Berserk has gone down in history as the single greatest dark fantasy anime series ever made, and it’s easy to see why. Kentaro Miura’s brutal creation hasn’t just influenced the genre that it’s part of, it’s shaped dark fantasy forever.
There may never be another series quite like Berserk. It’s an amazing manga/anime without equal, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t a few dark fantasy series that walk a similar path.
Thankfully, there are a handful of Berserk replacements for fans who want more from the twisted genre. To be a good Berserk replacement, a series needs to thrive in bleakness, showcase some of the toughest themes in anime, and do it with style.
Goblin Slayer
Goblin Slayer is one of the darkest anime series of the modern day. It’s such a dark series that Crunchyroll had to put two separate warnings on the show before the first episode even aired. While that seemed like overkill, the first few minutes proved that the massive streaming service was right to warn their audiences ahead of time.
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Goblin Slayer stars one of the most straightforward characters in anime. The titular Goblin Slayer wants nothing more than to slay as many goblins as he can, and he’s very good at it. Like Guts from Berserk, Goblin Slayer is a quiet, reserved character with a focus that can’t be shaken by anyone or anything.
Overlord
Overlord is the king of dark isekai. It’s an interesting series in that it’s equal parts dark and hilarious, a mixture few other series can master. Some of the funniest moments in the series are also some of the darkest, like when Ainz Ooal Gown kills over 100,000 enemy soldiers in a few seconds and makes the army he’s siding with clap for him.
While most isekai series make their main characters the heroes of the world that they find themselves in, Overlord takes a different approach. Instead of forcing Ainz Ooal Gown to become his world’s savior, Overlord allows him to become the titular Overlord. He’s manipulative, masterfully cunning, and a brutal dictator whose power is immeasurable in the face of his enemies.
Made in Abyss
