Top 20 Scary Anime on Netflix, Crunchyroll, Funimation & Hulu (Horror Anime 2023)

Scary anime is a different vibe entirely, and it has a different fanbase. The horror genre is not for everyone, as it can be too much to consume for some people.

Either the gore or the horror elements end up being a big turn-off for many casual watchers. Regardless of this, there has been a plethora of scary anime on various platforms.

The horror, supernatural, and mystery elements would be the greatest selling points in this genre. And today, we will be taking a look at some of the scariest anime which are available on Netflix, Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Hulu.

Some of the anime in this list might be too gory and unsuitable for all ages. Enough said, let us get to the ranking part of the anime already.

Top 20 Scary Anime on Netflix, Crunchyroll, Funimation & Hulu

Scary Anime on Netflix

5) Japanese Tales of the Macabre

Starting with the latest release, Japanese Tales of the Macabre is a horror short story compilation by the legend Junji Ito. The series had adapted over 20 stories from his manga collection.

Having an excess of horror elements, this one is a must-watch for fans of the genre. In certain episodes, the horror and the gore would become too much to handle as Junji Ito keeps inventing new techniques to frighten people.

4) Another

What happens when an entire class is wrapped in a web of curses and tragedies? This is the story of our protagonist Kouichi, who has to navigate through the horrors in his school along with Mei to stay alive.

Fret not, this anime would be the perfect weekend watch as it is a short series too. Another is quite scary with its horror elements,  and jump scares and has some of the most brutal deaths for some characters.

3) Tokyo Ghoul

Kaneki Ken is a normal university student with goals and ambitions. His world was turned upside down after a ghoul Rize attacks him.

Shortly after, Kaneki turns into a half-human half-ghoul. Ghouls are species that require the consumption of human flesh to survive. What can be more horrific than watching Ghouls hunt and eat humans on screen?

2) Higurashi When They Cry

A textbook anime that screams of misdirection, Higurashi is the least anime anyone would expect horrific elements from. Higurashi is a slow burn, which starts getting darker and scarier with each passing arc.

The characters, as well as the scenarios, are brilliantly shown to inflict fear on viewers. Starting with a comedic and positive tone, Higurashi just keeps getting gorier with each plot twist.

1) Parasyte: The Maxim

Coming with yet another human-feeding monster species, Parasyte looks similar to Tokyo Ghoul at first glance but is way different. Shinichi loses his right hand to a parasite, as it keeps continuously feeding on his arm.

Parasites are beings that tear up and devour humans to quench their thirst. They have an extreme level of bloodlust and are very dangerous when they take over the mind of humans.

Shinichi now needs to find and fight his way around this scary world filled with parasites and hunters. Parasyte is the scariest anime on Netflix, given its plot and mystery beings.

Scary Anime on Crunchyroll 

5) Corpse Princess

Ouri Kagami is used to seeing corpses but is scared and shocked after witnessing Keisei Tagami reviving the corpse of Makina Hoshimura.

He later learns that she is undead and her purpose is to eliminate any threats. On top of having plenty of gore, this anime has its scary moments which make it a worthwhile watch.

4) Mieruko-chan

What happens if one day, you were suddenly able to see the existence of all ghosts near your vicinity? Miko Yotsuya is such a girl who can see the ghosts and monsters beside her.

But she bravely decides to ignore all the ghosts to lead her peaceful life. But, the monsters also do not give up as they keep scaring Miko and the viewers consistently with their appearances.

3) School-Live!

School-Live is another such anime that will wonderfully make you think that this is a fun-going slice-of-life anime. But, beneath its surface is the hidden layer of horror elements that will scare you or make you gross out.

Yuki Takeya is a part of the School Living Club, the club only has one rule, to live the student’s entire life in the school. This anime keeps getting scary with its themes and its presentation.

2) Ghost Stories

Ghost Stories is famous for its English dub more so that the original language. The series follows a group of friends’ daily life as they stumble on ghosts and devils every day.

Getting creepier by each episode, this series will not disappoint you in any way. The horror elements work perfectly in scaring viewers, and the English dub is there for a breath of fresh air.

1) Berserk: The Golden Age Arc-Memorial Edition

Berserk is widely regarded as one of the best Seinen manga of all time. This is the adaptation of such a manga, which brings the horror of the manga onto the screen.

This series is the adaptation of Guts’ past with Griffith and Casca. Although it might only look like a battle Seinen, there is more to it, as there are always bodies piling up and blood spilling everywhere.

Berserk manages to portray the most hideous characters, which is a turn-off for many viewers. Regardless, this is one of the scariest anime recommendations you will find on Crunchyroll.

Scary Anime on Funimation

5) Angels of Death

Rachel lives every day in hopes that she will be able to kill herself someday. One certain day, she met Zack who said that he would kill her if they can get out alive.

Both of them are in an abandoned building and keep meeting more mysterious persons. They have to now band together and cross through the horrors of this abandoned building to achieve what they want.

4) Boogiepop wa Warawanai

Boogiepop is a mysterious entity, which was rumored to be a Shinigami. This Shinigami was rumored to be responsible for a lot of deaths in the Shinyo Academy’s history.

But in fact, she was a Guardian, fending off evil enemies. Years after, she gets a chance to reappear after the mysterious appearance that has been going around.

This is a complex series, that revolves around death and life. Adding in its eerie vibe and scary moments, this anime will surely be a fun watch for viewers of the genre.

3) Deadman Wonderland

Ganta is a loner guy, who does not have many friends in school. One certain day, his life turned upside down when his classmates were killed by a mysterious red guy, and the blame was pinned on Ganta.

He is now thrown into the world of cruel inmates and deadly games, that could even cost his life. The tricky part about this prison is that he will also get killed if he does not participate in these life-threatening games.

Ganta must now navigate through this cruel and scary prison to find the mysterious man responsible. This anime has a plethora of scary moments which show an inmate’s cruel life in prison.

2) Danganronpa

Makoto Naegi’s admission into Hope’s Peak Private Academy is accepted even if he does not possess many talents. But shortly after joining, he finds himself trapped inside the school.

The only survivors he can find are some more students and a teddy bear Monokuma. The Monokuma proclaims himself as the Principal and demands the students kill other students without anyone else finding the perpetrator.

This anime has a scary enough plot and even has many underlying mysteries. Although the anime is not the VN’s best adaptation, it is certainly one of the scariest anime of Funimation.

1) Hellsing: Ultimate

The world is plagued by creatures of darkness and night, which tear up the tranquility of the night. Hellsing is an organization, which is dedicated to protecting humans and putting an end to these creatures.

Integra the main character, also has the vampire Alucard and Seras Victoria fending off these creatures. It is now a battle of wits and strength, to see which faction comes out on top.

Along with having a plethora of gory scenes, and bloody kills, it also consists of savage beasts and monsters which look very scary. It also shows humanity’s worst nightmare in the form of these creatures, which makes it the scariest anime on Funimation.

Scary Anime on Hulu

5) Highschool of the Dead

Highschool of the Dead is one of the most popular scary anime that is available on Hulu. The dead start to rise again, as they keep plaguing the world.

Even if Takashi manage to escape from their deadly school, all they did was only find more despair. He finds more students and allies with them, to find the truth behind this apocalypse.

The undead in the series is presented in a very scary manner and looks frightening to watch. The amount of gore in the series also does not disappoint by giving the anime a horror vibe.

4) Elfen Lied

Lucy is a very special breed of human, who caught the eye of government officials and was subjected to inhumane experimentation throughout her life.

She manages to escape the scary experimentations and people, after laying waste to everyone in her way. This leaves her with an injury, and she is found by some students.

This anime showcases some of the most inhumane experimentations, which are overkill on the horror elements. The government officials are also presented scarily with all of their conspiracies and methods.

3) Blood+ 

Blood+ is not a casual anime, because of the themes it deals with. Monsters that suck and live on human blood, keep roaming around in the world where Saya lives.

She later finds a way to defeat these monsters but is still unable to remember her past. Saya now has to fight against these monsters that threaten the peace of her world.

The deaths in this anime are presented in the goriest way possible. The creatures make sure to torture the humans before killing them. This leaves plenty of discussions open for Blood+ to be one of the scary anime on Hulu.

2) Shiki 

Sotoba is a peaceful place, where nothing much of note happens. However, the safety only stays till the death of Megumi Shimizu, after which more deaths keep following.

Only the town’s doctor Toshio thinks that there is a sinister element at play. Along with some other residents, he aims to uncover the mystery behind this town’s deaths.

The anime keeps on taking unconventional routes, with its mystery and horror elements. The deaths are very gruesome and the reason behind them is an even scary secret.

1) Mononoke

The Medicine Seller is a mysterious person who has the power to kill Mononoke. However, it is not as simple as that, as he needs to learn everything regarding the Mononoke to completely slay it.

This leads him to an inn, which is haunted by multiple spirits called Zashiki Warashi. And thus starts his journey again, as he tries to understand everything about the spirits to finish them off.

Mononoke is one of the most famous scary anime on Hulu and has multiple instances throughout the series where it manages to scare its viewers.

With this, we shall conclude our post on the Top 20 Scary Anime on Netflix, Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Hulu. For more interesting posts such as these, make sure to check some of our other articles here.

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Also Read:

• Best 20 Completed Anime on Crunchyroll, Netflix, Funimation & Hulu

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Eswar Keshav

Eswar Keshav is an ardent anime fan for more than a decade. Along with this, he also has been following anime and manga updates for years. He is also enthusiastic and passionate when it comes to writing about his favorite things. Combining his love for writing and his love for anime and manga, his articles speak of his love for the genre.