If you’re interested in fearsome, nonhuman creatures, look no further. Here, you can learn about seven monster types in anime. Most of them are from mainstream or popular anime, but there are a few exceptions. At the end of the article, you will find a list of more monstrous creatures found in anime. The seven types below are not in any particular order. Please enjoy!

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Titans (Attack on Titan)

Titans are mysterious and terrifying giants who usually lack intelligence and are single-mindedly driven to consume humans. There are also “aberrant” Titans who possess special physical skills like speed or agility. A very few Titans show an eerie sense of will or intelligence. Throughout Attack on Titan, information and secrets are revealed about these creatures, but I will avoid spoilers. Let’s just say the Titans are more than meets the eye.

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Elder Ones (Blood-C)

Elder Ones are ancient monsters of various forms and appearances who feed on humans. There are a number of frightening ones in Blood-C. Unlike the standard man-eating monsters, Elder Ones are intelligent and wise, and can sometimes be negotiated with. That being said, there’s no getting around the fact that they need to eat humans. In Blood-C, there is a long-standing pact between Elder Ones and humans dictating how many humans they are allowed to consume and from what areas. As long as they follow this pact, the monsters will be safe. Things can get chaotic if the pact is broken, either by a human or an Elder One.

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Awakened Beings (Claymore)

Claymores are creatures that are half human and half demon (Yoma). They call on their Yoma powers to fight full-blooded Yomas who try to eat humans. When a Claymore goes beyond a certain point of drawing from demon power, they lose their human selves, and become Awakened Beings. These hideous creatures are smarter and far more powerful than both Yomas and Claymores. What form they take depends on the individual. There are some really creepy ones to be seen in Claymore.

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Shinigami: Death Gods (Death Note)

In the lore of Death Note, Shinigami are creatures from another dimension who can cross over to the human world at will. Using the magical Death Notes, these monstrous gods write down the names of humans, causing the human to die and its remaining lifespan to be transferred to the Shinigami. In the ancient days, Shinigami frequently took the lives of people in droves. Now, in the modern era, they have nearly infinite lifespans and have lost interest in killing humans or observing the human world. This is why there are so many humans today.

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Oni (NaruTaru)

In the obscure anime NaruTaru, creatures called Dragon Children (or just Children, “Ko”) partner with human children to be their guardians and do their bidding. A Ko can be tame and usually harmless if its human partner is a good person who wants peace and happiness. However, if a troubled human child partners with a Ko, the result can be devastating. “Oni” is the Ko belonging to a girl who was bullied in inhumanly cruel ways. The girl sends Oni out to kill all the bullies in her school, as well as anyone who gets in the way. One of the most grotesque anime deaths I’ve ever seen occurs when Oni kills the leader of the bullies.

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Parasytes (Parasyte: The Maxim)

Parasytes are aliens who take on the forms of humans and live among them. They do this by eating the human’s head and taking over their body. Humans are the natural food source of the parasytes, and when it’s time to eat one or fight, the parasyte will change form into a hideous monster. These creatures are just as smart (or sometimes smarter than) humans, but they lack the traits of social creatures, such as empathy, remorse, and selfless love.

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Ghouls (Tokyo Ghoul)

Similar to Parasytes, Ghouls ordinarily look like normal humans, but reveal their true forms when it’s time to fight someone or eat human flesh. In their hunting appearance, ghouls have black eyes with red irises. Tentacle-like pieces of flesh called Kagane arise from their backs. They also possess superhuman strength and speed. They can heal from injuries at an amazing rate as long as they are well-fed. The image above is a unique Ghoul called The Owl; this creature loses all human resemblance when it transforms, and becomes huge. The thing about Ghouls, though, is that they are capable of human-like social traits. They have families, organizations, and lovers. That’s why the war between humans and Ghouls presents some moral dilemmas.

Thank you so much for reading my work today! I appreciate it immensely. I hope you are all enjoying the start of the New Year. See you next time!

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PATREON

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More Monsters To Mention

(If you want more anime monsters to research, check these out! Note: you may or may not consider them “monsters,” since many are understandable, intelligent, neutral to humans, and/or “good.”)

-Klaxxosaur (Darling In The Franxx)

-Devils (Devilman Crybaby)

-Diclonious (Elfen Lied)

-Proxies (Ergo Proxy)

-Goblins (Goblin Slayer)

-Chimera Ants (Hunter x Hunter)

-Kabane (Kabaneri of The Iron Fortress)

-Yomu (Kyoukai no Kanata)

-Witches (Madoka Magica)

-Mushi (Mushishi)

-Youkai (Natsume Yuujinchou, and other anime series)

-Angels (Neon Genesis Evangelion)

-Mabeasts (Re:Zero)

-Crimson Denizens (Shakugan no Shana)

-Shiki (Shiki)

-Monster Rats (Shinsekai Yori)