Horror manga is a varied genre with lots of subgenres packed inside, which makes it a bit tough to narrow down the best of them. Still, we’ve read enough to put a formidable list of recommendations for the best of the best.
Whether you’re more of a psychological horror fan or a lover of gory violence, there’s likely at least one out there that fits your needs. We tried to keep this list filled with different options that would appeal to a wide variety of horror fans who read manga, but we also kept popular opinion in mind. Check these out, and dive into a spooky story you’re bound to love!
I am a Hero
If you’re feeling a post-apocalyptic zombie manga, you can’t go wrong with I am a Hero by Kengo Hanazawa. Hideo, a man who is disenfranchised by life and considers himself a loser, finds himself at the center of survival in the face of a zombie-like disease called ZQN. The manga is quite graphic and full of hair-raising moments to satisfy horror fans.
Uzumaki
Possibly one of the most famous horror manga ever, Uzumaki is also probably the most popular series by Junji Ito. Uzumaki stands for swirl or spiral, and that’s exactly what’s happening to the people in this story. They’re being compelled (or forced) into swirling creations of body horror. Ito’s creativity with horrific imagery knows no bounds in this series, so check it out!
Starving Anonymous
Looking for gore, cannibalism, and depravity in manga? Starving Anonymous by Kazu Inabe is going to be one of your best choices. This story about select parts of the human population being used for food is quite gross, and so are the people filling the universe. If you’re uncomfortable with a cynical and violent meditation on human nature, this series isn’t for you. But if this sounds like a delightfully scary time, check it out! It also has a sequel series, Shokuryō Jinrui Re: Starving Re:velation.
Gantz
Two teens in Tokyo lose their lives in an accident involving a subway train, but they find themselves awakened in a seemingly ordinary room, save for a weird black ball in the center. Quickly, they learn that they’ve been roped into an assignment to hunt and kill creepy aliens. Gantz is an action-heavy horror story with lots of sci-fi intrigue. If you want a manga with a gritty style and interesting plot, check this one out.
PTSD Radio
PTSD Radio is a series from Masaaki Nakayama, who is credited for his detailed and unique takes on body horror. Compared to Junji Ito, Nakayama is also well-known for borrowing from ideas of traditional Japanese folklore to make modern horror stories. PTSD Radio is an entity know as the Ogushi targeting and attacking humans via hair. The manga is nonlinear, allowing for a great casual reading experience.
Blood on the Tracks
While Blood on the Tracks by Shuzo Oshimi is not particularly graphic (though it has its moments), it might be the most intense of any psychological horror manga out there. Seiichi Osabe has a weird relationship with his mom, and the consequences of this begin to mount and grow until tragedy befalls him and permeates every part of his life. Blood on the Tracks has a bittersweet ending, but the story throughout is hauntingly sad and eerie.
Berserk
Berserk is a manga by Kentaro Miura with a massive cult following. The story follows Guts, a violent but stoic swordsman who gets entangled in a dark plot with Griffith, leader of The Band of the Hawk mercenary group. This plot may sounds a bit basic, but know that things get crazy very quickly in this story, and the horror has high stakes with lasting consequences. It’s a gore fest set in a dark-fantasy world inspired by medieval Europe.
Parasyte
Shinichi wakes up one day to discover a parasitic creature failed to take over his whole body and now inhabits one hand and part of one arm. This is the root of the story in Parasyte, but the plot develops into a fight for survival as Shinichi and and the parasite fight off other parasites in gruesome battles. Check out this action-horror that also has some occasional comedy, if it sounds up your alley!
No Longer Human
Another story by Junji Ito, No Longer Human is a manga adaptation of Osamu Dazai’s 1948 semi-autobiographical novel of the same name. Ito takes a few liberties with his manga, amping up the abuse depicted in the novel. The psychologically and emotionally horrific story follows a man throughout his troubled life, seeing him abused, depressed, and even destitute. Shortly after writing No Longer Human, Osamu Dazai took his own life.
Attack on Titan
Most fans of anime and manga will know of Attack on Titan, especially the anime version of the series. But did you know that the manga series is even more gory and terrifying? Deaths are shown up close, the titans are shown wreaking havoc in more detail, and tons of other tiny details are kept in the manga that make it so much scarier. Check out Attack on Titan if you love action, alternate universes, and protagonists who are staring down a fate they didn’t choose.
