Want a scare? These have got you covered! Join Ashley as we look over the greatest horror anime
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the scariest anime to watch
00:10if you're a fan of things that go bump in the night.
00:22If you like seeing all kinds of vile, horrific monsters, that makes one of you.
00:27Unfortunately for her, Miko doesn't have much of a say in the matter.
00:31She wakes up one day, randomly capable of seeing ghosts, and all the ghastly imagery
00:36that comes with it.
00:44While Miroko-chan primarily leans into the comedy of Miko's blight, you won't find
00:49a better crop of jumpscares anywhere else.
00:57One minute she's crossing the street, the next, boom, there's a terrifying ghoul in
01:01front of our screen.
01:02It's scary, funny, shocking, and perfect for viewing under a blanket.
01:1129.
01:14Cat Soup
01:15In just 34 minutes, this surrealist short film will have you reaching for the light
01:20switch.
01:21The story follows a humanoid cat, Nyada, who braves the underworld to rescue her sister.
01:31Sounds simple enough, right?
01:33Well, then you actually watch Cat Soup and suffer through its unbearably creepy visuals.
01:39You can't even blame it on the Land of the Dead.
01:44Nyada's dead-eyed stare alone is enough to haunt your nightmares.
01:50This beautiful and disturbing piece may be a short film, but you won't be forgetting
01:54it any time soon.
01:5628.
01:57Dorohedoro
01:59This anime opens with a giant human-looking lizard swallowing a guy, deciding he isn't
02:05and then promptly spitting him back out.
02:11And get this, it's played for laughs.
02:13In a nutshell, that's a good metaphor for Dorohedoro.
02:16It's full of so many realms, spells, and gory executions, a lizard-man doesn't even
02:22stand out.
02:23Don't get it twisted though, anyone turning on Dorohedoro expecting a quirky comedy won't
02:29make it past the first episode.
02:36There aren't many series that can bathe its characters in so much blood, and still
02:40find a way to make you grin about it.
02:4427.
02:46Zombieland Saga
02:48Ten years after her abrupt death via a speeding truck, Sakura Minamoto comes back to life
02:54as a zombie.
02:55Not to feast on the living, to join six other zombie girls in the premiere undead idol group,
03:01of course.
03:02You'll be amazed by how much comedy they can mine from putting zombies on stage.
03:08Be warned though, Zombieland Saga still has more than its fair share of gruesome body
03:13horror scenes, they're just interspersed with cutesy musical numbers.
03:21After all, nothing drowns out the screams of the dead better than a toe-tapping song,
03:28right?
03:3026.
03:32Boogie Pop Phantom
03:34A strange light, an ancient folklore, and a series of murders all sound like standard
03:39operating procedure for a spooky anime.
03:42But throwing aside the spine-tingling narrative, Boogie Pop Phantom works because of its atmosphere.
03:51The show lives and dies on its eerie direction, which uses subdued colours and grating sound
03:57effects to make you squirm in your seat.
03:59It's most prevalent with Boogie Pop himself.
04:04He's an urban legend personifying death, and every time he steps on screen, you know
04:11you're in for a good time.
04:12Regardless, Boogie Pop Phantom is an experimental thrill ride with a journey that's just as
04:17frightening as the destination.
04:2225.
04:27Death Note
04:28Light Yagami is your typical high-achieving teenager, albeit one with the power to kill
04:33anyone he wants by writing in a cursed journal.
04:36Naturally, it puts him on a few most-wanted lists, kick-starting a must-see psychological
04:42tug-of-war.
04:43Death Note wastes no time setting up gasp-worthy plot twists.
04:52No, Light's misguided crusade is nail-bitingly tense from episode one, and it only gets darker
04:58from there.
05:01It's saying something when the most disturbing part of a show isn't the Death Note, the
05:09Shinigami, or even the mass murders occurring across Japan.
05:13It's a teenage boy who thinks he's enforcing justice.
05:2024.
05:23ZOM-100 – Bucket List of the Dead
05:26It's the end of the world, so you may as well start living life to the fullest, right?
05:35That's Akira's mindset at least, and he takes off into the zombie apocalypse to start
05:40checking off his to-do list.
05:43In stark contrast to other undead programs, ZOM-100 is bright, bubbly, and proud of it.
05:54That's not to say there aren't a few gory scenes here and there, but the zombified background
05:59is used more to explore the characters than scare them silly.
06:03It's a refreshingly spirited take on the genre that ironically breathes new life into
06:08the undead.
06:1123.
06:13Knights of Cydonia
06:15This sci-fi screamfest follows Nagate Tanikaze, a guard pilot who's the last thing standing
06:21between humanity's survival and the alien Gaona.
06:30There isn't much to know about the intergalactic species besides they're hostile, they're
06:36the reason humankind retreated into a giant spaceship called Cydonia.
06:42Even with massive laser-clad mechas on our side, it's hard not to recoil any time one
06:47of these slimy Gaona rears their ugly heads.
06:54And since they're the series' main antagonist, that happens a lot.
06:58Knights of Cydonia is definitely worth the nightmares.
07:01Just don't say we didn't warn you.
07:0822.
07:11Gantz
07:12Think of the craziest, most action-packed horror flick ever.
07:16Add a few anime twists, and you have Gantz.
07:19It's a blood-soaked battle royale that spends 26 straight episodes blowing up aliens.
07:32It's all a part of a twisted game where the newly-deceased compete to regain their lives.
07:37They get points based on how many aliens they kill, meaning Gantz goes through a lot, and
07:42we do mean a lot of monster guts.
07:50It doesn't hold back, and that's part of the appeal.
07:53You won't want to stop watching until it's game, set, and match.
08:0121.
08:03Attack on Titan
08:04In a world where gigantic, man-eating behemoths called Titans lurk behind every corner, the
08:10remnants of humanity have four options – hide, pray, die, or a mixture of all three.
08:25Attack on Titan doesn't give its characters much in the way of hope, but it's that same
08:29unflinchingly grim outlook that makes it such a compulsive watch.
08:34You can't help but root for the Survey Corps as they continue to fight the good fight,
08:38even against utterly insurmountable odds.
08:41Just don't get attached to any characters, alright?
08:43You'll be setting yourself up for heartbreak, or worse.
08:5220.
08:54Hellgirl
08:55There are some people that deserve a one-way ticket across the River Styx way earlier than
09:00the rest, which is where Ai Enma comes in.
09:10Should any tormented individual feel pushed to their breaking point, they're given the
09:15opportunity via the Hell Correspondent's website to summon Ai and her companions in
09:20order to bring a fresh reckoning to their tormentors.
09:30With each self-contained story often resulting in a black-hearted individual being thrown
09:35into hellfire, you'd think it'd be happy endings all round for the victims.
09:40Nope.
09:41Invoke the Hellgirl, and the price you pay is condemning your own soul to hell upon your
09:45death.
09:46How cheerful.
09:4719.
09:48Terraformers
09:57Do you hate cockroaches?
09:59Well, prepare yourself, because these ones come equipped with a humanoid body, immense
10:05strength, creepy smile, and a desire to purge every human they come across.
10:17Best suited for fans who enjoy their horror series with a splash of crazy-ass action,
10:22there's still tension to be found here, as a group of soldiers arrive on Mars in order
10:27to take the Red Planet back from the roaches.
10:30Only this time, they aren't helpless.
10:37Genetically enhanced with the abilities of other insects, there is nothing more cathartic
10:41than seeing these guys rip the heads off giant bugs one after the other.
10:46Pest control at its finest.
10:5318.
10:57School Life
10:58Honestly, by this point, Moe girls and horrifying circumstances go hand-in-hand, though few
11:04have managed to balance it with this level of creativity and despair.
11:15Optimistic and lovable Yuki spends her days in bliss, reveling in her school life with
11:20her close group of friends.
11:30For the rest of them, life isn't so rosy, since the reality is that the world has been
11:35consumed by a zombie apocalypse, and every day is a desperate struggle to survive, all
11:41while trying to maintain the illusion of a regular school life, for the sake of Yuki's
11:45incredibly fragile mental state, remember to smile.
11:5517.
11:57Umineko – When They Cry
11:59While it may not have the same amount of oomph as its visual novel, there's still enough
12:04in this adaptation to make the end result wholly disturbing.
12:16The idea of a bunch of greedy, depraved and unlikable aristocrats, and their offspring
12:21meeting their demise courtesy of a malevolent spirit, might sound like a fun time.
12:26And it is!
12:30It's gross as hell, and some of the ways the Ushiromiya family bite the dust is well
12:37and truly morbid.
12:42But if you're in the mood to see a lot of bad people become slightly less terrible in
12:46a bid to survive a curse, this is the one for you.
12:5416.
12:56High School of the Dead
12:58Who's ready for a schlockfest of the best kind?
13:02We're talking zombies, mass panic, survivors turning on each other, innocents getting devoured,
13:11and so much fanservice that at times there's more flesh on the screen than in the mouths
13:16of the undead.
13:22If you're a fan of exploitive, style-over-substance horror that doesn't skip out on the blood,
13:27nor the cleavage, then you have a duty to watch this crazy train from start to finish.
13:3615.
13:39Vampire Hunter D – Bloodlust
13:46The man known as D has been slaying the things that go bump in the night for decades now.
13:51But by far his greatest and flashiest outing was this classic flick, which pitted him against
13:56a powerful vampire, one with so much charisma and supernatural underlings, you might as
14:02well call him Dracula.
14:10The fights are brutal and uncompromising.
14:12The mythos of the legendary bloodsuckers is given the darkness it deserves.
14:17And of course, D is an absolute badass that brings the thrills and kills in every scene.
14:2814.
14:32Deadman Wonderland While it can be argued that the later episodes
14:36of what was supposed to be a manic gore-fest shifted the whole thing towards more shounen
14:41action vibes, what can't be denied is that it's one of the most shocking and borderline
14:46unpleasant viewing experiences for anime goers.
14:50It's fertile ground for all lovers of horror who are down to see things kick off with a
14:58good old-fashioned bloodbath.
15:06This results in the death of all but one student, who is unceremoniously framed for the whole
15:12thing via kangaroo courts and sent to a facility filled with psycho kids with murder on the
15:18brain.
15:19Yeah, it's that kind of show.
15:2313.
15:24Corpse Party – Tortured Souls Surely, with a title like that, how can this
15:29series be anything but pleasant?
15:38Based on the hit Japanese survival horror game, we follow a group of students who end
15:42up transported to a school plagued by violent ghosts and spectres.
15:47Not only must they unravel the mystery of Heavenly Host Elementary in order to escape,
15:52but go up against the murderously psychotic Sachiko.
16:05Needless to say, not only do some of these poor souls end up meeting their demise, but
16:10some of their deaths are beyond excessive.
16:12Don't blame us if you can't look at scissors for a while.
16:2412.
16:26Elfenlied As is the case for most great anime that delve
16:30into horror, the common thread binding them all together is the simple truth that humanity
16:35are truly the worst monsters of them all.
16:38Case in point, Lucy.
16:45Despite her slaughtering her way through both deserving and undeserving humans with her
16:50invisible razor vectors, we still can't help but feel sympathy given her cruelest
16:55of childhoods – one built on prejudice, imprisonment, and loneliness – to the point
17:00where you'll be like, you know what, they had it coming.
17:03As she unleashes a fresh dose of carnage against the world that wronged her.
17:1111.
17:13Tokyo Ghoul Oh, Kaneki, you did not deserve to go through
17:17any of that.
17:18But hey, at least you became one of modern anime's darkest protagonists in the process.
17:28In a world where cannibalistic creatures known as ghouls exist alongside humans, Kaneki
17:33finds himself thrown against the worst of both species after being turned into a half-ghoul.
17:39Aside from wrestling with his own cravings for human flesh, he's pitted against fanatical
17:44humans bent on ghoul genocide, as well as the evil group known as Aogiri Tree and its
17:50torture-obsessed members.
17:57Tokyo Ghoul stands tall as one of the more interesting horror anime.
18:0410.
18:08Paranoia Agent Who knew a golden baseball bat and a pair
18:12of rollerblades could cause so much chaos?
18:23The city of Musashino is thrown on its head when an enigmatic assailant going under the
18:28title Lil Slugger starts to cause mass hysteria due to their unrelenting attacks, as well
18:34as the authorities' seeming inability to apprehend them.
18:46The only thing more terrifying than the bludgeonings is the suspicion that starts to rise among
18:51the residents.
18:52As their mistrust reaches a fever pitch, don't be shocked if the grittiness and trauma keeps
18:58you invested until either Lil Slugger or the town itself strikes out.
19:079.
19:13The Promised Neverland We'd be remiss if we didn't include this
19:17modern darling, which not only redefined and reinforced the notion that anime could
19:22indeed be terrifying, but it did so with a concept that was so simple it was almost beautiful.
19:34A trio of orphans content in their life on an estate discover that all they have ever
19:39known has been a lie, and that they and the rest of their friends are nothing more than
19:44cattle for the monsters on the outskirts of their home.
19:51Their only options?
19:53Escape or die.
19:54Helmed by a magnificent cast that you'll undoubtedly come to adore through every nail-biting
19:59twist, the first season of this is one even non-horror fans are required to watch.
20:078.
20:11Deep Blue Psychological horror doesn't come any
20:14better than this.
20:21Practically unparalleled in its portrayals of madness, its infectious nature and the
20:26dangers of media, Mima's struggle against a deranged stalker, as well as her own fractured
20:32mind is so beautifully realised that it often hits way too close to home.
20:46The disturbing imagery and implications elevate it to such a degree that it ends up capturing
20:51the true essence of horror more so than even the most grotesque of monsters.
20:57Just try to watch the climax and not have your heart leap out of your throat.
21:077.
21:08Monster
21:09Two words, Johann Liebert.
21:15After choosing to save the life of a patient over that of the town's mayor, the once highly
21:20regarded surgeon, Kenzo Tenma, has his world shattered as not only do his morals cost him
21:25his position, but unleash the suave, psychotic and unrelenting Johann upon the world.
21:38As the genius sociopath's antics get more and more horrific, Tenma – and by extension,
21:43we the audience – are forced to confront the worst that humanity has to offer, and
21:48what we're willing to do to stop someone who lacks even the smallest trace of empathy,
21:53to the point that even the ones who bred him for greatness couldn't contain his
21:57malevolent tendencies.
22:046.
22:08Another
22:09Did someone ask for anime's answer to Final Destination?
22:13Because if so, feast your eyes upon this buffet of deaths, decapitations and impossible expirations.
22:23While trying to unravel the mystery of his new school, Koichi not only finds himself
22:28questioning whether the suspicious yet sweet Mei can be trusted, but soon finds himself
22:33having to outrun the Reaper, as a curse soon starts dropping bodies at the drop of a hat.
22:42Windowsills, chandeliers, elevators and umbrella – everything in this series is a potential
22:50hazard.
22:51This is one where the kill count is king, so just sit back and try to guess how the
22:56next poor soul will meet their end.
23:025.
23:03Higurashi When They Cry
23:05The definitive time-twisting murder-fest that taught us to fear wide-eyed moe girls.
23:17Just as Koichi starts to settle into his new home, he comes face-to-face with its sordid
23:22history, one that slowly reveals itself to not only include time loops, but also that
23:27every girl in his social circle are out of their damn minds.
23:31If they aren't stabbing themselves with a knife, they're putting needles into his
23:35food or denailing their twin sister.
23:44There's some pretty messed up stuff in there, all topped off by the iconic sight of Rena
23:51dragging her cleaver through the street with the goal of taking out her friend.
23:56Adolescence, am I right?
24:014.
24:02Shiki
24:03Vampires are at it again, and this time, quietly bringing hopelessness to a small town as the
24:12inhabitants fall prey to the hunger of the Children of the Night, and in doing so, start
24:17a vicious cycle of death and retribution.
24:31Blending together nightmarish imagery while dancing around with the increasingly twisted
24:36psyche of its own cast, more often than not, you'll find the emotional weights shifting
24:42as the residents spiral into a mob mentality that sends the body count skyrocketing on
24:47both sides, until you're left wondering whether or not all parties involved would
24:52be better off burning with their blood-soaked town affairs.
25:003.
25:04Helsing Ultimate
25:06Dracula is a gun-wielding, sadistic murder machine in service to an order of English
25:12monster hunters, and takes on fanatical Catholics and Nazi vampires.
25:23That's this show in a nutshell.
25:25Despite what you might call a ludicrous premise, the bloodshed, taboo themes and sheer anarchy
25:31that comes from the character of Alucard is so immense that it's nearly impossible not
25:36to ride the highs of his killing sprees.
25:41Remember, he's still the good guy, who happens to leave an ocean of bodies everywhere he
25:49goes.
25:50Vampires have never looked so good.
25:552.
25:57Parasite
25:58What happens when you take body snatchers and give them the ability to mutate their
26:02human hosts into instruments of death?
26:05A whole lot of people getting sliced to ribbons.
26:15When parasitic creatures invade the Earth, they start taking over the bodies of any inhabitants
26:21they come across, able to turn their appendages into various weapons.
26:31Luckily for our boy Shinichi, his personal parasite wasn't able to fully infect him,
26:36becoming a separate entity in his right hand.
26:39Forced to work together in a bid to survive, the two are thrust into conflict with both
26:43races, treating us to some stellar fights, genuine scares, and the unnerving truth that
26:49literally anyone in Shinichi's life could potentially be an enemy.
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27:161.
27:17Devilman Crybaby
27:18There's exploring the darkness inside of humanity, and then there's Devilman.
27:27There's stylistic portrayals of violence, insanity, rage, lust, and anguish.
27:35And then there's Devilman.
27:45Combining the apocalyptic magnum opus penned by acclaimed madman Go Nagai with the psychedelic
27:51fluid visuals of veteran director Masaaki Yuasa, Akira's battle as a devil hybrid that
27:57seeks to defend his loved ones from hell's forces is a triumph.
28:01One that will shock, disgust, and yes, horrify you to your core, as it presents a grim reflection
28:08of humankind, and just how little it takes to bring them to the edge of reason and decency.
28:22What anime would you recommend to your horror-loving friends?
28:25Let us know in the comments below.