Horror is a genre that has always been popular in Japanese pop culture. From movies that will leave you scared of videotapes in fear that Sadako will get you to absolutely gruesome anime which will make you vomit cause of how graphic and horrifying they are, Japan has mastered horror.
So we at MyAnimeGuru have come up with a list of the 17+ Best Horror Manga of All-Time (Ranked) to provide you with some of the best titles so that you can enjoy this summer reading the many masterclasses in horror literature that the manga industry has given the fans.
This same applies to horror manga and over the years we’ve seen many masterpieces which have elevated the genre. These include well-known titles read by millions as well as little-known hidden gems which have changed the game.
List of Best Horror Manga
This list will be based on the quality of the story, the overall popularity of the anime, the fear factor, and the likeliness of the characters. So without wasting any time let’s start the list of best horror manga.
20. Gantz
Chapters – 383; 37 Volumes |Year – (2000-2013)
Kei is arrogant and disregardful and doesn’t care about any other person. He is very cynical but when at a subway, one of his childhood friends Kato asks him to save a drunk lying on the tracks, he unexpectedly complies. But just as they save the drunk, an incoming train comes and kills them.
They get decapitated but surprisingly they wake up in a strange room with other people who also supposedly died and now they must participate in a death game and are pitted against various aliens. Can Kei and his companions survive, and find in one of the best horror manga?
19. 7 Seeds
Chapters – 178; 35 Volumes | Year – (2002-2017)
Scientists predict that a meteorite is going to strike the Earth and will make it uninhabitable. To preserve humanity, they decide to cryogenically freeze many young adults and wake them at the right time with a computer. These young people in teams of 7 will then take back the Earth.
Just like that Natsu and Arashi and many like them go to sleep one night only to wake up many years later and find themselves in a hostile Earth with mutated plants and animals. With simply a guide and limited food supplies, can these people survive? Find it in one of the best horror manga.
18. Homunculus
Chapters – 166; 15 Volumes | Year – (2003-2011)
When a bored young man named Susamu who’s disillusioned from life gets an offer from a young medical student that in exchange for 700,000 Yen, he’ll have to be the text subject for trepanning to see if he can unlock his sixth sense with it.
Much to his dismay, he gained sixth senses and could now see the metaphysical and symbolic representations of a person’s psychological issues known as homunculi. Seeing now that he’s the only one who can help these people, Susamu tries to help them. It is one of the best horror manga.
17. Mieruko-Chan
Chapters – 50+ ; 8 Volumes | Year – 2018
In one of the more light-hearted entries on this list, we see Miko Yotsuba, a regular high-school girl living her daily life. But suddenly everything changes for her when she starts seeing the dead. , Yes you heard that right, she can see dead people and spirits.
But what she can see isn’t limited to human spirits as she can see all kinds of ominous spiritual entities and some of them are very dangerous. Can Miko pretend that she can’t see any of that or will the spirits catch up to her feint? Watch is one of the best horror manga which also has comedy.
16. Ghost Hunt
Chapters – 43; 12 Volumes | Year – (1997-2010)
Mai Taniyama is a regular high-school girl who likes to tell ghost stories along with her friends. One day she hears about the old school building which is supposed to be haunted and decides to give it a visit. There she notices a video camera and accidentally breaks it. This camera belongs to Kazuya.
Kazuya is a psychic who was hired by the school to investigate the ghosts and other rumors about the school. Mai as a penalty for breaking the camera has to work under Kazuya and help him in his work. She soon realizes that something is horrifying behind these rurumorsIt is one of the best horror manga.
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15. Devilman
Chapters – 53; 5 Volumes | Year – (1972-1973)
Akira Fuudo is a kind boy but when he learns from his friend Ryou that an ancient demon race has broken free of their icy prison, it’s time for a change. Ryou tells Akira that the only way to defeat demons is to become one yourself and thus Akira decides to unite with a devil called Amon.
This turns him into the Devil-man and thus starts his battle to defeat the devils on a path painted with treachery, betrayal, and pain. Will Akira be able to use his powers for good or will he be corrupted by the demonic entities, see in one of the best horror manga.
14. Dorohedero
Chapters – 167; 23 Volumes | Year – (2000-2018)
In a dismal town so bad it is simply known as “The Hole”, sorcerers come and test their powers on the residents by killing or kidnapping them. One of these residents, Kaiman is cursed by a sorcerer and is left disfigured with a reptile head. He is now determined to get normal and works with his partner Nikaido.
The two of them go on killing any sorcerers that they find in hopes one of them is the caster. But their activities get the attention of many strong sorcerers who send assassins to kill him. Now the duo has to survive not only the assassins but also find Kaiman’s cure in one of the best horror manga.
13. Hellsing
Chapters 92; 10 Volumes | Year – (1997-2008)
Perhaps the single best vampire fiction in anime while also being one of the best adaptations of Count Dracula, it tells the story of Hellsing, a British organization that has been battling supernatural monsters and vampires to protect the people. It is one of the best horror manga.
This org is overseen by Integra Hellsing and she commands her army but her strongest weapon is none other than Alucard, the strongest vampire himself. See how he fends off the ghouls while also battling the Vatican as well as a group aiming for world domination named Millenium.
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12. Ajin: Demi-Human
Chapters – 99; 17 Volumes | Year – (2012-2021)
Ajin is a race of immortal demi-humans and is impervious to normal injuries. So when Kei survives an accident that should’ve killed and without any injuries, he realizes he is an Ajin.
Now with the world on his trail with an international bounty on his head who only see him as a specimen to be taken, Kei finds himself on the run and the only way to survive is to learn how to use all the terrifying techniques that come with this new body. It is one of the best horror manga.
11. BLAME!
Chapters – 65; 10 Volumes | Year – (1997-2003)
Killy is searching in the giant technological wasteland for a human with terminal net genes to save the Netsphere, a realm under the Authority from collapsing. However, his journeys are marked with much danger and many intrusions are making sure things aren’t easy for him.
The Megastructure is full of killer cyborgs, silicon beasts, and giant machines who are mindlessly adding to the chaos and making things hard for him. To protect himself he is simply armed with a powerful gun using which he has to somehow survive. Read more in one of the best horror manga.
10. The Promised Neverland
Chapters – 181; 20 Volumes | Year – (2016-2020)
In an orphanage secluded from society, dozens of small kids, study, play and live their best lives. Their only caretaker is a lady they address as Mama. The kids continue to live and play as siblings without any worries about life.
All of this changes when one day Norman, Emma, and Ray discover the reality of their situation. After this, it’s a race against time to save themselves and escape from the orphanage. Can the trio save themselves or will this be their doom in one of the best psychological horror manga?
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9. The Drifting Classroom
Chapters – 44; 11 Volumes | Year – (1972-1974)
One day Shou and his entire classroom with all students and teachers get transported suddenly from their school to another dimension where there is nothing but an unending desert in all directions without any food, water, or any escape from the misery.
With such harsh conditions and no help in sight, the students are getting more and more uncontrollable and losing their sanity, rioting, and killing. Can Shou and others manage to survive this maddening hellscape or are they doomed to die, find in one of the best horror manga.
8. Tokyo Ghoul
Chapters – 323; 30 Volumes | Year – (2011-2018)
Tokyo is inhabited by human-like monsters called ghouls. These look exactly like humans but can modify their bodies to make weapons that they use to hunt and eat humans. One of these ghouls named Rize lures a college student named Kaneki to her hunting grounds to eat him.
But when a freak accident occurs, Rize finds herself being crushed by a Steel beam, saving Kaneki who passes out from shock. But when Kaneki wakes up, he finds that he is now a half-ghoul. How will he come to terms with his new reality, find out in one of the best horror manga.
7. Parasyte
Chapters – 64; 10 Volumes | Year – (1989-1995)
Space parasites have invaded Earth and have infected humans, modifying them into flesh-eating monsters armed with grotesque physiologies and weird weapons. Shinichi was also infected by one of these but due to ears being blocked, the parasite couldn’t enter his brain.
But the parasite takes control of his right hand instead and gets its consciousness. Now can Shinichi get back control of his hand and save humanity from these monsters who can hide as regular humans? Read one of the best horror manga to know more.
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6. Akira
Chapters – 120; 6 Volumes | Year – (1982-1990)
About 38 years ago, WW3 broke out and destroyed Tokyo. Years after, Neo-Tokyo was built in its place and gradually the populace was moving away from memories of the war, but Civil strife and criminal activities were threatening the existence of this new city.
To combat this, the government was working on a secret project to create psychics to keep crime in check but one of these subjects escapes and hides with one of the biker gangs. Now the gov will try all in their power to get rid of any evidence about their secrets in one of the best horror manga.
5. Tomie
Chapters – 20; 3 Volumes | Year – (1987-2000)
A classic horror tale by the great Junji Ito, it is one of his seminal works and tells the story of Tomie, an extremely beautiful yet mysterious girl who can enchant any man and make them obsessed with her to the point where they are driven mad.
These lovers in their madness kill Tomie countless times but for some reason, even after she dies, she returns to the horror of her victims. Read this timeless classic for one of the best horror manga written and get scared to your core.
4. Elfen Lied
Chapters – 107; 12 Volumes| Year – (2002-2005)
Diclonius are mutants who were once human but were chosen by god and gained dangerous telekinetic powers which will eventually one day mark them as the end of mankind. To prevent this, the Gov. has captured them in labs until one day one of them breaks free brutally killing all her guards.
As she is escaping, she is hit by a bullet on the back of her head and falls into the ocean. From there she drifts to the nearby beach, where 2 teenagers found her unconscious not knowing that the girl they just rescued a is bloodthirsty mutant. See what happens to them in one of the best horror manga.
3. Uzumaki
Chapters – 19; 3 Volumes | Year – (1998-1999)
Another classic by Junji Ito, Uzumaki tells the story of a small Japanese town called Kurozu-cho where strange things keep happening. The residents for some reason seem to be obsessed with anything spiral like whirlwinds, snail shells, pottery, etc.
But soon things start going out of hand when these spirals start appearing in things that shouldn’t have and this is soon followed by unnatural deaths. Something strange is happening and if not stopped, the whole town will soon be dead. Find out more in one of the best horror manga.
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2. Chainsaw Man
Chapters – 120+ ; 14 Volumes | Year – 2018
CSM follows the young devil-hunter Denji. He owes the Yakuza money and hunts devils too to pay his debt and is helped by the devil Pochita. One day he is betrayed by the Yakuza, who under the influence of the Zombie devil, leave both Denji and Pochita for death. Just before dying Pochita fuses with Denji.
This process of healing him makes him the chainsaw man. Now Denji is up for revenge against all who treated him badly while also being on one radar of the Public Safety Commission and its leader Makima. What’ll happen to Denji, see you in one of the best horror manga.
1. Berserk
Chapters – 388+ ; 41 Volumes | Year – 1988
Perhaps the most famous title on the list, Berserk is the masterpiece of the late Kentaro Miura and tells the story of the Black Swordsman Guts who is on his quest for retribution against the Hawk of Light, Griffith, while also trying to find a cure for Casca’s sanity.
The manga has amazing art and strong visuals with a constant feeling of doom and at times, feeling hopeless because no matter what Guts does, he simply can’t seem to escape his fate. One of the best dark fantasy manga, it is also one of the best horror manga due to its gruesome story.
Conclusion
And Thus folks, this was our list of the 17+ Best Horror manga of all time (Ranked).
It took a long time to curate this list since we decided to include both popular titles and hidden gems so that when you want to read the best horror manga, you’ll get a varied list.
So we hope you liked this list and till the next article comes, please stay connected and binge on the best horror manga while you wait for more cool lists. Till then, see ya.
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Source – Anilist
FAQ Section
Which is the first horror manga?
Shigeru Mizuki’s Gegege no Kitarou was the first horror manga and also one of the best horror manga and was serialized between 1965-1970.
Who is the best horror mangaka?
Junji Ito, author of classics like Tomie(1987) and Uzumaki(1999) is known to many as the best horror mangaka as well as the author of the scariest and best horror manga.
Which is the highest-rated horror manga?
Berserk is the highest rated horror manga.
