10 Darkest Anime Of All Time, Ranked

Daksh Chaudhary
Apr 10
6 min read

Not all anime shows are funny, colorful, or happy. There are some anime shows that go way deeper than just fun fights or romance. These anime deal with pain, fear, loss, and the darker side of human emotions. They don’t always have happy endings, and sometimes they leave you thinking for hours after watching. If you’ve ever watched a show that made you sit in silence after the final episode, you’ll know exactly what kind of anime we’re talking about here.

In this article, we’re ranking the 10 darkest anime of all time. These are shows that left a heavy feeling in the heart, often showing the cruel side of the world. They might be hard to watch at times, but they’re powerful, deep, and unforgettable.

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10/10 Berserk

Is there any anime darker than Berserk? Probably not. This medieval dark fantasy follows Guts, a lone mercenary with a tragic past - rather, let's say the most traumatic past.. Betrayed by his best friend, Griffith, Guts survives hell, only to keep fighting in a world filled with demons, torture, and endless suffering.

The Eclipse scene is one of the most horrifying moments in anime history. The manga is even darker, but the 1997 anime captures the despair perfectly. However, don't expect much from the animation. Guts’ struggle is brutal, but his will to survive makes him one of the greatest anti-heroes ever. If you can handle extreme violence and emotional pain, this is the darkest anime.

Release Year	MAL Rating	Animation Studio	Genre	Watch On
July 2016	6.33	Millepensee, GEMBA	Action, Fantasy	Crunchyroll

9/10 Elfen Lied

What happens when a mutant serial killer has a split personality? That’s the terrifying premise of Elfen Lied. Lucy, a Diclonius (a humanoid with invisible telekinetic arms), escapes a research facility and goes on a killing spree. But here’s the twist—she also has the mind of an innocent girl named Nyu.

The anime doesn’t hold back on gore or emotional pain. It tackles discrimination, abuse, and the cruelty of humanity. The opening scene alone, with Lucy slaughtering guards in brutal fashion, sets the tone for the rest of the series. And yes, there’s a reason fans still debate whether this anime is genius or just shock value.

Release Year	MAL Rating	Animation Studio	Genre	Watch On
July 2004	7.46	Arms	Action, Horror	Crunchyroll

8/10 Devilman Crybaby

Devilman Crybaby is a modern retelling of the classic Devilman manga, and it’s insanely dark. The series revolves around Akira Fudo, who merges with a demon to gain power, but he keeps his human heart. His best friend, Ryo, has a shocking secret that changes everything.

This anime doesn’t hold back - extreme violence, explicit scenes, and existential dread fill every episode. The ending is one of the most depressing in anime history. The director, Masaaki Yuasa, is known for his unique, chaotic animation style, which makes the horror even more unsettling.

Release Year	MAL Rating	Animation Studio	Genre	Watch On
January 2018	7.74	Science SARU	Action, Horror	Netflix

7/10 Texhnolyze

What if a city was so broken that violence was the only language people understood? Texhnolyze is set in Lux, a dystopian underground city where cruel gangs rule and survival is a daily struggle. The main character, Ichise, loses an arm and a leg, only to get them replaced with cybernetic limbs.

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This anime is bleak. There’s almost no dialogue in the first episode, and the atmosphere is suffocating. The story explores topics like despair, human cruelty, and whether hope even exists. It’s not for everyone, but if you want an anime that feels like a nightmare, this is it.

Release Year	MAL Rating	Animation Studio	Genre	Watch On
April 2003	7.79	Madhouse	Drama, Suspense	Crunchyroll

6/10 Serial Experiments Lain

Imagine a world where the internet could erase your reality. That's the whole premise of Serial Experiments Lain. It's a mind-bending psychological horror about a girl who discovers a hidden digital world called The Wired. As she goes deeper into the Wired, that's when things get strange and scary.

This anime predicted social media, online identities, and digital isolation years before they became mainstream. The atmosphere is dark, the storytelling is cryptic, and the ending will leave you questioning everything. It’s not gory, but it’s one of the most unsettling and darkest anime ever made.

Release Year	MAL Rating	Animation Studio	Genre	Watch On
July 1998	8.09	Triangle Staff	Sci-Fi, Mystery	Crunchyroll

5/10 From the New World

From the New World, known as Shinsekai Yori in Japanese, is a peaceful-looking anime at first, but don’t let that fool you. The story is about kids growing up in a world with psychic powers, but the truth behind their society is dark and disturbing. The more they learn, the more horrifying things get.

This anime is slow, but the payoff is worth it. The twists are horrifying, especially when you learn what happens to those who can’t control their powers. And the ending? It’s one of the most morally twisted ones in anime, making From the New World one of the darkest anime you will encounter.

Release Year	MAL Rating	Animation Studio	Genre	Watch On
September 2012	8.25	A-1 Pictures	Sci-fi, Horror	Crunchyroll

4/10 Parasyte: The Maxim

Imagine waking up one day to find your right hand has been taken over by an alien parasite. That’s exactly what happens to Shinichi in Parasyte: The Maxim. Instead of killing him, the parasite named Migi forms an uneasy alliance with him. But not all parasites are so friendly -most of them slaughter humans without remorse.

What makes this anime so dark? As he fights other parasites, he loses his emotions, becoming colder and more detached. The body horror is intense, but the psychological toll is even worse. Just imagine what you would do if you had to share your body with a monster?

Release Year	MAL Rating	Animation Studio	Genre	Watch On
October 2014	8.32	Madhouse	Horror, Action	Netflix

3/10 Psycho-Pass

Would you trust a system that decides who’s a criminal before they even commit a crime? Psycho-Pass is set in a dark world where the Sibyl System scans people’s mental states to predict criminal behavior. If your Psycho-Pass gets too cloudy, the police can arrest, or even execute you on the spot.

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The series follows Akane Tsunemori, an idealistic inspector who slowly realizes how corrupt the system is. The show’s biggest strength? It makes you question justice, free will, and whether a perfect society is worth the cost. And trust us, some of the executions in this show are brutal.

Release Year	MAL Rating	Animation Studio	Genre	Watch On
October 2012	8.33	Production I.G	Action, Sci-Fi	Crunchyroll

2/10 Neon Genesis Evangelion

Mix giant robots with existential depression, and you get Neon Genesis Evangelion. The show starts as a mecha anime but quickly becomes a deep dive into trauma, loneliness, and mental illness. Shinji, the protagonist, is forced to pilot a bio-machine to save humanity, but he’d rather run away.

The anime’s second half is a psychological breakdown, culminating in the infamous End of Evangelion movie. The religious symbolism, Freudian themes, and brutal fights make this a masterpiece, but also one of the most depressing anime ever. Here's a fun fact: The creator, Hideaki Anno, wrote this during his own depression.

Release Year	MAL Rating	Animation Studio	Genre	Watch On
October 1995	8.36	Gainax, Tatsunoko Production	Sci-fi, Drama	Netflix

1/10 Made in Abyss

How cute can an anime look before it destroys your soul? Made in Abyss tricks you with its adorable art style, then hits you with some of the most disturbing body horror in anime. Riko, a young girl, explores a massive, mysterious pit called the Abyss, searching for her missing mother.

But the deeper she goes, the worse the horrors become. There’s a reason fans call this the darkest anime of all time. From graphic mutilation to psychological torture, this show doesn’t pull punches. And yet, the world-building is so fascinating that you have to keep watching.