These dark anime take a look at some heavy topics, but that's what make them great.
Nobody goes into a dark anime expecting a happy ending, or at least they shouldn't. You should go into these anime expecting to have your views challenged and to be mildly horrified, if not actually horrified, at least once. If you're looking for an anime that will keep you up at night, whether it's because you just have to finish the next episode or it's because the anime is just that grotesque, then this list may have what you're looking for.
15. Elfen Lied
Lucy is a “Diclonius”, a creature born from human experimentation. The defining features of her kind are horns and dangerously powerful invisible telekinetic hands. One day, Lucy seizes a chance to escape from the people holding her captive, but during her escape she receives an injury that causes her to develop a split personality. She is found by Kouta and Yuka who are then caught up in a world of secrets and death as the government uses every means at their disposal to capture Lucy.
14. Hell Girl
Hell Correspondence is a mysterious website available to those with strong grudges, but only after midnight. Those with a strong grudge are able to condemn anyone of their choosing to hell, but the catch is that they also condemn themselves to hell while they’re at it. The Hell Girl does not judge, she will simply punish whoever she is hired to with the help of her three straw dolls.
13. Tokyo Ghoul
Ken Kaneki was an average university student until an unfortunate accident turned him into a half ghoul. Ken is helped with transitioning into his new life by some of his city’s friendly ghouls, but not all ghouls are as eager to welcome him into their society. From this point on, his life is thrown into chaos as he finds himself caught up in a conflict between an organization dedicated to fighting ghouls and his new friends. To make matters worse, he has also become the target of dangerous ghouls from all over Tokyo.
12. Ergo Proxy
After a global ecological catastrophe devastated the Earth, humans have lived within domed cities. They go about their daily lives assisted by AutoReivs, human-like androids, but these robots have begun falling victim to a disease that makes them self aware. Re-l Mayer, the daughter of the domed city of Romdo’s leader, is sent to investigate this strange happening, and as she digs, she learns that there are a great many secrets about her city waiting to be uncovered.
11. Terror in Resonance
When a terrorist attack on a nuclear facility in Japan strikes, the Japanese government has no clue how to act and the police are figuring out how to catch the criminals. Then, six months later, a group named Sphinx, made of two teenage boys, threatens to cause further destruction and mayhem across Tokyo. Soon caught up in the boys’ scheme is a teenage girl named Lisa Mishima who eventually becomes a willing accomplice to their crimes and vetern Detective Kenjirou Shibazaki who is determined to catch the terrorists.
10. Ghost in the Shell
Major Motoko Kusanagi and her partner Chief Daisuke Aramaki are investigating the Puppeteer, a criminal who hacks into brains in a world where most of the public has cyberbrains. Their investigation leads them to discover that the Puppeteer is actually an AI residing in the body of a robot. Though Kusanagi manages to destroy the Puppeteer’s host, the Puppet Master is far from dead and what happens next is completely up to Kusanagi.
9. Berserk
Guts endured a traumatic childhood, and eventually became a renowned mercenary. However, one of the few he believes he can trust chooses to betray him and his comrades, and now Guts is on the run from demonic beings. Guts sets off on a quest of vengeance to destroy the one who brought him and so many others misery and misfortune.
8. Madoka Magica
In a dream, Madoka Kaname sees a girl, a strange cat-like creature, and a world that looks like it is ending. The very next day, the same girl from her dream enters her school as a transfer student, and later the mysterious cat-like creature appears before her asking for help. Madoka is warned by Homura, the girl, to ignore Kyuubey, the creature, but Madoka and her best friend Sayaka decide to help it anyway. Kyuubey offers the two a chance to become magical girls at a price, but the duties of a magical girl and the risks they must face may be more than they are ready for.
7. Parasyte
On a night that would have otherwise been a peaceful, run-of-the-mill one, Shinichi Izumi is woken up by a parasite trying to invade his body. Fortunately, he is able to stop the alien being before it gets too far, and it is only able to take over his hand. Now Shinichi will have to adapt to becoming a little more than human while he tries to survive the onslaught of the other bloodthirsty parasites who are roaming about.
6. Attack on Titan
In a world where giant, humanoid creatures called Titans roam, humanity has sealed itself behind walls in a futile attempt to protect itself from a certain doom. Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman, and Armin Arlert are children who dream of the world beyond the walls, but the trio is in for a harsh awakening to the cruel realities of the world when a wall is shattered and titans turn their world upside down. On that day, Eren makes a vow to do whatever it takes to wipe out every last titan.
5. From the New World
Saki Watanabe is excited when she finally awakens her psychic powers and is able to join her friends at a special school for those with psychic abilities. However during her time at the school she begins to question what happens to those who don’t awaken their powers. As Saki and her friends get involved with secret matters such as the Tainted Cats, dark government secrets that should have stayed hidden begin to come to light.
4. Psycho-Pass
In the new future, the Sibyl System, a system that examines a person’s mental state to determine their threat level, is what is used to enforce justice. Akane Tsunemori is a young woman with a passion for justice, and she begins working with Shinya Kougami, an Enforcer, someone who does the dirty work of an Inspector, the ones who uphold the law. As she spends more time on the job, she realizes the system is less perfect than it’s made out to be and that the justice she dreams of might not be achievable.
3. Hellsing Ultimate
Hellsing is a group dedicated to eliminating the evil supernatural forces that wander in the night. It’s run by the mighty Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing who commands a powerful army and a vampire, Alucard, who outclasses that army by a mile. As a monsterous threat approaches the home of these characters, it is up to them to protect humanity.
2. Death Note
Light Yagami is a prodigious high school student who just so happened to find a Death Note dropped by Ryuk, a god of death. Inside the notebook is a list of rules on how to use it and what it does, which is kill those whose names are written in it. At first, Light was skeptical, but when it’s proven to work, Light realizes that the Death Note can be used to change the world. He adopts the alias “Kira” and decides that he will levy justice and execute criminals with the Death Note. This doesn’t sit well with everyone, and so brought in is the great detective L. The superior intelligences of Light and L are put to the test as genius battles genius.
1. Monster
Johan Liebert would have died a young boy had he not been treated by Kenzou Tenma, a famous neurosurgeon who had to decide between saving the orphan or saving the mayor of Düsseldorf. Tenma believed he made the right choice, despite said choice ruining his career, until he learns what has become of Johan. Years after his life was saved, Johan has become a monster, and Tenma takes it upon himself to right the wrong he is responsible for.
