Whether you’re a seasoned horror enthusiast or a curious newcomer, exploring these terrifying tales is sure to be a thrilling journey into the darker side of the anime world.

In today’s article, we’re going to take a look at some of the best horror anime that left audiences trembling with fear and eager for more.

10. Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories

Yamishibai is a popular horror anime series among fans of the genre. The anime is told from the perspective of a creepy masked man who arrives at a playground and asks the children to gather to hear his stories.

Each episode of Yamishibai was animated to imitate the kamishibai method of storytelling.

The series is organized into a collection of shorts with each episode featuring a different tale based on myths and urban legends of Japanese origin.

Comprising ten seasons, the anime explores the nature of talismans, family traditions, and even popular figures like the Eight-Feet-Tall Woman.

9. Higurashi

Higurashi is a mystery-thriller anime series that centers on Keiichi Maebara, a young boy who moves to the small village of Hinamizawa in the summer of 1983.

He quickly befriends a group of village girls, but soon discovers that there is a dark secret lurking beneath the town's peaceful exterior.

Keiichi finally discovers a connection between mysterious disappearances and murders in the village and the annual village festival. Aided by Rika Furude, an increasingly paranoid Keiichi vows to get to the bottom of the matter, unsure if there is one after all.

8. Boogiepop Phantom

Boogiepop Phantom is an urban fantasy thriller known for its complex web of stories that gradually unfold over the course of the series.

Adapted from the light novel by Kōhei Kadano, the anime is set in an unnamed Japanese city that is rocked by a series of serial murders that have occurred there.

Years later, the town's residents begin disappearing again and the blame is placed on Boogiepop, an urban legend said to be the personification of Death.

The fear of the unknown runs deeper than one could imagine, as the legend goes – find it one night and you will be taken!

7. Elfen Lied

Elfen Lied is a great psychological horror anime that offers a sharp plot entangled with complicated character relationships.

The series follows the story of Lucy, a Diclonius, a special breed of humans born with a pair of horns and invisible telekinetic hands.

Based on the interaction between humans and mutant species, the story features inhumane scientific experiments and a torrent of bloodshed as Lucy escapes her captors!

Elfen Lied truly is a series that can haunt the unprepared for many moons to come.

6. Devilman Crybaby

Netflix's original horror anime, Devilman Crybaby is a dark and violent series that explores themes of hatred, self-discovery, and the nature of humanity.

The story follows Akira Fudo, a kind and gentle teenager who becomes a “Devilman” after coming into contact with a demon named Amon.

As a result of this possession, Akira gains the demon's powers, memories, strength, and will to fight while retaining his human consciousness.

However, he is forced to choose between his human and demonic sides, and his journey leads him to fight demons who seek to destroy humanity.

5. Junji Ito Collection

Junji Ito is considered a prolific manga artist for his unconventional horror tales depicting disturbing and chilling themes.

Ito's work has developed a substantial cult following, and the anime adaptation of several of his collections is cumulatively referred to as the "Junji Ito Collection".

Produced by Studio Deen, this anthology series is divided into 12 episodes, each of which adapts a standalone story, including Tomie, Shiver, and Uzumaki.

The horror elements of the anime are just right, with some episodes being dark and scary enough to give anyone a good scare.

4. Perfect Blue

Satoshi Kon's Perfect Blue is a frighteningly realistic psychological thriller that is often considered one of the groundbreaking horror anime films.

The film features Mima Kirigoe, a rising J-pop star who leaves her idol group to pursue an acting career.

However, Mima soon finds herself struggling to adjust to her new life while dealing with harassment, stalking, and mental breakdowns.

Perfect Blue fragments Mima's psyche, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy as she struggles with identity crises.

3. Corpse Party

Based on the 2006 survival horror video game, Corpse Party lives up to the hype of good horror anime shows, portraying themes of redemption, sacrifice, and past life forms with an element of horror.

The series follows a group of high school students who perform a ritual to remain friends forever.

However, the ritual goes wrong and the students are transported to Heavenly Host Elementary School, an abandoned school said to be haunted by the ghosts of the children who died there in a fire.

The students must now find a way to escape the school or they will be killed in succession.

2. Serial Experiments Lain

Serial Experiments Lain is an advanced psychological horror anime series that follows the story of Lain as she makes crucial choices that will affect both the real world and the “Wired”.

By closing one world and opening another, only Lain will realize the significance of her presence.

The anime explores philosophical topics and is praised by critics for its originality and insightful depiction of a frightening world filled with paranoia, social alienation, and over-dependence on technology that may be the greatest threat to humanity in the 21st century.

1. Another

Another is a mystery horror anime that follows Kouichi Sakakibara, a boy who transfers to class 3-3 at Yomiyama North Middle School.

Upon arrival, he soon becomes involved in a strange phenomenon involving the deaths of his colleagues and family members.

Sakakibara discovers that the series of deaths is all linked to the “Misaki 1972” curse, an annual calamity that has horrified Class 3-3 since 1972.

Accompanied by a peculiar student named Mei Misaki, Sakakibara tries to find a solution to stop this massacre and save the lives of other students.

Which of the following horror anime is your favorite? Feel free to comment your thoughts and be sure to recommend any other anime like the ones listed above, also don’t forget to share this article with your otaku friends.