There used to be a common misconception that anime—and the animated medium as a whole—was for kids, mainly because Western cartoons were primarily a children’s medium. While views have mostly shifted, there are more than a few who still believe anime is just for kids. Fans could argue that some anime is for everyone, like Dragon Ball or One Piece, but there are more than enough shows proving the medium can be dark and meant strictly for adult audiences.

Some viewers don’t realize how dark and gruesome anime can get, which is why this list will be ranking ten dark anime shows that are definitely not for kids. It will rank the entries based on how dark they are, including elements such as goriness, gruesomeness, themes, maturity, violence, sexual content, and general darkness. While there are more than ten dark shows, these highlight the variety of dark shows anime can provide.

15

‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’ (1995–1996)

Created by Hideaki Anno

Kicking off this list is Neon Genesis Evangelion, one of the most popular avant-garde anime series that depicts the mental struggle of the characters and the director. In a world where angel-like aliens come to destroy Earth, Shinji is the only one capable of stopping them. However, his father has bigger plans, but Shinji’s mental state gets in the way of both.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is more psychological and philosophical than dark, but it possesses enough mature subject matter to make it dark. From Shinji’s inner struggle to the constant death and schemes around him, Neon Genesis Evangelion is dark through its material and themes rather than explicit gore and violence. However, this is what made it one of the best anime of the 1990s.

14

‘Monster’ (2004–2005)

Directed by Masayuki Kojima

Naoki Urasawa is a revolutionary mangaka who has produced some of the most influential series, such as Pluto and 20th Century Boys, but his magnum opus is Monster. When a surgeon saves a child instead of the mayor, that same child grows up to be a serial killer, prompting Tenma to hunt Johan down so he can’t cause any more harm.

While Monster is an unpredictable anime, fans can always expect the dark and chilling subject matter to creep them out. It doesn’t have so many gore and horror elements, but Johan’s past. His twisted backstory is thrilling and disturbing, with the heavy subject matter creating a surprisingly dark anime that weaves all aspects together to become critically acclaimed.

Monster

Release Date

April 7, 2004

Directors

Masayuki Kojima, Morio Asaka

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13

‘Puella Magi Madoka Magica’ (2011)

Directed by Akiyuki Shinbo

To fans who don’t know anything about Puella Magi Madoka Magica, on the surface, it may seem like a wholesome show about magical girls, but they couldn’t be more wrong. It follows the standard plot: a girl encounters a magical cat and gains magical abilities to fight against evil. However, she quickly discovers this life isn’t fun, but full of unimaginable horrors and death.

Madoka Magica looks wholesome, but that aspect makes the subject matter even darker and more disturbing when creatures tear the girls to shreds. This anime subverts and deconstructs the magical girl genre, building something entirely new and grotesque, full of horrific imagery, mature themes such as grief and loss, and more than enough unsettling deaths to last fans a lifetime.

12

‘Berserk’ (1997–1998)

Created by Kentaro Miura

This entry should come as no surprise to anyone, as Berserk is known for its gritty, gory, and dark material. While the manga is much darker, the anime only covers one arc, and that is why Berserk isn’t higher on this list. Nonetheless, it is still plenty dark. Branded with a seal that attracts demons, Guts embarks on a lifelong quest for revenge against his former friend.

Berserk has one of the best arcs in anime with the Golden Age, and while it features plenty of entertaining moments, it is also incredibly dark. The anime is very heavy-handed with its gore, a staple of the series, which decapitates any living creature on screen. The imagery and monsters are terrifying, but the plot is even darker, brutally killing every character fans loved.

Berserk

Release Date

October 8, 1997

Directors

Naohito Takahashi

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11

‘Elfen Lied’ (2004)

Directed by Mamoru Kanbe

While most newer fans won’t know of this anime, Elfen Lied was one of the most popular anime in the early 2000s, establishing itself as a cultural phenomenon. When Lucy, a telekinetic human, escapes from the government, two unknowing teenagers take her in. However, they enter the dark world with government conspiracies, unaware of Lucy’s nature.

Elfen Lied was a product of the 2000s. Its dark appeal was only effective with teenagers during that era because of its overly edgy material. The anime was obsessed with grotesquely killing characters, turning them into pools of blood. With blood and gore galore, Elfen Lied also featured nudity, making the contrast even more disturbing and dark.

Elfen Lied

Release Date

2004 – 2004

Network

AT-X

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  Chihiro Suzuki

  Kouta (voice)

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  Sanae Kobayashi

  Lucy / Nyuu (voice)

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  Emiko Hagiwara

  Mayu (voice)

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  Hiroaki Hirata

  Professor Kakuzawa Yu (voice)

10

‘Serial Experiments Lain’ (1998)

Directed by Ryutaro Nakamura

Next on this list is a bit of a weird entry since it isn’t dark in the traditional or expected sense. Serial Experiments Lain is a sci-fi series that follows the titular character entering the World Wide Web after receiving an email from her deceased classmate. The mystery only deepens, as she seems to be the key behind the dark world of the internet and all of its hideous crimes.

Most dark anime are bloody and gruesome, but Serial Experiments Lain uses a psychological approach to instill darkness into its viewers. While children likely won’t understand anything about this anime, it is still deeply unsettling, from its atmosphere to its themes and story. Serial Experiments Lain is one of the best avant-garde anime series that will force viewers to think about its dark and twisted reality.

Serial Experiments Lain

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  Kaori Shimizu

  Lain Iwakura

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  Bridget Hoffman

  Lain Iwakura (English)

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  Dan Lorge

  Additional Voices

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9

‘Chainsaw Man’ (2022–2023)

Created by Tatsuki Fujimoto

Shōnen is a demographic aimed at male teenagers. However, it has become skewed, with darker shows falling under this demographic, including Chainsaw Man, the recent anime phenomenon that made waves throughout 2022. After becoming a chainsaw devil-human hybrid, Denji cleans the streets of other devils to earn a living. Fans should get excited because the Chainsaw Man sequel movie is set to come out in 2025.

While some shōnen aspects may be appropriate for kids, the vast majority of Chainsaw Man is completely unsuitable for that age range. It is a gory and gruesome mess with immature and dark characters who are horrible role models. The show’s unserious nature provides some hilarious dark humor, but overall, Chainsaw Man is a messed-up battle shōnen with plenty of blood and gore.

Chainsaw Man

Release Date

2022 – 2022

Writers

Tatsuki Fujimoto

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8

‘Dorohedoro’ (2020)

Directed by Yuichiro Hayashi

If fans enjoyed Chainsaw Man, then they should check out Dorohedoro, which includes many of the best elements and is also definitely not for kids. Set in a fictional world where mages live in one half and humans live in a grimy place known as The Hole, wizards experiment on humans for fun. Caiman is a product of experimentation and makes it his mission to regain his memories and remember what his old face looked like.

Like Chainsaw Man, Dorohedoro includes many comedic, unserious, and goofy moments, but that shouldn’t fool fans, as the rest of the show is a twisted masterpiece. The gruesome experiments are horrifying, and the grimy setting is disgusting and unnerving to look at. Dorohedoro is an immersive anime that forces viewers into the dark story and world, making it one of the most underappreciated anime series ever.

7

‘Attack on Titan’ (2013–2023)

Created by Hajime Isayama

Fans wouldn’t think that dark anime would be so popular since it halves its potential viewers, but Attack on Titan proved otherwise. The now-iconic show follows Eren Yaeger, who vows to kill all Titans after they destroy his village. Still, when he gets the ability to transform into one, he uses his newfound ability to help humanity fight for survival and freedom against their true enemies.

Despite its mass appeal, everything about Attack on Titan is dark, from its horrific creatures to the fate of countless characters, to the situations they face, to the underlying truths. On its surface, the Titans eating humans is dark enough, but the deeper fans go, the more they uncover dark, mysterious, and heinous deeds. Attack on Titan is a modern classic because of this unrelenting and fascinating darkness that hooks every fan.

6

‘Mononoke’ (2007)

Directed by Kenji Nakamura

Mononoke is one of the most original anime ever made, and it defines the horror genre through its unconventional editing and art style. Each arc depicts a traveling merchant exorcising the demons and spirits he encounters, from a former brothel to a ship on the sea. After years without a sequel, they recently released a new Mononoke movie, with two others on their way.

Its bright colors and vibrant art style may attract kids to watch this show, but the contents are too dark even for some adults. Mononoke is mainly dark and unsuitable for kids because of its content, ranging from dead children to vengeful spirits and monstrous creatures. However, its darkness stems from actual events leading to the spirits, dealing with heavy topics through its unsettling and unique editing style.