Top 10 Darkest Anime

I've not watched many animes, but I HAVE watched some animes which define the dark.

Here's the list of animes which define the word Dark itself. You can say they are a manifestation of darkness themselves.

The Top Ten

  1. Berserk

    Berserk, also known as Sword-Wind Chronicle Berserk, is a Japanese anime television series that aired from 1997 to 1998. An adaptation of Kentaro Miura's manga Berserk, it comprises 25 half-hour episodes animated by Oriental Light and Magic. The series first aired on Nippon TV and primarily covers the... read more

    Why is this not higher? It's very dark.

  2. Puella Magi Madoka Magica

    Puella Magi Madoka Magica is a 2011 Japanese anime television series produced by Shaft and Aniplex. It was directed by Akiyuki Shinbo and written by Gen Urobuchi, with music composed by Yuki Kajiura. The series features an opening theme by ClariS, ending themes by Kalafina and occasionally the voice... read more

    Just so dark. Everything from Kyubey and the incubators to Sayaka turning into a witch is unrivaled! Plus, the scene with Mami getting her head bitten off brought chills.

    It's the way the anime was executed, the series of events, that makes it so dark. People think it's a cute anime, then watch the witches' labyrinths that are drawn so darkly. This is an ingenious and dark anime filled with plot twists at every corner.

    Should be in the top 3. This series gets really dark.

  3. Neon Genesis Evangelion

    Neon Genesis Evangelion, commonly referred to as Evangelion or Eva, is a Japanese animated television series produced by Gainax and Tatsunoko Production. It was directed by Hideaki Anno and originally aired in Japan from October 1995 to March 1996. The series is known for its psychological depth, complex... read more

    How is this not higher? The unsurprising darkness of Evangelion made me feel like I had to go to a psychiatrist after seeing its ending.

    Chilling visuals demonstrate how a kid would fracture under immense responsibility.

  4. Another

    Another is a Japanese horror anime based on the 2009 novel of the same name by Yukito Ayatsuji. The story also inspired a manga adaptation and a 2012 live-action film. The series is known for its suspenseful storytelling and supernatural themes.

    Sad atmosphere, dead feelings, immense mid-scene horror images, and cool sound effects. This is the darkest anime I've ever watched in my whole life, and I can bet there isn't a darker anime than this one.

    Almost after every episode, someone dies in a dark way.

  5. Attack on Titan

    Attack on Titan, known in Japan as Shingeki no Kyojin, is a widely acclaimed anime series created by Hajime Isayama. The series premiered in Japan in April 2013 and debuted in English in the United States in 2014. It is recognized for its emotional storytelling, post-apocalyptic setting, and thrilling... read more

    Not much to say about this one. Just...watch it!

  6. Fate / Zero

    Fate/Zero is a series of Japanese light novels written by Gen Urobuchi and illustrated by Takashi Takeuchi. It serves as a prequel to Type-Moon's visual novel Fate/stay night. The anime adaptation of Fate/Zero was co-produced by Aniplex, Nitroplus, Type-Moon, Seikaisha, and Ufotable, and it aired from... read more

    Spoiler alert! The second half is pretty dark, considering how light-hearted and sweet Fate/stay night was. I watched the second half in one go. Please don't make the same mistake!

  7. Death Note

    Death Note is a Japanese anime television series based on the manga created by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. The story follows Light Yagami, a gifted high school student with a strong sense of justice who discovers a notebook that allows him to kill anyone by writing their name in it. His actions as... read more

    One of the best animes I've ever seen (when watched subbed...you lose so much of the raw emotion in their voices in the dubbed version, which steals a lot from the show). The emotions felt at the end are unlike anything else. Absolutely loved every second of this show.

    Yeah, Death Note fans, I know it deserves a higher place, but this list is made for 'Dark' anime. No doubt, this epic anime is dark, but the others are more so. This is a must-see too.

  8. Perfect Blue

  9. Ergo Proxy

    Ergo Proxy is a Japanese cyberpunk science fiction suspense anime television series produced by the animation studio Manglobe. The series was directed by Shūkō Murase and written by Dai Satō. It originally aired from February to August 2006 and ran for a total of 23 episodes.

  10. Elfen Lied

    Elfen Lied is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Lynn Okamoto. It was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Young Jump magazine from June 2002 to August 2005. The series includes 107 chapters, which were compiled into twelve tankōbon volumes.

    Elfen Lied was very dark but very depressing at the end. If you like dark anime that are sad, this one is probably the best. The manga goes really far into the story, and by far, the manga's ending was sadder than the anime's.

    An amazing show. Dark, gory, and sad, this show doesn't leave out or hide from the dark.

    11. The Newcomers
  11. ?

    Chainsaw Man

    This show literally has one of the most horrifying first episodes I've seen. The main character and his dog get chopped up, and it probably has one of the darkest backstories I've ever seen. Also, they kill off a lot of people in this show.

  12. ?

    Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei

    13. The Contenders

  13. The Promised Neverland

    I'm not going to spoil anything. Just watch the first episode yourself.

  14. Mirai Nikki

    Future Diary is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Sakae Esuno. It depicts a battle royale in which each combatant possesses a diary that can predict future events. The manga was serialized from 2006 to 2010 and was later adapted into a 26-episode anime television series in 2011.

    Ah... This pick is a perfect mixture of dark within action. It's a must-see. It defines the two-sided personality of a girl and consists of truly sad fates of the heroes.

    I saw the first six episodes of this anime, and I gotta say, I never thought they would be able to make texts seem scary.

    Definitely one of the darkest shows out there.

  15. Psycho Pass

  16. Serial Experiments Lain

    Serial Experiments Lain is a Japanese anime series directed by Ryūtarō Nakamura. The characters were designed by Yoshitoshi ABe, the script was written by Chiaki J. Konaka, and production was overseen by Yasuyuki Ueda of Triangle Staff. The show originally aired on TV Tokyo from July to September 1998.... read more

  17. Midori: Shoujo Tsubaki

    Midori (Japanese: 地下幻燈劇画 少女椿, Hepburn: Chika Gentō Gekiga: Shōjo Tsubaki, roughly translated as "Underground Projected Dramatic Pictures: The Camellia Girl") is a 1992 Japanese independent semi-animated ero-guro horror film. It was created by Hiroshi Harada and is based on Suehiro... read more

  18. Hellsing Ultimate

    Hellsing is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kouta Hirano. It follows the secret Hellsing Organization as it battles vampires, ghouls, and other supernatural threats across England. The series inspired the anime adaptation Hellsing Ultimate, which closely follows the manga's storyline... read more

    In my opinion, it's much more violent and gory than dark. It is somewhat dark, but it's mostly aesthetically dark. I will say it's extremely brutal.

  19. Texhnolyze

    Portrays the inevitability of humans and suggests that there's no way out for humans other than their demise.

  20. Monster

    Monster (Japanese: モンスター, Monsutā) is a manga series written and illustrated by Naoki Urasawa. It is often referred to as Naoki Urasawa's Monster and is widely acclaimed by critics. The series has won multiple awards and its anime adaptation is considered one of the finest of its decade.... read more

    Monster is really complex. There's a lot of mature content and an absolutely pitch-dark plot.

  21. Tokyo Ghoul

    Tokyo Ghoul is a Japanese dark fantasy manga series written and illustrated by Sui Ishida. It was serialized in Shueisha's seinen manga magazine Weekly Young Jump from September 2011 to September 2014. The series has been collected in fourteen tankōbon volumes as of August 2014 and follows Ken Kaneki... read more

    This deserves to be in the top 5. The plot is so amazing that it literally questions the basic idea of what's good or evil.

    The anime is mostly really edgy, but the manga is actually darker than it appears.

  22. Cat Soup

  23. Hunter X Hunter

    Hunter × Hunter is a manga series created by Yoshihiro Togashi. In 1999, it was adapted into a 62-episode anime television series produced by Nippon Animation and directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi. The original show aired on Japan's Fuji TV and ran until 2001.... read more

  24. Corpse Party

    Even the name gives it away. This series is wonderfully dark and twisted. It deserves to be much higher on the list, in my opinion.

  25. Devilman Crybaby

    This show is pretty brutal but also creative. Only certain people can watch or handle how dark it is.

  26. Pokemon

    Pokémon, abbreviated from the Japanese title Pocket Monsters and currently marketed in English as Pokémon: The Series, is a Japanese anime television series adapted for international audiences. It was first broadcast in Japan on April 1, 1997, and in the United States on September 8, 1998.... read more

  27. Higurashi When They Cry

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