9 Best 'Dark Anime' Series of All Time

Apr 25, 2025, 23:28 IST

Wion Web Desk

Paranoia Agent

The mind-bending psychological anime, Paranoia Agent, gives the viewers plenty of surreal and disturbing moments they'll never forget. A young kid named Lil's Slugger terrorizes Tokyo residents with his golden bat and causes a social phenomenon.

Erased

Erased is a dark mystery anime about a young man with an ordinary life. However, he experiences a revival. He returns to the past and tries to prevent horrible events, including murders.

Monster

A Japanese surgeon's life suddenly fills with mystery, death, and heartbreak after he uncovers that his former patient, Johan, is a dangerous serial killer that the police cannot find. 

Corpse Party: Tortured Souls

Corpse Party is about a group of high school friends who perform a charm to help them become better friends. But instead, it transports them into the spooky heavenly host elementary school where murderous ghosts of school students who died gruesome deaths attack them.

Elfen Lied

Elfen Lied is a great sci-fi anime with gore, nudity, and violent deaths. It follows a race of mutants who wish to erase humanity, so they can make the world their home. 

Another

A young boy named Koichi transfers into a mysterious Yomiyama Middle School. Everything starts well. But soon, things turn dark and gore as students get mysteriously and violently murdered. 

Tokyo Ghoul

Tokyo Ghoul is one of the best anime of the dark genre. A young boy named Ken turns into a one-eyed Ghoul due to a horrifying attack. The show is only for mature audiences. 

Yamishibai

Yamishibai is an anime series based on Japanese myths and terrifying urban legends. The creepy anime has a unique art style. It follows the story of a man with a yellow mask who appears every week at the playground to tell scary stories to kids. 

Black Butler

Black Butler is only for adults who love dark and sophisticated humour. A young boy Ciel sells his soul to a demon called Sebastian. Together, they work on some of the bloodiest mysteries of Victorian London as they try to find the murderers of Ciel's family.