Dark Anime: 40 Unforgettable Dark Anime Characters

Explore the best dark anime characters and top dark animes that will prove that it’s fairly easy to get nightmares even because of creepy animes.

We collected some of the best villains, as well as truly dark anime girls and boys You’ll from the most popular shows of the past. Also some of the lesser-known but quality shows to the most popular dark animes and the best dark anime series you can watch online.

You will find here anime characters who were once good but turned to the dark side and many who were just born plain crazy and evil. One thing is for sure, these characters are truly amusing. And even though they’re dark they can also be charming and witty who more often than not have a fairly good reason for going dark.

Who knows? You may end up rooting for them.

Dark anime doesn’t necessarily mean horror and a dark character isn’t necessarily evil. These dark anime movies and series will introduce you to the world of anime where writers worked on more serious themes and complex characters to create truly dark animes for adults.

You will find here surprisingly dark fantasy anime series. Great dark animes with plot twists, the most exciting dark psychological anime shows that will mess with your mind. As well as exciting dark action animes and dark romance anime for those who love their love stories gritty.

You can also watch most of the dark animes on our list on Netflix or other streaming sites online to make the experience even more comfortable.

What is dark anime?

Dark anime is a type of anime that has various genres like action, fantasy, horror, drama, crime, psychological but they all have darker themes and dark characters. These themes and characters usually deal with more serious issues like mental health, death, afterlife no matter if they are humans, monsters, vampires, or aliens. Dark anime characters usually deal with the same psychological issues as we do but on a more heightened and execrated way in a fictional world. 

However, dark anime can also simple horror shows that will give you goosebumps with evil anime characters who are just pretty good at killing. These shows don’t necessarily have a more deeper existential layers but give you a pretty good scare and an amazing time.

Best Dark Anime Characters & Best Dark Animes for Adults to watch Online

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40| Emma Ai – Hell Girl – 2005 – dark psychological anime

Hell Girl is one of the creepiest dark animes that will take you on one hell of a ride. Emma Ai may seem like a cute and harmless little girl and maybe she is unless someone has a grudge with you and posts your name at midnight on a very special website.

Then Emma Ai will appear and with the help of her three straw dolls will exact revenge on you. While she does not ask questions there is a big price to pay.

If you want her to take revenge in your name you will have to condemn yourself to an afterlife in hell.

Hell Girl is perfect for those who enjoy a dark anime that will play tricks on your mind, has great suspense and adorable creepy leading character.

39| Saya Kisaragi – Blood-C | 2011 – Dark Fantasy anime

Saya is a strong and cool but definitely dark anime girl. She follows at her mother’s steps and slays the Elder Bairn evil creatures who drink human blood.

She seems like a normal girl who lives in the local shrine in her small town. However, her dark secret is pretty bloody. She’s not one you would want to make angry.

Blood-C is one of the best vampire animes that have some creepy anime characters and cool action scenes.

Check out Blood-C if you enjoy dark animes where a kick-ass dark anime girl leading the show and has blood-sucking creepy creatures with great action scenes.

38| Narihisago/Sakaido – ID: Invaded | 2020 – Crime – Dark Anime

Solving a crime works in a different way thanks to the revolutionizing Mizuhanome system, which allows detectives to enter the minds of criminals.

Kura is the organization utilizing the system and one of their top detectives, Sakaido dives into a terrible killer’s mind to solve a case.

His name in real life is actually Akihito Narihisago, who has lost his daughter to a serial killer. With despicable pain, he hunts down the murderer and gets imprisoned.

Due to becoming a killer himself, Akihito is now able to enter the ID-Walls to collect information on serial murderers. He is one of the darkest anime characters, who shows no empathy for serial killers.

Akihito is the best detective of the Mizuhanome system and likes not only catching but playing with criminals, often pushing them to commit suicide.

However, even Akihito seems like a perfectly good guy compared to the mysterious and elusive John Walker who is secretly behind these gruesome murders. He is the demonic man who creates these brutal serial killers and then sends them out into the world.

ID: Invaded is an outstanding new dark anime to watch on Hulu in 2020. This is dark psychological anime with brutal and puzzling cases by a Serial Killer Creator.

37| Shin – Dorohedoro | 2020 – Action, Comedy, Dark Fantasy Anime

Here is another dark gritty anime 2020 can cheer you up with. Dorohedoro is a gory anime, yet full of humorous moments, that will bring some light into the somber world of Hole.

Q Hayashida’s manga series was running for 18 years, so it was time to adapt it into an incredibly entertaining yet a bit dreary anime.

The story follows Kaiman, a reptile-man who has lost all his memories and now is in search of clues with his friend Nikaidou. They are a great match because Kaiman is always hungry and Nikaidou always has the answer since she runs a restaurant.

With all sorts of magic possessing figures of the two dimensions; Hole and the Sorcerer’s world, it was difficult to pick only one dark anime character from this show.

Still, in our opinion, Shin is a great suitor for the title. He is an errand guy for a wealthy business owner En, and despite always having a good reason to kill, he does complete the task with great joy.

He has the magical ability to cut people open without killing them. Sounds like a power everyone should have.

It is a surprisingly humorous still very dark anime with magic and plot twists you wouldn’t have anticipated for sure. Attention; this anime is definitely for adults as there are some triggering visuals throughout.

You can watch Dorohedoro online in 2020 on Anime-Planet.

36| One – Darwin’s Game | 2020

The long-awaited Darwin’s Game anime is finally here. Following the success of the manga, now we get to follow Sudō Kaname’s heart-pounding adventures on screen as well.

Prepare for a top to bottom dark action anime as 17-year old Kaname accepts an invitation to an online game that turns out to be life-threatening for real. With terrific fight scenes and dark characters, this anime is going to quickly become your new favorite.

If you enjoy shows with dark anime boys, there is One, also referred to as King, who is one piece of work. He is the leader of clan Eight, and ruler of the Shibuya area in the game.

One has quite a beef with our protagonist, leading him to a very dark place of torturing others and slaying them.

Darwin’s Game is one outstanding dark anime with a good story and a lot of action that got released in 2020 you can watch it online on Funimation.

35| The Spiral – (Uzumaki) | 2020 – dark psychological anime

The Spiral or Uzumaki anime series is the most anticipated dark anime of 2020.

The Spiral is going to take you on a terrifying journey. It is a seriously mindbending and dark horror anime with some romance and a murderous supernatural entity.

Based on the blood-chilling manga, it is certainly going to raise the hair on your back.

Uzumaki or Spiral is a being that sneaks into humans’ or animals’ heads and makes them obsessed with spirals until death comes upon them.

The strong bond between Kiri and Shuuichi seems to help them get through this ancient threat. It is a dark romance anime you are going to remember forever.

The Spiral (Uzumaki) is one of the darkest psychological anime for adults that can even be triggering for some viewers. 

34| Grell – Black Butler

The Black Butler Series and movies will be one of the darkest yet funniest and most entertaining anime you’ll ever watch.

And its most crazy, eccentric yet fun character is Grell. Grell is one of the reapers who’s supposed to grab the souls of the dead to take them to the afterlife but he gets bored easily.

He becomes a serial killer and even falls in love with Sebastian and wants to kill anyone who stays in the way of  “their” true love.

Black Butler is about a young boy named Ciel Phantomhive who signs away his soul to a demon, Sebastian Michaelis, in exchange for his special services.

Sebastian takes the form of a loyal butler and serves whenever summoned by his young master Ciel. In order to avenge his family’s death, they have to solve gruesome mysteries and fight unimaginable evil.

Black Butler is a show that doesn’t get enough credit for how dark it really is and how deep they go into the darkest corners of human cruelty and even mental health issues.

While Black Butler has many comedic and action scenes it’s a deeply dark anime that was created for adult viewers. This show will surely bring you many smiles as well as more than a few nightmares. 

33| Henrietta  – Gunslinger Girl

The Italian Social Welfare Agency offers a better life to young girls who are destined to spend their lives in hospital beds. By enhancing their physical abilities with advanced cybernetic technology, they can live a full life again.

This opportunity doesn’t come for free though, they are trained to be skilled assassins carrying out all sorts of deadly missions after being brainwashed.

This Dark anime has female leads who are just getting even grittier as we learn more about the protagonists.

Henrietta is one of the first cyborgs, who became part of the system after the tragic murder of her parents. She was raped and for obvious reasons, she had difficulties to recover physically and mentally.

Once becoming one of the best assets of the agency, she was very protective of her handler Jose Croce. Henrietta is certainly a dark anime girl, who is way too young to have so much blood on her hand.

If you are in the lookout for a truly interesting, yet mortifying dark anime series, Gunslinger Girl is surely a pick you will not regret. You can watch Gunslinger Girl online on Crunchy Roll.

32| Kandata  – Aoi Bungaku

The Aoi Bungaku anime is based on a number of Japanese literary classics and each of the episodes tells a different story. Each of them portrays a story of either love, friendship, drug addiction and sins in life.

The anime is quite dark about romance and all the feelings and troubles we encounter in life.

Kandata is a terrible person, who has committed countless murders during his life. He has ended way too many people’s life without remorse. The cold-blooded killer is now paying for his sins in hell but is given a chance because of one time when he showed mercy.

If you are in search of a bit depressing but teaching dark anime series, Aoi Bungaku’s twelve episodes are going to meet your expectations.

Aoi Bungaku is one of the darkest psychological anime dramas with terrifyingly complex ideas and characters that will make you think about life. You can watch Aoi Bungaku online on Anime-Planet.

31| Gendo Ikari – Neon Genesis Evangelion

Neon Genesis Evangelion was running between 1995 and ‘97 when they had much more ambitious and menacing visions for 2015.

The story takes place in that year and things are quite grim because of gigantic supernatural creatures people call Angels.

There is a weapon humanity created to fight those beings off, called Evangelion. Those are similar to the enemy constructed based on the first Angel remains.

Gendo Ikari, the commander of NERV, the organization formed to combat Angels, is one ruthless human being. To him no human life is worthier than his great goal; Human Instrumentality project, that aims to force human evolution speed up. His ultimate goal is to make humanity one whole instead of individual beings.

Gendo Ikari is one of the most terrifying dark anime characters because his determination feeds off him being so strongly convinced about his agenda.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is still one of the most exhilarating dark anime with plot twists that will definitely make you watch all the 28 episodes in one sitting. You can watch this suspenseful dark anime on Netflix in 2020 too.

30| Chiyuki  – Death Parade

When life comes to an end, your faith will be decided in the Quindecim, the bar of the dead. By playing a game with Decim, the gatekeeper of death, you can either get another round in life by reincarnating or fall in the dark void.

Fresh arrivals are challenged in pairs to a game of Decim’s choice, that will make you show your true self. Fail in the death parade and nothing awaits or win and enjoy one more life.

It is certainly a dark anime with a good story and some playful humor to help you make things easier.

Chiyuki is a strong dark anime girl, who was chosen to be the assistant of Decim. She has forgotten most of her human life, but still has great insights about life that are of good use to her master.

She always says what’s on her mind and is never afraid to be brutally honest, even if it may offend the mischievous keeper of the afterlife.

Death Parade is a thought-provoking dark anime for adults that elegantly deals with tough subjects like death, afterlife, and suicide.

29| Kichimura Furuta – Tokyo Ghoul

In Tokyo Ghoul’s alternate world, ghouls live among people hiding their true identity to avoid humans being after them. They feed on human flesh and they are by far stronger than an average person.

Ghouls can also regenerate quite quickly, making them nearly invincible, especially compared to humans. There are half ghouls as well, who either were born to a human and a ghoul or got ghoul organ implants.

We follow college student Ken Kaneki, who is almost brutally murdered on his first date by the girl called Rize. When waking up, it is revealed, he only survived thanks to receiving some of Rize’s organs and is now a Ghoul.

You don’t have to go far in the search of a dark anime character watching Tokyo Ghoul, but there is one that is truly gritty.

Kichimura Washuu is the primary antagonist of the series. Kichimura was known under many different names as he was working his way around and up in various organizations.

Thanks to his smarts in the politics of the Ghoul world, he managed to become one of the most powerful artificial ghouls. He even named himself Washuu King.

Tokyo Ghoul is one of the best dark anime to watch on Netflix as it has a captivating world, with imaginative characters and a lot of action.

28| Kaede (AKA Lucy or Nyu) – Elfen Lied

Elfen Lied is definitely one of the darkest fantasy anime you can find. It deals with such terrible issues as child abuse, segregation, animal abuse and all sorts of social problems.

A new human-like species appears in the word, called Diclonius and humans do not take it easy. Apart from the distinguishing cat ear-like horns, they are hardly any different from regular humans by looks.

What really causes fear and takes people to their darkest places are their psychokinetic abilities.

Lucy is said to be the first Diclonius on Earth. She was rejected at birth, leading to a childhood that makes Elfen Leid a surprisingly dark anime. What she had to go through, probably would have triggered something in almost everyone.

With all the hatred and disappointments building up in her, she becomes humanity’s biggest enemy. Lucy goes on a frenzy that doesn’t end with several hundred people’s death; she also founds a group for her kind called the Silpeltis.

Their aim is to slay humans until they cease to exist as the dominant species on the globe.

Elfen Lied is a show with the darkest anime girl and you’ll find that it’s quite an eye-opener. How much we can contribute to some terrible events by not being supportive, or worse, actually abusing others. It also raises many questions about several social issues.

Kaede is surely the best dark anime female lead who’s going to amaze and terrify you.

27| Asuka – Magical Girl Special Ops Asuka | 2019

Three years after the devastating attack of the inter-dimensional ruthless creatures called the Disas, Earth is still struggling to recover. Only thanks to a number of magical girls, who allied with the spirit realm could survive the terrible strike of the otherworldly beings.

Eleven magical girls managed to save humanity by showing extreme bravery and strength. Despite their outstanding powers, many of them had fallen victim to the Disas.

The Magical Five remains in service of peace, as the rest have been eliminated.

All of them are still in the military, except Asuka, who tries to put everything behind and live an ordinary life. Unfortunately, a menacing threat surfaces that pull the sad and troubled girl back into action.

Asuka is a killing machine, who has a lot going on inside due to losing her parents and all that is dear to her.

Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka is a great dark action anime series with kick-ass female leads. If you are looking to watch a show with outstanding, strong and magical anime girls, this is the best anime for you. You can stream it online on Crunchyroll.

26| Hex – Jormungand

Jormungand is a dark psychological anime full of action that follows the infamous arms dealer Koko and her crew. One of her bodyguards is Jonah, a child soldier who has a deeply negative feeling against guns.

It turns out that Koko is one irregular arms dealer. Her actions are all in the hopes of achieving world peace.

Besides the CIA, there are others after Koko as well. Hex is a former special ops soldier, who has served in the army for many years. She has also been stationed in Afghanistan during which the 9/11 attacks took place and her husband was killed.

All this trauma has led to Hex seeing Koko as one of the worst enemies of humanity. From that on, the weapon dealer cannot take a step without Hex knowing about it.

It is a good question if she is right, but Hex is certainly one of the most determined and darkest anime girls who feels no mercy and goes blindly after her enemy.

Jormungand is a dark crime-psychological anime about weapon dealers, deadly child soldiers, and assassins that is both troublingly realistic nightmare-like.

25| Gotou – Parasyte

Parasyte is a thrilling sci-fi dark anime, which will probably cause a few sleepless nights. The world is under attack by worm-like aliens, which take over humans by crawling up into their brains.

We follow the 17-year old high school boy Shinichi Izumi, who catches a Parasyte in the act and it ends up only occupying his right hand, hence the name Migi or Righty.

Over time they develop a bond while fighting other human-butchering parasites. It is certainly one dark gritty anime, with a lot of dismemberment and bloodshed.

Gotou is a scary being; he is sort of a result of an experiment. He is controlled by five different parasites making him the strongest parasites of all. He is ruthless and there is death in his way.

Parasyte is a bone-chillingly great dark anime with plot twists and a truly terrifying looking monster.

24| Goblin Lord – Goblin Slayer

The Goblin Lord is a seasoned commander of goblins, who tends to be deceitful and cunning. His only motivation is power and his life, not sparing his subordinates’ lives when it comes to getting out of a risky situation.

He has been through a lot, making him even more dangerous, since he probably has been there, done that.

What makes this dark anime villain stand out from the wild crowds of goblins, is the fact that he is reasonable and well thought through.

The world is under constant fear thanks to the ferocious hordes of goblins. They scavenge the lands for items of value and often to rape and terrorize the locals. Onna, a 15-year old Priestess with a group of youngsters is ambushed by a group of goblins while investigating the disappearance of some women.

Just when they would have given up, the gallant Goblin Slayer jumps in to clear out the whole nest. They then embark together on the Slayer’s quest of helping the Adventurer’s Guild.

While Goblin Slayer is a dark fantasy action anime it’s also a truly dark one that often deals with serious subjects even triggering ones like rape. It is most certainly one dark anime for adults to watch, as some of the characters and storylines aren’t good fit for younger audiences.

23| Eren Yeager – Attack on Titan

Attack on Titan is another fascinating dark anime fantasy, which gives humanity very little hope. In the whole wide world, there is only a quite small settlement of regular humans living behind a giant wall.

Many people of the inner city live a regular life, despite the outskirts being torn apart by giant humanoids eating people. The wall has been penetrated and now everyone is rushing to the center of the city.

There are only a few who dare to step outside the assumed safety of the walls; the Survey Corps, one of the three branches of the military.

Following an attack of the giant titan that managed to tear the thought-to-be indestructible wall down, Eren Yeager enrolls the military with his step-sister, Miksa Ackerman.

Eren Yeager is a brave but dark anime boy driven by anger and vengeance. Throughout the series, we get to learn he has been fearless since a very young age.

You can read more about this show here.

Attack on Titan is certainly one of the greatest action dark animes with a great story it’s also one of the best ongoing anime series with outstanding characters and you can also watch it on Netflix.

22| D – Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust

We have also included the manga this anime movie was based on in our book series about vampires list.

Vampire Hunter D is set in a distant dystopian future, where vampires, have ruled over humans for three centuries. Now, thanks to the skilled and vicious vampire hunters the table has turned to put the blood-sucking creatures on the edge of extinction.

D is one of the most skilled of all hunters, who is fearless and strong. What does D stand for in Vampire Hunter D? He is a person simplicity; D for Dhampir, meaning he is a half-human and half-vampire.

In Bloodlust, D is hired to save a young woman, Charlotte who was kidnapped by the notorious vampire nobleman, Baron Meier Link. He is known to kill only with a purpose.

After agreeing on the terms of D’s mission, he sets out to save Charlotte, but he is not the only one looking for her. The movie is full of well crafted dark anime girls and boys, which makes it one of the darkest fantasy anime.

D is one of the most inscrutable dark anime heroes we could find. He is usually very cold and seemingly emotionless, however, he does show selflessness and is always doing the right thing. His dark past, on the other hand, made him distant and capable to kill without remorse.

You can check out its great ratings on Rotten Tomatoes.

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is one of the darkest anime movies with vampires for adults with deep and thought-provoking themes, complex characters, and stunning visuals.

21| Mima Kirigoe – Perfect Blue – dark psychological anime

Perfect Blue is a dark psychological anime that will make you sit still for a while after the film ended. It is a quite gloomy story of pop idol Mima Kirigoe, who decided to make a change in her career to take up acting.

An obsessed fan starts to stalk her amid Mima’s announcement and publishes a website in the form of a diary that feels like she wrote it. There are details about her life that frightens Mima, and when she seeks her manager’s help, she is just told to ignore it.

Mima finally gets an acting job, which she accepts despite many of her friends’ opposition. While on set, she develops a dissociative identity disorder and cannot differentiate her role from her life.

As life seems to be hitting her so hard, someone is trying to make things better, in the worst possible way. The punchline is still to come; Mima will do the unthinkable, the deed she would have never imagined she would ever do.

Mima is an extraordinary dark anime girl, who we can say was the victim of circumstances. Many can relate to her while questioning whether we are careful enough with others.

If you are looking for a dark anime drama to watch for adults, Perfect Blue will take you on a gloomy journey. Perfect Blue is a gripping psychological dark anime for adults.

20| Kirei Kotomine – Fate Zero

Kirei Kotomine has been an Executor of the church since he was ten years old. He always had difficulty understanding why he couldn’t ever love his father.

Ever since he was a little child, he was living up to his expectations but still, he never loved him. Now, he is one feared enemy in the Fourth Holy Grail War.

The terrible wars for the great promises of the Holy Grail had seen so many great warriors fall. After the third war everyone hopes to finally find peace, however, the Einzbern family is preparing for war. This time they are certain of success as the Holy Grail is their hands to grant their wishes.

To seal their victory, they ally with Kiritsugu Emiya, the “Magus Killer” by marrying their only daughter to him.

It seems the terrible Emiya has found his match, Kirei is determined to hunt down his enemy.

Fate Zero is a dark and serious anime to watch online, where you are not sure who really is the bad guy. Kirei Kotomine is struggling with weighty issues from his past looking for redemption. You can also watch this action-filled dark anime on Netflix.

19| Honest – Akame ga Kill!

Honest serves as the Prime Minister of the Empire, being the sole adviser to the young Emperor. Thanks to his evil contribution, the Empire is in terrible decline; most of the people are starving and terror keeps them in line. He sentences hundreds to death without any remorse or hesitation.

He is one cruel antagonist, against whom the Revolutionary Army is plotting to finally end his reign.

There is a small group in the Army, called Night Raid, a handful of battle experts willing to do whatever it takes to restore order.

In this group, there are some really determined members with special skills to eliminate anyone.

In case you are in search of an exciting dark anime with plot twists, Akame ga Kill! will bring you plenty of surprises, some rather sad ones.

Watching this dark fantasy anime, you are going to find yourself in high spirits while cheering for the unlikely heroes. Even if they are on the good side, each of the main characters can seem a little dark on the way to success.

18| Mei Misaki – Another

Misaki is one of the scariest dark anime girl characters and Another is undoubtedly one of the darkest and most terrifying animes ever.

This dark anime is filled with secrets, mysteries, and of course lots of blood and death. Another is one of the best a dark and gritty animes you can also watch on Netflix.

17| Yuno Gasai – Future Diary

Yuno Gasai is one of the best dark anime characters and one of the best Yandere Girls in anime ever.

While her cute pink hair probably misleads you she is nothing but a crazy psychopath you don’t want to mess with.

Future Diary is a dark anime that has an interesting story. Its main character is Yukiteru who is just another school student until a day when he is forced into a type of Battle Royale 11 others who are each the holders of powerful future diaries.

Yuno will be your favorite dark anime girl characters with cute pink hair. It’s a weirdly perfect match in this surprisingly dark anime.

16| Rena – Higurashi When They Cry

Rena may seem like an innocent schoolgirl but don’t be fooled because she is one of the most twisted and dark anime characters you’ll ever have the pleasure meeting on screen.

When they cry is a terrifying anime show that has a great plot, some truly creepy anime characters, and a chilling tone.

The story is about Keiichi who moves to a quiet small town that seems like a sweet little place at first glance. However, Keiichi soon discovers the town’s dark curse and that’s when everything takes a horrifying turn.

15| Lelouch – Code Geass

Despite the fact that Lelouch has the physical strength of an everyday teenage boy he’s able to control anyone with the mythical power of Geass. The Power of the King or Geass was given to him by C.C.

He is arrogant, self-centered and cares only about only himself and direct family members. However, as the show moves forward and becomes more complex so does his character. Lelouch is pushed to the point of insanity and even kills one of his closest family members.

While he does many good things especially during the beginning of the series at the end he becomes the greatest evil on earth.

Watch this dark anime on NETFLIX | Buy it on eBay

14| Shiro – Deadman Wonderland

Shiro’s character is one that you can’t help but sympathize with, no matter what terrible things she does. Because of various experiments been done on her, she became the first ‘Deadman’. Her body would often deteriorate causing both her arms and legs to fall off and needs to be sewn back together with her body. 

Because of these excruciatingly painful nanomachine experiments, she developed a second personality called the ‘Wretched Egg’ or ‘Red Man’ to help her cope with the mental and physical pain. While Wretched Egg protects Shiro, she is also the cause of thousands of deaths including a natural disaster.

Even though it’s easy to sympathize with Shiro/Wretched Egg she’s still an unpredictable and highly dangerous dark anime character.

Buy it on eBay

13| Seishin – Shiki

Seishin is another character but one whose village I would really prefer not to live in … or near. While he’s forced in a life he hates and his family’s death was traumatic for him he still makes some pretty dark decisions.

He’s a perfect example of how we can rationalize even the darkest of things until the point when they become the norm.

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12| Inga – Un-Go

Inga is probably one of the most interesting anime characters on this list. Inga starts out in the series as a young boy (around 14 years old). However, as the seasons passed she became one of the most amazing female anime villains ever.

Inga can transform into his adult female form so he can more easily find out about the truth. The adult Inga is manipulative, sadistic, and doesn’t shie away from violence to find out the truth. Talk about animated femme fatale.

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11| Alucard – Hellsing Ultimate

Even though Alucard is capable of human emotions he’s still one of the most sadistic and cruelest (often to an extreme length) vampire who likes to humiliate his opponents.

While he often fights for good he does it so in such a gore way that definitely deserves to be on this list. Alucard is many anime watchers favorite and certainly one of the top dark anime characters everyone should know about.

Watch this dark anime on NETFLIX | Buy it on eBay

10| Madara Uchiha – Naruto Shippūden

Madara is another perfect antagonist who clashes perfectly with the hero. While his goal is good – he wants to achieve peace – his methods are evil, cruel and he wants to force people into peace by taking away free will and basic human rights.

Naruto also has one of the best dark anime OST ever and is an entertaining dark action anime that will get you hooked on the show in no time. If you want to check out other amazing anime music then here is a link.

Naruto deals with death and depression among many other serious subjects and its writers often turn this fun action anime into one of the darkest shows ever created.

9| Sōsuke Aizen – Bleach

One of the darkest but most beautiful villains. I mean, just look at the photo above. He is also one of the smartest and calmest villains on the list.

He killed countless people during his experiments and he stops at nothing to achieve his goals. Sosuke is also mad arrogant just like a supervillain should be. He is cutthroat who wants to change society’s faults but like all villains chooses to do so in a very wrong way.

8|  Gaku Yashiro – Erased

Gaku is a tulry dark anime guy and one of the most insane anime characters on the list. I think it makes him one of the creepiest too since he is a type of character who can be found too easily in our world as well.

What’re his bad deeds? Gaku is not only a teacher turned politician but also a serial killer who mainly aims children.  I don’t think we need more explanation.

Watch this dark anime on NETFLIX. 

7| shogo makishima – Psycho – Pass / dark psychological anime

Shogo has no patience towards humanity. He considers humans worthless and replaceable. He hates that his society is dependant on the Sibyl System. So, he chooses to force people into “thinking right”.

While he believes in something that is considered good – he wants to alert people to start living their lives based on their own will – he goes to pretty dark extents with this idea.

Watch this dark anime on NETFLIX | Buy on eBay

6|  ragyo kiryuin – Kill la Kill

Ragyo is one of my favorite female anime villains. She enjoys dominating others, she has a strong lust for power and enjoys cruelty. She’s also fairly sexually adventurous and doesn’t shy back even from sexually assaulting others.

Ragyo turned evil when she discovered the life fibers and from that point, she stops at nothing to achieve her goals. She turns into a maniac who brutalizes and manipulates whoever she pleases. She’s most certainly one of the most interesting and dark anime characters out there.

Watch this dark anime on NETFLIX | Buy on eBay

5| Griffith — Berserk

Griffith is one of the most gorgeous good anime characters who turned evil. He is narcissistic who believes he’s worth more than the people around him and he treats them accordingly; disposable.

To achieve his goal of becoming a god/demon like figure he ends up not only sacrificing his comrades but his last shred of humanity in himself as well.

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He is probably one of the most famous scary anime characters of them all. Dragon Ball took the world by storm and became the favorites for many, even for those who normally don’t watch anime.

While Frieza has an eloquent nature who has a pretty impressive dark humor and likes to taunt his opponents before killing them. He’s not only ready to kill anyone who stands in his way but clearly enjoys to do so. Frieza is definitely the most entertaining, fun but cruel anime villains ever who will make watching Dragon Ball even more exciting.

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3| Hisoka Hunter x Hunter

Hisoka is the single most fun villain in anime history. He is self-absorbent who cares about nothing but himself, while in the meantime, he likes to find equally strong opponents who can challenge him. However, he’s fairly sadistic too, who gravely enjoys causing great pain and humiliate everyone before killing them.

Hisoka is a manipulative murderous sociopath who will make you get hooked on Hunter X Hunter which is easily one of the darkest anime series.

Hunter X Hunter is one of the best dark animes on Netflix that will make you want to leave the lights on.

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2| Shou Tucker – Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Creepy, insane, dark… the list is pretty much endless. While Shou has only a short appearance in the FullMetal series it’s probably one of the most memorable and vile ones on the show.

He’s a soft-spoken alchemist whose obsession pushes to extreme lengths and eventually, he commits one of the most disturbing and immoral acts in the series against his own little girl.

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Fullmetal Alchemist is one of the most fun and interesting yet dark animes you’ll ever watch.

1| Light Yagami/First Kira – Death Note

Death Note is the best psychological and dark anime show you can start watching even if you’re new to anime. This show is one of the most famous and beloved anime you can find. However, that’s not why Light Yagami is on the first spot on this list.

While Light Yagami starts out as a good character he quickly becomes a madman with a god complex because of the new power Death Note gives him. He tries so hard to shape a world to his own liking and ideals, that he gets completely lost and turns dark for good.

He’s a perfect villain because it’s scarily easy not only to understand his reasoning but even to agree with him at most parts. Light serves as a mirror to humanity’s darker nature and reminds us of how easy it is to erase the line between good and evil.

If you want to check out some of the best anime for beginners that will get you hooked follow the link. However, we have a pretty nice list as well in case you’re looking for the most comforting and fun top anime series that can help with depression and anxiety.

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Deat Note is the most beloved and popular dar psychological anime of all time and it’s coming back in 2020 so hopefully, we’ll more of this amazing anime too.

Thank you for reading!