What's the psychology behind fascination with serial killers?

Researchers suggest that interest in serial killers stems from a natural drive to understand threatening behaviour — essentially the brain practising pattern recognition for danger. Understanding how killers operate, how they were caught, and what warning signs existed is genuinely informative and may help people protect themselves and others.

🩸 True Crime

Best Serial Killer Podcasts 2026

The highest-rated podcasts covering serial killers — psychology, investigation, and the cases that defined criminal history, ranked by listeners.

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30 best serial killer podcasts podcasts — the big names

Last Podcast On The Left

The Last Podcast Network

The Black Tapes

Pacific Northwest Stories

The Real Killer

iHeartPodcasts and AYR Media

Wisecrack

Tenderfoot TV and iHeartPodcasts

The Unforgotten

Free Range Productions

They Will Kill

Cloud10

Fear Thy Neighbor

Hands Tied

iHeartPodcasts

The Kill List

CBC

Crime Next Door

BBC Sounds

Dead Certain: The Martha Moxley Murder

NBC News Studios

The Last Trip

Jaimie Beebe

True Crime Tonight

iHeartPodcasts

The Binge Crimes: Night Shift

Sony Music Entertainment / Campside Media

True Crimes with John & Deanna

iHeartPodcasts

The Hand in the Window

ABC News

Puppet Masters: An Insight into Criminal Psychology

Grievous Bodily Harm Podcast

Tales From the Underworld

Find My Killer

Hidden Cults

Dark Outdoors

Clues with Morgan Absher and Kaelyn Moore

20/20

CaseXCase

Lurking In the Shadows Podcast

Motive & Method

Brother Counsel

Pod of Terror

Crime Bit with Danelle Hallan

How we rank these podcasts

Every podcast on WhichPodcast is ranked using Listen Score — a global popularity metric based on listener data, episode frequency, and audience engagement. The best serial killer podcasts above are filtered from the broader True Crime category and sorted by their global listener ranking, so the top results reflect the most-listened-to shows in this specific space right now.

Browse the full True Crime podcast rankings or use our podcast discovery quiz for a personalised recommendation.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best podcasts about serial killers?

The best serial killer podcasts combine psychological analysis with detailed case investigation. The top-ranked shows on this page cover famous and lesser-known cases with a focus on understanding the perpetrators as well as documenting the crimes and investigations.

Are serial killer podcasts educational or just sensationalist?

The best serial killer podcasts approach the subject seriously — examining the psychology, the systemic failures that allowed killers to go undetected, and the impact on victims' families. They're educational rather than exploitative, which is why the most respected shows in this space have built enormous, loyal audiences.