10 Most Thrilling Supernatural Anime of All Time

It’s normal for anime stories to have clear storylines, worldbuilding, character attributes, and power structures; these traits give the story room to surprise viewers through character development, plot twists, and other story elements. However, some anime stories are more focused on going against what is expected.

Either by intensifying the story’s darkness, using surreal imagery, or playing into randomness and chaos, these anime love to surprise. They often use abnormality as an alluring plot element or have no plot at all. Either way, they offer a refreshingly perfect experience of the supernatural genre, underscoring the unhinged creativity of the anime medium.

Noragami

Noragami leans heavily on Shinto beliefs and has spiritual beings walking among everyday people as if they belong there. The gods in this anime aren’t distant and aloof or all-powerful deities hiding in the sky; instead, it could be the guy hurrying down the street looking for his next freelancing gig.

Because of this proximity, Noragami’s take on the supernatural feels more personal. Gods and phantoms are marked with human flaws: Yato, the show’s protagonist, is a hopeful and delusional deity whose dreams of glory are getting the best of him. With a mix of darkness and humor, Noragami uses myth, gods, and deities to tell a deeply human story.

Mob Psycho 100

In Mob Psycho 100, emotions have a bigger on-screen presence. More than being the essence of character arcs, they lie behind paranormal events, turning battles from simple shows of strength to moments of growth and transformation.

At the story’s center lies Mob, juggling problems typical of his young age, added to his potentially dangerous powers. At his young age, emotions seem to be at their peak, and this leads to many strange events filled with surreal, almost psychedelic images.

Despite its serious-looking premise, Mob Psycho 100 is outrageously funny. This mix of fun and strangeness is what gives this anime an endless appeal, as one of the most perfect supernatural comedy shows ever.

Blue Exorcist

This anime is as strange as the title suggests. The word ‘Exorcist’ suggests demons and spiritual combat, and Blue Exorcist delivers all that over a layer of personal struggle, family disputes, and moral choices. The son of Satan, Rin Okumura, begins training to become an exorcist after he finds out his father’s plans for him.

Rin is hotheaded and eager, and even in his human form, his true nature as a demon is quite obvious. When he uses his power, he transforms into a blue-eyed demon with blue flames above his head, sometimes becoming uncontrollable. A-1 Pictures’ animation of Rin’s transformation and other spiritual fights make this anime strange yet compelling.

Jujutsu Kaisen

Jujutsu Kaisen is another anime where emotions take center stage. The anime’s antagonism comes in the form of cursed energy stemming from negative emotions humans carry with them. The world is generally dark, and even in scenes with humor and playfulness, there’s a sinister energy pulsing underneath.

To set the story in motion, Yuji Itadori gets initiated by swallowing a demon’s finger. The antagonistic demon, Sukuna, then takes residence inside his body. Yet this unsettling beginning is the least strange of what follows. Jujutsu sorcerers take down oddly-looking and -sounding demons throughout the anime, all within an environment that could pass for normal.

The Devil is a Part-Timer!

The Devil is a Part-Timer! borders on absurd. Satan begins working at a fast-food joint, struggling to hit shift goals while fighting magical battles. The anime is an atypical mix of slice of life and epic fantasy, with a backdrop of urban life.

The paranormal events in this anime occur in casual settings, such as alleyways and convenience stores, where angels and demons clash and engage in full-on battles. While the anime portrays real-life struggles like Satan trying to adapt to his situation, the dark magic and other fantasy elements keep it from being just another story of a character cheated by life.

Monogatari Series

Senjougahara in promotional art for Bakemonogatari.

Fans love Nisemonogatari for how it subverts paranormal tropes. While it doesn’t rely on horrific images or attempts to instill fear in viewers, its portrayal of the supernatural is no less effective. The anime uses quiet, unsettling metaphors to tell Koyomi Araragi’s story as he helps girls dealing with strange occurrences.

These strange occurrences are called ‘Oddities’ and often stem from emotional trauma. They contrast the sometimes playful and intimate scenes throughout the anime. Despite how it presents, the story is full of moments that raise more questions than provide answers. Nisemonogatari is paranormal in its most subtle, insidious form.

Paranoia Agent

As the title suggests, paranoia is central to Paranoia Agent. While other anime display individual episodes of strangeness, this anime makes the paranormal more ambiguous and representative of a general sense of fear. Animated by Madhouse, Paranoia Agent displays several unsettling images and delves into some hard-hitting topics that may not be suited for every viewer.

While at first, these images may seem beyond the ordinary, there’s always the possibility that they are manmade, psychological events. Beyond the visuals, the structure of the story itself is unusual. It begins as a detective story, with the obscure “Shonen Bat” as the target, before changing course gradually into a more unpredictable set of events, similar to paranoia unfolding.

Dandadan

The Evil Eye in episode 16 — Dandadan-Episode-16-Evil-Eye

Dandadan isn’t easy to define. It’s a blend of moments that border on romance and thriller, clashing together with ghosts, aliens, and psychic powers. Because Dandadan is so strange, every episode of the supernatural versus the occult is a surprise. Ayase and Takakura, two central characters, go from Samaritan and victim to friendly rivals and then close friends.

The chaos isn’t limited to their relationship. It moves through every scene, so that Ayase and “Okarun” are constantly jumping from dealing with their feelings to facing the otherworldly. While Takakura’s obsession lies in the occult, Ayase’s lies in aliens. Somehow, these two extremes are present in the story, creating a unique blend of the supernatural that celebrates iconic figures.

FLCL

FLCL is the uncertainty and exhilaration of puberty displayed through unnatural events. While this anime can come across as incoherent, that quality is part of its charm. The imagery used in the anime shows clearly what it’s like to be young and confused.

In the beginning, Nandaba’s mission seems clear. He wants to look after his brother’s belongings in his absence. However, his life quickly becomes unexplainable when he meets Haruko. Their interaction marks the beginning of strange and random occurrences in his life.

It’s easy to get distracted or turned off by the story’s lack of structure. But FLCL’s virtue lies in how closely it clings to absurdity.

Excel Saga

Excel Saga parodies the supernatural. It uses elements like psychic powers and aliens as comedic tools and plays on several genres. Because of this, there’s no focus on building a cohesive world for the story, and instead, the world can be changed to suit different situations.

The protagonist, Excel, and her partner are given a simple goal. However, achieving it seems beyond them. The anime breaks the fourth wall and permits characters to do unusual things, like rotating heads or commenting on the plot. While the chaos of the series might suggest a lack of intention, every strange element was done with purpose.