Zombie anime are as entertaining as other thrillers, but most people don’t like gruesome scenes that take place in zombie shows. However, you don’t have to face that problem in anime because it isn’t reality.
Still, you can relate them to original zombie anime, and that means you get to watch some fantastic zombie series and also no need to hold back to your weakness. Well then, shall we dive into the list of best zombie anime series of all time?
Best Zombie Anime 2022!
1. High School of the Dead (2010)
Although most of the people call it a fan-service, High School of the Dead is arguably the best zombie anime to date. There is much similarity between western zombie shows and this anime because it has much to do with its severe plot and exciting events.
Instead of only focussing on the action, this anime has some pure ecchi moments that’ll make you like it even more. Too bad, it only has one season, but the first season didn’t imply that the show has ended. However, fans are still hoping that it’ll come out someday.
As the title indicates, the story starts in a high school where a zombie outbreak arises, and soon, it’ll be full of zombies. Even though the school is overrun by the zombies, a few students who play a vital role in the series fight them to get out of there.
As the leading person, Takashi gets them out of the school, and they all go in search of their families. When it comes to violence, this show doesn’t pull off any punches. Thus, it ended up being the first on the list of best zombie anime.
2. Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress (2016)
Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress is often referred to as the copy of Attack on Titan. Arguably, they both have the same plot structure, but this anime shows it in an entirely different way.
The story sets in the Industrial Revolution, where the monsters called Kabane attack the people and turn into their zombie anime by infecting them. On Hinomoto island, people build stations to protect themselves from those monsters. However, somehow the break-in of the Kabane happens from inside. Now they need to face more dangerous situations than they were used to be.
While the concept is 1% as that of Attack on Titan, the anime varies. In this anime, they face undead monsters instead of Giants, and these can only be dead by a weapon known as Tsuranukizutsu. You might experience a few similarities, but that doesn’t stop you from liking this anime.
While this anime grabs attention from the viewers with its action scenes, it indeed endows you the vibes of a zombie anime. If you’re thinking of watching a zombie anime with some exciting characters and anticipating a plot, then you’ll love it for sure.
3. GYO: Tokyo Fish Attack (2012)
This 75-minute OVA is an adaption from a horror manga by Junji Ito. As you can notice the title, this show isn’t about human zombies; instead, there’ll be undead fish who feed on humans.
While Tokyo is under attack by these undead fish, these fish can also infect humans with their disease. Amid this chaos, Kaori, a young girl looks for his missing boyfriend. But what makes this series more interesting is, these zombie fish have metal legs that enable them to walk on the land. Now humanity needs to survive from them, which is almost impossible.
You might’ve heard about the ‘Walking Dead,’ but what about the ‘swimming dead?’ In this thrilling OVA, you encounter some funny and horror moments, and they’ll be as good as that you see in typical zombie anime.
However, there are no limits to the thrill as you go through the OVA. And if you think this anime would only be scary, you will definitely get surprised because it features a Romantic storyline. After all, it is one of the best zombie anime series of all time.
4. Zombie-Loan (2007)
As you have an entirely realistic perspective on zombie anime, Zombie-Loan stands apart from those. The show follows Chika and Shito, who are zombies, but they do have one life rule. To live, they must hunt down other zombies.
Soon they find a girl named Michiru who has a strange ability to see the person’s life force. And she can tell when someone is going to die by seeing a ring around the person’s neck. Chika and Shito uses the ability of Michiru and track down the undead and pays their debt to Zombie-loan, the company that brought them back to life.
Zombie-Loan completely re-invents the concept of zombie anime. Usually, we see zombies whose brain is dead, but it’s rare to see humans turning into zombies with their minds being active. It might even become quite the opposite of what you’re expecting (I meant positively).
The story is a mix of both action and comedy, so I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy it to the fullest. Overall it’s a fun zombie anime to watch, but you’ll also get real zombie anime vibes when the plot’s situation demands. Thus, it ended up on the list of best zombie anime series.
5. The Empire of Corpses (2015)
The Empire of Corpses is an anime film that takes a different spin of the idea in the zombie anime genre. The story sets in the 18th century in England, where a scientist named Victor Frankenstein discovers a method of bringing a corpse back to life.
But somehow, his creation gets destroyed, and he finds another method. However, this new method isn’t able to bring the soul back to the body. Later British Government assigns a task for a medical student John Watson to obtain Victor’s notes. This journey includes a lot of ups and down while facing some real challenges.
Besides just involving zombies and following a survival theme, this anime takes out a mission concept and makes things way more interesting. Compared to other zombie anime, this anime’s storyline is unique and a lot more interesting than you expect.
The character designs are on point, and the animation is well set for a zombie anime that has an 18th-century setting. Well, this shouldn’t be missing a spot in the list of best zombie anime.
6. Seoul Station (2016)
If you watched the Korean zombie movie Train to Busan, then Seoul Station is a must-watch. It is the prequel from 2016 of that movie. The story centers around two main characters, Hye-sun, who is a runaway daughter, and her father, Suk-gyu.
When her father finally finds her, and as he reunited with her, a zombie epidemic breaks out in Seoul. Now they must survive in this outbreak to get back to their everyday lives. Since there are only three main characters in the movie, it is easy to follow.
The story of Seoul Station has been given 100% in Rotten Tomatoes, which is pretty rare. While the anime follows the Korean storyline, it is not much different from the rest of the zombie anime, but the twist might get you for good.
Its presentation aside, the characters and animation could need some improvement; still, it is a worthy one. Even you get some uncomfortable scenes in the middle of the story, but the ending pulls you through it. If you’re looking for a good zombie anime thriller, then this might become your choice.
7. Corpse Princess (2017)
Corpse Princess is a decent zombie anime series with some good action scenes. The story follows Makina Hoshimura, who gets reincarnated after when her family stuck in a massacre of the undead Seven Stars.
Now Makina must kill 108 other revived corpses to gain her entry to heaven and meet their family. But she also needs to take revenge on the Seven Stars who slaughtered her whole family. However, she selects MAC-11, a machine gun as her weapon, and hunts down the revived corpses while preparing to battle the Seven Stars.
This anime has one hell of a cool and formidable character as the main lead. And it does it’s very best in showing her in badass form. Who’d think an anime with a reincarnated girl would flatter you this much?
While this anime involves some good scary scenes, the characters are good enough to make you sad about their deaths. Well, at least you’ll get to witness all feelings in a single zombie anime, which is pretty rare. So, if you’re thinking of watching it, you should do it.
8. Sankarea: Undying Love (2012)
It’s always good to have a spicy one in the list, and Sankarea: Undying Love is such an anime. The story follows Chihiro Furuya, who has a thing for zombies. He gets fascinated by zombies and even wants to date a zombie girl.
However, his dream comes true when a girl accidentally drinks a resurrecting portion that Furuya made. Soon Furuya winds up falling for her, and now he must figure out how to live his life with his zombie girlfriend. Who would’ve thought his desire would get him this far?
Unlike any anime in this list, Sankarea is a romantic comedy and horror anime with some supernatural touch. For most of the part, it looks like a comedy series, but there still are some horrifying and intense moments.
You might prefer it to be darker, but concerning its concept, it feels right this way. It might not be one of your thrilling and terrifying zombie anime, but romantically and hilariously, this one would be a great watch.
9. School-Live! (2015)
School-Live! is an anime that you’ll find hard at first as a zombie anime. The story concerns a young girl Takeya Yuki who loves her school so much. She enjoys well at school than at home, and she even joined a club named School Life.
With other members as a group, they do something adorable and funny things together. But the twist bangs in as they eventually learn that they’re the only survivors in the school which is outrun by zombies. Now, these cute girls need to survive such a terrifying zombie apocalypse.
The show’s animation is quite unbelievable for a zombie anime. And it mostly focuses on those girls who always do funny things more cutely. But don’t judge a book by its cover. Even though you can’t find some horrifying scenes, some intense scenes follow the tail of a funny scene.
It always seems interesting how they end up converting a funny moment into an intense one. And you get to watch it from a quite different perspective than the rest of the zombie anime on this list. Well, if you think something can cheer you up from this list, then that is School-Live!
10. Sunday Without God (2013)
Most of the zombie anime shows take place in a familiar world like ours. But Sunday Without God takes place in a fantasy world with quite a mystery and supernatural theme. In this fantasy world, humans can no longer procreate or die.
The reason for all of these is that God abandoned his job of creation, and he created grave keepers who give a proper burial to the dead. But the dead walk just like humans and Ai, the protagonist of the series, is a grave keeper who decides to accompany a mysterious man after a strange incident.
As I mentioned above, the setting of the anime takes place in a fantasy world, and most interestingly, the version of the zombies is different from that of a typical zombie anime. But the foremost rule for zombies is the same, and this series operates on it.
The people who die in the series still exist and without signs of any decay. Most of the time, it keeps you entertained with some intense situations. The character design is decent enough for a fantasy zombie anime, and the most important thing about this show is, it gives every aspect a time to shine. Well, if you’re looking for some fantasy zombie anime, then this one is for you.
Concluding Zombie Anime List!
And there you go! The best list of thrilling zombie anime is here. From this list, we’re determined to provide you with various types of storylines and also the best ones from the different concepts.
Well, what do you think of our list of best zombie anime? What is your favorite zombie anime? Do you have any suggestions despite this list? If so, please let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
You might like these:
- Top 10 Best Anime Recommendations! [Updated]
- 10 Best Horror Anime You Won’t Feel Like Watching Again! (Fear)
- 13 Cute Anime Shows That’ll Make You Blush!
- 13 Best Dubbed Anime Series Worth Watching!
Visit the anime community of India-Anime Ukiyo for more content!
For the latest anime news and reviews, follow Anime Ukiyo on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram Channel.
