Berserk is a brilliant story that often leads the conversation when it comes to dark fantasy anime series. Written and illustrated by Kentaro Miura, Berserk is a phenomenal story that has continued for decades and remains unfinished even now in 2026. It has received worldwide acclaim, thanks to its characters and storytelling. The Berserk story is one of the most gruesome and darkest in mainstream anime, and while it is a masterpiece in many ways, there are other anime series that can easily compete with it.
31 Best Seinen Anime of All Time, Ranked
From Berserk to Kaguya-sama, the best seinen anime cover many genres and themes, be it action, comedy, romance or thrillers.
Attack on Titan
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Protagonist: Eren Yaeger
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Genre: Shonen
Attack on Titan is a brilliant shonen manga, aimed more at a younger audience. But despite that, it's still a dark series. Attack on Titan follows the story of Eren Yeager in a world decimated by titans, man-eating creatures. While Eren and his family lived in peace, after the fall of the wall, everything changed.
Attack on Titan showcases gruesome scenes involving the Titans, but also darker political issues, especially closer to the end. Attack on Titan has definitely become an iconic series over the years, and it's undeniable that in terms of writing and storytelling, it can easily rival Berserk. After all, Eren and Guts are both cited as some of the best well-written main characters in all of anime.
Tokyo Ghoul
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Protagonist: Ken Kaneki
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Genre: The Seine
Just like the Berserk story, Tokyo Ghoul falls under the Seinen category, which is aimed at older male target groups. That said, Tokyo Ghoul is expected to be a darker series, exploring more mature themes across the board. Tokyo Ghoul has become an icon in the anime world as one of the most popular seinen series of all time, even rivaling Berserk in popularity.
Tokyo Ghoul by Sui Ishida, follows the story of Ken Kaneki in a world where ghouls, man-eating creatures, exist. The anime for Tokyo Ghoul was a bit of a mess after the first season, but its manga remains a huge rival to the Berserk series in terms of writing and storytelling. In many ways, Tokyo Ghoul is even darker than Berserk, with countless character deaths and gruesome scenarios that play out throughout the series. With dark secrets and gut-wrenching developments, this series keeps fans on the edge of their seats from start to finish. The manga for Tokyo Ghoul is even more intense and takes the gruesome nature of the story to a whole other level.
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Vinland Saga
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Main character: Thorfinn
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Genre: The Seine
Vinland Saga is definitely a series that exceeds viewers' expectations. Thorfinn, the main character, loses his father and goes down a rather dark path at the beginning of the story. However, at the end of season one and then into the second season, he undergoes a rather dramatic transformation and turns into a pacifist.
While Vinland Saga is not a series as terrible as Berserk and not grounded in fantasy, it is still a series that more than competes with it in the darker anime genre, and makes things even better. After all, when talking about the greatest Seinen series of all time, Berserk and Vinland Saga are often the two most cited stories. Unlike Berserk, Vinland Saga actually has a pretty awesome anime adaptation and fans can't wait for the third season to air.
34 Best Gender-Bender Anime of All Time, Ranked
Gender-bender anime has been around for a long time and spans multiple genres. These great shows make the most of the trope.
Monster
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Protagonist: Tenma
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Genre: The Seine
Monster is a series by the legendary Naoki Urasawa, a creator with many iconic stories. Monster is by far his biggest hit and the reason for that is pretty clear. Monster is a dark thriller that follows surgeon Kenzo Tenma, a Japanese doctor living in Germany, who puts his career on the line to save a young boy instead of his more prestigious patient.
Although Tenma's actions are honorable, this event continues to change his life for the worse. The kid he saved goes on to become a serial killer and a lot of blame is put on him. Escaping the police and trying to find the man he saved long ago marks the start of one of the most exciting series ever.
Monster is one of the most legendary anime out there and one that is arguably even better than Berserk. Its anime adaptation remains one of the most iconic stories ever.
Perfect Blue
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Main character: Mina
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Genre: Psychological thriller film
Perfect Blue is one of the most legendary anime films of all time. It was released in 1997, created by the legend Yoshikazu Takeuchi. The story of Perfect Blue follows Mima, a former pop idol member who wanted to change careers and become an actress. What she thought would be a great new start for her turned into a nightmare. The public's reaction to her shift and the creepy stalker who follows her around make for one of the most memorable dark thriller films. The plot of Perfect Blue definitely bothered many, and it's definitely a story that could compete with Berserk, even though the plot is much shorter, being a movie.
Death Note
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Protagonist: Light Yagami
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Genre: Shonen
Death Note aired all the way back in 2006. Despite that, it's still one of the most popular anime series still around in 2026. When it comes to mystery and thriller series with dark twists, there aren't many shows that have the depth of Death Note. The characters of Light and L have become icons and some of the most recognizable characters of all time, on par with Guts or Griffith.
The first part of Death Note, at least, is definitely comparable to Berserk, if not much better. Although the second installment takes a dip in quality, Death Note definitely explores darker themes incredibly well, even if it's not as gruesome as Berserk. Although years have passed since its debut, Death Note is only growing in popularity and will continue to hold its position as one of the most iconic stories of all time.
Claymore
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Protagonist: Clare
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Genre: Shonen
When it comes to series similar to Berserk, there is probably no other story that is as similar as it Claymore. Like Berserk, Claymore takes place in a medieval fantasy world. Claymore's world is infested with parasitic creatures known as Yoma. These Yoma are known as shape-shifting monsters that infect human bodies and feed on their hosts. To combat these Yoma, a hybrid between a human and a Yoma was created.
These became known as Claymores, a class of female warriors named for the large sword they carry around. The story of Claymore specifically focuses on Clare, a Claymore warrior who stands out as one of the most iconic main characters in Dark Shonen.
