The scariest laughs in anime belong to villains. Characters like Frieza, Dio Brando, Alucard, and Rena Ryuugu from Higurashi When They Cry.
Have you ever watched an anime and heard a laugh that sent shivers down your spine?
Those infamous scary anime laughs are the stuff of nightmares. From the high-pitched cackle of Ryuko Matoi’s transformation in Kill la Kill to Frieza’s bone-chilling chuckle in Dragon Ball Z, these scary anime laughs have left us covering our ears and cringing in fear.
Anime Characters With Evil Laughs
Where do these scary laughs come from? It turns out, it’s all thanks to the Japanese language itself. In Japanese, there is a phrase “warai kakku,” which means laughing with one’s throat.
For those scary anime moments, this vocal technique creates an exaggerated and intense laugh.
It’s all thanks to the language the next time you hear a terrifying laugh in an anime. How could scary anime laughs be so educational?
Let us take a look at a few memorable anime characters and their laughs.
Frieza (Dragon Ball Z)
The laugh of Frieza from Dragon Ball Z. With his high-pitched, mocking tone and maniacal facial expressions, it’s no wonder he strikes fear into the hearts of his enemies.
Throughout the Dragon Ball series, Frieza is known for his ruthless and evil nature. Only some can stop him since he destroyed entire planets and enslaved any survivors.
The moment he wipes out Planet Vegeta is when he has the most laughs throughout the entire series. When his Supernova got bigger and then made its way to the planet, he let out a pure evil laugh.
After Planet Vegeta was destroyed, he continued to laugh and revel in his victory. While Frieza has returned to the Dragon Ball Super universe as an ally, he is still frightening to be around, and his laughter is still disturbing.
Dio Brando (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure)
In Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Dio is the most notorious villain, so it is only natural that he laughs wildly. At first, it might not seem like anything special, but Dio is pure evil, which makes it terrifying. Dio is constantly wreaking havoc and causing destruction wherever he goes, and he enjoys every moment.
Nothing is redeeming about him, and he loves to make the Joestar family miserable.
Although Dio had a tough childhood before he was adopted into the Joestar family, that doesn’t excuse or justify everything he’s done. After Jotaro finally defeated this horrible and twisted man, fans breathed a sigh of relief.
Mad Pierrot (Cowboy Bebop)
Even though Mad Pierrot appeared in only one episode, he has become pretty iconic. Aside from his clown-like attire and overall character arc, he was one of Cowboy Bebop’s best villains.
Spike was scared of this guy because he was maniacal, twisted, and creepy. His laugh sent chills down viewers’ spines if his appearance didn’t.
Although Spike isn’t easily scared and is an experienced bounty hunter, it’s safe to say he was outclassed. Despite Faye’s assistance, they only made it out alive by luck. Whatever the case, Mad Pierrot will always remain a favorite among fans.
Yuno Gasai (Future Diary)
Yuno has a scary laugh; being the queen of yandere females in anime shouldn’t surprise anyone.
She’s known for being cold and mentally unstable, but when it comes to making plans, she’s very calculating. Yuno’s laugh is terrifying and bone-chilling if fans thought her angry anger was the scariest thing to witness.
There is a good chance someone is about to get seriously injured or die if she is laughing. Yuno’s presence does not bode well most of the time, but if she starts laughing and gets that crazy yandere look, it can be frightening.
Hidan (Naruto Shippuden)
There are plenty of villains in the Naruto series who are scary, but Hidan is different. Shikamaru defeated this sadistic, arrogant, and insane man because he was so sadistic and arrogant.
It was frightening to hear him laugh as he used the Curse Technique: Death Controlling Possessed Blood jutsu against Asuma. Despite Hidan’s actions, fans could only watch in horror as he inflicted harm on himself, whereas Asuma was the one who suffered.
Hidan enjoyed watching his victims suffer from his jutsu and didn’t care who suffered. Despite not being the strongest, Hidan was one of the series’s most terrifying villains.
Yami Marik (Yu-Gi-Oh!)
Though Yami Bakura might’ve been the longest villain in the series, Yami Marik surpassed him in scare power.
Ishizu and Marik were not allowed freedom by their host’s father since Marik started innocently and just wanted to experience life. Yami Marik loved causing Marik’s pain, so this personality manifested.
Whether it was Marik or anyone else standing in his way, he enjoyed torturing them. Throughout the conversation, he became more maniacal, and his laugh was bone-chilling. Moreover, his face looked just as scary, especially with the veins becoming more evident.
Light Yagami (Death Note)
Fans of Death Note knew that if Light laughed, someone would die, or he had killed someone. The series is filled with plenty of laughs, but two stand out.
The first terrifying thing about his laugh at L’s grave was that it indicated that he had no one to stop him from achieving his goals. As a result, he saw this as his most significant victory in the battle of wits between them.
Another notorious laugh was when he was caught and told everyone what he was up to. Fans were on edge, wondering what Light would do next as it was clear he wouldn’t survive one way or another.
Rena Ryuugu (Higurashi When They Cry)
Rena laughing is scarier than other characters like Shion in the series. There is something innocent and sweet about her, and she can be that. When she is angry, however, she can be terrified.
Rena’s laugh starts sweet, but her actions and changing tone make her stand out.
A typical conversation can turn into Rena wrapping her hands around someone’s throat instantly if they cross her. She laughs while doing so. She shouldn’t be underestimated just because she looks cute.
Alucard (Hellsing)
Alucard indeed walks a fine line between being a hero and a villain, but there is no denying that he is intimidating. Many people have the means to kill him, and he is already a formidable opponent. Fans know that when Alucard laughs, he is about to cause worlds of pain to his opponents.
In addition, his teeth are sharpened, making him look like something out of a nightmare. It’s good that he’s on the side of stopping others from taking over the world, but it doesn’t make him any less scary.
Donquixote Doflamingo (One Piece)
One Piece indeed has a lot of scary villains, but Doflamingo takes things to another level.
In addition to being arrogant and prideful, he has a bloodthirsty mentality. Most people who know him fear him because of how cruel and sadistic he is.
He laughs and enjoys it when he sees others in pain or injured. He laughs and licks his lips when he sees something bad about to happen.
It doesn’t matter if Doflamingo is in the middle of a battle and destruction is all around him; he will still laugh and act like nothing is wrong. Since he is rather powerful and very few characters can stand up to him, he is likely to be fought by many characters.
How Does Laughter Fit Into the Horror Genre?
You might be wondering how laughter fits into the horror genre. Is it even possible to scare people with laughter?
You’ll never forget some of the scariest anime laughs. They keep you up at night, making you wonder if you’re crazy. There is no doubt in my mind that the answer is yes.
But what makes these laughs so effective? Part of the reason is that they’re unexpected. You feel uneasy when you see a character laughing in the middle of a horror scene. Furthermore, these laughs are often accompanied by chaos and insanity.
Check out some of the scariest anime laughs if you’re looking for some good scares. You won’t regret it!