The horror genre is more prevalent among Japanese anime than the animated movies of other nations. This is due to how Japan was quicker to accept animation and comics as media for all ages and not just children. As a result, there is a wide variety of anxiety-inducing anime.
What are the best Horror Anime as of 2025?
What makes a good scary movie? Do you need comedy to balance out the scares? Is there such a thing as too much gore? Every fan has their own opinions and there is no way to please them all.
These questions are further complicated within the anime medium. Beyond the question of what makes for good horror, there are also the aesthetics of different styles of animation to consider. Thankfully, the abundance of anime allows for all tastes to be entertained.
Belladonna of Sadness (1973)
Jeanne and Jean are peasants in medieval France. They are also madly in love. Unfortunately, the local baron is a deep believer in the old custom of droit du seigneur. He also shares Jeanne with his court; an experience that traumatizes both Jean and Jeanne.
When Jeanne starts to have visions of a mysterious figure offering her power for revenge afterward, she is ready to take it. Thus begins a one-woman war on the wicked baron, as Jeanne slowly sells her soul for magical secrets. Unfortunately, her efforts ultimately cost her everything she wished for herself as she seeks justice.
The third of a trilogy of historic anime aimed at adults, Belladonna of Sadness was a bomb upon release. However, it later developed a cult following and came to be considered the finest of the early works of director Eiichi Yamamoto. It is praised for its unique visual style, which mixes slowly animated watercolors with psychedelic imagery. It is also noted for offering an examination of violence against women and the struggle for bodily autonomy which was rare for the time in Japan.
Akira (1988)
The year is 2019 and the world has been warped by nuclear war. Tokyo was destroyed, leading to the construction of Neo-Tokyo. Unfortunately, the problems of the old world remain, with terrorism and gang-violence on the rise in the face of rampant government corruption.
It is on this stage that teenager Tetsuo Shima is forever changed. After a motorcycle accident where he collided with an escaped government test subject, Tetsuo develops amazing psychic powers. He then grows into a threat, not only to the new government of Neo-Tokyo, but to the entire world.
Some debate whether Akira qualifies as a horror movie. The arguments against it are similar to those against labeling Alien as a horror movie purely because of the science fiction setting. Most anime fans agree, however, that Akira offers some of the most striking images of body horror in all of animated history. Indeed, these visuals later inspired more traditional horror anime and while often imitated are rarely equaled. In any case, it is considered by most to be the magnum opus of director Katsuhiro Otomo.
Perfect Blue (1997)
Mima Kirigo is one of the most popular J-Pop singers in Japan. However, she has dreams of becoming a serious actress. The announcement of her retirement from the idol scene upsets many fans. Chief among them is Me-Mania; an obsessive fan who starts stalking Mima and posting her comings and goings online.
Soon Mima’s career is threatened by a series of murders. Worse yet, she starts having blackouts that point the finger of suspicion at her. This leaves her questioning both reality and her very identity.
Perfect Blue was the directorial debut of Satoshi Kon and it is still considered one of his best works. It is remembered today for being eerily prescient regarding pop culture in the age of reality TV. Beyond the use of technology and the stalking themes, however, there is a deeper level of psychological horror. This multifaceted approach invites comparison to the work of Alfred Hitchcock.
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000)
D is a dhampir; a half-human, half-vampire, who uses his powers to fight the forces of darkness. He does not do this for free, however, and must be contracted like any other mercenary. This leads him to be hired by a man to rescue his daughter, Charlotte, from the vampire Baron Meire Link.
Unfortunately for D the job quickly becomes more complicated. First, because Charlotte’s brother contracted the Marcus Brothers to undertake the same mission. Next, because Charlotte is not truly a captive and apparently fell in love with the Baron. This leaves D struggling to find out the truth of the matter while battling his rivals and his own dark urges.
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is the second film inspired by a long-running series of horror novels by Hideyuki Kikuchi. While the original 1985 Vampire Hunter D is considered a classic, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust enjoys a stronger reputation among horror fans. This is largely due to the direction of Yoshiaki Kawajiri, who improved on the pacing and world-building of the first movie.
Another factor is the unique dystopian setting. This adds another level to the usual themes of vampire horror. The decay and ennui of the undead existence is reflected in the slowly dying world, presenting existential horror alongside the bloody violence.
Gyo: Tokyo Fish Attack (2012)
A young couple, Tadashi and Kaori, had a wonderful scuba-diving vacation in Okinawa planned. Kaori was less thrilled than her boyfriend, however, due to her powerful sense of smell and the ever-present scent of rotting fish. And that is before they encounter the oddity of a fish with robotic legs.
Soon all of Okinawa is under siege by the piscine menace, including a great white shark. This is all revealed to be part of a byproduct of several ill-advised Japanese experiments in biological warfare from World War II. The end result is a menace that is as deadly as it is ludicrous.
Based on a manga by legendary horror creator Junji Ito, Gyo: Tokyo Fish Attack may be his single strangest work. However, the silliness of its premise does not minimize how horrific it ultimately is. Beyond the ridiculous image of aquatic creatures with robot legs, there is the equally ridiculous explanation for just how they developed the legs in the first place.
Director Takayuki Hirao does a masterful job in adapting Ito’s visual style. Gyo is absurdism in action, forcing the audience to laugh so they do not cry at the characters’ torment. By the time it becomes apparent just how serious the threat is, the audience is deeply invested in the characters and their tribulations.
How we picked the best Horror Anime
Horror is a diverse genre, with several subgenres contained within it. While some fans embrace all forms of frightening film, others are more selective. Some like a little bit of comedy mixed in with the scares. Others prefer psychological torment to blood and gore.
With that in mind, we fashioned a brief list that would highlight the sheer variety of horror anime across time. We wished to avoid leaning too heavily on any one subgenre over another. An effort was also made to list one film per director, so as not to offer undo bias. (Otherwise, we might have a list made entirely of Yoshiaki Kawajiri movies.)
