TOP 9 BEST PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER ANIME

Nothing beats watching a good psychological thriller anime. It tends to play with your mind and your perceptions in a psychological way. On the other hand, there is nothing more stimulating than watching a wild thriller anime. What can be better than the best of both worlds? Both combined in one anime.

There’s something about a psychological anime that makes your brain run while making you jump out your chair, and you never know what is going to happen next. We’ve compiled a list of psychological thriller anime to keep you intrigued. 

9. Another 

Are you a fan of horror anime? Set in Yomiyama Town, Another will send chills down your spine with every episode, becoming your next favorite horror anime.

An adaptation of the light novel, it’s a horror mystery anime in which 15-year-old Kouichi Sakakibara transfers to Yomiyama North Middle School’s Class 3-3 and finds the atmosphere dreary and unusual.

He is drawn to an eye-patched girl named Mei, who is treated as non-existent by the other student due to a supernatural rumor. A paradox pulls Kouichi and his classmates into a trap that may cost them everything. 

8. Parasyte: The Maxim 

Parasyte is a fantastic underrated horror anime, loved by many in the community. Anime such as Parasyte will hold your attention from the first episode.

You’ll want more after watching the first episode because it has enough action and suspense. In Parasyte, strange beings take over human bodies after coming to earth.

Shinichi Izumi, a student, is also attacked. In order to prevent it from getting to his brain, he forced it to inhabit his right hand instead. Both are forced to work together in order to survive in a world full of parasites and humans. 

7. The Promised Neverland 

If The Promised Neverland Season 2 wasn’t so bad, it would have been almost on par with Re:Zero. In addition to surprising all its fans with its spectacular Season 1, Promised Neverland surprised everyone again with its crash Season 2.

This is a psychological mystery anime that follows three orphans living with other orphans and their beloved mama at Grace Field Orphanage.

The orphanage’s harsh reality is revealed one day. Now, it is their goal to leave the orphanage together and rescue the other children as well from their mama. 

6. Code Geass 

In the community, controversy surrounding Code Geass and Death Note is quite common. As a result, each anime’s fan rank their favorite as the best.

The overall world-building and plot twists of Death Note surpass Code Geass, while its character growth and ending surpass those of any anime.

Filled with Mecha robots, military, and mind games, Code Geass is a sci-fi about Lelouch vi Britannia, who is gifted with the king’s power, Geass, by an unknown girl. With this new power, Lelouch is determined to avenge his little sister against his father and the Emperor. 

5. Mirai Nikki 

In anime, whenever a character gets a supernatural diary, they are tempted to become Gods. Sharing a common setting with Death Note, Mirai Nikki has the same element of supernatural diaries which lure a person into God-complex.

It is a supernatural thriller anime about Yukiteru Amano, a reclusive student who encounters a diary which contains highly accurate entries about the future, who gets caught in a brutal Battle Royale with a group of 11 other diary holders. In comparison to Death Note, Mirai Nikki is a much darker series.

The movie has several 18+ scenes featuring sexual assault with gore and violence as fairly common themes. No, this isn’t an ordinary Shounen anime. 

4. Erased 

The anime ‘Erased’ is an underrated psychological thriller. In terms of best time-travel anime, Erased could be compared to Steins: Gate. As with Monster, Erased is also a seinen film. Satoru, the protagonist of the anime Erased, manages to rewind time seconds before a life-threatening event takes place thanks to a special ability.

The false accusation of his friend’s murder pushes him 18 years back into the past. As soon as he realizes the connection, he recalls the abduction and murder of Kayo Hinazuki, his childhood classmate.

Having been given the chance to make things right, he must do everything in his power to do so. 

3. Monster 

Recently, Monster got a lot of attention, which it certainly deserved. This anime shows the twisted nature of man in its best light. It starts slowly, but by the end it is a masterpiece.

The story revolves around the life of Doctor Kenzo Tenma who saved a 12-year-old boy over the life of the mayor. The boy he once saved turns out to be a serial killer who kills innocent people.

This leads Kenzo to take the boy’s life by his own hands, feeling guilty and responsible for his actions. 

2. Re:Zero- Starting Life in Another World 

In general, isekai anime do not belong to the psychological genre. With lots of fan service, they are a pleasant, light, easygoing anime. This is an exception to the rule. You would wonder if it’s an Isekai or not after watching this psychological thriller anime.

Isekai thriller anime Re:Zero is about Natsuki Subaru who gets transported to another world. As he arrives there, some muggers are waiting for him.

Fortunately, a girl named Satella saves him. His attempt to thank her results in him accompanying her and finding her stolen insignia. To their ignorance, a much darker fate awaits them as they both are brutally murdered when they find out where her Insignia is.

As Natsuki wakes up, he is shocked to see the same scene, as the whole cycle repeats again. 

1. Death Note 

Any psychological thriller anime list would be incomplete without Death Note. In short, Death Note is the epitome of psychological anime. Despite the disappointing ending, the anime is still a great watch.

A High school student, Light Yagami is the focus of Death note, who finds the notebook called ” Death Note”. As long as the user knows the person’s face, Death Note can kill anyone whose name gets written in it. Death Note turns Light into “The God of the New World”.

You definitely come from a different world if you haven’t watched that yet.