Top 12 Best Horror Anime to Watch This Halloween

With Halloween just around the corner, it’s time to make things spooky and scary. With Halloween comes the vibes of horror, and you can only enjoy these vibes by watching some horror anime. Although horror is not a genre that is very nice to see in anime because it cannot give us the vibes live actions do, but some hidden gems are pretty good, considering they are just anime adaptations.

Horror doesn’t always have to be a genre where ghosts and monsters exist. Something that gives you the creeps, something that feels disturbing, and something that bewilders you, all of these things qualify as horror. So, we will tell you all of these kinds in this article. So, lock your doors, grab a blanket, and let the horror of these anime haunt you!

Here are the top 12 anime which you should watch this Halloween with your friends or alone!

(Note: A genre that you will come across in some of these recommendations is spelled “Avant Garde” which means “Experiments done which are wrong in every aspect and make you feel disturbed” or simply “extremely dark”).

12. Devilman: Crybaby

Synopsis: Akira has always had a weak heart. One day, he was invited by his friend Asuka to uncover devils at a party. When they reach the party, they realize that devils take over the bodies of the partiers and turn them into monsters.

When Akira is trying to save his friend, a devil enters his body and Akira is now a devilman who has the power of a devil. Now, will Akira be able to control the powers of the devil despite having the heart of a crybaby?

“Devilman Crybaby” was horrifying in more than just one way. The death of certain characters, the development of the crybaby protagonist, and the general demographic of this series were just bizarre and dark. It is also available on Netflix so you can just sit back and experience the horror easily.

11. Serial Experiments Lain

Synopsis: Lain is a young girl who is extremely extroverted and does not like to socialize. One day, she receives an email from her dead classmate Chisa. As she has no idea about technology, she opens the mail on her computer technophobe. This takes her into the world of virtual communication networks (which we now know as the internet).

After this, the life of Lain becomes strange as she is now followed by men wearing black attire who know things about her that only she knows of. Will she be able to realize the importance of her real image and be able to differentiate between her real and cyber image?

“Serial Experiments Lain” was an award-winning anime for a reason. It predicted how in the future, the internet will be a place where people create their images and personalities completely different from reality. But it was explained in a vague and eerie way which will give you the chills.

10. Corpse Party

Synopsis: “Corpse Party” follows the story of five students as they try to do a ritual to stay friends forever. They rip a paper doll apart for this and each person keeps a part of the paper. Unfortunately, the ritual doll was connected to the cursed high school on which the high school of these students was built.

So, after the ritual is complete, all of these students are transported to the cursed high school and now, they must discover what made this high school cursed. Will they be able to do so or will they become prey to the dead students who were killed in this school?

“Corpse Party” started all happy but got dark with each episode passing by. The general “curse” demographic of it was creepy enough on its own, but this anime has more things that can hardly be explained in words. The animation was not that great (which you can expect to form a horror anime), but in the end, this can be a good Halloween watch with your friends!

9. Perfect Blue

Synopsis: “Perfect Blue” follows the story of Mima, a member of an idol group who is about to leave her idol group to join showbiz. What she experiences at the start is the difference between the TV and the actual reality of the showbiz world. She also gains a stalker, who has been attracted to her since she began her idol life.

In addition, a website was created with her name that showed everything she does. Due to all this, she feels like there is another Mima who is present in the world that is shadowing her in reality. Will Mima be able to grasp reality, despite being tangled in all these bizarre and creepy situations?

“Perfect Blue” was directed by one of the best directors in the anime industry “Satoshi Kon” (famous for Paprika, Paranoia Agent, etc.). The author of the original novel series was someone else but the way Satoshi Kon directed this movie was beyond amazing. He expressed every emotion of the main female protagonist and showed every bizarre situation in a way that you can feel it. It was truly one of his best works.

Also Read: Top 10 Best Anime Series to Watch on Netflix (Oct 2022)

8. Blood-C

Synopsis: Saya is a normal high school girl who likes to socialize as minimal as possible. But this is the image her classmates know of. Off the record, she is a demon slayer who kills any demon who tries to cause turmoil in her peaceful village. She can do this job with the help of the sword her father bestowed upon her.

But after all this routine work of Saya is disturbed when a dog appears in front of her and asks her to reconsider assassinating demons. Despite that, Saya also hears demons talking about some agreement that was broken and all of this causes her to be confused and stuck. Will she be able to protect her village in this confused state?

“Blood-C” is a simply gore-centred horror series. It has a simple plot with monsters that eat humans. Straight forward, isn’t it? Well, there is a slight psychological touch to it which makes the whole series different. The type of monsters and the way they eat humans is something you will remember this Halloween!

Also Read: Top 37 Strongest Anime Characters (According to Japanese Anime Fans)

7. Elfen Lied

Synopsis: “Elfen Lied” follows the story of Lucy, a little girl, who is a “Diclonius” and is a lab rat. Diclonius is a species that looks like humans but has horns and invisible hands that let them do anything they want. One day, Lucy has an opportunity to escape the lab, and to do so; she does a mass massacre of the lab attendants.

She develops a dual personality after leaving the lab and gets weak. Kouta and his cousin Yuka take her in as an innocent and helpless girl, despite knowing nothing about her. Will both of them be able to unravel the dark reality of the girl they took in and see what is to come?

“Elfen Lied” dives into a plot that contains an in-human species that is looking for some sort of relief. The gore in it is extremely violent and messy. A bit of Nudity also follows in some episodes making the series a bit too much, so, it is not for kids!

6. The Ito Junji Collection (2018)

Synopsis: “The Ito Junji Collection” follows different short stories from the works of Ito Junji. It includes stories like Glyceride (a family living under a restaurant where everything reeks of oil and dirt), Dead Man Calling (the story of a prisoner who somehow goes to a family’s house every night to apologize), Hanging Balloons (the floating head of an idol who committed suicide), Model (the story of a monster-like woman who wants to be a model), The Long Dream (the story of a patient who spends thousands of years in his dreams and ages in reality) his most famous work Tomie (the story of a beautiful girl who was killed by her classmates but is revived somehow every time) and many more.

“The Ito Junji Collection” is a collection of stories from the modern King of Horror, Junji Ito. Unfortunately, his work has never been adapted fairly in anime because it is too detailed and related to a certain vibe, which anime cannot deliver. This anime though is the best one out of all of the adaptations of his works.

5. Mieruko-chan

Synopsis: Miko is a teenage girl who can see ghosts that are present everywhere she goes. The only thing is that she is too scared to admit it as she thinks the ghosts might notice her and attack her. So, whenever she notices a ghost near her, she ignores it with all her might. Sometimes the ghosts take it too far as they get suspicious of her.

Her escape from all these vile creatures is her friend Hana, who invites her to outings and stays distracted this way. But how long can Miku act ignorant of these ghosts?

“Mieruko-chan” is somewhat of a different approach to the horror genre. It is extremely horror-centred with a new ghost in every episode, but, it has a comedy demographic which makes the series a bit less intimidating. But leaving all that, this series is still a good watch for Halloween and who knows, maybe the comedy aspect will help you sober up from the horror scenes!

Also Read: Top 50 Most Popular Anime Characters of All Time (According To Japan)

4. Another

Synopsis: “Another” follows the story of Kouichi, a high school boy, who returns to school after a lot of time as a transfer student due to sickness. He discovers new faces and among them is a girl with an eyepatch named Mei. The only thing is that no one seems to notice Mei despite Kouichi. She tried asking others about Mei but they all say that he should not associate himself with Mei as she does not exist.

Despite her, the whole vibe of the village is now creepy and bizarre. What is the mystery behind this girl Mei? Why is everyone not noticing her when she is not even a ghost?

“Another” is the most classic horror anime. It has the horror setting, the bizarre characters, the disturbing vibes, and everything else you expect from a horror media show. Animated by a good studio too, this anime series will surely impress you if you are fond of horror movies in general.

3. Mononoke

Synopsis: “Mononoke,” tells us the story of “Kusuriuri,” a medicine seller, who has a vast knowledge of medicine, and using this knowledge, he travels the world eradicating Mononoke (evil spirits). But he has to follow a specific procedure for doing so, which involves finding the shape, reasoning, and truth of the spirit.

His sword activates when all conditions have been met, and he is transformed into a demon-like creature that exorcises its target. Will he be able to eradicate all of the Mononoke he encounters? Or will he face some consequences?

“Mononoke” might not have the bloody gore scenes and horror vibes, but, it is certainly one of the most disturbing series on this list. It is simple and this is what makes it so amazing. You might not get the jump-scares and other things, but, you will surely think of the scenes that happen in this series as something.. bewitching!

2. The Promised Neverland

Synopsis: “The Promised Neverland” takes place in a house in the woods. The house is called “Grace Field House” and it is an orphanage where orphans live happily daily. But children get transported from the home at a specific age for unknown reasons. One day, when a little girl, “Conny” is about to leave Grace Field, she forgets her toy at the house.

So, “Emma” and “Norman” follow her outside the house, and there, they see the grim reality they have to face one day. They learn that demons are keeping them here, and they are food for them when they reach adolescence. Will Emma be able to help all the children leave Grace Field before they all become food for demons?

“The Promised Neverland” was a masterpiece from the start. The vibes that Season 1 created were something anime fans were waiting for a long time. The horror demographic, the suspense, and everything in it were addicting. Season 2 might have created a bad aftertaste because of its rushed pace, but, it is certainly a must-watch for Halloweens!

1. Parasyte: The Maxim

Synopsis: The world is invaded by small aliens known as “parasites,” which can control humans by entering their brains. But our main protagonist, “Shinichi” confronts a parasite who cannot reach his mind and remains in his hand. Shinichi forms a symbiotic relationship with his parasite “Migi,” and both of them try to eradicate the parasites from the planet.

But during all this, Shinichi comes in contact with a girl, “Kana” who can sense people that have parasites inside them. Things take different turns throughout the anime, and we learn that there are many things about the human heart that a parasite cannot understand. Will both of them be able to understand each other and maintain this friendship relation till the end?

“Parasyte: The Maxim” is something special. No one was expecting much from it because it was the adaptation of the late 1900s manga, but, what it delivered was something mind-blowing. It gave a good plot progression, a good music score, and even a good romance, which is hard to see in a horror movie. The monsters in it might be wacky but it is still one of the best horror-romance series to ever be written. Its live-action is also being produced, so, you can look forward to the future of this series too!

What are your thoughts on the “Top 12 Best Horror Anime to watch this Halloween”? Did we miss your favorite horror anime that you plan to watch on Halloween? Let us know in the comment section down below. We here at Anime Senpai would love to hear from you.