The The most brutal death game in anime history Push groups of reluctant players (the more, the merrier) into a series of terrible challenges that put their lives at risk. These games can be extremely high-stakes versions of real-world games that players may be familiar with or more original creations specifically designed to be as resistant to human life as possible. can. Any player unable to adapt immediately is doomed, and the large cast will likely dwindle very quickly.

Often, a player's worst traits and weaknesses will quickly come to light when pushed. Efforts to stick together, form alliances, and save as many people as possible are often easier said than done. To the heroes' horror, they are often the only ones trying; The example of throwing others under the bus to be the sole survivor of the villains tends to be much more common.

10 Tomodachi games expose gamers' dirtiest secrets

Based on the manga by Yuki Sato and Mikoto Yamaguchi

Friends mean more than money…right? That's the question every group of kidnapped friends in the Tomodachi Games – well, most of them ask; one of them is a desperate debtor who sold everything to solve his own money problems – forced to answer. Yuuichi Katagiri and his four best friends must play publicly broadcast games to expose all their secrets and deceptions.

What's surprising is that while rebelling against or trying to expose the game has deadly consequences, the impact on the player is primarily emotional. Everyone has something to hide, and they all have to question whether they really know each other or are friends. In particular, Yuuichi, whom all of his friends consider gentle and trustworthy, exhibits a surprising thirst for brutality.

9 Alice in Borderland is a modern version of Battle Royale

Based on the manga by Haro Aso

Ryohei Arisu feels like an NPC in his own life, with no excitement or hope for the future. Ultimately, he must quickly find his motivation when he and his friends are suddenly transported to the apocalyptic world of Borderland. As outsiders, they have a limited amount of time to stay in the Borderland before being instantly killed, but Can extend your life and find clues to escape by winning deadly games.

They can be as physically challenging as possible, but the greater danger is the psychological stress they are designed to put on the players. Arisu and his kind must overcome every challenge they have faced before to get through to the other side. Simple skill or power is not enough: the creatures who run the Borderland have no interest in making all games fair.

8 Gantz has people die hunting dangerous aliens

Based on the manga by Hiroya Oku

The original 2004 anime was followed by the 2016 film, Gantz:0.

When Kei Kurono is hit and killed by a train, he wakes up and is faced with a mysterious black orb named Gantz. Gantz gives Kei and his resurrected teammates a mission: Embark on high-tech armor and weapons and hunt down the aliens it wants dead. The best performer in each hunt, using its scoring system, can accumulate enough points to receive special rewards.

Years before the big isekai boom of the 2010s, Gantz combined the most popular isekai elements with a death game premise. More than that, it is best known for its very bleak tone and significant amount of gore. In a subgenre where many protagonists are the strongest or the only source of morality in a brutal world, Kei is as cruel and selfish as his enemies.

7 Kaiji: The last surviving player bets with their life

Based on the manga by Nobuyuki Fukumoto

Like many high-end gamblers, Kaiji Itou has had bad luck throughout his life. But what terrible luck it is to not only get on the bad side of the yakuza but also end up trapped on their cruise ship and forced to gamble for their lives. Kaiji and his gambling friends will have to use all their skills and it's lucky they can survive.

One of the best anime like Squid Game, Kaiji is half about the strategy of each game and half about dealing with the system that runs it. Kaiji's success may help him live longer, but it brings him dangerously closer to the Teiai Corporation, which exploits the poorer classes for the entertainment of the rich. No matter how people like Hyoudou try to break Kaiji or make him believe the worst in the world, Kaiji remains resilient a lot better than keeping his money.

6 King's Game Animation shows the brutal reality of a survival game

Based on the light novel and manga by Nobuaki Kanazawa

The only thing worse than being forced to participate in a nightmarish death game is being forced to go through it twice. Nobuaki Kanazawa (who shares the same name as the author) is sole survivor of the King's Game, a series of anonymous challenges and punishments that killed his entire class. When a new King's Game begins, he is the only one who knows exactly how much danger they are in.

The King's Game brings out the worst in the players almost immediately, as it becomes clear that disobeying the King's texted orders, no matter how unfair or impossible, will result in a terrible punishment. Even cases that are not immediately fatal still have permanent consequences. From sentencing his classmates to death to committing horrific crimes against them, Nobuaki knows better than anyone how low people will sink just to survive.

5 riddles about Akuma no Riddle training murderers against each other

Based on the manga by Yun Kouga and Sunao Minakata

The prestigious Myojo Academy has a dark secret: Class Black, a secret class of twelve assassins, are vying to assassinate their unlucky thirteenth member. However, this year Tokaku Azuma went against tradition and vowed to protect this year's target, Haru Ichinose. As their twelve other classmates approach, Tokaku and Haru not only fight together to survive Class Black's game but also become much closer in the process.

In a death game, trying to protect others puts an extra target on your back. But Tokaku not only refuses his family's assassination job to protect Haru, but is also skilled enough to put his money where his mouth is. For her part, Haru is used to her life being the coveted prize for the most cold-blooded killer and is adept enough at survival to turn her relationship with Tokaku into one. equal partner.

4 Juuni Taisen Crown Champion of the Chinese Zodiac

Based on the light novel by Nisio Isin and Hikaru Nakamura

In this world, the Zodiac War is a tradition that dates back many generations. Warriors representing each of the Chinese zodiac animals gather on December 12 every twelve years, and at midnight, they fight until only one is left standing. The last Zodiac position gets a wish, which can technically bring people back to life if the winner chooses.

As the carnage continues, players reveal their different motivations for participating in the game and risking their lives to win. Their fighting style and approach in the Zodiac Wars corresponds to their animal names, from the Boar's ruthless bloodlust to the Dog's biting of enemies and allies. It's likely there will be no winner: the time limit is enforced by a poison that will kill anyone who hasn't killed all 11 other opponents.

3 The alien stage is a deadly singing competition

Original web series by Studio Lico

Reality TV shows are almost like death games, although in real life, they don't eliminate contestants who upset the audience. Alien Stage's hosts and audiences have no such limitations: After aliens conquered Earth, they forced humans to become their entertainment. Now, the contestants of this singing competition must impress the alien audience or be killed on stage.

The aliens have been in control for so long that rivals have grown together, forcing them to destroy long-standing connections or die. Worse still, their captors don't care about trivial things like love: the winner either sees his loved one killed or risks his life to rebel against the game. The sleazier competitors are even willing to take advantage of their colleagues' grief to try to get ahead in their rounds.

2 Fate/stay night Throws ancient legends into Battle Royale

Based on the visual novel developed by Type-Moon

Most death games primarily have individual stakes for the participating players. The Holy Grail Wars happened once, affecting the state of the entire world, and the Fourth Holy Grail War in Fate/zero ended in widespread chaos and destruction. Now new competitors, including the children and the last heirs, are taking up arms to fight for the right to grant wishes to the relic and claim its power.

Seven players, called Masters, are paired with Servants, legendary warriors, or heroes from the past. Masters use their Servants as proxies to take down every other team and be the last ones standing to claim the prize. Shirou and Saber are one of the couples that get along surprisingly well together, becoming one of the best fighting couples in anime and overcoming even stronger and more evil partnerships. physically.

1 Deadman Wonderland is an absolutely deadly amusement park

Based on the manga by Jinsei Kataoka and Kazuma Kondou

Ganta Igarashi knows that he did not murder his class, but no one, including the court, believes him. So he's thrown into Deadman Wonderland, an amusement park-style prison where, thanks to the lethal injection collars the prisoners wear, death is always only three days away. To drink the antidote regularly, they must win deadly games. around the park.

If there isn't a shadowy organization running the top horror anime death games of all time, it's something even worse: the government. To recover from the severe disaster in Tokyo, Japan turned to giant private prisons to provide bread and circuses for its people. Ganta has enough to deal with risking his life along with his fellow prisoners in front of a jeering crowd, and he has the added burden of trying to clear his name.