Even though seinen anime shows are targeting young adult audiences it doesn’t mean that their stories don’t have substance and a good amount of darkness. Anime fans had a chance to watch some of the most thought-provoking and wicked seinen series and meet some of the most despicable and terrifying characters in the anime world.
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All thebest seinen animeshows have well-crafted characters, unique stories, and great art style, but only a few have such bleak and tragic stories as these iconic anime. While anime lovers could explore bloody and gore seinen anime they can also watch mind-bending psychological thrillers that explore the darkest sides of human nature and get chilling insights into serial killers' and brutal psychopaths' minds.
7Hellsing Ultimate
Check it out on Hulu!
Hellsing Ultimateis one of the goriestanime about vampireswith plenty of dark and bloody scenes. It’s one of the most violent seinen anime shows with a lot of graphic gore moments in each episode. Its story follows the dangerous adventures of a vampire named Alucard and his sired ward Seras as they defend the British Empire against deadly supernatural creatures.
During their journeys, they face many terrifying enemies including the vampire army of the evil war-crazed SS-Major who plans on starting an eternal war. Anime lovers who are looking for a dark seinen show with kick-ass action scenes that get truly brutal and bloody should check outHellsing Ultimate.
6Erased
Erasedis one of the most iconic psychologicaltime travel animewith shocking twists and a heartbreakingly dark story. The show also has brilliantly crafted characters and thanks to its unique structure viewers are constantly surprised by the new developments which makes this anime thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end.
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Its story follows the adventures of Satoru, an inspiring manga artist who tries to use his time travel ability to travel back in time and attempt to stop a terrible tragedy. However, as he gets closer to solving the mystery of her friend’s disappearance he unintentionally uncovers a dark and disturbing secret.
5Made In Abyss
Check it out on Amazon Prime Video!
Even thoughMade In Abysshas a charming art style with mostly cute characters it’s one of the saddest and darkest seinen anime shows with a one-of-a-kind story. This complex and intricate seinen anime series managed to fully immerse its viewers in the anime’s harrowing world while introducing them to the increasinglyterrifying layers ofMade in Abyss.
Anime fans could follow the excruciating adventures of a young girl named Riko who embarks on an adventure with her robot friend Reg to find her mother. As they descend lower and lower into the Abyss they have to face new, terrifying, and heartbreaking events.
4Psycho-Pass
Psycho-Pass’s dark and thought-provoking story is perfect for sci-fi anime fans who enjoy psychological stories with many gruesome deaths. This violent seinen anime introduces its fans to a futuristic world as they follow the adventures of inspector Akane Tsunemori.
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The anime is set in a futuristic Japan where Akane strictly follows the rules and the orders by the Sibyl System until one day she realizes that a criminal is able to elude this theoretically perfect system. Thanks to theSibyl System inPsycho-Pass, anime lovers could enjoy a unique adventrue as well as explore stories about serial killers and the cops who try to catch them from a different perspective.
3Tokyo Ghoul
Tokyo Ghoulis one of thedarkest anime seriesof all time that balances action with gore perfectly. Anime fans could explore a thrilling story as they follow the adventures of a young boy named Ken Kaneki who after an accident gets turned into a part-ghoul.
Ken has to go on the run and as he explores more of the ghouls' captivating yet brutal world in Tokyo he does his best to protect others. Even though it’s a dark fantasy seinen anime it has some of the goriest and bloodiest deaths in anime with many terrifying human-eating Ghouls.
2Monster
Check it out on Netflix!
WhileMonsteris a slower anime without many fast-paced action scenes it still manages to keep viewers entertained from the beginning till the end thanks to its great animation style and thought-provoking story.
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This psychological thriller seinen anime’s story follows the adventures of a brilliant neurosurgeon who becomes the prime suspect in an investigation after the doctors who fired him get murdered. He decides to solve the mystery by himself and realizes that the murders are connected to one of his former patients. It’s one of the darkest seinen shows with meaningful themes about good and evil and the possible consequences of our choices.
1Berserk
Berserk’s dark and horrifying world is filled with violence, death, and betrayal, and it takes its viewers on a heartbreaking journey. It’s an iconic dark fantasy seinen anime that offers something for all types of viewers and has a gorgeous art style, complex characters, as well as a brilliantly built world that fully immerses its viewers in the story.
Anime fans can follow the adventures of Guts who after living his life as a lone swordsman, meets Griffith and decides to join the Band of the Hawk. Unfortunately, as Guts and his new family tries to battle their way into the royal court they not only have to face deadly enemies but the shocking betrayal of their own charismatic leader.
