9 of the scariest horror anime ever made

Anime encompasses a broad range of genres, but we'd have to say horror anime is our favorite genre here at 1428 Elm. We've watched plenty of horror anime shows that left us frightened and/or unsettled after watching them, some of which we still think about to this day.

Are you looking for something to watch that'll give you chills? If so, you should check out our list below of some of the scariest horror anime ever made. However, it's important to mention that whether or not you find these anime shows scary is subjective and depends on your personal preferences and tolerance for horror. Remember, what one person finds scary may not have the same effect on someone else.

Attack on Titan

Based on the manga series of the same name, Attack on Titan takes places in a world where humanity is forced to live within enormous walled cities to protect themselves from the giant, man-eating Titans that roam the land outside the walls. The story centers around Eren Jaeger and his childhood friends, Mikasa and Armin, whose lives are forever changed when a special kind of titan breaches the walls surrounding their hometown, leading to the destruction of their home and the tragic death of Eren's mom. Now, Eren and his friends will stop at nothing to exterminate all Titans.

Where to watch: Crunchyroll

Parasyte -the maxim-

Based on the manga Parasyte by Hitoshi Iwaaki, Parasyte -the maxim- is a highly acclaimed anime series centering around a high school student named Shinichi Izumi, who becomes partially infected by an alien parasite (Migi) that takes over his right hand. Now that Migi is attached to his body, Shinichi must learn to co-exist with it in order to survive. As time goes on, Shinichi and Migi begin to encounter hostile parasites whose goal is to eradicate humanity, and they must work together to put a stop to them.

Where to watch: Crunchyroll

Chainsaw Man

Chainsaw Man is a very gory anime, so it's definitely not for the faint of heart. It follows a poverty-stricken young man named Denji, whose life is forever changed when he merges with a small, chainsaw-like Devil named Pochita and becomes a powerful devil-human hybrid creature. Denji was living a mundane life, trying his best to make ends meet, when he was betrayed and killed one night by the gangsters he worked for.

To save his master, Pochita sacrifices himself by fusing his body with Denji's, turning him into a devil-human hybrid with chainsaws for arms and incredible strength. Denji is then recruited by a Devil Hunter organization where he goes on dangerous missions to eliminate high-level devils in an effort to save humanity.

Where to watch: Crunchyroll

Tokyo Ghoul

Set in an alternate version of Tokyo where humans coexist with flesh-eating ghouls, Tokyo Ghoul centers around shy college student Ken Kaneki, who, after experiencing a freak accident, is transformed into a half-ghoul, half-human hybrid. Throughout the series, viewers watch as Kaneki struggles with his new half-ghoul identity while also grappling with his humanity.

Where to watch: Crunchyroll

Devilman Crybaby

Based on Go Nagai's classic manga series Devilman, Devilman Crybaby follows high school student Akira Fudo, who after merging with a powerful demon, transforms into a Devilman, a being with a demon's powers but who retains a human heart and consciousness. As a Devilman, Akira begins slaughtering other demons that threaten humanity while also setting out to save other demon-human hybrids like himself.

Where to watch: Netflix

Hellsing

Hellsing is an action-horror series based on the manga of the same name by Kouta Hirano. It's set in a world where supernatural creatures such as vampires and ghouls exist, and there's a secret British government agency called the Hellsing Organization that battles these threats.

The show centers around an extremely powerful and ancient vampire named Alucard, who works for the secret organization, and Seras Victoria, a former policewoman who becomes a vampire after she's turned by Alucard. Together, they hunt down rogue vampires, ghouls, and other supernatural threats lurking in the streets of England.

Where to watch: Crunchyroll

Another

This horror anime series set in 1998, follows a young boy named Kōichi Sakakibara, who moves to his hometown of Yomiyama to live with his grandparents and his aunt due to his father working abroad. However, once he transfers to Yomiyama North Middle School, he soon finds out that his class is plagued by a curse that has been the cause of many gruesome deaths since the '70s. Kōichi and his classmates then set out to unravel the mystery of the curse, ultimately putting their lives at risk.

Where to watch: Crunchyroll

Elfen Lied

Elfen Lied centers around a teen girl named Lucy, who is actually a mutant serial killer with a split personality hellbent on getting revenge against the human race.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

Corpse Party: Tortured Souls

Based on the popular Japanese survival horror video game Corpse Party, Corpse Party: Tortured Souls is a four-episode anime series about a group of high school students who, after performing a friendship ritual that goes terribly wrong, are transported to the haunted Heavenly Host Elementary School. There, they must try to survive against the malevolent entities haunting the school and find a way back to their own world. Unfortunately, it's unknown where you can watch this horror anime series.

What are some of your favorite horror anime?

To stay up to date on all things horror and 1428 Elm, follow our Facebook page and Twitter account!