The world of anime can be a strange and wonderful place, full of all kinds of creatures, both friendly and terrifying. One of the most iconic and enduring images from the genre is that of the scariest dolls in anime. These are dolls that, due to their design, often have a creepy, unsettling aura that can be both captivating and unnerving.
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These dolls have grown to be an essential component of the horror subgenre in anime, whether they are possessed by evil spirits or simply have a frighteningly lifelike appearance. Even though some of these dolls might not be very spooky on their own, the environment and context in which they appear might amplify their frightfulness. These dolls have evolved into some of the most recognizable anime characters, ranging from creepily robotic to downright unsettling.
8Minnie - Ghost Hunt
Ayami, the little girl who owned the doll, Minnie, relied on her for support and comfort at first without realizing she was the doll’s owner. But as Ayami’s fears grew, Minnie’s behavior gotincreasingly bizarre and disturbing.
Over time, Minnie came to symbolize the supernatural threats that theGhost Huntcast faced. Minnie became quite possessive of Ayami, and she would chastise her whenever she socialized with other children her age. Ayami eventually let the doll go after it was burned to death and its soul was expelled.
7Maria - Junji Ito Collection
Maria happens to be the only daughter of a couple.In the series, she was a beautiful young girl with long brown hair whose life was gradually coming to an end. A pandemic occurred involving just kids like Maria in the village, and they were all suffering from a doll’s disease. Maria was among those children affected, as her parents slowly noticed when she showed some signs that a doll would have.
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Maria’s situation was sad because she wasn’t a normal doll but had turned into one that looked like a real person. The outbreak got worse when Maria’s parents saw their daughter turning into wood and getting cracks in her skin, which they found to be very scary. They kept watching as her body turned into a doll shape, and then they knew they had to let her go.
6Jumeau - Sailor Moon
Horror dolls are notorious for their frightening appearances, but the one inSailor Moontakes a remarkable turn. Jumeau is a primitive kind of doll, but she hides as a typical doll that every child would adore having. However, once she reveals her creature-like appearance, it will be difficult to stop her.
In the series, she could turn all the dolls made by Mika Kayama into horrific creatures that could pounce on people. Her limbs are quite sharp and of the type that is regenerated while being destroyed as she uses them on her enemies. Her abilities to use her limbs are exceptionally incredible while strangling.
5Mary - Ghost Stories
Mary is one of the main antagonists oftheGhost Stories series, and her appearances often lead to frightening and unsettling experiences for the characters. The doll is said to be cursed, with a dark and malevolent spirit inhabiting her body. Mary is often seen moving on her own, speaking in an eerie voice to Satsuki, and controlling other dolls.
Satsuki was stalked by Mary as she said, “I’m Mary, let’s play.” This series is similar to the popular movieChild’s Playbut with a different twist. However, Mary’s phone calls to Satsuki scared her, as she and her new doll friends came to attack Satsuki. But after seeing the handkerchief and realizing that Satsuki uses it to clean her face, Mary had a change of heart and decided to let her go.
4Japanese Doll - Paprika
Himuro is a scientist who treats patients through dream therapy. The Japanese doll that could almost destroy a city belongs to Himuro. She appears in the series as a doll but is not the primary focus of the story. She exudes a terrifying aurathat terrorizes the whole city.
Himuro originally created the Japanese doll in his real life, where he also made his dolls, but because he became so engrossed in his fantasies, he also transformed into a doll. Ultimately, the dolls and inanimate objects show up as a representation of dreams, bringing dreams and reality into a clash.
3Boogie-Kun - Chibi Vampire
Anju’s preferred talking doll is named Boogie-kun. He is a doll that has thesoul of a murderer. It appears that she could communicate with dead people’s spirits by encasing them in dolls. Boogie, her favorite doll, was imprisoned in a doll because he is a dangerous spirit who cannot be seen roaming.
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Boogie and Anju, however, have a close bond and have become inseparable over time. Along the way, one of Anju’s friends arrived to take Boogie, but due to some terrible events, Anju arrived to retrieve Boogie.
2Luna - The World God Only Knows
Tsukiyo praised her doll, Luna, for being flawless. She was depicted as a moon goddess and had long hair. She and Luna are frequently spotted together.In the series, they grew close enough that they planned on going to the moon together.
Goddess Vulcan exploited Luna as a conduit for her abilities during the Old Conquest Arc. Vulcan, who resided inside Tsukiyo and used Luna as a puppet to frighten Keima, made it more obvious, though. As the tale goes on, Keima exorcizes the spirit that lived inside Tsukiyo.
1Matsukaze - Vampire Princess Miyu
A living doll, Matsukaze, is owned by Reiha, a doll possessed by a spirit. Matsukaze served as a father figure to Reiha, whose father was deceased. He has an appearance shaped like a large man with a black cape on. He’s not as scary as the other dolls, but he still has a strange aspect.
With his propensity for treating others cruelly, it appears that Matsukaze only possesses the power to speak. To Miyu, whose main adversary was Reiha, Matsukaze became quite harsh and defended Reiha by retaliating against Miyu.
