The anime medium has numerous different genres under its belt, each with its own perks and highlights. One such genre is psychological thriller, which has some of the most thought-provoking anime series, with one example being the globally acclaimed Death Note.
Death Note is a well-known series often hailed as one of the best anime ever. However, numerous other franchises in psychological thrillers are inevitably way better written than Death Note. This list will guide you through them and introduce you to some of the best series the genre has to offer.
Psychological Thriller anime series better than Death Note
1:Stein’s Gate
If you want to dive deep and immerse yourself in the world of time travel with a storyline that keeps you on the edge of your seat, Stein’s Gate is the perfect fit. With a mesmerizing storyline compiled within 30 episodes, it is one of the best series to watch.
The plot revolves around Rintarou Okabe, a mad scientist who has a knack for time travel and ends up stumbling upon a method to travel to the past. Join in on the adventure of Okabe and his comrades, who cause a chain of reactions, which ends up altering the future. The series is available on Crunchyroll.
2:Ergo Proxy
The human race has perished, and with only a few survivors who now reside in Romdo, a domed city protecting its residents from the uninhabitable exterior. To fill the void left by the cessation of most humankind, scientists have created several androids, also known as AutoReivs.
However, they are somehow contaminated with the Cogito virus, which makes them attain self-awareness and operate unaided. To understand how this scenario happened, Re-l Mayeri is appointed to investigate, as she proceeds to figure out things she should never have. Watch her discover some of the darkest secrets of humanity on Crunchyroll.
3:Psycho Pass
Psycho-Pass is the journey of Akane Tsunemori, a young woman who is an officer in the 22nd century, where Japan enforces the Sibyl System. The system determines the threat a civilian poses to the government based on their mental state, searching for signs of criminal intent. Anyone harboring ill will is quickly exterminated.
However, during her career, she uncovers that the justice system has many flaws and decides to rebuild it. She gathers myriad allies who join her on this challenging yet promising journey. Fans can catch her going against the odds on Crunchyroll.
4:Banana Fish
Set in New York City in the ’80s, the action pursues Ash Lynx, a youthful gang leader in New York City, and Eiji Okumura, a photographer from Japan. As fate would have it, they end up immersed in a drug case during which they discover a very potent drug.
It goes by the name of banana fish and can brainwash any user who consumes it. However, Ash has many enemies who don’t want him to discover the truth and, therefore, go against him. Catch this action-packed series on Amazon.
5:Monster
Monster revolves around Dr. Kenzo Tenma, a highly skilled neurosurgeon in Germany. Life is altered forever for him when he encounters a young boy named Johan Liebert and his twin sister, Anna Liebert.
The series manages to capture the journey of Tenma, who is framed for the actions committed by Johan. He decides to kill the boy whom he initially saved, in a bid to stop the killing of innocents. But will he succeed or not? Watch it on Netflix.