Summary
Some of anime’s darkest and most complex stories feature serial killers, who are so well-crafted that they can make viewers shiver with a single look. Some of these terrifying stories can easily make it to anyscariest horror animelist. However, those who prefer detective and sci-fi stories can just as easily find a thrilling anime story with a diabolical serial killer lurking in the midst.
While most popular anime characters are powerful heroes and warriors, these creepy serial killer anime stories will prove that one can make the whole world live in fear without superpowers or exceptional physical strength. Some of these stories became so popular over the years that creators re-visited them and brought to life some of the most rivetingmovies based on animethat viewers will ever have the pleasure of experiencing.
Updated June 14, 2025, by David Heath:Serial killers can be versatile characters, as they can be the central villains, surprise side characters, or even the protagonists of horror stories, psychological thrillers, crime dramas, and more. They could be broken humans, supernatural monsters like demons or vampires, or victims driven to kill or be framed for other people’s deaths by their circumstances.
Though overall, they won’t be particularly cheery tales for happy people. If viewers fancy getting into some murder-themed darkness for the Halloween season, this list has been updated with a few more notable anime to feature serial killers, whether they’re key characters, deadly antagonists, or left an impact from the supporting cast.
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Number of Episodes
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Despite the innocent-sounding name,Magical Girl Siteis an anime with a psycho killer that explores many complex themes, like trauma and abuse. It’s a dark take on the popular magical girl anime trope and its heroine, Aya Asagiri, is one of themagical girls in anime who suffered the most. Bullied and abused at home and school, Aya suddenly finds a website that mysteriously gives her a magic gun.
When used, it punishes its targets lethally. However, she soon discovers she’s not the only one given magical abilities, and that it’s all building up to a mysterious event called “the Tempest.” Aya has to see it through to the end, lest she fall victim to the show’s other threats, like a terrifying serial killer who targets magical girls specifically.
MyAnimeList Score: 6.57
Japanese Title
Ranpo Kitan: Game of Laplace (Strange Tales of Ranpo: Game of Laplace)
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In real life, Ranpo Edogawa was a Japanese author famous for his mystery thrillers, creating Japan’s first recurring detective character in Kogoro Akechi. He’s the reason whyCase Closed’s hero takes Conan Edogawa as his alias, alongside inspiring characters inBungo Stray Dogs,Persona 5, and the pet dog inLost Judgment. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of his passing in 2015, Lerche made their own murder mystery series inRampo Kitan: Game of Laplace.
High school student Yoshio wakes up in class one day to find the mutilated body of his teacher, and the murder weapon in his hands. He knows he’s being framed, but he doesn’t know by who or why. As more victims keep turning up, all they know so far is that the killer uses methods inspired by those seen in works by Ranpo Edogawa. With the help of his friend Soji, and high school detective Kogoro Akechi, he tries to figure out how to prove his innocence and find the real killer.
With a title likeHappy Sugar Life, it’s either a cutesy adventure or an ironic title for an otherwise grim series about murder, abduction, and abuse. It follows Sato Matsuzaka, a high-school student who, despite having a reputation for being “loose,” didn’t know what love felt like. Not until they met Shio Kobe, an innocent girl Sato can’t bear to be without.
Sato takes Shio to her apartment to live with her, where she falls so badly for her that she’ll go to any lengths to protect her “happy sugar life.” Even if it means not telling others where Shio is, killing people who snoop around, or blackmailing others into helping her dispose of evidence. That’s only the tip of the iceberg, as the series reveals how Sato developed her twisted views on love and her growing list of victims.
Based on the play,Trump, by Kenichi Suemitsu
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Some vampires try to be good and find ways to get blood without taking lives, but for the most part, their lives rely on killing a series of humans for their fix.Delico’s Nurseryturns things around by making vampire society the victim of a serial killer that threatens to upturn the delicate balance keeping it in check. The only clue to its perpetrator is a card saying “True of Vamp”- the title of the progenitor of all vampires.
The VIA (Vlad Intelligence Agency) arranges to have Dali Delico lead the investigation into the murders, albeit at a cost. His task force - Gerhard, Henrique, and Dino - have to look after his children as well as aid in Delico’s search for the killer. It’s an odd mix of criminal drama, murder, and grand conspiracy with family matters.
Satsuriku no Tenshi (Angels of Slaughter)
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Serial killers are often antagonists in stories for obvious reasons. Not everyone they meet is keen on being killed horribly. ButAngels of Deathdecided to do something different by introducing Rachel Gardner, a thoroughly depressed woman trapped in a basement whose only wish is to die. Fortunately(?) she’s joined there by Zack, a murderer looking for a way to escape.
He promises to kill Rachel if she helps him find a way out of the strange building they’re in. They’re able to escape the basement and move up its floors, where they come across increasingly more twisted figures, each of whom seems to recognize Rachel. Based on the RPG-maker game of the same name, the show is a neat, bloody romp, despite its slow pacing.
ANN describedDescendants of Darknessas “a gateway drug into shonen-ai and yaoi” despite not strictly being about such. But it is a shōjo tale that’s largely about handsome men and their complicated interconnected relationships, so it’s not a world away from BL. It doesn’t help that Tsuzuki, a shinigami, refers to his work partner’s brief kidnapping by the villain Dr. Muraki as “a date.”
In the show, shinigami are more like beat cops, and Tsuzuki has been stuck in the same dead-end job for seventy years. He’s never been able to keep a partner, but he’s now been assigned Hisoka, a particularly stubborn teen with an attitude, as his new accomplice. Together, they have to make sure the dead stay dead, while drawing the net closer to Dr. Muraki, a serial killer who has a connection to Tsuzuki. But that’s one secret Hisoka will have to pry out of him, no matter how close they get.
Anime fans who love urban legends just as much as terrifying stories about serial killers should check outBoogiepop Phantom. This underrated anime is about a dark legend called Boogiepop, aka the Angel of Death, a mysterious figure who’s said to protect people from enemies, though he’s just as likely to whisk them away.
Boogiepop Phantomhas various haunting stories, but each is connected by the haunting presence of Boogiepop. Viewers are kept guessing from beginning to end, trying to figure out if Boogiepop is the real villain or if other evil beings are responsible for the mysterious deaths. This anime isn’t just about a single serial killer but about an entire city filled with mysteries, fear, and the unknown.
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B: The Beginningis an anime series more directly about serial killers, with some surprising plot twists. At first, it seems straightforward as “Killer B,” a vigilante who kills his targets, has been running rampant in the city-state of Cremona. The Royal Investigation Service, or RIS, call in the famous but eccentric Keith Flick to help bring him to justice.
However, that turns out to be just one ofB: The Beginning’s stories. Keith’s attempts to find “Killer B” and solve the murder of his little sister get intertwined with those of Koku, a demihuman who can form wings and blades with his body, and the Market Maker, a criminal organization that secretly controls Cremona, knows how Koku got his abilities, and who “Killer B” really is. So, there’s more to the plot than blood and murder.
Talentless Nanais one of the most underratedanime with decoy protagonistsand a seemingly cute but deadly serial killer. This suspenseful thriller is a one-of-a-kind story about a group of students with supernatural powers who attend a special school on a deserted island. Soon, the students realize that they are targeted by a mysterious murderer who kills them off one by one.
Talentless Nana’s story not only offers a unique take on the superhero genre but its super-powered students are made truly vulnerable for the first time in their lives. But it also has beautiful animation, well-developed characters, and surprising twists that keep the viewers hooked until the very end.
Based on the popular visual novel series,Danganronpa: The Animationdeals with mature themes like the nature of justice, the consequences of violence, and the value of human life. It also features multiple terrifying and violent serial killers who not only murder without remorse but do so with pleasure.
The story follows Naegi, a high school student, and his classmates, who find themselves imprisoned in their academy by its principal, a robotic teddy bear called Monokuma. He says he’ll let the students go free if they kill one student without getting discovered, and get away with it in a trial. Naegi and co soon learn what their true colors are, along with their darkest secrets when their freedom relies on committing murder.
