Top 10 Completed Horror Webtoons to Read in 2024
Horror, a genre that consistently thrills and captivates audiences, manifests uniquely across various mediums. Whether in manga, comics or now increasingly on webtoons, creators leverage different platforms to intensify the scares and shocks. Here, we present 10 completed horror webtoons. Consider our list an ideal starting point or a chance to catch up on the finest tales in the genre.
Key takeaways
- Our list of top 10 completed horror webtoons is for horror enthusiasts seeking new gripping narratives to read.
- We ensured the horror manhwa you should read in 2024 are available on platforms like Webtoon or Tapas.
- Horror webtoon creators ensure the accessibility of their work when they hire professional webtoon translator teams like CCCI.
Table of contents
The Rise of Horror Webtoons in the Digital Age
Horror enthusiasts have long been drawn to various forms of media from novels and comics to manga and manhwa. However, the digital age has ushered in a new era for horror storytelling with the rise of webtoons. Unlike traditional print media, webtoons offer a dynamic and immersive reading experience tailored for digital platforms.
Webtoons feature a vertical scroll format, allowing seamless navigation and intense pacing. Thus, readers get the perfect experience for suspenseful horror narratives. Moreover, many webtoons feature multimedia elements like sound effects and animations. With these, creators can heighten the sense of dread and captivate readers in ways previously impossible.
Meanwhile, creators may want to hire a professional webtoon translator to expand their global reach. Skilled translators like CCCI preserve the essence of the original text. Accordingly, creators can connect with global horror fans like how they intend to reach their local audience.
Pro-tip: When you hire professional webtoon translator teams, you ensure accessibility to global audiences. In addition to translating and localizing webtoons, they can animate your horror webtoon to enhance its appeal.
10 Best Horror Manhwa You Should Read in 2024
As we delve into the best horror webtoons to read in 2024, we’ll explore innovative storytelling techniques. From psychological thrillers to supernatural mysteries, these webtoons offer exciting journeys into the darker side of storytelling. Discover what makes this medium so compelling.
10. Sweet Home by Kim Carnby and Hwang Youngchan
You might have heard about this title in your orbit. In fact, Kim Carnby is particularly well-known among horror manhwa enthusiasts. Sweet Home is a horror-thriller series that follows the story of a high school student who survives a tragic accident. He then moves to a new apartment complex. Later on, he and some neighbors face monstrous creatures that represent their fears.
Sweet Home explores themes of inner darkness, survival, and humanity. On Webtoon, it has 3.4 million subscribers as of May 2024. Moreover, the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency (KOMACON) recognized its print version among the 50 Best Comic Books of 2020.
Note: Sweet Home has a prequel series called Shotgun Boy by the same author. However, Hong Pil served as the artist instead of Hwang Youngchan. This webtoon’s success also brought a Korean TV series adaptation under the same name. The show attracted 22 million paid subscribers globally within its initial 4 weeks, entering Netflix’s top 10 in 70+ countries.
9. Hell Is Other People by Kim Yong-Ki
Here’s another webtoon with a Korean drama adaptation for your horror fix. Hell Is Other People is about a man in his 20s who rents a cheap, run-down dormitory with creepy neighbors. He toughs it out until he can save enough to move elsewhere.
Mysterious events start occurring and the man takes us on a thrilling psychological journey. This webtoon balances creepiness and suspense. Close readers can surely feel the protagonist’s suspicions of his neighbors.
8. The Predator by Shin Heebin and Chi Chi
We continue the theme of an average working-age adult finding himself in supernatural settings with The Predator. This webtoon is about a man who lives with a human-eating monster. He feeds this monster with people he deems unworthy of life. As he plays god, he meets a girl who believes the monster is a god itself. So, she moves in with them.
The Predator is a thrilling short read. While the horror webtoon reader community might have different opinions on its pacing, it remains an exciting science-fiction horror story.
7. Ghost Teller by QTT
Anthologies are no strangers to horror enthusiasts. Ghost Teller by QTT is one of those horror anthologies that collect stories with a central theme. For this collection, ghosts tell stories about their horrific encounters with humans.
From family manipulation to sibling sacrifice, this horror webtoon flips the traditional idea of ghosts being scary. Instead, the ghosts recall how they end up as they are due to human actions.
6. The Spooky Love Tale of Gongchan Seol by YSE
Horror stories don’t strictly have to be thrilling and scary. Some, like this title by YSE, can be silly with supernatural elements. Still, it counts as horror. The Spooky Love Tale of Gongchan Seol is a romantic comedy about a horror novelist and his neighbor.
Somehow, the ghosts and specters of this novelist’s wild imagination terrorize his neighbor. Upon discovering these apparitions, Gongchan’s life gets messy, confusing his fear of ghosts with a developing romance. You can read this webtoon on Tapas.
5. The Tarot Cafe by Park Sang-Sun
If you’re looking for some more classic titles, try this fantasy horror story by Park Sang-Sun. The Tarot Cafe has been one of the completed horror webtoons since 2002. Thus, it might not have the format you would expect from the more recent webtoon titles you’ve read. Instead, it’s closer to traditional manhwa format.
Still, official English publishers must have worked with professional webtoon translators for this project. Only experts with the right tools can correctly and successfully convert horror webtoon to comic format and vice versa. The Tarot Cafe is available on INKR in vertical reading format.
4. Surviving Romance by Lee Yeon
Follow Chaerin Eun as she finds herself thrust into the role of the female lead of a romance novel. Although she hopes for a fairytale ending with the male lead, her story takes a dark turn when a zombie outbreak disrupts the narrative.
Surviving Romance features a Groundhog Day scenario and explores themes of self-reliance and trust. Plus, this title has overwhelmingly positive reviews from readers. You may find yourself praising it just as much after reading all seven episodes on Webtoon. Be sure to switch on sounds for the full experience!
3. The Black Mirror by Muhwa and Sugeun
The Black Mirror is a psychological horror story with explicit violence and mature themes. It explores malicious intentions and hidden desires but presents them seamlessly and skillfully. Sugeun’s clean art also enhances the experience.
In addition to the violence, content warnings include explicit sexual activity. So, proceed with caution. The Black Mirror is available on Tapas and Tappytoon.
2. American Ghost Jack by Han Ji-Hye and Ahn Jeong-Eun
This horror drama follows Ma Go-Eun and her father facing eviction from their amusement park haunted house. Out of desperation, she travels to the States to save it. There, she plans to join a contest for its million-dollar grand prize.
She just has to stay at a world-famous haunted house, which shouldn’t be a problem having run one for years. However, the fun attraction she expected turns out to be truly haunted. American Ghost is officially licensed and published in English but has limited availability on Tapas.
1. Bastard by Kim Carnby and Hwang Youngchan
Our list of completed horror webtoons concludes with a title by the same author-artist duo we started with. Bastard is a psychological thriller about an introverted boy’s traumatic childhood as an accomplice to his serial killer father.
This webtoon explores where the lines between good and evil begin to blur. With themes of morality and guilt, Bastard tells a horror story about the complexities of human nature. If you enjoy gripping storytelling with well-rounded characters, this webtoon will keep you scrolling through episodes.
CCCI: Making Horror Webtoons Globally Accessible
Many completed horror webtoons are available in English on platforms like Webtoon, Tapas, and Tappytoon. However, some titles remain unlicensed, only available to Korean readers in their local platforms.
Many fans translate these works for fellow horror enthusiasts in their online communities. Still, professional translation services have the tools and proper licenses for accurate webtoon localization. Let’s discuss your next webtoon translation project.