Top 20 Creepiest Anime Characters Ever

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we are counting down our picks for the Top 20 Creepiest Anime Characters.

For this list, we’re looking over the freakiest characters to ever show up in anime. Whether due to their appearance or their antics, watching these guys work their magic made our skin crawl! Think we missed out on any horrifying contenders? Let us know in the comments, and be on the look out for spoilers.

“Blue Submarine No. 6” (1998-2000)

Half man, half shark, full of rage, with a colossal undersea hate-on for humans. Sounds like a charming fellow. Leading the charge in the war against humanity, Verg lives to please his father, who not only drowned most of the world, but also gave rise to the creation of all gene-spliced hybrids. Verg more than lives up to his aquatic ancestry, being all too eager to lead his people to the top of the food chain, while also being in dire need of excessive dental work.

“Deadman Wonderland” (2011)

While her sadistic nature is much more prevalent in the manga, the times that Shiro’s alter ego does reveal herself is more than enough to disturb. Driven to madness due to a childhood of abuse, The Wretched Egg loves nothing more than the thrill of killing, demonstrated through both her antics behind the scenes, as well as the massacre of Ganta’s entire class. She can walk through the entrails of children and find it hilarious, that tells you everything you need to know.

“Beastars” (2019-21)

In a world where carnivores are forced to suppress their hunger whilst also being marginalized by the herbivores they live alongside; it was only a matter of time before this society gave rise to a monster like Riz. Originally perceived as a kind-hearted bear, a moment of weakness led him to eating his herbivore friend – and from that point on fully embraces his inner grizzly. Let’s just say his newfound cravings and belief that friendship is best expressed through eating each other majorly pushed up his creeper points.

“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” (2019-)

Some demons are reborn as insidiously beautiful creatures, while others…are not. In both of his lives, Gyutaro was plagued by both disease and deformity, the opposite to his picturesque sister, with both having a fondness for slicing up the residents of the Entertainment District. Fully embracing his new role as a member of the Upper Moons, Gyutaro’s only real joy came from basic slaughter, that, and rubbing in the cruelties of life to his victims. He may have been given the hardest of hands, but there’s no denying Gyutaro is ugly inside and out.

“Berserk” (2016-17)

He may not be a member of the God Hand, but this zealot is about on the same level when it comes to his depravity. A religious nutjob who believes that all sinners need to make amends via pain and death, Mozgus is all about that fire and brimstone life. Even before making the transformation into an Apostle, the unique shape of his face, hellish expressions, and lust to punish in the name of God makes him one of the most terrifying obstacles Guts has ever had to put down.

“Sword Art Online” (2012-20)

There’s always that one weirdo online who gets a little too into character and wants to live out their depraved fantasy. Unfortunately, in the virtual reality gaming scene of SAO, Sugou got to make his a reality. As Oberon the Fairy King, he abused the power of an administrator, turning Asuna into his plaything, and often dangled the line between uncomfortable and illegal way too often for our liking. This is the dude who makes all gamers look bad, and shouldn’t be allowed near an MMO, or any person of the opposite sex, ever again!

“Ranking of Kings” (2021-)

While very much a tragic case of a good man being brought into the darkness by force, it doesn’t take away from the fact that Ouken is a sinister force of nature, one whose violent antics and bouts of mania betray the anime’s bright aesthetics. Losing all reason thanks to his curse of immortality, Ouken thrives on causing pain and suffering, and while we can’t read his expression through his helmet, his mannerisms more than make up for it. That hollow laugh combined with a lust for blood will make your soul shiver.

“Baki” (2028-)

A death row criminal so strong that he longs for defeat is already an unnerving enough concept, but Spec had to take things a bit further by looking like a muscular potato with a creepy-ass smile! Weird enough that he’s actually a fossil of a man who willed himself to have so many muscles, even more so with how much he loves to beat down opponents with any means necessary. Don’t expect a fair fight from him, and most important of all, never find yourself sharing a public bathroom with him.

“Monster” (2004-05)

No cosmic abilities, no super strength, just keen intellect and a complete lack of morality – the scariest thing about Johan is that on every level, he’s frighteningly human. With a silver tongue that can push anyone to taking their own life, Johan’s reign of terror is as expansive as he is charming, only willing to let himself be killed by the one man who saved his life. How do you best someone who can easily convince you to kill everything you’ve ever loved with just a few words?

“Overlord” (2015-18)

We’d be very happy if we could go about our lives and never have to see this thing again. A monster in service to Ainz Ooal Gown that seems to specialise in torture, Neuronist’s outward look and overt desire to get taken to the bone yard by her undead ruler is already enough to make us vomit…but then we get a glimpse as to how she entertains her victims, and it gets so much worse. There’s cruel, and then there’s ramming spikey rods into people’s urethras cruel. No thanks.

“Future Diary” (2011-12)

A battle royale to become a God is going to attract a few weirdos to the foray, and among them was this cosplayer/terrorists/psycho. Adorned in a wacky outfit and obsessed with bringing about the reckoning to all those who disobey his justice, Hirasaka is all kinds of loopy. We dare say he’d make for a fun gag character if his costume weren’t so off-putting, or if he didn’t equate murder and littering with the same degree of violent retribution. Not the kind of candidate you want ruling over time.

“Hunter x Hunter” (2011-14)

The magician who will turn a person’s limbs into flowers just for the fun of it, and gets way too excited when it comes to facing off against strong opponents. There’s no getting around just how entertaining Hisoka is, but it doesn’t take away that he’s a psychotic murderer who lives to feed the arousal he gets from fighting those he deems as worthy. There are no friends or foes in Hisoka’s eyes, everyone is just a potential plaything.

“Cowboy Bebop” (1998-99)

Very few can hope to match let alone best the Space Cowboy in a bout of fisticuffs, and this crazed, bloated killer in a top hat made it look easy. His drive for death combined with an insane amount of weaponry at his disposal allowed the Pierrot to nearly end Spike on their first encounter. Throw in an abject fear of cats and one hell of a death scene, and you’ve got yourself a madman for the ages.

“Yowamushi Pedal” (2013-18)

Oh sure, compared to some of these other larger than life villains, a high school cyclist doesn’t sound all that menacing, but within the context of a down to earth sports anime like this, Midousuji overwhelmingly sticks out. With an elongated tongue, creepy demeanor, and overwhelming desire to claim victory by his lonesome, Midousuji comes across as more lizard-like than human, the kind that wouldn’t hesitate to bite a head off if it meant gaining an advantage. We’re pretty sure we still have nightmares about that tongue of his. Yikes.

“Tokyo Ghoul” (2014-18)

A man of leisure, who knows exactly what he wants and will do anything to get it. Known as the Gourmet among the Ghoul race, the only thing that Tsukiyama adores more than arranging gruesome death matches for audiences, is Kaneki. Seriously, he got one whiff of Kaneki’s blood and he nearly lost his damn mind. From that point on, all he could do was obsess over how he would get Kaneki’s sweet flesh all to himself one day, to the extent he would happily bribe, blackmail and butcher anyone just for that one bite.

“Spirited Away” (2001)

By the time Miyazaki’s masterpiece comes to a close – No Face is pretty much left as a gentle soul, we daresay even cute. That being said, it did spend the better half of the film stalking Chihiro and devouring the afterlife’s occupants. Fuelled by the greed of those around him, it didn’t take long for No Face to shift from friendly ghost all the way to bottomless appetite incarnate. It certainly scarred a few kids back in the day, especially when the gaping stomach mouth appeared.

“JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind” (2018-19)

It’s hard to outshine a truly devilish villain like Diavolo, and yet his own psychotic henchman managed to pull it off. How? Well, aside from finding glee in the dismemberment of his victims, Cioccolata relished the chance to unleash his Stand against the masses, resulting in nearly the entirety of Rome being poisoned. Nothing screams “get the hell out of dodge” quite like a murderous cucumber man made of mold with a perpetual creeper smile. And the less said about is psycho-sexual relationship with his gimp sidekick, all the better.

“Kaiji” (2007-11)

Absurd wealth breeds absurd behavior, and in the case of Chairman, he’s got so much green that he can arrange entire death games just for the fun of it. So bored with his life of power and privilege, this vile old man began to long for new ways to entertain himself, and found that watching poor people risk life and limb for money scratched that itch. The way in which Hyodo gleefully watches desperate contenders get picked off like flies is so fetishized that just seeing him sneer is enough to make you feel unclean.

“Perfect Blue” (1997)

An encapsulation of every trope, truth, and terror regarding weirdos on the internet, Me-Mania is anime’s definitive internet stalker, his antics online darkly reflected in his almost deformed facial features. Throw in a lack of social skills and his twisted desires to capture and keep what he believes to be the idealized version of his favorite idol singer, and you’ve got someone you wouldn’t be comfortable sharing the planet with. His thoughts are misguided, his methods are heinous, and the fact he’s something of a prophetic character just adds a whole other disturbed layer.

“Fate/Zero” (2011-12)

In what world could this thing be considered a Heroic Spirit? Once known as Gilles de Rais, Caster lives for one thing and one thing only – the killing and maiming of innocents, especially children. His dark deeds are countless, and he makes no illusion that he doesn’t enjoy every second of pain he inflicts. It’s almost commendable that even with an army of mutated, giant, carnivorous starfish at his side, Caster still stands out as the most hideous beast among them. Probably something to do with the bulging, unholy eyes.