10 high school anime with shocking twists you must watch

There are several high school anime with shocking twists that the anime industry has offered to fans over the years. These anime often start very subtly and calmly but quickly become intense, taking viewers on a wild ride of plot twists.

These series range from psychological thrillers to straight-up teen dramas, written in a way that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. From anime like Another to Classroom of the Elite, here are some high school-themed anime with shocking twists.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author's opinions and may contain potential spoilers from the discussed anime series.

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The Future Diary, Danganronpa, and 8 other high school anime with shocking twists

1) School Days

School Days is one of the high school anime with shocking twists (Image via Studio TNK)

School Days by Studio TNK is probably one of the most deceiving anime series listed here. The series casually draws viewers into a very innocent and somewhat cliché love triangle between Makoto, Sekai, and Kotonoha.

While the series is a slow-burning love story with typical conflicts that arise in a love triangle, the final episode may have caught some viewers off guard. The series turns into a horror show in the last episode when very graphic scenes occur involving the three, leading to Makoto and Sekai's deaths.

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2) Another

Another is one of the high school anime with shocking twists (Image via P.A. Works)

Coming from Studio P.A. Works, Another is almost, if not more, on par with School Days, being a high school anime with shocking twists. Similar to the previous series, Another's finale delivers a sequence that completely redefines the story.

The story revolves around the mystery of a dead person existing in the class with the others, but the person also doesn't realize they are dead. In this captivating horror anime series, the question of "who is dead?" drives the entire narrative towards a twist the fans never saw coming.

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3) Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Puella Magi Madoka Magica is one of the high school anime with shocking twists (Image via Shaft)

Aired in 2011, Studio Shaft's anime series Puella Magi Madoka Magica is another hidden gem in the high school anime with shocking twists category. Fans of the magical girl genre will understand the trauma-inducing experience the series provided.

From several characters suddenly dying in brutal ways to the series revealing the true nature of magical girls and witches in an unexpected manner, it completely broke the viewers' expectations, who thought they were in for just another typical magical girl anime.

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4) The Future Diary

The Future Diary is one of the high school anime with shocking twists (Image via Asread)

While many viewers might visit Studio Asread's The Future Diary expecting a typical high school anime series, they will find an unexpected experience—more than they asked for. Filled with scenes of violence and gore, the series is a psychological thriller featuring several twists.

Yuno Gasai may seem like an ordinary schoolgirl who is in love with Yukiteru Amano. However, that love quickly turns into an extreme obsession, revealing a frightening yandere side of Yuno that catches viewers off guard.

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5) Classroom of the Elite

Classroom of the Elite is one of the high school anime with shocking twists (Image via Lerche)

Classroom of the Elite by Studio Lerche is a suspenseful series that initially attracts viewers with its typical high school anime setting before unfolding a story filled with controversial topics and twists. The series has made quite a reputable impression on fans since its debut in 2017.

What may look like an elite, government-sponsored high school from the outside actually contains hidden themes such as blackmail and psychological manipulation among the students. The twist occurs when the protagonist, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, is revealed to be someone he is not.

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6) Prison School

Prison School is one of the high school anime with shocking twists (Image via J.C. Staff)

Studio J.C. Staff's 2015 anime series Prison School shouldn't be a surprise to fans for ending up in the high school anime category with shocking twists. The series starts harmlessly with five boys enrolling in an all-girls high school, but they soon realize how serious the consequences can be from just one mistake.

The show features several explicit scenes and graphic violence revolving around the lives of the boys, who have now become prisoners inside the school. From harsh, severe punishments to graphic imagery, the series has become notoriously known among fans for its many twists in the story.

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7) Danganronpa: The Animation

Danganronpa is one of the high school anime with shocking twists (Image via Lerche)

Another one of Studio Lerche's productions besides Classroom of the Elite, the Danganronpa: The Animation series also fits this list of high school anime with shocking twists. Naegi Makoto, the protagonist, gets accepted into Hope's Peak Academy but doesn't realize the chaos that is about to unfold.

Once inside, Monokuma, a sadistic talking bear, informs them that they must literally get away with killing someone if they want to leave, effectively trapping them inside a game of life and death. The twists continue after this, featuring the deaths of several major characters and psychological turmoil.

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8) King's Game

King's Game is one of the high school anime with shocking twists (Image via Seven)

King's Game, also known as Ou-sama Game by Studio Seven, is a well-known name among fans of the series. The students, including the protagonist Nobuaki Kanazawa, are essentially trapped in a deadly game where the rules are simple: disobey, refuse to participate, break the rules, and you die.

Almost immediately, the students begin dying in disturbing and mysterious ways. While the game starts with moderate and simple tasks, they quickly escalate to life-or-death situations.

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9) Munou na Nana

Munou na Nana is one of the high school anime with shocking twists (Image via Bridge)

Munou na Nana, popularly known as Talentless Nana by Studio Bridge, immerses viewers in a psychological and deadly rabbit hole that begins as a calm, everyday high school story. The series exemplifies the concept of living with your enemy, and it delves into this theme quite quickly.

Among the students who have powers and are trained to defeat the "Enemies of Humanity," Nana arrives and joins the academy. However, the plot twists when it’s revealed that Nana is actually the enemy and has come to kill them using her skills in manipulation and deceit.

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10) Kokoro Connect

Kokoro Connect is one of the high school anime with shocking twists (Image via Silver Link)

Viewers seeking an anime that starts lively but quickly takes a supernatural turn should consider Kokoro Connect by Studio Silver Link. The lives of five friends, Himeko, Iori, Yui, Taichi, and Yoshifumi, are thrown into chaos when a mysterious phenomenon causes them to swap bodies randomly and forces them to confront their true feelings.

The series quickly explores fractures in their friendships, heartbreaks, and psychological breakdowns. Beyond normal trauma, one character is pushed to the limit to do something that no one saw coming.

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High school anime with shocking twists has been a recurring theme in the industry for a long time. While these specific titles clearly fit the category, many others explore similar themes, pushing storylines into psychological and sometimes horror territory with their twists.

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• 10 controversial Isekai anime with problematic main characters
• 10 legendary anime openings that no new anime can ever surpass

Edited by Shreya Das