Highlights

• Supernatural and psychological horror animes are great for adults and should be enjoyed without the kids around.
• The Junji Ito Collection is a good start with unsettling supernatural and psychological horror for those craving some scares.
• From action thrillers to psychological horror, these anime are the best of their subgenres.

Contrary to what some may believe, horror anime doesn't have to be all about jumpscares or gore. Japan has a rich history of yokai, spirits, and supernatural lore that acts as a strong foundation for some absolutely wonderful supernatural horror animes.

Of course, while the supernatural may dominate a fair bit of anime horror content, it's not the only type of horror story on the market. More often than not, psychological horror animes end up ranking pretty high in the charts, targeting an adult audience. Really, most of the best horror animes are for adults and probably shouldn't be watched during family movie night.

10 Junji Ito Collection

6.51 Score On MyAnimeList

Junji Ito is a notorious horror manga artist renowned for his unnerving stories like Tomie and Uzumaki. If you're looking for a good start with horror anime, the Junji Ito Collection is a good place to begin. Filled with unsettling supernatural and psychological horror, drama, and suspense, it makes for some pretty decent entertainment.

With twelve episodes in the series, at 24 minutes each, you should be able to experience Junji Ito's stories in short, bite-sized pieces. However, some might almost criticize it for being a bit too fast-paced in its goal to animate as many stories as possible. For longer stories like Tomie, it's almost necessary that a show takes more time to develop and explore them.

9 Psychic Detective Yakumo

7.30 Score On MyAnimeList

In this horror anime, college sophomore Haruka Ozawa is determined to help her possessed friend with the aid of Yakumo Saito. Together, they dig up plenty of buried secrets and aid various spirits in passing to the afterlife. If you like horror and mysteries, then Psychic Detective Yakumo will be an excellent choice.

This series has 13 episodes at 24 minutes each, making it relatively easy to get through the story without having to dedicate an overwhelming amount of your time.

8 Mieruko-chan

7.40 Score On MyAnimeList

Mieruko-chan is a supernatural horror anime focusing on Miko Yotsuya, who has seemingly suddenly developed the ability to see ghosts. She learns that if she pretends she can't see them, then they'll eventually leave her alone. Although Mieruko-chan deals pretty explicitly with horror elements, with some incredibly unnerving ghost designs, it's interlaced incredibly well with comedy aspects that help to keep the atmosphere from becoming too dark.

With 12 episodes at 23 minutes each, watching Miko's plights should be as easy as can be. However, you may be left wanting for season two.

7 Ghost Hunt

7.75 Score On MyAnimeList

Ghost Hunt follows a student, Mai Taniyama, who frequently exchanges ghost stories with her friend. Through an unfortunate series of events, she ends up working for Kazuya Shibuya, the 17-year-old president of the Shibuya Psychic Research Company. Together, they begin investigating and exploring the paranormal world as professional ghost hunters.

If you like ghost stories, supernatural horror, and mysteries, then Ghost Hunt is absolutely the horror anime for you. With 25 episodes at 24 minutes each, you can experience a well-rounded supernatural horror with some comedic and romantic elements to lighten the load.

6 Devilman: Crybaby

7.75 Score On MyAnimeList

Devilman: Crybaby takes place in a world where demons have appeared and thrown humanity into turmoil. In the midst of a fight, Akira Fudou merges with a demon, Amon, and gains enough power to defeat the rest of the attacking demons. Working alongside his best friend, Ryou Asuka, Akira fights to save humanity and those he loves.

Devilman: Crybaby is a primarily action-based horror, utilizing supernatural and mythological elements to craft a compelling narrative. With only ten episodes at 25 minutes each, the story will be over before you know it, leaving you wanting for more.

5 From the New World

8.27 Score On MyAnimeList

From the New World follows 12-year-old Saki Watanabe in her small town named Kamisu. In this story, she begins to develop her psychic powers by joining a special school for children like her. She and her friends begin to dig deeper than they should, uncovering dark secrets about society.

Together, they discover that their new world may not be as much of a utopia as it seems. With 25 episodes at 22 minutes each, this psychological horror anime is certain to keep you in its clutches for a while - and thinking about it for a long time afterward, too.

4 Parasyte: The Maxim

8.33 Score On MyAnimeList

Parasyte: The Maxim is a sci-fi psychological horror story with some gore elements. It follows Shinichi Izumi, who ends up with a parasite coexisting in his body. Migi takes over his right hand, and although their "alliance" is tenuous, it's just about all they have.

They must work together to defend themselves and stay safe from more hostile and dangerous parasites that threaten their entire species. Parasyte: The Maxim has 24 episodes in its series, with 23 minutes per episode. While the gore and body horror might end up being a turn-off for some, the horror elements of this anime are undeniable.

3 Hellsing Ultimate

8.35 Score On MyAnimeList

Would Hellsing be the first thing you think of as a horror anime? No, probably not. But between the supernatural, vampiric, and gorey natures of the anime, it certainly has earned its classification. In Hellsing Ultimate, Alucard works with his new vampiric servant, Seras Victoria, to battle monsters and those that oppose the organization known as Hellsing.

The organization, and by extension, Alucard, is dedicated to destroying the supernatural forces that threaten humanity. With ten episodes at 49 minutes each, you're going to have plenty of content with Hellsing Ultimate.

2 Mononoke

8.42 Score On MyAnimeList

Mononoke is an avant-garde historical horror anime following the "Medicine Seller." As a master of the occult, he hunts for malicious spirits, searching for their Form, Truth, and their Reason. He confronts Yokai, like the Zashiki Warashi, utilizing his hunter's intuition and his psychological prowess to investigate and protect those who are most vulnerable to the spirit's attacks and intents.

Mononoke has 12 episodes at 22 minutes each, and while condensed, it has a unique style that leaves a strong and unsettling impression every time you watch an episode.

1 Perfect Blue

8.54 Score On MyAnimeList

Perfect Blue follows Mima Kirigoe, a former member of a J-pop idol group called CHAM! While pursuing her new career as an actress, as taxing as it is, Mima finds herself being stalked and impersonated and learns that her former idol group is flourishing without her. Her sanity begins to dwindle, and her ability to differentiate reality from fantasy is rapidly fading.

Perfect Blue is a great psychological horror anime movie with some avant-garde flair to leave a lasting impression, running for one hour and 21 minutes. This horror anime is intense and probably is best saved for the adults, more so than others on this list.