TV-Shows.TVThe best shows for me! The best horror TV shows 2026 ranked by the community. Horror series work differently from horror films – they have more time to build atmosphere, establish characters and let threats grow slowly. The series that rank highest use exactly that advantage: they do not just frighten, they stay with you. Filter by streaming service or short runtime for more compact formats.
How are the series charts created?
Rankings are based on real user ratings. The more votes a show receives, the more stable its chart position. When you rate shows yourself, your personal recommendations improve too.
(8/10 stars)The world we knew is gone. An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept the globe causing the dead to rise and feed on the living. In a matter of months society has crumbled. In a world ruled by the dead, we are forced to finally start living. more about The Walking Dead
(7/10 stars)The story of two vampire brothers obsessed with the same girl, who bears a striking resemblance to the beautiful but ruthless vampire they knew and loved in 1864. more about The Vampire Diaries
(6/10 stars)An invisible and mysterious force field descends upon a small fictional town in the United States, trapping residents inside, cut off from the rest of civilization. The trapped townsfolk must discover the secrets and purpose of the "dome" and its origins, while coming to learn more than they ever kn... more about Under the Dome
(8/10 stars)Both a gift and a curse, Will Graham has the extraordinary ability to think like his prey—he sees what they see, feels what they feel. But while Graham is pursuing an especially troubling, cannibalistic murderer, Special Agent Jack Crawford teams him with a highly respected psychiatrist – a man with... more about Hannibal
(8/10 stars)When a young boy vanishes, a small town uncovers a mystery involving secret experiments, terrifying supernatural forces and one strange little girl. more about Stranger Things
(7/10 stars)In Los Angeles, a city where people come to escape, shield secrets, and bury their pasts, we follow this mysterious outbreak as it threatens to disrupt what little stability high school guidance counselor Madison Clark and English teacher Travis Manawa have managed to assemble. The pressure of b... more about Fear the Walking Dead
(8/10 stars)After Portland homicide detective Nick Burkhardt discovers he's descended from an elite line of criminal profilers known as "Grimms," he increasingly finds his responsibilities as a detective at odds with his new responsibilities as a Grimm. more about Grimm
(8/10 stars)Though once pledged to remain together through the test of time, the Mikaelson's — the first and original family of vampires — have been torn apart over the thousands of years of their existence. When Klaus Mikaelson, the original vampire-werewolf hybrid, receives a mysterious tip that a plot is bre... more about The Originals
(9/10 stars)When a Japanese high schooler comes into possession of a mystical notebook, he finds he has the power to kill anybody whose name he enters in it. more about Death Note
(8/10 stars)In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer. Buffy Summers is The Chosen One, the one girl in all the world with the strength and skill to fight the vampires. With the help of her close friends, Wil... more about Buffy: Im Bann der Dämonen
(8/10 stars)An anthology series centering on different characters and locations, including a house with a murderous past, an insane asylum, a witch coven, a freak show, a haunted hotel, a possessed farmhouse, a cult, the apocalypse and a slasher camp. more about American Horror Story
(8/10 stars)Following the tragic death of her husband, a widow and her teenage son settle into a new town with a dark underbelly and must do whatever it takes to protect their own secrets. more about Bates Motel
(8/10 stars)When over-achieving medical resident Liv Moore attends a party that turns into a zombie feeding frenzy, she ends up joining the ranks of the living dead. Determined to pass as human despite her pale appearance and newly listless demeanor, Liv forms a plan to resist her drive to consume fresh human b... more about iZombie
(8/10 stars)`The truth is out there,' and FBI agents Scully and Mulder seek it in this sci-fi phenomenon about their quest to explain the seemingly unexplainable. Their strange cases include UFO sightings, alien abductions and just about anything else paranormal. more about Akte X (The X-Files)
(8/10 stars)Penny Dreadful is a frightening psychological thriller that weaves together the monsters of classic stories. The explorer Sir Malcolm Murray, American gunslinger Ethan Chandler, Miss Vanessa Ives and others unite to combat supernatural threats in Victorian London. They encounter some of literature's... more about Penny Dreadful
(8/10 stars)FBI Agent Dale Cooper travels to the small logging town of Twin Peaks to solve the murder of seemingly innocent high schooler Laura Palmer. Almost nothing is as it seems, however. more about Twin Peaks (1990)
(7/10 stars)After a supernatural event at his church, a preacher enlists the help of a vampire and his ex to find God. more about Preacher
(7/10 stars)A mysterious viral outbreak with hallmarks of an ancient and evil strain of vampirism ravages the city of New York. more about The Strain
(8/10 stars)Detective Catherine Chandler is a smart, no-nonsense homicide detective. When she was a teenager, she witnessed the murder of her mother at the hands of two gunmen and herself was saved by someone – or something. Years have passed and while investigating a murder, Catherine discovers a clue that lea... more about Beauty and the Beast
(8/10 stars)After his hometown is destroyed and his mother is killed, young Eren Yeager vows to cleanse the earth of the giant humanoid Titans that have brought humanity to the brink of extinction. more about Attack on Titan
Horror TV shows work differently from horror films. The longer runtime forces the genre to deliver more than shock moments – they must sustain atmosphere, character and threat across multiple episodes. The strongest horror series treat that as an advantage: they build slowly, let the danger grow and give characters time before putting them at risk. That is the difference between cheap fright entertainment and series that actually stay with you.
The genre is broader than its reputation: supernatural horror, psychological horror, creature feature series, gothic drama, folk horror and socially critical horror series that use their monsters as metaphor all fall under the label. What tends to rank highest in the community are series with more than one layer. Use the runtime filter to find horror series with short episodes – a format that works particularly well for late-night viewing.
Beyond horror TV shows, fans of the genre often appreciate thriller or mystery series for their similarly dark and tense atmosphere.
The top Horror TV Shows are ranked by real community votes. The more ratings a show has, the more stable its position.
Use the streaming filter to see which Horror TV Shows are available on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max and more.
Rankings are based on real user ratings. The more votes a series receives, the more stable its chart position.
Deutsch
