Top 15 Scary & Unforgettable Dark Anime Characters

Dark anime does not always imply horror and a dark character do not always imply evil. These dark anime movies and series will introduce you to an anime world where writers worked on more serious themes and complex characters to create truly dark animes for adults.

The most exciting dark psychological anime shows that will mess with your mind. There are also exciting dark action animes and dark romance animes for those who enjoy gritty love stories. Here is the list of the top scary and Unforgettable dark anime characters.

1. Light Yagami/ First Kira-Death Note

Even if you're new to anime, Death Note is the best psychological and dark anime show to start with. That is not, however, why Light Yagami is ranked first on this list. While Light Yagami begins as a good character, the new power Death Note bestows on him quickly transforms him into a madman with a god complex. He tries so hard to shape the world to his liking and ideals that he becomes completely lost and permanently dark. He's the ideal villain because it's frighteningly easy to not only understand but also agree with him on most points. Light reflects humanity's darker side and reminds us how simple it is to erase the line between good and evil.

2. Shou Tucker- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Shou makes only a brief appearance in the FullMetal series, but he is easily one of the most memorable and vile characters on the show. He's a soft-spoken alchemist whose obsession drives him to extremes, eventually committing one of the most disturbing and immoral acts in the series against his child.

3. Hisoka Hunter X Hunter

Hisoka is the most entertaining villain in anime history. He is self-absorbed and only cares about himself, but he enjoys finding equally strong opponents who can challenge him. However, he is also a sadist who enjoys causing great pain and humiliating everyone before killing them. Hisoka is a manipulative murderous sociopath who will hook you on Hunter X Hunter, one of the darkest anime series.

4. Emma Ai- Hell Girl

Hell Girl is one of the most terrifying dark animes that will take you on a wild ride. Emma Ai may appear to be a cute and harmless little girl, and she may be if someone holds a grudge against you and posts your name at midnight on a very special website. Then Emma Ai will appear and exact revenge on you with the help of her three straw dolls. While she does not ask questions, she pays a high price. You must condemn yourself to an afterlife in hell if you want her to take revenge in your name.

5. Saya Kisaragi- Blood C

Saya is a strong and cool anime girl who is definitely dark. She follows in her mother's footsteps and kills Elder Bairn, which are evil creatures that drink human blood. She appears to be a normal girl who lives in her small town's shrine. Her dark secret, on the other hand, is quite bloody. She's not someone you want to irritate. Blood-C is one of the best vampire animes, with creepy anime characters and exciting action scenes.

6. NARIHISAGO/SAKAIDO – ID: INVADED

The revolutionary Mizuhanome system, which allows detectives to enter criminals' minds, has changed the way crime is solved. Kura is the organisation that uses the system, and one of their top detectives, Sakaido, delves into the mind of a terrible killer to solve a case. His real name is Akihito Narihisago, and he lost his daughter to a serial killer. He pursues the murderer and is imprisoned in despicable pain. Because he has become a serial killer, Akihito is now able to enter the ID-Walls and collect information on serial killers. He is one of the most sinister anime characters, with no sympathy for serial killers. Akihito is the best detective in the Mizuhanome system, and he enjoys playing more than just catching criminals.

7. Shin- Dorohedoro 

Dorohedoro is a gory anime with comedic moments that will bring some light into the dark world of Hole. After 18 years of running Q Hayashida's manga series, it was time to adapt it into an incredibly entertaining yet somewhat dreary anime. The plot revolves around Kaiman, a reptile man who has lost all of his memories and is now searching for answers with his friend Nikaidou. They make an excellent couple because Kaiman is always hungry and Nikaidou, who owns a restaurant, always has an answer.

8. Kandata- Aoi Bungaku

The Aoi Bungaku anime is based on several Japanese literary classics, with each episode telling a different story. Each one tells a story about love, friendship, drug addiction, or life's mistakes. The anime is quite dark in terms of romance and all the feelings and problems we face in life. Kandata is a horrible person who has committed numerous murders throughout his life. He has taken far too many people's lives without hesitation. The cold-blooded killer is now paying for his sins in hell, but he is given a second chance because of a single act of mercy.

9. Gendo Ikari-Neon Genesis Evangelion

Neon Genesis Evangelion ran from 1995 to 1997, when they had much more ambitious and menacing plans for 2015. The story takes place in that year, and things are bleak because of massive supernatural creatures known as Angels. Evangelion is a weapon developed by humanity to combat those beings. Those are similar to the enemy built on the first Angel's remains. The commander of NERV, the organisation formed to combat Angels, Gendo Ikari, is a ruthless human being. No human life is more valuable to him than his ultimate goal, the Human Instrumentality project, which aims to accelerate human evolution. His ultimate goal is to unite humanity as a whole rather than as individual beings.

10. Chiyuki- Death Parade

Chiyuki is a strong dark anime girl who was chosen to be Decim's assistant. She has forgotten most of her human life, but she still has great life insights that are useful to her master. She always says what she's thinking and isn't afraid to be brutally honest, even if it means offending the nefarious keeper of the afterlife.

11. Kichimura Faruta- Tokyo Ghoul

Kichimura Washuu is the series' main antagonist. Kichimura was known by many different names as he rose through the ranks of various organizations. He rose through the ranks of the Ghoul world's politics to become one of the most powerful artificial ghouls. He even gave himself the title Washuu King.

12. Griffith- Berserk

Griffith is one of the most beautiful good anime characters who went bad. He is a narcissist who believes he is more valuable than the people around him and treats them as such. To achieve his goal of becoming a god/demon-like figure, he ends up sacrificing not only his comrades but also his last shred of humanity in himself. He is most likely one of the most well-known scary anime characters of all time. Frieza has an eloquent personality, a dark sense of humour, and enjoys taunting his opponents before killing them. He is not only willing to kill anyone who gets in his way, but he clearly enjoys doing so. Frieza is without a doubt one of the most entertaining, fun, but cruel anime villains ever.

13. Ragyo Kiryuin- Kill La Kill

Ragyo is a favourite female anime villain of mine. She enjoys dominating others, has a strong desire for power, and is cruel. She's also fairly sexually adventurous, even going so far as to sexually assault others. Ragyo became evil after discovering the life fibres, and she will go to any length to achieve her objectives. She transforms into a maniac, brutalising and manipulating whoever she pleases. She is without a doubt one of the most intriguing and dark anime characters out there.

14. Shogo Makishima-Psycho

Shogo has no tolerance for humanity. He regards humans as worthless and replaceable. He despises his society's reliance on the Sibyl System. As a result, he chooses to coerce people into "thinking correctly." While he believes in something positive - he wants to encourage people to live their lives based on their own free will - he takes this idea to dark places.

15. Gaku Yashiro- Erased

Gaku is a tulry dark anime guy and one of the list's most insane anime characters. I believe he is also one of the creepiest because he is a type of character that can be found all too easily in our world. What are his heinous crimes? Gaku is a serial killer who primarily targets children, as well as a former teacher turned politician.