Terrifying Anime Monsters
Look, we're not talking about your run of the mill monster here. Anything that's not guaranteed to give you nightmares hasn't been included in our list.
Some anime monsters intimidate through sheer size, some use their appearance, and some through the brutality of their actions.
Join us as we go through 15 of the scariest monsters to ever feature in anime.
Anime Monsters List Below!
The Skull Reaper
From: Sword Art Online
Bugs are terrifying enough as it is. Don't get us started on the giant variety you sometimes encounter in anime. As a general rule, the more legs a giant bug has, the scarier it gets. And when it comes to the Skull Reaper on Floor 75, it has endless appendages protruding from its horrifically shaped, skeletal form.
What's worse, the Skull Reaper doesn't just look like a bug. It moves like one, too. When it first appeared in "Sword Art Online", it was scurrying across the ceiling in a way that could send a shiver down the spine of even the bravest of entomologists. It's also quite agile, making it difficult to dodge or run away from. In fact, escaping from its clutches was completely impossible for the 10 players who unfortunately had to face it; the battle area was in an anti-crystal area, which you couldn't leave until the boss was defeated.
Earth Demon
From: Demon City Shinjuku
The Gothic nature of "Demon City Shinjuku" just screams "Spooky as hell!" Basically, every character in this anime is creepy to some degree. But the actual monsters are what truly terrorize the senses.
Out of the three major creatures summoned by the dark lord Rebi Ra, the Earth Demon is definitely the most squirm-inducing. Why? Because it's modeled after a specific eight-legged monstrosity known as the spider. Ever heard of Arachnophobia? This is surely every sufferer's worst nightmare: a demonic spider that's trying to kill you by using raw, physical force to tear you to pieces. Plus, it has a gaping mouth with razor-sharp teeth ... in its stomach.
Ophelia, An Awakened Being
From: Claymore
This could just as easily be about the Yoma creatures from "Claymore" as it is about the Voracious Eater/Awakened Being Ophelia.
Yoma, alone, are terrifying anime monsters that feed on human flesh. But what's truly unnerving about Yoma is that they can shape-shift into human form, allowing them to intermingle with the human population. As you can imagine, this generates paranoia and distrust among members of any village.
However, while Yoma are scary, everyone of them is essentially identical to each other. The same can't be said about Voracious Eaters in their "Awakened" state. Like most of her kind, Ophelia's "Awakened" form is unique. But hers is especially hideous. She not only grows a long, turquoise serpentine tail, but most of her body parts become overly disproportionate. She has elongated arms, massive claws and her neck essentially triples in length. This causes her skin to stretch out to such an alarming extent that most of her cartilage becomes exposed. She is truly a horrendous sight to behold!
Bengé
From: Vampire Hunter D
Part of what makes Bengé so creepy is due to his close resemblance to clowns. (He's a Mutant jester from the village of the Barbarois.) Who isn't scared of clowns? Bengé is also deranged. So you've got a deranged, clown-like mutant. Yes, that's quite terrifying.
His hair-raising voice, a sound that's especially chilling whenever he cackles, adds to his horrific persona. Bengé's face doesn't help ease the faint of heart, either: it's completely white, a color that only accentuates his strangely colored pink eyes and horrible black lips.
All of this, however, "pales" in comparison to his jet black body suit (black is scary by default) and his unique way of fighting. Bengé hides in and attacks from what appears to be shadows, which stretch unnaturally across different surfaces.
Kaonashi (No-Face)
From: Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi/Spirited Away
Before it transforms, the spirit Kaonashi (No-Face) is less terrifying than it is disturbing. Even though you can sometimes see the spirit's pulsating organs from its semi-transparent "body," No-Face isn't really scary. It's just strange. The creepiest things about the spirit in this state are probably its ominous white mask and the way it motions towards its mouth, signifying that it wants food. Those short, accented "ah, ah, ah!" noises and obscene gestures are pretty darn creepy.
However, No-Face became truly horrifying after it managed to find its way into the bathhouse and feed on plates upon plates of food. When the main character Chihiro fed it the Unnamed River Spirit's emetic dumpling, No-Face transformed into an extremely volatile, hostile monster. No-Face then went on a rampage where its voracious appetite compelled it to consume everything and anything, even humans. And what about that gigantic mouth? Yikes!
Shiboroba
From: Kekkai Sensen/Blood Blockade Battlefront
Shiboroba from "Kekkai Sensen" looks scary as all heck and is pretty much the complete package; both the way it looks and the things it does are scary as hell. It has a creepy stance, long, bony, twisted fingers and a complete other-worldly countenance (the word "face" can't be used here). Its whole facial region basically looks like a cluster of suction cups from an Octopus, and is bound to trigger sufferers of trypophobia.
This beyondian, along with Yahabio and Udeshiubo, also uses the Ghost Wagon to transport humans as food, yes, food, to the alterworld. Plus, after Leo was kidnapped by Yahabio, Shiboroba became fascinated by Leo's Eye of the Gods, expressing a desire to dissect him. The prospect of being eaten and dissected? Pretty messed up.
Bunny Beast
From: Blood-C
The Bunny Beast from "Blood-C" is basically just an over-sized bunny! How adorable.
But don't let appearances fool you; these bunnies are stone cold killers. Just watching that final episode will immediately change your image of the Bunny Beast from a cute, innocent, cotton-tailed creature into one of the most horrific anime monsters of all time.
Genocyber/Vajra
From: Genocyber
Genocyber, also referred to as Vajra by its creators, is an ultimate biological weapon that's very much like Bunny Beast, in that its inexplicable homicidal rampages are what defines its terrifying nature. The overt depictions of gore and bloodshed in "Genocyber" can be classified as "hyper-violence" or "ultraviolence," due to the completely over-the-top and gratuitous ways it (and other characters) completely eviscerate their victims.
The Genocyber has multiple forms, too -- all of them unpleasant. The first has a devilish appearance (which would be helped by red, rather than green, skin) due to the two massive horns that protrude out from its head. Genocyber becomes even more terrifying in its second form, seeing as it grows taller than a skyscraper. In its final (or full) form, it adopts a dragon-like appearance. Dragons are always scary. Cool, but scary.
Smiling Titan
From: Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan
It's safe to say that pretty much every single Titan in "Shingeki no Kyojin" is creepy. Looks and actions aside, these anime monsters have been able to accomplish the task of "scarifying" the typically absurd, almost comical man-eating giants from popular myths and fables.
And trust us when we say that these guys are legitimately terrifying. Even the highly trained members of the military, such as those in the Garrison Regiment and the Survey Corps, express what can only be described as sheer terror when faced with one.
But out of the bunch, the one that stands out as the most grotesque is easily the Smiling Titan. With a similar "freakish" appeal, most commonly attributed to smiling clowns, the exaggerated grin plastered on every face is what truly makes these creatures so utterly disturbing. The Smiling Titan makes viewers everywhere do anything but smile.
The Menos Grande: Gillian
From: Bleach
Out of all the Hollows (or Menos) in "Bleach", the scariest one is, ironically, the weakest: the "Gillian." What makes this particular monster so much more menacing than the other more stronger of its kind is a combination of both its towering height (they're normally 2-6 stories tall) and their slow-like movements. There's something eerie about large giants plodding around aimlessly.
The simplicity of the Gillian is also unnerving. From their pointy noses that jut out from their white masks to their utter lack of personality, these Hollows have a higher tendency of getting under your skin than their more intricately designed kin. Much like other terrifying anime monsters on this list, the Gillian are covered, head to toe, in black, adding to their already unsettling visage.
Sachiel, The Third Angel
From: Neon Genesis Evangelion
What makes Sachiel stand above (pun intended) the other Angels is that it was the first to appear in "Neon Genesis Evangelion" 15 years after Second Impact. It's also Sachiel's overly exaggerated proportions that give the Angel an ominous aura; its arms reach below its knees, and its hands and feet are both elongated and disproportionate. That bird-shaped head on its shoulders is also pretty darn unpleasant.
But most of all, it's the creature's lumbering gait, comparable to that of a zombie, that does us in. Who wasn't just a little bit freaked out during Sachiel's big debut?
Eshi, A Level 3 Akuma
From: D.Gray-man
It makes sense that "Akuma" literally means "demon." Out of all these artificial creatures in "D.Gray-man", Eshi, a Level 3 Akuma, is probably the most frightening. Take away Eshi's annoying "camera hand" movements, and you're left with a truly hideous fiend.
What's most fearsome about this bipedal, humanoid creature are its wings, seeing as the actual membrane is missing. What's left are web-like ligaments that make Eshi look like a flying, winged carcass. The multiple eyes ensconced in its helmet-like head along with its intense teeth don't help, either.
Even though Eshi's only role in the anime was basically attacking Cross Marian's unit when they were crossing the ocean to Edo, Japan, Eshi still makes a long-lasting impact, and can be said to be one of the most terrifying of anime monsters.
Mr. Fujii
From: Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu/Parasyte -the maxim-
Like the Titans, Yoma and Akuma, all of the parasites in "Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu" could essentially make this anime monsters list. After a parasite takes over a human host, they contort the body in gruesome ways. This usually involves completely ripping apart a specific portion of the anatomy (normally the head) before using these torn ligaments as "arms" or something else unnatural for combat.
Mr. Fujii is probably the most impactful of the show's infected hosts, seeing as his "transformation" was the first one we saw. That opening scene is unforgettable!
Grappler-Class BETA
From: Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse
Everything about the "Beings of Extra Terrestrial origin which is Adversary of human race," (aka BETA), are completely out of this world. This description makes sense, though, seeing as they're an alien life form in the "Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse" series. It's pretty much impossible to find any humanistic features on these outlandishly bizarre things. And when you do discover something vaguely human about it, that one feature is usually the only one you can find.
The Grappler-class is undoubtedly the most terrifying of the strains, mostly due to its head-like appendage. Rather than housing eyes, it holds what appears to be a squished mass of random flesh. This freakish appearance is only enhanced by its gruesome set of teeth.
The Count
From: Berserk
In the original "Berserk" series, the Count makes very few appearances. In fact, the creature isn't even referenced directly. You just see it doing truly horrific things randomly throughout the series. Other than the first episode, the Count is one of the first demons we see in the anime after it's summoned to partake in the ritual sacrifice.
That first scene with the Count doesn't just scare us every time, but really makes us feel sorry for Rickert who stumbled across it. That poor kid first found it in the middle of devouring a member of the Band of the Hawk, whose bloodied top half was hanging lifelessly from its clenched jaws.
While many of the Apostles are immensely frightening, the Count is among the most terrifying of the bunch (and that's saying a lot). It can even be argued that it's the scariest of all anime monsters. As you can see, this massive slug-like demon is made all the more horrific by its second massive mouth located somewhere in the vicinity of where its throat should be.