What is Dark Fantasy anime?

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.

Trending Dark Fantasy Anime You might like

Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ougonkyou

(Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun)

8.23

Description:

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.
Type

TV

Episodes

12

Ep.Length

24 Min

Rating

17+

Status

finished

Aired

2022-07-06

Fate/Zero 2nd Season

(Fate/Zero Season 2)

8.22

Description:

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. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Type

TV

Episodes

12

Ep.Length

24 Min

Rating

17+ (violence & profanity)

Status

finished

Aired

2012-04-08

Made in Abyss: Fukaki Tamashii no Reimei

(Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul)

8.22

Description:

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... (Source: Sentai Filmworks)
Type

movie

Episodes

1

Ep.Length

105 Min

Rating

Violence, Profanity

Status

finished

Aired

2020-01-17

Fate/Zero

(Fate/Zero)

8.21

Description:

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. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Type

TV

Episodes

13

Ep.Length

28 Min

Rating

17+ (violence & profanity)

Status

finished

Aired

2011-10-02

Kenpuu Denki Berserk

(Berserk)

8.21

Description:

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. (Source: MAL Rewrite)
Type

TV

Episodes

25

Ep.Length

25 Min

Rating

Mild Nudity

Status

finished

Aired

1997-10-08

Made in Abyss

8.21

Description:

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...
Type

TV

Episodes

13

Ep.Length

26 Min

Rating

Violence, Profanity

Status

finished

Aired

2017-07-07

Attack on Titan: The Final Season PV

(Attack on Titan: The Final Season PV)

8.19

Description:

Preview of the final season with original animation that was either not used in the main series or was redone for the main series.
Type

ONA

Episodes

1

Ep.Length

2 Min

Status

finished

Aired

2020-05-29

Castlevania Season 4

8.17

Description:

The fourth and final season of Castlevania.
Type

ONA

Episodes

10

Ep.Length

24 Min

Status

finished

Aired

2021-05-13

Castlevania Season 2

8.17

Description:

The second season of Castlevania.
Type

ONA

Episodes

8

Ep.Length

25 Min

Status

finished

Aired

2018-10-26

Castlevania

8.13

Description:

The last surviving member of a disgraced clan fights to save Eastern Europe from Dracula. Inspired by the classic video game series. (Source: Netflix)
Type

ONA

Episodes

4

Ep.Length

23 Min

Rating

Violence, Profanity

Status

finished

Aired

2017-07-07

Castlevania Season 3

8.12

Description:

The third season of Castlevania.
Type

ONA

Episodes

10

Ep.Length

28 Min

Status

finished

Aired

2020-03-05

Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica Movie 1: Hajimari no Monogatari

(Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part 1: Beginnings)

8.06

Description:

In the city of Mitakihara, a girl named Madoka Kaname, along with her friend, Sayaka Miki, encounter a creature named Kyubey and are saved from witches by a magical girl named Mami Tomoe. Kyubey offers Madoka and Sayaka the chance to have any one wish granted in exchange for becoming a magical girl and fighting witches, whilst Homura Akemi, another magical girl who recently transferred into Madoka's class, is strongly against Madoka becoming one. Before Madoka can make a decision, however, Mami is killed by a witch, leaving Madoka too afraid to become a magical girl. Sayaka, however, decides to become a magical girl herself in order to heal the hand of her childhood friend, Kyosuke Kamijou. As Sayaka soon comes into conflict with another magical girl named Kyouko Sakura, they, along with Madoka, learn the shocking truth that their soul gems, the source of their magical powers, literally contain their souls. (Source: ANN)
Type

movie

Episodes

1

Ep.Length

130 Min

Rating

Teens 13 or older

Status

finished

Aired

2012-10-06

Soul Eater

(Soul Eater)

8.03

Description:

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. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Type

TV

Episodes

51

Ep.Length

24 Min

Rating

Teens 13 or older

Status

finished

Aired

2008-04-07

Tokyo Ghoul

(Tokyo Ghoul)

8.02

Description:

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. (Source: Anime News Network)
Type

TV

Episodes

12

Ep.Length

24 Min

Rating

17+ (violence & profanity)

Status

finished

Aired

2014-07-04

D.Gray-man

(D.Gray-man)

7.95

Description:

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. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Type

TV

Episodes

103

Ep.Length

23 Min

Rating

Teens 13 or older

Status

finished

Aired

2006-10-03

Juuni Kokuki

(The Twelve Kingdoms)

7.87

Description:

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.
Type

TV

Episodes

45

Ep.Length

25 Min

Rating

Teens 13 or older

Status

finished

Aired

2002-04-09

Berserk: Ougon Jidai-hen - MEMORIAL EDITION

(Berserk: The Golden Age Arc - Memorial Edition)

7.89

Description:

Kentaro Miura's legendary series returns in Berserk: The Golden Age Arc - Memorial Edition. The lone mercenary Guts travels in a land where a century-old war is raging. His ferocity and skill in battle attract the attention of Griffith, the leader of a group of mercenaries called the Band of the Hawk. Guts becomes Griffith’s closest ally and confidant, but despite all their victories, Guts begins to question why he fights for another man’s dream of ruling his own kingdom. Unknown to Guts, Griffith’s unyielding ambition is about to bestow a horrible fate on them both. (Source: Crunchyroll, Viz Media) Note: This is a TV broadcast of the Golden Age film trilogy, with hundreds of new cuts including the "Bonfire of Dreams" scene and new music by Susumu Hirasawa and Shiro Sagisu.
Type

TV

Episodes

13

Ep.Length

25 Min

Rating

Mild Nudity

Status

finished

Aired

2022-10-01

Drifters

(Drifters)

7.85

Description:

Shimazu Toyohisa, whilst involved at the Battle of Sekigahara, manages to mortally wound Ii Naomasa, but is critically wounded in the process. As he walks from the field broken and bleeding, Toyohisa finds himself transported to a corridor of doors, where a bespectacled man at a desk waits for him. This man, Murasaki, sends Toyohisa into the nearest door where he wakes up in another world. There, Toyohisa meets other great warriors like him who have been transported as well, to be part of a group known as "Drifters." (Source: Wikipedia)
Type

TV

Episodes

12

Ep.Length

23 Min

Rating

17+ (violence & profanity)

Status

finished

Aired

2016-10-07

The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf

(The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf)

7.77

Description:

Escaping from poverty to become a Witcher, Vesemir slays monsters for coin and glory, but when a new menace rises, he must face the demons of his past. (Source Netflix)
Type

ONA

Episodes

1

Ep.Length

80 Min

Status

finished

Aired

2021-08-23

Shiki

(Shiki)

7.76

Description:

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. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Type

TV

Episodes

22

Ep.Length

22 Min

Rating

17+ (violence & profanity)

Status

finished

Aired

2010-07-09

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