Suspense anime is less about what happens and more about how long they can make you sweat before it happens. *Death Note* basically set the standard for two guys writing in notebooks somehow being the tensest thing you've ever watched. When it's done right, even a character picking up a phone can feel like a boss fight.
Prefer manga? Best Suspense manga
In the deadly battle at the Watergate City of Priestella, Subaru and his allies barely emerged victorious—but their triumph came at a great cost. Through the "Authority of Gluttony," Rem was put into suspended animation, while Crusch's memories and even Julius’s name were...
Eccentric scientist Rintarou Okabe has a never-ending thirst for scientific exploration. Together with his ditzy but well-meaning friend Mayuri Shiina and his roommate Itaru Hashida, Okabe founds the Future Gadget Laboratory in the hopes of creating technological innovations...
Seeking to restore humanity's diminishing hope, the Survey Corps embark on a mission to retake Wall Maria, where the battle against the merciless "Titans" takes the stage once again. Returning to the tattered Shiganshina District that was once his home, Eren Yeager and the...
City of Silver (Episode 1): Above the undying gray fog, Klein Moretti, the enigmatic The Fool, presided over the Tarot Club when a new, distant prayer echoed through the mists. Reaching across the veil, he summoned Derrick Berg from the City of Silver—a cursed bastion trapped...
It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. In this case, it holds an infinite amount of secrets. These are secrets that only Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang are able to find. In a small shop called "Time Photo Studio," the two friends provide a special service: using their...
Eccentric and blunt, the walrus Hiroshi Odokawa lives a relatively normal life. He drives a taxi for a living, and there he meets several unique individuals: the jobless Taichi Kabasawa who is dead-set on going viral, the mysterious nurse Miho Shirakawa, the struggling comedic...
Brutal murders, petty thefts, and senseless violence pollute the human world. In contrast, the realm of death gods is a humdrum, unchanging gambling den. The ingenious 17-year-old Japanese student Light Yagami and sadistic god of death Ryuk share one belief: their worlds are...
Following NERV's failed attempt to retrieve the Spears of Longinus and carry out the Human Instrumentality Project, the destruction caused by the Fourth Impact has been largely averted. In a state of disarray, Shinji Ikari, Asuka Langley Shikinami, and Rei Ayanami travel to...
Humans once lived like Earth was the center of the universe. Some people embraced religion and believed that God would deliver them from suffering. After humanity was enslaved by aliens, no one spoke of God any longer. Now the grim truth is that humans are mere property of...
One autumn evening at a mysterious ramen stand behind the Shimogamo Shrine, a lonely third-year college student bumps into a man with an eggplant-shaped head who calls himself a god of matrimony. Meeting this man causes the student to reflect upon his past two years at...
The young girls of Mitakihara happily live their lives, occasionally fighting off evil, but otherwise going about their peaceful, everyday routines. However, Homura Akemi feels that something is wrong with this unusually pleasant atmosphere—though the others remain oblivious,...
In November 1998, a double homicide occurs at the newly constructed Ogawa apartment complex in the heart of Mifune City. The murderer, Tomoe Enjou, has fled in a panic. To his astonishment, he is not pursued by the police and news of the incident has not been reported through...
Surrounded by a forest and a gated entrance, the Grace Field House is inhabited by orphans happily living together as one big family, looked after by their "Mama," Isabella. Although they are required to take tests daily, the children are free to spend their time as they see...
Since the death of his parents, Shinpei Ajiro had lived with the Kofune family and their two daughters—Mio and Ushio. Although he then left his home island to continue his education in Tokyo, Shinpei returns after Ushio tragically drowns during the attempted rescue of a little...
Japan, 1955: Mario Minakami has just arrived at Shounan Special Reform School along with five other teenagers who have been arrested on serious criminal charges. All assigned to the same cell, they meet older inmate Rokurouta Sakuragi—a former boxer—with whom they establish a...
Aslan Jade Callenreese, known as Ash Lynx, was a runaway picked off the streets of New York City and raised by the infamous godfather of the mafia, Dino Golzine. Now 17 years old and the boss of his own gang, Ash begins investigating the mysterious "Banana Fish"—the same two...
Gesicht, an android police detective of Europol, is tasked with finding the murderer of Montblanc, a retired war hero robot. Although it appears that only a robot could have committed this crime, the murder of a renowned robot rights activist casts doubts on the criminal's...
The "Medicine Seller" is a deadly and mysterious master of the occult who travels across feudal Japan in search of malevolent spirits called "mononoke" to slay. When he locates one of these spirits, he cannot simply kill it; he must first learn its Form, its Truth, and its...
Fifteen years after a cataclysmic event known as the Second Impact, the world faces a new threat: monstrous celestial beings called Angels invade Tokyo-3 one by one. Mankind is unable to defend themselves against the Angels despite utilizing their most advanced munitions and...
When highly evolved AIs set out to eradicate mankind, the carnage that ensues fills the air with the stench of fresh blood and burning bodies. In a desperate bid to prevent the calamity from ever occurring, a scientist bets everything on a remnant from the past. Turning the...
Toua Tokuchi is a prodigy when it comes to both baseball and gambling. Pitching nothing but mediocre fastballs, he has made a name for himself by attaining 499 consecutive victories in the game of One Outs: a one-on-one showdown between a pitcher and a batter. Despite his...
Justice, and the enforcement of it, has changed. In the 22nd century, Japan enforces the Sibyl System, an objective means of determining the threat level of each citizen by examining their mental state for signs of criminal intent, known as their Psycho-Pass. Inspectors uphold...
All of a sudden, they arrived: parasitic aliens that descended upon Earth and quickly infiltrated humanity by burrowing into the brains of vulnerable targets. These insatiable beings acquire full control of their host and are able to morph into a variety of forms in order to...
When tragedy is about to strike, Satoru Fujinuma finds himself sent back several minutes before the accident occurs. The detached, 29-year-old manga artist has taken advantage of this powerful yet mysterious phenomenon, which he calls "Revival," to save many lives. However,...
Great Britain is ablaze with news of a so-called "Lord of Crime," a criminal mastermind responsible for the downfall of several unruly nobles. In truth, the Lord of Crime is not an individual, but rather a group consisting of William James Moriarty and his two brothers, Louis...
Right now, Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 4 holds the #1 spot with a 9.20 on MAL. In the deadly battle at the Watergate City of Priestella, Subaru and his allies barely emerged victorious—but their triumph came at a great cost.
MyAnimePulse tracks over 440 suspense anime — from 90s classics to shows airing this season. This list focuses on the 25 highest-rated.
If you've never watched suspense anime before, Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 4, Steins;Gate, and Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2 are all safe bets. They're highly rated for a reason — any of them will hook you.
