The Scariest dystopian anime is also one of the most powerful and memorable works for viewers, because dystopian novels are often speculative, seeking to take potential developments to extremes, leading to society where no one can live a happy and fulfilling life. Although often associated with futuristic themes, the two are not always linked.
There’s a lot to like about dystopia, especially in the context of anime. In sharp contrast to classic shounen titles, in which the protagonist can always win, as long as they have the necessary will and determination, the world depicted in such series is not fatal enough. to allow any meaningful moment of victory to occur. Instead, they present dark realities where happiness and truth are always out of reach.
10 86
Whether 86’s world leans toward utopia or dystopia depends largely on whose perspective is being considered. For the silver-haired Alba who lives peacefully and without worries in the Republic of San Magnolia, completely believing in the lies they are told, life is as easy as it gets. However, the supposedly automated drones that are fighting to protect their safety are actually controlled by Eighty-Six, a secret military group where people of different appearances forced to fight. To the Alba people, these people may not be human; Neither their names nor their health are a concern to anyone but Vladilena Milizé.
9 Reversed Patema
The story of Patema Inverted follows Patema, a resident of an underground village connected to other ruins of civilization through a complex network of tunnels. Although her life was not particularly harsh, she could never accept the fact that she had to follow so many rules and was bound by so many restrictions that her relationship was never explained. danger that she must avoid. In the end, she gets too close to the forbidden zone, falls into the sky, and meets Age, who lives in a totalitarian country called Aiga, where people are taught to fear others. Together, they seek to unravel their world of lies and secrets.
8 crazy
Although Berserk’s story mainly revolves around Guts, his journey makes it clear that this world is a cruel and cruel one, where death and tragedy are everyday occurrences. He himself has experienced countless acts of abuse and betrayal, starting from the very beginning, when he was born without anyone to call family, only to have a man break his trust. conquer. Even when he tries to connect with allies, it always ends in tragic events like the infamous Solar Eclipse. Life doesn’t seem to get any easier for everyone else either, as the land is terrorized by cruel demonic creatures and corrupt humans.
7 From the new world
From The New World is a classic case of an apparent utopia, slowly but surely revealing itself to be something very different. The story takes place in a world defined by a sudden outbreak of psychotic powers in a small percentage of the population, followed by hundreds of years of chaos and tragedy. At some point, spiritual humans realized that the best way to achieve peace was to isolate themselves from the rest of the world, leading to towns like Kamisu 66, or so the story goes. . However, mysterious events lead to shocking revelations, proving that this society is in fact controlled by terrible lies and incomplete memories.
6 Sunday Without God
As the title suggests, the events of Godless Sunday take place in a world abandoned by its gods, the gates of heaven closed. Now, life can neither end nor begin; Both the ability to die and the ability to create new life are taken away from humans, leaving them to wander aimlessly after losing their meaning and purpose. The only people who can maintain the natural order are the tomb keepers, mysterious beings tasked with bringing the dead to rest. However, for both the living and those who should be long dead, a world in danger of extinction is certainly not a world that offers hope.
5 serial experiments Lain
Serial Experiments Lain is a complex story revolving around the main character Lain Iwakura, a girl whose involvement in technology coincides with her own evolution throughout the series. Initially shy, clumsy, and unwilling to deal with any technology, her life begins to change when she receives a strange email from a classmate who had previously committed suicide, only to later Find yourself in Wired, a virtual world that in many ways can be described as a physical representation of the Internet. One thing that is clear about the surreal Wired is that it has the potential to be highly dangerous for users, especially if it becomes an obsession.
4 Blood blockade front
Blood Blockade Battlefront’s dystopian setting is Hellsalem’s Lot, formerly known as New York City, where humans and supernatural creatures coexist, after the portal between Earth and Beyond suddenly opened three years ago. , trapping citizens in an impenetrable bubble. Although there is a certain secret organization called Libra that works to maintain order and prevent chaos, their power is not enough to stop the daily paranormal phenomena plaguing the city. . Here, illegal activities and criminal organizations thrive, causing ordinary people to always live in fear. Moreover, the situation gets worse the closer you get to the city center, where there is eternal nothingness.
3 Promised Lands
The Promised Neverland is about a group of orphans living happily as a family with their loving “Mother” Isabella. However, Grace Field House is soon revealed to be no ordinary orphanage but a farm where children are raised only to later be fed to the demons who buy them. Upon accidentally learning the truth, the elderly orphans manage to come up with an escape plan, even without any assurance that there is any safety in the outside world for them. they. However, they do not know that their farm is just one of many farms and that the threat of scary cannibal demons is raging all over the world.
2 Ergo proxies
Ergo Proxy is a classic case of a futuristic story in which a post-apocalyptic world takes a turn for the worse, whereby the technology humans rely on to survive ends up becoming a threat. greater threat. A global ecological disaster has resulted in a world with little habitable human habitation, forcing what little remains of civilization to exist within domed cities like Romdo. In an effort to facilitate humanity’s recovery, the “AutoReivs” are designed to assist with daily tasks, but they end up suffering from a disease that makes them self-aware and puts them in danger. much more dangerous than anyone could have expected.
1 Cyberpunk: Edge runner
The events of the award-winning Cyberpunk: Edgerunners take place in a dystopian futuristic Night City, where bright neon lights and attractive physical enhancements are not enough to hide the tragedies of a corrupt system its. The story is about David Martinez, a boy from a difficult background who initially wants nothing more than safety for himself and his mother. David begins to lose his dreams and himself to the world of the Edgerunners, a group of criminals using cybernetic enhancements that constantly threaten their sanity. In a society where good deeds are rarely rewarded and no one can be completely trusted, a tragic outcome is inevitable.
Dystopia can take many different forms, from classic forms of post-apocalyptic futures, in which the world develops in such a way that it reaches the peak that people fear about AI and technology, to titles with more grounded or even fantasy, that simply chooses to depict dark and sad worlds full of tragedy and trauma. Furthermore, when a world turns against its inhabitants, leading characters can only shine when they are strong and resilient enough to accept and overcome their difficulties. Even then, success is rarely guaranteed, which is what makes these one of a kind Scariest dystopian anime.