Top 10 Anime for Horror Fans

Who knew a golden baseball bat and a pair of rollerblades could cause so much chaos? Throughout the city of Musashino, an enigmatic assailant going by the title of Lil’ Slugger has managed to cause mass hysteria due to their unrelenting attacks. The only thing more terrifying that their bludgeoning are the suspicion that starts to arise among the residents of the town. As the mistrust reaches a fever pitch, the heightened trauma will keep you wholeheartedly invested until either Lil’ Slugger or the town itself strikes out.

Ah, vampires. Sometimes they’re awesome, and other times they just suck. How does this particular incarnation stand out? Well our lead vamp is a gun wielding, sadistic, killing machine in service to an ancient order of English monster hunters who takes on fanatical Catholics and Nazi vampires…so, we’d say pretty damn well. The bloodshed, taboo themes and sheer carnage that comes from the character of Alucard is so immense that’s nearly impossible to not to ride the highs of his killing sprees.

Based on the hit Japanese survival horror game, we follow a group of students who end up transported to a school plagued by violent spirits. Not only must they unravel the mystery of Heavenly Host Elementary in order to escape, but go up against the murderously psychotic Sachiko. Needless to say some of these poor souls end up biting the dust, and some of their deaths are particularly brutal. As if high school wasn’t tough enough already.

Vampires are at it again, this time striking fear to a small town as the inhabitants slowly fall prey to their hunger, and in doing so start a vicious cycle of death. Blending together nightmarish imagery while dancing around with the increasingly fractured psyche of its characters, this series balances the emotional conflict of both the shiki and the humans alike. As the blood keeps on flowing, you’ll soon find yourself questioning just who the real monsters are.

Pushing just ahead of its sister series Umineko is this time-twisting murder-fest. Just as Keiichi gets used to his new home, he soon discovers its gruesome history - all of which relate to the village’s annual festival. Throw in the fact his new group of friends are holding onto some dark secrets of their own, and –you guessed it- the blood starts following. The hook of this series, however, revolves around its resetting timelines, where not only do we get better insight into each character and the history surrounding the murders…but it also gives an excuse for even more death and torture. Yay!

Do you hate cockroaches? Well prepare yourself because these ones come equipped with a humanoid body, immense strength, creepy smile and desire to purge every human they come across.
Best suited for fans who enjoy their horror series with a splash of mind-blowing action, this series follows a group of humans who arrive on Mars in order to take the red planet back from the roaches. Genetically enhanced with the abilities of other insects, there is nothing more cathartic than seeing these giant bugs get the crap kicked out of them…or vice versa.

Two words: Johan Liebert. For all the unnatural beings that anime can throw at us, the most unsettling will always be humans. After choosing to save the life of a patient over that of the town’s mayor, the once highly regarded surgeon Kenzou Tenma has his world shattered as he comes to realize he unleashed the suave, psychotic killer Johan upon the world. As Johan’s antics get more and more horrific, Tenma, and by extension we the audience, are forced to confront the worst that humanity has to offer.

In a world where cannibalistic creatures known as Ghouls exist alongside humans, Ken Kaneki finds himself thrown against the worst of both species after a surgical implant turns him into a half-Ghoul. Aside from wrestling with his own cravings for human flesh and his own dwindling sanity, he soon comes across the fanatical Ghoul terrorists, Aogiri Tree, and the human police force of the CCG. Complete with torture, awesome fights, and even some poetry, Tokyo Ghoul stands tall as one of the more interesting horror anime.

Plagued by the death of a student twenty six years ago, there are definitely some skeletons hidden in the closet of Yomiyama North Middle School, skeletons that young transfer student Kouichi is determined to find. As he tries to unravel the mystery and grows closer to the equally suspicious Mei, things quickly descend into chaos. Students drop like flies, often with rather bloody results. Whether you’re intrigued by the thriller aspects of the narrative, love a good murder mystery or find some creative kills to be actually kind funny, this one might be for you.

Before we reveal our number one pick, here are a few honourable mentions.

“Hell Girl” (2005-06)

“Berserk” (2016)

“Highschool of the Dead” (2010)

What happens when you take body-snatchers and give them the ability to mutate their human hosts into razor-sharp instruments of death? A whole lot of people get killed. When parasitic creatures invade the earth, they start taking over the bodies of any inhabitants they come across, able to turn their appendages into various weapons. Luckily for our hero Shinichi, his personal parasite wasn’t able to take full control, and instead becomes a separate entity in his hand. Forced to work together in a bid to survive, the two end up clashing with adversaries, treating us to some stellar fights, genuine scares and the unnerving truth that literally anyone in Shinichi’s life could potentially be a parasite.


Do you agree with our list? What did you think is the best anime for horror fans? With new top tens published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.