The Best Horror Anime Protagonists

Horror can go to new heights in Japanese anime. While all horror—either from the West or the East—can include many different genres and bend the audience’s expectations, there’s something different about animated horror that just can’t be achieved in film or television.

Whether it’s a supernatural horror awaiting a group of high schoolers or a game of life or death, horror has been explored in anime for many years. With so many different genres within horror, it’s always fun to see how our protagonists react to the horrors that they must witness. Whether they’re part of the horror or are an innocent bystander, here are just some of the best horror anime protagonists.

10

Shinichi Izumi

Parasyte

If you think high school is hard, try going to school with an infection from a Parasyte. Unfortunately for our protagonist, Shinichi Izumi, he’s stuck in this situation. Shinichi is unfortunately infected by a parasite named Migi that takes over his right arm, giving him supernatural-esque abilities and the ability to shape-shift.

While at first he’s super shy and awkward, he slowly grows into a sort of antihero after the death of his mother. He uses the abilities that Migi gives him to track down killers and bad guys, ultimately transforming into an emotionless shell of who he used to be. It’s an interesting battle of humanity that makes the protagonist fascinating.

9

Koichi Sakakibara

Another

For the supernatural horror lovers, look no further than Another. After transferring to Yomiyama Middle School, Koichi Sakakibara soon realizes that everything isn’t what it seems.

Soon, students begin to die slowly one by one in freak accidents, and unfortunately, Koichi is always there to witness these horrific incidents. Now, Kōichi is tasked with finding out why, and if it’s at all connected to the mysterious Classroom 3. It’s interesting to watch a protagonist play detective (and still somehow remain a sweet kid), especially when they’re not given any supernatural abilities like other animes we’ve seen.

8

Mei Misaki

Another

While Koichi might be the protagonist of Another, Mei Misaki is another protagonist worth adding to this list. Not only is she arguably just as important, but she’s certainly a protagonist that just may overshadow Koichi.

While Koichi transfers into the class, Mei is already an established student of Yomiyama Middle School. But something is…off about her. She’s treated as an outcast compared to the other students and is seemingly in tune with the supernatural happenings of the school. With Koichi’s detective skills and Mei’s openness to the unknown, the two begin to uncover the truth behind the facade of Yomiyama Middle School.

7

Ken Kaneki

Tokyo Ghoul

Similarly to Shinichi, Ken Kaneki is unfortunately infected with a kakuhou, a sac-like organ that is only present in ghouls. This infection changes Ken into a cannibalistic ghoul, a string of humanoid species with supernatural abilities that can only feed on the flesh of humans and other ghouls to survive.

Ken goes through a lot in this series. Not only is his world turned upside down after turning into a ghoul, but he’s also thrust into the seedy underworld of ghouls, getting himself mixed up in mischief and mayhem. While it’s unfortunate to see his sweet demeanor disappear the further you progress in the series, eventually, he comes back to who he used to be, and it’s fun to witness.

6

Yuki Takeya

School Live!

Yuki Takeya is one of those protagonists that you just can’t help but sympathize with. Not only is she an adorable character, but her emotional journey through the anime makes it worth the watch. Yuki is a senior at Megurigaoka Private High School and a member of the School Life Club, where the group engages in various school activities like gardening or cooking.

But while Yuki is under the impression that she’s going through her days pretty normally, the unfortunate reality is that the world has been turned upside down due to a zombie outbreak. Now, Yuki lives in a delusion that everything is completely normal, and this revelation is devastating. Despite the horrors, this is an adorable anime with an even more adorable protagonist.

5

Saya Kisaragi

Blood-C

Saya Kisaragi is a monster slayer and the last line of defense against unknown entities hellbent on killing everyone in her village. And unlike other anime, these beings enjoy their killings, making the horror even worse.

It’s a great mix of action and horror, with a strong female protagonist. While she’s originally portrayed as a sweet high school girl, you watch as she slowly comes into who she’s truly meant to be: a monster slayer who’s cold and distant. She’s a great protagonist to root for due to her sense of justice and her selflessness in protecting her village.

4

Yuuko Kanoe

Dusk Maiden of Amnesia

What’s better than scary anime girls? They should turn one of them into one of the main protagonists. In Dusk Maiden of Amnesia, Yuuko Kanoe reveals herself to be a ghost to another main character, Teiichi Niiya.

Unfortunately, she’s lost all her memories and tasks Teiichi with uncovering her dark past. While both characters are interesting, Yuuko automatically steals the show. She has a creepy alter ego that is fully revealed the further you progress in the story and despite the horrors, there’s a sweet romance that begins to blossom between Yuuko and Teiichi.

3

Yuno Gasai

Future Diary

Yuno is one of the most popular yanderes. How we love you! In case you haven’t seen Future Diary, the anime follows middle schooler Yukiteru Amano as he’s thrust into a battle royale created by Deus Ex Machina, the God of Time and Space. Twelve people, including Yuki, are given diaries that can predict the future for up to ninety days and must battle until one remains to prevent the Apocalypse.

While you’d think Yuki would be the fan-favorite, it’s actually Yuno Gasai who steals the show. Yuno is deeply infatuated with Yuki and makes it her mission to protect him from the other diary users. She’s absolutely insane but so much fun to watch.

2

Lucy

Elfen Lied

Typically, female protagonists in anime aren’t both the protagonist and the antagonist. In Elfen Lied, that’s not the case. Elfen Lied focuses on a mutated species called ‘Diclonius,’ human-like beings with horns and telekinetic powers. One such Diclonius, Lucy, is held in a facility built for experimentation but manages to escape and murder hundreds.

During her escape, she’s injured, which creates a secondary, childlike personality known as Nyu. After being discovered by two locals, Kouta and his cousin Yuka, the cousins watch as she frequently switches from her murderous self buried beneath the sweet exterior of Nyu. It’s an interesting dynamic to witness and hard to come to terms with when Nyu disappears and Lucy comes out to play.

1

Natsuno Yuuki

Shiki

In a rural town named Sotoba, a series of bizarre deaths occur, which just so happens to coincide with the arrival of the Kirishiki family. Now, three characters must uncover the mysterious happenings of the town and find out exactly who—or what—is causing this chaos.

While there are three protagonists to choose from, Natsuno is certainly one of the more complex and interesting to follow. He’s hard to like at first due to his cold demeanor, but his story is directly linked to the events of Sotoba, which forces him to change a little. He’s an interesting character to follow that adds more depth to the show.