Best Horror Anime of 2016

In the age of the industrial revolution, a strange virus gives rise to monstrous beings known as Kabane, which attack humans to feed. The only way to defeat them is to shatter their iron-coated hearts. Anyone bitten by a Kabane is cursed to become one of the undead themselves. Only the most heavily guarded settlements have managed to survive, such as the island of Hinomoto, where huge walls protect humanity from the endless swarms. Entry to these enormous fortresses is limited to armored trains, which are built and run by young men like Ikoma. Ikoma has created a powerful weapon designed to pierce the hearts of Kabane, and he is eager to test it in battle. Yet his opportunity to fight arrives much sooner than he ever expected.

The mysterious immortal entities known as Ajin first appeared in Africa seventeen years ago. Because their indestructible bodies pose a threat to humanity and they could be exploited for malicious purposes, they are immediately detained upon discovery. Kei Nagai, a hardworking high school student with aspirations of becoming a doctor, largely ignores the school curriculum concerning these beings, having only seen them occasionally in the news. Although he is taught that Ajin are not human, his ignorance proves irrelevant when he survives a fatal accident that triggers his transformation into an Ajin, plunging him into intense suffering. As he flees alone from a world that hunts him, Kei learns that other members of his kind might be hiding in plain sight.

Marked for death and doomed to be pursued by demons until his last breath, Guts resolves to challenge this terrifying fate as endless waves of monsters chase after him. With his resolve steeled, he brandishes the enormous Dragonslayer and vows vengeance against the man he once admired and considered a friend. Along his journey, he encounters unexpected allies such as the tiny elf Puck and Isidro, a young thief eager to learn the art of the sword from the former mercenary. As this unlikely band comes together to accompany Guts on his mission, they must face threats more horrifying than any they have encountered before.

After escaping from Hope's Peak Academy, Makoto Naegi and his fellow survivors join the Future Foundation, an organization dedicated to fighting despair. But the situation takes a turn when Naegi is arrested for treason after defending the Remnants of Despair. Alongside Kyouko Kirigiri and Aoi Asahina, he appears before the Foundation's executives, facing an uncertain fate. Things worsen when Monokuma infiltrates the organization's supposedly impenetrable security, immediately announcing the start of a new killing game. As the first victim appears as an omen of renewed despair, Naegi, the Super High School-Level Lucky Student, must once again solve the mystery while his comrades fall one by one. However, without class trials, the rules have changed: among the sixteen desperate participants, there is only one killer, and their death will finally bring this hellish game to an end.

The unusual Class 77-B at Hope's Peak Academy gets a new homeroom teacher, Chisa Yukizome, a former student known as the Super High School-Level Housekeeper. Full of energy and skill, she works to heal the broken relationships among her varied students, who include a princess, a nurse, a yakuza member, and an incredibly lucky person. Trusting in the strength of hope, she tries to steer them through their disputes. At the same time, Hajime Hinata, a Reserve Course student who feels he lacks any special ability, meets Chiaki Nanami, the Super High School-Level Gamer. Through their time together, she gives him a new way of looking at life. But without Hajime's knowledge, the school's administration is engineering a dark scheme involving him that could bring down Hope's Peak and devastate the world. Zetsubou-hen follows the daily life at the famous academy while dark forces work in the background. As despair slowly takes over hope, those responsible for the Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History start their plan, marking the start of the end.

Having survived their narrow escape from death, Kei Nagai and his new ally Kou Nakano scheme to take vengeance on Satou, a fellow Ajin obsessed with ruling the world. While Satou carries out a series of public executions, humanity scrambles to find a way to halt the immortal threat. Kei finds unexpected support from former enemies: Yuu Tosaki, a high-ranking government official whose deep knowledge of Ajin provides a strategic edge against Satou, and Tosaki’s Ajin subordinate, Izumi Shimomura. As Kei’s group expands, he must act quickly to halt Satou’s campaign before it destroys civilization.

A bus carrying a group of eccentric individuals is traveling toward the urban legend known as Nanaki Village—a place where one can supposedly start over and live a perfect life. Many of them have different theories about why the village appears on no map and why even the police cannot locate it, but they all look forward to their new lives and what awaits them at their destination. After a few mishaps, they successfully arrive at Nanaki Village only to find it completely abandoned. Based on the state of disrepair, it has been vacant for at least a year. However, secrets soon emerge as some of the group begin to go missing while exploring the village, and amid the confusion, they discover bloody claw marks in a forest. As mistrust and in-fighting erupt, will they ever uncover the truth behind this lost village?

In Terra Formars: Revenge, the crew of Annex I persist in their war against the Terraformars, massive humanoid cockroaches that evolved from specimens sent to Mars long ago. Instead of finding a remedy for the devastating Alien Engine Virus ravaging Earth, the Annex I team discovers that various squadrons harbor their own nationalistic agendas. Consequently, the fighters must contend not only with the Terraformars to stay alive but also with one another in a ceaseless struggle for global supremacy.

A young boy quietly draws the terrifying images residing within his imagination. As he delves into the occult and the unknown, he shares stories about a figure with a muscular arm that must not be viewed, a hospital room hiding a dark secret, and a chilling trip to a silent taxidermy museum. These narratives and others are collected in Yami Shibai 3. Rendered in a style reminiscent of traditional kamishibai street theater, this horror series maintains the gruesome and unsettling atmosphere characteristic of Yami Shibai and its second season.

In many typical high schools, urban legends circulate, ranging from scandalous to joyful, and occasionally macabre. One such rumor speaks of monsters residing in an abandoned mansion on the outskirts of town. The story proves too alluring for Hiroshi, Mika, Takeshi, and Takurou to ignore. They resolve to face the alleged threats to explore the manor and prove their bravery. Each friend feels intense fear as they approach the house. Upon entering, they encounter a blue monster called Ao Oni, which immediately attacks them. As Hiroshi and his companions attempt to solve puzzles scattered throughout the mansion and flee from their blue adversary, they repeatedly meet gruesome ends due to their failures.

Having endured the assault on Sarugaku headquarters, Sousuke Banba continues his pursuit of the Kagewani monster hybrids. Now possessing the capacity to channel Kagewani energy, he has found a way to destroy these beasts. However, this ability comes at a steep cost: Sousuke faces an ongoing battle to preserve his sanity, as the power threatens to devour his physical form. New and familiar dangers emerge as Sarugaku’s leadership reactivates and an assassin driven by personal vengeance targets Sousuke. Undeterred, he presses forward with his mission, resolved to uncover the origins of the Kagewani and permanently neutralize the threat they pose.

This horror anime has a cute aesthetic. Every resident of the town is a monster, yet they carry on with their normal lives and attend high school.

Kimoshiba is a peculiar life form shaped like an oversized shiba inu. It loves curry, particularly curry breads, and works at a funeral home. Other similar life forms include yamishiba and onishiba.