Mystery arouses curiosity among the audience and makes them wait and crave more such series. None can entirely be watching a film or series with hidden meanings until they have got all of their answers. Dark anime is one of those excellent forms that almost everyone loves.
We witness some comic or fictional anime, but what if you get to witness horror, thrills, and fictional characters that seem to be accurate in a single series? Dark Anime Series is one of them. Secrets, mysteries, and animation are essential aspects of dark anime series, and nowadays, audiences love to watch such mature anime.
Anime fans have evolved with contemporary human nature, and thus psychological anime has been able to make a place of its own. The main characters in these horror or dark anime series have their dark side that enhances the overall plot.
With the new trend and demand, the dark world is being loved, and dark stories with intense psychological twists are witnessed in several series. It is impossible to mention all of them, so here is a list of 50 gruesome anime or unique dark anime series.
50. Ergo Proxy
- Genres: Anime, Adventure, Cyberpunk
- Languages: Japanese, English
- Program creator: Dai Sato
Dark anime series Ergo Proxy ran for 23 episodes from February 25, 2006, to August 12, 2006. It takes place in a dystopian world where there has been a severe ecological crisis. The last remnants of human civilization are located in the desolate city of Romdo.
49. Classroom Of The Elite
- Genres: Anime, Psychological thriller, Suspense, Ensemble cast
- First episode date: 12 July 2017 (Japan)
- Language: Japanese
Dark anime series Classroom of the Elite ran for 12 episodes between July 12 and September 27, 2017. A seemingly perfect high school is depicted in the series, but it may not be as amazing as it seems. The amenities that Koudo Ikusei Senior High School offers to its students make it a respectable organization.
48. Texhnolyze
- Characters: Ichise, Kazuho Yoshii, Keigo Onishi, Bunken Kohakura, Haruhiko Toyama, Ran, Inui, Shinji
- Genres: Drama, Cyberpunk, Psychological thriller, Surrealist cinema, Animation
- Language: Japanese
Dark anime Texhnolyze, 22 episodes long, aired from April 17, 2003, to September 25, 2003. The anime series, stylized as TEXHNOLYZE, is distinctive because it is an experimental one. The television show is set in Lux, an artificially constructed underground city that is disintegrating.
47. No. 6
- Genres: Anime, Drama, Dystopia, Mystery, Action/Adventure, Animation
- First episode date: 7 July 2011
- Networks: Noitamina, Fuji TV
- Language: Japanese
No. 6 is a dark anime that aired for 11 episodes between July 8 and September 16, 2011. The show shows a world recovering from the devastation of a brutal war. After the war that nearly destroyed it ended, humanity had finally found refuge in the six-city state of No. 6.
46. Metropolis
- Release date: 26 May 2001 (Japan)
- Director: Rintaro
- Screenplay: Katsuhiro Otomo
The shounen dark anime movie Metropolis was released on May 26, 2001. The film, which is based on a manga series of the same name, depicts a dystopian society in which robots and people coexist. The sophisticated sense of prejudice and the idea of justice that are presented in Metropolis are two things that make it unique.
45. Another
- Author: Yukito Ayatsuji
- Genres: Mystery, Horror fiction, Tragedy
- Original language: Japanese
Another is a 12-episode dark anime that aired from January 10 to March 27 of that same year. The supernatural and horrifying aspects of the anime make it a favorite among fans of the paranormal. The anime is based on a murder that occurred in Yomiyama in 1972 and left the community feeling uneasy.
44. Mirai Nikki
- Author: Sakae Esuno
- Genres: Shonen manga, Romance, School story, Detective/Mystery
A shounen dark anime called Mirai Nikki, or Future Diary in English, is produced. 26 episodes of the show were broadcast between October 9, 2011, and April 15, 2012. The sequel is titled Mirai Nikki: Redial. The story of Yukiteru Amano, a lone high school student, is the focus of the television series.
Yukiteru uses his cellphone as a diary during the day. He communicates with Deus Ex Machina and Murmur, two of his alleged imaginary friends, through these entries. They are real, though! Murmur is Deus Ex Machina’s servant, and Deus Ex Machina is the God of Time and Space.
43. Goblin Slayer
- Language: Japanese
- Program creators: Takanori Aki, Ken Ashida, Asuka Yamazaki, Yoshikuni Murata, Masahide Tsuji, Kunihiro Kitamura
These creatures would be destroyed by brave individuals known as adventurers. Unlike most explorers, who thought goblins were too frail, our protagonist disagrees. He is one of the best-ranked adventurers. But all of his attention is on killing goblins. Goblin Slayer is a gritty story of adventure and violence that is sure to satisfy viewers.
42. Le Chevalier D’Eon
- Genres: Anime, Thriller, Dark fantasy, Animation
- Program creator: Tow Ubukata
24 episodes make up the seinen dark anime Le Chevalier D’Eon. Between July 2, 2006, and February 23, 2007, the anime was broadcast. It takes place against the backdrop of France in the eighteenth century. One day, a coffin floats down the Seine, shocking Parisians.
The body of a noblewoman named Lia de Beaumont is inside the coffin. Lia was the sister of Charles d’Eon, a recent knighted spy for King Louis XV. Charles is horrified by her sister’s death and decides to look into it after connecting it to other disappearances that have happened in the city.
41. Selector Infected WIXOSS
- Director: Takuya Satō
- First episode date: 3 April 2014 (Japan)
- IMDb Ratings: 6.2/10
Infected Selector Dark anime WIXOSS, which ran for 12 episodes between April 4 and June 20, 2014, was released. The card game WIXOSS, in which players compete against one another, serves as the inspiration for the anime. They have support from fighters known as LRIGs.
The narrative of Ruuko Kominato is followed in the series. When Ruuko receives a deck of WIXOSS, her life is forever altered. She has transformed into a unique class of player known as a Selector; it is revealed. She must compete for the opportunity to have her deepest desires fulfilled.
40. Genocyber
- Director: Koichi Ohata
- Writer: Tony Takezaki
- Cast: Rosemary Elliot as Diana, Stuart Milligan as Davey, William Roberts as Kenneth, Vincent Bagnall, Louis Atlas as Ryu, David Berberian, Colin Bruce as Sakomizu.
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
The story revolves around a mad scientist trying his best to combine the powers of Elaine, a mute girl, and her sister, Diana, a handicap to start the Genocyber itself.
Unfortunately, he cares more about power than anyone’s life, and Elaine also unintentionally and unwillingly gets dragged into his plot. The series is disturbing at a point, but no one can deny that it is one of the best dark anime ever produced.
39. Gunslinger Girl
- Directed by: Morio Asaka
- Writer: Junki Takegami
- Cast: Eric Vale, Laura Bailey, Caitlin Glass, Alesa Watson, Colleen Clinkenbeard, Ami Koshimizu, Jim Foronda, John Burgmeier, Troy Baker
- IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
- Where to Watch: Netflix, Funimation
Gunslinger Girl anime has a dark story that often has offended many viewers. The story shows how the Social Welfare Agency of Italy takes young girls from the hospitals and provides them with life once again.
The story focuses on how the teenage girls are provoked and trained to work for the government officials and turned into killers or assassins. It is a popular dark anime series and shows how cruel human nature can be.
38. Blue Literature Series
- Director: Morio Asaka, Tetsuro Araki, Shigeyuki Miya, Ryosuke Nakamura, Atsuko Ishizuka
- Writer: Satoshi Suzuki, Ken Iizuka, Mika Abe, Sumino Kawashima, Atsuko Ishizuka, Yuji Kobayashi
- Cast: Aya Endo as Mitsuki, Aya Hisakawa as Shizuko, Hidenobu Kiuchi as Takada, Rikiya Koyama as K, Houko Kuwashima as Ojousan, Mamoru Miyano as Kandata, Nana Mizuki as Akiko.
- IMDb Ratings: 7.6/10
- Where to Watch: 9anime
This anime series comprises of adaptation of half a dozen of Japanese classics. There are several plots from different classes included: No Longer Human, In the Forest, Under the Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom, The Spider’s Thread. It is one of the most popular and love dark anime to date and is genuinely worth watching.
37. Full Metal Panic
- Director: Koichi Chigira
- Writer: Fumihiko Shimo
- Cast: Tomokazu Seki as Sousuke Sagara, Satsuki Yukino as Kaname Chidori, Jason Douglas, Yukana as Teletha, Ikue Kimura as Kyoko, Shin’ichiro Miki as Kurz Weber, Michiko Neya as Melissa Mao, Akio Otsuka.
- IMDb Ratings: 7.7/10
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Funimation, Hulu
This series has a well-fabricated plot that has been adapted in several other media. The story is about Sousuke Sgara and Kaname Chidori. Sousuke is a member of the Mithril who is given the charge to safeguard Kaname Chidori, a young teenage yet easily angered Japanese schoolgirl. It also highlights the tensions between the two, is full of crude humor, and is labeled a dark anime.
36. Higurashi: When They Cry
- Director: Chiaki Kon
- Writer: Toshifumi Kawase
- Cast: John Snyder as Detective Oishi, Megan Hollinshed as Mion Sonozaki, Rebecca Forstadt as Rika Farude, Soichiro Hoshi as Keiichi Maebara, Mai Nakahara as Rena Ryugu, Satsuki Yukino as Mion Sonozaki.
- IMDb Ratings: 7.9/10
- Where to Watch: Hulu, Funimation, Netflix
The series is full of horror, and intense thrill as revelations are made and the plot progresses. The story focuses on the mysterious incidents happening in the village of Hinamizawa.
A group of friends is mainly focused upon, and stories are narrated with their perspectives and experiences. It is revealed that in the Cotton Drifting Festival that happened in the Watanagashi night, a series of murders or deaths occurred that had created a panic among the dwellers.
35. Monster
- Director: Masayuki Kojima
- Writer: Tatsuhiko Urahata
- Cast: Hidenobu Kiuchi as Kenzou Tenma, Liam O’Brien as Kenzou Tenma, Mamiko Noto as Anna Liebert, Karen Strassman as Anna Liebert, Nozomu Sasaki as Johan Liebert, Tsutomu Isobe as Heinrich.
- IMDb Ratings: 8.7/10
- Where to Watch: Amazon Prime, Netflix
Monster is another brilliant dark anime that will give you goosebumps. The series depicts Kenzo Tenma, a great surgeon by profession from Germany.
Everything seemed to be going well for him until he knew about Johan Liebert. Johan Liebert was one of his patients in the past days, and now it gets revealed that he is a murderer, a serial killer. This series deals with several dark and mature themes and psychological elements.
34. Red Garden
- Director: Kou Matsuo
- Writer: Tomohiro Yamashita, Mari Okada
- Cast: Kara Greenberg as Calire Forrest, Melissa Davis as Kate Ashley, Brittney Karbowski as Rose Sheedy, Maggie Flecknoe as Rachel Benning, Adam Jones, Mariela Ortiz, Jacob A. Gragard, Eden J. Barrera, Shelley Calene Black as Lula
- IMDb Ratings: 7.4/10
- Where to Watch: Funimation, Crunchyroll, Gogoanime
Red Garden is a unique series that revolves around girls, namely Kate, Rachael, Rose, and Claire, who goes to a private school in New York. One day they all came to know that they were dead and had to work for an organization named Animus. The mystery then starts to know what happened to them, and the girls try out their best.
The story is quite different than the other series in this anime world, and the fantasy world created here will make you believe that it is all true.
33. No Longer Human
- Director: Mika Ninagawa
- Writer: Kaeko Hayafune
- Cast: Yudai Chiba as Kaoru Ota, Tatsuya Fujiwara as Ango Sakaguchi, Kengo Kora as Yukio Mishima, Rie Miyazawa as Michiko Tsushima, Ryo Narita as Junichi Sakura, Fumi Nikaido as Tomie Yamazaki.
- IMDb Ratings: 5.5/10
- Where to Watch: Netflix
No Longer Human is one of the most popular dark anime series that shows the protagonist as a pang of hunger for lust. Dazai Osama is a famous man in Japan who excelled at writing novels and is loved and respected in general. But everyone has dark elements within themselves, and so is he.
Dazai is a married man, yet he craves other women. Apart from his wife, he also indulges in a physical relationship with two other women. This dark new twist gives it a new dimension and thus a famous dark anime.
32. Perfect Blue
- Director: Akihiro Karaki, Mineya Tanaka, Masashi Asami
- Writer: Junya Yamazaki, Yuya Takahashi
- Cast: Miori Takimoto as Kayoko Hasumi, Aya Hirayama as Nana Kimizuka, Kensei Mikami as Shunichi Miyamoto, Kumiko Shratori as Momoko Nagashima, Taishi Nakagawa as Shinya Morooka, Haori Takahashi as Itoko Hasumi.
- IMDb Ratings: 6.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 80%
- Watch Netflix, Google Play, Vudu, Amazon Instant Video, iTunes.
Perfect Blue depicts Hasumi Kayoko as the protagonist who is a rookie investigator by profession in Hasumi Detective Agency and is excellent at detecting lies. Her adept skills let her know who is guilty and who is not.
Her mother, Kyoko, is the agency’s director, and both of them go to find out what let Kayoko’s father commit suicide 7 years back. Several mysteries make the audience watch it without getting bored.
31. Magical girl Specs-Ops Asuka
- Director: Hideyo Yamamoto
- Writer: Makoto Fukami, Norimitsu Kaiho
- Cast: Trina Nishimura as Asuka, Lara Woodhull as Sacchu, Sara Ragsdale as Kurumi, Christopher Sabat as Iizuka, Morgan Berry as Nozomi, Jad Saxton as Shima, Colleen Clinkenbeard as Kaede, Bryn Apprill as Sayoko.
- IMDb Ratings: 6.4/10
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
This series is all about girl power and is full of actions and excitement. The story focuses on how a race popular as Disas has created a lot of chaos and trouble for the Earth dwellers. To help them, spirits hailing from other worlds extend their helping hand and form an alliance with Earth and provide confident girls a sort of supernatural power to fight with the Disas.
Asuka Otori is the main protagonist of this series. She was trying to lead a peaceful life after the war was over, but it seems she must be ready to witness an upcoming one.
30. Vinland Saga
- Director: Shuhei Yabuta
- Writer: Hiroshi Sugita, Kenta Ihara
- Cast: Naoya Uchida as Askeladd, Kenichiro Matsuda, Yuto Uemura, Atsushi Ono, Shizuka Ishigani as Thorfinn, Akio Otsuka, and more
- IMDb Rating: 8.8/10
- Where to Watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video.
Vinland Saga shows several past events or historical accounts. The anime depicts Thorfinn as the protagonist who is determined to seek revenge for his father’s death and has to have an honorable death. He is a warrior and thus wants to pay his father homage by dying during a duel.
The anime is highly praised for depicting how once a blood-thirsty man changes into someone who aims to bring peace by any means and even seeks redemption for all his wrongdoings in the past.
29. Hellsing Ultimate
- Director: Umanosuke Iida, Yasunori Urata
- Writer: Chiaki J. Konaka
- Cast: Katie Gray, Crispin Freeman as Alucard, Victoria Harwood, Ralph Lister as Walter C. Dornez, Joji Nakata as Alucard, Fumiko Orikasa as Seras Victoria, Yoshiko Sakakibara, Gildart Jackson.
- IMDb Ratings: 8.3/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 95%
- Where to Watch: Netflix, Hulu, Funimation, iTunes
There are many series with Vampires, and so is Hellsing Ultimate. In this series, Alucard is the protagonist whose aim is to save the people of Cheddar Town.
He will also let Seras Victoria choose whether she wants to die or live as a Vampire. He also engages in combat with a Vatican priest named Alexander Anderson. So, there are several twists and turns in the story, and it is a famous dark anime to date.
28. Fate/Zero
- Directed by: Ei Aoki
- Writer: Akira Hiyama, Akihiro Yoshida
- Cast: Crispin Freeman as Kirei Kotomine, Kari Wahlgren as Saber, Rikiya Koyama as Kiritsugu Emiya, Ayako Kawasumi as Saber, sayaka Ohara as Irisviel, Joji Nakata as Kirei Kotomine, Bridget Hoffman.
- IMDb Rating: 8.3/10
- Watch it on: Hulu, Netflix
Fate/Zero is all the competition of mages to win the Holy Grail, which can fulfill any wish. Seven mages call for 7 Heroic Spirits to participate in the Holy Grail War for their respective mages.
Among these 7 mages was a man who had an existential crisis and had no aim or goal to fulfill in life. There are ample mysteries to witness, but all of them get resolved in the end, so do not forget to watch this dark anime series.
27. Dororo
- Director: Kazuhiro Furuhashi
- Writer: Yasuko Kobayashi
- Cast: Jason Douglas, Rio Suzuki as Dororo, Mugihito, Chaney Moore as Dororo, Adam Gibbs as Hyakkimaru, Hiroki Suzuki as Hyakkimaru, Ty Mahany as Jukai, Mutsumi Sasaki as Biwamaru, James Belcher as Biawamaru.
- IMDb Ratings: 8.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 65%
- Where to Watch: Amazon Prime
If you want thrill, horror, and adventure in a single dark anime, then Dororo is an excellent choice. The series revolves around Dororo, who is a thief.
While trying a rob a group of men, he gets caught but is fortunately rescued by Hyakkimaru. The two seemed to like each other since their first meeting, and from then onwards, Dororo helps Hyakkimaru find his part that is under the grasp of the demons.
26. Death Note
- Director: Tetsuro Araki
- Writer: Toshiki Inoue
- Cast: Mamoru Miyano as Light Yagami, Brad Swaile as Light Yagami, Vincent Tong as Touta Matsuda, Ryo Naito as Touta Matsuda, Trevor Devall as Shuichi Aizawa, Brian Drummond as Ryuk, Naoya Uchida as Soichiro Yagami.
- IMDb Ratings: 9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 95%
- Where to Watch: Netflix, Hulu, Crunchyroll
Tokyo seems to be the center of chaos in this series as well. The story depicts how Light Yagami, the protagonist finds a notebook named Death Note which is not an ordinary notebook but a special one. The notebook can kill people, but to do so, the user must know the name of the killer and his face as well. T
he light uses it to kill criminals. Light also knows that it belongs to Ryuk, who can be seen by the one who has used the notebook. The series is fascinating to watch, and thus Death Note has been included in the list of Darkest anime.
25. Talentless Nana
- Director: Shinji Ishihira
- Writer: Fumihiko Shimo
- Cast: Rumi Okubo as Nana Hiiragi, Yuichi Nakamura as Kyouya Onodera, Stephen Fu as Kyoya Onodera, Michelle Marie as Nana Hiiragi, Mai Nakahara as Michru Inukai.
- IMDb Ratings: 7.0/10
- Where to Watch: Funimation, Gogoanime
The story revolves around a group of students, most of whom possess supernatural abilities except Nanao Nakajima and are thus ridiculed by the rest. Two newcomers also join the class: Kyoka Onodera and Nana Hiirahi, who can read minds and help Nanao greatly. It is a psychological thriller and suspense series.
24. Gantz
- Director: Ichiro Itano
- Writer: Masashi Sogo
- Cast: Hiroshi Kamiya as Masanobu Hojou, Daisuke Namikawa as Kei Kurono, Chris Patton as Joichiro Nishi, John Swasey as Naozumi Saito, Chris Ayres as Kei Kurono.
- IMDb Ratings: 7.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 50%
- Where to Watch: Netflix, Prime Video, 9anime
Gantz is a popular dark anime series that shows how people who have died are brought back to life to fight criminals on Earth. They are given life by a black ball named Gantz. It is a highly intriguing series that develops and arouses more interest as the plot progresses.
The story mainly highlights two friends, Kei Kurono and Kato Masaru, who might or might not have been killed in an accident while saving a man.
23. Paranoia Agent
- Director: Satoshi Kon
- Writer: Seishi Minakami
- Cast: Shozo Izuka as Keiichi Ikari, Toshihiko Seki as Mitsuhiro Maniwa, Mamiko Noto as Tsukiko Sagi, Michael McConnohie as Keiichi Ikari, Liam O’Brien as Mitsuhi Maniwa.
- IMDb Ratings: 8.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 100%
- Where to Watch: Netflix, Funimation, Crunchyroll
This is a crime thriller under the genre of dark anime where a designer once gets attacked by two boys. The case is handed over to two police detectives named Keiichi Ikari and Mitsuhiro Maniwa, but they think she is simply lying.
The attack becomes popular as Lil’ Slugger and is blamed for crimes in Tokyo city, but no one knows who the culprit is. The police now must find the truth and culprit behind these incidents.
22. Jormungand
- Directed by: Keitaro Takahashi
- Writer: Yosuke Kuroda
- Cast: Anastasia Munoz as Koko, Carli Mosier, Christopher Bevins, Shizuka Ito, Hitoshi Yanai, Unsho Ishizuka as Lehm, Mutsumi Tamura as Jonah, Sayaka Ohara.
- IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
- Watch it on: Hulu, Amazon Prime
This series depicts Koko Hekmatyar as an arms dealer associated with the export of weapons under HCLI. It is an illegal operation, and there is constant smuggling on
She is not alone but is supported by several of her companions. She is a natural beauty, and the overall execution of the plot with well-fabricated characters has made this series a famous and of the most brilliant darkest anime series.
21. Bokura no
- Director: Hiroyuki Morita
- Writer: Mohiro Kitoh
- Cast: Akira Ishida as Coemushi, Ao Takahashi as Chizuru Honda, Daisuke Sakaguchi as Takashi Waku, Hiroki Touchi as Kokopelli.
- IMDb Ratings: 7.3/10
- Where to Watch: Funimation
Bokuro no is a highly thrilling anime series where a group of children gets to know about a man who has been living in a cave near the seashore. The man said to have developed a game where 15 robots save Earth from alien attacks and asked children to try their hands out.
The children agreed eagerly, but as they started playing, the game seemed horrific, and they did not know how to quit playing it.
20. Castlevania
- Director: Sam Deats, Adam Deats, Spencer Wan, Amanda Sitareh B.
- Writer: Warren Ellis
- Cast: Richard Armitage as Trevor Belmont, James Callis as Alucard, Grahan McTavish as Vlad Dracula Tepes, Alejandra Reynoso as Sypha Belnades, Tony Amendola as The Elder, Matt Frewer as The Bishop.
- IMDb Ratings: 8.3/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 89%
- Where to Watch: Netflix, Google Play, Vudu, Amazon Instant Videos, iTunes
If you want to watch some horror series under the genre of dark anime, then just go for Castlevania. In this series, the protagonist is Trevor Belmont, who will fight against all the demons to save humans. But unfortunately, the wife of Count Vlad Dracula Tepes was being held guilty of witchcraft.
So she killed them mercilessly, which angered Dracula to such an extent that he is now summoning demons to kill the citizens of Wallachia and Trevor, along with Alucard is the only one who can save humans.
19. Death Parade
- Director: Yuzuru Tachikawa, Jun Shishido
- Writer: Yuzuru Tachikawa
- Cast: Jamie Marchi as Woman, Asami Seto as Black-Haired Woman, Tomoaki Maeno as Decim, Anastasia Munoz, Alex Organ as Decim, Jad Saxton as Nona, Rumi Okubo as Nona, Koki Uchiyama as Clavis.
- IMDb Ratings: 7.9/10
- Where to Watch: Hulu, Netflix, Funimation
Death Parade is a dark anime psychological thriller where it shows that after one’s death, the person is to go to heaven or Hell, but here they are sent to a Quindecim at first.
The place is a bar that has an ample number of women to take care of the newcomers. They need to play a game, and Decim is the one who decides whether one must go to Hell or heaven.
18. Akame ga kill
- Director: Tomoki Kobayashi
- Writer: Makoto Uezu
- Cast: Soma Saito as Tatsumi, Corey Hartzog as Tatsumi, Sora Amamiya as Akame, Molly Searcy as Akame, Yu Asakawa as Leone, Risa Mizuno, Allison Keith- Shipp as Leone, Yukari Tamura as Mine.
- IMDb Ratings: 7.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 83%
- Where to Watch: Hulu Plus, Netflix
The story focuses on a young and simple village boy named Tatsumi who shifts to the Capital in search of some work to earn or raise money.
In his attempts to do so, he is recruited by an assassin group called the Night Raid, and they all start their journey to fight against the Empire that is already corrupted. The group goes through dangerous situations, which makes the series watch worthy.
17. Happy sugar life
- Director: Keizo Kusakawa Nobuyoshi
- Writer: Touko Machida
- Cast: Misaki Kuno as Koube Shio, Kana Hanazawa as Matsuzaka Satou, Natsuki Hanae as Mitsuboshi Taiyou, Kaito Ishikawa as Kitaumekawa Daichi, Kikuko Inoue as Satou no Oba, Yumiri Hanamori as Koube Asahi, Aya Suzaki as Hida Shouko.
- IMDb Ratings: 6.5/10
- Where to Watch: 9anime, Amazon Prime Video
This anime series is dark and focuses on a relationship that provides comfort more than love. The story highlights the love of Sato Matsuzaka, a teenage high school girl who falls in love with a mysterious girl named Shio, who her mother left.
It is a psycho horror series that lets Satou do anything, be it killing, stealing, or other crimes, to protect her feelings of love for Shio.
16. Black Bullet
- Director: Mayasuki Kojima
- Writer: Tatsuhiko Urahata
- Cast: Luci Christian as Enju Aihara, Yuki Kaji as Rentaro Satomi, Christina Marie Kelly as Kisara Tendo, Chris Patton as Rentaro Satomi, Caitlynn French as Tina Sprout, Tiffany Grant, Mark Laskowski.
- IMDb Ratings: 6.9/10
- Where to Watch: Netflix, Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime
If you plan to watch a dark anime series, then Black Bullet will be a great choice as you can easily relate to it in contemporary times. Covid has impacted the lives of humans a lot, and so did a virus name Gastrea in this series.
The series revolves around how the virus has already impacted all and what measures Rentaro, the protagonist, will take alongside his partner Enju to save Tokyo. It is a thrilling series that will surely entertain you.
15. Ghost in the Shell
- Director: Kenji Kamiyama
- Writer: Kenji Kamiyama
- Cast: Shiro Saito as Gondo, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as Major Motoko Kusanagi, William Frederick as Chief Daisuke, Richard Epcar as Batou, Crispin Freeman as Togusa, Peggy O’ Neil, Kari Wahlgren.
- IMDb Ratings: 8.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 89%
- Where to Watch: YouTube, Amazon
Ghost in the Shell is a thrilling anime series and one of the famous dark anime ever made. The story focuses on how people in the year 2030 use prosthetic bodies and are called cyborgs.
It is set in a fictional world where a female is the main protagonist set to hunt the Puppet Master and is being helped by her partner. The story is new and creates an atmosphere of horror throughout the whole story.
14. Casshern Sins
- Director: Shigeyasu Yamauchi
- Writer: Yasuko Kobayashi
- Cast: Toru Furuya as Casshern, Eric Vale as Casshern,Yuko Minaguchi as Ringo, Trina Nishimura as Luna, Akiko Yajima as Luna, Daniel Katsuk, Nami Miyahara as Lyuze, Cho as Ohji Gou Shinomiya as Robot.
- IMDb Ratings: 7.2
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 69%
- Where to Watch: Funimation, Apple iTunes, Amazon Video
Casshern Sins focuses on a world suffering from ruin, a kind of plague. Everyone blames Casshern, the protagonist, for destroying a robot, Luna, and causing a mishap. But the twist is Casshern himself does not know how he did kill the robot. Is the blame even justified? But the humans blame him, so there must be some trust behind it.
Casshern thus determines to find out the truth and also what has exactly let the plague occur and spread its havoc on the human world.
13. Elfen lied
- Director: Mamoru Kanbe
- Writer: Takao Yoshioka
- Cast: Sanae Kobayashi as Lucy, Chihiro Suzuki as Kota, Mamiko Noto as Yuka, Sam Saletta as Kohta, Kira Vincent-Davis, Cynthia Martinez as Mayu, Nancy Novotny as Yuka, Adam Conlon as Kohta.
- IMDb Ratings: 7.9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 100%
- Where to Watch: crunchyroll
Elfen Lied is a fresh and unique anime that deals with the concept of split personality and have successfully been able to portray it. The story revolves around Lucy, a split personality and a murderer, a serial killer who works for the government.
However, she looks innocent to everyone, and thus it is impossible to know who she is. She is also a mutant, but nothing reflects in her outward appearance.
12. Devilman: Crybaby
- Director: Masaaki Yuasa
- Writer: Ichiro Okouchi
- Cast: Koki Uchiyama as Akira Fudo, Ayumu Murase as Ryo Asuka, Griffin Burns as Akira Fudo, Kyle McCarley as Ryo Asuka, Christina Valenzuela as Miki Makimura, Megumi Han as Miki Makimura.
- IMDb Ratings: 7.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 85%
- Where to Watch: Netflix, Gogoanime
This series is the story of two boys who want to fight against the demons and save this beautiful world and its dwellers. Ryo is witnessed to be knowing that demons are living in the Amazon rainforest, and the government knows about it yet is taking no such step.
He tells all these to Akira, and the duo goes to showcase the existence of demons. This anime adaptation is excellent indeed, so try to watch it as soon as you can.
11. Hell girl
- Director: Takahiro Omori
- Writer: Kenichi Kanemaki
- Cast: Mamiko Noto as Ai Enma, Masaya Matsukaze as Ichimoku, Takako Honda as Hone Onna, Takayuki Sugo as Wanyudo, Brina Palencia as Ai Enma, R. Bruce Elliot as Wanyuudou, Kate Bristol.
- IMDb Ratings: 7.5/10
- Where to Watch: Netflix
Hell Girl is one of the most popular dark anime series where the anime portrays how a girl named Ai Enma, popular as Hell Girl comes and sends the antagonist to Hell. Several other companions accompany her. The plot of every episode remains the same, yet it is different from other anime series and thus has gained much popularity.
Hell Girl torments the antagonist, for which eventually his death happens, which is why it is labeled as one of the best dark anime series.
10. School Live
- Director: Masaomi Ando
- Writer: Norimitsu Kaiho
- Cast: Inori Minase as Yuki Takeya, Ari Ozawa as Kurumi Ebisuzawa, Mao Ichimichi as Yuuri Wakasa, Rie Takahashi as Miki Naoki, Ai Kayano as Megumi Sakura, Emiri Kato as Taromaru.
- IMDb Ratings: 7.2/10
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Netflix, Amazon Prime
Do you love zombie-related movies? School-Live will then be a great choice to watch. The story highlights how school students try to lead an everyday life amid chaos and critical situations. The series chiefly focuses on a cheerful young girl named Yuki who wants to enjoy life and the constant support of her friends to save her from Zombie attacks that are creating havoc in the city.
9. Terror in Resonance
- Director: Shinichiro Watanabe, Yuzuru Tachikawa
- Writer: Shoten Yano, Hiroshi Seko, Jun Kumagai, Kenta Ihara
- Cast: Kaito Ishikawa as Nine, Soma Saito as Twelve, Atsumi Tanizaki as Lisa Mishima, Shunsuke Sakuya as Kenjiro Shibazaki, Aaron Dismuke as Toji, Jad Saxton as Lisa Mishima, Robert McCollum as Kenjiro Shibazaki.
- IMDb Ratings: 7.9/10
- Where to Watch: Hulu, Netflix
Terror in Resonance is one of the best dark anime series ever produced and did raise a lot of criticism. The story revolves around two boys named Nine and Twelve. The anime shows how these two boys call themselves Sphinx and threaten to destroy Tokyo unless their riddle is solved.
It is one of the most thrilling dark anime and brings about a great deal of dark themes with its plot and execution of the role of the characters.
8. Tokyo Ghoul
- Director: Shuhei Morita
- Writer: Chuji Mikasano
- Cast: Mamoru Miyano. Fumika Shimizu as Touka Kirishima, Masataka Kubota as Ken Kaneki, Nozomi Sasaki as Kaya Irimi, j. Michael Tatum, Mackenyu as Sota, Kana Hanazawa, Shunya Shiraishi as Nishio Nishiki.
- IMDb Ratings: 7.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 71%
- Where to Watch: Netflix, Hulu, Google Play, iTunes, Amazon Instant Video
Tokyo Ghoul is a thrilling classic fantasy series and is one of the most popular dark anime series. It depicts a world that has both humans and human-eating monsters called ghouls. It mainly focuses on how Kaneki Ken, a college student almost killed by a ghoul, somehow manages to escape and save himself.
The dark twist in Tokyo Ghoul comes when he realizes that he is slowly turning into a ghoul yet runs away from them to avoid being turning into a ghoul.
7. Psycho-Pass
- Director: Naoyoshi Shiotani, Katsuyuki Motohiro
- Writer: Gen Urobuchi, Makoto Fukami, Aya Takaha
- Cast: Kana Hanazawa as Akane Tsunemori, Miyuki Sawashiro as Shion Karanomori, Takahiro Sakurai as Shougo Makishima,Shizuka Ito as Yayoi Kunizuka, Kenji Nojima as Nobuchika Ginoza.
- IMDb Ratings: 8.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 70%
- Where to Watch: Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix
Psycho-Pass is a well-fabricated plot that questions new technologies and inventions. The protagonist of this series is Akane Tsunemori, who joins the Police force and, like the rest, believes in the precognitive Sibyl System.
However, this anime explores the loss of trust over the Sibyl System when Akane encounters a criminal who can even trick the system. From then onwards, she starts believing the method of action more and is supported by an old inspector.
6. Taboo tattoo
- Director: Takashi Watanabe
- Writer: Mayori Sekijima, Masamitsu Otake
- Cast: Monica Rial as Izzy, Justin Briner as Justice, Christopher Bevins as Tom, Carli Mosier as Arya, J, Michael Tatum as BB, Jamie Marchi as Lisa Lovelock, Jad Saxton as Touko, Sarah Wiedenheft, Jeremy Schwartz as Wiseman.
- IMDb Ratings: 5.5/10
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, VRV, Apple iTunes, Microsoft Store
This series is a unique anime series ever produced. The series focuses upon Seigi, the main character who, on helping a man, gets a stone in return. As soon as he touches it, a strange tattoo appears on his palm, hence the title.
From then onwards, incidents surround him, and he indulges in conflicts that he never meant to witness ever.
5. God Eater
- Director: Takayuki Hirao
- Writer: Takayuki Hirao, Kei Tsunematsu
- Cast: Robbie Daymond as Lenka Utsugi, Cherami Leigh as Alisa Illinichina Amiella, Crispin Freeman as Soma Schicksal, Kira Buckland, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Patrick Seitz, Erika Harlacher, Wendee Lee.
- IMDb Ratings: 7.0/10
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Netflix
If you love action, then watching God Eater will be a good choice. The series shows how the world is on the brink of ending by the monsters known as Aragami. But, if it is evil, there ought to be good too. Fenrir, an organization, is the only one to save the world and fight against these monsters.
They used God’s Arcs, a kind of weapon to kill the monsters, and the ones who killed them were called God Eaters.
4. Boogiepop Phantom
- Director: Takashi Watanabe, Kenji Yasuda
- Writer: Sadayuki Murai
- Cast: Kaori Shimizu as Boogiepop, Crispin Freeman as Manticore, Rachael Lillis as Nagi, Bill Rogers, Megan Hollingshead as Akane, Jessica Calvello, Carol Jacobanis as Kanae, Corey Marshall, Amanda Goodman.
- IMDb Ratings: 7.3/10
- Where to Watch: Funimation, Crunchyroll
Boogiepop Phantom has a downright twisted atmosphere. An event seemed to have shocked humanity 5 years back, and though people know about it, no one does speak a word regarding it. Then, however, the event led to the gruesome murder of humans, and in the present age, people once again seemed to have started talking about it.
Every story is being placed, and now the story of Boogiepop once again gets all the focus. Will it happen again? Watch and get the answer.
3. Made in Abyss
- Director: Masayuki Kojima
- Writer: Hideyuki Kurata
- Cast: Miyu Tomita as Riko, Mariya Ise, Luci Christian as Reg, Brittany Lauda as Riko, Maaya Sakamoto, Shelley Calene-Black, Mutsumi Tamura as Nat, Manami Numakura as Shiggy.
- IMDb Ratings: 7.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 88%
- Where to Watch: Vudu, Netflix, Amazon Prime
The series depicts the hope of a young girl named Riko to search for her lost mother. She lives in Orth, near a considerable hole known as Abyss. The Cave Raiders often go there to find relics, and some of them were also given the title of White Whistles for their courage. One of them was Lyza, Riko’s mother, who assumed dead for failing to return.
Riko also wants to become a White Whistle and quest to find her mother and her companion Reg.
2. Attack on Titan
- Director: Tetsuro Araki, Masaki Koizuka, Yuchiro Hayashi, and Jun Shishido.
- Writer: Hajime Isayama
- Voice Cast: Yuki Kaji as Eren Yeager, Yui Ishikawa as Mikasa, Marina Inoue as Armin Arlert, Hiroshi Kamiya as Levi, Kisho Taiyama as Jean Kirstein, and many more.
- IMDb Rating: 9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 96%
- Where to Watch: Netflix, Hulu, Funimation Now, Crunchyroll.
This anime explores how giant creatures named Titans have made it crucial for humans to live. They kill or eat humans and want to make the human race extinct. Many people have already died, but the Titans want to end all of them.
A minimal number of humans have kept themselves safe and surrounded their land by building massive walls, but the Titans also demolish and kill Eren’s mother. Eren, from then, resolves to kill every titan.
1. Berserk 1997
- Director: Shin Itagaki
- Writer: Kentaro Miura
- Cast: Sean Schemmel, Kevin T. Collins, Nobutoshi as Guts, Ikuya Sawaki, Michelle Newman, Toshiyuki Morikawa as Griffith, Yuko Miyamura.
- IMDb Rating: 6.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 87%
- Where to watch: Crunchyroll, Funimation, Netflix.
Dark anime series is full of dark secrets, and so does Berserk. The anime shows the life of Guts, who had no family of his own and was raised by Gambino but was killed by Guts to protect himself. He is the main protagonist of this series, and his fearful reputation soon lets Griffith meet him.
Griffith eventually makes Guts fight for him, proving his worth and becoming his best soldier. Guts also achieve the title of The Black Swordsman. The anime shows their journey from then onwards.
Conclusion
The Dark anime series are highly intriguing and have brought about themes that were not favored by anyone before. Horror, fantasy, mysteries are pretty standard, but the combination of all and the hero turning as the culprit is both shocking as well as exciting to watch. It is high time to watch anime with mature themes to know all that can happen in life or happen in someone else’s.
The Vampire Hunter D, The Future Diary, Midori: Shoujo Tsubaki are also some dark anime that shows how a beautiful world can turn into something that one cannot even imagine. If you like dark anime, then let’s admit that you are a true anime fan and have great taste.
