After binging through more anime than I’d care to admit, I’ve ended up in some pretty dark corners of the medium. So, I did what any responsible anime fan would do—I ranked the darkest ones! My criteria? Well, let’s just say that if it didn’t make me peek through my fingers, induce an existential crisis, or cause a sleepless night, it didn’t make the cut. So here it is, my meticulously curated list of the darkest anime I’ve ever had the pleasure (or, should I say, terror?) of watching.
1. Texhnolyze
1 season | 22 episodes
Watch on: Funimation
If you’ve watched Chiaki Konaka-penned anime like Serial Experiments Lain, you know what’s up—deep and messed-up stuff. And Texhnolyze is his darkest work yet. It’s about Ichise, a fighter with cybernetic limbs who gets caught in a turf war in the hellhole city of Lux.
This is an experimental anime with brutal gang warfare, freaky body mods, and Konaki’s brand of existential misery. Madhouse made it, so it’s visually stunning, but in a “everything is bleak” kind of way. Minimal colors blend, contrast drops, and a lifeless atmosphere reigns. It’s a sad, nihilistic masterpiece, but you couldn’t pay me to sit through it again.
SEE ALSO: Ranking the Weirdest Anime I’ve Ever Seen
2. Devilman Crybaby
1 season | 12 episodes
Watch on: Netflix
Devilman Crybaby is based on the 1970 manga by the legendary taboo-buster Go Nagai. It follows Akira Fudo, a wimpy teen turned Devilman, as he deals with his devilish powers while trying to keep his humanity in a humans vs. demons showdown.
Director Masaaki Yuasa (alternative anime legend!), amps up the source material’s unholy terror with ultraviolence, R-rated sleaze, and an existential take on humanity and evil. The visuals are trippy to the point of making you queasy, and the soundtrack mixes demonic chants and hyped-up EDM. Unhinged, unsettling, and worthy of its not-for-the-faint-hearted reputation.
3. Shiki
1 season | 22 episodes
Watch on: Crunchyroll
Shiki (“Corpse Demon”) is based on Fuyumi Ono’s horror-novel-turned-manga. It takes place in the isolated, serene Sotoba, where residents start to drop like flies. This is not an epidemic, but vampires blending in and silently turning villagers into their own kind.
To sell it quickly, Shiki is Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot in anime form—a small town setting, a pich-dark mood, and a complex “us vs them” situation. The Daume-produced series throws vampires back to their horror roots and shows just how nasty humans (and their haircuts) can get. Depressing, brutal, and those Shiki eyes creeped me the f**k out.
SEE ALSO: 10 Horror Anime Shows That Are Actually Good
4. Higurashi: When They Cry
1 season | 26 episodes
Watch on: Funimation, Crunchyroll, Hulu
Higurashi spins off the visual novel series by 07th Expansion that follows Keiichi Maebara, the new kid in Hinamizawa village. What starts as fun times turns into “my new friends are shady AF” when an eerie festival history comes up. Things get murdery. On repeat.
Studio DEEN’s adaptation blends psychological horror with slasher chaos. It flips from sunny SOL to nightmare fuel in a snap, with innocent-looking faces going full “Here’s Johnny” over and over. It’s like a hellish Groundhog Day, trapping its characters in an endless cycle of violence and mental anguish. Excellent anime to ruin your evening.
5. Made in Abyss
2 seasons | 25 episodes
Watch on: Crunchyroll
Akihito Tsukushi’s Made in Abyss introduces us to Riko, a plucky cave raider, and her robot pal Reg. They’re off to Abyss—a treacherous pit with treasures and beasts—to find Riko’s missing mom. Sounds like a whimsical fantasy quest? Major plot twist—it isn’t.
You can feel that the Abyss is a pit of heart-stopping darkness. But for our chibi duo, it’s all an epic adventure—this is when I knew this was going to drop-kick me emotionally. The deeper they venture, the weirder and scarier the story gets, like some kind of warped fairytale. But hey, at least the view is fantastic— big props to Kinema Citrus studio.
SEE ALSO: Darkest Fantasy Anime: Made in Abyss & More!
6. Welcome to the N.H.K.
1 season | 24 episodes
Watch on: Funimation, Crunchyroll
Originally Tatsuhiko Takimoto’s novel, N.H.K. is about Satou, a 22-year-old recluse and former college kid who blames a supposed evil organization for his isolation. His life gets a twist with the arrival of Misaki, a girl on a mission to fix him. Or is she?
N.H.K. is a story of Japan’s “lost generation,” with a dark comedy twist. It tackles depression, troubling pacts, and the dangers of online escapism. Unlike many anime and manga that paint the hikikomori lifestyle as “quirky,” N.H.K. shows the raw reality. Life’s no picnic when you’re this low, and this Gonzo-produced series gets real about it.
7. Monster
1 season | 74 episodes
Watch on: Netflix
In Madhouse’s Monster, Dr. Tenma, a brilliant neurosurgeon, faces a dilemma one night: save a young boy named Johan or the city’s mayor. He chose the boy. Big mistake. In gratitude, the world got arguably the most chilling villain anime has ever seen.
You know that oath, ‘Do No Harm’? Dr. Tenma would like a word. Here, choices bite back, the Cold War’s ghosts aren’t done haunting, and Johan is humanity’s gone wrong exhibit. Monster doesn’t do gore or horror gimmicks—those things aren’t necessary for a good dark anime. Naoki Urasawa’s got that covered with one powerful mindf**k of a story.
8. Puella Magi Madoka Magica
1 season | 12 episodes
Watch on: Funimation, Crunchyroll, Hulu
Shaft’s Puella Magi Madoka Magica throws young Madoka into a not-so-sparkly magical girl gig, thanks to a deceptively adorable Kyubey. Signing up is not about frilly outfits and battling some basic witches—this contract comes with a sneaky fine print.
I jumped into the series late, fully aware it was a genre deconstruction. But I still wasn’t ready for the way it unfolded. I respect it, but damn. The magical girl system is messed-up, the villains are surreal nightmares, and the heroines are in for a world of hurt. The saddest part? Their struggles are just a tiny cog in a massive cosmic horror machine.
9. Another
1 season | 12 episodes
Watch on: Crunchyroll
Another is P.A. Works’ adaptation of Yukito Ayatsuji’s novel-turned-manga. It follows Kouichi Sakakibara, the new guy in Class 3-3 who walks into a supernatural mystery. A curse is killing his classmates left and right, so he teams up with the mysterious Misaki to stop it.
This is a slasher with grisly deaths (some disturbing, unintentional hilarity right there) and a side of dread so thick you could cut it with… well, anything from the show’s list of fatal objects. Every movement is suspicious, every corner menacing, and the question of “Who’s next?” is always looming. That said, the annoying music knocks it down a peg for me.
SEE ALSO: 15 Must-Watch Mystery Anime That’ll Keep You Guessing
10. Elfen Lied
1 season | 13 episodes
Watch on: Crunchyroll, Prime Video
Studio Arms adaptation of Lynn Okamoto’s manga follows Lucy, a mutant Diclonius with ghostly arms and a beef with humans. She busts out of a lab, ends up with a split personality—murderous Lucy and sweet Nyu—and crashes with some clueless locals.
Elfen Lied doesn’t do decency. It’s graphic and brutal, and it doesn’t hold back when it comes to torturing its already messed-up cast. Some of its 2010 shock value did not age well; I won’t argue with that. But if you look closer, there’s still a deeply sad anime story in there—one of human cruelty, alienation, and the desperate need to belong.
And that wraps up my list of the darkest anime. Now it’s your turn—what are your favorites? And hey, if you loved this list as much as I did putting it together, share it on your socials and don’t forget to tag The Rockle.
*Streaming services’ catalogs vary depending on your location.