The 16 Best Modern Horror Anime You Should Be Watching, Ranked
Vote up the scariest anime that you might've missed.
Are you a horror fan who's already seen all the older horror classics like Elfen Lied, Shiki, and Blood+? Are you a newer fan who's looking for something a little more modern to cut your teeth on? Wherever you fall on that spectrum, if you're looking for the best modern horror anime from 2016 onwards, there's plenty to choose from.
The most obvious choice is The Promised Neverland, an incredible series about a group of kids trying to avoid being turned into demon meat. But what if you've already seen that wildly popular anime, or you want to watch something that could never be considered appropriate for the shonen demographic? Then you might want to try Devilman Crybaby, a reboot of the Devilman franchise that will leave you absolutely stunned.
If you don't see shows like Berserk 2016 or Tokyo Ghoul:Re, it's not because we ignored them - it's because they assume that you've seen earlier seasons that came out before 2016. We did include a few sequels, but those are either episodic anime that don't require prior knowledge, or sequels that give you enough information that you don't need to go back and watch older works if you'd prefer not to.
- 1476 VOTES
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- Passione
Release Date: Fall 2021
Miko is just an average high school student...except for the fact that she can see terrifying ghosts. In order to prevent the spirits from realizing she can actually see them, and thus, haunting her even more, she pretends not to notice their existence. This proves to be a difficult task as she's absolutely scared out of her wits by the various ghosts she encounters. This is a fresh take on the genre as it manages to blend comedy and horror in an entertaining way.
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- 2251 VOTES
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- Higurashi: When They Cry – Gou
- Passione
Release Date: Fall 2020
We're mostly trying to avoid telling you about sequels that you need to have seen the previous editions to understand and enjoy, but we couldn't ignore Higurashi: When They Cry – Gou and its sequel, Sotsu. While you should probably be familiar with its prequels, these series do provide plenty of recaps to help get new viewers on board.
So, what's the story about? A small town called Hinamizawa is ravaged by the mysterious Hinamizawa Syndrome, which causes people to commit horrific acts of violence. It's also about a network of family secrets, a looping timeline, and so much more.
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- 3354 VOTES
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- MAPPA
Release Date: Winter 2020
Thanks to a rogue magic user, Caiman's once-human face has been transformed into that of a lizard. He's also immune to most magic, which is great for him since he's planning on crunching sorcerer heads between his teeth until he figures out who did this to him. It's not long before a powerful sorcerer named En notices what he's doing and starts sending his most powerful subordinates after him. In the midst of all this chaos, long-buried secrets about Caiman are uncovered.
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- 4518 VOTES
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Release Date: Winter 2019
Considering its popularity, you may have already seen this one. But if you haven't, it's definitely worth a watch - at least the first season is. For the second season, you might want to switch the manga. The series follows a group of orphans who discover that their seemingly happy home is actually a farm that raises human children as meat for a race of demons. They aren't about to sit back and let themselves be devoured, but can they possibly escape? You'll have to watch to find out.
- 5311 VOTES
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Release Date: Spring 2016
Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress could be loosely described as Attack on Titan with zombies. If that sounds good, here's the rest. In a world going through its industrial period, a virus breaks out that turns people into man-eating monsters called Kabane. Humanity barely manages to survive by walling themselves up behind massive fortressess. Ikoma, a young man who maintains the fortresses, may have created a weapon that can actually pierce the Kabane's hearts. He's not expecting to have to use it quite so soon.
- 6129 VOTES
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- Hell Girl: Fourth Twilight
- Studio Deen
Release Date: Summer 2017
This is actually the fourth season of a show that began in 2005, but since it's episodic, you can jump right into its long-awaited sequel and enjoy the updated art. The series centers around a website that lets people pledge their own souls in exchange for having someone else dragged off to Hell by Ai Enma, the titular Hell Girl.
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- 7538 VOTES
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- J.C.Staff
Release Date: Summer 2018
Rachel Gardner has no idea who she is or what she's doing in the labyrithian building she's trapped in. All she knows is that she wishes she weren't alive anymore. Luckily for her, she meets Zack, who promises to end her life if she helps him escape. As the two of them search the building for clues about how to get out, they start meeting people Rachel recognizes - and the truth behind her connection with the building becomes increasingly clear.
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- 8203 VOTES
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Release Date: Summer 2018
If you're into super intense psychological horror, Happy Sugar Life may be for you. Satou Matsuzaka is a teenager who has never really loved anyone - that is, until she falls in love with a little girl named Shio Koube. She kidnaps Shio and brainwashes her into reciprocating her feelings, all while fighting off anyone who tries to intrude on her fantasy. As you can guess from the premise, this show deals with some heavy themes that most horror won't touch, so approach with an abundance of caution.
- 9121 VOTES
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- Magical Girl Site
- production doA
Release Date: Spring 2018
Have you ever wished that the magical girl genre was less cute and more terrifying? Then you should watch the horror series, Magical Girl Site. Bullied at school and abused by her brother, Aya Asagiri is at the end of her rope. When she finds a website that promises to give her magical powers, she dismisses it as a joke - but then she finds a gun in her locker. She ends up using it on her bullies, who are teleported to a railway crossing and run over. Aya soon realizes that she has terrifying power on her hands, and she's going to have to deal with the consequences. What's more, there are further horrors she must confront.
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- 10255 VOTES
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- Devilman Crybaby
- Science SARU
Release Date: January 5th, 2018
When this Netflix-exclusive came out, it turned a lot of people's brains inside out. Put simply, it's a re-imagining of the much-older Devilman franchise. Akira Fudou is a young man leading an ordinary life until his friend Ryo Asuka appears and drags him to a demonic bacchanal of destruction where he's turned into "Devilman." Though he's now powerful enough to take on the other terrifying monsters swarming his community, he must also contend with the loss of his former self - and the terrifying person that his friend truly is.
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- 11138 VOTES
Yami Shibai - Japanese Ghost Stories Season 3 & Beyond
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- ILCA
Release Date: Season 3 - Winter 2016
Yami Shibai - Japanese Ghost Stories actually began in 2013, but because it's episodic, you can jump right in at Season 3 if you're looking for something that came out during the last five years. The series features a wide range of terrifying stories, dealing things like hospital rooms that hold eerie secrets and a person whose muscular arm can't be looked at without terrible consequences. If you want to get scared without having to follow a complex narrataive, check out this series.
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- 12151 VOTES
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- Shadows House
- CloverWorks
Release Date: Spring 2021
Far into the mountains, a noble family lives in an enormous manor. But these aren't ordinary nobles - they're Shadows, beings who have pitch black voids instead of faces and who spray soot when they're upset. Each Shadow is given a Living Doll whose job is to be their attendant, and also to serve as their "face" when they must interact with the public.
Emilico is a cheerful Doll created to serve the taciturn Kate. As she does her best to achieve her duties, she begins to learn some sinister and disturbing things about the family she serves.
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- 13214 VOTES
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Release Date: Winter 2016
When immortal beings with strange powers called Ajin begin appearing in Africa, they're immediately labelled too dangerous to be allowed in society, and are arrested on sight.
Meanwhile, Kei Nagai doesn't know much about Ajin until he discovers that he is one. An accident that should have ended his life leads to a rebirth - and to total rejection from the community he once called home. He has to run for his life, and at first he thinks he's totally alone in his struggle - but he soon meets allies who share his struggle. Unfortunately, he also encounters some terrifying enemies.
- 14388 VOTES
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Release Date: Feb 25th, 2021
After Yuri Honjo sees a man get his head busted open with an axe, she tries to flee from the perpetrator. In her desperation to escape, she finds herself in a mysterious abandoned building full of locked doors - and once on the roof, she's surrounded by nothing but seemingly empty high-rise buildings. The first assailant isn't the only one inhabiting this strange arena, amping up Yuri's fear. But she can't just worry about herself - she also has to find her brother.
- 15233 VOTES
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Release Date: Winter 2018
The animated Junji Ito Collection isn't a replacement for reading the manga - to really experience Ito, you need to go to the source. But this anime is still worth checking out. Each episode in this 2018 series covers one or more of Ito's stories. Some are more psychologically oriented, like the story about a man whose dreams seem to go on for centuries. Others are more visceral, like the one about a girl with a slug coming out of her mouth. If you love horror, check this out.
- 1683 VOTES
Boogiepop & Others
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- Boogiepop & Others
- Madhouse
Release Date: Winter 2019
If you were an anime fan in 2000, you might have seen Boogiepop Phantom, an anime-exclusive story inspired by a series of light novels. Boogiepop & Others follows the first light novel much more closely, and may be a better place to begin your journey. The series centers on Shinyo Academy, a school that's experiencing a spate of unexplained disappearances. These are related to a supernatural creature called Boogiepop who can manifest a human form. This series delivers on horror, but it also asks complex questions about human nature - be prepared to freak out, but be prepared to think, too.
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