33+ BEST Suspense Anime (RECOMMENDATIONS)

Updated on: July 12, 2022

Pretty much alike the “thrill” genre, the suspense genre mostly makes you lose your breath over certain scenes. So, if you want to lose your breath and feel tight in your throat, we’ve got some perfection recommendations for you! 

Suspense Anime will make you anxious and will make you curious as well! We’ve seen a lot of suspenseful anime, right? But for those, who haven’t yet explored the world of suspense anime, get ready! This is going to be a suspenseful ride for you. I know, I should stop saying suspense already. Let’s dive right into the list of 34 BEST Suspense Anime! 

 

 

34. Cowboy Bebop 

INFORMATION
Title	Cowboy Bebop
Genre	Drama, Suspense
Type	Series
Studio	Sunrise
Premiered	April 3, 1998 – June 26, 1998
Episode Count	26 episodes
Duration	39 minutes

First off, we have Cowboy Bebop which is one of the most retro anime of all time. Its aesthetics are on the next level. The story of Cowboy Bebop revolves around bounty hunters who are also known as cowboys. The story follows the adventures of these bounty hunters in space. Their spaceship is called “Bebop”. When they travel in space, they come across each others’ past stories and learn about one another. There’s a lot of suspense in this anime, imagine being a bounty hunter and having the fear of getting caught! Such suspense is light and bearable. 

 

33. Black Butler 

INFORMATION
Title	Black Butler
Genre	Suspense, Shonen
Type	Series
Studio	A-1 Pictures
Premiered	October 3, 2008 – March 27, 2009
Episode Count	24 episodes
Duration	24 minutes

Black Butler’s story is set in the times of Victorian England. A young guy named Ciel Phantomhive is known as “the Queen’s Guard Dog” . He takes care of a lot of unsettled matters for her majesty. Ciel Phantomhive is helped by Sebestian Michaelis who’s the loyal butler. This butler has supernatural abilities and Ciel can use these whenever he wants to get his job done. There’s so many mysteries yet to unfold and there is a lot more to the black-clad butler than we think. This fact alone makes the series much suspenseful. So, I’d recommend you guys to watch it! 

 

32. Durarara!! 

INFORMATION
Title	Durarara!!
Genre	Action, Suspense, Supernatural
Type	Series
Studio	Brain’s Base
Premiered	January 8, 2010 – June 25, 2010
Episode Count	24 episodes
Duration	24 minutes

The story of Durarara tells us about a dullahan working as a courier in a supposedin supposedan underworld city in Japan which is in Ikebukuro. It is an internet-based gang called Dollars. It also tells us about the chaos unravelling some of the most dangerous people in Ikebukuro! This anime has subtle suspense. Thus, you should watch it if you’re a fan of light suspense! 

 

31. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

INFORMATION
Title	Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
Genre	Adventure, Suspense, Action
Type	Series
Studio	David Production
Premiered	October 6, 2012 – April 6, 2013
Episode Count	26 episodes
Duration	24 minutes

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is indeed one of the most bizarre anime of all time. This anime has collections of different Jojo’s who are somehow related to one another. It’s pretty complicated to explain but trust me this anime is worth-watching. The action, adventure, and the suspense in this anime is beyond your imagination. If you feel like this anime is your pick, watch it! There are many seasons of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure and each of them is filled with bizarre and suspenseful moments. 

 

30. Bakemonogatari 

INFORMATION
Title	Bakemonogatari
Genre	Mystery, Suspense, Romance
Type	Series
Studio	Shaft
Premiered	July 3, 2009 – June 25, 2010
Episode Count	15 episodes
Duration	25 minutes

Imagine surviving a vampire attack. If you’re a fan of vampires and want to see their apocalypse, you must watch Bakemonogatari. It revolves around a third year student named Koyomi Araragi who saves himself from a vampire attack through Meme Oshino’s help. He’s a peculiar man who stood across an abandoned building. Even though he survived the vampire attack, he was left with some supernatural abilities. Nevertheless, he tries his best to live like an ordinary student. How could these abilities affect him? 

 

29. Ghost Hunt 

INFORMATION
Title	Ghost Hunt
Genre	Mystery, Suspense, Horror
Type	Series
Studio	J.C. Staff
Premiered	Oct 4, 2006 – March 28, 2007
Episode Count	25 episodes
Duration	25 minutes

You know how there are some kids who love talking about ghosts, these kids are the first ones to die. The story of Ghost Hunt revolves around these kids who often talk about ghosts and it turns out that there is an abandoned building inside their campus which is quite popular for ghost hunting. In this story, the kids come across a mysterious guy who’s an investigator when it comes to ghost hunting. How would these kids react to this mysterious man who’s offering them his help? To find out watch, Ghost Hunt! The introduction of mysterious characters give you butterflies too, so there’s some suspense in Ghost Hunt too! 

 

28. Ghost in the Shell

INFORMATION
Title	Ghost in the Shell
Genre	Sci-Fi, Suspense, Action
Type	Series
Studio	Production I.G
Premiered	November 18, 1995
Episode Count	25 episodes
Duration	1 hour 22 minutes

 The story of Ghost in the Shell is rather futuristic and it’s set in the year of 2029. It takes place in Niihama City which has become a tech-based metropolis. Since technology in this city has improved big time, the people living here can easily change their limbs. They can actually replace their limbs with robotic parts. The world is even more connected now and an organization known as Public Security Section 9 is given the responsibility to fight corruption, terrorism, and some other dangerous threats that are coming through their way. What could it be? Dangerous threats leaving everyone anxious, isn’t that so thrilling? Not knowing what’s coming your way, creating suspense like that should be illegal oof! That explains why Ghost in the Shell is in the list of the Top 30 Suspenseful Anime.  

 

27. Blast of Tempest 

INFORMATION
Title	Blast of the Tempest
Genre	Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Suspense
Type	Series
Studio	Bones
Premiered	October 5, 2012 – March 29, 2013
Episode Count	24 episodes
Duration	24 minutes

This is the story of two best friends. A guy named Yoshino Takigawa secretly crushes over his best friend’s sister and he starts to date her too. One strange day, his girlfriend dies and his best friend tries to find the killer. Yoshino continues his life as usual but one day, he comes across a peculiar girl who holds Yoshino at gun-point. His best friend shows up and tries to save him. What could this situation mean? Curious to find out? Watch Blast of Tempest! 

 

26. From the New World 

INFORMATION
Title	From the New World
Genre	Horror, Drama, Suspense
Type	Series
Studio	A-1 Pictures
Premiered	September 29, 2012 – March 23, 2013
Episode Count	25 episodes
Duration	22 minutes

Kamisu 66 is a town where a 12 year old girl named Saki Watanabe awakens to her supernatural powers. What will you do if one day you find out that you have super powers? Wouldn’t it be a dream come true for you guys? Anyways, this girl is relieved to join her friends at Sage Academy. Saki Watanabe, along with her other friends, come across different cases of abducting cats and killing them. OOF! That’s horrifying. 

 

25. Fate/Zero 

INFORMATION
Title	Fate/Zero
Genre	Action, Fantasy, Suspense
Type	Series
Studio	Ufotable
Premiered	October 2, 2011 – December 2, 2011
Episode Count	13 episodes
Duration	28 minutes

Fate/Zero is a story that takes place after ten years before the events of Fate/Stay Night. The story of this anime tells us about the Fourth Holy Grail War. It’s a secret magical tournament which is held in Fuyuki City in Japan. Seven Mages have the ability to summon their servants who can battle for them. The story is full of suspense, if you want to watch a suspenseful anime, watch Fate/Zero! 

 

24. B: The Beginning 

INFORMATION
Title	B: The Beginning
Genre	Action, Suspense, Myster
Type	Series
Studio	Original
Premiered	March 2, 2018
Episode Count	12 episodes
Duration	23 minutes

There’s a killer named Killer B. An investigator named Kieth is a genius who is brought to help find Killer B. There’s another protagonist in the anime named Koku who is an extraordinary supernatural being in reality. 

 

23. Mushishi 

INFORMATION
Title	Mushi Shi
Genre	Mystery, Suspense
Type	Series
Studio	Artland
Premiered	October 23, 2005 – June 19, 2006
Episode Count	26 episodes
Duration	25 minutes

Mushi are the basic form of life. Mushi live a purposeless life. They don’t have any goals and are not aware of the words “good” or “evil”. They can exist in many forms and are also able to mimic other things. For instance, plants, animals, and etc. So what can be Mushi exactly? Ginkgo chases some of the rumours about these things and tries his best to do his research. Researching about completely new things? That sounds suspenseful. Not knowing completely about something can also make you anxious, isn’t that right? That’s why this anime is in the list of top 20 Suspenseful Anime. 

 

22. Ergo Proxy 

INFORMATION
Title	Ergo Proxy
Genre	Sci-Fi, Suspense
Type	Series
Studio	Manglobe
Premiered	February 25, 2006 – August 12, 2006
Episode Count	23 episodes
Duration	25 minutes

Within one of the steeple cities of Romdo, there lies one of the last human civilizations on Earth. 1000 years ago, a well-known ecological catastrophe took place and now living outside this steeple is virtually impossible. To recover human existence, AutoReivs also known as humanoid-like robots are created to help people live their everyday lives. The AutoReivs are shrinking the enigmatic disease known as AutoReiv partner Iggy. What other mysteries lie within this steeple? To find out, watch Ergo Proxy! 

 

21. Beautiful Bones 

INFORMATION
Title	Beautiful Bones
Genre	Drama, Suspense
Type	Series
Studio	TROYCA
Premiered	October 8, 2015 – December 24, 2015
Episode Count	12 episodes
Duration	23 minutes

Imagine there’s a beautiful girl who’s smart as well but she keeps skeletons in her study. What will you do? Will you befriend her? The name of this girl is Sakurako Kujo, she can’t stand others and prefers to be completely isolated along with her skeletons. The plot sounds kind of dramatic and suspenseful, if you’re looking for something like this, you’ve found your pick! 

 

20. Another 

INFORMATION
Title	Another
Genre	Supernatural, Suspense
Type	Series
Studio	P.A. Works
Premiered	January 10, 2012 – March 27, 2017
Episode Count	12 episodes
Duration	24 minutes

Another is another suspenseful anime. Along with its horror aspects, it won the hearts of many people all around the world. The story revolves around a transfer student who first visits the school after taking a whole month off. During his absence from school, he met a peculiar girl at the hospital. He was automatically drawn to this girl. But real suspense begins when his class fellows say that this girl doesn’t exist. So, basically it’s just our MC who can see this girl. Isn’t that scary? To find out what happened next, watch Another! 

 

19. Death Parade

INFORMATION
Title	Death Parade
Genre	Drama, Suspense
Type	Series
Studio	Madhouse
Premiered	January 10, 2015 – March 28, 2015
Episode Count	12 episodes
Duration	23 minutes

After the death of a certain person, hell awaits them. Not necessarily though, some might go to heaven as well. Anyways, there’s a place called Quindeim, it’s a bar where only people who die at the exact same time can enter. This bar is run by an unknown figure named Decim and he passes the judgement of these people by involving them in a dangerous game. This game concludes whether a person is going to reincarnate into a new life or is going to enter the void. 

 

18. BTOOOM! 

INFORMATION
Title	Btooom!
Genre	Action, Suspense, Sci-Fi
Type	Series
Studio	Madhouse
Premiered	October 4, 2012 – December 20, 2012
Episode Count	12 episodes
Duration	24 minutes

The story of Btooom follows the adventures of Ryota Sakamoto who’s an unemployed and isolated man. He’s known to be one of the world’s top players inside a titular video game. Yes! All the unemployed people must be good at gaming, that’s the least they can do! HAH! I’m just kidding. Anyways, After he is nominated to take part in the real-life version of his favorite game, he gets stuck inside it. Now, he has to live his life according to the game and look after himself since the challenges are going to be difficult. 

 

17. Blood-C

INFORMATION
Title	Blood-C
Genre	Suspense, Action, Horror
Type	Series
Studio	Production I.G
Premiered	July 8, 2011 – September 30, 2011
Episode Count	12 episodes
Duration	23 minutes

A girl is living two lives. One is a peaceful life while the other one is intense. By day, she’s an average school girl. While, by night, she’s a monster slayer. She has a ceremonial sword given to her by her father. Saya Kisaragi takes part in sacred tasks. It turns out that she takes out every little monster that dares to harm her village. There’s much suspense in the story, If you want to watch a horror anime with much suspense, Blood-C is your type. 

 

16. Danganronpa: The Animation 

INFORMATION
Title	Danganronpa: The Animation
Genre	Horror, Suspense, Sci-Fi
Type	Series
Studio	Lerche
Premiered	July 5, 2013 – September 27, 2013
Episode Count	13 episodes
Duration	24 minutes

The story of Danganronpa revolves around 16 high school students who are stuck inside Hope’s Peak Academy. These students are also threatened by a huge bear known as Monokuma. He claims that there’s only one way to leave the academy, it’s nothing more than to murder others without being caught! WHEW! That sounds stressful and suspenseful, isn’t that right? To find out what happens to the students, watch Danganronpa: The Animation! 

 

15. Madoka Magica 

INFORMATION
Title	Madoka Magica
Genre	Drama, Suspense
Type	Series
Studio	Shaft
Premiered	January 7, 2011 – April 22, 2011
Episode Count	12 episodes
Duration	24 minutes

Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki are typical high schoolers who live a regular life until they come across a magical creature named Kyuubey. It’s actually a cat which is magical. These girls also come across a girl named Homura Akemi. She can also use magic. The magical cat offers these girls that it will grant them any wish but in exchange, they will have to become magical girls. Isn’t that so cute? Imagine becoming a magical girl! 

 

14. Akagi 

INFORMATION
Title	Akagi
Genre	Suspense
Type	Series
Studio	Madhouse
Premiered	Oct 5, 2005 – March 29, 2006
Episode Count	26 episodes
Duration	23 minutes

Even though you might know the game Mahjong as a game played by family and friends, there are also some dark aspects of this game in the corners of society. Nangou is an addicted gambler and he has accumulated over three million yen in debt. On his last trial to clear the debt, he decides to gamble with a mafia organization. Now, will he be able to clear his debt for good? To find out, watch Akagi! 

 

13. Terror in Resonance 

INFORMATION
Title	Zankyou No Terror
Genre	Suspense, Mystery
Type	Series
Studio	MAPPA
Premiered	July 11, 2014 – September 26, 2014
Episode Count	11 episodes
Duration	22 minutes

Zankyou No Terror sounds like Thankyou no terror, doesn’t it? HAHA! Anyways, the story of begins with a sign “VON” painted with red after a terrorist attack in Japan. The government has been destroyed and the police are looking for ways to find out information about the terrorists. The public is confused after such destruction. After some months, a weird video came on the internet and in this video, two teenagers identified themselves as Sphinx who threatened humanity’s further destruction. Who could these boys be? 

 

12. Psycho-Pass

INFORMATION
Title	Psycho-Pass
Genre	Action, Suspense
Type	Series
Studio	Production I.G
Premiered	October 12, 2012 – March 22, 2013
Episode Count	22 episodes
Duration	23 minutes

The story of Psycho-Pass revolves around Akane Tsunemori who is introduced as a novice inspector and is assigned to the first division of the Public Safety Bureau Criminal Investigation Division. She solves crimes along with the enforcers. This is a story of crime and how to prevent them. To find out more about it, watch Psycho-Pass. 

 

11. Castlevania 

INFORMATION
Title	Blood-C
Genre	Horror, Suspense, Fantasy
Type	Series
Studio	Powerhouse Animation Studios
Premiered	July 7, 2017 – May 13, 2021
Episode Count	32 episodes
Duration	23 minutes

A vampire hunter saves the city from an army of scary creatures sent by Dracula. He controls all of these creatures and sends them to destroy humanity. When it comes to warrior-like mentality characters, Castlevania must be included in the list. The characters in this anime never seem to give up! Even during the most intense situations, they stay headstrong. If you’re curious to find out why they try to save humanity from this apocalyptic crisis, watch Castlevania!  

The interaction of creatures and draculas with humanity is very scary and suspenseful at the same time! This is why Castlevania falls on 11th rank. 

 

10. Mirai Nikki / Future Diary 

INFORMATION
Title	Future Diary
Genre	Horror, Suspense
Type	Series
Studio	Asread
Premiered	October 9, 2011 – April 15, 2012
Episode Count	26 episodes
Duration	23 minutes

Yukiteru Amano is a shy guy who likes to keep a track of things by writing them inside a diary. Even though he has no friends yet he’s seen talking to his imaginary friend named Deus Ex Machina.

One strange day, Yukiteru wakes up and sees that his life events are written on his cellphone. He took it lightly first but slowly he realizes that these written events take place in the near future. After taking some advantages from this diary, he observes that one of his classmates possesses a similar diary. What could this mean? 

The horror and the suspenseful situations will really stress you out. That’s why this anime takes place on no. 10. 

 

9. Tomodachi Game 

INFORMATION
Title	Future Diary
Genre	Psychological, Suspense
Type	Series
Studio	Okuruto Noboru
Premiered	April 6, 2022 – June 22, 2022
Episode Count	12 episodes
Duration	22 minutes

If you liked Squid Game, you’re surely going to love this anime as well! When it comes to psychological games that make you think to a level you never have, Tomodachi Game must be included in the list. It’s a game where everyone must be aware of each other since there can be traitors in your team as well! Four classmates’ school trip funds get stolen. 

After a while, these classmates are knocked out then woke up by some unknown assailants inside a white room. A figure named Manabu shows up who says that these kids have to clear their personal debts by playing this game. There are so many suspenseful games taking place in Tomodachi Game, make sure to watch it! 

 

8. Higurashi When They Cry 

INFORMATION
Title	Higurashi When They Cry
Genre	Horror, Suspense
Type	Series
Studio	Studio Deen
Premiered	April 5, 2006 – September 27, 2006
Episode Count	26 episodes
Duration	24 minutes

Higurashi When They Cry revolves around Keichi Maebara who moved to a little silent village during the summer of 1983. He quickly makes friends and schoolmates. But little did he know that darkness awaits him and his friends. Soon, a festival takes place where the kids learn that there have been some murders taking place in recent years and all of those incidents seemed to be connected with this festival. If you were in a similar situation, what would you have done? Suddenly getting to know that different murders have been taking place around you is quite stressful and suspenseful which is why it’s ranked on no. 8th in the list of Suspensful Anime. 

 

7. The Promised Neverland 

INFORMATION
Title	The Promised Neverland
Genre	Mystery, Sci-Fi, Suspense
Type	Series
Studio	CloverWorks
Premiered	January 10, 2019 – March 29, 2019
Episode Count	12 episodes
Duration	22 minutes

When it comes to feeding kids to the monsters, The Promised Neverland never fails to astonish us. Imagine being at an Orphanage where they give you food just to feed you to the monsters. Well, the story of The Promised Neverland is full of suspense since some of the quick-witted kids find out their secret and try their best to escape the Orphanage. If you liked the plot, make sure to watch The Promised Neverland. It’s such a nice anime, I’m sure you’re going to love it! 

 

6. Steins;Gate

INFORMATION
Title	Steins;Gate
Genre	Drama, Sci-Fi, Suspense
Type	Series
Studio	White Fox
Premiered	April 6, 2011 – September 14, 2011
Episode Count	24 episodes
Duration	24 minutes

 Next off, we have the infamous Steins;Gate, the story of this anime is much more than just putting a banana inside a microwave. It tells us about Rintaro Okabe who claims himself to be a mad scientist and has a huge love for science. He loves experimenting. Along with his lab mates, Shiina and Mayuri he finds a Future Gadget Lab in hopes of creating new things for mankind. This sci-fi story along with suspenses is a whole meal for you guys! 

 

5. Attack On Titan 

INFORMATION
Title	Code Geass
Genre	Action, Suspense
Type	Series
Studio	Wit Studio
Premiered	April 7, 2013 – September 29, 2013
Episode Count	25 episodes
Duration	24 minutes

Attack On Titan is one of the best anime of all time. It revolves around Eren Jaeger whose mother was eaten by the horrifying titans right before his eyes. He decided to get revenge. These Titans could cross the walls and destroy the last remaining human safe havensthe whole place. So, there’s a lot of suspense in this anime. If you have never watched AOT, you’re missing out on a lot. Let’s go and watch AOT! Suspense like AOT is unmatched that’s why it falls on top 5 ranking when it comes to suspenseful anime. 

 

4. Hell Girl 

INFORMATION
Title	Hell Girl
Genre	Mystery, Suspense
Type	Series
Studio	Studio Deen
Premiered	October 5, 2005 – April 5, 2006
Episode Count	26 episodes
Duration	25 minutes

It’s been said if you want to take revenge againstfrom someone, you should dig two graves. It’s actually true for those who use the Hell Correspondence Website. At the peak of midnight, a very strange domain becomes accessible and whoever tries to write the name of their enemy will get a visit from the Hell Girl, aka Ai Enma. That sounds pretty terrifying, right? So whose name are you planning to write? (DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME) Though, if you feel like watching a suspense anime, you should definitely watch Hell Girl. The suspense of reincarnating the Hell Girl again and again for your enemies creates much suspense which is why it’s ranked on no. 4. 

 

3. Serial Experiments Lain 

INFORMATION
Title	Serial Experiments Lain
Genre	Suspense, Drama, Sci-Fi
Type	Series
Studio	Triangle Staff
Premiered	July 6, 1998 – September 28, 1998
Episode Count	13 episodes
Duration	23 minutes

Imagine you’re surfing through the internet and you receive a very disturbing email. Lain Iwakura is an introverted fourteen years old girl who recieve a weird e-mail from one of her classmates who committed suicide. Lain being the dummy she is, can’t really explore through the internet. However, opening that email brought her to a platform pretty much similar to the internet. It’s a virtual world where you can communicate with one another. Anyways, what could this mean? Could this mean that Chisa is trapped on the other side of the internet? To find out, watch Serial Experiments Lain. Virtual world or platform is full of suspenses which makes this anime rank on no. 3. 

 

2. Code Geass 

INFORMATION
Title	Code Geass
Genre	Action, Suspense
Type	Series
Studio	Sunrise
Premiered	October 12, 2012 – March 22, 2013
Episode Count	22 episodes
Duration	23 minutes

This anime is set in a world where the prince Lelouch of Britannia gets the power of absolute obedience from a peculiar woman who goes by the name of C.C. By using this power, he can now lead a rebellion against the Holy Britannian Empire and liberate Japan. Code Geass is surely suspenseful but there’s more of action in it.  

 

1. Death Note 

INFORMATION
Title	Death Note
Genre	Horror, Drama, Suspense
Type	Series
Studio	Madhouse
Premiered	October 4, 2006 – June 27, 2007
Episode Count	37 episodes
Duration	23 minutes

Death Note is one of the most well-known anime of all time. It revolves around an average highschooler who finds an extraordinary notebook called the Death Note. It’s said if you write someone’s name whose face you can recognize, theyyou can die an instant death. Alone this fact is suspenseful. Isn’t that right? This anime gives you suspenseful moments repeatedly, that’s why it’s ranked no. 1. 

 

Conclusion

Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed reading this blog and found your ultimate pick for suspense anime. There’s no fun in watching anime if there’s no suspense. Isn’t that right? Do let us know your thoughts in the comments down below. I know we didn’t fully cover all of the suspense anime but if you have any ideas make sure to share them with us!