Within the anime community, there is a large portrayal of classic entertainment genres: fantasy, sci-fi, romance, and action. While these tend to trend in popularity due to their easy adaptive nature onscreen, one such genre that is often overlooked tends to be horror. The horror genre is already extremely subjective and divisive among audiences— what might be considered scary or terrifying to one person could be laughable to another. Despite this fact, there are undoubtedly a handful of horror anime that stick the landing and are recognized as a league above the rest.
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Some classic horror anime you might have already watched or heard of are titles such as Perfect Blue, Mononoke, and Hellsing. While these shows inspired or paved the way for additions on this list, there are plenty of other horror anime that have been forgotten or slept on. So, we’re going to be taking a closer look at 10 great additional horror anime you might not be familiar with and why their scares are anything but cheap.
1) The Summer Hikaru Died
The Summer Hikaru Died is one of the newest additions to the horror anime genre. It was released in July 2025 and is currently set to have a total of 12 episodes in its first season. The plot follows Yoshiki and his best friend, Hikaru. When Hikaru takes a trip into the mountains surrounding their town, Yoshiki is disturbed to find that the person who returns is not his childhood friend. Instead, an entity has mimicked Hikaru after his friend’s untimely death and is now living his life under its stolen identity’s guise.
The plot of The Summer That Hikaru Died follows Yoshiki and “Hikaru” exploring the strange and unsettling events surrounding their hometown. Yoshiki must simultaneously cope with the loss of the original Hikaru, and his struggle in maintaining a friendship with the alien being that wears his friend’s face. Themes of grief and identity are explored while delivering on elements of body horror, uncanny settings, and body-snatchers.
2) Elfen Lied
Elfen Lied is a classic anime that delves into the psychological and emotional aspects of horror. The anime aired back in 2004 and had a total of 13 episodes in a single season. In the show, a research facility houses a new race— the Diclonius, mutated humanoid beings with telekinetic arms nicknamed vectors. The Diclonius are deemed to be filled with hatred for regular humans and are set to replace them as Earth’s dominant species.
Lucy (formerly Kaede) is a Diclonius that was captured after going on a violent rampage and locked away in a lab. After escaping, Lucy forms a secondary personality named Nyu, a childish persona that protects her from the trauma and injury she sustained both in the lab and from fleeing it. The series does not shy away from serious themes like child abuse, mental health, and murder. With a generous helping of gore, Elfen Lied explores the darkness of humanity and the path towards potential redemption and change.
3) Hell Girl
Hell Girl is a relatively overlooked horror anime presented in an episodic format. The show was first aired in 2005, and ended on 74 total episodes split between its four seasons. Each episode presents a new self-contained story that contributes to the overall themes and plot points of the anime’s narrative. In general, we’re introduced to a character who has gone through some extreme form of abuse, bullying, or wrongdoing and turns to The Hell Correspondence, a website that promises revenge with a price.
This revenge comes in the form of a demonic-like presence, otherwise known as Ai Enma, a young girl who appears to the website’s user and offers a contract. While the target of revenge will be sent to Hell, the catch is that the one who forges the contract will also go to Hell once they die. Hell Girl focuses on themes of hatred and the cyclical nature of seeking revenge. Much of the anime’s tone is steeped in misery and darkness, presenting psychological horror on top of its supernatural elements.
4) Monster
Monster is a philosophically driven horror anime that urges the watcher to reflect on the consequences of one’s choices. The series first aired in 2004, and had a total of 74 episodes before ending its run. In the show, we follow Dr. Kenzo Tenma, a neurosurgeon known for his skill in the field. Tenma saves a young boy, Johan, in critical condition. When given a choice between treating Johan and performing surgery on his local mayor, Roedecker, he prioritizes the boy despite pressure to focus on the wealthy politician and hospital donor. This results in mayor Roedecker dying under a less competent surgeon’s care, leading to the loss of Kenma’s status and credibility.
Flash forward years later, and Johan is linked to a string of gruesome murder cases that Tenma has also become a suspect in. Tenma must now follow Johan across the country to put a stop to the murderer whose existence he feels responsible for permitting. Monster is a compelling thriller that focuses on psychological horror to drive home its point, all while presenting a classic serial killer chase. The anime dissects the complexity of personal choice and being haunted by past actions that result in future chaos.
5) Another
Another is a horror anime in a classroom setting that dabbles in the terrifying nature of curses. This show started back in 2012, and featured a total of 12 episodes in its single season. The anime follows transfer student Koichi Sakakibara, who enrolls in Class 3-3 at a brand new middle school. He quickly realizes that the class he’s a part of is strange and harboring a dark secret between the students; this secret is uncovered after Koichi meets Mei Misaki, an ignored girl in his class, who teams with him to solve the puzzle of their surroundings.
Both students learn more about Class 3-3 and its curse: due to a student dying in the past, there is now an unknown phenomenon occurring where the students will acknowledge the existence of a student that is not actually living. This ghost, or “extra”, is undetected by the others of Class 3-3, but its presence brings about the slow deaths of students and their family members until the “extra” is found out. Another deals with aspects of memory, mass hysteria, and grief through the guise of a supernatural curse that is as eerie as it is dangerous.
6) Tokyo Ghoul
Tokyo Ghoul was one of the most anticipated anime during its initial release in 2014. It has a total of 48 episodes split among three seasons (with the third season split into two parts). While the anime has been critiqued for diverging from the manga and its weak ending, it still remains one of the most modern examples of horror anime that obtained popularity in its first season.
The show follows Ken Kaneki, a college student who is attacked by a Ghoul while on a date. Ghouls are cannibalistic beings that are human in appearance; their human-like features are betrayed by kagune, enhanced senses, superior strength, and faster speed that give their secret away quickly. Kaneki’s near-death experience ends with him partially turned into a Ghoul and maneuvering the politics of existing in such a society, along with his own impulses and hunger. Tokyo Ghoul is notable among the genre for its gore, depictions of cannibalism, and fight scenes.
7) Shiki
Shiki is an incredibly underappreciated horror anime that came out in 2010. The show had a total of 22 complete episodes, though two bonus episodes were later released. This anime starts in the small town of Sotoba, a rural area where nothing of interest tends to happen until a family moves into the abandoned castle at the edge of the city. The Kirishiki family heralded a darker turn in the show with their secretive, nighttime arrival.
Shortly after the Kirishiki’s arrive, strange deaths begin occurring around Sotoba, including that of a young teenage girl. These deaths prompt hospital director Toshio Ozaki to start investigating what is causing the sudden tragedies plaguing their town. Hint: the Kirishiki are “shiki”, or essentially vampires feeding on and turning the town’s population. Shiki’s haunting imagery only enhances the anime’s exploration of death and damnation in relation to those turned into creatures of the night.
8) Parasyte: The Maxim
Parasyte: The Maxim was a short series based on an 80s manga series. The anime came out in 2014, and had a total of 24 episodes before concluding its run. Its story revolves around Shinichi Izumi, a young high school student who lives a quiet life until small parasitic creatures invade Earth. One such creature attempts to invade his body but fails to properly hijack Shinichi’s brain, taking root in his hand instead.
This parasite, named Migi, is a separate being from Shinichi with its own personality and goals due to the two not fully merging. Their journeys together cause both to encounter numerous parasites and their hosts; Shinichi enlists Migi’s help in fighting and destroying these parasites before they can consume the human they’re preying on. Parasyte: The Maxim relies heavily on body horror and invasive monsters, though the anime also asks provocative questions about the nature of both humanity and morality.
9) Angels of Death
Angels of Death is another modern horror anime that has a dedicated group of fans. It debuted in 2018, with a total of 16 episodes in its singular season. The anime follows Rachel, a 13-year-old girl who wakes up in a large, secluded building with no recollection of her past besides her desire to die. As she journeys on her own briefly, Rachel encounters Zack, a mysterious man who carries a scythe and is shown to be a remorseless, violent killer.
Though Zack is initially aggressive, he later decides to help Rachel search the building’s floors and understand more about her past and the reason for being there. Each floor uncovers a new “floor master” with twisted ideals and obstacles for Rachel to overcome in order to move on. Angels of Death doesn’t shy away from violence and blood: the tone is overall dark and bleak in regard to the outlook Rachel carries throughout most of the show. In spite of these themes, the anime still manages to present deeper reflections on the power of understanding oneself and how it affects your response to life.
10) Junji Ito Collection
Junji Ito is known as a big name in Japanese horror for a reason— his tales evoke senses of dread, hopelessness, and unease that very few stories can match. The Junji Ito Collection takes many classic tales and some new ones, and combines them into an anthology-style anime. First airing in 2018, the show has a total of 12 episodes and two special episodes.
Each short story is self-contained, though there are a few recurring characters and themes that the show places emphasis on. In “Tomie”, we see the classic tale about a girl who can regenerate and escape death; “Slug Girl” follows a young girl whose body parts morph into a slug; “Fashion Model” explores a group alone in the woods for a movie shoot with a model who might have eaten human flesh. The Junji Ito Collection doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable shots or taking advantage of the audience’s discomfort with the grotesque and disturbing.
Have you watched any of the anime included in this list? Tell us about your favorite horror anime in the comments.
