Anime can be highly inspirational or deeply pessimistic, and some of the most fascinating programs are the ones that don't shy away from dark impulses. Sometimes an anime needs to ease into its wicked nature, while other series start in bleak places and only drag audiences further down into darkness.

Anime's mainstream boundaries keep getting pushed in ways where there's a higher tolerance for violence and darkness in the medium. A gutting betrayal or an admission of hatred can cut much deeper than any flesh wound.

Updated March 31 2024, by Daniel Kurland: The list has received various updates that have helped make it more up to date with CBR’s current style standards. The ratings and score tables have been updated and further fleshed out. Video trailers have been replaced with images and galleries, plus the links have been updated to reflect CBR’s most recent material. The entries have also been slightly amended and expanded upon.

This article discusses sensitive topics like extreme violence, abuse, and suicide.

25 Chainsaw Man Subjects Denji To Constant Pain & Heartache

Tatsuki Fujimoto's Chainsaw Man is one of the shōnen genre's "Dark Trio," so it shouldn't come as a surprise that it begins in cruel territory that only continues to kick its characters while they're down. Denji, Chainsaw Man's reluctant hero, begins the series with nothing other than a monumental debt to his name.

Denji becomes the revered Chainsaw Devil and gains a new lease on life through the violent execution of other Devils. However, Denji’s team of government Devil Hunters exposes him to constant pain and heartache. He's forced to watch his best friends perish, and those he trusts most of all, like Makima, are actually manipulating him for ulterior means. Denji is given hope for a better life and then has this hope crushed at every turn, making Chainsaw Man one of the best dark anime of recent memory.

24 An Average High Schooler Is Framed For Murder In Deadman Wonderland

Death game series have never been more popular, and Deadman Wonderland morbidly mixes a prison with an amusement park where massacres are the main attraction. Ganta Igarashi is a humble high schooler who gets framed for murdering his entire class, which sends him to this dark detention center that's privy to even greater horrors.

Beyond the endless bloodshed and psychological manipulation, Ganta doesn't even get closure on why he's been set up and that some of the people he's trusted most in life are actually his greatest enemies. Deadman Wonderland lacks a proper ending, which complements the anime's nihilism and the idea that victory is futile. It's a dark anime that doesn't try to make its viewers feel better by the end.

23 Berserk Follows Guts On A Relentless Quest For Revenge

Berserk is held in high-esteem as the premier "dark fantasy" series and it definitely lives up to this reputation. Guts is a stoic, suffering warrior who wields a gargantuan blade that nearly verges on the point of parody. Guts' roots depict an honorable soldier, but a lifetime of betrayal and bloodshed hardens him and puts him on a relentless quest for revenge.

The pivotal feud between Guts and former friend, Griffith, is devastating on its own. However, Guts takes on humanity's most vile individuals and malevolent demonic spirits who relish pain and perversion. Many sequences in Berserk, particularly the '17 anime, are genuinely hard to watch. For those who can stomach it, though, this makes Berserk one of the best, darkest anime choices.

22 The Promised Neverland Puts A Dark Twist On A Peaceful Orphanage

The Promised Neverland is a masterpiece of bold twists that recontextualizes a peaceful orphanage into a holding cell where children become food for terrifying monsters. A risky escape ensues that only further highlights how little Emma and her friends know about the world's dark realities.

They're thrust into a deadly existence that would be a lot for anyone to endure, let alone a group of pre-teens. A fumbled second season confirms that The Promised Neverland's manga is the superior way to experience this story. However, both evocative, thought-provoking seasons raise unruly questions about the state of mankind and if it's destined to expire, cementing The Promised Neverland's position as a great dark anime.

21 Kaneki's Violently Pulled Between Two Different Worlds In Tokyo Ghoul

Tokyo Ghoul is set in a dangerous world that's divided between humans and flesh-eating ghouls, which have become an increasing scourge on society. Kaneki Ken is an ordinary teenager who gets viciously wounded in this dark anime's first episode, and would be dead if not for a serendipitous organ transplant from a ghoul.

Kaneki survives, but must now spend his days as the first human-ghoul hybrid, which eats away at his psyche, destroys his identity, and pulls him between two very different worlds. His internal struggle never gets easier and concludes with him being transformed into an apocalyptic creature who stands no chance at returning to a normal existence. Tokyo Ghoul's 10th anniversary makes it the perfect time to revisit -- or check out for the first time -- this pitch black anime.

20 Blue Literature Explores The Idea That Humanity Is Inherently Flawed

Blue Literature, otherwise known as Aoi Bungaku, adapts six classic Japanese stories across a dozen episodes. Blue Literature receives some understandable criticism for the varying qualities between stories due to the different production teams that work on them, but they're unilaterally praised for telling mature stories in an anthology context.

Blue Literature digs deep into human psychology and posits that people are inherently flawed. This dark anime unpacks love affairs, betrayal, and free-floating suffering. The anime may only be a dozen episodes, but audiences need to be careful about binge-watching this series. Watching too many episodes in succession is guaranteed to bring down one's mood. No one leaves any Blue Literature episodes better off than when they started.

19 Inuyashiki & Hiro Are Turned Into Feared Cyborgs In Inuyashiki

Inuyashiki is a must-watch dark anime that accomplishes an incredible amount in only 11 episodes. Inuyashiki Ichiro, a neglected 58-year-old, and Hiro Shishigami, a volatile teenager, both get turned into unbelievable cyborgs after they witness the same mysterious extraterrestrial event. This metamorphosis turns Hiro into a terrifying, homidical threat, while Inuyashiki struggles to find the courage to end his reign of terror.

It's terrifying to see Hiro use his power to trap the nation in fear and accrue a hefty body count. Meanwhile, Inuyashiki struggles to accept himself as a worthy hero to take out this threat. There's an optimistic finish to Inuyashiki where both central characters find acceptance from their loved ones, but they're still forced to self-destruct themselves to take out a meteor and protect the greater good. It's a bittersweet finish in every regard.

18 ​Rainbow Centers Around Unfair Detainment Practices In The 1950s

Rainbow's title is meant to be ironic and highlight how the world is a grim place that's bereft of rainbows and pretty ideas. Rainbow kicks off with a warning about explicit content, and it certainly stays true to this promise. Rainbow's depiction of the incarceration and abuse of six junior delinquents in an unconventional reformatory school is hard to watch, even for seasoned anime drama fans.

These victims have each other to lean on, but their lives are otherwise void of joy. Set in the '50s, Rainbow takes advantage of the decade's unfair practices when it comes to detainment and rehabilitation. It's uncomfortable territory that shines an important light on an inhumane era that's since gotten better, but sadly not by much.

17 Innocent Children Become Obedient Soldiers In Terror In Resonance

Shinichiro Watanabe is best known for more playful anime like Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, and Space Dandy. However, Terror in Resonance is one of the director's strongest series because of its fearless look into terrorism and the ability to erase children's innocence through their transformation into compliant soldiers. Terrorism is rarely an optimistic topic for a series to handle, but endless nihilism pervades this tight 11-episode anime.

Terror in Resonance has a polarizing ending due to the death of Twelve, which many consider to be unfairly cruel. Terror in Resonance finds it necessary to push its story to the darkest point possible. It's full of crushing casualties that sadden the audience because it's the reality of these destructive stories. Terror in Resonance has no interest in placating or condescending to its crowd.

16 Serial Experiments Lain Tackles Society's Reliance On The Internet For Self-Identity

Serial Experiments Lain is a dark anime from the '90s that's incredibly prescient with its deconstruction of society's reliance on technology — specifically the Internet — when it comes to identity and community. Serial Experiments Lain begins in an emotionally sterile place as a young girl ends her own life and leaves plenty of her former friends, including Lain Iwakura, feeling numb.

Lain begins to receive posthumous e-mails from her fallen friend that lead her into the expansive virtual world of The Wired. Lain's own case of digital martyrdom is heartbreaking. However, Serial Experiments Lain ends on a bleak note that reiterates how the world is hopelessly addicted to digital connection. 25 years later, this phenomenon has only grown more debilitating.

15 Made In Abyss Looks Cute But Hides Mature Horrors Underneath

Made in Abyss is an extremely dark anime that's likely to disturb more audiences than intended. Its unassuming animation and art style make Made in Abyss look like a cheerful, kid-friendly adventure series. Admittedly, this child-like optimism is present in the show's protagonist, Riko, who stays hopeful in the face of tremendous loss. Unfortunately for Riko, she heads down an arduous path that only grows more depressing and is unlikely to have a happy ending.

Riko teams up with Reg, a robot boy, and a series of other unlikely creatures as they all descend further down the titular Abyss. A curse accompanies those who embark on this endeavor. Each new level of the Abyss represents progressively mature horrors. Made in Abyss is a masterclass in creeping dread and an uncomfortable energy intensifies in each passing episode.

14 Paranoia Agent Shows The Perspective Of Thirteen Different Victims

Satoshi Kon was one of anime's greatest psychological storytellers. His feature films, Perfect Blue and Paprika, are challenging, dark anime that are still seen as pivotal genre pieces. Paranoia Agent is Kon's singular television series, and it taps into deeper themes than what's possible in a single movie over the course of 13 episodes.

A mysterious assailant known only as Lil' Slugger terrorizes a community. Each Paranoia Agent episode is creatively filtered through a different victim's perspective. This allows the anime to portray the same threat in a contrasting light. Paranoia Agent is an enlightening look into the power of social phenomena and rumors, as they take on their own lives.

13 Monster's Tragedies Progressively Get Worse, As Does Dr. Tenma's Guilt

Monster is a dark anime that isn't afraid to ask complex questions without a clear right or wrong answer. Dr. Kenzo Tenma's decision to operate on a disadvantaged patient and save their life ends up securing the livelihood of a prolific serial killer. Tenma does the right thing and what his medical training has conditioned him to do. However, he worries that the one life that he's saved will lead to more deaths and a net loss for humanity.

Monster is patient and methodical in its pacing, but it still kicks off with dark deeds and losses. At 74 episodes, Monster has time to let its dark ideas properly develop. The true impact of guilt can be charted across Tenma as progressive tragedies occur. Monster is an enlightening deconstruction of guilt, responsibility, and the ripple effect of a single life.

12 Ai Is A Young Girl With Heavy Burdens In Wonder Egg Priority

A lot of modern anime have used entrenched genre tropes to deconstruct darker themes. Wonder Egg Priority is one of the more successful versions of this idea. The trauma that consumes Ai Ohto and the rest of her friends literally manifests into the gruesome monsters that they must eviscerate. These troubled youths must physically destroy their demons or be resigned to eternal emptiness.

This juxtaposition between magical girl fantasy and bleak melodrama is incredibly effective. The battles that these lost girls engage in are visually gorgeous sights to behold. Wonder Egg Priority works through metaphors, but right from this dark anime's first episode it's clear that Ai is burdened with heavy thoughts, especially for a young girl.

11 Nana's A Government Assassin Acting As A Transfer Student In Talentless Nana

Nana Hiiragi is the new kid at school. However, her biggest concerns involve assassination and the government's satisfaction rather than homework and her popularity with her classmates. While posing as their friend, Nana works towards her true goal while growing more remorseful, making Talentless Nana a complex and compelling dark anime.

Talentless Nana is a 13-episode dark anime where Nana, a government assassin, must take out the select "Talented" students who possess special powers. Talentless Nana is full of blood, guts, and guilt, all of which grow darker as Nana gets further along in her mission and racks up a higher body count. Audiences might hope that there's light at the end of Nana's tunnel. However, she only descends into blacker darkness.

10 Puella Magi Madoka Magica Deconstructs Traditional Magical Girl Tropes

The magical girl genre is a cheerful and optimistic style of anime storytelling. However, Puella Magi Madoka Magica uses these well-established tropes to tell a psychological horror story where magical girls are manipulated into eternal contracts that end in widespread destruction.

Madoka wrestles over whether she should accept this magical responsibility. As she weighs her options, she witnesses the deaths of her closest friends. The most crushing element of Puella Magi Madoka Magica is that it cleverly earns a happy ending, only to callously dismiss it at the last minute in favor of forever trapping its magical girls in endless conflict and misery. The Rebellion movie that follows the events of the anime only further cements Puella Magi Madoka Magica as one of the darkest anime of all time and its 2024 feature film, Walpurgisnacht: Rising, doesn't hold back.

9 Elfen Lied Sets Up, Then Destroys, A Happy Ending

The basic premise behind Elfen Lied conditions the audience to expect a happy ending. Kouta encounters a human-looking alien who's lost her memories but possesses extremely deadly psychic powers that threaten humanity's existence. Elfen Lied is a dark anime that constantly tortures its Diclonius test subjects, who are repeatedly told that they don't belong.

Kouta's efforts to provide these creatures with some sense of normalcy are way beyond his means. The Diclonius try their best, but their violent actions become increasingly heartbreaking. Elfen Lied chronicles years of abuse. It presents a grim finale that reinforces the dangers of the unknown rather than the importance of acceptance and understanding.

8 Happy Sugar Life's Protagonist Kidnaps A Child To Protect Her Innocence

Anime remains unparalleled is its ability to hide behind genre conventions and embrace a reassuring art style, only to pull the rug out from under the audience and create an experience that's deeply disturbing. At first glance, Happy Sugar Life looks like a cheerful slice-of-life series about two friends. However, it's actually a haunting tale of delusion, obsession, and manipulation that puts a child at its center.

Satou Matsuzaka is a highly unstable individual who kidnaps a young girl, Shio, after she becomes obsessed over the innocent child's purity. Happy Sugar Life is only 12 episodes, but death, abuse, and mental manipulation are par for the course in each installment. It's a dark, polarizing anime that's frequently hard to watch.

7 Texhnolyze's Protagonist Continues To Get Kicked While He's Down

Texhnolyze is an exercise in endurance that causes most audiences to tap out after its series premiere. The anime begins with Ichise, an entertainment fighter, falling onto harsh times that progressively kick him more once he's down. Ichise is forced to go on the run, losing vital pieces of himself in the process.

Texhnolyze is only 22 episodes, but there's enough dread and gloom to last double that length. Ichise is repeatedly confronted with proof that the world is a jaded, broken prison. As he tries to press on, he continuously loses important parts of himself, making Texhnolyze a dark anime that gets harder to watch as it progresses.

6 Future Diary Is A Bleak Cat-And-Mouse Game That Offers A Chance To Become God

Radical death games have become increasingly popular in anime, and dark anime like Future Diary deconstruct the corrupting nature of power. A group of teenagers are suddenly in the running to become an omnipotent being. This triggers a violent and bleak game of cat-and-mouse between the potential candidates.

Future Diary's premise is inherently depressing, but most of its cast are on the brink of losing themselves. It's genuinely tense as Yuki and Yuno progress further in this sordid game. The anime's grand finale can technically be seen as optimistic under certain conditions, but Yuki is resigned to an empty, lonely existence. It's hardly a "happy ending," by most standards.