Don’t Expect To Sleep Tonight…
While anime has a reputation for creating vast, sprawling worlds filled with wondrous sights and uplifting stories…it can also conjure the most disturbing sights imaginable. Whether they’re gory, unsettling or an unholy combination of both, these scenes will make your blood run cold.
#5: The Third Impact
“The End of Evangelion†(1997)
It’s the end of the world as we know it, and nobody is coming out unscathed. Prepare your soul for such wondrous sights as Asuna getting torn limb from bloody limb by EVA Units, everyone in the NERV facility get shot down like dogs, a giant version of Rei, and of course all of humanity turning into orange soda. Don’t expect any other kind of happy ending though, as the last image this film will sear into your brain is that of our lead strangling the life out of Asuna amidst an orange hellscape. Lovely.
#4: Curse of the Abyss
“Made in Abyss†(2017)
Nanachi and Mitty’s backstory is not for the faint of heart. Tempted with the promise of safety, these two doomed orphans were swept away by the White Whistle Bondrewd, only to find themselves used as experiments to test the effects of the Abyss’s lowest layer. Needless to say, the effects were horrific. While Nanachi ended up becoming the fluffy hollow we all know and love, Mitty was reduced to a bubbling blob of flesh in the most agonising way possible. You can kind of see why people hate Bondrewd now…
#3: The Worm Room
“Fate/Zero†(2011-12)
As soon as we saw the seemingly lifeless body of Sakura Matou being ravaged by hundreds of disgusting, mana-eating worms, we knew we were not in for a light-hearted fantasy romp. While the visual alone is enough to leave you wanting to vomit, the knowledge that her demon of a grandfather has had her imprisoned in there for days on end is utterly heart-breaking, bringing a new dimension to the Fate-verse’s most tragic character. We can’t blame Kariya for wanting to take her place in order to save her, but it’s fair to say the damage had already been done. Both to Sakura and to our eyes.Â
#2: Death of the Thieves
“Overlord†(2015-18)
Leave it to Bone Daddy Ains to do bad better than the rest of the series’ bad guys combined. After creating a tempting scenario to test the defences of Nazarick, various groups of thieves plunge themselves into the heart of the Great Tomb in search of greater riches. Not heeding Ains’ warnings proves to be their undoing, as all of them end up meeting some truly disgusting fates. Some are devoured by a tidal way of cockroaches, others are sent off to be used as experiments to further Nazarick’s power…as well as that one poor soul who became Neuronist’s plaything. We’ll take death by giant hamster over that any day…Â
#1: The Eclipse
“Berserk†(1997-98)
Griffith’s betrayal not only broke a lot of hearts…but it also resulted in a lot of broken bodies as well. In order to achieve his dream, the White Hawk decided to accept the God Hands’ offer; sacrificing all of his allies in exchange for unlimited power. Thus began the slaughter, with the Band of the Hawk being killed left and right by hungry apostles. Of course, nothing compared the sight of Griffith violating Casca just to spite Guts. It’s hellish to behold, and we’re hoping that it will one day lead to some oh so sweet vengeance. Until then, we’ll just have to put up with the nightmares.
Be sure to check out the video below to see our picks for the Top 10 Anime Villains Turned Heroes.
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