Horror anime in 2026 is no longer confined to cheap jump scares or excessive gore. Instead, the genre has evolved into a rich spectrum of psychological terror, supernatural dread, grotesque body horror, and even dark comedy that unsettles in unexpected ways. From intimate, character-driven nightmares to chaotic worlds ruled by curses, demons, and urban legends, modern horror anime is more diverse—and more daring—than ever before. This guide is built for viewers who want more than surface-level scares. Whether you’re drawn to mind-breaking psychological horror, eerie folklore, or horror-comedy hybrids that balance fear with absurdity, the titles below represent the strongest and most relevant horror anime to watch in 2026. Rather than listing everything that looks dark, we focus on works with clear horror DNA—series that disturb, linger, and challenge the viewer long after the screen goes dark.
Top 36 Horror Anime to Watch in 2026
The following 36 titles are organized by sub-genre, covering everything from new releases and ongoing hits to psychological terror, urban legends, extreme gore, horror comedy, and experimental anthologies.
📅 2026 New Releases & Ongoing Hits
The latest trending titles dominating the horror scene this year.
| Anime Title | Genre | Core Hook | MAL Score | Streaming Platform |
| Jujutsu Kaisen (S3) |
Supernatural Horror / Dark Fantasy (Horror-Adjacent) |
While action-driven, its curse lore and body horror imagery firmly anchor it in modern anime horror. |
8.62 | Crunchyroll |
| The Summer Hikaru Died | Eldritch Horror / Psychological Supernatural | Your best friend returns from the woods, but his skin is wearing something alien. | 8.02 |
|
| Kaya-chan Isn't Scary | Supernatural / Horror Comedy | A kindergartner who "violently" exorcises the horrific spirits only she can see. | 7.23 | Crunchyroll |
| The Holy Grail of Eris | Gothic Suspense / Light Supernatural Horror | A shy noble girl makes a pact with the ghost of an executed criminal to find a killer. | 7.10 | Crunchyroll |
| Hell’s Paradise (S2) | Body Horror / Survival Dark Fantasy | Convicts fight grotesque flower-deities on a shifting, lethal island. | 8.19 | Crunchyroll / Netflix |
| Let’s Go Kaikigumi |
Gag Horror / Supernatural Comedy |
A man 6x more sensitive to ghosts than average is forced to help a ghost girl revive a "Supernatural Management" group. |
N/A | Crunchyroll (TBS) |
| Daemons of the Shadow Realm |
Supernatural Horror / Dark Mythology |
A hunter's village is a lie; he must survive a modern military massacre with the help of ancient, eerie twin spirits. |
N/A (Starts April 4) |
Crunchyroll（TBS） |
🧠Psychological Terror (Mind-Bending)
Anime that gets under your skin and messes with your perception of reality.
| Anime Title | Sub-Genre | Core Hook | MAL Score | Streaming Platform |
| Takopi's Original Sin |
Psychological Horror / Trauma Narrative |
A naive alien uses "happy gadgets" to help a girl, triggering a spiral of trauma and violence. |
8.77 | Crunchyroll |
| Perfect Blue | Psychological Horror / Identity Collapse | A pop idol’s reality fractures as a stalker and her own hallucinations close in. | 8.55 | Prime Video |
| Serial Experiments Lain | Existential Horror / Cyberpunk Psychological | A girl discovers the power of the "Wired," blurring the line between god and machine. | 8.10 | Amazon |
| Paranoia Agent | Psychological Horror / Social Anxiety | A mysterious boy on skates attacks people, granting them a twisted "escape" from stress. | 7.66 | Crunchyroll |
| From the New World | Dystopian Psychological Horror | Children in a psychic utopia discover the horrific secret of those who fail. | 8.24 | Crunchyroll |
| Shiki | Psychological Horror / Rural Gothic | A slow-burn tragedy where a small village is methodically turned into a graveyard. | 7.71 | Crunchyroll |
| Higurashi: When They Cry | Psychological Horror / Time-Loop Paranoia | Cute girls and summer festivals spiral into brutal, paranoid murder loops. | 7.87 | Crunchyroll |
| Texhnolyze |
Nihilistic Horror / Existential Despair |
A boxer loses his limbs and is "rebuilt" in a dying underground city where hope has been extinct for generations. |
7.75 | Crunchyroll |
👻Supernatural & Urban Legends
Traditional scares, vengeful spirits, and things that go bump in the night.
| Anime Title | Sub-Genre | Core Hook | MAL Score | Streaming Platform |
| Mononoke | Folklore Horror / Avant-Garde Supernatural | A mysterious Medicine Seller unravels the "Truth" of vengeful spirits. | 8.41 | Crunchyroll |
| Dark Gathering | Modern Supernatural Horror / Spirit Combat | A girl captures horrific ghosts to use them as "Pokémon" against a dark god. | 7.84 | HIDIVE |
| Hell Girl | Revenge Horror / Urban Legend | Type a name at midnight to send an enemy to Hell—at the cost of your own soul. | 7.87 | Netflix |
| Another | Curse Horror / Supernatural Slasher | A classroom curse triggers "Final Destination" style deaths to hide a dead student. | 7.46 | Crunchyroll |
| Black Butler |
Gothic Horror / Demonic Contract (Horror-Adjacent) |
More gothic atmosphere than pure terror, but undeniably rooted in demonic horror traditions. |
7.65 | Crunchyroll |
| Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales | Folklore Horror Anthology | A terrifying anthology of classic ghost stories, including the infamous Goblin Cat. | 7.37 | Amazon（DVD） |
| Ghost Stories (Dub) | Parody Horror / Satirical Supernatural | The ghosts are real, but the English script is a legendary, chaotic improv comedy. | 7.75 | Crunchyroll |
| Witch Hunter Robin |
Gothic Horror / Thriller |
A quiet pyrokinetic girl hunts "Witches" for a secret organization, only to realize she is becoming the very thing she hunt |
7.23 | Crunchyroll |
| Requiem from the Darkness |
Folklore Horror / Grotesque Morality Tales |
An aspiring author meets three outlaws who dispense divine punishment by twisting folklore into gruesome reality. |
7.06 | Tubi |
🩸 Gore, Survival & Body Horror
Visceral, bloody, and visually shocking encounters.
| Anime Title | Sub-Genre | Core Hook | MAL Score | Streaming Platform |
| Devilman Crybaby | Apocalyptic Horror / Body & Existential Horror | An ultra-violent, neon-soaked descent into the total destruction of humanity. | 7.74 | Netflix |
| Parasyte: The Maxim | Body Horror / Sci-Fi Survival | Alien parasites replace human heads; a boy and his "right hand" fight to survive. | 8.32 | Netflix |
| Elfen Lied | Extreme Gore Horror / Tragic Violence | A mutant girl escapes a lab, leaving a trail of limbs in her wake. | 7.46 | Crunchyroll |
| Tokyo Ghoul | Body Horror / Dark Urban Fantasy | A boy becomes a half-ghoul and must navigate a world where he can only eat flesh. | 7.79 | Hulu/Crunchyroll |
😂 Comedy Thrillers & Dark Humor
Horror aesthetics blended with action, absurdity, or laughs.
| Anime Title | Sub-Genre | Core Hook | MAL Score | Streaming Platform |
| Dandadan | Supernatural Action Horror Comedy | A boy and girl lose their "vital organs" to a perverted spirit and fight back. | 8.43 | Crunchyroll |
| Dorohedoro | Grotesque Fantasy / Dark Humor Horror | A lizard-headed man eats magicians' heads to find the one who cursed him. | 8.04 | Netflix |
| Mieruko-chan | Deadpan Supernatural Horror Comedy | A girl sees monsters everywhere but must ignore them so they don't realize. | 7.38 | Crunchyroll |
| Zombie Land Saga | Absurd Horror Comedy / Zombie Satire | Seven girls from different eras are resurrected as zombies to form an idol group. | 7.50 | Crunchyroll |
| Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle | Gag Horror / Fantasy Parody | A kidnapped princess "terrorizes" her demon captors for a good night's sleep. | 7.95 | Crunchyroll |
🎥 Anthology & Experimental Shorts
Quick bites of terror and unique artistic visions.
| Anime Title | Format | Core Hook | MAL Score | Streaming Platform |
| Boogiepop Phantom |
Experimental Psychological Horror |
A town’s dark memories manifest as supernatural entities in a washed-out, nightmarish reality. |
7.18 | Crunchyroll |
| Theatre of Darkness: Yamishibai | Urban Legend Horror Shorts | Paper-theatre style urban legends that deliver a punch of dread in under 5 mins. | 6.99 | Crunchyroll |
| Pet Shop of Horrors | Supernatural Horror Anthology | A shop sells pets that grant wishes—but breaking the contract is fatal. | 7.24 | HIDIVE |
12 Must-Watch Horror Anime of 2026 (Editor’s Picks)
From these 36 titles, the following 12 stand out as the most essential horror anime to watch in 2026.
1. The Summer Hikaru Died
Where to Watch: Netflix
The Hook: A chilling "body-snatcher" mystery set in the sweltering heat of rural Japan.
The Terror: It explores the uncanny horror of loving something that is merely wearing the skin of your dead best friend. The dread isn't from monsters in the dark, but from the "wrongness" of a smile that looks exactly like the person you lost.
Why Watch: In 2026, this is the gold standard for "Eldritch Horror." It trades jumpscares for a persistent, nauseating sense of grief and existential unease.
The Plot: Yoshiki and Hikaru have been inseparable since childhood, living in a quiet mountain village. That changes when Hikaru goes missing on the mountain for a week and returns... different. Yoshiki is the first to notice that the boy standing before him is an impostor—a vast, ancient entity that has consumed the real Hikaru and mimicked his form and memories. Despite the realization that his best friend is dead, Yoshiki’s loneliness is so profound that he chooses to stay with the creature. As "Hikaru" begins to inadvertently warp the village’s reality, Yoshiki must decide how much of his own humanity he is willing to sacrifice to keep this fake Hikaru by his side.
2. Higurashi: When They Cry
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
The Hook: The ultimate "Time-Loop" slasher disguised as a cute slice-of-life.
The Terror: It masterfully uses "Moe" aesthetics to amplify the brutality of its violence. The terror lies in the psychological erosion caused by paranoia and the feeling that no matter how many times you reset, a bloody end is inevitable.
Why Watch: A masterpiece of mystery. You don't just watch the horror; you solve it alongside the characters as you peel back the layers of Hinamizawa's dark, cursed history.
The Plot: Keiichi Maebara has just moved to the peaceful village of Hinamizawa in 1983. He quickly befriends a group of local girls, but as the annual Watanagashi Festival approaches, he learns of a series of grisly murders and disappearances occurring every year on this date. His cheerful friends become eerily silent and evasive whenever the topic is raised. Soon, the village’s facade shatters. Through multiple timelines, the story resets, showing different characters spiraling into madness, all connected by a hidden conspiracy that spans generations.
3. Takopi's Original Sin
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
The Hook: A "Doraemon-gone-wrong" trauma narrative that will break your spirit.
The Terror: This is one of the most disturbing titles on the list. It deals with domestic abuse and school bullying through the eyes of a "pure" alien whose magic tools only make human tragedies more violent and irreversible.
Why Watch: A 2026 cultural phenomenon. It forces you to look at the ugly parts of reality that most anime ignore, wrapped in a deceptively innocent art style.
The Plot: Takopi is a naive alien from "Happy Planet" who travels to Earth to spread joy. He encounters Shizuka, a schoolgirl who never smiles. Determined to help, Takopi offers "Happy Tools," but he fails to understand the gravity of Shizuka’s life as a victim of horrific bullying and neglect. Every time Takopi tries to "fix" her life with magic, the situation spirals into further despair. When a shocking act of violence occurs, Takopi is forced to confront the "Original Sin" of his own interference in human suffering.
4. Daemons of the Shadow Realm
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll（TBS）
The Hook: A modern military massacre meets ancient supernatural folklore.
The Terror: It blends "Urban Legend" vibes with the cold, tactical violence of a military thriller. The "Daemons" are grotesque, twin-like spirits that are as unsettling in design as they are lethal in combat.
Why Watch: From the creator of Fullmetal Alchemist, this is 2026’s premier supernatural thriller. It’s a high-stakes conspiracy where nobody—not even your family—can be fully trusted.
The Plot: Yuru is a hunter living in a secluded mountain village, guarding his twin sister Asa. Their peaceful life is violently ended when modern special forces descend upon the village, slaughtering everyone. During the chaos, Yuru discovers his village was a lie and his "sister" was a fake. He awakens the "Daemons of the East"—Left and Right—ancient stone guardians that follow his command. Thrust into the modern world, Yuru must navigate a war between powerful families who wield Daemons like weapons.
5. Jujutsu Kaisen (S3): Shibuya Death Match Arc
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
The Hook: A battle royale of cursed techniques where the stakes are the survival of humanity.
The Terror: This arc abandons shonen tropes for pure "Survival Horror." It features visceral body horror and cold-blooded tactical murder, as characters are forced to kill or be killed in a ritualistic game.
Why Watch: The most anticipated anime of 2026. The "Culling Game" is a masterclass in tension, introducing ancient sorcerers with powers that defy human logic.
The Plot: Following the Shibuya Incident, Tokyo has become a wasteland infested with curses. The sinister Kenjaku has initiated the "Culling Game," a massive battle royale involving both modern-day and reincarnated sorcerers. Yuji and Megumi enter the game colonies to save Megumi’s sister. The rules are absolute: players must kill others to gain points or face their own death. As they battle through blood-soaked arenas, they realize the game's ultimate goal is a forced evolution that could end the human race.
6. Perfect Blue
Where to Watch: Prime Video
The Hook: The ultimate psychological thriller about the death of identity in the public eye.
The Terror: It blurs the line between reality and hallucinations so effectively that you feel the same vertigo as the protagonist. It is a haunting critique of celebrity obsession and the loss of privacy.
Why Watch: Even in 2026, it remains the most terrifyingly relevant anime film ever made. It is the "Inception" of anime horror.
The Plot: Mima Kirigoe is a pop idol who quits her group to become an actress. This transition is met with backlash from an obsessive stalker known as "Me-Mania." As Mima takes on provocative roles to shed her "innocent" image, her collaborators start turning up dead in gruesome ways. Haunted by a spectral vision of her "former self" that taunts her for "betraying" her fans, Mima’s grip on reality fractures as she finds a website documenting her private life with impossible accuracy.
7. Devilman Crybaby
Where to Watch: Netflix
The Hook: A neon-soaked apocalypse fueled by ultra-violence and nihilism.
The Terror: It depicts the total collapse of society. The terror isn't just the demons; it's the hysteria and xenophobia that turn humans into monsters worse than the ones they fear.
Why Watch: A sensory assault. Its unique art style and pulsating soundtrack create a trance-like experience that ends in one of the most devastating finales in anime history.
The Plot: Akira Fudo is reunited with his friend Ryo, who reveals that an ancient race of demons is returning to reclaim the Earth. Akira is possessed by the demon Amon but retains his human heart, becoming "Devilman." As Akira hunts demons, Ryo uses social media and mass hysteria to manipulate the world. Panic spreads, humanity turns on itself, and Akira is forced to watch as the people he loves are torn apart by their own neighbors.
8. Shiki
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
The Hook: A slow-burn "Vampire Invasion" that questions who the real monsters are.
The Terror: It excels at building a sense of dread. The terror shifts from the fear of the "un-dead" to the horrifying lengths humans will go to for "survival"—erasing the line between victim and predator.
Why Watch: The definitive "Rural Gothic" anime. If you like the atmospheric dread of a dying town, this is the perfect watch.
The Plot: In the scorching summer of a rural village, a series of mysterious deaths begins shortly after a strange family moves into a European-style castle. Dr. Toshio Ozaki initially suspects an epidemic but soon realizes the truth: the dead are rising as "Shiki." These vampires systematically turn the villagers one by one. As the population dwindles, the survivors’ desperation turns into a savage, blood-soaked counter-offensive.
9. Serial Experiments Lain
Where to Watch: Amazon
The Hook: A cyberpunk descent into the "God" of the Internet.
The Terror: It’s an existential terror about the dissolution of the self. The eerie, hum-filled silence and washed-out visuals create a feeling of total isolation and digital dread.
Why Watch: It predicted the modern internet 25 years ago. In 2026, its themes of digital identity and social fragmentation feel like a terrifying reality.
The Plot: Lain is a shy middle-schooler who receives an email from Chisa, a girl who recently committed suicide. In the email, Chisa claims she has only abandoned her physical body and now lives within "The Wired"—a global network. Curious, Lain begins to explore the Wired, only to find that another, bolder "Lain" already exists there. As the boundary between the real and virtual world vanishes, Lain discovers she is a program designed to merge humanity with the network.
10. Mononoke
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
The Hook: Avant-garde horror where vengeful spirits are born from human sin.
The Terror: The spirits (Mononoke) are not random; they are born from human guilt, jealousy, and rage. The terror lies in uncovering the "Truth" and "Reason" behind their creation.
Why Watch: Its art style looks like a living ukiyo-e print. It is a visual and intellectual feast of psychological retribution.
The Plot: A mysterious "Medicine Seller" travels through Japan to exorcise "Mononoke." He cannot draw his spirit-slaying sword until he uncovers three things: the spirit's Katachi (form), its Makoto (the truth of its existence), and its Kotowari (the heart of its grudge). Each arc is a detective story where he must navigate the lies of humans to reveal the trauma that gave birth to the monster.
11. Dorohedoro
Where to Watch: Netflix
The Hook: A lizard-headed man hunts magicians in a city of scrap and death.
The Terror: It features extreme body horror—characters are turned into mushrooms or melted—yet it maintains an upbeat, absurd tone that makes the casual violence even more unsettling.
Why Watch: The king of "Grotesque Fantasy." It is a chaotic, bloody war where the mystery of the protagonist's past is as addictive as the action.
The Plot: Caiman lives in "The Hole," where Sorcerers come to practice magic on humans. Caiman has a lizard head and amnesia. Accompanied by Nikaido, he hunts Sorcerers, sticking their heads in his mouth so a man living in his throat can identify his "curser." Meanwhile, the elite En Family sends their own cleaners to stop him. It’s a chaotic journey where everyone is a villain, and death is just a temporary inconvenience.
12. Dandadan
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
The Hook: High-octane action meets grotesque urban legends.
The Terror: While hilarious, the creature designs are truly nightmarish—from the "Turbo Granny" to eerie aliens that harvest organs. It captures the frantic energy of being hunted by something you can't explain.
Why Watch: A visual spectacle. It blends high-speed chases with genuine moments of supernatural terror, perfect for fans of modern horror-comedy.
The Plot: Momo believes in ghosts; Okarun believes in aliens. After a bet, they both stumble into real supernatural encounters. Momo is kidnapped by aliens, while Okarun is cursed by the "Turbo Granny." Together, they must navigate a world where urban legends are lethal and aliens are encroaching, fighting to regain Okarun’s body and their normal lives.
Conclusion
As 2026 proves, horror anime is no longer a niche thrill—it’s a diverse, boundary-pushing medium capable of exploring the darkest corners of the human psyche, supernatural terror, and absurdist dread. From meticulously crafted psychological horror to grotesque body horror, eerie folklore, and horror-comedy hybrids, this year’s slate offers something for every type of fear-seeker.
Whether you’re revisiting classics like Perfect Blue and Serial Experiments Lain, diving into new psychological nightmares such as Takopi’s Original Sin, or enjoying adrenaline-fueled supernatural battles in Jujutsu Kaisen (S3), the horror anime of 2026 invites viewers to confront fear in ways both familiar and profoundly unsettling.
So dim the lights, settle in, and prepare yourself. These are the stories that linger in your mind long after the screen goes dark—proof that the art of fear in anime has never been more alive, inventive, or unforgettable.