Psychological thriller anime is full of drama, suspense, and the supernatural to heighten our senses with their intense situations and stories, thrilling us to our bones. With a mystery element in them, they keep one hooked until the very end, gasping and guessing.
From iconic mind-blowing Death Note to Tomodachi Game, there are a number of dark and twisted anime series to watch to satisfy a craving for psychological thrillers.
So, here is a list of the top 10 dark and twisted anime series to watch.
Death Note (2006)
Light Yagami is a brilliant student but bored of his monotonous life. It is not until he finds a book named Death Note in when a name is written down, the person does it within 40 seconds. All this unimaginable power of control leads Light down a dark path, corrupting his soul in the process.
Stream on: Netflix
Link Click (2021)
Link Click has two seasons, with episodic stories that differ from each other. Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi run a photo studio together. But it’s not some normal photo studio. Instead, it has the power to write its customer’s regrets. Cheng can go back in time through a photograph, particularly when it was taken, and by taking the form of their client, they can absorb memories and help change their future.
Stream on: Crunchyroll
Steins; Gate (2011)
Rintarou Okabe accidentally invents a time machine with a microwave and a mobile phone. He and his friends play around with time travel, not understanding the serious and catastrophic consequences of their changes in the past and future and endanger the world’s safety.
Stream on: Hulu, Crunchyroll
Parasyte: The Maxim (2014)
Shinichi Izumi’s life is turned upside down when an alien named Migi tries to invade his body but fails to infiltrate his brain. Now, the 17-year-old Shinichi’s right hand looks monstrous after Migi with him by forming a symbiotic relationship and parasitizing his body through his hand.
Stream on: Hulu, Crunchyroll
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (2006)
Stream on: Hulu, Crunchyroll
Death Parade (2015)
Set in Quindecim Bar, a bar in the afterlife that is frequented by recently deceased people who are awaiting the verdict of their destiny after death. Decim, the bartender in Quindecim, is given the responsibility to determine the customers’ fate by making them play different games.
Stream on: Hulu, Crunchyroll
Paranoia Agent (2004)
Paranoia Agent combines reality with fiction in its storytelling about a juvenile serial attacker who goes by the name Lil’ Slugger. The story unfolds episode by episode through the perspective of Lil’ Slugger’s victims and the detectives overseeing his case to reveal why he does what he does. The anime series was created by Satoshi Kon, who is known for his classic works like Paprika and Perfect Blue.
Stream on: Crunchyroll
Terror in Resonance (2014)
From a sinister academy that experiments on orphans with savant syndrome, trying to convert them into weapons, two boys manage to escape the torture and inhuman environment of the place. Coming out, they end up meeting a lonely girl, Lisa, and ropes her unwittingly into a plan of exposing the academy to the whole world while escaping authorities with intellect and genius strategies.
Stream on: Crunchyroll
Tokyo Ghoul (2014)
Tokyo Ghoul, with its four seasons out until now, has captured fans because of its fantastical themes and dark storyline. Kaneki finds himself gaining a new identity, opening his eyes to a new world after a ghoul attacks him. A ghoul is a monstrous creature that feasts on humans to survive. When the ghoul’s attack fails, Kaneki’s body is made to accommodate both human and ghoul traits, rendering him helpless with his new condition.
Stream on: Hulu
Tomodachi Game (2022)
Four high school friends become part of a sinister game that tests their morality, loyalty, and friendship toward each other. After their class’s school trip funds get stolen by someone unknown, the four friends find themselves entangled in a mysterious game called Tomodachi Game. With the temptation of a monetary reward, the four start a series of games they might never be able to recover from.
Stream on: Crunchyroll
