10 Most Unsettling Anime Episodes Of All Time

Anime is a medium that is not afraid to showcase extremely disturbing scenes, sometimes even filling entire episodes with them. On many occasions, these episodes are not found in dedicated horror series but are instead included in other separate genres to mark significant tonal shifts that greatly enhance their impact.

Many of these moments have a notorious reputation for being thoroughly uncomfortable to sit through. They don’t shy away at all from sensitive topics or explicit displays of bloodshed and suffering. They are also not restricted to obscure supporting characters, as they usually feature main or beloved figures enduring horrific situations.

10

School Days Episode 12

The twelfth episode of School Days is easily one of the most infamous finales in all of anime. The series began as a typical high school romance involving three main characters: Makoto, Kotonoha, and Sekai. Love triangles are common in romance anime, but this relationship devolved over time into something much worse.

Due to Makoto’s greed, he ends up getting involved with other girls in the school, showing little care for their feelings and displaying deeply manipulative tendencies. This all culminates in a final episode where both Makoto and Sekai are killed, and the former’s head is severed from his body by Kotonoha and used to accompany her on a yacht.

9

Made in Abyss Episode 10

Made in Abyss tells the story of Riko and Reg, and their descent into the Abyss, a mysterious chasm that is both fascinating and dangerous. The stakes are established from the start, but only in the tenth episode are viewers made fully aware. While attempting to escape from a dangerous creature, the main duo are forced to ascend.

This causes Riko to bleed wildly, and she encourages Reg to sever her arm in order to survive the poison inflicted by the creature. Reg begrudgingly agrees, having to break the bone in her arm first amidst visceral screams from Riko. While cutting her arm, he is interrupted by insects, and Riko falls unconscious, driving Reg into a tear-filled panic.

8

Solo Leveling Episode 2

Solo Leveling is widely known for its overpowered protagonist, Sung Jinwoo, and his rapid growth, thanks to the help of the mysterious System. His power came at a cost, however, as he would not have attained it without enduring the traumatic events of the Double Dungeon incident during the second episode.

The episode features a group of hunters trapped and at the mercy of unbeatable stone statues. Though the weak Jinwoo guides them to an extent, the hunters still perish one after another. Ultimately, Jinwoo stays behind after losing a leg while the others escape, leading to a terrible torrent of attacks focused solely on him while abandoned and alone.

7

Babylon Episode 7

Babylon’s seventh episode marks the absolute peak of the suffering endured by Zen Seizaki and his team at the hands of the terrifying Ai Magase. In the middle of their attempt aimed at kidnapping Kaika Itsuki and stopping the Suicide Law, Zen’s entire team is intercepted and brutally murdered by Magase.

The climax occurs when the sadistic killer shares a livestream link with Zen. She proceeds to dismember his treasured colleague, Hiasa Sekuro, live with an axe, while Zens begs her from the other side. He is forced to watch the horrific scene unfold as Magase talks to him throughout, asking him to earnestly confront the true nature of evil.

6

Blood-C Episode 12

Blood-C centers on the high school protagonist Saya Kisaragi and her frequent battles against monstrous entities called Elder Bairns. The final episode reveals that Saya’s memories were fabricated and that her school life was staged by a group of paid actors participating in an experiment intended to change her true nature.

Once this secret is revealed, the antagonist, Fumito Nanahara, acts to dispose of the actors and the town. As a result, the Elder Bairns go on a frightening rampage, massacring the townspeople in creatively horrific fashion. The episode is filled with gruesome death and gore, with an entire part of Saya’s head blown clean off at the end.

5

Takopi’s Original Sin Episode 1

A lot of the conflicts in Takopi’s Original Sin are established in the first episode, as it is filled with depressing developments at every turn. It focuses on the relationship between Takopi, an extraterrestrial lifeform, and Shizuka, an elementary school student. Shizuka is endlessly tormented by her classmate Marina, and Takopi is devoted to bringing her happiness using “Happy Gadgets.”

Takopi repeatedly fails to understand Shizuka’s suffering, a situation that comes to a head when she takes her own life using one of his gadgets. Takopi turns back time, bringing Shizuka back to life, but is still unable to resolve her unhappiness. At the end, viewers discover that Marina returns home to a despondent mother with implied abusive tendencies.

The fourth episode of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood follows the Elric brothers as they meet Shou Tucker, a State Alchemist specializing in chimeric alchemy. While at his home, they become acquainted with his daughter, Nina Tucker, and dog Alexander. They form a heartwarming bond, completely unaware of what would transpire in the coming days.

Shou was at risk of losing his State Alchemist certification without tangible results. Therefore, he conducted an experiment using his dog and daughter, successfully creating a chimera by fusing them. When the brothers arrived the next day, they deduced the identity of the mysterious creature, sending Ed into a fit of rage that saw him nearly beat Shou to death.

3

Devilman Crybaby Episode 9

The ninth episode of Devilman Crybaby viscerally depicts the global meltdown following Ryo Asuka’s broadcast, which exposed the protagonist, Akira Fudo, as a demon. While Akira ventures out to find Ryo, both his human and devilman comrades are attacked by an angry mob committed to eradicating the devilmen and all those closely associated with them.

His friends are mercilessly slaughtered, and when he arrives at the scene of the massacre, he finds their limbs being paraded around by the culprits. Driven to a state of immense sadness and anger, he incinerates the jubilant crowd, fittingly yelling the title of the episode, “Go to Hell, You Mortals.”

2

Re: Zero Episode 15

The fifteenth episode of Re: Zero is one of the standout episodes of the first season, as well as one of the most terrifying. It begins with Subaru on the mansion grounds, distraught by the sight of Rem’s dead body. He also discovers the village children deceased in a nearby cabin, as well as Petra dead in Ram’s lifeless arms.

After resetting, he returns with Rem, but they are captured by the Witch’s Cult. Subaru is chained to a wall and forced to watch Rem fight, a battle she loses, with her limbs fatally twisted by the end. She employs her last strength to free Subaru, only for him to carry her outside and be decapitated by a monstrous Puck.

1

Berserk (1997) Episode 25

The twenty-fifth and final episode of the 1997 Berserk anime series is arguably the most brutal finale in anime history. The episode kicks off with the branding of all Band of the Hawk members within The Eclipse, marking them as sacrifices for Griffith’s rebirth. What follows is an immediate and relentless onslaught by the grotesque monsters of the realm.

Griffith, now Femto, descends after the majority of his former comrades had been slaughtered. He appears in front of the gravely injured Guts and forcibly has his way with his lover, Casca, while he is held down by multiple monsters. Guts also loses his right eye while pinned, and lets out a scream of unfiltered rage as the series ends.

Release Date

October 8, 1997

Directors

Naohito Takahashi

Writers

Yasuhiro Imagawa

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