Best Mystery Anime

25+ Best MYSTERY Anime Of All Time (RANKED)

Mystery is one of the most popular genres that people love to watch. We have all grown up reading the books by Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock Holmes and Poirot have amazed us from time to time. Let us take a look at some of the most thrilling mystery anime that are available to us.

Without further ado, may I present, the 25+ Best MYSTERY Anime Of All Time!

Chotto Matte 1

Please understand that this list is completely subjective, and this is just my version of the best MYSTERY anime of all time. Now, let’s jump right into it!

Table of Content

26. Vampire Knight

Vampire Knight
Mystery Animation Plot Twists Total
5
5
5
15/30

You may ask us why is a vampire romance anime the first name on this list? Well, that is because the element of mystery in this anime can shock you to the core.

It is not simply about vampires and humans living together but about the dark truth of Zero which haunts the entire core of their academy. Besides that, Kaname Kuran, a pureblood vampire is enough to make you glued to the screen.

25. Talentless Nana

Talentless Nana
Mystery Animation Plot Twists Total
6
5
6
17/30

Do you love X-Men? If you have answered positively to that question then you are sure to like this anime too. A group of talented teenagers training in a secluded academy, far away from everyone to polish their skills is the basis of this story.

That is eerily similar to the X-Men franchise. The sole exception is that we have a ‘talentless’ kid named Nanao among us, who gets bullied by his classmates. Their peaceful life is hampered by the sudden disappearances of students and now they need to get to the bottom of it.

24. Everything Becomes F: The Perfect Insider

The Perfect Insider
Mystery Animation Plot Twists Total
6
5
6
17/30

Ah yes! The classic locked-room murder mystery. In this anime, you will get the most popular genre of mystery as our genius programmer, Shiki Magata gets caught up in it.

She is joined by Souhei and Moe who decide to investigate the events and discover Magata’s past in this process. You can also channelise your inner detective in the meantime and see if you can solve the mystery before them.

23. Higurashi When They Cry

Higurashi When They Cry
Mystery Animation Plot Twists Total
6
6
6
18/30

Fasten your seatbelts because you are in for a hell of a ride in this story. Rika lives in a village where everything seems peaceful at sight, but a hidden mystery crawls beneath everything. A series of senseless deaths leaves her puzzled as she becomes desperate to solve the mystery.

The clues are not enough for her and the annual festival is not far away. Will Rika be able to stop these gruesome deaths or succumb to them herself? We just have to wait and see.

22. In/Spectre

In Spectre
Mystery Animation Plot Twists Total
6
6
7
19/30

We are brought to a world where youkai and humans live together side by side. Well, you could have guessed from that first line itself that there is bound to be some trouble in such a scenario. Our main character is Kotoko who acts as a mediator between the two worlds.

One day, when an idol dies mysteriously by steel beams, a youkai is suspected to be the cause of trouble. Kotoko instantly rushes to the scene with his partner and hopes to nip the problem in the bud.

21. ID: Invaded

ID Invaded
Mystery Animation Plot Twists Total
7
6
6
19/30

In this story, we see how detectives can use cognition particles left behind at a crime scene to enter the criminal’s mind and get to know about his identity. Well, it seems that makes the job easier for detectives right? The matter is not entirely simple.

There is a condition to enter someone’s mind and that is the said person must have killed someone previously with their own hands. Akihito is one such person who can enter the human mind and help out the police. But he soon learns of a sinister truth that is lurking behind a series of murders he tries to investigate.

20. Paranoia Agent

Paranoia Agent
Mystery Animation Plot Twists Total
7
6
7
20/30

Paranoia Agent can be a bit disturbing for some viewers to watch so they are advised to view it with caution. Shounen Bat continues to terrorise the city as every effort at catching him seems to end in vain.

His first victim is suspected of organizing these attacks but there is no solid evidence against him. Meanwhile, two detectives enter the scene and try to catch this little devil before the entire town falls into a state of Paranoia.

19. Another

ANOTHER
Mystery Animation Plot Twists Total
7
7
7
21/30

A murder mystery with a pinch of horror? Sign me up for it. In this anime, you are greeted by Kouichi who is a new student in class 3-3 of Yomiyama North. He sees that most of his classmates are shrouded in a gloomy mood and learns about the mysterious death of a student named Misaki, 26 years ago.

He is also drawn to a strange student named Mei in the middle of this. Even though his classmates warn him about potential dangers, Kouichi decides to take matters into his own hands and bring the truth to the light.

18. Darker Than Black

Darker Than Black
Mystery Animation Plot Twists Total
7
7
8
22/30

The story starts with the appearance of Heaven’s Gate and Hell’s Gate in South America and Japan respectively. No one knows why they have emerged suddenly out of nowhere.

Contractors are individuals with supernatural abilities who can pass through these gates. The Black Reaper is one such Contractor from Hell’s Gate who takes on dark jobs for the syndicate. However, this results in a gruesome plot being slowly uncovered as war is likely to start in the shadows.

17. Baccano!

Baccano!
Mystery Animation Plot Twists Total
7
8
7
22/30

Are you ready to get your mind absolutely blown in this thriller of an anime? Baccano follows two separate incidents happening in different time periods which are somehow related to each other forming a much bigger story.

The first incident takes place in 1930 in a transcontinental train which leaves a trail of blood behind it. While the second incident takes place in 1711 where alchemists are trying to learn about immortality.

16. Durarara!

Durara!
Mystery Animation Plot Twists Total
8
8
7
23/30

When a headless Black Rider drives down the streets of Tokyo’s downtown district, it causes some strange rumours to fly around the country. No, we are not talking about the plot of the Ghost Rider.

In the middle of this enters Mikado who sees the Black Rider on his first visit to the city. But instead of getting afraid, he is more excited for the events to come. However, his excitement may not last long as the city gets caught up in some strange supernatural events.

15. Mirai Nikki

Mirai Nikki Gankutsuou:
Mystery Animation Plot Twists Total
8
7
8
23/30

A lonely high school student who writes in his diary? No, we are not describing the life of a random teenager. It is the story of Amano who talks with two of his imaginary friends with the help of his diary.

However, unlike other normal kids, his imaginary friend consists of a God. No, he is not a weirdo though. He is stuck in a deadly battle royale and he needs to kill the other 11 players in order to emerge victoriously and save himself.

14. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya
Mystery Animation Plot Twists Total
8
8
8
24/30

In this story, we meet a normal high school student named Kyon who has given up on his belief in supernatural things. But he takes a 180-degree turn on meeting Haruhi.

She is a supernatural geek who is too engrossed in such kinds of stuff. On coming to know that Haruhi is not getting any appropriate club for herself, he encourages her to form her own club and recruit new members.

13. Serial Experiments Lain

Serial Experiments Lain
Mystery Animation Plot Twists Total
8
8
8
24/30

How will you react if you receive an email from your dead classmate? Well, Lain seems to have kept herself composed but she gets thrown inside the virtual world upon opening the email.

She doesn’t even get any time to process her thoughts as mysteries are thrown towards her one after the other. Soon strange men also begin to follow her as she becomes desperate to return to her real world.

12. Psychic Detective Yakumo

Psychic Detective Yakumo
Mystery Animation Plot Twists Total
8
8
9
25/30

The title of this anime is enough to pique our interest in this story. Yakumo is a detective with psychic powers who gets contacted by Haruka after one of her friends commit suicide.

She decides to get to the end of this matter with or without their help. They will face many challenges in their way and it will be exciting to see if they finally manage to solve this thrilling case.

11. Death Parade

Death Parade
Mystery Animation Plot Twists Total
9
8
8
25/30

The idea of getting your life back after death is fascinating. But to make things more interesting, you need to compete in a set of challenges to be able to reincarnate in your new life.

If you fail, you have to spend your entire life in oblivion as there is no concept of heaven or hell in this anime. The challenges are conducted by the bar master who has to ponder over the rules one day after a certain character ends up at his place.

10. Un-Go

Un Go
Mystery Animation Plot Twists Total
9
8
9
26/30

Dystopian stories have seen a recent surge in their popularity over the past few years. This is one such story where the plot is set in a dystopian future with detective Yuuki at its centre.

He specialises in solving homicide mysteries with his partner Inga. However, we slowly find out that Inga has some ulterior motives that Yuuki definitely needs to be careful of. Because if he dies, he won’t get someone like himself to catch the culprit behind his murder.

9. Gosick

Gosick
Mystery Animation Plot Twists Total
9
8
9
26/30

A foreign student named Kazuya attends a luxurious school where she has been given the nickname of Black Reaper.

One fine day, she goes to the library to read ghost stories but comes across a golden strand of hair. It leads her to a girl who has a doll-like appearance and can predict futures almost accurately.

8. The Garden of Sinners

The Garden Of Sinners
Mystery Animation Plot Twists Total
9
9
9
27/30

Get ready to glue your eyes to the screen as you are in for yet another paranormal mystery story. We find ourselves in the year 1998, where the people of Japan have been left dazed by a string of suicides.

A detective agency sends two of its best detectives on the scene as they try to connect these random cases together. If you like dark and philosophical plots, this is the perfect anime to watch on a late Saturday night.

7. Psycho-Pass

Psycho pass
Mystery Animation Plot Twists Total
10
8
9
27/30

Psycho-Pass is an advanced level of technology for determining the threat level possessed by an individual. If someone happens to show even the slightest bit of criminal intent, he is eliminated as soon as possible.

Akane is a newbie inspector who is totally new to this system. She soon finds out that the system is flawed and gets caught in a dilemma of what to do next.

6. Hyouka

Hyouka
Mystery Animation Plot Twists Total
9
10
9
28/30

Wait, what is a slice of life anime doing in this list? Well, that is the trick with Hyouka. Although it feels like a slice of life anime, it is more focused on the mysterious aspects and deductive abilities of our protagonist. Oreki has a fascinating brain and he can easily solve any case with ease.

He is accompanied in his energy-conservative journey by three of his friends in the Literature Club. He can certainly become a top-notch detective in the future as long as he is frustrated by Chitanda’s overflowing curiosity.

5. Steins;Gate

Steins; Gate
Mystery Animation Plot Twists Total
10
9
9
28/30

Time travelling is a concept that naturally makes people excited. Although we never know whether it can be achieved in the future or not, Steins;Gate as an anime has taken time travel to the next level with the audience getting completely immersed in it.

Our protagonist in this story is Rintarou Okabe who is often dubbed as the mad scientist. His scientific venture takes a turn when he suddenly discovers that his phone microwave can send emails to the past and sets him up for a wild adventure.

4. Erased

Erased
Mystery Animation Plot Twists Total
10
9
10
29/30

Erased follows Stein;Gate and similar to it is another masterpiece thriller that also involves the concept of time travelling. A 29-year-old manga artist, Satoru has the power to time travel back into the past.

This has helped him to save many lives including his own. However, when he is falsely charged with murder and gets sent back 18 years into the past, he realises it may be connected to the murder of one of his classmates.

3. Detective Conan

Detective Conan
Mystery Animation Plot Twists Total
10
9
10
29/30

Shinichi Kudo is a normal high school student who has a knack for becoming a detective. One day he spots two suspicious men and decides to follow them.

I guess Shinichi did not pay attention to what every one of us gets told in our childhood, and that is not to indulge with shady characters. As a result, Shinichi lands himself in trouble and gets turned into a child with the help of a drug.

2. Death Note

Death Note
Mystery Animation Plot Twists Total
10
10
10
29/30

Light Yagami is a prodigious student who excels at everything he does. One day, while leaving school, he comes across a strange notebook which is known as the Death Note.

Later, he acquaints himself with the owner of the Death Note which is a Shinigami known as Ryuk. On coming to know about the powers of the Death Note, he decides to take justice into his own hands and starts killing off criminals one after the other.

1. Monster

Monster
Mystery Animation Plot Twists Total
10
10
10
29/30

A genius neurosurgeon by the name of Kenzou Tenma is engaged to his girlfriend who also happens to be the daughter of his hospital’s director. You may think he is leading the best life, until one day when he decides to save a young boy’s life instead of the town mayor.

His immense sense of justice not only leads him to lose his position as the Head Surgeon, but also leads to his marriage being called off. Soon after, the hospital director and other staff are found to be dead mysteriously. This leads to the suspicions falling on Dr. Tenma who must rectify his past mistake of saving the life of a Monster.

Conclusion

Steins Gate Comment Box
Comment So You Won't Become A Banana!

There are a lot of epic thriller anime available for fans to binge-watch over the weekends. They have gripping stories that are bound to keep you engaged and make your jaw drop with the twists out of nowhere. Some of these anime are quite underrated and deserve more praise than they usually get. Monster is the best example for that which rarely gets talked about compared to Death Note.

If bananas don’t have memories, and I can’t remember anything when I take a test, does that mean...I’M A BANANA!?

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