5 Masterpiece Dark Fantasy Anime Better Than Attack on Titan

As a genre, dark fantasy anime requires delicate balance in order to make an impact on viewers. Leaning too hard on the darkness leads to horror, while clinging to the light results in regular fantasy. Anime that achieve the sweet spot between light and darkness are a rarity, but those that do exist, like Attack on Titan, are the exceptions that define the dark fantasy genre.

Attack on Titan may be one of the most recognizable dark fantasy anime this century, but it’s not the only series to leave an indelible mark on the genre. Guts' dark journey in Berserk, for example, set a precedent in the dark fantasy genre that even Attack on Titan pays homage to. Meanwhile, Tanjiro Kamado's constant uphill battle to save his little sister in Demon Slayer utilizes similar dark fantasy tropes in news ways to ensure it stands out among the best of the best of today's fantasy roster.

Made in Abyss Puts Dark Fantasy To The Test

One of Made in Abyss's darkest aspects is that its heroes are children. By framing its world of horrors and dark fantasy through the eyes of two kids, Made in Abyss takes its world and story to new depths. Riko doesn't see the darkness of her own world because as a child it's all she's ever known. Her quest to find her mother in the far reaches of the abyss is a grand adventure, but the audience actively sees the danger she's in every step of the way.

Following Riko and Reg on their descent into the abyss, they see wonders and horrors, but they're filtered through their childlike lens. Whether or not they manage to emerge from the journey unscathed is a constant source of tension for the viewer, making it impossible to relax while the pair continuously walk into danger.

The abyss itself is one of the best settings in dark fantasy. Just existing in the abyss changes and contorts a person in ways they can’t control, but that doesn't stop adventurers from continuing to descend into the deep.

Guts' Gruesome Journey In Berserk Stands The Test Of Time

Berserk is a story where hope is found in a hopeless world. Life in the Guts' world is filled with non-stop terror, and it consistently robs the characters of their hope. Despite this, Guts endures, even when the world breaks him over and over again.

One of the darkest aspects of Berserk is its villain. Griffith, who was once Guts' closest friend, falls from grace deliberately. Embracing betrayal as he sacrifices his comrades during the eclipse in order to become a powerful demon, Griffith's crimes are as devastating to the viewer as they are to Guts.

Coupled with Kentaro Miura's uniquely aggressive art style, Berserk transcends violence in every scene, making it as difficult to endure as an anime fan and manga reader as it is to look away from. The fantastical darkness drives the story from start to finish, easily landing Berserk at the top of the greatest dark fantasy of all time.

Darkness Isn’t Only in the Monsters in Garden of Sinners

Better known for the Fate Series, Kinoko Nasu is also responsible for one of the greatest dark fantasy series of all time: Garden of Sinners. Animated by Ufotable, Garden of Sinners is filled with lush visuals that capture incredible beauty and savagery in tandem.

Ryogi Shiki is a heroine at war with herself—literally. She has more than one personality and identity, and they’re not in agreement about how she should live her life. She ends up facing some horrific scenarios as she tries to understand herself and navigate her own complicated life, leading to some of the most intense animation in the dark fantasy genre.

Garden of Sinners doesn’t shy away from the toll her encounters take on her. Shiki doesn’t come out on the other side of this dark adventure whole; in fact, no one she cares about does. Everyone suffers through Shiki's ordeal, and that suffering is necessary in order to defeat the darkness.

Garden of Sinners understands the darkness within everyone, and isn’t afraid to take the worst of humanity and proudly put it on display. Shiki doesn’t just face monsters, but the most gut-churning impulses of vile people. Her battles explore not just a world of horrors that can be seen, but those hidden within others that they never want anyone else to see.

The Monster Becomes the Hero in Clevatess

Clevatess doesn't pull any punches, beginning with a horrific slaughter of a heroic party who could easily be the series' main characters. When the powerful monster Clevatess brings one of the heroes back from death to serve him, a twisted dark adventure launches.

Clevatess and the heroine Alicia launch an adventure with a baby named Luna, whose guardian convinced Clevatess to give the child a chance at life after the monster destroyed her home. As Clevatess experiences the human world for the first time, it forms judgments of its own. It's as much a dark adventure fantasy as it is an examination of humanity and whether it's worth saving.

Even as a resurrected corpse, Alicia remains a hero. She still suffers the pain of each wound she suffered at Clevatess' hands, her dark resurrection becoming a shocking act of body horror as she strives to save humanity under the guidance of the monster that killed her to begin with.

Demon Slayer's Dark World Setting Draws From The Horrific At Every Turn

Demon Slayer isn't just a cultural phenomenon; it's also a stunning work of dark fantasy with an emotionally gripping premise. Tanjiro Kamado's journey to save his sister Nezuko from fully becoming a demon is beset by brutal enemies from start to finish. The fact that he is harboring a demon makes him an enemy to the Demon Slayer Corps at first, especially the Hashira, making the fight for Nezuko's humanity a horrific battle that would be too much for anyone other than Tanjiro to handle.

Despite the many horrors he faces, including his own sister trying to kill him as he works to save her, Tanjiro keeps an optimistic attitude. He never gives up, even when he realizes that in a world dominated by Muzan Kibutsuji's demons, life is cheap, especially for the members of the Demon Slayer Corps. Sent like lambs to the slaughter, it's a constant uphill battle from start to finish.

Demon Slayer is a perfect example of the difference between dark fantasy and horror. Nothing in Demon Slayer comes without a horrible cost. There are no easy victories, and no way to save everyone. People will die, and their sacrifices will be the stuff of nightmares, but if carrying on the fight means a world without demons, Tanjiro will never give up, and he won't let anyone else give up either.