Horror is a genre filled with blood, gore, violence, and jump scares. Plenty of horror franchises thrive off their fandom's fears in order to deliver exceptional storytelling that's as exciting as it is scary. Audiences may be aware of highly-acclaimed horror anime and manga like Shiki or Higurashi: When They Cry, but things aren't so cut and dry when it comes to South Korean horror manhwa.

Unbeknownst to manga fans, manhwa has lots of horror to keep readers occupied. Whether it is about frightening creatures or surviving on an island, there is a horror manhwa out there for everyone. There are thousands of horrifying manhwa chapters out there, but there are certain series that stand above the rest and will frighten even the most seasoned of anime and manga horror fans.

Updated October 10, 2023 by Daniel Kurland: This list’s latest updates have expanded the selection of titles from 15 to 20, as well as taken a broader account of content into consideration. All of the list’s internal links have been updated to better reflect CBR’s most recent anime content. Changes to the list’s structure have also been made to stay consistent with CBR’s recent layout and writing style.

20 Pigpen

Written By Carnby Kim; Illustrated By Beom Sick Cheon

Pigpen is a dark manhwa that turns to the amnesia trope when an individual wakes up on a foreboding beach with no recollection of who he is or how he got here, but it quickly breaks away from predictable tropes as it forges its own path. There's a compelling mystery that keeps Pigpen moving along at an effective pace as it mixes psychological thrills with twisted terror.

There are also some unnerving individuals who put most slasher villains to shame. Pigpen is an extremely effective horror and thriller manhwa that creates genuine terror in its well-constructed panels.

19 Gorgon

Written By Carnby Kim; Illustrated By Jaeil Seo

There are some incredibly entertaining manhwa that involve cursed and superpowered individuals that should quickly resonate with dedicated manga and anime fans. Gorgon focuses on a plagued protagonist, Im Soohyun, who suffers from a Scott Summers-esque problem that turns his eyes into lethal weapons.

In Im Soohyun's case, he'll kill anyone who makes direct eye contact with him. This puts Soohyun in a curious position where he has the power to operate like an angel or a devil. Gorgon feels like Death Note meets My Hero Academia as it gradually unleashes its dark tale of death.

18 Monster Child

Written & Illustrated By Lee Sang Yun

Some of the most beloved manga and anime series involve conflicted siblings or scenarios where someone must protect an endangered child whether it's Tanjiro and Nezuko's dynamic in Demon Slayer or how Kouta and Yuka look after Lucy in Elfen Lied. Monster Child explores the frayed dynamic between Charlie and Charlotte, the latter of which is genetically engineered to be a biological tool of destruction.

Charlotte is designed for death, but she finds an affinity for life after bonding with the young boy, Charlie. Both of these characters have something that the other needs and a fascinating meditation on power and codependency plays out that really sticks its landing.

17 Prey

Written By Cyclops; Illustrated By Subong Park

Prey is a slow-paced horror manhwa about an ordinary girl, Park Yoon-yeong, who has the unique ability to see ghosts. Yoon-yeong has gotten through most of her life by ignoring these supernatural scares, but they suddenly begin to provoke her and affect the real world around her.

Yoon-yeong begins to understand that her ability to see the dead means that she's destined for something greater and she embraces this role instead of continuing to hide in the shadows. Her transition is remarkable and Cyclops' clean artwork in Prey creates a well-defined world where chaotic ghosts are even more frightening in comparison.

16 Baski

Written By Shul-Soo Jin; Illustrated By Ki-Hyun Byun

Baski crafts an incredible story that's as much a rich mystery and crime drama as it is a part of the horror genre. Young-In Jin and his friends find a meteorite with supernatural properties and make a vow to not touch it again and experience these abilities.

Years later, Young-In is now a police officer and fears that his former friends didn't keep their vow when a heist that's headlined by criminals with supernatural powers rocks the nation. Baski pushes Young-In to confront his past while an incredible display of superpowers reach an explosive head.

15 Island

Written By Youn In-wan & Illustrated By Yang Kyung-Il

Some of the very best horror manhwa are series that lean into familiar territory, only to then radically shatter expectations. Island begins in a deceptively quaint place when Miho enthusiastically takes on a new teaching job on a secluded island. Miho is used to an easy existence, but she's quickly in over her head when she realizes that Cheju Island is ripe with deadly demons.

Pan, a vicious demon slayer, is determined to cull the herd while Miho just wants to stay alive. There is endless brutality that courses through Island and the manhwa's detailed artwork beautifully captures it all.

14 Rotten

Written & Illustrated By Digeut (Goodguy)

Lots of manhwa, manga, and anime begin with a premise where an unassuming figure suddenly gains the ability to see dead people. It's become a common trope that can be taken in many different directions. Part of what makes Rotten such a success is that Jaeshin's supernatural grief gradually plays out as a chilling mystery.

Spirits alert Jaeshin that there's extremely sinister behavior going on in the apartment below his own, but Rotten's story goes on to involve an eclectic cast of characters, all of who end up playing crucial roles in this growing mystery with an increasing body count.

13 Distant Sky

Written By Youn In-wan; Illustrated By Sun-Hee Kim

Youn In-wan is quickly becoming one of the most prolific names in manhwa. Youn is responsible for a lot of groundbreaking series and Netflix's Kingdom is based upon his work, The Kingdom of Gods. Distant Sky is a staggering and nihilistic post-apocalyptic work that depicts a world in ruin and largely cast in total darkness.

There are disturbing insects and creatures that thrive in this darkness and Distant Sky makes sure that the uncertain desire for survival is palpable. Distant Sky's story connects, but the art by Sun-hee Kim is also raw and powerful.

12 #Killstagram

Written & Illustrated By Ryoung

#Killstagram tackles incredibly current and relevant subject matter and acts as a strong reminder that sometimes the scariest horrors in the world are real people and not supernatural creatures or demons. #Killstagram focuses on Remi Do, a popular social media influencer who makes an impression on the wrong person after becoming the obsession of a dangerous serial killer.

#Killstagram is a gripping examination of the cost of celebrity and the public roles people play in society. In a lot of ways, #Killstagram feels like a more modern update to Satoshi Kon's pivotal Perfect Blue, which is saying a lot.

11 Priest

Written & Illustrated By Hyung Min-Woo

At first glance, Priest's Ivan Isaacs may come across like any of the many other fallen preacher characters that have turned to murderous ways as they apply their brand of justice to strong, scary demonic beasts. What sets Priest and Ivan Isaacs apart is that this manhwa pulls heavily from the western genre for a delirious mix of sensibilities that paints an effective picture of a desperate world that's ready to give up.

Ivan's own personal demons pose just as much of a threat to his mission as the literal ones that chase him down. However, Priest pushes the idea that enough hard work can erase the deadliest of curses.

10 Hive

Written & Illustrated By Kim Gyu-Sam

Hive is written and illustrated by Kim Gyu-Sam. We are beginning this list with a horror sci-fi manhwa that takes on the apocalyptic genre. Although Eun-Sung Lee left work after saying his goodbyes to his wife and child like usual, the next thing to happen that day blows him away.

Seoul collapses and is infested by man-eating insects that kill and infect anyone, plus humans begin to fight others for survival. Eung-Sung Lee has no choice but to join his co-worker Ji-Eun Seong and war veteran Eun-Sun to find his family and traverse this apocalyptic world.

9 Home Sweet Home

Written By Carnby Kim; Illustrated By Youngchan Hwang

Home Sweet Home is written by Carnby and illustrated by Youngchan Hwang. It should be noted that the author of Home Sweet Home also authored Bastard, another horror manhwa that will make an appearance on this list later. It centers on a young high school student recluse, Hyun Cha who rarely leaves his home for anything.

However, strange occurrences begin to happen around Hyun Cha as well as outside. He's forced to leave the home that he's always stayed inside once monsters begin to appear everywhere.

8 Perfect Classroom

Written & Illutrated By O-Gu

Perfect Classroom is written and illustrated by O-Gu. This horror manhwa won the 2015 Global Rookie Project Award as it was O-Gu's debut manhwa. Not every manhwa benefits from a fully translated version being available, but Perfect Classroom has received this prestigious treatment.

Perfect Classroom's story centers on two siblings who have a lot of secrets, although their classmates think they possess even darker ones. These two capture the entire class' attention, but the school's dynamic quickly changes once more about these siblings gets discovered.

7 Red Cage

Written By KeuKeuJ.J; Illustrated By Carlos

Red Cage, or known by its alternative title Model Taxi, is written by KeuKeuJ.J and illustrated by Carlos. This horror manhwa comes with a warning, as it contains mature themes such as physical and sexual abuse and trauma. If the audience ever has any problems, then they should call 5326 to have it solved.

Calling this number summons Deke, who is determined to solve problems neatly and cleanly, no matter how dirty or special the instruction. This manhwa is a devastating tale of revenge that plays out in vibrant full-color so every attack counts.

6 Dreamcide

Written By Jung-Hoon Hong; Illustrated By Weol Shin

Dreamcide was written by Jung-Hoon Hong and illustrated by Weol Shin. This manhwa's colorful look may seem appealing, but it is a horror. It also contains some romance and fantasy elements. Although Hazin Nam has always had nightmares, he suddenly dreams of an apocalyptic world where humans must fight against demons and zombies seven years in the future.

He doesn't pay it any mind until he meets the girl who appeared in his dreams, Yuri Hong, and she transfers into his class. It's up to Hazin to save the future.

5 Redrum

Written & Illustrated By Ya-Seong Ko

Redrum was written and illustrated by Ya-Seong Ko. This manhwa may be an old one, but that does not make it any less of a great read. As one of the earliest drawn manhwa created in 2003, it is in black and white akin to manga.

It follows a group of friends who go on a vacation to an isolated mountain. Although the night begins perfectly, as it goes on the friends begin to mix reality with hallucinations and disappearances start to occur, making their vacation turn into a bloody mess.

4 Delusional Boy

Written By JAL; Illustrated By Jin-Wu Song

Delusional Boy was written by JAL and illustrated by Jin-Wu Song. Giu Haru is a high school student who has an illness that prevents him from telling apart reality and delusions. Giu has a somewhat peaceful life until he ends up killing his girlfriend Kang Lee Ha. He is also betrayed by his best friend Kang Yul and loses both of his eyes.

Giu is detained in a mental health facility and pinned as the mass murderer of his entire class. He isn't kept locked down for long, however, as he receives help from a group who calls themselves Panthers and begins to chase after Kang Yul.

3 The Phantom King

Written By Dal-Young Im; Illustrated By Jae-Ho Youn

The Phantom King was written by Dal-Young Im and illustrated by Jae-Ho Youn. It's the perfect manhwa series for those who enjoy ecchi content, but with a dash of mystery. Eun Sung-min is a survivor who comes from a small village that was devastated by the Evil Phenomenon, a disaster from eleven years ago.

Eun Sung-min was saved along with his maid by a group called the Phantom King. Meanwhile, the Special Environmental Protection Agency searches for answers about the mysterious tragedy and how to defeat the Evil Spirits who caused it.

2 Bastard

Written By Carnby Kim; Illustrated By Youngchan Hwang

Bastard was written by Carnby and illustrated by Youngchan Hwang. Bastard's engaging story follows Jin Seon, the son of a serial killer, who also happens to be an accomplice to his crimes.

Jin Seon's careful life gets impossibly disrupted once his father, Dong-Soo Seon, goes after Kyun Yoon, a girl he's befriended who is supposed to be his next target. Jin Seon decides to finally escape from his father's oppressive rule and protect his newfound friend, while he also does his best to not become homicidal like his father.

1 Jack Frost

Written & Illustrated By Jin-Ho Go

Jack Frost was written and illustrated by Jin-Ho Go. The name "Jack Frost" isn't exactly evocative of the horror genre, yet this subversive horror manhwa forever recontextualizes this friendly winter mascot. Jack Frost's story centers on Noh-A, a girl who becomes caught in the cross-fires of an epic battle.

Amityville is a high school where paranormal creatures battle each other to become the king and queen of the hill. Noh-A gets caught up in this chaos, but luckily--or perhaps not so--she seeks the help of the school's most wicked student, Jack Frost.