10 Anime Moments So Terrifying You'll Never Be Able to Unsee Them
Anime can be truly horrifying at times, with plots that can rival the scariest horror movies. Although these moments may be animated, make no mistake, many anime scenes have left a long-lasting impression on fans because of how bone-chilling they are, featuring brutal deaths and other frightening situations that no viewer would ever want to find themselves in.
Many anime series, from the grim Attack on Titan to the upbeat Fruits Basket, contain at least one scene that could be described as unspeakably horrific, placing characters in the most physically and mentally distressing environments imaginable. Ten in particular stand out as particularly bloodcurdling and emotionally impactful, and certainly will not leave anime fans' minds anytime soon.
10 Kyo’s Flashback of Kyoko’s Death
From Fruits Basket
Compared to other anime series, Fruits Basket is pretty lighthearted and upbeat. Since it is primarily a romance story, it is not exceptionally violent, but one scene takes the story in a pretty disturbing and bloody direction. Tohru's mother, Kyoko, died in a car accident, but unbeknownst to Tohru, Kyo Sohma witnessed the incident firsthand and was powerless to stop it.
For years afterward, Kyo experienced devastating flashbacks of the collision, and one of these plays in Kyo's mind in Fruits Basket.He envisions Kyoko's mangled body lying in a puddle of blood, and this grisly sight is much different from the typical joyful, brightly colored scenes Fruits Basket is known for. The guilt Kyo feels over an event that was not his fault is heartbreaking, and the flashbacks produced some of the most chilling frames in the anime series.
9 Makima’s Horrifying Train Scene
From Chainsaw Man
Makima is quite possibly Chainsaw Man's most malicious villain, despite her talent at appearing kindhearted and innocent towards the beginning of the series and earning the trust of characters like Denji. The train station scene is widely considered Makima's most chilling appearance in the entirety of Chainsaw Man, because it makes it evident just how invincible the Control Devil really is.
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Even after Makima was shot and appeared to be dead, lying on the ground bleeding out, she suddenly reappeared, standing up and completely conscious. Although the scene is much less eventful than some of the series' more combat-filled fights, it is indescribably disturbing to see Makima standing, covered in blood, smiling serenely as if she hadn't just been nearly killed.
- Created by
- Tatsuki Fujimoto
- Upcoming Films
- Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc (2025)
8 Shigaraki’s Quirk Activating
From My Hero Academia
Many of My Hero Academia's villains have tragic backstories, but few are quite as scary as Shigaraki's. When he was a young child, known then as Tenko Shimura, his Quirk activated uncontrollably one day, and since Decay is a deadly ability, his entire family was disintegrated before his very eyes, as he desperately tried in vain to save them.
While watching Shigaraki's origin story, it is difficult not to feel sorry for him, because he was forced to live every person's worst nightmare: losing all of his loved ones in an instant. For this reason, this scene is one of My Hero Academia's most horrifying and explains why Shigaraki so adamantly hates heroes for not saving him from this disaster.
- Movie(s)
- My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (2018), My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising (2019), My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission (2021)
- First Film
- My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (2018)
7 Obanai Being Chased by the Serpent Demon
From Demon Slayer
Most Demon Slayer characters unfortunately suffer some of the most tragic backstories in anime, and Obanai's is possibly the worst. He lived his childhood mistreated by members of a cult and petrified by the corrupt Serpent Demon, who tormented him day and night. The moment when he finally escaped is absolutely heart-racing, as the heinous demon chased after him.
If it was not for Shinjuro Rengoku, Obanai likely would have been captured again by the evil creature, but thankfully, Shinjuro brought him to safety. Although Obanai's backstory and scene of breaking free from the Serpent Demon have not been animated yet, once they are brought to the screen, they will no doubt be the most petrifying sequences in Demon Slayer, revealing Obanai running for his life from one of the series' scariest demons.
- Created by
- Koyoharu Gotouge
- First Film
- Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train
6 Ymir’s Fate at the Hands of King Fritz
From Attack on Titan
There are so many frightful instances in Attack on Titan, including humans being eaten alive in the worst ways imaginable. One of the most nauseating details of the series, though, is Ymir Fritz's final fate. Ymir's life was plagued by violent attacks and manipulation at the hands of King Fritz, and after her death, something unthinkably vile happened to her corpse.
After Ymir died, King Fritz force-fed her body to their three children, in a revolting display that is one of Attack on Titan's darkest scenes by far. Coaxing their children to consume Ymir was the only way King Fritz could pass on her Titan powers to the new generation, but this process of Titan inheritance is absolutely sickening to witness.
- Created by
- Hajime Isayama
- First Film
- Attack on Titan: The Crimson Bow and Arrow
5 Diavolo’s Death Loop at the End of Golden Wind
From JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
Every JoJo's Joestar delivers swift justice to the main villain they defeat at the end of their respective season, but no villain's final fate is more inhumane than Diavolo's. Rather than just end his life entirely, Giorno subjected the Passione boss to a different form of torture, trapping him in an inescapable loop of dying over and over again for eternity.
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Nothing Diavolo does can help him escape from the agony of being killed endless times, each time in a completely different and unpredictable way. Diavolo definitely paid for his crimes more than any other JoJo's character, but the intensely frightening nature of this scene makes this never-ending suffering seem almost too harsh, even for Diavolo.
- Created by
- Hirohiko Araki
- TV Show(s)
- JoJo Bizarre Adventure
4 Light Using the Death Note to Force Naomi to Kill Herself
From Death Note
Light Yagami might have been an average teenager at one point, but his encounter with Naomi Misora proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he had developed into a malevolent killer. When the cunning Naomi almost caught Light in a lie, threatening his plans of becoming "god of the new world," he orchestrated the most twisted death possible for her using the Death Note.
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Light did not simply have Naomi die of a heart attack like most Death Note victims, which would have been agonizing enough. Instead, he forced Naomi to commit suicide. The scene of Naomi slowly and uncontrollably walking towards a noose is not only utterly haunting, but revealed that Light had crossed the point of no return and lost any empathy or goodness that was present in him before.
- Created by
- Takeshi Obata, Tsugumi Ohba
- TV Show(s)
- Death Note (2006)
3 Eren’s Mother Being Eaten Alive by a Titan
From Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan pulls no punches when it comes to death and gore, and the first episode of season one makes this obvious. Even though the Titans had left humanity alone for a century, one fateful day, the creatures broke down the walls of Paradis Island and murdered thousands, including Eren's own mother. In a traumatizing sequence, a Titan grabbed Carla's body from underneath a pile of fallen rubble and bit her in two as Eren watched in complete shock and horror.
His mother's unnecessary and painful death solidified Eren's hatred for Titans and strengthened his resolve to "kill them all," which was his overarching motivation throughout Attack on Titan. Most animes wait until further into the story to reveal their most violent moments, but Attack on Titan showed its most brutal murder in episode one, which certainly set a dark, hopeless tone for the series.
2 A Demon Breaking Into the Temple and Killing the Orphans Gyomei Was Raising
From Demon Slayer
The very concept of Demon Slayer is terrifying, and a world full of bloodthirsty demons that prowl freely and feast on humans every night understandably makes for hundreds of horrific moments throughout the story. One of the worst by far is a part of Gyomei Himejima's backstory, and it explains why the Stone Hashira is quite solemn. He raised orphans during his teenage years, and one day, a demon broke into their home.
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Although Gyomei fought with all his might, the wicked creature ate all the children except for one, who hid behind the Hashira for protection while he battled. This was a formative occurrence in Gyomei's life, fueling his hatred for demons even more, because they stole everyone he loved from him in an instant. Apart from the heavy emotional nature of this scene, it is also one of the series' most unsettling, because the monstrous demon casually slaughtered eight children like it was nothing, a sight that would really upset anyone with a heart.
1 Dio Forcing a Woman to Eat Her Own Baby
From JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Anime's most disgusting scene is featured in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, with the series' most evil villain, Dio Brando, at the center of this horrific scene. In Part 1, titled Phantom Blood, Dio turned into a vampire and began transforming others too, to serve as his henchmen. He manipulated a mother in a dire situation into letting him make her into a zombie, promising to protect her child if she accepted his request.
However, once she allowed Dio to transform her, in an absolutely stomach-turning twist, he made the woman eat her own baby alive. Even seasoned JoJo's fans who have rewatched the series countless times have trouble witnessing this gory scene that would fit right into a horror movie. No other part of JoJo's is quite as effective at revealing how cruel and heartless Dio is, but the dreadful moment itself is nearly impossible to watch.
