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Horror is a genre that the anime industry has always struggled to deliver on. This is largely due to the fact that animating horror sequences can take out the element of fear from such scenes. Animators have struggled for a long time when it comes to making truly terrifying horror anime, but despite all the complications, there have been a few truly nerve-wracking anime with scenes that sent chills down the viewer's spine.
These scenes have been few and far between but truly captivated fans of the genre. Some scenes even proved that you do not always need over the top monster designs or blood and gore to make them resonate with the viewers. Instead, the use of subtle tones, environments, colors, character development and great writing can all be utilized in delivering a perfectly chilling horror sequence. It is sometimes hard to classify an anime as a horror show due to the multiple themes involved. Often, an anime classified as horror may not even have any dark and disturbing plots but merely the use of ghosts, monsters, and other horror gimmicks. While at other instances, a psychological and thriller anime may end up delivering one of the most terrifying scenes.
8 The Promised Neverland: Conny's Death
Despite having one of the worst second seasons of all time, The Promised Neverland truly started off as a great horror/thriller show. In the conclusive moments of its first episode, viewers are shown the true horrors of the world that the protagonists Emma, Norman, and Ray live in. In the final scene of this episode, Mother Isabella presumably takes an orphan named Conny to meet her new adoptive family.
But when Norman and Emma follow them to give back Conny’s stuffed toy that she left behind, they find the pale dead body of their friend laying in the back of a carriage. As though the shock from this event was not enough, Emma and Norman soon find out what kind of monsters killed their friend and realize all is not what it seems.
7 Serial Experiments Lain: The Alien
Serial Experiments Lain is filled with vague symbolism and creepy visuals. In one scene, during the 9th episode of the anime, Lain is sitting in her room in a bear suit with her computer turned on. She has a sad look on her face and seems to be in a daze. Suddenly the door to her room can be heard opening. Lain asks “who is there?” and proceeds to look in the direction of the door.
She then finds a small grey being wearing a red and green striped shirt staring back at her. The creature smiles at Lain before disappearing. This scene not only spooked Lain but sent chills down the viewers’ spine as well.
6 Another: Killed By An Umbrella
By far, one of the most haunting scenes across all anime is the death of Yukari Sakuragi from Another. While in school, a male relative of Yukari informs her that her mother has died as a result of a car accident. Yukari panics and leaves her classroom. She picks up her umbrella and sees Mei and Kouichi standing in the hall.
This causes her to think that the curse and Mei have something to do with her mother’s death and starts fearing for her own life. As she hurries down the stairs she slips and lands on top of her extremely sharp umbrella which pierces through her throat. Kouichi then comes after her, only to find her lying dead in a pool of her own blood.
5 Berserk (1977): The First Eclipse
Berserk has no shortage of disturbing and frightening moments. One of the scariest scenes from this anime comes when Griffith, in pursuit of power, makes a deal with the demons and sacrifices the entire Band of the Hawks to gain their strength and favor.
Guts and his friends are then left helpless to fend off hordes of hungry demons. One by one all members of the band, except for Guts and Casca, are either eaten, decapitated, or brutally murdered by the monsters.
4 Tokyo Ghoul: Kaneki’s Torture
In the 11th episode of Tokyo Ghoul, Ken Kaneki, the main protagonist of the series is kidnaped by Yakumo Oomori, an executive member of the Aogiri Tree. Yamori then proceeds to hold Kaneki hostage and brutally tortures him.
He clips off Kaneki’s fingers, puts needles through his eyes, and inserts centipedes in his ears. The torture goes on for 10 days with a period of rest in between to allow Kaneki to regenerate. Physical anguish aside, the mental pain from the torture is so severe that Kaneki’s hair turns completely white.
3 Attack On Titan: Colossal Titan's First Appearance
Attack on Titan is a show filled with disturbing revelations and gruesome deaths. But, as the show progresses, fans get used to the fact that characters in this show are bound to meet an untimely and gruesome end. However, the first time that the Colossal Titan appears at wall Maria and kicks it down, wreaking havoc in its wake and killing hundreds of people, remains be one of the most haunting scenes in the entire anime.
In a single blow the Colossal Titan is able to destroy Eren's hometown and create widespread panic. This scene sets up the stakes in the show perfectly by forever traumatizing both its main character and its audience.
2 Parasyte The Maxim: Nobuko's Death
Nobuko Izumi was the mother of the main protagonist Shinichi Izumi. She was a loving wife and a caring woman. While away on a vacation, Nobuko and her husband Kazuyuki go out of their hotel to take a walk. Unaware of the surrounding danger, they stop to enjoy a beautiful view of the sea, when a parasite suddenly appears behind Nobuko and slices her head off in a matter of seconds.
As her head falls off, Nobuko stares at her helpless husband unable to comprehend what has happened before finally dying. The parasite then proceeds to infest and take over her body.
1 Attack on Titan: Carla's Death
What is it with mothers dying a brutally horrifying death in anime? Following the destruction caused by the Colossal Titan, hordes of Titans enter Wall Maria and start eating people left and right. Meanwhile, Carla Yeager finds herself incapacitated and stuck under the rubble of her home as a Giant smiling Titan approaches her. When Eren comes to help her, she tells Eren to escape with Mikasa and leave her behind.
Hannes, a unit captain, then arrives on the scene and, unable to fend off the Titan, he takes the children and escapes, leaving Carla behind to be devoured. Eren watches in agony as his mother gets crushed and swallowed by the monster.