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Horror anime did not have a memorable 2024, at least not in a positive sense. The genre’s biggest release,Uzumaki: Spiral into Horror, ended up beinga bit of a disappointment, and no other show stood up to carry the weight in its place. Fortunately,2025’s horror anime lineuplooks better on paper, and that will hopefully translate into one of the strongest years for the genre. That said, all the exciting releases are set to debut during the second half of the year, mainly Summer, and Winter and Spring lacked options.
Horror tends to be something of an afterthought in anime, so expectations should be kept relatively low. While not offering quantity, the2025 horror animewill hopefully deliver quality.
Updated on June 02, 2025 by Mark Sammut:The Summer 2025 season is underway, so the section dedicated to its shows has been expanded.
Season 14 Release Date: July 13, 2025
In terms of seasonal shows, Winter 2025 had almost nothing to offer horror fans, with the main exception being another entry inTheatre of Darkness: Yamishibai. Just to be clear, this series is one of thegreatest horror anime of all time, and there have been plenty of months whenYami Shibaicarried the genre on its back solo. At this point, it is a staple of the industry, and most episodes are watchable since they are just 5 minutes long.
That said,Theatre of Darknesslost steam quite a long time ago and has been running on fumes ever since. While nearly all the more recent episodes are fine, they are rarely anything more than just that. Season 14 continued that trend with no variation.
Exorcism Chronicles: The Beginning
Exorcism Chronicles: The Beginningis still a bit unknown, with most of the information being based ona trailerand the source material. Technically, the movie has made its debut in some regions, but it is not widely available at the moment. The manhwa lasted for roughly three years and 131 chapters, but it is not extremely well-known compared to some other stories that have managed to crossover into Western nations. A lot of manhwa are popular only in South Korea, and a lack of exposure in North America does not reflect their quality.
Going by the trailer, which showcases pretty good animation,Exorcism Chronicles: The Beginningseems to focus more on action than horror, although the latter will be represented through various supernatural entities. While there is a good chance it will not receive an official release in the United States or Europe, this movie is still worth keeping an eye on for anyone craving something similar to horror anime. The few impressions available suggest this could be a pretty good film and, perhaps, one of the better2025 horror anime.
Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II - Fire Rat
OK, this one was not truly aWinter 2025 anime, even if it will debut during this period in Japan.Mononoke the Movie: Phantom in the Raincame out in July 2024 in Japan, but it did not become widely available until its international Netflix debut on June 13, 2025.
The sequel is following a similar release schedule, so it will likely arrive on a streaming platform a few months following its cinematic launch. Still,Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II - Fire Ratshould be great, as this series has yet to produce anything underwhelming.
Season 2 Release Date:June 07, 2025
Lockdown Zone: Lv. Xended its first season in October 2024, releasing six half-length episodes in the process. As theFall 2024 animeflew under the radar compared to nearly everything else released during that quarter, there is a good chance not too many people are aware that a sequel will be coming out in Winter 2025. While not amazing,Lockdown Zone: Lv. Xis more than watchable and gets pretty intense at times. The story has a cosmic horror twist and leans heavily into mystery, with the main characters being very much in the dark during the earliest episodes.
Ryouka and Shuuhei are trapped in a building that has been quarantined due to the presence of Sai, an unknown creature. They have to stay quiet, not leave their rooms, and avoid looking outside. The anime gradually pulls back the curtain, all the while introducing a few fun shifts that move the story in an unexpected direction.Lockdown Zone: Lv. Xis fun, and the sequel mostly maintains the quality of its predecessor. Unfortunately, the anime has largely flown by without attracting any attention, but it is one of the only2025 horror animeto debut so far.
Newcomers who are planning to watch the first season should be aware that the animation can be a bit off-putting at first. The animation is quite similar toTheatre of Darkness, albeit with a bit more movement.
One of the more exciting2025 horror anime,Hell Teacher Nubehas made its big return, receiving a reboot/remake that will freshly adapt Shō Makura’s classic shonen manga. The source material was turned into anenjoyable anime during the ’90s, but that version is quite hard to track down legally in this day and age. Consequently, the 2025 show will likely be most people’s introduction to this universe.
Nube is an elementary school teacher who frequently has to step up to protect his students from supernatural forces, and he accomplishes this task by using his Demon’s Hand.Hell Teacher Nubeis not 100% horror, as the story is more of an action-comedy that incorporates scary themes and imagery.
Oh, this should be silly fun.Nyaight of the Living Catdelivers exactly what its title offers: apost-apocalyptic settingwith cats instead of zombies. A virus spreads throughout the world, transforming victims into adorable felines.
Sure, they might look cute, but the infected cats are dangerous, as a wayward scratch could leave someone crawling on all fours. “Horror” does not always have to be terrifying, andNyaight of the Living Catshould serve as a prime example of that. The anime has started airing, and it has been amusing so far.
A frontrunner for the definitive2025 horror anime,The Summer Hikaru Diedshould be brilliant, and the first few episodes have been great. The manga is an unsettling psychological mystery with a gripping premise that is executed well, and it is one of those stories that newcomers should try to experience as blindly as possible. That said, the story revolves around a close friendship between two teenagers that gradually morphs into something else after one of the boys changes.
CygamesPictures is adapting the manga, which is kind of an unexpected pick for this series. The studio has produced very good stuff before, likeBrave Bang Bravern!, but its resume consists almost solely of lighthearted stories.The Summer Hikaru Diedis anything but lighthearted, telling a character-driven story with some genuinely intense moments, all the while not indulging too much in things like gore.
Theatre of Darkness: Yamishibai 15
Theatre of Darkness: Yamishibaiis also part of the Summer 2025 lineup, with season 15 airing another batch ofhorror animeshorts. Like all recent entries, this sequel will most likely not attract too much attention, but the episodes themselves should be fine.
Nine Mountain: Paraghost
Another Korean animated movie announced for 2025,Nine Mountain: Paraghostis a blank slate at this point, with almost no information about the plot currently available (at least, not in English). Going by both the original and translated titles, the film seems to revolve around Ahopsan Forest. Found in South Korea’s Busan region, this bamboo forest has afascinating history as it was kept away from the public for hundreds of years, and it was only opened up in the 2010s. While this movie is largely a mystery, the setting is at least unique and seems to be a natural fit for a ghostly horror story.
“Horror” does not accurately describeDorohedoro, but no single genre encapsulates the glorious chaos that is Mappa’s bizarre epic. This is a show that primarily revolves around an amnesiac with a lizard head who is searching for the sorcerer responsible for his predicament. To find his target, Caiman bites sorcerers so they can then be interrogated by a head that exists within him.
Also,Dorohedorotakes place in a grungy post-apocalyptic worldfilled with colorful characters and nightmarish backdrops. This series is a fever dream in the best possible way, and season 2 cannot come soon enough since its predecessor dropped more than 5 years ago. While not that scary, season 1 is packed with intense imagery and gore, so it can scratch a similar itch to conventional horror anime.
2025 Anime That Might Have Some Horror Elements
Kaiju No. 8, Chainsaw Man, & More
2025 horror animeare in short enough supply that die-hard fans of the genre should, at least, consider loosening their criteria for what qualifies as a must-watch. While scares might not be the main focus, some anime incorporate ideas from horror, to the point of warranting a quick mention. None of the upcoming series are part of the genre, but they might still entertain folks who want to get their fill of gruesome battles or monster mayhem.
