Not every anime is cheery and bright. While there are many heartwarming series, some go in the exact opposite direction. They tackle more serious subjects than some fans are used to seeing, and the characters often go through a great deal of suffering and pain. With unspeakable horrors, tales of cruelty and abuse, and countless deaths, these anime take the audience to a much darker place than most.
With one tragedy after the next, it seems as though nothing good ever happens to the protagonist or anyone around them. Darker series such as these aren't for everyone, but for some, they are a welcome change to the usual happy ending fans see so much in anime.
10 Students Are Trapped In A Killing Game In Danganronpa
The beginning of Danganronpa is deceptively innocent, featuring a hopeful Makoto Naegi looking forward to his very first day at Hope's Peak Academy, a private school for gifted students. The story takes an immediate dark turn after he wakes to find himself and fourteen other students trapped inside the school's walls.
Their only hope of escape is to get away with killing one of their fellow classmates. From then on, each day for the students is filled with fear, wondering if it could be their last. While there is a good bit of comedy to balance out the heavy plot, fans can only watch with despair as each of their favorites gets killed off one by one.
9 Everyone Suffers Thanks To Light's God Complex In Death Note
Light Yagami's twisted sense of justice brings nothing but misery in Death Note. At the start, his intentions are good enough. He only wants to make the world a better place. However, it doesn't take long for him to spiral into madness, taking his newfound power too far. Pretty soon, his targets are no longer just criminals, and everyone is fair game. He sees the lives of others as pawns at his disposal and nothing more, resulting in countless deaths.
No one is off-limits to him, be it the police, Kira's followers, or even his own father. The suffering only ends with Light's eventual death, but even that hardly feels like a victory after the irreparable damage he causes.
8 Kaneki's Life Spirals Out Of Control In Tokyo Ghoul
Protagonist Kaneki Ken's life changes forever, one fateful night in the first episode of Tokyo Ghoul. His normal and carefree life ends overnight after becoming a one-eyed ghoul. The change is devastating for him, and he struggles to find peace balancing between the life he once had and his new life as a ghoul.
Throughout his struggles, he experiences horrific torture and endless suffering, the psychological effects of it all turning him into a true monster. No matter how hard he fights, his pain never leaves him as he desperately searches for a place to belong.
7 Death And Destruction Ravages Humanity In Attack On Titan
Humanity lives in fear in Attack on Titan, and every day is a fight to survive as horrific giants terrorize the land. While the series has gained mainstream popularity since its release, the very premise guarantees a depressing and soul-crushing experience.
Everything that Eren and the Survey Corps fight for feels more and more hopeless as the series progresses, and each episode brings down a hammer of despair on the audience. No matter how hard they fight, there seems to be no hope for humanity in this grim series.
6 Life Is A Struggle For Everyone In Dororo
While Hyakkimaru may have it worse than most in the series, nearly everyone in Dororo experiences continuous suffering. Many wander the land, desperate for survival. Even the lord Daigo Kagemitsu is desperate enough to turn to demons and sacrifice his own son for the sake of prosperity.
As Hyakkimaru journies to reclaim his body, everyone he meets is struggling, including young Dororo, an orphan forced to steal to get by. As the series progresses, death is found at every turn. It presents an unforgiving world where no one is safe from suffering, no matter how important they are.
5 Love And Jealousy Have Violent Consequences In School Days
For the unsuspecting viewers, School Days starts out innocently enough. On the surface, it appears to be just like any other high school romance, filled with love, laughs, and a good bit of drama. However, nothing is how it appears in this series, as the characters become entangled in a web of lies and obsession.
With a long list of horrifying moments and one of the most despicable protagonists in the history of anime, the series has forever earned a spot in anime infamy. Despite the pain and psychological torture he causes, the horrible and selfish actions of Makoto Itou come back to bite him in the worst way in a scene that anime fans will never forget.
4 Every Character Has A Tragic Past In Elfen Lied
No one is safe from suffering in the classic horror series Elfen Lied. Just about every character has been scarred mentally or physically in some way. The Diclonius easily suffer the most, being persecuted by humanity, captured, tortured, and experimented on in the name of "research." However, humans aren't safe from suffering any more than the Diclonius. Series protagonist Kouta suffers trauma and memory loss due to witnessing the brutal murder of his family in childhood.
Meanwhile, every character he meets throughout the series has suffered some form of abuse, neglect, or torture. From start to finish, it is brutal and hard to watch. Anyone looking for a happy ending might want to skip this series.
3 Being A Magical Girl Is Not What It Seems In Puella Magi Madoka Magica
The deconstruction of the magical girl genre is not a new concept, but no other series does it in such a memorable way as Puella Magi Madoka Magica. The wishes of young girls can come true, just as long as they accept the task of becoming magical girls. On the surface, it seems like a win-win situation. Not only do they have their wishes granted, but they also gain extraordinary powers to achieve those wishes.
Little do they know that accepting the role of a magical girl comes with endless suffering. As Madoka and her friends weigh their options, they slowly realize the despair they've unleashed onto themselves. Unfortunately, by then, it's far too late.
2 Life Goes From Mundane To Horrific In Higurashi: When They Cry
They say never to judge a book by its cover, and Higurashi: When They Cry is the very epitome of this sentiment. When Keiichi Maebara first moves to Hinamizawa, life seems ordinary and innocent. However, when he learns of the many murders and disappearances around town, things take a quick turn for the worst.
The series gets very dark, very fast, plunging deep into fear and paranoia. There are multiple arcs throughout, and each one puts the audience into a new scenario of horrors. Despite its unassuming appearance, Higurashi is nothing but bleak until the end.
1 Nothing But Death Awaits The Students In Corpse Party: Tortured Souls
It is easy to assume that Corpse Party: Tortured Souls is an agonizing series, just from the name alone. After a group of friends performs a paper doll charm ritual together, they find themselves transported to Heavenly Host Academy, an unsettling elementary school trapped within an alternate dimension. With no way out, the friends are picked off one by one by the vengeful spirits that haunt the school.
The 4-episode miniseries is a horrifying watch from start to finish, filled with gory deaths and a hopeless outcome for each character. Almost everyone meets a horrific end in this gruesome series, and even the last survivors are left permanently damaged in a very unsettling ending.