The horror genre is an intriguing media phenomenon that causes fans to get excited over things commonly considered repulsing, disturbing, and majorly distressing. Despite its paradoxes, nothing stimulates the viewers' senses like a brilliantly terrifying horror. Horror media has many tools to make the audience's blood run cold, from shocking jump scares to gruesome gore scenes.

However, the most unspeakable terrors are often those that lurk in the shadows of any person's soul. The subgenre of psychological horror messes with the viewers' perception of good and evil, right and wrong, which can cause way more distress than any atrociously violent scene.

Updated on December 7th, 2023 by Hannah Grimes: Psychological anime excels at drawing viewers into their worlds and toying with their emotions, keeping them on the edge of their seats questioning what's going to happen to their favorite characters. This list has been updated to include more thrilling psychological anime while also reflecting CBR's new standards.

This article discusses sensitive topics, including suicide, abuse, and torture.

25 Shigurui: Death Frenzy Is A Violent, Glorious Samurai Anime

Anime has different ways of depicting violence, both to entertain and scare the audience. Yet, no series uses gore and brutality as a tool of disturbance better than Shigurui: Death Frenzy. Set during the beginning of the Edo Period, Shigurui basks in the violent glory of the age of the samurai.

At the core of the series lies the conflict between one-armed Fujiki Gennosuke and blind Irako Seigen. Battling to succeed their master, Japan's greatest swordsman, they begin this enchantingly disquieting tale of stomach-turning disputes, hatred, and betrayal.

24 A Cat Searches For His Sister's Soul In Cat Soup

Anime's avant-garde scene compensates for its lack of mainstream appeal in uniqueness and creative liberty. A prime example of the genre's originality, Cat Soup is a mind-bending adventure of Nyatto, a cat searching for his sister's soul through grotesque magical worlds.

A cutesy name like Cat Soup might deceive viewers into thinking they're in for a fun ride. Yet, Cat Soup is nothing but deeply disturbing, both visually and thematically. The world of this OVA is surreal and frightening, filled with abstract ghosts of death, despair, and soul-chilling confusion.

23 Rainbow Is Frighteningly Realistic

Despite its positive-sounding title, Rainbow is one of anime's most realistically frightening and heavy series. Set in the gloomy cells and halls of Shounan Special Reform School, a juvenile detention center with extremely harsh conditions, it follows the struggle of seven cellmates determined not to break under constant torture and humiliation.

Instead of using horror to unsettle the viewers, Rainbow torments them with grounded, painfully realistic depictions of cruelty and hopelessness. Without any gore or excessive violence, this show makes audiences want to avert their eyes.

22 Ergo Proxy Centers On A Rabbit Hole Of Government Conspiracies

Ergo Proxy starts out complicated without giving viewers enough information to take in its universe. Then it builds up into an incredibly complex series with a satisfying murder-mystery plot. Re-l Mayer is assigned to investigate a series of murders, which leads her down a rabbit hole of government conspiracies.

Once Ergo Proxy gets going, its dark and psychologically engaging storyline is sure to keep fans engaged, making them constantly question what will happen next. Ergo Proxy also offers a mix of 2D and 3D animation that sets it apart from many other psychological anime.

21 Devilman: Crybaby Is An Unorthodox Apocalyptic Tale

The latest adaptation of Go Nagai's iconic manga, Devilman: Crybaby, definitely took the most unorthodox approach to bring this unforgettable apocalyptic tale to life. Masaaki Yuasa's direction and unmistakable visual style made the world of devils an unsettling hellscape, bringing back the original's ultraviolence in modernized packaging.

Beyond the shocking gore and savagery, Devilman: Crybaby disturbs audiences with its thematic nihilism. Akira Fudo's fight against the monsters plaguing society doesn't have a happy ending, instead morphing into anime's grimmest story of betrayal, despair, and world annihilation.

20 Parasyte Features A Creepily Unique Symbiotic Relationship

Parasyte follows protagonist Shinichi Izumi, whose brain is unsuccessfully taken over by a parasite. Instead, the parasite lands on Shinichi's arm and integrates with it, causing Shinichi to retain his personality. The two eventually form a bond as they learn to survive together.

Parasyte only becomes darker and more complicated with time, raising many thought-provoking questions about the nature of humanity. Some of the psychological queries raised in Parasyte include what it means to be human, as well as the relationships humans have with non-human species and the environment.

19 Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor Gambles For His Life

Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor explores the gambling scene as its titular is driven to despair by his crippling debt. During his lowest moment, an opportunity presents itself for Kaiji to board the mysterious Espoir ship and potentially win enough to buy his freedom in a gambling tournament.

What Kaiji finds on Espoir is a cruel, lawless world of betrayal and mortal danger the man isn't guaranteed to leave alive, let alone rich. Thus begins the unsettling psychological game in which the audience can never predict Kaiji's next move.

18 Kite Is One Of The Most Disturbing, Violent Anime Out There

Most horror fans deem themselves desensitized to explicit depictions of gore and violence. However, Yasuomi Umetsu's 1998 OVA Kite dares to shake the convictions of even the most self-assured skeptics.

Often considered the most disturbingly violent anime film in history, Kite follows the plunge of Sawa, a schoolgirl assassin whose parents died in a horrific double murder. The atrocities that happen to Sawa petrify viewers because of their violence and dreadful emotional connotations. The OVA's most controversial moments even got it banned in multiple countries.

17 Ghost In The Shell 2: Innocence Explores The Difference Between Human And Artificial Life

The thematic exploration of differences between human and artificial life is present in all installments of the fantastic Ghost in the Shell franchise. However, none dive into the psychological horrors lurking within these topics quite like Ghost in The Shell 2: Innocence.

Arguably, the most insightful and thematically dense Ghost in The Shell movie, Innocence starts with Section 9's investigation into a series of murders committed by faulty gynoids. Yet, the true horror of this film unveils in the disquieting blur between man and machine taking over their futuristic world.

16 Death Note Follows Light As He Descends Into Wickedness

Famously known for its cat-and-mouse struggle between main characters Light Yagami and L, Death Note is a psychological thriller that grips fans and doesn't let go until the very end. Its characters are always one step ahead of the viewers, building up a feeling of tension and unease that's hard to match.

Although the idea of a notebook being able to claim anyone's life is terrifying, Death Note's real psychological elements come from Light's Kira alter-ego slowly consuming his sanity and causing him to abandon his morality. Death Note also features murder-mystery elements as the others desperately try to catch Kira before losing their own lives.

15 Texhnolyze's Cast Are Plagued By Fears And Inner Demons

The world of the notorious psychological sci-fi Texhnolyze is populated by shockingly human characters, all plagued by their own inner demons and fears. Yet, its main hero must be the town of Lux, the nihilistic hellhole all of Texhnolyze takes place in.

The decaying underground city is a perfect location for such a sobering story of people indulging in their darkest indulgences. While lacking in the gory spectacles of contemporary horror, Texhnolyze scares viewers through its realistic portrayal of human savagery and the pointlessness of most desires.

14 Puella Magi Madoka Magica Is Darker Than Its Cutesy Surface

Puella Magi Madoka Magica presents itself as a cute, unassuming magical girl anime, but quickly becomes a dark psychological ride that's hard to stop, even if it's painful. Magical creature Kyubey offers titular protagonist Madoka Kaname and her friends one wish in exchange for becoming a magical girl, but it's not the fantasy they dreamed of.

On top of having to fight against monsters, the main cast of Madoka Magica struggle with loss, PTSD, depression, suicidal thoughts and more. It's an incredibly dark series despite its cutesy visuals. An even more psychologically heavy movie Rebellion released afterwards, and another movie is currently in development.

13 Hell Girl Links People To The Same Hellish Fate

Vengeance acts as the driving force behind countless anime narratives. Yet, no series showcases the vile corruption of the soul revenge-seeking causes quite like Hell Girl. Taking requests from bitter humans through the Hell Correspondence website, the tragic magical girl Ai Enma offers to send their wrongdoers to hell.

However, Hell Girl doesn't work for free. In return, her clients are doomed to share the fate of their targets. Clever, thought-provoking, and genuinely terrifying, Hell Girl uses supernatural elements of conventional horror to uncover painful human cruelty.

12 Belladonna Of Sadness Explores The Dark Side Of Searching For Pleasure

Some of the most effective psychological horrors hide from mainstream attention in the experimental avant-garde scene. Out of all niche expressionistic anime, Belladonna of Sadness might be one of the better-known works. However, it deserves more recognition for its disquieting portrayal of the uncontrollable search for pleasure.

A psychosexual experiment, Belladonna of Sadness uses unconventional watercolor imagery to showcase the passion that consumes its titular heroine. Unforgettable visuals blend with unorthodox themes to create an eerie artistic film that blurs the line between reality and delusion.

11 Psycho-Pass Puts AI In Charge Of Criminal Surveillance

Psycho-Pass offers a unique take on law enforcement, in a world where the likelihood of someone committing a crime is constantly being monitored and updated by a computer network. Once this number gets high enough, people are hunted down and either imprisoned or straight-up executed.

This hits home for many, when police brutality and the misuse of power by law enforcement members have become sources of anxiety. Psycho-Pass protagonist Akane starts out hopeful and idealistic, but realizes how complex the world is over time and starts to question her view of justice.

10 Perfect Blue Explores The Blur Between Public And Private Selves

Satoshi Kon's debut film, Perfect Blue, established many themes that the famed director would continue exploring throughout his career. Among those is a concept of human duality, which can take an ugly, even terrifying form.

The movie centers on an ex-idol star Mima Kirigoe and her inability to separate her personal life from a performance avatar. Her internal fracture escalates when an obsessive stalker fan starts to pursue Mima. Perfect Blue is a chilling narrative that deals with themes of separated identity that became even more relevant in the current world of thriving social media.

9 Shiki Is A Compelling, Countryside Murder Mystery

Unlike many other horror shows, Shiki takes its time developing its disturbing narrative that crescendos in the series' agonizing and unexpected finale. The show starts as a compelling murder mystery exploring death cases in a quiet Japanese countryside that conveniently happens just when a secretive family moves into a mansion on the outskirts of the village.

The narrative slowly reveals the cause of the murders: vampire-like creatures called Shiki and their growing population. However, the true horror of Shiki comes not from its supernatural villains but from the blinding, violent obsession with executing them that plagues the villagers.

8 End Of Evangelion Highlights The Series' Cosmic Horror Elements

The well-regarded mecha anime Neon Genesis Evangelion started as a conventional dark robot series about mystical extraterrestrial creatures called Angels and their battle with the Earth's defense forces, NERV. However, the declining mental health of the show's creator, Hideaki Anno, caused the series to change direction closer to its conclusion.

As a result of the show's tonal shift, Evangelion became a disturbing psychological horror that explores disquieting themes of consciousness, individuality, and the challenges of living in an unjust, terrifying world. Those themes culminate in the End of Evangelion movie, which highlights both the psychological and cosmic horror elements of the legendary series.

7 Happy Sugar Life Is A Deceptively Horrifying Love Story

Despite its deceiving title, Happy Sugar Life depicts one of the most disturbingly horrifying love stories in anime history. The series protagonist is a high school girl, Sato, who appears carefree and joyful at first glance. Nevertheless, Sato's endearing appearance is simply a mask that hides her violent and immoral nature.

After falling in love with an innocent child named Shio, the girl's affection turns into an ugly, distressing obsession. In Sato's cruel mindset, any obstacle that might stand between her and the object of her devoted love is a threat that must be eliminated, even if it means taking someone's life.

6 Mononoke's Bright Colors And Disturbing Narrative Clash

The horror genre often has to rely on its visuals to immerse the audience in its blood-curdling scenarios. Nevertheless, the eloquent and surreal imagery in Mononoke is immensely unorthodox for the genre. The psychological horror series uses its unique art style to create an unnerving visual setting in which the world doesn't operate in the conventions of reality.

Mononoke's mind-bending patterns and bright colors clash with the show's disturbing narrative. The series' nameless protagonist travels to Japan and gets involved in various supernatural cases, which get progressively more chilling and bizarre as the show progresses.