Attack on Titan, is one of the most popular anime, not only in recent years but as a whole. It is known for its bloody and mature content, which may have spearheaded its arrival into the anime scene, but held its place above the others with its in-depth world-building and unformulaic story design. However there are anime that are even darker and have been around for much longer, we will be exploring those in this article. (The order in which these anime are presented does not have any correlation with their ranking.)
1) Gantz
“In order to save a life, you must throw another life away”-Nishi Joichiro. It tells the story of Kei Kurono and Masaru Kato, both of whom died in a train accident and become part of a semi-posthumous “game” in which they and several other recently deceased people are forced to hunt down and kill aliens armed with a handful of futuristic items, equipment, and weaponry. (X) The anime adaptation of this popular Manga series was released in 2004 and ended in the same year. A total of 26 episodes that mostly hold true to the manga, as well as including more side character development. This anime will leave you with seared and lasting imagery that you can’t forget. Its constant portrayal of violence and sex leaves the viewer with a feeling of something dark and primal. Its older style of animation also adds to its almost drug trip-like feel. Gantz is not for everyone however, fans of AOT (Attack On Titan), may look to this anime to fill the void. However, its old age and treatment of its characters can make some put off this picture. It is worth mentioning the movie adaptation that takes place further into the storyline called Gantz-O, is a beautiful 3D rendition of a segment of the Gantz story. Those looking for something even darker can read the Manga that it is adapted from. Its final Arc is extremely long and has even darker imagery and situations than the anime itself.
2) Mirai Nikki
“Everything in this world is just a game, and we are merely the pawns”-Yuno Gasai. The plot depicts the Diary Game, a deadly battle royal between 12 different individuals who are given “Future Diaries”, special diaries that can predict the future, by Deus Ex Machina, the God of Time and Space, with the last survivor becoming his heir. (X) The anime known as Mirai Nikki (Future Diary), was released in 2011. This is the anime/manga that bred the term “yandere” (The prefix is yanderu, which means “to be sick,” and suffix is deredere, used here for “lovestruck.”) This results in the lovable and psychopathic character of Yuno Gasi. Mikasa of AOT is also known to fit within this “yandere” trope. While this story may be a bit lighter on gore than AOT, its dark mystery story holds it above the basic fear of being killed. It also released an OVA in 2013, after an outcry of depressed fans, begged for a happier ending. If you love supernatural mysteries and don’t mind incompetent protagonists, then the twisting and corrupt anime of Future Diary is for you.
3) Deadman Wonderland
“My bones may be broken but I’m not”-Kiyomasa Senji. After being falsely convicted for the murder of his entire class, a young man must learn to survive in a mysterious prison with a perverted take on incarceration while also looking to clear his name. Ganta, the sole survivor of the brutal murder of his entire class, is framed and ends up falsely convicted for it. (X) The anime adaptation was released in 2011 and was canceled after its first season. Yet another anime featuring the “yandere” troupe with its albino love interest Shiro. This anime has an entire magical power system based on blood, so you would imagine this to be extremely gory, however, its artist seemed to hold back on the details, giving it a less vile feel. Its story aims to be brooding, however, its lack of main character deaths holds it back. It still holds a place on this list for what it aspired to do, and what elements it has in its story.
4) Berserk
“Blood and Guts, and guts and blood”-Shirō Sagisu. Guts is a lone warrior who was born from a hanged corpse and raised as a mercenary by adoptive father Gambino, whom he was forced to kill in self-defense. His fearsome reputation catches the attention of Griffith, the charismatic leader of a mercenary group known as the Band of the Hawk. (X) This juggernaut of a Manga has seen its work translated into animation several times throughout the years. The 1997-era berserk series that many fans were disappointed with, due to the fact that it only adapted a single arc, which was less fantastical than what the series is known for. The 2012 “Golden Age” movies, decided to animate the exact same arc that was already animated, but in partial 3D. Then the infamous 2016, 3D animated series that takes place directly after the Golden Age arc. Many fans believe that this manga was cursed to never get a good adaptation, and with the recent death of Kentaro Miura, the manga itself has come to a sudden and sad end. With all that being said, however, the 1997 anime is still the best in the bunch and is worth the watch, for bringing forth the grand-daddy of dark fantasy. This work is so historic it actually inspired the Dark Souls series, and is referenced in all types of fiction.
5) Hellsing Ultimate
“I wanted to send this friendly little letter to inform you of your imminent demise”- Alucard/Takahata101. The mission of Hellsing is to search for and destroy the undead and other supernatural forces of evil that threaten the queen and the country. (X) This gorgeous animated series came out in 2006. Is painted in a deep red in both visuals and story. This 10-episode series had so much character development with such fantastic pacing, you almost forget how short it is. (Note the episodes are longer than most anime). This is a must-see for AOT fans who love the brutality and flashy animation. There is the original anime simply titled Hellsing, and is in a much older style animation, with a weaker story.
Honorable mentions:
Higurashi: When They Cry
School Days
Elfen Lied
Full Metal Alchemist
Chaos Head
Fate/ Zero
Another
Slade Von Parade 
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