The best Shonen horror manga

Key points

  • Shonen horror manga can be just as brutal and terrifying as seinen, with graphic content and chilling stories.
  • Some shonen manga balance action with horror elements, showcasing violent themes and cute imagery.
  • Series like
    Devilman
    AND
    Claymore
    they offer deep, dark storytelling, unique characters, and intense action scenes.



Those who think so shonen horror manga they're less brutal or terrifying than their more mature seinen counterparts would think. Although shonen series are aimed at young kids, they are no less capable of producing some of the most chilling images and stories ever put on the pages of manga.

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These series prove that shonen manga isn't just about tournament arcs, power fantasies, and mindless action. Some of these manga may make you wonder how they ended up in a shonen magazine instead of a seinen due to their graphic content, while others perfectly balance shonen action with horror elements.


10 Happy sugar life

Deceptively cute series about a violent Yandere

  • Release date: 22 May 2015 – 22 June 2019
  • Creator: Tomiyaki Kagisora
  • Number of volumes: 10


Few things are scarier than someone who appears cute and harmless on the surface but hides a terrifying and violent streak. Happy sugar life is about a high school student named Satou Matsuzaka. He immediately becomes infatuated with a young girl named Shio Koube, leading Satou to kidnap her and do anything to keep their idyllic “happy and sweet life” intact.

Happy sugar life combines cute, moe visuals and character designs with disturbing themes, making for a rather jarring contrast. Fans of the “yandere” cliché should definitely check out this series.

9 Zombie Loan

Darkly hilarious supernatural horror about hunting rogue zombies

  • Release date: April 2002 – March 2011
  • Creator: Stone peaches
  • Number of volumes: 13


Zombie Loan is one of the most entertaining supernatural horror manga out there, with plenty of clever twists to hold any reader's attention. It's about a shy high school student named Michiru Kita, who has “Shinigami Eyes”, the ability to see people's impending death. A gray ring appears around the person's neck and turns black when they die.

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He soon finds himself in the world of zombie hunting when he teams up with two undead classmates with black rings around their necks. Zombie Loan it's a little more lighthearted than a standard horror manga, but there's plenty of shonen-style comedy and action to keep readers entertained.

8 Doubt

Mobile survival game becomes terrifyingly real

  • Release date: December 26, 2007 – February 12, 2009
  • Creator: Yoshiki Tonogai
  • Number of volumes: 4


The “survival game” genre has seemingly replaced the zombie apocalypse as the primary horror subgenre. Doubtlike any good death game series, it explores themes of survival in extreme circumstances. This is a popular mobile game called “Rabbit Doubt”, in which players take on the roles of rabbits in a group. One of them secretly takes on the role of a “wolf”, whose goal is to kill rabbits without being detected.

Unfortunately, for a group of friends, the game becomes terrifyingly real. After being drugged and waking up in an abandoned hospital, the group discovers that there is a real “wolf” among their ranks, who kills the members one by one. They have to find out who he is before it's too late.

7 Fort of the Apocalypse

Survival horror about prison life during a zombie apocalypse

  • Release date: 7 September 2011-6 August 2015
  • Creator: Written by Yuu Kuraishi; Illustrated by Kazu Inabe
  • Number of volumes: 10


There was a time, not too long ago, when zombies were all the rage (and, for all intents and purposes, still are), and Fort of the Apocalypse is an underrated gem of a zombie horror manga that fits perfectly into that niche. It is set in a juvenile detention center, with the protagonist, Yoshiaki Maeda, being sent there due to a false accusation.

Life in prison is tough as it is, but it gets worse when a zombie epidemic spreads across the world. Now trapped in the detention center, Maeda and his cellmates are forced to work together to defeat hordes of zombies and escape the facility.

6 The classroom adrift

Classic psychological horror about a time-traveling school

  • Release date: 1972 – 1974
  • Creator: Kazuo Umezu
  • Number of volumes: 11

The classroom adrift is considered a masterpiece in the world of horror manga, with artists such as Junji Ito citing it and its creator, Kazuo Umezu, as inspiration. It's about an elementary school that is suddenly transported to a post-apocalyptic wasteland, along with all of its inhabitants.


The students and teachers struggle to survive in a desolate environment while trying to solve the mystery of how their predicament occurred. The contrast between the innocence of the child characters and the violence and brutality they face only amplifies the horror.

5 Sankarea: Eternal love

A zombie-obsessed high schooler finds a zombie girlfriend

  • Release date: December 9, 2009-September 9, 2014
  • Creator: Mitsuru Hattori
  • Number of volumes: 11

The zombie genre has been mixed with every other genre of media under the sun and Sankarea: Eternal love provides a unique example of a romantic horror comedy with zombies as a side dish. It follows the story of a high school student named Chihiro Furuya, who has an obsession with zombies and dreams of one day having a zombie girlfriend.


While creating a resurrection potion for his dead cat, he meets a lonely girl named Rea Sanka, who secretly drinks Chihiro's potion. After a series of unfortunate events lead to her death, she is revived by the potion she drank. Now a zombie, Rea must deal with her new life and her growing feelings for Chihiro.

4 The Twilight Maiden of Amnesia

A middle school student helps uncover a ghost's tragic past

  • Release date: April 2008 – November 2013
  • Creator: Perhaps
  • Number of volumes: 10

The Twilight Maiden of Amnesia is a paranormal horror manga with a hint of romance, portraying a ghost not as a vengeful entity, but as tragic and sympathetic. Yuko Kanoe, a ghost said to haunt the halls of Seikyou Private Academy, is playful, flirtatious, and has no memory of her death.

The protagonist, Teiichi Niiya, intrigued by Yuko, forms the school's Paranormal Investigation Club to investigate the circumstances behind her death. Little does he know that Yuko's forgotten memories hide a dark and painful truth.


3 Devilman

Raw, visceral horror that explores human morality and fragility

  • Release date: June 11, 1972 – June 24, 1973
  • Creator: Go Nagai
  • Number of volumes: 5

Devilman is one of the most influential manga series of all time, inspiring countless works in the horror and dark fantasy genres, including Furious AND Attack on Titan. The story of an ordinary person transforming into a monster to defeat a race of similar monsters has been replicated numerous times.

The protagonist, Akira Fudo, unexpectedly finds himself caught up in a war between demons and humans when he merges with a demon named Amon. Now possessing the powers of a demon while maintaining his humanity, he fights to protect humans from the looming threat of demons.


2 Alice in the Borderland

High schoolers are transported to an alternate world where survival games determine their fate

  • Release date: November 25, 2010-March 2, 2016
  • Creator: Haro Aso
  • Number of volumes: 18

Fans of Squid game you should definitely check it out Alice in the Borderland waiting for the second season. It follows the story of a disillusioned high school student named Ryohei Arisu who is transported to a parallel version of Tokyo along with his two best friends.

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The world, known as Borderland, is a dystopian city where people must participate in deadly games that determine whether they live or die. Each game forces participants to confront their deepest fears and weaknesses, setting the stage for a philosophical and touching series.

1 Claymore

Fantasy horror set in a world plagued by monsters


  • Release date: May 6, 2001 – October 4, 2014
  • Creator: Norihiro Yagi
  • Number of volumes: 27

Claymore It stands out from other shonen manga because it features a predominantly female cast. The story is set in a world where humanity is terrorized by shape-shifting demons known as Yoma. To combat the Yoma, an organization creates Claymores, female warriors infused with Yoma flesh who possess superhuman abilities and strength.

Claymore is a must-read for fans of dark fantasy series like Furious AND Blood+ as it features dark and mature storytelling, deep character development, and action-packed scenes. Its strong female cast and dark fantasy setting only add to its appeal.

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