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 manga you should read right now.
Try our anime quiz: Anime Characters Guessing Quiz/Game
Top 18 Dark Fantasy manga you should read right now. [2026 List]
- 18. Akdangdeurui Huwonjaga Doeeotda
- 17. Kagurabachi
- 16. Berserk
- 15. Goblin Slayer
- 14. Lord of the Mysteries
- 13. Goblin Slayer Gaiden: Year One
- 12. Boroboro no Elf-san wo Shiawase ni Suru Kusuriuri-san
- 11. Totsukuni no Shoujo
- 10. Dungeon Defense
- 9. ROLL OVER AND DIE: I Will Fight for an Ordinary Life with My Love and Cursed Sword!
- 8. Made in Abyss
- 7. Claymore
- 6. Kemono Jihen
- 5. Crawling Dreams
- 4. Boss-yeusseum
- 3. Yami ni Hau Mono
- 2. TS Eiseihei-san no Senjou Nikki
- 1. Tsugihagi Darake no Saikyou Yuusha
18. Akdangdeurui Huwonjaga Doeeotda
I, a corporate slave, ended up possessing the body of a noble inside a game, but I’m supposed to be an extra fated to be killed by the future villains? No way. I’ll reform those brats and live out my noble life in peace! To stop the young villains from turning evil, I sponsored them and helped them overcome their harsh circumstances, and they all grew up to be admirable, upstanding, perfectly normal individuals as a result. And that’s how I ended up becoming the final boss of the kingdom. …Wait, what?
Raising Villains the Right Way is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: I Became a Patron of Villains, Became the Patron of Villains
17. Kagurabachi
Young Chihiro spends his days training under his famous swordsmith father. One day he hopes to become a great sword-maker himself. The goofy father and the serious son--they thought these days would last forever. But suddenly, tragedy strikes. A dark day soaked in blood. Chihiro and his blade now live only for revenge.
Kagurabachi is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: カグラバチ, 神樂鉢, KGB, คากุระบาจิ
16. Berserk
His name is Guts, the Black Swordsman, a feared warrior spoken of only in whispers. Bearer of a gigantic sword, an iron hand, and the scars of countless battles and tortures, his flesh is also indelibly marked with The Brand, an unholy symbol that draws the forces of darkness to him and dooms him as their sacrifice. But Guts won't take his fate lying down; he'll cut a crimson swath of carnage through the ranks of the damned—and anyone else foolish enough to oppose him! Accompanied by Puck the Elf, more an annoyance than a companion, Guts relentlessly follows a dark, bloodstained path that leads only to death...or vengeance.
Notes:
- Volumes 1-5 contain the 16 prequel chapters 0A - 0P.
- Chapter 83 was omitted from Volume 13 due to the author’s request.
- Volume 14 includes “Berserk: The Prototype”.
- Due to the author's passing, starting from Chapter 365, the manga is illustrated by Studio Gaga (Miura's assistants) and supervised by Kouji Mori (a close friend of Miura's).
Berserk is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: ベルセルク, Berserk: The Prototype
15. Goblin Slayer
A young priestess has formed her first adventuring party, but almost immediately they find themselves in distress. It's the Goblin Slayer who comes to their rescue—a man who's dedicated his life to the extermination of all goblins, by any means necessary. And when rumors of his feats begin to circulate, there's no telling who might come calling next...
Goblin Slayer! is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: ゴブリンスレイヤー, Goblin Slayer
14. Lord of the Mysteries
With the rising tide of steam power and machinery, who can come close to being a Beyonder? Shrouded in the fog of history and darkness, who or what is the lurking evil that murmurs into our ears?
Waking up to be faced with a string of mysteries, Zhou Mingrui finds himself reincarnated as Klein Moretti in an alternate Victorian era world where he sees a world filled with machinery, cannons, dreadnoughts, airships, difference machines, as well as Potions, Divination, Hexes, Tarot Cards, Sealed Artifacts…
The Light continues to shine but mystery has never gone far. Follow Klein as he finds himself entangled with the Churches of the world—both orthodox and unorthodox—while he slowly develops newfound powers thanks to the Beyonder potions.
Like the corresponding tarot card, The Fool, which is numbered 0—a number of unlimited potential—this is the legend of “The Fool”.
Lord of the Mysteries has finished publishing and it has 1430 Chapters. It is also Known as: LotM, 诡秘之主
13. Goblin Slayer Gaiden: Year One
Prequel series revealing Goblin Slayer's past and the events which led him to become an adventurer with the one and only purpose of annihilating all goblins from the world.
Goblin Slayer Side Story: Year One is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: ゴブリンスレイヤー外伝：イヤーワン, Goblin Slayer Gaiden: Year One
12. Boroboro no Elf-san wo Shiawase ni Suru Kusuriuri-san
Story about an injured slave elf is saved by an apothecary.
The Apothecary Will Make This Battered Elf Happy has finished publishing and it has 64 Chapters. It is also Known as: ボロボロのエルフさんを幸せにする薬売りさん, The Apothecary Is Gonna Make This Ragged Elf Happy, Mr. Medicine Merchant Who Will Make Ms. Beaten-Up Elf Happy, A Pharmacist Saves a Dying Elf
11. Totsukuni no Shoujo
In a world split between the Inside and the Outside, those living in both realms are told never to cross over to the other side, lest they be cursed. A young girl named Shiva lives on the other side, in a vacant village with a demonic guardian known only as “Teacher.” Although the two are forbidden to touch, they seem to share a bond that transcends their disparate appearances. But when Shiva leaves Teacher’s care to seek out her grandmother, the secret behind her mysterious living arrangement comes to light.
The Girl From the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún has finished publishing and it has 53 Chapters. It is also Known as: とつくにの少女, Foreign Girl, Walk, My Love
10. Dungeon Defense
[Adapted from one of the top novels of all time!]
When his total scumbags of parents die, he finds himself with a mysterious inheritance of 500 million yen.
Deciding to do whatever he likes from then on, the boy enters the most challenging online game, “Dungeon Attack” , where he becomes the first to unlock the achievement of Defeating all the Demon Lords. However, when he answers a mysterious question that appears after completing the game, he suddenly finds himself sent into the game world.
He had been Reincarnated as “Dantalian,” the Lowest and Weakest Demon Lord, Ranked 71st in the game world! With nothing but his memory of defeating the strongest Demon Lord and his eloquence to rely on, he fights to survive in this Brutal World – This is a Story of Comeback and Revenge!
Dungeon Defense is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: Dungeon Defence, ダンジョンディフェンス
9. ROLL OVER AND DIE: I Will Fight for an Ordinary Life with My Love and Cursed Sword!
Flum Apricot was never meant to be a hero. Despite zero stats across the board and a power she can’t even use, she somehow finds herself included in a party of heroes. But Flum’s life hits rock bottom when the party’s renowned sage, Jean Inteige, decides that the useless girl is dead weight, and arranges to have her sold into slavery. Tossed to monsters to be feasted upon for her master’s entertainment, Flum makes the desperate choice to reach for a cursed weapon…and something new awakens within her. A grimdark tale about one woman’s blood-soaked quest to reclaim her life!
ROLL OVER AND DIE: I Will Fight for an Ordinary Life with My Love and Cursed Sword! is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: "Omae Gotoki ga Maou ni Kateru to Omou na" to Yuusha Party wo Tsuihou Sareta node, Outo de Kimama ni Kurashitai, 「お前ごときが魔王に勝てると思うな」と勇者パーティを追放されたので、王都で気ままに暮らしたい, ROLL OVER AND DIE: I Will Fight for an Ordinary Life with My Love and Cursed Sword!
8. 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 is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: メイドインアビス, Made in Abyss
7. Claymore
In a world constantly haunted by demonic predators known as "Youma", the everyday life of humans is full of fear and suspicion, as these monsters easily blend into human society to hunt their hapless prey. However, in this world, there is also a mysterious organization, employing half-human, half-Youma warriors to effectively track down and kill the demons. Called "silver eyed witches" or "Claymores" after the huge Claymore swords they carry, these female warriors are eyed with suspicion and distrust by most because of their inhuman powers.
But there are many currents flowing in the shadows, from the mysterious machinations of the Claymore "Organization" and the twisted ambitions of the powerful "Abyssal Ones" to the hopes and desires of each Claymore warrior. This story follows the fate of Clare, one of the Claymore operatives as she sails deeper and deeper down the currents of conspiracies and revenge.
Note: 4 Extra chapters are included in the chapter count on this page.
Claymore has finished publishing and it has 159 Chapters. It is also Known as: CLAYMORE [クレイモア], Claymore
6. Kemono Jihen
Kemono Jihen is about a boy known as Dorota-bou who is avoided by the people who surround him, and Inugami, a detective who specializes in the occult. The story begins with Inugami arriving at the boy's town to investigate a case where many cattle are dying and their bodies rot in just one night.
Kemono Jihen is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: 怪物事変, Demon Incident, Demon Incidents, Kemono Incidents, Kaibutsu Jihen
5. Crawling Dreams
Nyarla and Ghast are living in a trendy city by the sea, that seems to be hiding some disturbing secrets. --- Art by Osiimi & Minster, and Story by Merryweather
Crawling Dreams has finished publishing and it has 62 Chapters. It is also Known as: Crawling Dreams
4. Boss-yeusseum
Baphomet is the ruthless, dispassionate lord of the Abyssal Tower, a mysterious, monster-filled dungeon plaguing the human world. Many Hunters seek to defeat him and bring the tower down to no avail. Despite his demonic power, Baphomet grows curious about humanity. One day, Baphomet is defeated by Raven, the strongest Hunter, and realizes that his true wish is to be just like the humans he previously looked down on. In death, he is granted his wish, as he awakens as a human – without his powers!
I Was the Final Boss is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: I Used to Be a Boss
3. Yami ni Hau Mono
The story (which is based on the diaries of its protagonist) is set in Providence, Rhode Island, Lovecraft's hometown and a favorite locale for his fiction. The protagonist, Robert Blake—a young man with an interest in the occult—becomes fascinated by a large disused church set on Federal Hill in Providence's west—the Italian and migrant quarter—which he can see from his lodgings in Providence's Upper East side. His researches reveal that the church has a sinister history involving a cult called the Church of Starry Wisdom and is dreaded by the local inhabitants as being haunted by a primeval evil.
The Haunter of the Dark has finished publishing and it has 4 Chapters. It is also Known as: 闇に這う者 ラヴクラフト傑作集, H.P.Lovecraft's The Haunter of The Dark, Lovecraft Kessakushuu, Yami ni Hau Mono Lovecraft Kessakushuu
2. TS Eiseihei-san no Senjou Nikki
An ex-pro gamer of the FPS genre (♂) reincarnated in a fantasy world filled with magic... Only learn that what greeted him was not a scene from one's dreams but a muddy battlefield full of bullets flying to and fro! Moreover, he's now an orphan girl named Touri Noel?!
After her aptitude for healing magic was discovered, she decided to volunteer in the army as a second-class medic, all to raise money for the orphanage where she was born and raised. However, without even getting magic training, she was attached to an assault squad, repeatedly fighting on the most cruel battlefields of the "Western Front."
The mission given to her was to become the personal medic of the frontline's ace, Garback, and not let him die at any cost. But he turned out to be the worst commander, who will try to get results whatever the cost, even if it means the death of his subordinates!
On the battlefield, mired in unreasonable orders and violence, Touri's fierce battle for survival continues...
TS Medic's Battlefield Diary is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: TS衛生兵さんの戦場日記, TS Eiseihei-san no Senjou Nikki
1. Tsugihagi Darake no Saikyou Yuusha
Ougi Arikawa, 16 years old, suddenly found himself reincarnated as a zombie?! Embarking on a journey to subjugate the Demon Lord as a zombie hero, but the use of "power" requires a "price"...? A dark fantasy in another world.
Tsugihagi Darake no Saikyou Yuusha is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: ツギハギだらけの最強勇者, The Strongest Hero Full of Tsugihagi, Zombie Hero, The Patchwork Hero
