16 Best Thriller Anime Ever Made

Sometimes it’s really nice to kick your feet up and watch a simple calming show, to escape the everyday hassle of real life.

But other times it’s just as fun to watch a show that’ll have you sitting at the edge of your seat while your heart-rate goes through the roof.

And there’s plenty of these series in the anime world.

So that’s our topic for this ranking as we count down some of the better thriller anime series worth watching.

16. Monster

Monster is arguably one of the best thrillers ever made. And the writing is nothing short of impeccable.

It centers on the backstory of two twins and a doctor who got tangled up in their mess.

Well I say two twins, but one is definitely more interesting than the other. Of course, I’m speaking about Johan, an S-class genius psychopath who’s the antagonist of the series.

It’s a cat and mouse chase that spans over 70 episodes, never letting up in terms of mystery and action.

The world of Monster is rich and enticing the whole way. So don’t be surprised if you get sucked into the series after a day or two of binging it.

15. Shiki

It was high time we had a “mysterious village where people keep going missing” show.

In Shiki, the cause of their disappearance is a disease that actually turns people into vampires.

As you might have guessed, it’s a race against a clock as the protagonists try to figure out what’s going on while, more and more people suddenly disappear.

Shiki is a rather standard premise. But it’s executed really well, leading to a very eerie and unpleasant vibe throughout the entire show.

14. Eden of The East

Eden of the East is the type of anime that initially just confuses the hell out of you, but then quickly sucks you in with no hopes of return.

I mean, just look at the initial setup:

A missile hits Japan, but no one dies. Then we have a time skip where a girl is leaving for America before getting into some dangerous waters and being saved by a naked dude with no memories.

And before you know it, it turns into a Mirai Nikki-type show where people battle to death with their cell phones.

You might look at this setup & at the episode count and think “this must be rushed as hell”.

But don’t worry, there are also two movies to help wrap up the narrative.

13. Paprika

You would be hard-pressed to find a psychological thriller more experimental than Paprika.

This is because it’s centered around the craziest part of humanity: dreams.

When a device that allows you to enter someone’s dreams goes missing, it’s up to the protagonists to get to the bottom of it – both in the real world and the dream world.

The animation and art style here are weird at the very least, and sometimes downright bizarre.

But that’s what gives Paprika its shine.

The whole thing is trippy as hell, and you won’t regret getting into this mysterious world.

12. Psycho-Pass

Psycho-Pass is yet another example of a show that’s not labeled as a thriller, even though it far exceeds the qualities needed to be one.

It’s your standard cop flick with a major trope shattering plot point, that being a system which can determine whether you’re a criminal even before you commit a crime.

Thought-crime, as it were.

The mystery behind this system alone will keep you at the edge of your seat, not to mention one of the best anime antagonists of all time who is (for some reason) immune to the system – even after committing several crimes.

All in all, Psycho-Pass is an absolute must watch.

11. Paranoia Agent

Paranoia Agent is all about one illusive little criminal called Lil’ Slugger.

The name might sound funny, but you’re bound to take him more seriously once you see him beating someone to an inch of their life with a golden baseball bat.

As the two detectives try their best to catch up with the little devil, more and more people fall victim to his deadly swings, with stories spreading all over town.

Sometimes something as simple as catching a singular illusive, irrational criminal is all it takes to make a bomb thriller anime.

10. Vivy -Fluorite Eye’s Song-

Whenever a show has A.I., you know it has the potential for some major shenanigans.

And as you might have guessed, Vivy, the protagonist, is in fact AI herself.

She spends her days in a park, singing and trying to attract tourists, only to be greeted by a different artificial intelligence from the future.

I mean, AI plus time travel?

You should know where this is heading.

Yes, the newcomer is here to stop a war between humanity and artificial intelligence, that’s set to start in precisely one century.

That sounds like a lot more fun than any theme park I ever went to.

9. Denpa-teki na Kanojo

So this is a two-episode OVA murder mystery that tells an excellent story in just less than an hour and a half.

It starts off when a female approaches the protagonist and claims they’re connected through the experiences they’ve shared in their previous lives.

He brushes her off initially, but quickly becomes her partner once a girl in class gets murdered.

Well, I’d say he “teams up” but he honestly just suspected her to be the murderer.

However, the rabbit hole is never that shallow – and these two are in for a wild ride.

8. Shigofumi: Letters from the Departed

This show has a brilliantly simple concept that just works on so many levels.

In Shigofumi, people who die while still having very strong emotions about something(or someone) can pass on a letter to the living.

Our protagonist is the one who has the unpleasant job of delivering all these letters to their respective recipients, while also trying to figure out how exactly she got this role in the first place.

The story is short and simple, but a rather thrilling ride.

7. Another

When it comes to mysteries, the plot of Another is certainly up there in the anime world.

The concept is as basic as you can get:

You have a male protagonist, an unusual female who tags along, and a mysterious curse that keeps killing their classmates.

In order to stop more people from dying, they have to figure out a mystery long forgotten and break the curse.

Another is definitely a shorter and simpler series, but effective.

The show is also very creative when it comes to character death, since you seldom see it coming.

Especially when umbrellas are involved.

6. Terror in Resonance

The story of Terror in Resonance takes us on a ride as we see two teenage boys turn to terrorism to get a certain message across.

Whenever they blow something up, they leave a coded message behind for the police.

As if they were toying with them.

But of course, it’s all part of a much larger narrative that you probably won’t see coming until the last few episodes (no spoilers).

The boys’ plots are entertaining to watch, and the puzzles they leave behind will have you as curious as the detective who’s hot on their trail. So plenty of thrills to be had here.

5. Puella Magi Madoka Magica

If you want your expectations to be subverted beyond all belief, then this anime is worth a watch.

All things considered, it looks like your typical magical girl show.

However, we get our first hints of its actual narrative when the main cast is warned that the price of power is steep, and that everything is not what it seems.

But since no one ever listens to vague warning, we tumble down this dark and enticing rabbit hole that’ll have you question everything you ever thought about the magical girl genre.

4. Promised Neverland

The first season of Promised Neverland is some of the most intense psychological 300 IQ action you’re bound to see in anime.

The story centers around a group of kids living on a farm with their loving mother…

But then sike! It was all a sham, and all of their lives are in danger.

So it’s up to the older kids to come up with a plan of escape.

The kids are all genius tacticians, but the mother is no pushover herself, leading to this thrilling story where everyone acts friendly while simultaneously thinking ten steps ahead, and trying to find a way to escape this hell.

But speaking of hell, don’t watch the second season. It’s not worth it, trust me.

3. Re:Zero

You know how isekai shows are usually pretty laid back since the protagonist is usually overpowered, and the world is bright and cheerful?

Yeah, none of that here.

Our MC is a normal human whose only ability is to go back in time once he has been killed.

And boy does he get to use it often.

Re: Zero offers both a depressing and very fresh outlook on the isekai genre. Achieving anything in this world is beyond difficult, which makes every piece of progression earned and valuable.

Plus the sound effect for when the protagonist rewinds time is as thriller as you can possibly get.

2. Steins;Gate

Since we’re already on the topic of going back in time, and the idea of death happening over and over again, and seeing a person go clinically insane underneath the cruel boot of reality…

Let’s talk about Steins;Gate.

It’s one of those shows that starts off kinda calm and slice of life-y, only to kick everything into gear and present one of the best stories anime has ever seen.

The stakes are always very high. And just like in Re: Zero, you have to fight for every inch of progression.

Steins;Gate’s story has so many twists, turns, upsets, and surprises that you’ll never feel like you truly know what’s going to happen – which is the dream of any thriller fan.

1. Death Note

If you’ve watched any anime at any point, you should have seen big daddy Death Note coming.

It’s arguably the most enticing cat and mouse chase ever presented, especially in the first half of the show.

It’s just two brilliant minds try to outwit each other.

There’s literally no reason not to watch this show (unless you’ve already seen it).

So if for whatever reason you have somehow managed to avoid Death Note until now, go and watch it.

Trust me, it is not overhyped, it’s just brilliant.