Shocks and scares are not just the hallmark of the horror genre. Whether horror, comedy, action, or drama, mouth-dropping chilling moments abound, making it difficult to fall asleep. Familiar shadows take on sinister qualities. Animes are no different. They have haunting scenes that are unforgettable. Here are some memorable scary moments in anime that'll make you search for a vacation in the sun. 

Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni And a Well-timed Jump Scare

There are many shocking moments in the original 2006 Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni. The first episode's opening is classic, setting the tone for the series despite slice-of-life parts creeping in. However, the most horrifying moment looks like it leaped from The Ring or Juon and nestled in this anime. It occurs in the last episode, “Wish,” in the Watanagashi-hen arc after Keiichi winds up in the hospital. After Oishi departs, a bloody Mion crawls out from under Keichi's bed with a hammer and long nails. When this series aired, it was nightmare-inducing, but this moment takes the bloody frightful cake. 

Yamishibai

This bite-sized horror anthology series, Yamishibai, delivers all the chills in two-and-a-half-minute episodes in its first season. Based on Japanese urban legends and using a picture-story animation style, episode 5, “The Next Floor,” is a cautionary tale of terror about appreciating what you have. After using work to escape spending time with his wife and son in a department store on his son's birthday, he boards the elevator wishing he could be alone. As weird happenings occur, he finally escapes back to the sales floor. But no one is there, and as the lights turn off bit by bit, the elevator girl looks at him one last time before abandoning him to his “time alone.” If vast darkness in an unknown place chills you, this one is one of the worst and unforgettable.

Junji Ito Takes A Disturbing Look at Payback

Junji Ito is famous for horror in anime and manga. Perfectly at home in fantastical, macabre horror or chills lurking underneath people's amiable exteriors. The “Bully” episode in Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre falls into the latter. A girl, Kuriko, befriends a little boy, Naoya, in a park. It quickly turns toxic and violent as Kuriko torments Naoya, but he keeps returning. Now adults, they reunite, and the situation turns sinister and tragic. The most horrifying moment is seeing Kuriko approach her son dressed in her old uniform that no longer fits, hair in pigtails with makeup that grotesquely captures her character.   

Corpse Party's Hands of Prayer

Corpse Party: Tortured Souls is gory and horrifying. Imagine performing a charm to wish a friend farewell and winding up in a school from hell. But through all the gore and death, the most traumatic, memorable moment is at the end of the final episode. When Naomi, Ayumi, and Satoshi use their recite and use their charms to return to their school, Satoshi doesn't realize his slip is another group. They hold hands, but Naomi and Ayumi are there with only Satoshi's hands. The spine-chilling music combined with their frozen expressions as they stare down makes a vacation in the sun look all the sweeter. 

When It Rains, You Pour…Blood

Speaking of schools, let's continue with a deadly classroom in this world. In Another, at least one person per month dies in Class 3-3 (9th grade, Class 3) if a dead person returns to the class. Deaths occur Final Destination style, and the first death lets viewers know this is a deadly class. In episode 3, “Bone Work,” classmate Yukari rushes to leave school. Running down the steps with her umbrella in hand—the one with the metal tips—she slips. That umbrella, meant to shelter her from the rain, leaves her drenched in blood as the metal impales her throat.  

Ecchi Destruction

High School of the Dead blends zombie horror plus perverted angles of women's bodies. Students flee in every direction when a zombie outbreak reaches their high school. A pair of friends, Misuzu and Toshimi, run hand in hand, vowing to stick together. However, that tune changes key when a zombie grabs Toshimi. Not only does Misuzu not help, but she kicks Toshimi down the stairs. Talk about kicking a friend when they're down; the speed at which one friend betrays the other leaves you shell-shocked.  

Heave Ho Heave Ho, It's Off to Hell You Go

Who doesn't love revenge and justice? But in Hell Girl, there's a cost. Scary moments are one thing, but ones with horror and guilt are another. Yaoyi hands out fliers with her parents for her missing sister, Sumire. Unfortunately, Sumire's vengeful spirit cannot summon Hell Girl. Yaoyi doesn't have the rage and bitterness to access the site, so after falling into a fountain, Sumire shows Yaoyi what happened to her after a man abducted her. Seeing the mark later on Yaoyi's chest, signifying that the man who killed her sister went to hell and that she will also go to hell when she dies, adds a pained layer to this tragedy. It's her final punishment for leaving Sumire after they argued that fateful day. 

From Slice-of-Life To Parts Galore

Deadman Wonderland is underrated, delivering a fascinating story and shocking horror. Ganta and his classmate discuss a trip to the famed Deadman Wonderland, where prisoners play deadly games in front of a live audience. The shock is almost immediate, as Ganta sees a masked individual floating outside after a lighthearted chat with friends. One explosion later, Ganta regains consciousness to see blood and parts splattered everywhere, and his friend, Mimi's head, held in the killer's hand. It's a hell of a way to introduce a series, and one this series delivered to shocking effect. 

Mom Gets Devoured

Attack on Titan has no shortage of shocking moments, but killing the lead's mother in the first episode sets the tone for all that comes after. When Titans enter Eren's hometown after the Colossal Titan destroys Wall Maria, Eren and Mikasa rush to rescue his mom, Carla, trapped underneath their collapsed house. Hannes, a member of the Garrison Unit, arrives but soon realizes Carla is correct, and he needs to grab the two kids and run. But, as they flee, Eren can only watch helplessly as a titan pulls his mom from the building, twists her like they're wringing a wet towel, and devours her. It's an unforgettable moment that captures the essence of this cruel world. 

Who's The Demons?

Devilman Crybaby is as much a social commentary about inhumane behavior as it is about demons vs. people. After becoming part demon, Akira uses his new powers to protect people. Unfortunately, as news of monsters spread, people also go on a vicious rampage. This leads to the tragic, horrifying moment where people swarm and butcher Akira's friends, including his love interest, Miki. Unfortunately, when Akira rushes in his devilman form to save them, he's too late. He sees people cheering in front of a fire holding Miki's head on a stick. If that's not enough of a gut punch, the end credits track adds pained fuel to the fire. 

If Barbie Was Alive

Elfen Lied is not for the faint of heart. Graphic violence and nudity run rampant in this series, with enough tragic backstories to crush your faith in humanity. Lucy is a Diclonius with two catlike ears atop her head. She also has invisible arms called “vectors.” These incorporeal arms can rip bodies apart from the inside out. Caged Lucy walks and starts the long trek of escaping the armed facility when a goofball gopher assistant trips in front of her. Lucy twists her head off like a doll, then uses her headless corpse to shield herself from a swarm of bullets. Jaw-dropping, this shocking moment is just one in this wild series.

Dead From the Waist Down

Jujutsu Kaisen is all about pulse-pounding yell-at-the-screen action and side-splitting comedy. Yet horror still creeps in. “Narrow-minded” marks a shift, letting you know things can turn dark instantly. After Itadori leaves Junpei and Junpei's mom, Nagi, at their home, Nagi awakens and sees Sukuna's cursed finger on her table. A grotesque monster lurks behind her. Next, a voice-over details discovering Nagi's body in bed as the anime shows her body covered in a blanket. As the blanket's pulled back, her body is gone from the waist down. Just a bunch of ice packs gathered there. Sometimes imagining the horror is worse than seeing it. 

Happy Sugar Life

Happy Sugar Life is a deceptive title about obsession and how kids suffer at the hands of the adults around them. High-schooler Satou appears as the typical adorable, happy-go-lucky teen. But the love of her life is a little girl living with her, Shio. The end of the first episode cements this series as terrifying. After Shio falls asleep, a dead-eyed Satou enters a room with multiple locks. There she thanks someone for their comfortable house. But all that's in the room are boxes and plastic bags stained with blood. Seeing the horror while Satou gushes about her and Shio's future shows you never know what's beneath another's smile. 

Mama's Looking For A Kid

Ghost Hunt is the anime version of entertaining shows like Ghosthunters, but a lot more happens. Main character Mai,  with Naru, and the gang team up to solve hauntings, unexplained accidents, and curses. Like a fright out of The Conjuring universe, episode 4, “The Doll House, Part 1,” is disturbingly freaky. The crew investigate a home and set up cameras throughout. Later, watching the live feed, they see a lovely doll drag facedown across the bed. After twisting its head off, the head rolls to press against the camera. Lifeless doll eyes staring are creepy enough, but a taunting spirit raises it to pulse-pounding levels. 

Literal Slice-of-Life

School Days is famous for its ending. Though the series looked like a slice-of-life, the drama cranks up quickly as Makoto Ito flits between Sekai and Kotonoha, cheating left and right. Everything comes to a head in the last episode of School Days. Though he and Sekai were a couple—and she's supposedly pregnant—he opts to leave her Kotonoha again. When Sekai leaves the room, he receives a text from her apologizing and telling him goodbye. Then a hurt and angry Sekai rushes in and stabs him repeatedly. Sure, it's shocking when Kotonoha and Sekai face off later, but this scene was the moment that made jaws drop.

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