The Best Dark Fantasy Animated Series (That Are Not Anime), Ranked

Highlights

Non-anime animated dark fantasy shows are gaining popularity, appealing to older audiences with complex themes and storylines.
Shows like “Blood of Zeus” and “Castlevania” are inspired by video games, offering a dark and visceral experience with supernatural elements.
“Arcane” stands out for its unique animation style and storytelling, drawing positive reviews for its portrayal of social tensions and powerful characters.

As a seasoned enthusiast of video game-inspired animated series, I must say, these three shows have truly captivated my imagination and transported me to worlds both fantastical and historically grounded.

Over time, dark fantasy has gained significant traction, as an increasing number of video games and movies now appeal to a broader audience. Even animated TV shows have ventured into this multifaceted and frequently intense genre, with notable adaptations emerging not just from Japan but also other parts of the world that are equally captivating.

The rise in the number of animated series adopting a dark fantasy style can be attributed to an uptick in video game adaptations. These adult-oriented or teen-friendly dark fantasy animations often draw inspiration from popular video games featuring themes like demons, vampires, and other supernatural elements, which explains their origin as video game spin-offs.

6 Dragon Age: Absolution

IMDb Rating: 6.4

Created By: Mairghread Scott
Adapted From: Dragon Age, by BioWare
Production Companies: Red Dog Culture House, BioWare
Release Date: December 9, 2022

The narrative unfolds around a heist involving a mysterious artifact called the Endless Circle, which derives its power from the sinister practice of blood magic. As such, the series maintains a grim atmosphere right off the bat. Fairbanks, a shady figure with connections to the protagonist Miriam, recruits her for this task, accompanied by their associate Phil.

Although the series appears cartoonish, its mature content is evident as the storyline quickly spirals out of control from the start, with the chaos persisting throughout the season. Initially, the characters focus on infiltrating a place known as the Summer Palace, and this is just the start of their harrowing journey.

5 Disenchantment

IMDb Rating: 7.2

Created By: Matt Groening
Developed By: Matt Groening and Josh Weinstein
Production Company: The ULULU Company
Release Date: August 17, 2018

The show doesn’t delve too deeply into darkness, yet Matt Groening’s wit infuses it with a humorous yet cynical tone, making it a unique exploration of “anti-fantasy.” This series takes aim at conventional fantasy tropes and stereotypes. Unlike typical protagonists, our main character, Princess Bean, is not cheerful, optimistic, or beautiful. Instead, she’s an angry alcoholic who shares her gritty existence with a pet demon equally brash as herself. The world they inhabit, Dreamland, mirrors their dysfunction in equal measure.

Instead of embracing the duties passed down through inheritance, Princess Bean finds herself distancing from them, as traditional princess tasks prove futile for both her and the Grunkwitz royal family. However, it’s not all humor and skepticism; Bean, alongside her companions, discover a sinister plot within the realm of fantastical characters and uncover her own mysterious past, which involves a formidable sorceress as her mother.

4 Blood of Zeus

IMDb Rating: 7.5

Directed By: Shaunt Nigoghossian
Written By: Charley Parlapanides and Vlas Parlapanides
Production Companies: Powerhouse Animation and Asia Minor Pictures
Release Date: October 27, 2020

Under its original name, “Gods and Heroes”, the series titled “Blood of Zeus” reimagines some Greek myths. It delves into the tales of initial conflicts between the Titans and the gods at the dawn of time, as well as incorporates elements from the ancient tale of Leda and the Swan to narrate the origin story of hero Heron and his twin brother Seraphim, who emerges as one of the main adversaries.

In Olympus, a fresh wave of conflict arises as the Titans resurface, aiming to overthrow Zeus and seize control of the universe. The gods who support this uprising include some who are displeased with Zeus – Hera, infuriated by his latest allegations of infidelity, and Hades, resentful about being confined to the Underworld. They mobilize a formidable army of demons and monstrous beings reminiscent of ancient times. To counter this threat, Heron must harness his father’s power and take a stand.

3 Dota: Dragon’s Blood

IMDb Rating: 7.7

Developed By: Ashley Edward Miller
Adapted From: Dota 2, by Valve
Production Companies: Studio Mir, Kaiju Boulevard
Release Date: March 25, 2021

The saga of DotA, the multiplayer online battle arena mod inspired by Warcraft 3 and also known as Defense of the Ancients, is an interesting saga in itself, and part of this explains why it’s Valve, not Blizzard, that’s credited with making the video game on which this dark fantasy cartoon is based. This show is based on the sequel to the original, but still contains the same fantasy elements and takes place in the same setting.

In a surprising twist of enchanted events, the protagonist, Yuri – a valiant Dragon Knight with a personal grudge against fire-spewing beasts – encounters a moment where he inadvertently gets overtaken by one such creature during an attempt to vanquish it. However, this isn’t your typical dragon; it is Slyrak, an old and formidable entity, who now requires Yuri’s aid to combat a far more menacing and devastating dragon known as Terrorblade.

2 Castlevania

IMDb Rating: 8.3

Written By: Warren Ellis
Adapted From:Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse and Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, by Konami
Production Companies: Frederator Studios, Powerhouse Animation, Shankar Animation, Project 51 Productions, Warren Ellis Productions
Release Date: July 7, 2017

Nobody really expected this Netflix experiment in video game adaptation to be a smash hit, but Castlevania took the gaming and animation world by storm with its stellar casting and medieval-inspired storyline. Richard Armitage carried the voice acting as Trevor Belmont, Alejandra Reynoso played the magic-user Sypha Belnades, and James Callis brought the dour Dhampir Alucard to life.

Wallacia is a fictional region, yet it’s modeled after early Medieval Eastern Europe, so you’ll find Gothic architecture everywhere, but what sets it apart is its deeply rooted fear and misunderstanding of the supernatural. People here live in constant dread of vampires, witches, and demons because these entities are real, and our protagonists must fight their way through a trail of gore and terror to vanquish them. The game resembles those action-packed video games, with Dracula as the final boss and his castle serving as the last level.

1 Arcane

IMDb Rating: 9.0

Created By: Christian Linke and Alex Yee
Adapted From: League of Legends, by Riot Games
Production Companies: Fortiche, Riot Games
Release Date: November 6th, 2021

As someone who grew up playing League of Legends and has always appreciated well-crafted animated series, I must say that “Arcane” is a real treat. The fact that its title clearly connects it to the video game that inspired it only adds to my excitement. What truly sets this show apart, though, is its unique three-dimensional animation style. This is something we don’t often see in animated shows, and it has earned “Arcane” praise from critics and fans alike. It’s a fresh take on the genre that I believe will resonate with both newcomers and longtime League of Legends enthusiasts like myself.

The opening scene is one of the industrial wasteland of Zaun, and a family that’s faced a devastating tragedy, juxtaposed against the distant urban paradise of Piltover. The main characters of the show are two of the “Champions” featured in the game, Violet and Powder, and the first episode of the series is their backstory. It involves exploding gems, a daring heist in a wizard’s workshop, and the social tensions that arise between the rich and the poor, especially when it comes to something as valuable as magic.

2024-08-17 09:33