Best Horror Animes to Watch[2026]: Top 20 Supernatural Picks

Horror anime has surged in popularity over the past two years, offering viewers a unique way to experience fear in a safe environment. The genre allows people to confront their inner anxieties and release daily stress through compelling narratives that blend the supernatural, psychological depth, and suspense—without the overwhelming intensity of live-action horror films. This relatable appeal, combined with growing diversity and accessibility on streaming platforms, has drawn more audiences to explore dark-themed animated stories.

In this article, I'll introduce some recommended horror animes worth watching in 2026, and briefly touch on how to create horror anime using AI tools—from generating scripts and illustrations to producing videos, making the creative process more approachable for enthusiasts.

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Top 20 Horror Animes in 2026

To dive into the world of horror anime, here is our curated list of the top 20 horror animes worth watching in 2026, covering a wide range of subgenres to suit different tastes.

1Death Note

A genius high school student named Light Yagami discovers a supernatural notebook that kills anyone whose name is written in it. He embarks on a twisted mission to eliminate criminals and become the "god" of a crime-free world, while a mysterious detective known only as L hunts him down, sparking a deadly psychological battle.

A masterclass in quiet psychological horror—See the hero slow descent into madness is far more chilling than jump scares. If you liked Death Note's cat-and-mouse tension, try ID:INVADED.

2Mieruko-chan

Miko Yotsuya is an ordinary high school girl who suddenly gains the ability to see terrifying, grotesque ghosts and spirits. This horror anime about girl who can see ghosts follows her as she pretends not to notice them to avoid being targeted, leading to hilarious and tense daily situations as she navigates school life with constant supernatural scares.

Lighthearted spooky fun with zero nightmare fuel—Miko's deadpan reactions balance fear and laughs perfectly.

3Another

In 1998, transfer student Kouichi Sakakibara moves to a small town and joins a class haunted by a deadly curse linked to a deceased student. As his classmates begin dying in brutal, unexplained ways, he teams up with a mysterious eyepatch-wearing girl to uncover the terrifying truth behind the curse before it claims them all.

This curse-driven horror left me checking over my shoulder for days—one of the scariest classic horror anime. If you loved Another's deadly curse plot, try Shiki.

4The Summer Hikaru Died

In a quiet rural town, two best friends, Yoshiki and Hikaru, spend their summer together—but Hikaru is not himself. Something sinister has taken over his body, and Yoshiki struggles to hold onto his friend while confronting the inhuman entity wearing his face.

Hauntingly beautiful and deeply sad—its body horror and lost-love theme stuck with me long after watching.

5Perfect Blue

Mima Kirigoe, a former J-pop idol, retires from music to pursue acting, only to be stalked by a deranged fan. As she takes on darker roles, her grip on reality shatters—she experiences vivid hallucinations, mixing real life and her on-screen persona, while people around her are brutally murdered.

Its identity-crisis storyline and stalker-horror vibe messed with my head for weeks. If you liked Perfect Blue's anime style, the same team also made Paprika.

6Hell Girl (Jigoku Shoujo)

There exists a mysterious website that only appears at midnight: the Hell Correspondence. By typing a name, you can send someone you hate to Hell, but the cost is your own soul after death. The Hell Girl, Enma Ai, carries out these vengeful requests, revealing humanity's dark, twisted grudges.

A classic old-school anime—each vengeance story leaves a haunting, bitter aftertaste.

7Ghost Hunt

High school student Mai Taniyama accidentally breaks equipment belonging to Shibuya Psychic Research, a team that investigates supernatural phenomena. She joins as a part-time assistant, helping solve haunted house cases, exorcise spirits, and uncover the truth behind terrifying paranormal events.

Fun and spooky ghost-hunting cases—ideal for viewers who love light paranormal horror.

8ID:INVADED

In a futuristic world, investigators use a special system to enter "id wells"—subconscious mindscapes of serial killers—to solve crimes. Brilliant detective Narihisago Akihito navigates these twisted mental worlds to track murderers, uncovering his own tragic past along the way.

Brilliantly creative—diving into killers' minds makes for a uniquely tense horror experience.

9Future Diary

Yukiteru Amano, a lonely loner, receives a "Future Diary" that predicts the future. He is forced into a deadly survival game with 11 other diary holders, where the winner becomes God. He teams up with Yuno Gasai, a beautiful but violently obsessive girl who will kill anyone to protect him.

Intense and chaotic—Yuno's obsessive love is one of horror anime's most terrifying character arcs.

10Shiki

A quiet, isolated rural village is plagued by a series of mysterious deaths. As the bodies pile up, the villagers realize they are being hunted by vampire-like creatures called Shiki, leading to a brutal, desperate fight for survival that blurs the line between human and monster.

Its oppressive, gloomy atmosphere is far scarier than cheap jump scares—deeply unsettling from start to finish.

11In/Spectre

Kotoko Iwanaga became the Goddess of Wisdom for spirits and yokai after losing an eye and leg. She solves supernatural disputes between humans and spirits, teaming up with immortal Kurou Sakuragawa to debunk dangerous urban legends and calm vengeful spirits.

Charming and light-spooky—great for viewers who want supernatural stories without intense fear.

12The Promised Neverland

Emma, Norman, and Ray live in a perfect orphanage—until they discover the horrifying truth. The trio plans a desperate escape to survive and save their family.

Season 1 is a masterpiece—the orphanage secret is one of anime horror's most shocking twists.

13High-Rise Invasion

High school student Yuri Honjo is trapped in a bizarre world of connected skyscrapers, where masked, murderous killers hunt humans. She must fight to survive, find her brother, and uncover the mystery of this deadly, inescapable realm.

Nonstop tense and violent—masked killers on skyscrapers deliver constant heart-pounding scares.

14Paprika

A revolutionary device called the DC Mini lets therapists enter patients' dreams. When it's stolen, dream detective Paprika hunts the thief, who traps people in endless deadly nightmares and merges the real world with chaotic dreamscapes.

Visually stunning and mind-bending—the line between dreams and reality is terrifyingly blurred. If you liked Paprika's dream horror, try Perfect Blue.

15Ghost Hound

Three traumatized boys in a small mountain town gain the ability to enter the "Unseen World," a spirit realm between life and death. As they explore, they uncover the town's dark secrets and confront their own repressed fears.

Eerie and quiet—its dreamlike horror creeps under your skin slowly and lingers.

16Angels of Death

13-year-old Rachel Gardner wakes up in a strange abandoned building with no memories. She meets Zack, a scythe-wielding serial killer, and makes a deal: if he helps her escape, she will let him kill her. Together they navigate the building's deadly floors and deranged inhabitants.

Creepy and heartfelt—the twisted bond between Rachel and Zack is both scary and strangely touching.

17Le Portrait de Petit Cossette

Young art student Eiri Kurahashi becomes obsessed with an antique glass portrait of Cossette, a girl murdered centuries ago. Cossette's vengeful spirit possesses him, forcing him to relive her death and exact revenge on her killer's descendants.

Hauntingly beautiful and tragic—Cossette's vengeful ghost is both sad and terrifying.

18Pet Shop of Horrors

In Chinatown, Count D runs a mysterious pet shop selling rare magical creatures—each with strict rules. Break the rules, and the pet unleashes a horrifying curse that punishes the owner's deepest desires and flaws.

Every pet comes with a deadly curse—these short, twisted tales are endlessly chilling.

19Kagewani

A mysterious parasite called Kagewani mutates animals into terrifying, bloodthirsty monsters that attack humans. Scientist Sosuke Banba investigates these creatures, uncovering a government cover-up and the parasite's terrifying origin.

Fast, ferocious monster scares—perfect for a quick, spooky watch.

20Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories

Using classic kamishibai (paper theater) style, each short episode tells a terrifying Japanese urban legend or ghost story, from cursed objects and vengeful spirits to supernatural phenomena, delivering pure classic horror in minutes.

The ultimate short horror anime—each traditional ghost story is short, sharp, and deeply scary.

How to Make Horror Anime Video

If you're a horror anime lover or creator, you've probably thought, "I wish I could make my own horror anime too"—maybe an anime horror story, a fan animation, or a twisted nightmare you want to bring to life. But the reality hits hard: editing, animation, and putting together a polished video can feel way too technical, like you need a whole studio just to get started.

That's why I recommend Novi AI—like a personal backstage crew for any creator. You just take your darkest, creepiest scripts and turn them into smooth, professional horror anime videos easily, on your own.

Step 1Craft Your Story

Every great video starts with a good concept. With Novi AI, you have two powerful options to begin. If you already have a terrifying script written out, simply navigate to our Story to Video feature and paste your text directly. However, if you have a vague idea—perhaps a haunted school or a cursed videotape—but are struggling with the dialogue, you can try Gemini to flesh out a full narrative from a simple prompt.

Step 2Define the Visual Style and Generate Shots

Once your script is locked in, it's time to decide how your horror story looks. In the style selection menu, choose an Anime aesthetic. You might opt for a gritty, dark fantasy look or perhaps a deceptive "Ghibli-esque" style to create a disturbing contrast with your horror themes. Novi AI will then analyze your script and auto-generate a storyboard of individual shots.

The "Check" Phase: Review the static shots generated for each scene. If a shot isn't quite right, you can regenerate specific shot until every frame captures the perfect level of dread.

Step 3Animate and Finalize

Now, watch your nightmare move. Click to generate the final video, and Novi AI will transform those static shots into a fluid, animated long-form video (up to 10 minutes). The platform automatically syncs the visuals with audio, allowing you to choose from over 50 AI voices to deliver the narration or dialogue. Once the rendering is complete, you can download your horror anime video without any watermarks.

FAQs About Horror Anime

1 Which horror anime has the best horror anime characters?

In my view, Death Note's Light and L, Another's Mei Misaki, and Future Diary's Yuno Gasai are among the most iconic horror anime characters—each bringing unique psychological depth to their stories.

2 What horror animation series has the best art style?

Perfect Blue and Paprika feature stunning horror anime background art. For TV series, Another and Shiki excel in creating oppressive atmospheres through detailed environmental design.

3 Are there any horror anime with strong psychological themes?

Yes, "Perfect Blue" and "Paprika" explore identity, paranoia, and blurred reality—perfect for fans of psychological horror.

4 What horror anime on Netflix are worth watching?

"High-Rise Invasion" and "The Promised Neverland" are fan favorites available on Netflix with suspenseful survival plots.

5 Is there a tool to create anime-style horror stories?

Yes, Novi AI can help you design and animate chilling, anime-style story videos using advanced AI models and tools.

Conclusion

After exploring these 20 outstanding horror animes—spanning psychological thrills, supernatural chills, monster horror, and more—we hope you've found titles that align with your tastes, whether you prefer slow-burn suspense or quick, terrifying bites. Beyond enjoying these curated stories, Novi AI has made it easier than ever for anyone to create their own horror anime: you don't need professional artistic or technical skills to generate engaging scripts, design haunting illustrations, or produce short videos. Embrace your creativity now, experiment with these AI tools, and turn your dark, imaginative stories and ideas into unique horror anime works.

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Article by
Aaron Smith

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A dedicated content creator in the AI space, focused on building clear and practical resources around AI image generation, AI video creation, and modern AI models. Through hands-on tutorials, real-world examples, and tool breakdowns, the goal is to help users better understand how generative AI works and how to use it effectively for creative and professional projects.