What is this genre all about? Focus set on darker themes in a fantasy setting, sometimes leaning towards horror elements. Bleak and pessimistic tones often dominate. Dark supernatural beings like vampires may play a significant role.
We present you the list of Dark Fantasy anime you should watch right now.
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Top 20 Dark Fantasy anime you should watch right now. [2024 List]
- 20. Tokyo Ghoul
- 19. Soul Eater
- 18. Fate/Zero
- 17. Made in Abyss
- 16. Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ougonkyou
- 15. Fate/Zero 2nd Season
- 14. Kenpuu Denki Berserk
- 13. Goblin Slayer
- 12. Owari no Seraph: Nagoya Kessen-hen
- 11. Claymore
- 10. D.Gray-man
- 9. Kemono Jihen
- 8. Made in Abyss: Fukaki Tamashii no Reimei
- 7. Castlevania: Nocturne
- 6. God Eater
- 5. Castlevania
- 4. BASTARD‼ -Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy-
- 3. Shiki
- 2. Castlevania Season 3
- 1. Juuni Kokuki
20. Tokyo Ghoul
The suspense horror/dark fantasy story is set in Tokyo, which is haunted by mysterious "ghouls" who are devouring humans. People are gripped by the fear of these ghouls whose identities are masked in mystery. An ordinary college student named Kaneki encounters Rize, a girl who is an avid reader like him, at the café he frequents. Little does he realize that his fate will change overnight.
Tokyo Ghoul has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 東京喰種-トーキョーグール-, Tokyo Kushu, Toukyou Kushu, Toukyou Ghoul
19. Soul Eater
Death City is home to the famous Shibusen, a technical academy headed by the Shinigami–Lord Death himself. Its mission: to raise "Death Scythes" for the Shinigami to wield against the many evils of their fantastical world. These Death Scythes, however, are not made from physical weapons; rather, they are born from human hybrids who have the ability to transform their bodies into Demon Weapons, and only after they have consumed the souls of 99 evil beings and one witch's soul.
Soul Eater Evans, a Demon Scythe who only seems to care about what's cool, aims to become a Death Scythe with the help of his straight-laced wielder, or meister, Maka Albarn. The contrasting duo work and study alongside the hot headed Black☆Star and his caring weapon Tsubaki, as well as the Shinigami's own son, Death the Kid, an obsessive-compulsive dual wielder of twin pistols Patty and Liz.Soul Eater follows these students of Shibusen as they take on missions to collect souls and protect the city from the world's threats while working together under the snickering sun to become sounder in mind, body, and soul.
Soul Eater has finished airing and it has 51 Episodes. It is also Known as: ソウルイーター, SOUL EATER
18. Fate/Zero
With the promise of granting any wish, the omnipotent Holy Grail triggered three wars in the past, each too cruel and fierce to leave a victor. In spite of that, the wealthy Einzbern family is confident that the Fourth Holy Grail War will be different; namely, with a vessel of the Holy Grail now in their grasp. Solely for this reason, the much hated "Magus Killer" Kiritsugu Emiya is hired by the Einzberns, with marriage to their only daughter Irisviel as binding contract.
Kiritsugu now stands at the center of a cutthroat game of survival, facing off against six other participants, each armed with an ancient familiar, and fueled by unique desires and ideals. Accompanied by his own familiar, Saber, the notorious mercenary soon finds his greatest opponent in Kirei Kotomine, a priest who seeks salvation from the emptiness within himself in pursuit of Kiritsugu.
Based on the light novel written by Gen Urobuchi, Fate/Zero depicts the events of the Fourth Holy Grail War—10 years prior to Fate/stay night. Witness a battle royale in which no one is guaranteed to survive.
Fate/Zero has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: フェイト/ゼロ, Fate/Zero
17. Made in Abyss
The enormous cave system, known as the Abyss, is the only unexplored place in the world. Nobody knows how deep down goes this titanic pit, inhabited by strange and wondrous creatures and full of mysterious ancient relics which purpose in unknown to modern man. Generations of bold adventurers have been drawn by the cryptic depths of the Abyss. In course of time those bold enough to explore the dangerous pit came to be known as "Cave Raiders."
In Oosu, the town at the edge of the Abyss, there lives a little orphan named Rico, who dreams of becoming as great a cave raider as her mother was and solving the great mystery of the pit. One day exploring the murky depths she stumbles upon a little boy, who turns out to be a robot...
Made in Abyss has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: メイドインアビス, Made in Abyss
16. Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ougonkyou
The second season of Made in Abyss.
Directly after the events of Made in Abyss: Fukaki Tamashii no Reimei, the third installment of Made in Abyss covers the adventures of Reg, Riko, and Nanachi in the Sixth Layer, The Capital of the Unreturned.
Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: メイドインアビス 烈日の黄金郷, Made in Abyss Season 2
15. Fate/Zero 2nd Season
As the Fourth Holy Grail War rages on with no clear victor in sight, the remaining Servants and their Masters are called upon by Church supervisor Risei Kotomine, in order to band together and confront an impending threat that could unravel the Grail War and bring about the destruction of Fuyuki City. The uneasy truce soon collapses as Masters demonstrate that they will do anything in their power, no matter how despicable, to win.
Seeds of doubt are sown between Kiritsugu Emiya and Saber, his Servant, as their conflicting ideologies on heroism and chivalry clash. Meanwhile, an ominous bond forms between Kirei Kotomine, who still seeks to find his purpose in life, and one of the remaining Servants. As the countdown to the end of the war reaches zero, the cost of winning begins to blur the line between victory and defeat.
Fate/Zero Season 2 has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: フェイト/ゼロ 2ndシーズン, Fate/Zero Second Season
14. Kenpuu Denki Berserk
Born from the corpse of his mother, a young mercenary known only as Guts, embraces the battlefield as his only means of survival. Day in and day out, putting his life on the line just to make enough to get by, he moves from one bloodshed to the next.
After a run-in with the Band of the Hawk, a formidable troop of mercenaries, Guts is recruited by their charismatic leader Griffith, nicknamed the "White Hawk." As he quickly climbed the ranks in order to become the head of the offensive faction, Guts proves to be a mighty addition to Griffith's force, taking Midland by storm. However, while the band's quest for recognition continues, Guts slowly realizes that the world is not as black-and-white as he once assumed.
Set in the medieval era, Berserk is a dark, gritty tale that follows one man's struggle to find his own path, while supporting another's lust for power, and the unimaginable tragedy that begins to turn the wheels of fate.
Berserk has finished airing and it has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: 剣風伝奇ベルセルク, Kenpuu Denki Berserk, Kenfu Denki Berserk, Sword-Wind Chronicle Berserk, Berserk: The Chronicles of Wind Blades, Berserk: Sword-Wind Tales, Berserk: SWORD-WIND ROMANCE
13. Goblin Slayer
"I'm not saving the world. I just kill goblins." Rumor has it that, in a certain guild in the middle of nowhere, there is an extraordinary man who has climbed all the way to the Silver rank just by killing goblins. At the same guild, a priestess who's just become a new adventurer has formed her first party... and the man who ends up rescuing that party when they get into trouble is none other than the Goblin Slayer.
Goblin Slayer has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: ゴブリンスレイヤー, Goblin Slayer
12. Owari no Seraph: Nagoya Kessen-hen
Yuuichirou Hyakuya is finally reunited with his childhood friend Mikaela Hyakuya, whom he had long presumed to be dead. Upon their reunion, however, he discovers that Mikaela has been turned into a vampire. Determined to help his friend, Yuuichirou vows to get stronger so that he can protect Mikaela as well as the comrades in the Moon Demon Company.
Kureto Hiiragi receives information that a large group of vampires will be gathering in Nagoya, preparing for their assault on the Imperial Demon Army's main forces in Tokyo. Led by Guren Ichinose, Yuuichirou's team is one of many selected to intercept and eliminate the vampire nobles.
With the Nagoya mission quickly approaching, the members of Shinoa squad continue to work towards fully mastering their weapons, while learning how to improve their teamwork. Yuuichirou must gain the power he needs to slay the nobles and save his best friend, before he succumbs to the demon of the Cursed Gear.
Seraph of the End: Battle in Nagoya has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 終わりのセラフ 名古屋決戦編, Owari no Seraph 2nd Season, Seraph of the End 2nd Season
11. Claymore
In this world, humans coexist with demonic predators called Yoma. These demonic beasts feast on human innards and can blend into human society by taking on human appearance. As a counter force, a mysterious organization created half-human, half-Yoma warriors known as the "Silver Eyed Witches" or "Claymores," after the huge claymore swords they carry. They are detested by humanity however necessary.
The story begins with a young boy, Raki, who has lost everything in a Yoma attack, and the Claymore, Clare, who is generally detested by society. Throughout the series, Clare and Raki show their deeper qualities, powers and Clare's never ending devotion to the goal she swore to fulfill in her childhood.
Claymore has finished airing and it has 26 Episodes. It is also Known as: クレイモア, Claymore
10. D.Gray-man
Losing a loved one is so painful that one may sometimes wish to be able to resurrect them—a weakness that the enigmatic Millennium Earl exploits. To make his mechanical weapons known as "Akuma," he uses the souls of the dead that are called back. Once a soul is placed in an Akuma, it is trapped forever, and the only way to save them is to exorcise them from their vessel using the Anti-Akuma weapon, "Innocence."
After spending three years as the disciple of General Cross, Allen Walker is sent to the Black Order—an organization comprised of those willing to fight Akuma and the Millennium Earl—to become an official Exorcist. With an arm as his Innocence and a cursed eye that can see the suffering souls within an Akuma, it's up to Allen and his fellow Exorcists to stop the Millennium Earl's ultimate plot: one that can lead to the destruction of the world.
D.Gray-man has finished airing and it has 103 Episodes. It is also Known as: ディー・グレイマン, D. Gray-man, D. Grey-man
9. Kemono Jihen
When a series of animal bodies that rot away after a single night begin appearing in a remote mountain village, Inugami, a detective from Tokyo who specializes in the occult, is called to investigate.
While working the case, he befriends a strange boy who works in the field every day instead of going to school. Shunned by his peers and nicknamed "Dorota-bou" after a yokai that lives in the mud, he helps Inugami uncover the truth behind the killings—but supernatural forces are at work, and while Dorota-bou is just a nickname, it might not be the only thing about the boy that isn't human.
Kemono Jihen has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 怪物事変, けものじへん, Monster Incidents, Kemono Incidents
8. Made in Abyss: Fukaki Tamashii no Reimei
Dawn of the Deep Soul continues the epic adventure of plucky Riko and Reg who are joined by their new friend Nanachi. Together they descend into the Abyss' treacherous fifth layer, the Sea of Corpses, and encounter the mysterious Bondrewd, a legendary White Whistle whose shadow looms over Nanachi's troubled past. Bondrewd is ingratiatingly hospitable, but the brave adventurers know things are not always as they seem in the enigmatic Abyss...
Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul has finished airing and it has 1 Episodes. It is also Known as: 劇場版メイドインアビス 深き魂の黎明, Made in Abyss: Fukaki Tamashii no Reimei
7. Castlevania: Nocturne
As revolution sweeps France, Richter Belmont fights to uphold his family's legacy and prevent the rise of a ruthless, power-hungry vampire ruler.
Castlevania: Nocturne has finished airing and it has 8 Episodes. It is also Known as: Akumajou Dracula Castlevania: Tsukiyo no Nokutān, 悪魔城ドラキュラ －キャッスルヴァニア－: 月夜のノクターン, Akumajō Dracula － Castlevania: Nocturne, Castlevania: Nocturno, Castlevania: Noturno
6. God Eater
The year is 2071. Humanity has been pushed to the brink of extinction following the emergence of man-eating monsters called "Aragami" that boast an immunity to conventional weaponry. They ravaged the land, consuming almost everything in their path and leaving nothing in their wake. To combat them, an organization named Fenrir was formed as a last-ditch effort to save humanity through the use of "God Eaters"—special humans infused with Oracle cells, allowing them to wield the God Arc, the only known weapon capable of killing an Aragami. One such God Eater is Lenka Utsugi, a New-Type whose God Arc takes the form of both blade and gun.
Now, as one of Fenrir's greatest weapons, Lenka must master his God Arc if he is to fulfill his desire of wiping out the Aragami once and for all. The monsters continue to be born en masse while the remnants of humanity struggle to survive the night. Only God Eaters stand between the Aragami and complete and total annihilation of the human race.
God Eater has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: GOD EATER, God Eater
5. Castlevania
The last surviving member of a disgraced clan fights to save Eastern Europe from Dracula. Inspired by the classic video game series.
Castlevania has finished airing and it has 4 Episodes. It is also Known as: Akumajou Dracula: Castlevania, 悪魔城ドラキュラ -キャッスルヴァニア-, Castlevania
4. BASTARD‼ -Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy-
In a post-apocalyptic world of heavy metal fantasy, the only thing able to save humans from orcs, lizardmen, and other monsters is something even MORE evil. Sealed within a 14-year-old boy, the chaotic wizard Dark Schneider is unleashed to fight four mighty generals and their plot to resurrect the evil god Anslasax!
BASTARD‼ -Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy- has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: BASTARD!!: Ankoku no Hakaishin, BASTARD!! －暗黒の破壊神－, BASTARD‼ -Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy-
3. Shiki
Fifteen-year-old Megumi Shimizu dreamed of a glamorous life in the big city; however, her unexpected death in the quiet village of Sotoba marks the beginning of what appears to be a ferocious epidemic that turns the hot summer into a season of blood and terror. A young doctor named Toshio Ozaki begins to doubt the nature of the disease and comes to understand that to discover the truth, he must abandon his humanity. Meanwhile, Natsuno Yuuki, an antisocial youth from the city, is haunted by the sudden death of Megumi and must realize the pain of friendship in the face of his own tragedy. Toshio and Natsuno form an unlikely pair as they work together to save Sotoba before it transforms into a ghost town of vampires.Shiki, adapted from the horror novel written by Fuyumi Ono, goes beyond the average vampire story. It tells the tragic tale of survival in a world where one cannot easily distinguish between good and evil. Abandoned by God, the Shiki, as the vampires call themselves, have only their will to live as they clash with the fear of the paranoid/unbelieving villagers. Shiki explores the boundary that separates man from monster.
Shiki has finished airing and it has 22 Episodes. It is also Known as: 屍鬼, Corpse Demon
2. Castlevania Season 3
The third season of Castlevania.
Castlevania Season 3 has finished airing and it has 10 Episodes. It is also Known as: Akumajou Dracula: Castlevania 3, 悪魔城ドラキュラ -キャッスルヴァニア- 3, Castlevania Season 3
1. Juuni Kokuki
Nakajima Youko is your average somewhat timid high school student. One day, a strange man named Keiki appears before her, swearing allegiance. Before she could properly register what was happening, demon-like creatures attack Youko and her friends, after which they are pulled into a different world. A world unlike what she has ever known. Separated from Keiki, Youko and her friends must do whatever they can if they wish to survive in this new world.
The Twelve Kingdoms has finished airing and it has 45 Episodes. It is also Known as: 十二国記, 12 Kingdoms, Juuni Kokki
