Horror is a genre that has a very polarised audience. Some factions choose to completely stay away from the contents that can make them lose their sleep, while some love the adrenaline rush that comes with jumpscares. In terms of horror manga and anime, people are especially fans of this content as there are no boundaries to the amount of creativity one can put in to scare the reader.
There have been several mangas that have received much love for their horror content. A significant name would be Attack on Titan, proving that the horror genre is not far behind any. Moreover, the Japanese style of horror is far different from the standard western style, which mostly includes the same concepts that one has seen many times. So let us take a look at all the mangas that have scared us to the bones. Here is the list of Top 10 Horror Manga.
10. Alice In Borderland
Isekai manga always has a large scope of creativity in terms of horror. Alice in Borderland is a story that comes with an unexpected twist. Well, most isekai mangas have a familiar story of a protagonist finding himself in a mysteriously new world from where he has to find his way back. Alice in Borderland is different. Here, the protagonist lands in a world where she has to compete in deadly games. Anyone who refuses to participate is simply killed. Hence, the survival of the characters makes up for a terrifying story.
9. The Promised Neverland
The plot of The Promised Neverland manga is set in Grace Field House, where a bunch of orphan kids resides together. It’s ab all normal orphanage with happy kids and happy ‘Mama’ who looks after them. However, there is one rule of this place that everyone has to follow. It is that no one should ever leave the orphanage. But as it happens, two children, Emma and Norman, get past the main gate of the orphanage only to uncover dark secrets that lie outside in the real world.
Now, the children must work together to undo their mistakes and face life-threatening danger. The spooky scenes and cold-blooded jumpscares make this manga a deserving candidate in the top 10 horror manga list.
8. Parasyte
Everybody is scared of the creepy crawlies. Imagine an entire invasion of these bugs on earth. This is pretty much the story of Parasyte. Even the thought of a parasite entering your body can send chills down the spine. Well, you’ll be amazed to hear that an entire manga series is based on the exact same concept. The story of Parasyte revolves around the protagonist, who luckily is caves and alien invasion. But a bug has managed to take control over his hand.
Now, both the parasite and the host must work together in order to fight all the hurdles in their way. It’s the disgusting invasion of the creepy crawlies that makes this manga a scary read.
7. The Garden Of Sinners
Set in an alternate universe, The Garden of Sinners is essentially an early Type-Moon series. The story revolves around a young woman who runs into a terrible accident that leaves her in a coma. But little does she know that this accident has given her the ability to foresee the death of any living being. This psychological trailer involves a lot of unique horrors that fans might not have seen before.
6. Umineko When They Cry
This manga is a part of the When They Cry visual novel series adapted into a manga far later. The plot is based on both a murder mystery and a paranormal thriller. A group of students is stuck on a mysterious island. However, the real horror begins when people start getting murdered one by one. The mystery is left to the readers to find out who or what is causing these disappearances. Whether the murder is one of the members of the group or is it a supernatural force that is causing these deaths, the questions are left to the readers.
5. Tokyo Ghoul
One of the most popular anime and manga of the last decade has undoubtedly been Tokyo Ghoul. The story of the original manga is set in a hypothetical world where humans and goals exist together. However, the only piece of conflict between the two races is that Ghouls only feed on humans. The protagonist Ken Kaneki is the biggest criticizer of this coexistence. But it says that it is finding himself turning into a ghoul slowly.
The scary urges of scavenging upon a human make some of the most sensitive scenes in this manga. And hence, Tokyo Ghoul gets the fifth spot on this list of top 10 horror manga.
4. Dorohedoro
Set in the alternate realm of Hole, Dorohedoro is a bone-chilling manga. Hole is a place secluded from the normal world as it is a testing ground for the magic users who dominate it. Well, the story revolves around the genocide of the inferior race in this realm. The cold-blooded supremacist antagonists make for some of the scariest villains that we have seen so far. This manga is not for the faint-hearted.
3. Attack On Titan
Another manga that deals with a war between races is Attack on Titan. But this time, it is between humans and titans. Humans have always considered themselves the superior race. And they do not want to get dominated by giant monsters that can eat humans alive. The back and forth between the two tribes leads to genocide after genocide which becomes a horror after a point. The manga is pretty dark and disturbing, and it will likely suit your taste if you love this genre.
2. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Part 7: Steel Ball Run
The plot of Jojo’s Bizzare Adventure revolves around a marine biologist named Jotaro Kujo. The story kicks off when this normal scientist finds himself in the sleepy and peaceful town of Morioh. Well, he finds a number of creepy things that do not exist in the normal world. Some new creatures become his companion for the rest of the story. There are some weird and spooky scenes that will keep you awake at night after reading Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure.
1. Berserk
On the top of this list of top 10 horror manga is Berserk. Berserk is a classic manga that has been running since the 1980s. Over the decades, this manga has grown a fanbase so strong that all horror mangas struggle to keep up. So the story revolves around a character named Guts, whose life starts with a tragedy. The death of his mother causes him to take on a life of killing demons and finding the one who murdered his mother.
Berserk has fighting scenes so intense that a faint-hearted reader would immediately turn the page. It’s a humble disclaimer that read this one at your own risk.
So, these were all the names in the list of the top 10 horror manga. Which of these was your scariest read? Share your thoughts in the comment section. For more such listicles on anime, keep visiting this corner.
