Finding an anime that hooks its audience from the first minute until the end is difficult. Obviously, nobody wants their time to be wasted on trash content. So today I’ll be ranking the top 15 best thriller and suspense anime that every Otakus should treasure at every cost.
Do you love watching anime that makes your adrenaline pump and your mind race? If you answered yes, then you are in for a treat. Just stick to the end.
It’s no surprise that you would have already watched some shows that are mentioned below, however, I strongly recommend each show of this series to be watched. Obviously, they’re that good.
15: Summer Time Rendering
Let’s begin our list of best thriller and suspense anime with the most underrated shonen anime of recent times “Summer Time Rendering.”
After watching this show, your first reaction will be “This is how mystery anime should be done.” Its 8.5 Mal rating speaks for itself.
The show follows a smart protagonist Shinpei Ajiro who has recently returned from Tokyo after Ushio tragically drowns while rescuing a little girl.
Since he smells a mystery behind Ushio’s death, he embarks on the journey to uncover the truth. However, strange supernatural mysteries are waiting for him to be stunned by the complexity of the case.
14: Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song
Ais like Chatgpt and Midnight Journey have taken our world by storm. So why not enjoy a sci-fi thriller fully related to AIs?
You must haven’t heard about it. Right? Honestly, missing such a thriller suspense anime that has more holes than Gruyère cheese should be a sin for mystery lovers.
In anonymous year, the world has been taken over by advanced AIs. A passionate scientist decides to solve this problem by removing it from the timeline as he travels in the past to stop AIs from evolving.
Now back in 100 years, there’s an AI called Vivy, which has a single goal to spread happiness with its voice, though nobody listens to this musical AI. An advanced AI from the future arrives and enlists Vivy in the journey to prevent war in the future.
I won’t explain how both characters’ stories are intertwined, because it’ll ruin the plot, so check out on your own by watching this hidden gem called Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song.
13: Ghost In The Shell
Despite being almost three decades old, I assume calling Ghost In The Shell the best sci-fi thriller anime movie wouldn’t be wrong.
If you don’t agree, Major Motoko Kusanagi will kick your ass in tight outfit.. Just kidding…
In 2029 according to the anime callender, the world has touched the highest limits of technology advancements, now people can replace their body parts with tech.
This advancement has caused a huge rise in terrorism and other criminal activities. Among them lies an incredible hacker called Puppet Master who leaves a trail of victims stripped of their memories.
As the Major of Public Security Section 9, badass Motoko Kusanagi is set to trap this maniac. However, along the way more secrets unveil questioning the existence of Major Motoko Kusanagi and only the Puppet Master can provide the answers.
12: From The New World
“From The New World” is a show you should add to your watchlist this instant if you admire brilliant character developments in precise time flow, a thought-provoking storyline, and plot twists that flip the story upside down.
Have I said too much? Nah! You’ll realize once give this one of the best thriller and suspense anime a shot.
The show follows a futuristic world where people where a portion of the population retains a special power called psychokinesis. The story features five children along with the main protagonist Saki.
From toddlers to adults, as they grow up, some strict rules and their choices alter the course of their lives and the entire society they live in.
In the end you won’t be able to hold yourself to admire this diamond in the ruff.
11: ReZero
Everything aside, If you’re an Otaku, you would already have an idea that finding a violent anime within the Isekai genre is nothing less than a rare pearl.
So there’s an otaku-obsessed freak Natsuki Subaru who is feeling grateful to be transported into another world like other protagonists he had seen in anime.
Everything goes smoothly until he finds out he has literally no powers and gets butchered by a hot lady in a horrible way.
What happens next? Will he return as an overpowered MC like usual isekai protagonists? No no no, it’s not going to be this easy, so make sure you don’t miss this awesome isekai suspense and trilling anime.
10: Monster
If you feel dizzy while watching super slow-paced and curly anime shows, Monster anime is not for you. Though unless you don’t wanna miss a masterpiece, you should withstand a little bit of dizziness.
This is the case for Dr. Kenzo Tenma, a brilliant brain surgeon who saves the life of a young boy named Johan Liebert risking his career over his mercy and pride.
Little does he know that this act of kindness will unleash a nightmare that will haunt him for years. Johan is no ordinary boy, but a cold-blooded killer who leaves a trail of death and destruction wherever he goes.
Tenma becomes obsessed with finding and stopping him, but he soon realizes that he is not the only one after him.
9: Terror In Resonance
The reason why this underrated psychological series deserves more attention is its mature settings neglecting shonen-esque.
Although it’s not merely about terrorism, but generational conflicts, post-war nationalism, isolation from modern society, and the hopeful rebellious spirit of youths.
In modern-day Japan Tokyo Metropolitan Government building blew up a secret organization called Sphinx.
After all this havoc a video on the internet reveals that two twisted boys are behind this incident. Why they did such a horrible act is your job to find out.
8: Classroom Of The Elite
Tired of watching Op Isekai protagonist destroy their adversaries with magic and wits? Classroom of the Elite is the remedy to cheer you up.
Classroom of the Elite is a suspense thriller anime that has the OP MC who hides his identity, and the show will force you to bite off your nails predicting what gonna happen next!
The show features a school where classes are divided into four ranks A, B, C, and D. The top ranks offer more privilege than lower ranks so every class is in a race to climb up the rank with whatever the means.
Amidst this, a mysterious dead fish eye character joins Class D the bottom tier. As some students are passionate about competing, Kityotaka holds the charge from the backend to lead this class via complex strategies.
7: Psycho Pass
Can society change if security agencies become capable of identifying the will of any individual to perform a criminal act? This thriller and suspense anime will try to answer in the Japanese way.
Japan has created Sibyl System, an objective means to determine the mental state of individuals so they can eradicate ill-will individuals before they even try to perform a criminal activity.
Jaded inspectors are security officers to hunt down such cases. Akane Tsunemori became aware of the flaws of this judgment system while working with an inspector Shinya Kougami.
Can she make any difference? Find out by consuming this little slow-paced suspense thriller anime.
6: Death Parade
Where isekai genre focuses on exploring new worlds after mc incarnations, Death Parade features a middle-way storyline on deciding whether a character should be reincarnated or not.
Despite being labeled as slow-paced the show is best suited to adults.
If a duo of people die at the same time, they’re sent to Quindecim instead of Hell or Heaven. In Quindecim, a bartender is waiting for them to explain the scenario of how they can leave this place.
The rules are simple. They have to place some chosen games which I don’t wanna reveal. If they succeed another life is waiting for them, however, failure means an infinite void is waiting for them to vanish.
As the stakes are high, the competitors will be willing to throw every dirty trick to win the game.
5: Neon Genesis Evangelion
Even after three decades of its release, Neon Genesis Evangelion still has the crown of being the most complex anime show of all time.
In recent future, the world has been overrun by monstrous celestial beings called Angels. Now human salvation lies in the hands of a mysterious organization led by the cold Gendo Ikari.
Amidst all this premise, Shinji Ikari is a depressed child but the only one capable of operating Evangelion Unit-01 “A robot”. He’s also the son of Gendo Ikari and has been ordered to fight against these monsters.
doesn’t it look like a typical mecha anime? well, it’s not because the complexity of the plot can’t be wrapped in two passages. Even though it’s old, it’s still worth watching.
4: The Promised Neverland
If you think you know what an orphanage is, think again. The Promised Neverland is an anime that will shatter your expectations and challenge your perceptions.
It tells the story of a group of children who live in a seemingly perfect orphanage, where they are loved and cared for by their \”Mama\”. But behind the facade of happiness lies a dark and sinister secret that will change their lives forever.
The Promised Neverland is an anime that will keep you guessing and gasping, as the children plot to escape from their fate and uncover the truth about their world.
3: Steins Gate
Imagine a world where you can change the past with a text message. Sounds like a dream come true, right?
But what if every change you make has a ripple effect that alters the present and the future? What if you end up in a reality that is worse than the one you started from?
This is the dilemma that Rintaro Okabe, a self-proclaimed mad scientist, faces when he accidentally invents a time machine using a microwave and a cellphone.
Together with his friends, he experiments with altering the course of history, only to find himself in a web of conspiracies, paradoxes, and dangers.
Steins;Gate is a thrilling and suspenseful anime that will make you wonder how far you would go to change the world.
2: Death Note
What if you had the power to kill anyone you want, just by writing their name in a notebook? Would you use it for justice, or for your own selfish desires?
This is the dilemma faced by Light Yagami, a brilliant high school student who finds a mysterious notebook called the Death Note, dropped by a bored shinigami (death god) named Ryuk.
Light decides to use the notebook to rid the world of criminals, becoming a god-like figure known as Kira. However, his actions attract the attention of a genius detective known only as L, who vows to catch and stop him.
Death Note is a gripping and suspenseful anime that will make you question your morals and your logic. If you’re looking for anime where op mc goes to high school, don’t miss Death Note at any cost.
1: Attack On Titan
It’s hard to admit, the one who is reading this article on best suspense and thriller anime would haven’t watched the legendary show AOT.
Two minutes of silence for those who actually missed it.
This epic series about war and military is set in a world where humanity is forced to live in cities surrounded by three enormous walls that protect them from gigantic man-eating humanoids called Titans.
The story is placed in tragic world and follows Eren Yeager, who vows to exterminate the Titans after they bring about the destruction of his hometown and the death of his mother.
What and how much happened in this whole anime full of plot twists and turns is surely peak entertainment.
Conclusion:
In this article, we have introduced you to some of the best thriller and suspense anime that will keep you entertained and intrigued. These anime are not only exciting and captivating, but also thought-provoking and meaningful.
Whether you are looking for psychological, crime, supernatural, or sci-fi thrillers, there is an anime for you. We hope you enjoyed this article and found some new anime to watch. Thank you for reading and happy viewing!
