10 Best Anime About Ghosts & Spirits Every Horror Fan Needs to Watch
Anime has never shied away from exploring the unknown, and few supernatural creatures are as captivating as ghosts and restless spirits. Drawing from centuries of Japanese folklore alongside modern horror storytelling, many series turn haunted legends, cursed locations, and vengeful apparitions into unforgettable anime series. Whether they’re terrifying enemies, tragic souls, or mysterious guides, spirits often become the driving force behind some of anime’s most memorable stories.
From psychological thrillers to gruesome horror and supernatural mysteries, ghost anime offers something for every kind of horror fan. Some series rely on slow-building suspense and eerie atmosphere, while others embrace shocking violence or emotional drama. No matter the approach, these anime series prove that the supernatural is still one of the medium’s richest and most chilling genres.
10
Ghost Stories
Animated By Pierrot & Based On The Novel Series By Tōru Tsunemitsu
Absolutely iconic in the early days of anime fandom, Ghost Stories remains popular today. The plot concerns a group of schoolchildren who, with the help of a demon trapped inside a cat, encounter numerous ghosts throughout their town and use a book to exorcise them. Ghost Stories works as a familiar child adventure and a subtle commentary on urbanization and the disregard for traditions. What made the series so iconic though was its irreverent dub, which absolutely skewered and mocked the series. The anime became successful in Western territories after this official parody dub was released, with fans and critics praising its dark humor and animation. Today, many consider Ghost Stories a cult classic and one of the best examples of ghosts in anime.
9
Junji Ito Collection
Animated By Studio Deen & Based On The Horror Manga By Junji Ito
Few creators have influenced modern horror manga as much as Junji Ito, and Junji Ito Collection brings many of his most disturbing short stories to animation. Rather than following a single narrative, the anthology adapts several of Ito’s famous tales, introducing viewers to cursed spirits, haunted towns, supernatural obsessions, and terrifying entities that linger long after each episode ends. While every adaptation differs slightly from its manga counterpart, the series excels at showcasing Ito’s unsettling imagination. From vengeful ghosts to inexplicable paranormal phenomena, Junji Ito Collection delivers an unsettling variety of supernatural horror, making it an excellent choice for viewers who enjoy eerie anthology stories filled with unforgettable nightmares.
8
Ghost Hunt
Animated By J.C.Staff & Based On The Novel Series By Fuyumi Ono
Best Dark Horror Anime Ghost Hunt
Ghost Hunt blends paranormal investigation with genuine supernatural horror as high school student Mai Taniyama joins the Shibuya Psychic Research team after an unexpected encounter with professional ghost hunter Kazuya “Naru” Shibuya. Together, the group investigates haunted schools, abandoned buildings, cursed homes, and mysterious possessions, using both scientific methods and spiritual techniques to uncover the truth.
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Unlike many horror anime that rely primarily on gore, Ghost Hunt builds tension through carefully crafted mysteries and unsettling atmosphere. Each investigation gradually reveals terrifying secrets hiding behind seemingly ordinary ghost stories, making the series one of anime’s strongest paranormal thrillers and an easy recommendation for fans who enjoy slow-burning supernatural suspense.
7
Dark Gathering
Animated By OLM & Based On The Manga By Kenichi Kondo
Dark-Gathering-Anime-Visual-Yayoi
Dark Gathering nails down the modern J-horror vibes of its gimmick and can be shockingly intense despite its macabre yet cute promotional veneer, which is practically part of its sales pitch. This anime follows Keitarō Gentōga, whose traumatic past left him with a visibly cursed arm and a particularly potent fear of the supernatural, knowing its potential. When he becomes a tutor to the precocious Yayoi, a young girl whose polycoria-afflicted eyes resemble small skulls, hinting at her immense grasp on everything spiritual, Keitarō’s life is changed immensely. Keitarō’s not the only one with a traumatic past, with Yayoi’s particular quest driving her to capture and collect the spirits she encounters to track down the ghost who abducted her mother. With the series expertly animated by OLM, the same studio behind Pokémon, it’s got a darkly similar premise for Yayoi’s journey. However, the horror elements include immensely creepy vibes and spine-chilling yet terrific applications of its gory moments, perfect for a Halloween anime binge.
6
Corpse Party: Tortured Souls
Animated By Asread & Based On The Video Game Series By Team GrisGris
Best Dark Horror Anime Corpse Party Tortured Souls
Corpse Party: Tortured Souls lives up to its creepy title. The plot follows a group of students who, after performing a seemingly harmless friendship charm, get transported to an alternate dimension haunted by vengeful ghosts out to get them. Gruesome barely begins to describe Corpse Party: Tortured Souls. The series takes gore to the next level, exploiting the advantages of animation to create terrifying scenes that could haunt anyone’s dreams for life. Horror fans should come out of the four-episode series satisfied, as the graphic content and eerie setting make for a genuinely horrific experience.
5
Death Parade
Original Anime Series Animated By Madhouse & Created By Yuzuru Tachikawa
Decim stands behind the bar at Quindecim from Death Parade.
Featuring one of the most singular premises of any anime, Death Parade is truly one-of-a-kind. The show follows Decim, a bartender working at the Quindecim bar, where people who died simultaneously arrive. In this middle stage of the afterlife, the deceased compete in the Death Games, determining whether they’ll reincarnate or have their souls sent to the void. Death Parade is a unique take on the ghost genre. It features a clever version of the afterlife that allows it to explore themes of repentance and metaphysical ideas like reincarnation and immortality. The animation is top-notch, adding a somber vibe to an already gloomy storyline.
4
Another
Animated By P.A. Works & Based On The Novel By Yukito Ayatsuji
Best Dark Horror Anime Another
The plot for the Another anime concerns Koichi Sakakibara, a new student who becomes involved with a mystery upon arriving at his new school. Drawn to a silent girl, Mei Misaki, and sensing a dangerous vibe, Koichi soon learns of a string of gruesome murders around the school. Like the best murder mysteries of all time, Another takes its time with the story.
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01
Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) became one of the most-watched anime on Crunchyroll. The story takes place in a world where humanity lives behind massive walls to protect themselves from giant humanoid creatures. What are these creatures called?
AKaiju
BTitans
CHollows
DDemons
✓ Correct! The giant humanoid creatures are called Titans. In the original Japanese, they’re referred to as “Kyojin” (giants). Eren Yeager’s quest to destroy all Titans after they breach Wall Maria became one of the most gripping storylines in anime history.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Titans. Kaiju are giant monsters from Japanese cinema like Godzilla, Hollows are the enemy creatures in Bleach, and Demons appear in series like Demon Slayer. In Attack on Titan, these towering humanoid creatures are specifically called Titans.
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02
Studio MAPPA has become one of the most prominent anime studios in recent years, producing several massive hit series. Which of these popular anime was NOT produced by MAPPA?
AJujutsu Kaisen
BAttack on Titan: The Final Season
CChainsaw Man
DDemon Slayer
✓ Correct! Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) is produced by ufotable, not MAPPA. Ufotable’s stunning animation quality — especially the breathtaking fight sequences — became a hallmark of the Demon Slayer franchise. MAPPA produced Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan: The Final Season, and Chainsaw Man.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Demon Slayer. Demon Slayer is animated by studio ufotable, renowned for its gorgeous visual effects. MAPPA has produced Jujutsu Kaisen, took over Attack on Titan: The Final Season from WIT Studio, and animated Chainsaw Man.
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03
Solo Leveling became a massive hit anime in 2024 after being one of the most popular manhwa (Korean comics) in the world. The story follows a weak hunter who gains the unique ability to level up. What is the protagonist’s name?
AJin-Woo Sung
BSung Jin-Woo
CKim Dokja
DYoo Joonghyuk
✓ Correct! Sung Jin-Woo is the protagonist of Solo Leveling. Originally the weakest E-Rank hunter, he gains the power of the mysterious System, allowing him to level up infinitely. His transformation from the “World’s Weakest Hunter” to the most powerful Shadow Monarch captivated millions of readers and viewers.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Sung Jin-Woo. Jin-Woo Sung reverses the name order (Korean names place the surname first). Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk are protagonists from Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, another popular Korean series. Sung Jin-Woo is the iconic Shadow Monarch of Solo Leveling.
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04
The Crunchyroll Anime Awards celebrate the best in anime each year. Which anime won Anime of the Year at the 2024 Crunchyroll Anime Awards?
AJujutsu Kaisen Season 2
BFrieren: Beyond Journey’s End
COshi no Ko
DVinland Saga Season 2
✓ Correct! Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End won Anime of the Year at the 2024 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. This beautifully contemplative series about an elven mage reflecting on mortality and the passage of time after her hero party’s quest ends charmed audiences and critics alike with its unique, introspective storytelling.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. While Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, Oshi no Ko, and Vinland Saga Season 2 were all critically acclaimed, it was Frieren’s meditative exploration of time, memory, and connection that captured the top prize at the 2024 ceremony.
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05
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is consistently rated as one of the greatest anime of all time. The story follows two brothers who attempted a forbidden alchemical technique. What taboo did Edward and Alphonse Elric commit?
ACreating gold
BHuman transmutation (trying to revive their dead mother)
CDestroying a Philosopher’s Stone
DKilling a homunculus
✓ Correct! Edward and Alphonse attempted human transmutation to bring their deceased mother back to life. The attempt failed catastrophically — Edward lost his left leg and then sacrificed his right arm to bind Alphonse’s soul to a suit of armor. This event drives the entire series as they search for the Philosopher’s Stone to restore their bodies.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is human transmutation — specifically, attempting to resurrect their dead mother. In the world of FMA, human transmutation is the ultimate taboo in alchemy. The brothers’ failed attempt cost Edward his limbs and Alphonse his entire body, setting the stage for their epic journey.
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06
Spy x Family became a worldwide phenomenon with its wholesome yet action-packed story of a found family. The father, Loid Forger, is secretly a spy. What is his spy codename?
AAgent Dusk
BTwilight
CShadow
DNightfall
✓ Correct! Loid Forger’s spy codename is Twilight, and he’s considered the top agent of Westalis’s intelligence service, WISE. His mission, Operation Strix, requires him to build a fake family — leading him to adopt the telepathic Anya and marry the assassin Yor, creating one of anime’s most beloved found families.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Twilight. Agent Dusk and Shadow are fictional names, while Nightfall is actually the codename of another WISE agent, Fiona Frost, who has a crush on Loid. Twilight is Westalis’s greatest spy and the heart of Spy x Family’s charming story.
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07
Crunchyroll merged with another major anime streaming service to become the dominant platform for anime. Which streaming service was absorbed into Crunchyroll?
ANetflix Anime
BFunimation
CHIDIVE
DAnimeLab
✓ Correct! Funimation was merged into Crunchyroll after Sony’s acquisition of Crunchyroll from AT&T in 2021. The merger consolidated the anime streaming market, bringing Funimation’s massive library of dubbed anime together with Crunchyroll’s simulcast catalog, making Crunchyroll the world’s largest dedicated anime platform.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Funimation. Netflix Anime is part of Netflix and operates independently, HIDIVE is Sentai Filmworks’ streaming service, and AnimeLab was a smaller Australian service. Funimation — once Crunchyroll’s biggest rival — was fully absorbed into the Crunchyroll platform.
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08
Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli are legendary in the anime world. Miyazaki’s final film was released in 2023 and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. What is the title of this film?
ASpirited Away 2
BThe Wind Rises
CThe Boy and the Heron
DPonyo Returns
✓ Correct! The Boy and the Heron (Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka) was released in 2023 and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2024. The deeply personal, surrealist fantasy film was widely considered Miyazaki’s farewell masterpiece, exploring themes of grief, imagination, and the passage between worlds.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is The Boy and the Heron. Spirited Away 2 and Ponyo Returns don’t exist. The Wind Rises was Miyazaki’s previous “final” film from 2013. The Boy and the Heron marked his true farewell, winning the Oscar and cementing his legacy as anime’s greatest storyteller.
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The show’s unnerving vibe dominates every episode, introducing an ever-present sense of fear. It features the right balance between horror, gore, and tension, delivering a show that will keep audiences at the edge of their seats.
3
Hell Girl
Original Anime Series Animated By Studio Deen & Created By Hiroshi Watanabe
Best Dark Horror Anime Hell Girl
Fans of unsettling anime stories will hit the jackpot with Hell Girl. The show centers on a mysterious website that people can only access at midnight. Entering the name of a particular person will cause the titular Hell Girl and her associates to torture and kill that person, sending them to hell. In exchange, the person who requests the action will also go to hell at the end of their life.
Juggling themes of revenge and repentance, Hell Girl is genuinely creepy. The visuals, accompanied by the eerie atmosphere, succeed in creating a series that carries a terrifying punch. Horror fans will be greatly satisfied watching Hell Girl.
2
Ghost Hound
Animated By Production I.G & Created By Masamune Shirow
Scene from Ghost Hound.
The spirit world takes center stage in Ghost Hound. The plot follows three boys with severe childhood traumas living in a small, spirit-plagued town in a remote mountain region. The boys enter the spirit realm, the Unseen World, discovering more about their pasts and the spirits’ mysterious appearances. Ghost Hound works as both a dramatic character study and a great horror story. It also serves as a coming-of-age story, using the protagonists’ traumas to explore deeper ideas about the balance between the spiritual and the material worlds.
1
Mononoke
Original Anime Series Created By Toei Animation
Mononoke is one of the highest-rated horror anime in history, and it’s easy to understand why. The plot concerns the “Medicine Seller,” a mysterious man who travels around Feudal Japan hunting dangerous spirits known as “Mononoke,” who are responsible for violent deaths.
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Anime has many dark series and movies, so here are the 15 darkest anime of all time that everyone needs to see at least once in their life.
Combining traits of the crime procedural with the intriguing lore of Japanese mythos, Mononoke is the perfect horror anime. It delves deep into each Mononoke’s backstory while maintaining its distinctive avant-garde animation, crafting a unique series that is as visually striking as it’s enthralling.
Diterbitkan : 2026-07-10 23:00:00
sumber : screenrant.com
