With 2024 concluding, we have got some of the most jaw-dropping anime series that challenged our imagination. From Grimm Variations to Tokyo Ghoul, many darkest anime brought a fresh wave of stories, breaking the shackles of cutesy romance and lighthearted comedy. Some series are so dark that fans cannot even get enough of it. The list contains top anime series that are darker than night and deeper than the oceans. These series are all-time favorites, even though some have amazingly made it to the list despite being released decades ago.
Let find take down every detail about these dark anime series.
Chainsaw Man
One of the dark anime series that brought both humor and the darkest thrillers onboard. The season was an instant hit, but each episode is still fresh in our eyes. A universe where humans fuse into objects and become lethal is something completely unexpected. With such a huge fan following, the fans are eagerly waiting for season 2. The makers are bringing a movie to ease the hype among fans. It’s available on Crunchyroll.
Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan is the darkest anime for several important reasons. With its first episode out, it was one of the darkest scenes seen in any anime before. Eren’s world is serene, small, and not horrible. He lives with his family in the Walls, and while he is inquisitive about the world beyond them, he is reasonably content with them. It changes in no time when a Colossal Titan and the Armored Titan demolish Wall Maria, letting in all the Titans and the slaughter game begins.
Also Read- Top 10 Most Mysterious Aliens in Dandadan, Ranked by Power
Blue Gender
In Blue Gender, humanity faces destruction at the hands of ruthless aliens. Survival appears futile as protagonist Yuji Kaido navigates a world in which death lurks around every corner. The bleak outlook on human life, combined with the constant development of the alien danger, creates a terrible sense of pessimism. It’s available on Prime Video.
Dororo
Osamu Tezuka, the ‘God of Manga’, developed Dororo, one of the first mature anime programs. The series is fundamentally dismal. Dororo, the main character, is a thief who meets the other protagonist, Hyakkimaru.
Hyakkimaru was born with no eyes, ears, limbs, or internal organs, forcing him to live a life of blindness and misery. He was born with so many diseases because his father, the land’s governor, made a deal with multiple demons to achieve significant power by sacrificing his son to them.
The Grimm Variations
Grimm Variations may sound a little out of the box, but the juxtaposition of the anime with old English fairytales changed the idea of folklore. Various folklore like Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Pied Piper, etc., which are children’s stories, were completely changed. The Grimm variations that the series brought something that made it a dark anime. Its available on Netflix.
Also Read- Jujutsu Kaisen: 10 Most Iconic Moments
Happy Sugar Life
Happy Sugar Life begins as a slice-of-life story until revealing its disturbing heart of infatuation and exploitation. Satou Matsuzaka’s spiral into lunacy, driven by a perverted infatuation, throws a terrifying shadow over youthful innocence.
Tokyo Ghoul
This darkest anime revolves around Ken Kaneki, a college student who narrowly escapes a fatal encounter with his date, Rize Kamishiro, who reveals herself to be a ghoul. He’s brought to the hospital in critical condition. After recovering, Kaneki realizes that he underwent surgery that changed him into a half-ghoul.
This was accomplished by transferring some of Rize’s organs into his body, and he must now consume human flesh to survive, just like any other ghoul. The ghouls who own the coffee shop Anteiku take him in and educate him on how to cope with his new existence as a half-ghoul.
Some of his struggles include fitting in the ghoul society but also keeping his identity hidden from his humans, especially from his best friend Hideyoshi Nagachika.
His daily problems include fitting in with ghoul society and keeping his identity disguised from his human companions, particularly his best friend Hideyoshi Nagachika.
Also Read- Top 15 Most Legendary Heroes in My Hero Academia, Ranked by Strength
Jujutsu Kaisen
The series may seem very adventurous and packed with action sequences, but it’s still one of the darkest anime to date. A boy swallows a cursed amulet, a demon’s finger, and becomes cursed. He enters a special school to find the demon’s other body parts and later exorcises himself but its not what you thing happens. The fans love it, and hence season 3 is something that they are waiting for impatiently. Its available on Netflix and Crunchyroll.
Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories
Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories is ideal for fans who enjoy Japanese mythology and scary urban folklore. The dark anime follows an elderly guy who wears a creepy yellow mask and comes to a playground to tell horror stories to children using his kamishibai, a type of traditional Japanese paper theater. They were prevalent in Japan before the advent of comics and film.
Also, Read-Top 20 strongest devil fruit in one piece ranked
Black Butler
Black Butler is one of the best gothic anime series for adults who want darkly sophisticated humor and anime stories that tackle some of the most controversial topics. Specifically, a young kid named Ciel sells his soul to the demon Sebastian in exchange for vengeance on those who damaged his life.
On the outside, they appear to be a young genius and his dedicated butler, but Sebastian is just looking forward to the day when he may feast on Ciel’s soul. As they investigate some of the deadliest crimes in Victorian London, Ciel waits for his enemies to get what they deserve. Despite the horrific nature of the situation, things become more convoluted as Ciel and Sebastian get to know each other. There is more to the show than hostility and gore.
Which ones are your favorites? Comment below the post.
