Top 13 Horror Anime That Will Give You Nightmares - Or Chills At The Very Least
Horror as a genre has always been a hit or miss. It is also quite rare to find a truly horrifying story in Anime that is able to linger on with you and make you quiver in fear as you lie awake in your room. But fear not - or fear because that’s kind of the point here- for we have gathered 13 stories of this genre that stand a good chance of robbing you of sleep. In this list, you’ll find tales of the psychologically disturbing, the grotesque and creepy, and the suspenseful and eerie: you’ll find horror in all the facets it has to offer.
+Of Interest: Top 28 Most Terrifying Horror Manga Ever Created
+In no particular order:
1. Ghost Hound
神霊狩 - Shinreigari
Ghost Hound or Shinreigari is a very unique horror anime that does not rely on jump scares or shock value. Instead, it focuses on a complex premise, using four characters' points of view for its storytelling. This anime is a bit of a slow burner, which is expected if you're familiar with shows such as Serial Experiments Lain and Texhnolyze since it has the same producer and scriptwriters. The story follows a mysterious event that has engulfed the old town of Suiten: there, three boys possess the mysterious ability to separate their spirit from their bodies.
Studio + Other Works by Studio: Production I.G
Trailer: Link.
Genre: Sci-Fi + Mystery + Psychological + Supernatural
Average episode length: 23m
Number of episodes: 22
Number of seasons: 1
2. Corpse Party: Tortured Souls
暴虐された魂の呪叫-Bougyakusareta Tamashii no Jukyou
Corpse Party Tortured Souls is one of the most dreadful anime you could watch. Based on a video game series and a manga by the same name, this one portrays some of the most violent and gruesomest scenes. Corpse Party follows the aftermath of a farewell ritual conducted by nine high schoolers; this has the unfortunate consequence of sending them to an alternate dimension where horrifying murders start to take place.
Studio + Other Works by Studio: Asread
Trailer: Click here.
Genre: Mystery + Horror + Supernatural
Average episode length: 29m
Number of episodes: 4
Number of seasons: 1
List containing this anime: Top 16 Most Violent, Bloody and Gory Anime
3. Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories
闇芝居 - Theater of Darkness
As the name suggests, Ghost Stories is an episodic repertoire of old sinister Japanese Folklore and dark superstition. Each episode is four minutes long and follows a new story depicted in a theatrically dreadful art style.
Studio + Other Works by Studio: ILCA
Trailer: Link.
Genre: Dementia + Horror + Supernatural
Average episode length: 4m
Number of episodes: 104
Number of seasons: 8
4. SHIKI
屍鬼 - Corpse Demon
You will either love or hate Shiki. There are no in-betweens. This horror anime brings out true human dead and horror through its creepy and tragic scenes and plot. It tells the story of a remote village where a sudden epidemic begins to run rampant.
Studio + Other Works by Studio: Daume studio (Shut down)
Trailer: Link.
Genre: Mystery + Horror + Psychological + Supernatural + Thriller + Vampire
Average episode length: 23m
Number of episodes: 22 + 2 Special extra episodes
Number of seasons: 1
List containing this anime: Top Dark Psychological Thriller Anime That Will Have Your Skin Crawling -[II]-
5.BOOGIEPOP PHANTOM
ブギーポップは笑わない - BUGĪPOPPU WA WARAWANAI
Boogiepop Phantom follows a non-linear style of storytelling, where episodes are divided into self-contained arcs. This anime is a complex psychological horror revolving around a mysteriously enigmatic entity known as Boogiepop, who is rumored among the students of Shinyo Academy to murderer people when they are in their prime.
Studio + Other Works by Studio: Madhouse
Trailer: Link.
Genre: Psychological + Supernatural + Dementia + Mystery + Drama + Horror
Average episode length: 23m
Number of episodes: 12 (2000 series not 2019)
Number of seasons: 1
List containing this anime: Top Dark Psychological Thriller Anime That Will Have Your Skin Crawling -[II]-
6. School-Live!
がっこうぐらし!- Gakkou Gurashi!
School-Live first comes off as a cute anime, but it is anything but. Instead, it is a psychological survival show that might scar you for life if you are not careful. We'll leave you with this little bit of plot so as not to spoil your viewing experience: Yuki Takeya loves her school so much that she does not ever want to leave it.
Studio + Other Works by Studio: Lerche
Trailer: Link.
Genre: Horror + Mystery + Psychological + School + Slice of Life
Average episode length: 24m
Number of episodes: 12
Number of seasons: 1
7. THE PROMISED NEVERLAND
約束のネバーランド - YAKUSOKU NO NEBĀRANDO
The Promised Neverland is vastly a character-driven story also devoid of any outstanding gore or jump scare. Instead, it offers plenty of disturbing images and manages to create the creepiest atmosphere an anime can craft - at least in its first season because the second season is only scary because it’s so bad. The story centers around a group of orphans who discover the spine-chilling truth behind their ephemeral happy lives at the Grace Field orphanage.
Studio + Other Works by Studio: CloverWorks
Trailer: Link
Genre: Sci-Fi + Mystery + Horror + Psychological + Thriller + Shounen
Average episode length: 23m
Number of episodes: 23
Number of seasons: 2
List containing this anime: Top Dark Psychological Thriller Anime That Will Have Your Skin Crawling -[I]-
8. Happy Sugar life
ハッピーシュガーライフ
Happy Sugar life also comes across as another traditional kawaii anime but has a very different reality. Here we meet Satou Matsuzaka, a high schooler with a kind and easy-going demeanor who lives alone with a Mio, a younger girl she loves. Satou is willing to cross every line there is so that nobody disturbs her 'happy sugar life' with Mio. Yes, the plot sounds very dumb, but hey, it works.
Studio: Ezo'la
Trailer: Link.
Genre: Horror + Psychological + Drama + Shounen + Shoujo Ai
Average episode length: 24m
Number of episodes: 12
Number of seasons: 1
9. Shinsekai Yori
新世界より - From The New World
Shinsekai Yori is set in a paradise-like world where the young 12-year-old Saki Watanabe finally awakens to her psychic power. While happy to rejoin her friends to learn more about her abilities, Saki is still curious about the children who were unable to awaken to these powers and starts investigating the rumors about cats abducting them. As she looks into their disappearance, she starts to uncover the truth about her society and the fate of her nonspecific friends. Here, the horror of the manga is more subdued; instead, it envelops itself in a menacing atmosphere full of moral dread and elevated creepiness.
Studio + Other Works by Studio: A-1 Pictures
Trailer: Link.
Genre: Drama + Horror + Mystery + Psychological + Sci-Fi + Supernatural
Average episode length: 22 Minutes
Number of episodes: 25
Number of seasons: 1
10.PARANOIA AGENT
妄想代理人 - MŌSŌ DAIRININ
Paranoia Agent is set in modern-day Tokyo, where rumors of a middle school Kid going around attacking people are becoming more and more rampant. Victims pile at the Police station, but none of them can even recall the face of the culprit. Full of chilling supernatural themes, this petrifying psychological horror is considered another masterpiece of Satoshi Kon.
Studio + Other Works by Studio: Madhouse
Trailer: Link.
Genre: Mystery + Dementia + Police + Psychological + Supernatural + Drama + Thriller
Average episode length: 24m
Number of episodes: 13
Number of seasons: 1
List containing this anime: Top Dark Psychological Thriller Anime That Will Have Your Skin Crawling -[I]-
11. Mononoke
モノノ怪
Mononoke takes a different approach to the horror genre and chooses to cast itself in an eerie atmosphere full of pastel-colored undertones. The psychological effect that Mononoke has on its viewers is hard to describe. The anime makes use of simple horror elements like muffled voices, heart-wrenching screams, and jump scares but manages to rebirth these concepts through artistic renderings where dread and horror merge with beauty and wonder. The story follows a Medicine Seller named, Kusuriuri, who travels to exorcise monsters known as Mononoke.
Studio + Other Works by Studio: Toei Animation
Trailer: Link.
Genre: Mystery + Dementia + Police + Psychological + Supernatural + Drama + Thriller
Average episode length: 22m
Number of episodes: 12
Number of seasons: 1
12. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
ひぐらしのなく頃に - When the Cicadas Cry
Higurashi is by far the most horrific and uncomfortable anime you could ever watch: If you want to feel pure dread while watching an anime, this is it. This anime follows Keiichi Maebara, who moves to the quiet village of Hinamizawa. After quickly becoming friends with Mion, Rena, Satoko, and Rika, Keiichi enjoys his idle days in the remote town. But as fate might have it, the annual festival of Hinamizawa approaches, and Keiichi discovers a mysterious series of deaths that seem to happen every year in the village around the same time.
Studio + Other Works by Studio: Studio Deen
Trailer: Link.
Genre: Mystery + Dementia + Horror + Psychological + Supernatural + Thriller
Average episode length: 24m
Number of episodes: 103+ specials
Number of seasons: 7
13. Another
アナザー
Another is an anime packed full of terror, blood, and extremely gory depictions of death. If, for you, horror is synonymous with gore, then look no further. The plot follows Kouichi, Mei, and their classmates as they get inevitably pulled into a series of murders that seem to surround their class.
Studio + Other Works by Studio: P.A. Works
Trailer: Link.
Genre: Mystery + Horror + Supernatural + Thriller + School
Average episode length: 24m
Number of episodes: 12
Number of seasons: 1
List containing this anime: Top 16 Most Violent, Bloody and Gory Anime