With spirits playing such a prominent role in Japanese culture, it's no wonder that many fans want to know what the best anime about ghosts are. The supernatural occupies a popular spot in pop culture for good reason. Audiences love to explore the world of the occult, whether to get some good, old-fashioned scares or out of genuine interest. Whatever the reason, ghosts and spirits are never far away from the entertainment industry.

Some of the most iconic anime in history deal with the supernatural. Stories like Death Note and Jujutsu Kaisen take audiences into the dangerous world of the supernatural in a way that's both fun and easily accessible. Sometimes the ghosts are friendly allies in the protagonist's battle; other times, they are the cruelest of villains, but that's what makes them fascinating. The best anime about ghosts show how truly diverse stories about the restless dead can be.

Ghost Stories

Absolutely iconic in the early days of anime fandom, Ghost Stories remains popular today. The plot concerns a group of schoolchildren who, with the help of a demon trapped inside a cat, encounter numerous ghosts throughout their town and use a book to exorcise them. Ghost Stories works as a familiar child adventure and a subtle commentary on urbanization and the disregard for traditions. What made the series so iconic though was its irreverent dub, which absolutely skewered and mocked the series. The anime became successful in Western territories after this official parody dub was released, with fans and critics praising its dark humor and animation. Today, many consider Ghost Stories a cult classic and one of the best examples of ghosts in anime.

Yu Yu Hakusho

Though Yu Yu Hakusho might appear to casual viewers as another typical shonen battle series, its supernatural themes make it a perfect anime for any fan who wants a little action with their ghosts. The story follows a young man named Yusuke who tragically loses his life to save a child. Fortunately for Yusuke, this last act of heroism bought him some favor with the spirit world, eventually leading him to returning to life. However, as payment for his second chance, Yusuke is tasked with investigating supernatural activity. While Yusuke's time as a spirit detective is short-lived, Yu Yu Hakusho still deals with all kinds of supernatural threats, making it a perfect introductory ghost anime.

Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day

Though the unrestful dead are often portrayed as villains, series like Anohana prove they don't always have to be. The series focuses on a group of friends reeling from the childhood loss of their friend Menma. Six years later, the ghost of Menma reappears to the group's former leader, Jinta, in order to encourage the dispersed friend group to reconnect and reforge the bond broken by grief. One of the best sad anime, Anohana is about the grieving process and how that can often last a whole lifetime. Few ghost anime are as heartwarming and heartbreaking as Anohana, making it a must-watch.

Death Note

Death Note is a massive anime franchise that's still popular to this day. The series follows Light Yagami, a teenager who discovers the mysterious "Death Note," previously owned by the demon Ryuk, and gains the power to kill anyone whose name is written on the notebook's pages. The anime features themes of justice, limits, and escalation against a background of increasingly blurry moral boundaries. Light is one of the most complicated and fascinating protagonists in anime, balancing his newfound responsibility with his connection to the worlds of humans and the supernatural.

Pokémon

While Pokémon might not feature ghosts or spirits every episode, it offers more than a few episodes based around the supernatural. More so than most other anime, Pokémon offers a family-friendly way for younger fans of anime to engage with ghosts and even some light horror without having to worry about seeing anything too horrific or gruesome. Particularly strong ghost episodes include episode 20 The Ghost of Maiden's Peak, episode 23 Tower of Terror, and Black & White episode 26 Scare at Litwick Mansion, though even that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Corpse Party: Tortured Souls

Corpse Party: Tortured Souls lives up to its creepy title. The plot follows a group of students who, after performing a seemingly harmless friendship charm, get transported to an alternate dimension haunted by vengeful ghosts out to get them. Gruesome barely begins to describe Corpse Party: Tortured Souls. The series takes gore to the next level, exploiting the advantages of animation to create terrifying scenes that could haunt anyone's dreams for life. Horror fans should come out of the four-episode series satisfied, as the graphic content and eerie setting make for a genuinely horrific experience.

Jujutsu Kaisen

Another spookier take on the typical shonen battle formula, Jujutsu Kaisen is a hit anime series that isn't afraid to dip into horror. Jujutsu Kaisen is about a world where cursed spirits haunt people and places, prompting special individuals known as Jujutsu Sorcerers to fight back. Though the heart of the series is as a shonen battle anime, that doesn't mean its cursed spirits can't be downright horrifying. With fun action and terrifying spirits, Jujutsu Kaisen is a perfect ghost anime series.

Death Parade

Featuring one of the most singular premises of any anime, Death Parade is truly one-of-a-kind. The show follows Decim, a bartender working at the Quindecim bar, where people who died simultaneously arrive. In this middle stage of the afterlife, the deceased compete in the Death Games, determining whether they'll reincarnate or have their souls sent to the void. Death Parade is a unique take on the ghost genre. It features a clever version of the afterlife that allows it to explore themes of repentance and metaphysical ideas like reincarnation and immortality. The animation is top-notch, adding a somber vibe to an already gloomy storyline.

Another

The plot for the Another anime concerns Koichi Sakakibara, a new student who becomes involved with a mystery upon arriving at his new school. Drawn to a silent girl, Mei Misaki, and sensing a dangerous vibe, Koichi soon learns of a string of gruesome murders around the school. Like the best murder mysteries of all time, Another takes its time with the story. The show's unnerving vibe dominates every episode, introducing an ever-present sense of fear. It features the right balance between horror, gore, and tension, delivering a show that will keep audiences at the edge of their seats.

Bleach

One of the biggest shonen battle series of all time, Bleach takes the classic battle anime formula and adds a supernatural spin. The series focuses on a young man named Ichigo who becomes a soul Shinigami, or Soul Reaper. As a Soul Reaper, Ichigo is tasked with taking out dangerous spirits known as hollows who pose a danger to humans. Though hollows are mostly the biggest threat in the series' shorter first arc, elite hollows known as Arrancar become the focus of a later one. With the series' conclusion Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War recently bringing the hit shonen series back to the forefront of popular culture, it's never been a better time to rewatch this spirited take on shonen battle anime.

Hell Girl

Fans of unsettling anime stories will hit the jackpot with Hell Girl. The show centers on a mysterious website that people can only access at midnight. Entering the name of a particular person will cause the titular Hell Girl and her associates to torture and kill that person, sending them to hell. In exchange, the person who requests the action will also go to hell at the end of their life.

Juggling themes of revenge and repentance, Hell Girl is genuinely creepy. The visuals, accompanied by the eerie atmosphere, succeed in creating a series that carries a terrifying punch. Horror fans will take great satisfaction in watching Hell Girl.

Mob Psycho 100

Esper abilities are a favorite of the supernatural genre, but few shows use it as effectively as Mob Psycho 100. It centers on Mob, a powerful esper struggling to live a normal life in spite of his tremendous psychic powers. As one of the anime with a unique and eye-catching visual style, Mob Psycho 100 is unforgettable from the get-go. The premise successfully balances themes of the supernatural and the occult with an otherwise conventional story of self-discovery. Mob Psycho 100 is among the best anime, and one of the few completely committed to presenting its themes in the most unadulterated and honest way possible.

Mononoke

Mononoke is one of the highest-rated horror anime in history, and it's easy to understand why. The plot concerns the "Medicine Seller," a mysterious man who travels around Feudal Japan hunting dangerous spirits known as "Mononoke," who are responsible for violent deaths. Combining traits of the crime procedural with the intriguing lore of Japanese mythos, Mononoke is the perfect horror anime. It delves deep into each Mononoke's backstory while maintaining its distinctive avant-garde animation, crafting a unique series that is as visually striking as it's enthralling.

Ghost Hound

The spirit world takes center stage in Ghost Hound. The plot follows three boys with severe childhood traumas living in a small, spirit-plagued town in a remote mountain region. The boys enter the spirit realm, the Unseen World, discovering more about their pasts and the spirits' mysterious appearances. Ghost Hound works as both a dramatic character study and a great horror story. It also serves as a coming-of-age story, using the protagonists' traumas to explore deeper ideas about the balance between the spiritual and the material worlds.

Mushishi

Few anime are as beautiful or thought-provoking as Mushishi. One of the best anime of all time, Mushishi is about a man named Ginko who wanders around Japan in order to help people with the wonderfully strange Mushi. Mushi are spirit-like creatures who can have a variety of weird effects on people and nature. From that basic premise, each episode of Mushishi sees Ginko help a new person with their Mushi problem. Though not every story is an outright horror, as the Mushi are never evil beings even when they are genuine problems, some of Mushishi's more terrifying episodes rank among the scariest in anime history. Any anime fan looking for a good ghost story owes it to themselves to watch Mushishi.

Ghosts play a pivotal role in Japanese culture and mythology, so it's no wonder there would be numerous anime about spirits. Ranging from malevolent, to helpful, to just a part of nature, the ghosts in anime are ultimately reflections of the fears and hopes of the people they haunt. Ultimately, the best anime about ghosts and spirits use the supernatural as a springboard to explore deeper themes about humanity.