Top 20 Nightmare Fuel Anime Scenes

“Mieruko-chan” (2021)

From the moment Miko steps into the dark, creepy night, it’s clear that something’s amiss. But, not even all the red flags in the world can prepare you for the rotting corpse that pops up in front of her. It’s something straight out of a horror film, and worst of all, it tries to talk to her. Mind you, this is just the show’s first episode, too. To Miko’s credit, she manages to hold it together long enough for the ghost to slither off somewhere else. But, her reaction after the fact makes it clear she won’t be forgetting this ghoulish encounter any time soon.

“Call of the Night” (2022)

For the most part, humans and vampires in this show get along just fine. But, as the mortal Yamori soon learns, not all bloodsuckers are quite as benevolent. Unfortunately, it took one of his friends nearly dying for him to get the memo. To be fair, the season’s focus on light-hearted romantic hijinks seemingly proved that the two species could coexist. But, that was all just a cover so that, when the thirsty vampires did go for the throat, it left an impact. It certainly did on Yamori. The sight of an evil bloodsucker leaves him too shocked to even move. Given the circumstances, it’s hard to blame him.

“Ranking of Kings” (2021-22)

Bojji needs all the friends he can get, and at first, the Mad King seems like a prime candidate. His dance is a bit off-kilter and his wardrobe definitely needs some work, but otherwise, he seemed like a decent enough guy. The operative word being “seemed.” Things get very weird, very fast. Specifically in regards to how casually he brings up the idea of human sacrifice. Guess they don’t call him the “Mad” King for nothing. It's probably for the best that Bojji got out of there when he did, or else “Ranking of Kings” would’ve needed a higher age rating.

“Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood” (2009-10)

It’s really saying something when two kids trying to resurrect their mother isn’t even the most harrowing part of this scene. That honor belongs to the aftermath, and to put it lightly, it’s no happy ending. The image of Ed and Al being torn apart by their own alchemy is just something else. As if to really rub it in, the suffering doesn’t stop when Ed loses consciousness. Instead, he comes face to face with the aptly-named The Truth, who brings their own slew of terrifying imagery to the table. After what they endured here, it’s a miracle the Elrics ever touched alchemy again.

“Digimon Adventure 02” (2000-01)

We never thought a show about giant, talking monsters would tackle childhood trauma, but here we are. To give credit where it’s due, that tonal whiplash delivers an episode that definitely won’t be forgotten any time soon. If the manifestation of Kari’s deep-rooted issues don’t make your spine tingle, the terrifying sea creatures will definitely do the trick. Especially once they reveal their intention of crowning Kari as their queen. Still, the most unsettling part is that the big-bad teased at the end of the episode is never officially followed up on. For all we know, he’s still out there giving kids bad dreams to this day.

“Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World” (2016-21)

It takes a seriously twisted mind to make a horde of adorable rabbits seem scary. But “Re:Zero” does it with ease. In fact, it does it with just one scene. All poor Subaru did was reach out to pet one, and just like that, his hand was gone. At the very least, he didn’t have to suffer for very long. Within moments, the entire swarm of flesh-eating rabbits had gnawed him down to the bone. It’s gory, it’s shocking, and based on Subaru’s screams, it didn’t feel nice, either. Following a scene like this, you’ll never look at a bunny the same way again.

“Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku” (2023-)

How much harm could a butterfly really cause? Turns out, the answer is quite a lot. So much so that Gantetsusai would rather amputate his own arm than be stung by one. It’s hard to say if that was a good call or not. Sure, it saved him from mutating alongside his hand. But, it also meant he had to come face to face with more of these unsightly bugs. The uncanny way they crawl around is nothing short of haunting. As the crew soon learns, they don’t get squashed easily, either. And don’t even get started on the big ones.

“Heavenly Delusion” (2023-)

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the villainous Maneaters do just as their name suggests. But, what is shocking is that Kiruko got an up-close-and-personal look at them in action. Let’s just say it’s not a scene for those with weak stomachs. After realizing her gun is useless, all Kiruko can do is scream as the aliens mutilate her body, piece by piece. It’s all just a dream, but at a certain point, we would’ve taken Kiruko actually dying if it meant getting away from this bloodbath. Even so, it’s safe to say Kiruko won’t be the only one having this nightmare anymore.

“Goblin Slayer” (2018-)

These creatures wasted no time proving why they need to be slayed. In their very first scene, the goblins ambush a novice adventurer, hold her down, and stab her right in the stomach. Still, that’s getting off easy compared to the rest of her crew. They’re butchered, thrown around, captured, or worse. It’s so graphic, you even end up feeling bad for the group's survivor. Not because she’s wounded or anything like that, but because she has to live with everything saw. Suffice it to say, no one’s going to be forgetting how threatening these Goblins are. Not even the viewers at home.

“Inuyashiki” (2017)

The only mistake this family made was living in the wrong place at the wrong time. That’s all it took for Shishigami to invite himself inside and brutally slaughter each and every one of them. Even their young daughter. On paper, the way the robotic Shishigami dispatches his victims is just plain stomach-churning. And yet, his cybernetic enhancements aren’t what sear this scene into your brain. The bloodshed is undercut by the fact that Shishigami isn’t a villain on some warped crusade. He’s just a guy who had time to kill. It speaks to a primal fear that not even Inuyahsiki’s last-minute appearance can fully placate.

“Devilman: The Demon Bird” (1990)
While Devilman Crybaby has no shortage of scenes that will leave you hollow inside, it’s this particular incarnation that wins out over others in the nightmare fuel department; all thanks to the introduction of the infamous demon turtle Jinmen. After an ominous build-up, we see the distorted faces of Jinmen’s victims appear one by one, including Akira’s mother, until it’s revealed they’re all part of his hideous looking shell. Not only does this make for a handy shield, but also a creepy-as-hell collage.

“Attack on Titan” (2013-)
The Titans have caused no small amount of devastation to humanity’s last strongholds, though the desolation of Connie Springer’s hometown took on a whole new dimension of unnerving. As a group of Survey Corp members scour the town in search of life, they discover it has become completely deserted…save for a single Titan that bears a striking resemblance to Connie’s mother. Not only does this further the mystery surrounding these humanoid monstrosities, but also paints a pretty bleak picture of what befell the civilians here. Sucks to be Connie.

“When They Cry” (2006)
Word of advice lads, if you see a high school girl walking towards you with a giant cleaver and a dead look in her eyes; don’t stand around like Keiichi and instead get the hell out of there! Climbing her way up the bloody pile to become the most terrifying of the anime’s cast of killer ladies, Rena’s crowing moment of creepiness came when she decided to hunt down her crush. If the cleaver doesn’t do it for you, then the echoing sound of Rena’s laughter as she chases Keiichi down certainly will. Mess with a waifu, she’ll take your laifu.

“Serial Experiments Lain” (1998)
Don’t you just hate it when aliens walk in unannounced. As if Lain didn’t have enough emotional hardships to deal with, her investigations into the online world of The Wired soon sends her down quite the rabbit hole, the highlight of which would have to be when she received a rather unexpected visitor. Seemingly alone with her thoughts, Lain suddenly finds her little sanctum intruded upon by an alien in a sweater, only for him to vanish a second later. As perplexing as it is unexpected, E.T’s smile will have you reaching for the nearest plasma rifle.

“Perfect Blue” (1998)
Exploring the dark side of consumer and media culture, this classic anime flick wasn’t only ahead of its time in its portrayal of the horror that can come from those with warped realities, but also delivered on a nail-biting finale. Ex-idol Mima’s desperate attempts to free herself of her stalker and keep her sanity reaches boiling point when she is set upon by her manager, who has also suffered a psychotic breakdown and now believes that she is the real Mima. Thus we have our chase scene, one filled with all manner of haunting imagery as both women succumb to their delusions.

“The End of Evangelion” (1997)
It’s the end of the world as we know it, and nobody is coming out unscathed. Prepare your soul for such wondrous sights as Asuna getting torn limb from bloody limb by EVA Units, everyone in the NERV facility get shot down like dogs, a giant version of Rei, and of course all of humanity turning into orange soda. Don’t expect any other kind of happy ending though, as the last image this film will sear into your brain is that of our lead strangling the life out of Asuna amidst an orange hellscape. Lovely.

“Made in Abyss” (2017)
Nanachi and Mitty’s backstory is not for the faint of heart. Tempted with the promise of safety, these two doomed orphans were swept away by the White Whistle Bondrewd, only to find themselves used as experiments to test the effects of the Abyss’s lowest layer. Needless to say, the effects were horrific. While Nanachi ended up becoming the fluffy hollow we all know and love, Mitty was reduced to a bubbling blob of flesh in the most agonising way possible. You can kind of see why people hate Bondrewd now…

“Fate/Zero” (2011-12)
As soon as we saw the seemingly lifeless body of Sakura Matou being ravaged by hundreds of disgusting, mana-eating worms, we knew we were not in for a light-hearted fantasy romp. While the visual alone is enough to leave you wanting to vomit, the knowledge that her demon of a grandfather has had her imprisoned in there for days on end is utterly heart-breaking, bringing a new dimension to the Fate-verse’s most tragic character. We can’t blame Kariya for wanting to take her place in order to save her, but it’s fair to say the damage had already been done. Both to Sakura and to our eyes.

“Overlord” (2015-18)
Leave it to Bone Daddy Ains to do bad better than the rest of the series’ bad guys combined. After creating a tempting scenario to test the defences of Nazarick, various groups of thieves plunge themselves into the heart of the Great Tomb in search of greater riches. Not heeding Ains’ warnings proves to be their undoing, as all of them end up meeting some truly disgusting fates. Some are devoured by a tidal way of cockroaches, others are sent off to be used as experiments to further Nazarick’s power…as well as that one poor soul who became Neuronist’s plaything. We’ll take death by giant hamster over that any day…

“Berserk” (1997-98)
Griffith’s betrayal not only broke a lot of hearts…but it also resulted in a lot of broken bodies as well. In order to achieve his dream, the White Hawk decided to accept the God Hands’ offer; sacrificing all of his allies in exchange for unlimited power. Thus began the slaughter, with the Band of the Hawk being killed left and right by hungry apostles. Of course, nothing compared the sight of Griffith violating Casca just to spite Guts. It’s hellish to behold, and we’re hoping that it will one day lead to some oh so sweet vengeance. Until then, we’ll just have to put up with the nightmares.