Top 12 Best Horror Manga to Read

The horror genre tends to be more popular among manga readers than anime viewers. Manga allows readers the creative liberty to envision scenarios in their own unique way, making the stories more captivating and engaging. Here are our top 12 horror manga recommendations that you will definitely love reading.

12. Ibitsu

“Ibitsu” features a unique and somewhat quirky art style that perfectly complements the manga’s atmosphere. Though it only has a few chapters, the story leaves a chilling impression that lingers in your mind. Its simple, straightforward plot makes it an ideal choice for a quick read. Additionally, the manga has been published in English, allowing you to add it to your collection and revisit the story whenever you’d like.

Synopsis: Kazuki is a high school boy who lives alone in an apartment. One day when he is taking out the trash, he sees a girl with pale skin wearing a Lolita costume near the trash. He ignores her unintentionally but when he is passing by her, she asks “Would you like a little sister?” and he says yes, despite already having a little sister.

After that, every night Kazuki feels like her little sister is visiting him but when he asks her, she says no. Kazuki soon realizes that the Lolita girl is stalking him and even trying to enter his house daily. Will Kazuki regret the affirmation that he made to this Lolita girl about having a little sister and endangering the life of her real little sister?

11. Kiriko

Created by one of the most talented horror manga artists of this generation, Honda Shingo, “Kiriko” is a tragic horror story that should not be missed. Its distinctive art style emphasizes the intricate details of the human body, adding to its eerie atmosphere.

The character design of the villain Kiriko and her ghost is truly the stuff of nightmares, which is exactly what one would expect from this author. Regrettably, the manga has not yet been officially translated into English, but fan translations can be found online for those eager to experience this chilling tale.

Synopsis: A group of high school friends plans a reunion after so many years to remember their dead high school friend “Kiriko”, when they receive a letter from K, which they all think is Katao, one of these friends. When they all get together in the school, they realize that Katao is not the person who invited them all to this reunion.

Things start to get strange when one of these friends is killed brutally in the washroom by a monstrous ghost. Soon, they realize that this ghost is Kiriko, who is out for revenge after all these years and she has trapped all of them in the school. But why is her ghost trying to kill all of her friends who were good to her? Are we missing some kind of flashback about the relation of Kiriko to all of these people during high school?

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10. Pumpkin Night

“Pumpkin Night” falls within the slasher genre, which typically involves a killer stalking victims with sharp objects. While the plot may not be particularly intricate or profound, the horror elements truly stand out.

In many slasher-genre stories, it’s often possible to predict the stalker’s next move. However, in “Pumpkin Night,” readers are confronted with the true brutality and ruthlessness of the stalkers.

Synopsis: Naoko is an intelligent and diligent high school girl who loves to celebrate Halloween and is kind to everyone. But she is also bullied by many people in his class. Due to this bullying, she becomes mentally ill and is admitted to a mental hospital.

She reaches her wit’s end there and escapes the hospital by killing every staff member. Now, she has only one aim: to kill every person who bullied her during high school and she does this by disguising herself by wearing a Halloween Pumpkin mask. Will someone be saved by the claws of this maniac girl?

9. August 9: I Will Be Eaten By You

It is either a hit or miss when an artist other than Ito Junji tries to draw body horror, but it was a hit for “August 9: I Will Be Eaten by You”. It has a very engaging plot despite being a horror manga.

The main attraction of this manga is the yandere female protagonist of the series who is head-over-heal for the main character.

Synopsis: Sakurai is a teenage boy who is being followed by ghosts all his life since his childhood. One day, his friend Ueda attacks him by transforming him into a monster, but, he is saved by his other classmate, Miyako. After this scenario, Sakurai comes to know that all ghosts are stalking him while being in the form of beautiful girls because all of them love him.

Even the girl, who saved him, Miyako, is also a ghost. These ghosts are termed as the urban legends of Japan, and he has to escape them, or else he will get killed. Will these ghosts ever leave the side of Sakurai?

Also Read: Top 15 Best Isekai Anime That Are Worth Watching

8. Hakaijuu

“Hakaijuu” boasts some of the most impressive monster designs in the genre. Each new creature that appears every few chapters is both horrifying and captivating.

At times, it’s hard to believe that such intricate designs were hand-drawn. However, it’s worth noting that the story may lose some of its momentum in the middle, making it feel slightly dull at times.

Synopsis: “Hakaijuu,” tells us the story of two best friends Akira and Eiji who are betting on a basketball game to decide who will confess to their crush Miku first. But unfortunately, before the game, an earthquake arrives. When Akira and Miku wake up after the disaster, they see that the whole world is now divided into two parts and the part that they are on has vile monsters who have massacred almost half of the population.

And to add to the trouble, Eiji is also missing. Will these survivor high school students be able to find their friend Eiji and resolve this unknown mystery that is taking place around them?

7. Jagaaaaaan

Drawing inspiration from the popular manga series “Parasyte,” “Jagaaaaaan” offers a more mystery-focused narrative accompanied by refined and visually stunning artwork. Created by the same author behind “Blue Lock,” this manga doesn’t disappoint in any aspect.

From its eye-catching art style to its compelling plot twists, “Jagaaaaaan” has it all. The only downside is that it hasn’t been officially translated into English. However, the entire manga can be found and enjoyed online through unofficial fan translations.

Synopsis: Shintarou is a teenage boy who is bored with his everyday life. One day, his boring life comes to an end when he witnesses a murder that is committed by a person with a monster face. When he is about to be murdered, he helplessly aims his fingers at the monster person and shoots like a person. Surprisingly, the monster guy dies as a projectile emerged from his fingertips and killed it.

He later learns from an owl that he is infected by Mad Xenopus, a frog-like parasite that controls the body according to its desire, just like the monster person. Gaining this new power, Shintarou decides to eradicate all of these monster people. Will he be successful or will he fall prey to this immense power?

6. Made in Abyss

Although most of the characters in Made in Abyss are children, it is not a fun adventure series. It might not be a strict horror manga, but, the scenarios and situations the little children face are certainly horrifying and dark.

Synopsis: Riko, a twelve-year-old girl, is a rookie diver of the Abyss who ventures into the upper layers of the Abyss in search of new things. She has one aim: to follow her mother “Lyza (The Annihilator),” a veteran diver in the depths of the Abyss. But she is not allowed to dive into Abyss as she is just a little girl. One day, she encounters a mysterious boy, the same age as her, who came out of the Abyss, and after examining him, she declares that he is not human and names him “Reg.”

Reg has no idea about his origins, so both secretly enter the Abyss’s depths in high hopes. But soon, they witness the horrors of the Abyss and realize they might even lose their humanity in this bottomless Abyss just out of curiosity.

5. Mieruko-chan

“Mieruko-chan” is simply what you expect from a horror manga. Ghosts that are always present around you and all that creepy stuff. But the stupid yet interesting thing about it is that the protagonist tries to ignore them.

This makes you want to see how long the protagonist can keep up this act, making it so popular. Also, it has some horrid ghost designs. The anime adaptation of this series was not accepted well. Fortunately, this manga is being serialized in English, so, it will be a good addition to your collection.

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 she stays distracted this way. But how long can Miku act ignorant of these ghosts?

4. Tomie

At last, the King of the Horror genre, Junji Ito, makes his appearance with “Tomie,” his first official manga series from the late 1980s. This manga feels timeless, showcasing Ito’s remarkable ability to portray his chilling imagination early in his career.

The atmospheric vibe, the provocative art style, and the boundless creativity are all reasons why Junji Ito was deemed the King of Horror so early in his career.

Synopsis: “Tomie” is the story of a beautiful high school girl named Tomie who is admired by every person and boys wish they could date her. One day, the news comes out that she died and small pieces of her body were scattered around. The next day, Tomie appears at school and everybody is shocked. She targets the teacher and tells him to admire her.

Annoyed by her behavior, her classmates kill her again and scatter her dead body pieces all around town, just like before. But there is no use escaping from her as she returns in every chapter as a beautiful female who likes to make boys her servants and live a luxurious life. will someone be able to end this endless curse of Tomie?

3. Gantz

“Gantz” is an exceptional action-horror manga that appeals to a wide range of manga fans. The art style truly sets it apart, showcasing the author’s ability to transition from simple humanoid creatures to grotesque, gigantic monsters, which is highly commendable.

The body horror in some of the panels evokes the artistic style of Ito Junji, which is definitely a positive aspect.

Synopsis: “Gantz” follows the story of Kei and Masaru who are both killed when they are pushed in front of a train. After dying, they are summoned inside a room limb by limb where many people suffered the same fate as both of them.

The purpose of summoning all of these people here is to play a game that involves eradicating aliens from the surroundings and surviving to witness the next day. But every time these people go out to fight, gory killing takes place, which also involves the people. Will Kei and Masaru be able to stand this daily torture and survive, despite being dead already?

2. Jinmen

Often considered the most underrated horror manga, “Jinmen” is a hidden gem that many have yet to discover. Its disturbing and unsettling horror may even cause readers to pause midway to catch their breath.

Moreover, the cover art of each volume is both captivating and visually appealing. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been an announcement regarding its official English translation, but we remain hopeful that this exceptional manga will receive the recognition it deserves. You can still read the series via fan translations.

Synopsis: Masato was fond of an elephant in the zoo when he was little. Unfortunately, he had to transfer to some other place and leave the elephant’s zoo too. After a lot of years, he returns to the zoo to see his favorite elephant again. But something feels off about the zoo as people are now allowed to enter the caged animals. When he reaches his favorite elephant in the zoo, he senses strange in it.

Upon closer examination, the elephant has a human face and immediately breaks the cage when Masato comes near it. All the animals have human faces now and they prey upon humans. Will these animals change the natural food cycle and make humans the prey now?

1. Uzumaki

The intriguing aspect of “Uzumaki” is that as you read it, a chilling atmosphere seems to envelop you, creating the sensation of being immersed in the manga’s world. We highly await the anime adaptation of this manga!

Synopsis: “Uzumaki,” tells us the story of a normal town girl Kirie who lives a basic and mundane life. One day, she witnesses her boyfriend’s father staring at the shell of a snail. She gets worried and tells her boyfriend Shuuichi who is already worried because of his father due to his strange behavior recently.

Shuuichi tells her that they should leave the town as strange things are happening here but she does not pay this talk much heed. After a few days, Shuuichi’s father dies and a myth is produced that whoever is obsessed with any spiral figure, either dies or disappears. Will Kirie be able to escape this mythic curse or will she fall prey to it?

We would love to hear your feedback on our list of the “Top 12 Best Horror Manga to Read.” Did we overlook your favorite horror manga? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.