Shōnen isn’t a genre of anime known for going dark. The genre is usually marketed towards younger males, while the seinen genre looks to capture older males. Still,shōnen series can get bleak, showcasing some of the most brutal moments of anime in between a lighthearted adventure.
Some of the darkest shōnen series of all time are also some of the best. It shouldn’t be taken lightly, as dark events are incredibly hard to pull off, especially when the rest of the series' tone isn’t dark. Whenever a shōnen series does decide to go dark, it’s almost always a make-or-break moment for the entire franchise.
Seinen series likeBerserk, Dorohedoro,andCyberpunk Edgerunnersare dark from the very beginning. That’s where shōnen differs: these series aren’t dark right from the get-go, but they can become bleak when you least expect them.
The Elusive Samuraiis an underrated gem. It’s one of the most colorful, breathtakingly beautiful anime series of the past few years, and that’s just one of the reasons whythe darkness in the series seems to come out of nowhere.
The Elusive Samuraistars Tokiyuki Hojo as the last surviving member of his clan. The Hojo Clan was betrayed by Takauji Ashikaga, one of their most reliable retainers. The fall of the Hojo Clan is gruesome to say the least, as Takauji leads a charge that brutalizes men, women, and children without remorse.
Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongestisa solid isekai seriesthat deserves watching. The series stars an entire class transported to a new world. They’re all given roles with main character Hajime Nagumo getting a role that is dubbed the worst.
The series goes dark quickly.One of Nagumo’s classmates betrays him in the middle of a fierce battle, plunging the protagonist to his death. Nagumo survives and quickly becomes one of the strongest characters in the series through pure spite and rage. He then takes his revenge on the classmates who once stood in his way, killing them all brutally.
Dororoisn’t just one of the darkest shōnen ever made, it’s one ofthe darkest anime series around. The series puts a spotlight on Hyakkimaru as a severely disabled young warrior looking to get his body back. Before he was born,Hyakkimaru’s father sacrificed his son to a series of demons so that his land would prosper.
The deal worked, and Hyakkimaru’s father and his subject had never seen such bountiful days. Hyakkimaru then goes on a quest to reclaim what should be his. Each of the demons he kills allows him to gain part of his body back, but the people benefitting from his unwilling sacrifice suffer greatly. It’s a dark series that feels like no matter what happens, someone will lose immensely.
Devilman Crybabyis one of the few series where the villain actually wins. It’s a fever dream of an anime in the best way possible, and it’s one of the best anime series that can befinished in less than 15 episodes.Devilman Crybabystars Akira and Ryo as two characters trying to defeat demons who are looking to end humanity for good.
Ryo suggests that the only way to defeat the demons is to use their powers. Akira takes his advice and unites with a demon, becoming a titular Devilman. The surprise twist at the end takes the already dark series to an entirely new level, andthe ending itself leaves little to no room for anything other than a brutal feeling of hopelessness.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhoodis widely regarded as one ofthe best anime series of all time. It wasthe top-rated animeon MyAnimeList.com for years beforeFrieren: Beyond Journey’s Endfinally took the number one spot from it.Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhoodseems like a lighthearted series for most of the runtime,but it’s far from whimsical.
The series stars the Elric brothers as they look to get their bodies back after a failed Transmutation experiment. The two young boys are without either parent, as their father abandoned them and their mother died from illness. The boys tried to get their mother back through Human Transmutation but failed, losing parts of themselves in the process.
Hunter X Hunter
Hunter x Hunteris one of the most surprisingly dark anime series of all time. The series seems like a normal, fun shōnen adventure. While it is fun at times, thereare few series that can become dark as quickly asHunter x Hunter.Hunter x Hunter’sGon is one of the most unhinged characters in anime, and he’s more than willing to show his crazy side on multiple occasions.
There are plenty of shockingly dark moments in the series, and one of the most memorable is when Gon’s mentor Kite is killed in front of him. Gon hunts down Pitou, Kite’s killer, and takes a hostage to get Pitou to fight him. He then sacrifices the rest of his life to gain the power needed to kill Pitou, even as his friends beg him not to.
Chainsaw Man
Chainsaw Manlooks to take the reins as one of the top shōnen anime of the newest generation. While a lot of the best shōnen anime of the early 2000s, likeDragon Ball ZandOne Piece,are fun, cheery adventures,Chainsaw Manis as dark as it gets.There’s almost nobody who survives inChainsaw Man,and that’s one of the series' strong points.
Chainsaw Manstars Denji as a young man who inherited his father’s debt after he died. While working his debt off, he was betrayed by the people he worked for. His best friend and the Chainsaw Devil, Pochita, sacrifices himself so that Denji can live. Denji then becomes the eponymous Chainsaw Man and brutalizes his enemies and anyone else who stands in front of him.
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelionis a staple of anime. To be considered a genuine anime fan, you need to watch this series. There are so many things thatNeon Genesisdoes well that it can be hard to choose where to start. Above all, this seriesisn’t afraid to go dark and tackle some of the toughest themes in anime at the same time.
Neon Genesis Evangelionis a series that can be watched several times, and you might not interpret the same after each viewing. It’s an amazing, thought-provoking series that doesn’t pull its punches in the slightest. No matter what ending is canon, they’re never easy to stomach, and that’s a good thing.
Attack on Titan
Attack on Titanis one of the shōnen series that got the West hooked on anime. It wasn’t the first major anime in the West, but it is the biggest anime of the past decade by far. It won people’s hearts over through its darkness, asAttack on Titanshowed that to be a great series, you had to be a little dark.
The very first episode ofAttack on Titanis about as dark as it gets. Eren and his family are living under the protection of the Walls when they come crashing down and hordes of Titans rush in. Eren watches helplessly as his mother is eaten by a Titan, and the series doesn’t get any brighter from there.
Jujutsu Kaisen
Jujutsu Kaisenisn’t just a dark anime: it’s an anime series that will lull its viewers into a false state of hope before ripping it out from under them. There are a few dark shōnen anime out there, butnone feel like they’re personally attacking you likeJujutsu Kaisen.
Jujutsu Kaisenis another one of the best modern-day shōnen anime, and part of that is because of how unforgiving the series is. InDragon Ball,death is meaningless. Characters die all the time. They’re then resurrected by the Dragon Balls, going on with their merry lives. The same can’t be said inJujutsu Kaisen,as tons of great characters die, and they’re never coming back.
