a never-ending cycle of tense scenarios, some which end up costing
04:52him fingers or worse.
04:56It's basically impossible to make it through an episode of Kaiji without your heart rate
05:02spiking at least a couple of times.
05:06The deaths Kaiji pays are so severe, you'll have no choice but to take a breather before
05:10hitting play next.
05:1524.
05:18Terraformers
05:19We only need two small words to pitch this show.
05:23Mutant cockroaches.
05:30They say the suckers can survive anything up to a nuclear apocalypse, and apparently
05:35that also includes the colonization of Mars.
05:38But now that they've evolved into apex predators, the roaches have decided to get revenge on
05:43humanity in the grossest way possible.
05:49Moral of the story?
05:50Don't get attached to any characters, even if they're leads.
05:53No one lasts very long here.
05:55To make matters worse, the fights here aren't just scary, they're downright disgusting.
06:00Terraformers will definitely bug you out, that's for sure.
06:0523.
06:09From the New World
06:10In this thriller, what you don't know is much more frightening than what you do.
06:20On the surface, Saki is a young girl who is sent to a special academy to make friends
06:25and master her powers.
06:27But in the background, Shinsukai Yori slowly unveils a terrifying conspiracy involving
06:32murder, deceit, and brainwashing.
06:39Divulging any more would ruin the show, but take our word for it, this series will chill
06:44you to your very core.
06:46Even the quiet moments evoke so much mounting dread, it almost physically hurts.
06:51And yet, the gasp-worthy payoff is somehow so much worse.
06:5622.
06:58Mieruko-chan
07:00Miko is not a fan of being scared, but against her wishes, she wakes up one day capable of
07:06seeing all kinds of fiendish ghosts.
07:08So naturally, she ignores it all and hopes it goes away.
07:17When that doesn't work, Miko realises she's the only one capable of helping the deceased
07:22pass on, no matter how revolting they look.
07:30Mieruko-chan does a great job at putting you in Miko's shoes.
07:34That is, terrifying you silly, lulling you into a false sense of security, and then scaring
07:39you all over again.
07:40It's a vicious cycle, but at least we're in it with Miko.
07:4721.
07:52Monster
07:53Despite the name, there aren't any devilish creatures in Monster.
07:56No, there's something much, much worse.
07:59Johann Liebert
08:00He's a cunning serial killer like none other.
08:09And when Surgeon Kenzo Tenma defies orders to give him a life-saving operation, the series
08:15turns into a nail-biting moral think-piece, albeit one with a whole morgue full of victims.
08:24Monster has plenty of graphic imagery for the genre diehards, especially where Johann
08:29is concerned.
08:30But really, it all hinges upon his, and Tenma's, fraught dynamic.
08:34Their opposing views on human life prove one unforgettable fact – Johann isn't just
08:39a criminal, he's a monster.
08:4420.
08:45The Flowers of Evil
08:47Because no amount of anime monsters can compare to the stress and depravity that only high
08:52school can deliver.
08:54After being caught doing something he really shouldn't, a helpless student is blackmailed
09:04into fulfilling the tasks of a classmate, where it doesn't take long for the lines
09:08between fear, love, hate and shame to all mingle together in one thrilling package.
09:22The rotoscoping effect might not be to everyone's taste, but the ordeals these youths put themselves
09:28through easily pushes past the visuals to make for an unsettling watch.
09:3819.
09:43Yami Shibai – Japanese Ghost Stories
09:46If you're in the mood for some authentic Japanese horror, then look no further than
09:51this anthology that's still going strong to this day.
09:59The theatre of darkness plays host to a series of five-minute spooky spectacles, and while
10:05the animation might seem limited at first, the minimalist approach allows the creepy
10:10narratives to shine all the stronger.
10:16Supposed to show how with the right tools, a lot can be done with very little.
10:20Which in this case means they scare the bejeebus out of us on a frighteningly low budget.
10:3018.
10:34Erased
10:35A great mystery can lead the way to some tremendous storytelling, and in that same vein, a hell
10:41of a lot of tension.
10:49After being transported back in time to when he was a child, Satoru has to not only find
10:54a way to prevent his mother's murder, but go about altering the past to change the fate
10:59of his abused friend, Kaio.
11:12And to top it all off, there's a child kidnapper-slash-killer to contend with.
11:17Few have managed to combine the classic trappings of a whodunit with time travel as well as
11:22this seminal outing.
11:3217.
11:38Elfenlied
11:39You know a person has to be a special kind of scumbag when the audience is actively rooting
11:44for the mass murderer who tears people apart with invisible, psychic arms.
11:54Relentless in her revenge, Lucy's rampage is one born of a lifetime of prejudice against
12:00her due to the fact she's a dichlonious.
12:03And while her frequent slaughter-fests can be hard to stomach, knowing what she endured
12:08and the depths the so-called civilised people resorted to just to get a rise out of her
12:13makes it a tad easier to swallow.
12:22This anime has prepubescent kids who happily bludgeon a dog to death.
12:26You're damn right they deserved a vector to the face.
12:3216.
12:34Mononoke
12:35While it presents itself as more of an episodic, supernatural affair with tinges of action,
12:40you'd be hard-pressed to not be unnerved by the medicine seller's genie as he battles
12:45and exercises the demonic spirits known as Mononoke.
13:12The way in which these otherworldly horrors influence and trample on the lives of the
13:16innocent and guilty alike, whether it be through delusions, pregnancy or outright murder, was
13:33pretty chilling to watch unfold, especially when combined with the anime's psychedelic
13:38animation style.
13:4615.
13:50Hellsing Ultimate
13:52Did someone call for hyper-violent, gun-slinging vampires?
13:55Good, because one way or another, Alucard's gonna show up.
14:07As the Hellsing organisation's ace in the hall, the former Count now spends his time
14:12blasting away everything else that goes bump in the night.
14:16While the violence is certainly crowd-pleasing at times, there are elements here that are
14:20as dark as you can get.
14:37Between Ceres' tormented history, the gruesome demise of numerous innocents, as well as the
14:42abundance of Nazi vampires, there's no stone this anime won't touch in order to turn up
14:47the fear factor.
14:5314.
14:55Corpse Party – Tortured Souls
14:57While many will point you in the direction of the original game, this OVA is still a
15:02great time if you want to see the bloody highlights.
15:05Or just happen to be in the mood to see a group of unfortunate students find themselves
15:09transported into a haunted school.
15:25And unluckily for them, these particular ghosts prefer to do their hauntings via relentless
15:31stabbing.
15:45The brutality here is certainly on another level, making it for a very macabre viewing.
15:51But at least Sachiko is an entertaining villain, as far as homicidal ghost girls go.
15:5913.
16:03School Live
16:04Anime high schools and zombie apocalypses tend to go hand-in-hand, though few have added
16:09a twist quite like this one.
16:19While Yuki believes herself to be enjoying another day at school with her close-knit
16:23friend group, the truth of the matter is that the world has gone to shit.
16:28And in an effort to spare her already fractured mental state, Yuki's friends are doing everything
16:33possible to keep the truth away from her, while struggling to survive against the encroaching
16:38undead horde.
16:44Two types of dread for the price of one.
16:4912.
16:53Devilman Crybaby
16:54Taking a classic famed for its unrelenting darkness and bringing it to the modern age
16:59is a timed and true practice for the medium, with middling results.
17:04Devilman stands at the very top, not only for its major upgrade in visuals, but for
17:12how it so fluidly conveyed the utter wretchedness of the world Akira inhabits.
17:18No other anime has painted such a bleak picture of humanity's paranoia, aggressiveness and
17:24madness.
17:33It's certainly tough to watch at times, to the extent that by the end you'll be begging
17:37to go back to watch Devilman rip apart demons in a nightclub.
17:4411.
17:46Made in Abyss
17:47Don't let the adorable designs of its main cast fool you.
17:51It's just another tool that this beautifully horrific anime uses to inspire grief as they
17:56descend further into the titular abyss.
18:07Given the monsters they encounter, the effects of the curse and the lapsing morals of its
18:11denizens, there is no shortage of unsettling and upsetting vistas that Riko and Reg are
18:17forced to endure as they descend ever deeper in search of her missing mother.
18:31Just when you think you've gotten over everything that happens to one character, another enters
18:35the picture and the cycle of trauma starts all over.
18:38And yet, we still keep watching.
18:4810.
18:51Umineko When They Cry
18:53Sharing its name with a much more iconic horror anime that we'll get to later, Umineko is
18:59a respectable adaptation of the seventh expansion's visual novel.
19:14The story revolves around the Ushiromiya family, who meet up on an island retreat due to the
19:20patriarch being on his deathbed.
19:23This then springs into a murder mystery that's heavy on mind games and supernatural shenanigans.
19:35Sprinkling in several shockers and unanswered questions along the way, the anime's scares
19:40may be diluted, but when it hits, it hits pretty hard.
19:509.
19:55Sheiky A slow-moving thriller about a group of vampires
19:59trying to take over a human village, who refuse to acknowledge their existence, this one is
20:05not for the faint of heart.
20:13While only sporadically terrifying, Sheiky rewards patience with an unforgettable final
20:19stretch of episodes that are so unapologetically nihilistic and graphic.
20:32With challenging themes and realistic, if not necessarily likeable characters, it subverts
20:38expectations by recontextualising the idea of good and evil.
20:44Humanity and the Sheiky's capacity for horrific acts fuel the anime's psychological terror,
20:49culminating in a last act that is unsettling in its openness.
21:018.
21:05Angel's Egg Before directing the likes of Ghost in the
21:08Shell, Mamoru Oshii released the almost impenetrable Angel's Egg.
21:21Following a girl who lives in a desolate world and guards an egg, this bizarre classic is
21:25heavy on the symbolism and light on story or dialogue.
21:33As hard as the movie can be to decipher, it does feature a nightmarishly beautiful
21:38art style that is haunting on a primal level.
21:42The visuals are its most immediately gripping feature, but the theme of lost faith also
21:48adds to the film's sense of isolation.
21:567.
22:00The Promised Neverland Centred around a group of orphans living at
22:13the seemingly idyllic Grace Field House, their image of a peaceful life goes up in flames
22:20when the oldest learn that their home is actually a farm that raises children as food for a
22:26monstrous species lurking just out of sight.
22:36With their own mother figure serving as an additional antagonist, heroes who have yet
22:40to hit puberty and some of the creepiest facial expressions in anime, The Promised Neverland
22:46delivers its scares through constant suspense and an ever-present feel that something could
22:52and likely will go wrong at any second.
22:576.
23:00Parasite Horror comes in many shapes and styles, with
23:03this series being the forerunner when it comes to gore and body disfiguration.
23:15When parasitic aliens take to using human bodies as makeshift homes, a timid teenager
23:21ends up with a talking right hand.
23:23A character-driven psychological thriller with a lot of action and even bigger body
23:28count, Parasite does a great job at balancing its separate elements, resulting in an anime
23:34that is accessible, but also unique.
23:42While being scary is not always its main focus, Parasite frequently ramps up the terror through
23:48its effective monster designs and blood-soaked kills.
23:545.
23:58Midori-Ko The other is a common theme in the horrorscape,
24:02but it usually comes in the form of an outsider interacting with the familiar.
24:11Putting aside a somewhat cute intro, Midori-Ko is entirely devoted to the strange, crafting
24:17a world where everything is surreal and there are only traces of recognisable reality, mainly
24:23concerning the female main character.
24:26Grotesque entities, both human and vegetable hybrids, populate Keita Kurosaka's ambitious
24:33and gorgeous work of art, presenting a universe where hunger has run rampant.
24:44The art style is already unsettling, but paired with its terrific sound design, it
24:48becomes something that will make your blood chill.
24:554.
24:58Another Ever since a middle school student passed
25:01away, her class has been subjected to some rather peculiar incidents, even gaining a
25:07reputation for being cursed.
25:09Naturally, new transfer student, Koichi, transfers into said class, finding himself
25:14drawn to the enigmatic, eye-patch-wearing Mei Misaki.
25:25And then, the killing starts.
25:27Another's death scenes are so graphic and abundant that it could be dismissed as nothing
25:32more than a gore-fest, but that's not completely fair.
25:37Its core mystery is sturdy enough that it will keep you roped in.
25:40All the while, it conjures up more and more creative ways to have these unlucky souls
25:45meet an early grave.
25:49Don't forget your umbrella.
25:573.
26:03Serial Experiments Lane
26:04An anime so ahead of its time that it was borderline prophetic in its prediction of
26:09the online world's influence on identity.
26:13While a lonely and timid girl in real life, Lane soon finds herself morphing into a destructive
26:18and cruel person on the Wired, which is basically the internet on steroids.
26:27While perhaps not frightening in the traditional sense, it is consistently disconcerting.
26:33Be it through its sparse but effective music, existential themes, or unexpected divergences.
26:46Serial Experiments Lane is unpredictable, unusual, but also strangely relatable, which
26:52makes the whole experience all that more unnerving.
26:572.
26:59Higurashi When They Cry
27:02In a nutshell, cute girls doing horrifying things.
27:12An anime that follows multiple timelines revolving around different and oh-so-dangerous waifus,
27:18Keiichi Maibara moves to a rural village that seems perfectly ordinary at first, but that
27:24could not be further from the truth.
27:31While the second season leans away from horror, When They Cry's opening run features a constant
27:36cycle of bowels-emptying imagery, alarming reveals, foreboding, and flashes of visually
27:42striking violence with characters who seem capable of disturbing acts of insanity at
27:48any instance.
27:49Just… don't eat the rice balls.
28:181.
28:19Perfect Blue Satoshi Kon's classic thriller is a tense
28:23look into the entertainment industry and the way a divide can occur between a person's
28:29reality and the characters they inhabit.
28:39When Mima decides to leave a pop idol group and become an actress, she is greeted with
28:44resistance from fans, a stalker, and internal conflict.
28:49Perfect Blue's biggest scares come courtesy of Mimania, Mima's hair-raising predator
28:54whose relationship with reality is loose at best.
29:06Mima also grows increasingly incapable of distinguishing reality from fiction, which
29:12the film portrays to perfection, leading itself to transitions guaranteed to shatter psyches.