There used to be a common misconception that anime—and the animated medium as a whole—was for kids, mainly because Western cartoons were primarily a children’s medium. While views have mostly shifted, there are more than a few who still believe anime is just for kids. Fans could argue that some anime is for everyone, like Dragon Ball or One Piece, but there are more than enough shows proving the medium can be dark and meant strictly for adult audiences.
Some viewers don’t realize how dark and gruesome anime can get, which is why this list will be ranking ten dark anime shows that are definitely not for kids. It will rank the entries based on how dark they are, including elements such as goriness, gruesomeness, themes, maturity, violence, sexual content, and general darkness. While there are more than ten dark shows, these highlight the variety of dark shows anime can provide.
20
‘Boogiepop Phantom’ (2000)
Avant-garde is a dying genre, with most anime nowadays focusing on what is popular, pushing aside experimental series that won’t get as much recognition. However, there are still excellent older avant-garde series such as Boogiepop Phantom. Years after a mysterious death, similar cases begin popping up, and with rumors spreading about an urban legend, no one is safe.
Boogiepop Phantom can be hard to understand because its storytelling is very unconventional. However, if fans know one thing, it is that this anime is incredibly dark, mysterious, and unsettling. It deals with murder, suicide, drugs, and features a creepy aesthetic that will unnerve anyone. Boogiepop Phantom has a dark tone and plenty of mature subject matter, making it completely unsuitable for children and even some adults.
19
‘School Days’ (2007)
Anime loves the school setting, as everyone can relate to it, and one of the most iconic anime of this trope is School Days, but not for good reasons. Makoto is obsessed with one girl in his class, and when a classmate notices this, she helps him get closer to her. However, this triad spirals out of control and into a dark and murderous affair between classmates.
School Days is initially a typical school anime, with many fans even enjoying it. However, it quickly went downhill and is regarded as one of the worst anime series of all time. That is primarily because of its overly dark and gory twist, which saw classmates brutally murder each other in grotesque fashion. This sudden change was uncomfortable and uncalled for, making it a dark anime that ruined the childhood of many fans.
18
‘Texhnolyze’ (2003)
The 2000s were a golden age of anime that did whatever they wanted, usually resulting in dark shows, which is why many of the series on this list are from that decade. One masterpiece is Texhnolyze, set in a futuristic city secluded from the surface. When a series of murders plunges the city into chaos, a group of people tries to fix things by stopping the killer.
The directors wanted viewers to feel the physical and mental weight of loss, and incorporated that into the story, visuals, and directing, creating a brutal, silent, and dim series. Texhnolyze is all about nihilism, and that philosophy makes its way into every aspect of the anime, creating a bleak and depressing show that is undoubtedly dark. The dehumanization and philosophical themes add to the darkness of this anime, which can be called a masterpiece.
17
‘Hellsing Ultimate’ (2006–2012)
The original series suffered from straying outside of the source material; luckily, Hellsing Ultimate stays faithful to the manga and delivers an authentic story. An organization uses an immortal vampire to hunt his own kind, restoring the balance. However, when the Nazis return with their own demonic members, the fight for humanity gets a lot more challenging.
Hellsing Ultimate is different than all the other anime on this list, because despite being incredibly gory and dark, it also features a lot of comedic aspects. Still, from genocide to racism to sexual assault to murder and violence, this anime is way darker than it is funny. Hellsing Ultimate is also an action-packed masterpiece, with plenty of engaging fights, but its brutal nature and overuse of gore make it too dark for many.
16
‘Ergo Proxy’ (2006)
The 2000s loved their dark sci-fi shows, as Ergo Proxy is yet another in a long line of timeless cyberpunk anime. Robots help the remnants of humanity survive, but when a virus begins infecting them, all hell breaks loose. These robots are now self-aware, leading to a detective to investigate the cause and how to stop it.
The visual tone and atmosphere of Ergo Proxy immediately draw a bleak picture with its muted colors and depressing setting. Using psychological and philosophical themes such as existentialism and pessimism, respectively, this entire anime explores the question of being, and it doesn’t end pretty. Ergo Proxy is thought-provoking and intriguing, but also a dark story that will have viewers questioning themselves.
15
‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’ (1995–1996)
Kicking off this list is Neon Genesis Evangelion, one of the most popular avant-garde anime series that depicts the mental struggle of the characters and the director. In a world where angel-like aliens come to destroy Earth, Shinji is the only one capable of stopping them. However, his father has bigger plans, but Shinji’s mental state gets in the way of both.
Neon Genesis Evangelion is more psychological and philosophical than dark, but it possesses enough mature subject matter to make it dark. From Shinji’s inner struggle to the constant death and schemes around him, Neon Genesis Evangelion is dark through its material and themes rather than explicit gore and violence. However, this is what made it one of the best anime of the 1990s.
14
‘Monster’ (2004–2005)
Naoki Urasawa is a revolutionary mangaka who has produced some of the most influential series, such as Pluto and 20th Century Boys, but his magnum opus is Monster. When a surgeon saves a child instead of the mayor, that same child grows up to be a serial killer, prompting Tenma to hunt Johan down so he can’t cause any more harm.
While Monster is an unpredictable anime, fans can always expect the dark and chilling subject matter to creep them out. It doesn’t have so many gore and horror elements, but Johan’s past. His twisted backstory is thrilling and disturbing, with the heavy subject matter creating a surprisingly dark anime that weaves all aspects together to become critically acclaimed.
13
‘Puella Magi Madoka Magica’ (2011)
To fans who don’t know anything about Puella Magi Madoka Magica, on the surface, it may seem like a wholesome show about magical girls, but they couldn’t be more wrong. It follows the standard plot: a girl encounters a magical cat and gains magical abilities to fight against evil. However, she quickly discovers this life isn’t fun, but full of unimaginable horrors and death.
Madoka Magica looks wholesome, but that aspect makes the subject matter even darker and more disturbing when creatures tear the girls to shreds. This anime subverts and deconstructs the magical girl genre, building something entirely new and grotesque, full of horrific imagery, mature themes such as grief and loss, and more than enough unsettling deaths to last fans a lifetime.
12
‘Berserk’ (1997–1998)
This entry should come as no surprise to anyone, as Berserk is known for its gritty, gory, and dark material. While the manga is much darker, the anime only covers one arc, and that is why Berserk isn’t higher on this list. Nonetheless, it is still plenty dark. Branded with a seal that attracts demons, Guts embarks on a lifelong quest for revenge against his former friend.
Berserk has one of the best arcs in anime with the Golden Age, and while it features plenty of entertaining moments, it is also incredibly dark. The anime is very heavy-handed with its gore, a staple of the series, which decapitates any living creature on screen. The imagery and monsters are terrifying, but the plot is even darker, brutally killing every character fans loved.
11
‘Elfen Lied’ (2004)
While most newer fans won’t know of this anime, Elfen Lied was one of the most popular anime in the early 2000s, establishing itself as a cultural phenomenon. When Lucy, a telekinetic human, escapes from the government, two unknowing teenagers take her in. However, they enter the dark world with government conspiracies, unaware of Lucy’s nature.
Elfen Lied was a product of the 2000s. Its dark appeal was only effective with teenagers during that era because of its overly edgy material. The anime was obsessed with grotesquely killing characters, turning them into pools of blood. With blood and gore galore, Elfen Lied also featured nudity, making the contrast even more disturbing and dark.
