First, we'll start with my lists because we all know that's what you're here for. (And you know how I looooove to make lists.) Some of these will be true horror, featuring hideous monsters, slashing serial killers, and bloody gore. Others will be horror-adjacent, featuring the tropes of horror stories or horror characters in non-horrific settings, such as headless detectives, monsters chillin' at school, and chosen ones with creepy BFFs.
The Top Twenty-One All-Time
1. Perfect Blue
2. Higurashi When They Cry
3. Serial Experiments Lain
4, Bakamonogatari (and the rest of the -gatari series)
4. Angels of Death
6. Akira
7. Junji Ito Collection
8. Shiki
9. Yamibashi: Theater of Darkness
10. Blood C
11. Killing Bites
11. Another
13. Dead Space
14. Parasyte
15. Red Garden
16. Ghost Hunt
17. Call of the Night
18. Devil Lady
19. Hell Girl
20. Dusk Maiden of Amnesia
21. Demon City Shinjukin
Top Vampire Anime
- Call of the Night
- Shiki
- Rosario +Vampire
- Blood C
- Nightwalker: Eternal Darkness
- Dance in the Vampire Bund /
- Diabolik Lovers
- A Dark Rabbit Has Seven Lives
- Vampire Hunter D
- Actually, I Am
Top Slasher / Serial Killer Anime
- Perfect Blue
- Higurashi When They Cry
- Angels of Death
- Another
- Future Diary
- Karakuri Circus
- Rin: Daughters of Mnemosyne
- Ninja Scroll
- Talentless Nana
- The Magical Girl Site
Top Monster Anime
- Akira
- Parasyte
- Dororo
- Chainsaw Man
- Frankenstein Family
- Hellsing
- Berserk
- Claymore
- Nyaruko: Crawling with Love
- The Island of Giant Insects
Top Monster-Girls Anime
- Bakamonogatari (and the rest of the -gatari series)
- Monster Musume
- Rosario + Vampire
- Killing Bites
- Journal of the Mysterious Creatures
- Monster Girl Doctor
- Interviews with Monster Girls
- How Not To Summon a Demon Lord
- Arifureta: From Commonplace To World’s Strongest
- Omamori Himari
Top Ghost Anime
- Dusk Maiden of Amnesia
- Ghost Hunt
- Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs
- Ghost Stories
- Corpse Party: Tortured Souls
- Death Parade
- Ghost Hound
- Mononoke
- The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window
- Muhyo & Roji's Bureau of Supernatural Investigation
Top Zombie Anime
- Tokyo Ghoul
- Attack on Titan
- Dead Space
- Sankarea: Undying Love
- Corpse Princess
- Is This a Zombie?
- Kabeneri of the Iron Fortress
- Zombieland Saga
- High School of the Dead
- LilyC.A.T.
Top Aliens Monster Anime
- Parasyte
- Red Garden
- The Promised Neverland
- Argento Soma
- BEM
Top "And Then There Were None" / Deadly Games Anime
- Angels of Death
- Killing Bites
- Future Diary
- Akudama Drive
- Darwin's Game
Top Monsters at School Anime
- Rosario + Vampire
- Beastars
- Monster Musume
- High School DxD
- Testament of Sister New Devil
- Dusk Maiden of Amnesia
- Vermeil in Gold
- Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-Kun
- Sankarea: Undying Love
- High School of the Dead
Top Horror Anthology Anime
- Pet Shop of Horrors
- Boogiepop Phantom
- Yamibashi: Theater of Darkness
- Junji Ito Collection
- Hell Girl
- Ayakashi: Samurai Horror
- Mushi-shi
- Boogiepop and Others
- xxxHOLic
- Monogatari
Top Demons/ Devils Anime
- Demon City Shinjukin
- Devil Lady
- High School DXD
- Testament of Sister New Devil
- Devil Man
- Devil May Cry
- Hell Girl
- Vermeil in Gold
- Demon Slayer
- Demon Lord Dante
Top Witch Anime
- Witchcraft Works
- Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches
- The Ancient Magus Bride
- Howl’s Moving Castle
- Kiki’s Delivery Service
- Puella Magi Madoka Magica
- Burn The Witch
- Witch Hunter Robin
- Grimoire of Zero
- Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina
Top Yokai Anime
- Undead Murder Farce
- Kamisama Kiss
- Spirited Away
- Tsugumomo
- Noragami
- Mushi-shi
- Spice and Wolf
- Elegent Yokai Apartment Life
- Into the Forest of Fireflies’ Light
- Natsume’s Book of Friends
Other Lists
The following are also interesting lists of top horror anime, many of which -- you'll notice -- agree with me.
10 Best Horror Anime That'll Give You Nightmares For Days
10 Best Horror Anime To Watch This Halloween
Anime Monsters: 15 Of The Most Terrifying Creatures and Demons
