Whether it be a fun slice of life for a relaxing watch or a fantasy show for a bit of escapism, there's an anime for everyone. However, there are thousands of great shows to choose from and although it's not ideal, often time, a book is judged by its cover.
When scrolling through cover art after cover art, it can be easy to pick an anime out purely for its aesthetic. However, looks can be deceiving, and sometimes, one can get more than they bargained for. Behind an adorable aesthetic or elegant art style can lie a much more sinister plot. Here are the top anime series that take viewers for an unexpectedly dark turn.
Updated on November 6, 2022 by Christine Mendoza: There will always be a market for darker-themed anime series that are a bit unsuspecting at the beginning; and with a few brand-new titles that have entered the scene, there are some new great shows to choose from.
In order to keep anime fans more up-to-date with this very niche genre, a few key titles (some old, some new) have been added for more variety. Along with each title, the series status, release year, and a number of current (released) episodes are listed for the convenience of the reader; with certain series being ongoing and only having their current season listed.
15 School-Live!
- Initial Release: 2015
- Episodes: 12
- Status: Finished
School-Live! revolves around the daily school life of cheerful protagonist Yuki Takeya and her friends, Kurumi, Yuri, and Miki. Yuki and her friends all attend Megurigaoka Private School and are all members of the school's Living Club.
While Yuki seems cheerful and carefree, enjoying the fun school activities, her friends are protecting her and shielding her from a dark secret she chose to turn a blind eye to. In reality, Yuki and her friends are all the sole survivors of a zombie outbreak within their city. Poor Yuki suffered a mental breakdown after the outbreak and has created her own version of reality to keep herself sane; believing her friends and family all to be safe and sound. Meanwhile, Yuki's friends are tasked with protecting her, going out on dangerous missions, and risking their lives just to live another day.
14 Tokyo Revengers
- Initial Release: 2021
- Episodes: 24
- Status: Ongoing
At the beginning it may seem as if protagonist Takemichi is a lucky guy, being able to relive the nostalgic moments of his youth once again but as Tokyo Revengers progresses, it's clear that there's a very dark reason he was suddenly sent back to the past.
The series begins with a joyful (yet confused) Takemichi time traveling back to his carefree middle school days when his friend group was still together and his first love, Hinata Tachibana, was still his sweetheart. Takemichi eventually realizes that the reason he had been sent back into time was to change the events of the past in order to prevent the murder of Hinata that would eventually happen sometime in the future. The series quickly shifts gears from a happy, nostalgic youth, to one filled with pain, loss, and dangerous gang fights.
13 Happy Sugar Life
- Initial Release: 2018
- Episodes: 12
- Status: Finished
With a name like Happy Sugar Life, the series comes off as a cheery, feel-good show to watch with the entire family; but in reality, its first impression couldn't be farther from the truth. Happy Sugar Life tells the story of Sato Matsuzaka, a high school student who one day befriends a young girl named Shio. Eventually, Sato becomes overly attached to the young Shio and takes her in to live with her after learning that Shio had been abandoned by her family.
The series and its cast deal with heavy subject matter as Sato's eventual obsession with Shio becomes violent and causes her to turn to various crimes as well as commit murder just to preserve her relationship with Shio. Happy Sugar Life deals with deeply traumatic subject matter despite its cutesy aesthetic, making sure audiences think twice before making any hasty assumptions based on quick first impressions.
12 Chainsaw Man
- Initial Release: 2022
- Episodes: 12
- Status: Ongoing
While Chainsaw Man doesn't exactly begin with sunshine and rainbows, it somehow turns its dark story into something even more sinister. The story revolves around Denji and his little pal, Pochita, who just happens to be a chainsaw devil. Being stuck in a life of debt, Denji and Pochita have nothing but each other and work on repaying their enormous debt by hunting devils.
After one day being betrayed by those Denji once trusted, he and Pochita find themselves fused together with Pochita sacrificing himself to become Denji's heart. After being given no choice but to join forces with the Public Safety Devil Hunters under the mysterious Makima's command, Denji somehow finds himself surrounded by bloodshed, grief, and tyranny, as he begins missing the simplicity of his old life.
11 Fruits Basket
- Initial Release: (First series) 2001/ (Second series) 2019
- Episodes: (First series) 26/ (Second series) 63
- Status: Finished
On the surface, Fruits Basket looks like a fun and relaxing slice-of-life anime about dating, school life, and the power of friendship, but protagonist Tohru Honda's story deals with surprisingly deep and heavy issues of life.
Initially, the series revolves around the Sohma family curse which entails twelve members of the family being possessed by Chinese Zodiac spirits. These specific members of the Sohma family are burdened with suddenly transforming into their zodiac animal against their will, making for some awkward interactions. While there are more fantastical aspects in the series, eventually, Tohru is faced with very real-life problems such as grief, family trauma, controlling emotions, and the acceptance of others.
10 School Days
- Initial Release: 2007
- Episodes: 12
- Status: Finished
Based on a visual novel from 2005, School Days may be one of the most unsuspecting series with an incredibly dark turn towards its end. Although the original game has more than one ending, the conclusion the anime decided to run with was one of the darkest of all of them.
School Days begins innocent enough; a typical high school drama about infatuation, desire, and unreciprocated feelings. However, as the relationships become messy and partners become unfaithful, the plot begins to take a very grim turn. Although a great deal of the series ends up exploring many heavy issues and adult content, it's the contrast between School Days' first episode and its big finale that highlights how easily small decisions can lead to horrific outcomes.
9 Fullmetal Alchemist
- Initial Release: 2003
- Episodes: 51
- Status: Finished
A true classic, Fullmetal Alchemist, followed the Elric brothers in the whimsical world where alchemy is a very real and rather common practice. While Edward and Alphonse bring comedic relief to the plot with their loveable personalities, the dark tone slowly settles in as their journey progresses and their past is revealed. The world of alchemy isn't all about fulfilling every wish with magic; it is all about equal exchange after all.
Diehard fans will never forget the moment they met poor little Nina and her adorable dog, Alexander. It's no doubt that this moment set the tone for how horrific the rest of the series could be.
8 Shinsekai Yori (From The New World)
- Initial Release: 2012
- Episodes: 25
- Status: Finished
The genre of humans developing superhuman abilities has been explored in many different ways through different lenses. However, many of the shows tend to romanticize the world and focus only on the good rather than the incredible amount of crime and destruction that could be committed with these newfound powers.
Shinsekai Yori may begin ordinarily enough but as Saki Watanabe begins to notice the disappearances of her classmates, her story begins to grow dangerous. While a school full of psychic and gifted children may seem unoffending enough, the story then delves into something much darker; with mercy killings, demons, and even government and military uprisings.
7 Persona 4: The Animation
- Initial Release: 2011
- Episodes: 26
- Status: Finished
Although Persona 4 was an incredibly successful game, many fans have yet to watch the anime that was made alongside it. Much like the game, the anime focuses on the sentimental value behind each relationship formed with those around the player; or in this case, the protagonist, Yu Narukami.
While the anime initially indulges audiences with interesting and bright characters, showcasing their loveable and unique personalities, it slowly begins to show its hand. As the series progresses, Persona 4 starts to pit each character against the most uncomfortable insecurities they have about themselves; acknowledging how even the cheeriest faces have secrets they struggle to deal with on a daily basis.
6 Devilman Crybaby
- Initial Release: 2018
- Episodes: 10
- Status: Finished
This Netflix anime perhaps didn't fool viewers straight away as it presents itself as a rather dark anime right from the beginning. Although the first few episodes of Devilman Crybaby aren't exactly PG, they're much more lighthearted than the last few chapters.
Akira Fudo is a young high school student that undergoes a terrifying transformation that leaves him half-man, half-demon. Around the halfway point of the series, Devilman Crybaby (somehow) becomes much, much darker; not just in terms of violence but emotional weight.
5 Jujutsu Kaisen
- Initial Release: 2020
- Episodes: 24
- Status: Ongoing
At first glance, Jujutsu Kaisen may seem like another run-of-the-mill shounen anime; dark at times, but nonetheless the bright, lively characters lift everyone's spirits, so things don't feel too bleak. However, there is a specific moment in the anime that acts as a turning point in the story while also serving as a rude awakening for the audience.
From that sobering event on, the series doesn't shy away from tackling deeper, more complex topics like what it means to lead a fulfilling life and the ethics behind exterminating curses/cursed spirits as they are still living, conscious beings.
4 Ajin: Demi-Human
- Initial Release: 2016
- Episode: 26
- Status: Unfinished
Yet another title that doesn't mind showing off its hand right from the get-go, Ajin doesn't try and fool its audiences with bright colors and upbeat soundtracks. Ajin may seem like a simple supernatural anime at first glance, however, the series explores the idea of mutated human beings that simply cannot die, and unfortunately for protagonist Kei Nagai, he is one of these unlucky individuals.
In the universe of Ajin, these immortal beings are antagonized and often seen as dangerous threats or mere lab rats for painful experiments. The war between Ajins and humans becomes increasingly more tragic as the series progresses, leaving viewers and Kei himself unsure which side to align with.
3 The Promised Neverland
- Initial Release: 2019
- Episodes: 23
- Status: Unfinished
Under the guise of a wholesome anime about a normal orphanage, focusing on the lives of Emma, Ray, and Norman is The Promised Neverland. While things seem fine at first, the secret of the orphanage is revealed one day when a child is "adopted" and Emma finds out that the fate of these "adopted" children is much more gruesome than what was promised.
The Promised Neverland begins with hope and innocence, yet as the story progresses, audiences witness these young children being forced to mature at an early age as they are faced with manipulation, betrayal, and death.
2 Trigun
- Initial Release: 1998
- Episodes: 26
- Status: Finished
This classic anime is primarily known for its cheerful protagonist, Vash the Stampede. Throughout the series, master gunman Vash is seen as a carefree spirit who is only concerned about spreading the message of love and peace and eating delicious donuts. Over the course of Vash's journey, very little is revealed about his past, especially about his curious 6 billion dollar bounty on his head.
It is almost halfway through the series when the details about Vash and his daunting past are finally revealed. Vash's tragic past is where the darker, heavier undertones become more apparent and only become worse as opposing forces slowly break his character. Vash's duality of "goofy protagonist" and "tragic hero" is reflected both in his actions and also Trigun's overarching story.
1 Puella Magi Madoka Magica
- Initial Release: 2011
- Episodes: 12
- Status: Finished
This classic was notorious for fooling audiences into thinking they were in for a fun-filled adventure in the whimsical world of magical girls. However, Puella Magi Madoka Magica couldn't be the farthest thing from a wholesome anime.
Madoka Magica begins with the classic anime trope of the "magical girl", something often romanticized for its fantastical powers and cutesy, colorful aesthetics. However, it slowly delves into the less glamorous side of being a true magical girl. The hardships such as deadly enemies, heartbreak, loss, are all explored during the series. The show puts a spotlight on the idea of power and responsibility going hand in hand. For those who are in for a disheartening and sobering reminder of the despair in the world all in a pretty package, Madoka Magica may be the perfect fit.