Highlights

• Dark anime series sometimes feature terrifying serial killers who can make viewers shiver with a single look, creating a thrilling and chilling experience.
• From psycho killers in magical girl stories to vigilantes in complex sci-fi tales, anime brings a unique twist to the concept of serial killers.
• By exploring themes like trauma, abuse, and the consequences of violence, these anime series delve deep into the dark side of human nature.

Some of anime's darkest and most complex stories feature serial killers, who are so well-crafted that they can make viewers shiver with a single look. Some of these terrifying stories can easily make it to any scariest horror anime list. However, those who prefer detective and sci-fi stories can just as easily find a thrilling anime story with a diabolical serial killer lurking in the midst.

While most of the popular anime characters are powerful heroes and warriors, these creepy serial killer anime stories will prove that one can make the whole world live in fear without superpowers or exceptional physical strength. Some of these stories became so popular over the years that creators re-visited them and brought to life some of the most riveting movies based on anime that viewers will ever have the pleasure of experiencing.

Updated March 12, 2024 by David Heath: Serial killers aren't the cheeriest figures one can come across in a story, yet they can fit all sorts of genres. Their appearances in crime dramas or horror stories are expected, but they can play a part in sci-fi tales, mysteries, psychological thrillers, superhero stories, and more. For anyone who felt their day was just a bit too happy, a serial killer story could give them a dollop of darkness.

Thus, this list has been updated with a few more entries for people seeking the best anime about serial killers. It's also been reordered via MyAnimeList Score for readers who might like to judge them on their numbers, and the old entries have had some description tweaks to suit readers who are more willing to judge them based on their words.

20 Magical Girl Site

MyAnimeList Score: 6.52

Despite the innocent-sounding name, Magical Girl Site is an anime with a psycho killer that explores many complex themes, like trauma and abuse. It's a dark take on the popular magical girl anime trope and its heroine, Aya Asagiri, is one of the magical girls in anime who suffered the most. Bullied and abused at home and school, Aya suddenly finds a website that mysteriously gives her a magic gun.

When used, it punishes its targets lethally. However, she soon discovers she's not the only one given magical abilities, and that it's all building up to a mysterious event called "the Tempest." Aya has to see it through to the end, lest she fall victim to the show's other threats, like a terrifying serial killer who targets magical girls specifically.

19 Boogiepop Phantom

MyAnimeList Score: 7.16

Anime fans who love urban legends just as much as terrifying stories about serial killers should check out Boogiepop Phantom. This underrated anime is about a dark legend called Boogiepop, aka the Angel of Death, a mysterious figure who's said to protect people from enemies, though he's just as likely to whisk them away.

Boogiepop Phantom has various haunting stories, but each is connected by the haunting presence of Boogiepop. Viewers are kept guessing from beginning to end, trying to figure out if Boogiepop is the real villain or if other evil beings are responsible for the mysterious deaths. This anime isn't just about a single serial killer but about an entire city filled with mysteries, fear, and the unknown.

18 B: The Beginning

MyAnimeList Score: 7.17

B: The Beginning is an anime series more directly about serial killers, with some surprising plot twists. At first, it seems straightforward as "Killer B," a vigilante who kills his targets, has been running rampant in the city-state of Cremona. The Royal Investigation Service, or RIS, call in the famous but eccentric Keith Flick to help bring him to justice.

However, that turns out to be just one of B: The Beginning's stories. Keith's attempts to find "Killer B" and solve the murder of his little sister get intertwined with those of Koku, a demihuman who can form wings and blades with his body, and the Market Maker, a criminal organization that secretly controls Cremona, knows how Koku got his abilities, and who "Killer B" really is. So, there's more to the plot than blood and murder.

17 Talentless Nana

MyAnimeList Score: 7.18

Talentless Nana is one of the most underrated anime with decoy protagonists and a seemingly cute but deadly serial killer. This suspenseful thriller is a one-of-a-kind story about a group of students with supernatural powers who attend a special school on a deserted island. Soon, the students realize that they are targeted by a mysterious murderer who kills them off one by one.

Talentless Nana's story not only offers a unique take on the superhero genre but super-powered students are made truly vulnerable for the first time in their lives. But it also has beautiful animation, well-developed characters, and surprising twists that keep the viewers hooked until the very end.

16 Danganronpa: The Animation

MyAnimeList Score: 7.20

Based on the popular visual novel series, Danganronpa: The Animation deals with mature themes like the nature of justice, the consequences of violence, and the value of human life. It also features multiple terrifying and violent serial killers who not only murder without remorse but do so with pleasure.

The story follows Naegi, a high school student, and his classmates, who find themselves imprisoned in their academy by its principal, a robotic teddy bear called Monokuma. He says he'll let the students go free if they kill one student without getting discovered, and get away with it in a trial. Naegi and co soon learn what their true colors are, along with their darkest secrets when their freedom relies on committing murder.

15 Future Diary

MyAnimeList Score: 7.40

Future Diary is a fitting anime for Squid Game fans, as it also places its leads into a deadly game of survival. Only here, it follows Yukiteru and his friend Yano as they learn their cellphones feature a digital diary that preemptively displays near-future events. But they come with a twist, as they have to compete against 10 other "Future Diary"-owning kids to win and succeed Deus Ex Machina as the new God of Time and Space.

These aren't kid's games either, as each child has their problems, from abusive households to being part of a cult. Not even Yukiteru's friends in the game are what they seem to be, with one being an obsessive serial killer who's since become a notorious example of the yandere trope. She plots meticulously and kills mercilessly, making an already dark show darker and more shocking.

14 Beautiful Bones -Sakurako's Investigation-

MyAnimeList Score: 7.42

Compared to the other entries, Beautiful Bones -Sakurako's Investigation- is a light, even funny tale. But it remains a great mystery anime with an artistic animation style, unique characters, and a strong story. It follows Sakurako Kujo, a morbid young woman with a fascination for bones. At first, she is blamed for a disappearance in the area, but she soon reveals herself to be a forensic osteologist- an expert who analyzes bones.

As the bodies start piling up, providing more bones, she discovers that all the clues point to one main serial killer. Fans who love detective anime series will surely enjoy Sakurako's analytical approach as much as her chemistry with her partner Shōtarō. The character development and the story were praised by fans and critics alike, all of whom loved how the anime handles death and its mysteries.

13 Another

MyAnimeList Score: 7.47

Another is one of the earliest and most exciting horror anime shows that takes viewers on a twisty mystery adventure. This atmospheric anime is set in Yomiyama North Middle School, and its story revolves around a cursed classroom and the strange deaths that occur because of it. After a student named Misaki suddenly dies, her classmates refuse to accept her death, and they continue to act as if she is still alive.

Unfortunately, this denial triggers a series of bizarre and terrifying events. Thanks to Another's ghostly atmosphere and its suspenseful story, anime fans get to go on an intense journey while trying to find out who the "extra" person is. While it may not have a typical knife-wielding maniac, the series weaves an intricate tale of deaths that'll make viewers question if the supernatural is scarier than a human serial killer.

12 Inuyashiki: Last Hero

MyAnimeList Score: 7.64

On the face of it, Inuyashiki: Last Hero is more of a twist on the superhero formula. Stuck in a rut in life, 58-year-old Ichirō Inuyashiki's only solace from his cancer diagnosis and indifferent family is looking after Hanako, a stray dog he adopted. It was while looking after this dog that he was caught in an explosion caused by aliens. They save his life by replacing his body with a mechanical one, which he uses to help others.

But he wasn't the only one struck by the explosion and given the same life-saving treatment. Hiro Shishigami also received a lifelike mechanical body, but he uses his abilities to do whatever he wants. He murders his classmates for annoying him and kills women and children for fun. The police figure out who he is, but can do nothing to stop him. Only Inuyashiki can stand up to him, but can his age overcome Hiro's youth?

11 Black Butler

MyAnimeList Score: 7.66

Black Butler is a classic gothic anime series set in a beautifully designed, fictional version of Victorian-era London where demons and angels walk the streets with humans. The story follows a young boy named Ciel Phantomhive who, despite his age and thanks to his rank, becomes the 'Queen's Watchdog'- Queen Victoria's personal problem solver. Ciel and his demon butler, Sebastian, solve all kinds of deadly and supernatural mysteries while hunting down multiple serial killers, including the ones who killed Ciel's parents.

However, once Ciel gets his revenge, his soul will be forfeited to Sebastian. Provided he still wants to take it as they get to know each other. Aside from having some of the scariest and most repulsive anime serial killers of all time, it has engaging characters in Ciel and Sebastian. Their darker moments are peppered with funny scenes and tender moments to pull viewers in before facing them with horror.

10 Paranoia Agent

MyAnimeList Score: 7.67

Satoshi Kon's movies tend to be trippy, twisty, and thought-provoking. So, it's no surprise Paranoia Agent, his only TV series (bar 3 episodes of the Jojo's Bizarre Adventure OVA), follows suit. Thanks to the show's unique art style and intriguing messages, it quickly gained a large cult following. It's an unnerving watch with a heavy atmosphere and features one of the most recognizable anime serial killers around.

Not that it's exclusively about murder, as it follows the investigation into, and consequences of, a series of attacks carried out by a baseball bat-wielding, rollerskating young boy. Nicknamed 'Li'l Slugger', his attacks didn't always kill, but they were enough to plunge Tokyo into hysteria, and affect many people's lives. The final twist is particularly shocking, as it proves being an agent of paranoia can be just as dangerous as being an angel of death.

9 The Kubikiri Cycle

MyAnimeList Score: 7.76

NisioIsiN is famous for multiple reasons. He created the Monogatari series, including Bakemonogatari. He also created popular side stories for manga like Death Note, xxxHOLIC, and Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, on top of making his own manga like Medaka Box. But one of his earliest works was the Zaregoto series, where the unnamed narrator gets pulled into different adventures. He can't avoid it, nor do any of his actions affect its events.

The first story in the series was adapted into an OVA called The Kubikiri Cycle, where the sickly genius Iria invites other esteemed scholars to stay with her as guests on her island retreat. All seems well until one of them turns up dead, killed in a brutal way, and with no clues to the killer's identity. What ensues is an ironic murder mystery where the geniuses lose their heads, and it's up to the humble assistant, Tomo, to sort things out.

8 Tokyo Ghoul

MyAnimeList Score: 7.79

Tokyo Ghoul is not for the faint of heart. While it's a fantasy story at heart, it still deals with serious themes and gets more than violent in most episodes. The series' protagonist, Ken, has famously been put through hell by his creator, as he gets killed by a ghoul. They're monsters that resemble humans, but have special abilities and feed on human flesh. He's brought back to life, but only after he receives organ transplants from the ghoul that attacked him.

As a human-ghoul hybrid, he now has to survive in a human society that wants to murder him, and the ghoul society that wants to dissect him to see how he works. That's not to mention the many ghoulish serial killers that lurk in the shadows, like Yamori. Not only does he look just like a creepy horror movie character (he wears a hockey mask, roams Tokyo's 13th ward, and is nicknamed "Jason"), but he lives up to the likeness too.

7 Id: Invaded

MyAnimeList Score: 7.83

ID: Invaded goes for a Philip K. Dick-esque take on the serial killer story, as the Kura Police Force can use a special form of tech called the Mizuhanome System to dive directly into the human mind, recreating it as a virtual reality world called an 'Id Well'. It's not a light task, as only other killers can enter a killer's id well.

So, it's given to Akihito Narihisago, a former homicide detective who was disgraced after he killed the killer who murdered his daughter. There, he has to find clues to uncover the killer's identity and solve the crime. This series features multiple serial killers' ids for Akihito to explore, providing a unique story with a more sinister truth at its heart, helping to make ID: Invaded one of the best anime series for Psycho-Pass fans.

6 Higurashi: When They Cry

MyAnimeList Score: 7.88

Higurashi: When They Cry is a must-watch for all anime fans who love chilling horror stories with graphic violence and dark secrets. Despite looking sweet and idyllic at the start, it's an iconic horror anime that gradually builds up an unsettling atmosphere. Mainly via its characters, who know more than they're letting on, which helps make the story more immersive and impactful.

Its story follows Keiichi, who recently moved to one of Japan's rural villages. He's made some great friends, but he finds out too late that the village has a history of strange, gruesome murders. No one knows who or what is behind the terrifying deaths, nor why they're killing people. But it's slowly revealed throughout the story, which makes it more intriguing and disturbing as Keiichi succumbs to his growing paranoia.

5 Erased

MyAnimeList Score: 8.30

Erased follows Satoru Fujinuma, whose 'Revival' ability gives him the power to travel back before an accident occurs to prevent it. When he's wrongfully accused of murdering his mother, he's sent back to 1988, where he has to save his mother in the present by saving his childhood friend's life in the past.

Unfortunately, Satoru has a difficult task ahead of him, since he doesn't know how the murders are connected or who committed them. Given that the killer's victims include kids, they make them a particularly despicable figure. The anime builds them up too, as well as delving into Satoru's childhood in general as he puts the pieces together and solves the mystery. Its only drawback is the ending, which was fleshed out better in the series' original manga.

4 Psycho-Pass

MyAnimeList Score: 8.33

Set in a dark, dystopian near-future world, Psycho-Pass is an action-filled sci-fi anime that uses serial killers and other criminals to examine the nature of justice, and whether it can be carried out within a corrupt system. In it, the city is run on the Sibyl System, which measures a citizen's criminal intent by scanning their brains. Once it runs past a certain threshold, they're arrested on the spot by Inspectors and their Enforcers.

Viewers follow the adventures of a rookie Inspector, Akane, and her jaded Enforcer partner Shinya. At first, she believes in the system, but as they solve more and more cases, she starts questioning whether she's really carrying out justice. Especially when she learns how corrupt the system can be, as master criminals, killers, and more find loopholes to help them carry out their dirty deeds.

3 Perfect Blue

MyAnimeList Score: 8.54

Paranoia Agent went beyond being about a serial killer and being more about the fear they inflict on others. Satoshi Kon's feature-length directorial debut Perfect Blue wasn't any more straightforward. While based on a novel, Kon's movie took the premise and changed some details around. Instead of just being about an idol-turned-actress and her stalker, it involved cyberstalking and how the net can affect one's identity.

It also had a series of killings, as anyone connected to Mimi Kirigoe's shift from pop music to TV acting gets killed. But the stress of her career shift, the obsessive fan Me-Mania stalking her, and a website purporting to be run by the "real" Mima causes her to lose her sense of self and reality altogether. It makes for chilling viewing as her world falls apart, and anyone in it pays the price for their connection to her.

2 Death Note

MyAnimeList Score: 8.62

Speaking of effective psychopaths, Death Note is perhaps the most famous anime series about a serial killer. It's certainly the most famous one told from the killer's perspective rather than one about the people following their trail. This anime is so acclaimed by fans and critics alike that creators have been going back to it over and over again, creating many exciting and new versions of Light Yagami.

He's a high schooler who accidentally stumbles upon a notebook with a mysterious power. Whoever's name he writes in it will die, be it from a heart attack or by whichever method he details afterward. While he starts small and only kills criminals, the power soon gets the better of him, and he goes after anyone who threatens his position as 'Kira, the god of the new world'. That is until it's proven to his face that he was ultimately just some kid with a notebook.

1 Monster

MyAnimeList Score: 8.88

Created by the man behind 20th Century Boys and Pluto, Monster is about how seemingly doing the right thing can come back to bite people hard. Japanese surgeon Kenzo Tenma chose to save a young boy called Johan over the mayor of Düsseldorf. It briefly affects his reputation until the hospital director and two of his coworkers are found dead, and Johan has gone missing.

Years later, Kenzo is pulled into another case involving murder. He gradually discovers that the boy he saved became a serial killer, and has taken lives across Europe. Feeling responsible, Kenzo follows his trail to find a way to stop him for good. It's not easy, as Johan is an intelligent, manipulative figure. One who's even able to convince others to commit murder for him, or kill themselves. He's a particularly effective psychopath.