10 Gore Anime That Will Give You Nightmares

The power to destroy someone with your mind is something that many people daydream about, but seeing it realised is nothing short of nightmare fuel, as Elfen Lied proves. It's a bloody mess of an anime, which sees a character with unmeasurable power inflict her wrath on the world, leading to a kaleidoscope of crimson.

Elfen Lied's plot follows Lucy, a genetically modified human known as a Diclonius, after she escapes from an experimental facility in Kamakura and develops a split personality between a monstrous killer and innocent girl. She encounters two students named Kouta and Yuka, who take care of her, and are unaware of her true power.

It's violent from the get-go, as the series opens up with Lucy's escape, and she leaves no room for mercy. Seeing her tear people apart is genuinely shocking, and it is often considered one of the most violent openings to a mainstream anime show in history. This horror continues throughout the show's thirteen episodes, delivering some awesome cathartic violence and a horrible sense of needless death.

One specific scene that deserves mention is the infamous dog death, where a collection of bullies beat and kill a young character's dog, and she exerts some revenge by tearing them apart. Those who love canines might have felt a little too satisfied with that.