While most people find satisfaction in action with fighting and violence, many can only be satisfied with a good Psychological Thriller. In this article, we are going to see a list of the best psychological thriller and mystery anime.
For those who don't know, a psychological thriller anime fits into the suspense category, but most of the time the action is present not only with fights but with battles of intelligence, mind, strategies, terror and various points that drive your mind crazy.
Psychological anime thrillers or suspense address the tension, excitement with climaxes created to hold from beginning to end. Others you watch totally confused, but when you get to the end it becomes your favorite anime (steins;gate).
In these stories there are always threatening, mysterious situations with escapes and complicated and impossible situations. In this article we separate a list of the best psychological anime for you to watch without fail. In my opinion this is one of the best genres of all time.
I don't like to wrap up in synopses, I'll briefly summarize a synopsis. If it's on this list it's because it's worth it! The best psychological anime are made by Mad House. ing that I don't rank them from best to worst, but from the comments you should know which ones are my favorites.
Table of Contents
Mystery psychological anime
It's strange to separate anime into this category, as all psychological anime tend to have mysteries. So here are the anime with the best mysteries:
Boku Dake Ga Inai Machi / Eoused - A young man has the power to time travel to prevent events. One day his mother is killed and he goes back to his childhood to try to solve a mystery that is connected to his future. (12 episodes) BEST OF 2016!
Death Note - I don't even need to talk about this anime, it's a must-watch! It's about a boy who finds a notebook that allows him to kill anyone whose name he writes in it. He wants to rid the world of evil, but the problem is that he is being hunted by a detective. This anime is very intelligent and keeps you hooked from start to finish. (37 episodes) ESSENTIAL!
Terror in Resonance - Tells the story of terrorist bombings happening in Japan, caused by just 2 boys. (11 episodes)
Now with mystery but a little action...
Another - Unexplained deaths occurring in a terrible way, a great mystery surrounds the students of a school, with scenes that can traumatize your mind. (12 episodes)
Monster - Being old (2004), I ended up procrastinating watching it. But it became one of the best anime I've ever seen in my life. It's a great mix of mystery, suspense, horror, and even action happening all the time. The anime tells the story of a doctor who ends up being accused of murdering people, but in reality, the culprit is a psychopath, sociopath, and serial killer he saved as a child. (74 episodes) PERFECT!
Detective Conan - An anime for all ages with over 800 episodes. Although it may seem clichéd and somewhat childish, the anime is very intelligent, possibly responsible for educating Japanese children to be so smart, as it addresses various complex topics. Each episode features a different criminal case, always filled with suspense, mystery, and intelligence.
He is so good that even my mom watches it, he is always at the top of the weekly ranking in Japan, but unfortunately, he is unknown in Brazil. Maybe the fact that it was released in 1996 has discouraged people from watching, but it's worth it. The story shows a young detective who ends up becoming a child and solving cases using a failed detective. MY FAVORITE!
There are other psychological anime with mystery that deserve your attention, but in order not to get too long, the list will only mention the name below:
- Death Parade (dark);
- Durarara!! (confused);
- Mirai Nikki (famoso);
- Hyouka;
- Baccano;
- Darker than Black
- Gosick;
- Serial Experiments Lain;
- Boogiepop Phantom;
- Shiki;
- Paprika;
Psychological Anime with Action
Parasyte - One night, alien creatures invade Earth and take residence in human brains. When trying to enter the brain of a young man, this parasite ends up failing and takes control of the boy's arm. Without the desire to eat humans and dominate his mind, the two forces to put an end to these killer aliens. One of the best animes I've ever watched, with plenty of action, suspense, and horror. (25 episodes) WATCH!
Psycho- - The story takes place in a future where it is possible to measure people's criminal coefficient and determine if they are necessary in society or not. The anime shows a group from the government that combats crime using this system to measure a person's mental state and personality. The main background story is very good and engaging; there are two seasons and a movie. WATCH!
Hunter x Hunter - Although it is not often placed in the majority of rankings for psychological animes, but rather in action animes. This classic that has already had 2 anime adaptations and one by Mad House (2011), contains various scenes that play with our psychology amidst a lot of action, and it is competing for my TOP 1 favorite anime. The synopsis tells the story of a boy who is going to take an exam to become a Hunter, however, the story extends much further with various arcs full of action, suspense, and adventure. (148 episodes) SEE WITHOUT MISSING!!! PERFECT! THE BEST!
There are other psychological anime with action that deserve your attention, but in order not to get too long, the list will only mention the name below:
- Ergo Proxy;
- Elfen Lied (Bloody);
- Re:Zero (Worth it);
- Ajin (CG but it's great);
- Texhnolyze
- Magical Girl Madoka★Magica (famous);
- Zetsuen no Tempest
- Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (psychopath);
- Neon Genesis Evangelion (classic);
- Ghost in the Shell (classic);
- Perfect Blue;
intelligent psychological anime
The anime below show that no action is needed to trap or mess with the mind. Of course, we've already talked about Death Note, Erased and Conan that also fit into this category.
Steins;Gate - Without a doubt, the best psychological mystery and intelligent anime I've watched, but you need to put in the effort to get to the halfway point of the anime, because the first half can be confusing and boring for some, since each episode is connected to one another and that's incredible. It tells the story of a group of young people who end up creating a time machine using a microwave, it sounds confusing and crazy but WATCH! Mysteries surrounding every anime! (25 episodes + 1 movie) WITHOUT A DOUBT THE BEST STORY! THE BEST ANIME I HAVE EVER WATCHED IN MY LIFE!
drama Liar Game I got excited about this genre of gambling games and highly recommend it. This anime has 2 seasons and tells the story of a young man who got scammed, ended up in huge debt, and found himself in a place where gambling can be deadly! Don't be fooled by the art style, the anime is great! VERY GOOD! I STRONGLY RECOMMEND!
NHK ni Youkoso! - This anime addresses social themes and issues. It tells the story of a hikikomori trying to heal, very good! This anime is proof that action is not necessary to engage and affect psychology and make us reflect on life. INDISPENSABLE!
We can't forget about this...
Code Geass - This anime features a lot of action, mystery, and involves a great deal of intelligence and strategy. Lelouch, the protagonist, is considered one of the smartest characters in anime. With the help of a mysterious power and his intelligence, he will attempt to liberate the world from the Britannian Empire! There are 2 seasons totaling 50 episodes that I watched in one day because it captivated me from start to finish and became one of my favorites. WATCH WITHOUT FAILURE!
Below we will leave a list of more intelligent and psychological anime for you to watch:
- No Game, No Life;
- Akagi;
- A Certain Magical Index;
- Mushishi;
- Higashi no Eden;
- Rainbow: The Seven from Nisha Rokubou
- Oreigaru;
List with TOP 100 Psychological Thriller Anime
Suspensions are characterized by tension. These anime often create a complex story with a variety of dangerous elements, plot twists, and possible outcomes, and try to solve it in a way that keeps the suspense level high, keeping you guessing at what might come next.
Responsive Table: Scroll the table to the side with your finger >>
| Nome do Anime | Type | Data |
| Steins;Gate | TV | 2011 |
| The Promised Neverland | TV | 2019 |
| ERASED | TV | 2016 |
| Steins;Gate Filme: Load Region of Deja Vu | Movie | 2013 |
| Death Note | TV | 2006 |
| Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 2 | TV | 2020 |
| Monster | TV | 2004 |
| Psycho- | TV | 2012 |
| When They Cry: Kai | TV | 2007 |
| Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- | TV | 2016 |
| Puella Magi Madoka Magica | TV | 2011 |
| Detective Conan Filme 20: The Darkest Nightmare | Movie | 2016 |
| Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Filme Part 2: Eternal | Movie | 2012 |
| Death Parade | TV | 2015 |
| Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Filme Part 3: Rebellion | Movie | 2013 |
| Psycho- 3: First Inspector | Movie | 2020 |
| Detective Conan Filme 13: The Raven Chaser | Movie | 2009 |
| Detective Conan Filme 15: Quarter of Silence | Movie | 2011 |
| Kaiji - Against All Rules | TV | 2011 |
| Steins;Gate: Kyoukaimenjou no Missing Link - Divide By Zero | DVD Special | 2015 |
| Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Filme Part 1: Beginnings | Movie | 2012 |
| From the New World | TV | 2012 |
| Terror in Resonance | TV | 2014 |
| Tokyo Ghoul | TV | 2014 |
| Kaiji - Ultimate Survivor | TV | 2007 |
| Detective Conan Filme 10: The Private Eyes' Requiem | Movie | 2006 |
| Death Billiards | Movie | 2013 |
| When They Cry: Higurashi | TV | 2006 |
| Detective Conan Filme 16: The Eleventh Striker | Movie | 2012 |
| Psycho-: The Filme | Movie | 2015 |
| Perfect Blue | Movie | 1998 |
| Detective Conan Filme 1: The Time Bombed Skyscraper | Movie | 1997 |
| Detective Conan Filme 17: Zekkai no Private Eye | Movie | 2013 |
| 91 Days | TV | 2016 |
| ID:INVADED | TV | 2020 |
| Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo | TV | 2004 |
| Psycho- 3 | TV | 2019 |
| Psycho- 2 | TV | 2014 |
| Akagi | TV | 2005 |
| Aoi Bungaku Series | TV | 2009 |
| Tokyo Ghoul √A | TV | 2015 |
| Ling Long: Incarnation | Web | 2019 |
| Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade | Movie | 2000 |
| Tokyo Ghoul: Pinto | OVA | 2015 |
| Paranoia Agent | TV | 2004 |
| Angels of Death (Web) | Web | 2018 |
| Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kaku Outbreak | OVA | 2013 |
| Duan Nao | Web | 2014 |
| Angels of Death | TV | 2018 |
| The Empire of Corpses | Movie | 2015 |
| The King of Pigs | Movie | 2011 |
| Yugo the Negotiator | TV | 2004 |
| The Fake | Movie | 2013 |
| Babylon | TV | 2019 |
| Japan Sinks 2020 | Web | 2020 |
| 91 Days Special | DVD Special | 2017 |
| Chaos;HEAd | TV | 2008 |
| Under the Dog | OVA | 2016 |
| Loups=Garous | Movie | 2010 |
| Okamikakushi: Masque of the Wolf | TV | 2010 |
| Sanctuary | Movie | 1996 |
| Extreme Escape Adventure: Good People Die | Web | 2011 |
| Dorei-ku The Animation | TV | 2018 |
| Baton | Movie | 2009 |
| Ling Long: Incarnation Part 2 | Web | 2020 |
| Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 2: Part II | TV | 2021 |
| Talentless Nana | TV | 2020 |
| The Window (2012) | Movie | 2012 |
| Timing | Movie | 2015 |
