The fall 2026 season is here, and with October also comes the spooky season, with Halloween arriving at the end of the month. While there are many ways to celebrate, the anime industry also has plenty to offer, and Crunchyroll is the right place to start. There are dozens of anime that fit this month’s theme.
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However, with only a couple of weeks left, choosing the best ones can be difficult. To save you the effort, here are three anime you can watch before Halloween arrives, each with spooky themes. These anime are short, and while one has just started airing, all three are perfect for enjoying the fall 2026 season.
3) Takopi’s Original Sin
The darkest anime of 2025, Takopi’s Original Sin, might seem like an unusual choice for the spooky season, but it is a recent series that many fans may not have caught up with yet. With only six episodes, there couldn’t be a better dark anime to provide a quick, spooky experience. The anime’s greatest strength lies in its surprising twists and dark themes, which many wouldn’t expect from a series centered on children. Across its six episodes, the story follows three children around 10 years old and an alien, perfectly depicting the journey of understanding complex human emotions.
Every episode of the anime has earned a rating of over 9 on IMDb, making it one of the first anime to achieve such a milestone. What makes the series so remarkable is how, even by its conclusion, it shows how the scars left by dark experiences remain with people and how accepting them is part of growing as a person. There honestly isn’t a better anime for fans to watch this season for a quick spooky experience while also learning life lessons that everyone should understand.
2) The Vermilion Mask
The Vermilion Mask is a new seinen anime that began airing on Crunchyroll on October 10, adapting the manga of the same name. Its premiere episode has already proven that it is more than capable of delivering a spooky and dark experience. The anime follows Peru on his quest to destroy the masks that grant supernatural powers, including those created by his master. His motivation stems from a traumatic incident in which he killed his master and fellow apprentices after being controlled by one of the masks.
The concept of masks granting their wearers extraordinary powers is what makes this anime particularly spooky, and this is evident in Peru’s appearance when he wears them. One standout example is the spider mask he sports, which gives him a distinct and eerie look. While many other elements amplify the series’ spookiness, its dark narrative remains its strongest feature, making it an excellent choice for fans of horror and spooky themes. Furthermore, since the anime airs weekly, fans can enjoy it without having to dedicate too much time to it.
1) Sentenced to Be a Hero
This year started on a spooky note withSentenced to Be a Hero, which arrived on Crunchyroll at the beginning of the year with a premiere that stunned fans, many of whom already dubbed it one of the best new anime on Crunchyroll in 2026. The anime lives up to that praise with its dark elements and unique take on the concept of “heroes.” The series reveals that, in this fantastical world, the title of hero is given to those who have committed grave crimes. With Xylo and his party labelled as heroes, the series shows how cruelly this system is used against those who are actually trying to make things better.
The series carries this theme through its 12 episodes, culminating in a surprising twist that further reinforces its message. Along the way, spooky demons and the cult that follows them, seeking to replace existing humans with their own kind, add even more layers of darkness to the narrative. For fans looking for something dark and spooky, Sentenced to Be a Hero is a perfect choice. Its action sequences also deliver the gore that many anime lack, making it an ideal watch for October 2026 on Crunchyroll to get into the Halloween spirit.
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