Best Horror Anime of All Time

In a post-apocalyptic world set a thousand years after our era, the remaining humans now have psychic abilities. They live in a seemingly peaceful society, but some dark secrets from the past will soon be discovered.

12-year-old Saki Watanabe has just awakened to her psychic powers. She is relieved to finally join her friends at Sage Academy, a special school for psychics. Her friends are the mischievous Satoru Asahina, the shy Mamoru Itou, the cheerful Maria Akizuki, and the mysterious boy Shun Aonuma whom Saki fancies.

However, Saki starts to become uneasy when she begins to question the fate of those unable to awaken to their powers. To make it worse they also begin to get involved with secretive matters.

From the New World is an excellent Psychological Thriller Anime with an eerie Horror atmosphere.

From the New World is absolutely a must-watch Anime if you like shows in this genre. It is captivating.

From the New World is just tipping it those inside the Horror genre. It is more on the dystopian side with a dread full atmosphere hanging over it. It makes you feel will feel loneliness, helplessness, despair, dread, and depression.

From the New World is not the right choice if you want a pure Horror Anime, but it has some Horror elements and it is an excellent anime. One fo the better ones.

High school student Kei Kurono and his childhood friend Kato Masaru is killed while helping a homeless man off the train tracks. They find themself stuck in an apartment with some other people that just died. 

In this apartment, there is also a black sphere called Gantz. Kei and Kato, together with the others, have to obey Gantz's rules if they want to live.

They have to go on brutal missions where they have to eliminate dangerous green aliens and robots monsters for the chance to survive. Who or what are these aliens? Are Kei, Kato and the others alive or dead?

Gantz is an OK anime of the Gory Horror kind. It's not the best and some people have issues with the bad 3D animation it uses. It is also full of gore, brutal violence, and other dark themes. 

If this sounds interesting then check it out, otherwise stay away.

Gantz is not on the scary side of Horror but on the Gory and Disturbing side. Gore, rape, and violence are rampant, as are portrayals of greed and violence. But lots of it seams added just for the shock value instead of furthering the story.

Gantz is far from the best Horror anime on this list, but if you like this kind of thing then it might be worth checking out.

Ganta is the only survivor after a classroom full of high school students was slaughtered by a mysterious man in red.

Ganta is framed for the carnage and sentenced to die.

He is locked away in Deadman Wonderland, the most twisted prison ever built. Convicts are forced into brutal deathmatches for the amusement of the masses.

Ganta discovers that he has a strange ability to wield his blood as a weapon. He learns that his new skill might be related to the mysterious man in red and uncovers secrets that could expose those who stole his freedom.

Deadman Wonderland is a good anime, not among the best, but still high up there.

If you like animes, then it is still worth a try. If you are new to animes, then you should probably start with another show.

Deadman Wonderland is not that heavy on the Horror side. It is more action with violence and Gore. But because of the last part, it falls slightly into the Gore Horror and Slasher Horror genres.

Deadman Wonderland is not the best recommendation if you are after a pure Horror Anime, but it is a good violent action Anime with lots of gory parts.

One day, Yukiteru discovers that his cell phone "diary" can now tell him events in the future.

The problem is, eleven others also have similar diaries, and they are all forced into a battle royale game.

Only one can win this Survival Game. The winner becomes a god. The losers: DEAD END.

Mirai Nikki (future diary) is an OK anime. Slightly better than average, but nothing special.

If you like Battle Royale stories and regularly watch animes then it's worth watching.

The Future Diary is more on the Psychological Torment side than pure Horror, but it has the Keiller Horror killing game going for it.

If you are after a pure Horror anime then The Future Diary is not for you. We added it to the list because it is a good anime and the Psychological elements have some weak Horror elements to them.

Seemingly unconnected citizens of Musashino in Tokyo are targeted for bludgeoning by a boy on rollerblades and with a golden baseball bat nicknamed the Lil' Slugger (Shounen Bat). 

As the infamous Lil' Slugger continues his relentless assault paranoia starts to set in over the people of Musashino as chilling rumors spread amongst adults and children alike.

The detectives Keiichi Ikari and Mitsuhiro Maniwa are on the case to solve this mystery. As detectives try to link the victims, they discover that following the assaults, the victims' lives have improved in some way.

Paranoia Agent is an excellent psychological Anime with some horrific and surreal elements.

It starts out as an ordinary show but it gradually drags you into a surreal and horrific world. 

Paranoia Agent is a beautiful psychological thriller that is absolutely worth watching.

Paranoia Agent is not directly classified as a Horror Anime, but it will give you a sense of horror as it psychologically twists your mind.

Paranoia Agent is not the best suggestion if you want pure Horror, but if you want a sense of Horror as your mind is being twisted then it is a good choice. It is also a very good Anime.

Parasitic aliens descend upon Earth. They quickly infiltrated humanity by burrowing into the brains of sleeping people.

The take control over the humans they burrow into. They can also shapeshift into horrendous shapes to fight and eat humans.

Shinichi Izumi is a sizteen-year-old highschool student, and he fell victim to one of these parasites. But it failed and it had to settle for taking his arm instead.

The parasite called Migi and its host Izumi has to learn to live together. They have to learn to go about daily life and to fight other parasites.

Parasyte -the maxim- is an excellent anime, one of the better ones. And if you like horror, especially of the body horror kind, then it is a must-watch.

Parasyte -the maxim- is in the Science Fiction Horror and Body Horror subgenres. It is very heavy on the Body Horror side. It is not a scary Horror, and it is more on the Action side.

On paper, Parasyte might look like a bad Anime, but it is actually one of the best Anime on this list. It is almost a masterpiece.

Two groups have been at war for ages.

The immortal bloodsucking monsters called Chiropterans and the organization known as the Red Shield.

Red Shield was formed to track down the Chiropterans and kill them.

Saya Otonashiis a high-school girl who lives a peaceful life with her family. She sadly suffers from amnesia and can't remember the last year of her life. But other than that, everything is good.

But one day Saya's happy life is destroyed.

A man gives her a katana and she finds herself fighting Chiropterans. And she is good at it. Like she has done this before.

Blood+ is a good anime that any anime fan should watch.

People new to animes can also try this one out.

The battles have a reason. They are not added on and drawn out like most other shounen anime.

The characters are in focus and it shows how they change and adapt to events happening around them and to them.

Blood+ is not that heavy on the Horror side. It is more action with Monsters and Gore. But because of the last part, it falls slightly into the Monster and Gore Horror genres.

Blood+ is not the best recommendation if you are after a pure Horror Anime, but it is a good dark fantasy action Anime with gory parts.

Ken Kaneki is a shy and bookish college student. When he meets the beautiful and mysterious Rize Kamishiro he is instantly drawn toward her. She is a book reader just like him.

But Rize is not exactly who she seems, she is a Ghoul. And Kaneki is her pray.

Ghouls are creatures that can masquerade as humans and blend in with human society. But unlike humans, they thirst for human flesh.

Tokyo is infested with Ghouls living side by side with humans. They live in hiding and hunt in secret.

Kaneki survives being attacked by Rize, but not without severe repercussions. Some of his organs were destroyed, and the surgeon uses some of Rize's organs to save Kaneki since she died during her attack. Having Ghoul organs in him changes Kaneki.

Kaneki is now half-ghoul and half-human.

Now Kaneki has to deal with his thirst for human flesh and hiding his true nature. Thus begins Kaneki's quest to integrate into both Ghoul and Human society.

Tokyo Ghoul is a dark and gory anime. It has an interesting story and good animations.

I really like this anime.

It's not among the best, but it's still absolutely worth watching. But if you have read the manga then you might be disappointed, or so I have heard.

Tokyo Ghoul is an action anime with monster and body horror elements. As the title implies it also has cannibalism themes.

It is not that scary or into the psychological mind-twisting and scary part. It is more of an action gorefest with a good story.

Tokyo Ghoul is a good Anime. 

Kohta and Yuka are cousins and both are college students. Lucy is found by them naked and half-drowned on the beach.

Kohta and Yuka decide to take Lucy home and care for her until she gets back on her feet.

What they do not know is that Lucy is a Diclonius. Diclonius are mutated humans with horns and telekinetic abilities. Being different like this usually lands them in human experimental facilities.

Lucy have just escaped such an experimental facility. She has been kept there in captivity since she was born. She has been the victim of inhumane scientific experiments by the government.

During her escape, Lucy murdered everyone she crossed. Being tortured and kept in captivity since a child has made her a murderous menace.

But at the end of her escape, Lucy was injured. The injury left her with a split personality.

It was this other harmless childlike personality that Kohta and Yuka met when they took her int their home.

This act of kindness will change their lives. They soon find themselves dragged into the shadowy world of government secrecy and conspiracy.

Elfen Lied was one of the first animes I watched, and for a long time, it was my favorite anime too.

It is bloody, gory, emotional, and it has a good story.

This is a must-watch anime, especially for anime fans. But others might like it too.

Elfen Lied is a good Horror anime full of gore and cruelty. It was cool and edgy when it came out, but now other shows have done it better.

If you want to check out one fo the classical edgy horror shows then give Elfen Lied ago. It was excellent when it came out.

Dr. Kenzo Tenma is a brilliant neurosurgeon living in Germany. He is respected by his superiors for his excellent skills, envied by his peers, and engaged to the daughter of the hospital director. Dr. Kenzo Tenma is well on his way to ascending the hospital hierarchy.

But one day everything changes for him. A little boy is brought in with a serious head injury, along with his twin sister, after a brutal family massacre. His superior orders him to abort the boy's surgery and operate on the mayor instead, who was brought in much later.

Having dealt with a similar situation before, and been troubled with a crisis of conscience because of his choice, this time he decides to not follow orders.

The boy survives, but the mayor dies, leaving Dr. Kenzo Tenma's career in ruins, his engagement to his fiance broken.

But one night, while he is out cold in a drunken stupor the twins vanish from the hospital and the director and two other doctors die mysteriously.

Dr. Kenzo Tenma's position is restored. With no evidence to convict him, he is released and goes on to attain the position of the hospital director.

Until one day...

Monster is one of the better anime out there, probably the best suspense thriller anime.

It has a clever story with interesting mysteries, great characters, and tense psychological drama.

Monster is an amazing anime that people that don't watch anime probably also will like.

Monster is not a pure Horror anime, it is more of a psychological mystery thriller. But it does have horror elements to it.

If you want a pure Horror Anime then stay away from Monster, but you are missing out on one of the best Anime ever if you do. 

Guts is a brave young warrior who fights as a mercenary on the front lines.

He befriends the charismatic and deadly Griffith.

Griffith is the leader of the Band of the Hawk, a group of rogue soldiers.

The armies of Midland will quake with fear as Griffith and Guts set off on a path that will bring the world to its knees.

I love Berserk.

It a masterpiece.

People who have never watched animes might also like it.

Berserk is not a pure horror anime, it is more of a dark fantasy anime. But it does have lots of horror elements in it.

The Berserk Anime is just OK, but if you like to read then check out the Manga. It is a masterpiece.

When They Cry (Higurashi no Naku Koro ni) is a story of many chapters. Each chapter seems episodic, but they have an over-arching plot. The stories take part in the quiet little village of Hinamizawa in the summer of 1983.

Keiichi Maebara has just moved to Hinamizawa and he quickly becomes friends with his schoolmates Rena Ryuuguu, Mion Sonozaki, Satoko Houjou, and Rika Furude.

However, darkness lurks underneath the seemingly idyllic life they lead. Every year on the night of Watanagashi, people mysteriously disappear and are murdered. It is rumored to be a curse connected to the villages patron god, Lord Oyashiro.

Keiichi tries to ask his new friends about this curse, but they are not answering him. As more and more bizarre events occur, Keiichi wonders just what else his friends are hiding from him. He also starts to question if he can even trust them.

When They Cry is a stunning anime, and one of the best Mystery Horror Animes. If you like shows in those genres then it is a must-watch show.

The story structure is a little strange and requires attention to follow, but it is worth it.

Higurashi: When They Cry has some really good horror elements in it. It is heavy inside the Psychological Horror subgenre but it also has lots of Gore.

When They Cry is one of the better Horror anime on this list.

A disease has broken out worldwide with a catastrophic death rate.

The Living Dead, Zombies, are increasingly attacking humans.

In Japan, several high school students, and a school nurse try to escape Fujimi High School shortly after it was attacked by zombies.

Who or what was responsible for this plague, and can they survive this apocalypse.

Highschool of the Dead is a cool and short anime full of action.

It is far from the best anime out there, but if you like zombie horror stuff then you should give it a try.

The quality of the animation is excellent.

High School of the Dead is a zombie survival horror gorefest deluxe.

It is a Horror Anime, but it is far from the best on this list. You should check out some of the other recommendations before you give this a try.

Alucard and Seras Victoria work for the Hellsing Organization, a vampire extermination group in England.

Alucard is the organization's deadliest weapon, and Victoria is constantly working her way up to his level.

What makes these two vampire hunters so effective is that they themselves are vampires.

Hellsing is a supernatural vampire horror anime with lots of action. The horror elements do not feel like horror, and it is more of a violent action anime. The anime is also just decent, but some love it.

At Grace Field House, life couldn't be better for the orphans living there. The house is surrounded by a forest and has a gated entrance. The orphans are happily living together like a big family and are looked after by their "Mama", Isabella. No child is ever overlooked, especially since they are all adopted by the age of 12.

The orphans are required to take a bunch of tests daily, but after that, they are free to spend their time as they see fit. They usually play outside, and as long as they do not venture too far from the orphanage they are allowed to do so. 

But one day the three oldest orphans are suspicious of what happens when children are adopted. They venture past the gate to investigate and discover the secret behind their entire existence. They must work together to change their predetermined fate.

The Promised Neverland is a brilliant Psychological Horror Thriller. The characters are clever and give it a battle fo the minds feeling.

If you like Psychological Horror anime then check it out. The Promised Neverland is one of the better anime shows in the genre.

The Promised Neverland is an excellent Psychological Mystery Horror Anime. It is one of the better Anime on this list, and the Horror parts work perfectly with the other genres it mixes in.

Sotoba is a small village with around 1300 residents. It is so small the village isn't even connected to a single highway. Sotoba is an isolated village in which old customs, such as the burial of the dead, are still practiced.

Fifteen-year-old Megumi Shimizu dreamed of a glamorous life in the big city. However, her unexpected death marks the beginning of what appears to be a ferocious epidemic.

Ozaki Toshio, the village's lone doctor, begins to doubt the nature of the disease. He realizes that to discover the truth he must abandon his humanity.

Ozaki and Natsuno Yuuki, an antisocial young man, must work together to save Sotoba. Their goal is to stop Sotoba from becoming a ghost town of Vampires.

The Shiki, as the vampires call themselves, are abandoned by good and have only their will to live as they clash with the fear of the paranoid and unbelieving humans.

Shiki is adapted from the horror novel written by Fuyumi Ono. It's a tragic story about survival in a world where one cannot easily distinguish between good and evil. Shiki explores the boundary that separates man from monsters.

Shiki is an average anime. It is not average in what it is about, but in how good it is. It is only worth watching if you are a fan of Gory Horror Anime. But if you like this genre then it is absolutely worth watching.

Shiki is a supernatural mystery monster horror anime. It is not among the best Anime shows, but it might be worth a look if you like those kinds of shows.

Misaki was a student in Yomiyama North Middle School's class 3-3 back in 1972. But during this school year, she mysteriously passed away. Since then, there has been a fearful atmosphere in the town. A fearful atmosphere stemming from the dark secrets hidden deep within the town of Yomiyama.

Twenty-six years later in 1998, the 15-year-old Kouichi Sakakibara transfers into class 3-3 of Yomiyama North. He soon discovers the fearful atmosphere that hangs around all the students.

Kouichi also finds himself drawn toward the mysterious Mei Misaki. She is an eyepatch-wearing girl that all the other students and teachers treat like she does not exist. Kouichi disregard all warnings and get closer to Mei and the truth behind the gruesome phenomenon plaguing class he has joined.

Another is a good psychological gory horror anime. If you like this kind of stories then this Anime is worth watching.

Another is a supernatural mystery horror with comedic elements. It is not as much on the pure scary horror side, but it is violent and somewhat gory.

A week after Chisa committed suicide, her classmates begin to receive emails from her. Lain Iwakura, an awkward and introvert, is among those that received messages from the dead Chisa.

Lain has zero experience with technology, but when she turns on her dusty Navi computer and opens a mail from Chisa that leads her straight into the Wired. The Wierd is a virtual world of communication networks similar to what we know as the internet. 

Chisa tells Lain that she killed herself so she could live in the Wierd. She had no need for her body anymore. She wanted to live in the Wierd because God is there. 

Lein's life gets strange when she starts to encounter cryptic mysteries one after another and strange men starts to follow her around. Lain starts to blur the lines between reality and the Wired and gets plunged into more and more surreal and bizarre events where identity, consciousness, and perception are concepts that take on new meanings.

Serial Experiments Lain is a mind-twisting Psychological and Philosophical Horror Anime.

It is a classic and one fo the best on the list.