Top 10 Darkest Isekai Anime Series Every Fan Needs to Watch

While some isekai protagonists are transported to fun new worlds, the grass isn’t always greener. Some isekai worlds are dark, brutal and relentless, making the main character wish he could go home. Dark isekai is a more recent addition to the broader isekai genre and doesn’t have many participants. Most isekai series focus on the positive side of life and give their characters fun powers in their vibrant new worlds. Dark isekai do the opposite, often leaving the main character in a harsher environment than they can initially handle.

Some characters, like Ainz from Supreme Lord, they are perfectly capable of dealing with the environment they find themselves in and instead choose to be the villains of the world. It’s not an entirely dark world for Ainz, but it certainly is for everyone who isn’t his friend. Dark isekai has a unique opportunity to placing the main character against the world in which your isekai’dnot the opposite.

10

Dr. Stone

Animated by TMS Entertainment, based on the manga by Riichiro Inagaki and Boichi

Dr. Stone It starts dark. Senku Ishigami is a super intelligent high school student who, along with the rest of the world, becomes petrified into a shade of green light. He wakes up well over 3,000 years later in a completely new world, devoid of all the people he once knew. He meets a few people along the way to keep him company, but they are few and far between. He spends the series looking for a way to revive everyone and, even though it’s a noble goal, there are already people he can’t bring back.

Some people who were petrified have been broken for thousands of years since they woke up. Some were broken by accident and others were broken on purpose. It’s a dark reality that Senku has to live with in this Stone World as he seeks to navigate new relationships and the environment around him.

9

No game, no life

Animated by Madhouse, based on the light novel by Yuu Kamiya

No game, no life It’s a pretty irreverent show, but it can also be pretty dark. Before Sora and Shiro, two of the world’s smartest isekai protagonists, arrived in the world of Disboard, Humanity was in a terrible position. They came in last place in every race and didn’t really have a chance to improve their position. They had no land and no prospects of winning the races that put them in the position they were in. Fortunately, Sora and Shiro managed to win a few important games to regain some of the pride and land the race had lost.

Sora and Shiro were lucky when they found the world of Disboard. In their past lives, they were the best players in the world by some margin. They were so good they got bored. Coming to their new world gave them the spark again. They are happy playing and even happier that they can use all of humanity as a betting piece too.

8

The rise of an avid reader

Animated by Ajia-do Animation Works & Wit Studio, based on the Light Novel series by Miya Kazuki

Main is one of the most humble isekai characters. While Rimuru’s That time I was reincarnated as a Slime wants to change the world, and Ainz Supreme Lord wants to dominate him, Main just wants to read. She has the worst luck of the trio, as she was reincarnated into a world where books were very difficult to get. Not only was she born into a world without her favorite thing, but she also has a terrible illness.

The Devourer is slowly killing Main. Without expensive magic items, it will kill her soon. It’s a dark premise that doesn’t get much clearer over the course of the show. Main, however, almost never has a negative attitude towards his situation. There were a few times when she faced some difficult times, but for the most part, she’s an optimistic character who will write her own books if she has to.

7

I reincarnated as the 7th Prince

Animated by Tsumugi Akita Animation Lab, based on the light novel by Kenkyo na Circle

I reincarnated as the 7th Prince so I can enjoy my time perfecting my magical skill is an isekai series much darker beyond the surface. At first glance, it’s a light-hearted show about a man who was able to perfect his magical art after being reincarnated into the royal family. It’s not all fun and games for people 7th Princelike some of the series’ villains put other characters in absolute misery. Jade was the enigmatic leader of the Assassin’s Guild before he was possessed.

His possession drove him mad, leading him to kill himself several times before his spirit was finally broken. Guisarme, the Demon who took over Jade’s body, even tells his friends about Jade’s death. He manipulates and tortures Jade, detailing the events to his former allies. It’s a pretty dark turn for what could otherwise be a funny, breezy show. I reincarnated as the 7th Prince may share some DNA with Dragon ballbut that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its own bits of darkness.

6

Mushoku Tensei: jobless reincarnation

Animated by Studio Bind, based on the Light Novel series by Rifujin na Magonote

Mushoku Tensei: jobless reincarnation is one of the most controversial and compelling anime of the last decade. It stars Rudeus Greyrat as he navigates his second life with incredible powers, great friends, and lots of love interests. Although the series has many notable high points is no stranger to devastating lows. Mushoku Tensei is better than most anime at making the viewer feel confident about a situation only to pull the rug out from under them.

One of the darkest moments Mushoku Tensei it was during season two when they aired the death of Rudy’s father Paul on Father’s Day. It was a sad death which aired on an ironic day. Rudeus constantly faces difficulties on a divine level. He works as hard as he can to overcome them, and with the people supporting him, he should be able to.

5

Derivatives

Animated by Hoods Drifters Studio, based on the manga by Kouta Hirano

Derivatives is a unique isekai that sees history blend with fantasy in a new, dark setting. Toyohisa Shimazu was protecting the rear during a battle in Japan in 1600 when he was nearly killed. Before he dies, he is pulled into a new world by a mysterious figure. He enters the world of the Drifters, who need his help to fight the Ends, an entirely new enemy type. It’s an intriguing story that makes for excellent, fast-paced viewing.

Toyohisu leaves one battlefield to enter another. It’s a dark turn for him that never gets much better. He is not alone in his struggles, as he is able to find powerful allies who have been drawn into this world in a similar way. His fellow Drifters Oda Nobunaga and Nasu Yoichi are by his side in his arduous fight against the Ends.

4

Ashes and Illusions of Grimgar

Animated by A-1 Pictures, based on the light novel series by Ao Jūmonji and Eiri Shira

Few series start as dark as Ashes and Illusions of Grimgar. Haruhiro, Manato and others suddenly woke up in a new location without any prior knowledge of who they were. They were asked if they wanted to join a Volunteer Force and had no reason or way to say no. The series only gets darker from there with the deaths of several key members early in the series. Grimgar received a lot of attention early on for its eye-catching watercolor art style and willingness to delve into such dark territory.

Haruhiro has a lot of pressure on his plate. He wants to be the best leader possible for the rest of his troops, but this is extremely demanding. His friends are dying in front of him too often for him to keep calm, but somehow he manages. It’s a dark isekai series from the moment Haruhiro wakes up, and it doesn’t get much better from now on.

3

The Saga of Tanya the Wicked

Animated by NUT, based on the light novel by Carlo Zen and Shinobu Shinotsuki

The Saga of Evil Tanya sees a normal Japanese salaryman reincarnated in a new world as a little girl named Tanya. When the salaryman died, he met Being X and told him that he did not believe in metaphysical entities like Gods and Demons. Being X was intrigued by the salaryman’s outrage, so he sent him to learn about life in a new world. Tanya’s new world is brutal. It’s a world at war and she’s at the forefront of it all.

Although Tanya is a one-man walking army on every battlefield she serves, that doesn’t make her job any easier. She has to kill battalions of enemies to defend her country, and even then the fight doesn’t look good. She managed to take some time to withdraw from the front lines, but her war was not yet won.

2

Supreme Lord

Animated by Madhouse, based on the light novel by Kugane Maruyama and so-bin

Supreme Lord is an isekai series that sees Ainz Ooal Gown trapped in a video game. Although most other characters try to learn more about the world around them, Ainz seems to dominate him. He wants to become the Supreme Ruler of the entire world in an attempt to find another real-life player like him. Unfortunately for the inhabitants of Yggdrasil, Ainz is willing to commit tragic events of mass destruction to make this happen.

Supreme Lord is a pretty dark isekai series for a few reasons. Ainz truly is alone in his position as the only real person left in Yggdrasil, at least until he finds someone else. It’s even darker for anyone not involved with the Great Tomb of Nazarick, as Ainz appears to be an absolute Overlord. He crushes anyone who stands in his way and is capable of destroying entire armies with a single spell.

1

Re: Zero – Starting life in another world

Animated by White Fox, based on the Light Novel series by Tappei Nagatsuki

Re: Zero – Starting life in another world it can seem almost too dark at times. The show stars Natsuki Subaru as he is isekai to a new world and given one of the anime’s most bittersweet powers in Return by Death. His new ability gives him the power to return to a predetermined point in time after his death. Although it is helpful for him to achieve his goals, Subaru has to suffer a series of increasingly brutal deaths because of this. He’s died over a dozen times in the anime and it doesn’t look like he’s going to get better anytime soon.

Re: Zero is the darkest isekai anime because of how hopeless it can seem. Subaru may figure out a way to live in one instance, only to die in another, restarting from square one. Although there is a light-hearted cast of characters supporting him, the theme of Re: Zero It couldn’t be much darker.