[Top 15] Best Survival Horror Anime Of All Time

15. Black Butler

In Victorian-Era London resides thirteen year old earl Ciel Phantomhive, who earned his position after his tenth birthday on December 14th, 1885, when the manor was attacked by unknown perpetrators and burnt to the ground with his family and his dog. He is later kidnapped by the same people, sold into slavery, and ends up becoming part of a demon worshipping cult.

One night, during a sacrificial ceremony to summon a demon, instead of forming a contract with the cult members, the demon states that he was summoned by Ciel, therefore he only agrees to form a contract with him, killing all the cultist members in the process. After the formation of the contract, the demon reveals he will consume Ciel's soul as payment for helping him achieve his goal; revenge on those who brought down the House of Phantomhive. Afterwards Ciel names the demon Sebastian Michaelis, after his deceased pet dog. The duo then return to society as Ciel takes over his now late father's previous position as the queen's watchdog, a very high-profile individual who is tasked with investigating cases that Queen Victoria herself deems especially important or threatening to England and the crown.

Black Butler did well for its time in the early 2000’s. People appreciated the characters, they liked the animation, and the story was of course unique and intriguing to tune into. It was a little disturbing for some, especially in its treatment of Ciel, who is a child, but overall it was well received and very critically acclaimed.

What We Love About Black Butler

• The story has extreme depth, is very cerebral, and doesn’t pull its punches whatsoever. It’s dark, horrid in places, yet very well written in all of its aspects, including the minute details in the intricate plot.
• The characters are extremely flawed, but well written in every aspect of their personalities. No one character is overworked or overemphasized, and they all balance each other out in the best ways possible.
• The animation and art is beautiful. Everything flows well when it needs to, and during the fights movements are tight, skillfully drawn, and every aspect is well done.

14. Shiki

Fifteen-year-old Megumi Shimizu dreamed of a glamorous life in the big city; however, her unexpected death in the quiet village of Sotoba marks the beginning of what appears to be a ferocious epidemic that turns the hot summer into a season of blood and terror. A young doctor named Toshio Ozaki begins to doubt the nature of the disease and comes to understand that to discover the truth, he must abandon his humanity. Meanwhile, Natsuno Yuuki, an antisocial youth from the city, is haunted by the sudden death of Megumi and must realize the pain of friendship in the face of his own tragedy. Toshio and Natsuno form an unlikely pair as they work together to save Sotoba before it transforms into a ghost town of vampires.

Shiki goes beyond the average vampire story. It tells the tragic tale of survival in a world where one cannot easily distinguish between good and evil. Abandoned by God, the Shiki, as the vampires call themselves, have only their will to live as they clash with the fear of the paranoid/unbelieving villagers. Shiki explores the boundary that separates man from monster.

Shiki’s study on psychosis was what really got me to enjoying the show. I thought that the way almost everyone behaved like an anti-hero was interesting, since we usually don’t have that. The art and animation, despite being gory, made me love it. So many parts of the show I didn’t see coming, so I couldn’t help but end up liking it. In the end, great vampire anime to go check out.

What We Love About Shiki 

• Shiki is a great anime when it comes to the study of the psychosis of humanity, something a little surprising. It truly focuses on what exactly is happening inside the minds of its characters, and it does it all incredibly well.
• The scenery in general is incredibly bright and colorful, something unexpected and a little off putting. But this works, as it makes the danger even more unassuming than it already was. It’s still eerie, violent, and downright creepy in some moments.
• The story doesn’t feel forced, gimmicky, or overused, despite being a vampire story that can have pretty typical plot points. I’d call it a great show to watch overall.

13. Danganronpa

Makoto Naegi, the protagonist, an average student selected to join Hope's Peak Academy, arrives at the school only to lose consciousness and later find himself trapped inside it, along with fourteen other students. There, a sadistic remote-controlled bear by the name of Monokuma announces that the students will be forced to live in the school forever, offering only one way to "graduate": murder another student and get away with it. When a crime scene is discovered, a "class trial" (学級裁判, gakkyū saiban) is held, in which the remaining students must discuss amongst themselves who the murderer is. If they successfully figure out who murdered the victim, the culprit alone will be executed. However, if they guess incorrectly, the culprit will be able to leave the school and everyone else will be executed.

I loved Danganronpa as a video game and I love it as an anime. It’s characters are accurate to the game, it’s visuals are detailed and colorful, and the plot is fast paced and wild. It’s a great ride from start to finish, and you’ll always be rooting for Makoto to solve the case. Or more like, Kyoko solving the cases with Makoto as her sidekick. Danganronpa is a great anime with a great sequel in Danganronpa 3.

What We Love About Danganronpa 

• Danganronpa was already a successful, well written video game. But it manages to pay great homage to the game by going at it the best they could and recreating scenes players know well. Even those who haven’t played the game can watch and enjoy it.
• The characters' personalities translated perfectly. Makoto is like Makoto, Aoi is like Aoi, Kyoko is like Kyoko and so on. The writers knew what they were doing when they created the show and cast the voice cast, and they did very well.
• The visuals are still beautiful despite being violent, and the colors are vibrant and pop with excitement. The character designs are on point, so combine that with them being killed and you have a true death fest on your hands.

12. Tokyo Ghoul

Tokyo has become a cruel and merciless city—a place where vicious creatures called “ghouls” exist alongside humans. The citizens of this once great metropolis live in constant fear of these bloodthirsty savages and their thirst for human flesh. However, the greatest threat these ghouls pose is their dangerous ability to masquerade as humans and blend in with society.

Based on the best-selling supernatural horror manga by Sui Ishida, Tokyo Ghoul follows Ken Kaneki, a shy, bookish college student, who is instantly drawn to Rize Kamishiro, an avid reader like himself. However, Rize is not exactly who she seems, and this unfortunate meeting pushes Kaneki into the dark depths of the ghouls' inhuman world. In a twist of fate, Kaneki is saved by the enigmatic waitress Touka Kirishima, and thus begins his new, secret life as a half-ghoul/half-human who must find a way to integrate into both societies.

Tokyo Ghoul really makes you feel for you Ken, and that’s the idea. It’s concept is creative and original, and it’s honestly best at its beginning. I think the pack and alpha mentality of the Ghoul’s is fascinating, and a great play on animalistic tendencies. There was tons of thought put into this anime, and it’s beautiful visually and story wise. Definitely give it a go.

What We Love About Tokyo Ghoul 

• The concept itself while disturbing is quite amazing and interesting. Modern day science fiction lore paired with this level of violence actually works quite well in Tokyo Ghoul’s favor, making it an extremely popular anime.
• The animation is beautiful. It’s fluid, sharp, colorful, and the facial expressions on each character was done with immense thought and care. When it comes to the surroundings, each minute detail counts, and each one contributes a great deal to the rest of the story. 
• Kaneki is a great male protagonist. He’s not completely hotheaded or completely weak, either. He has heart and a genuine personality the audience can grow to love. Of course, the stellar voice acting also definitely helps out.

11. Parasyte

Parasyte centers on a male 17-year-old high school student named Shinichi Izumi, who lives with his mother and father in a quiet neighborhood in Tokyo, Japan. One night, tiny worm-like aliens with drill-like heads called Parasites arrive on Earth, taking over the brains of their hosts by entering through their ears or noses. One Parasite attempts to crawl into Shinichi's nose while he sleeps, but fails as Shinichi wakes up, and enters his body by burrowing into his arm instead. In the Japanese version, it takes over his right hand and is named Migi (ミギー), after the Japanese word for 'right'.

Because Shinichi was able to prevent Migi from traveling further up into his brain, both beings retain their separate intellect and personality. As the duo encounters other Parasites, they capitalize on their strange situation and gradually form a strong bond, working together to survive. This gives them an edge in battling other Parasites who frequently attack the pair upon realization that Shinichi's human brain is still intact. Shinichi feels compelled to fight other Parasites, who devour other members of the species they infect as food, while enlisting Migi's help.

I will be honest, I really didn’t like Parasyte at first. The visuals were a little too weird and graphic. But it grew on me, no pun intended, and I started to love it for its characters and plot points. It’s overall an amazing story and the animation details are done over very well. Overall, I would definitely recommend Parasyte.

What We Love About Parasyte 

• Parasyte was written to be disturbing, which overall makes the writing style really unique. It also gives the visual artists freedom to do whatever they wanted, which they most certainly did with character designs and Parasite scenes.
• Shinichi is a genuinely good character, if not written to be down on his luck. His oddly forged relationship with his personal Parasite also gives the story its charms and its shivers, so I believe that it works.
• When it comes to the violence in this show, the details and intricacies of the moment catch you so off guard with their disturbing beauty that you can’t look away. It’s a testament to a well written fictional world.

10. Ghost Hunt

While at school, Taniyama Mai and her friends like to exchange ghost stories. Apparently, there is an abandoned school building on their campus that is the center of many ghost stories. During the story, they are interrupted by a mysterious male figure. The person turns out to be Shibuya Kazuya, a 17-year-old who is president of the Shibuya Psychic Research Company. He was called by the principal to investigate the stories surrounding the abandoned school building.

The next day, on the way to school, Mai passes the school building in question. While examining a strange camera she spotted inside, she gets surprised by Kazuya's assistant. Unknowingly interfering with the investigation, Mai breaks the camera and Kazuya's assistant gets injured.

Kazuya forcefully hires Mai in order to pay for the camera and replace his injured assistant. From that point on, Mai begins to learn about the paranormal world and the profession of ghost hunting.

I liked Ghost Hunt because I did find parts of it funny. Especially in the beginning, the arguing everyone did on how to best exorcise the ghost they were hunting reminded me of a bunch of children on a stakeout. Of course things get extremely creepy and dark from there, which I also enjoy, but the humor seems to be a nice touch. Also, Mai isn’t a damsel in distress by any means, and I think that adds to the charming personality that is her character.

What We Love About Ghost Hunt 

• Despite everything else going on, the show itself still manages to be quite funny. Mai definitely steals the show each time with her no nonsense attitude, and that brings on the comedy.
• Ghost Hunt has a great episode debut when it comes to introducing the characters and conflict. Using different methods of exorcism as a conflict catalyst really brought the characters together for the first time, and ultimately led to some well timed introductions and dialogue. 
• Ghost Hunt does a terrific job of keeping its mystery throughout the series. There are clearly secrets among the characters themselves, but Ghost Hunt is clever at keeping them hidden until the exact moment where they are meant to appear.

9. Erased

The story follows Satoru Fujinuma, a young man living in Chiba who somehow possesses an ability known as "Revival", which sends him back in time moments before a life-threatening incident, enabling him to prevent it from happening again. When his mother is murdered by an unknown assailant in his own home, Satoru's ability suddenly sends him back eighteen years into the past.

Now an elementary schooler in Hokkaido again, Satoru is given the opportunity to not only save his mother but also prevent a kidnapping incident that took the lives of three of his childhood friends: two classmates and one young girl studying at a different school nearby.

This show is the most introspective out of the bunch, and really focuses on the importance time has on acts of violence. I find that pretty refreshing when it comes to most of these shows, as this one feels different in that way. The fact that there aren’t any loose ties in the story, other than the ones they implement for the plot, display a strong team of writers that know how to write a significantly violent anime and still have a really strong story.

What We Love About Erased 

• Despite being a popular and sometimes overused plot device, Erased utilizes the writing concept of a time loop in order to play with their main character’s head and to help give him a personality. It doesn’t let stereotyping get in the way.
• Even though Erased is a violent anime, it isn’t violent enough to lose the attention of its audience when it comes to grasping the true message of the show. If anything, the violence compliments it well.
• Erased will always be incredibly exciting. Just as you feel things are getting so slow to the point where they might not pick up again, they always do here. A great story habit.

8. Another

In 1972, Misaki, a popular student of Yomiyama North Middle School's class 3-3, suddenly died partway through the school year. Devastated by the loss, the students and teacher behaved like Misaki was still alive, leading to a strange presence on the graduation photo. In Spring 1998, Kōichi Sakakibara transfers into Yomiyama's class 3-3, where he meets Mei Misaki, a quiet student whom their classmates and teacher seemingly ignore. The class is soon caught up in a strange phenomenon, in which students and their relatives begin to die in often gruesome ways. Realizing that these deaths are related to the "Misaki of 1972", a yearly calamity that has struck most every class 3-3 since 1972, Kōichi and Mei seek to figure out how to stop it before it kills anymore of their classmates or them.

I enjoyed this anime because I felt like I was on a roller coaster from start to finish. I never knew what was coming next, and characters were constantly shifting and changing with the fast paced plot. This also helped to really emphasize the violent part of it, as when violence comes with fast paced storytelling, it tends to hit harder. I found the characters really likeable, and I thought the voice cast did a fantastic job with the story and characters they were given to work with.

What We Love About Another 

• The plot is definitely it’s strongest asset, and you find yourself not being able to look away from the mystery and violence of it all. Some arguing that the pacing is off, but I’d disagree, especially considering that the story itself is so enrapturing.
• The character designs are amazing. No one character is a carbon copy of another, not even the background characters. They all have incredibly unique looks, and that’s a clear sign of creators who were passionate and cared about what they were doing.
• The overall violence doesn’t take away from the stunning visuals of the world created, and it doesn’t ruin the beauty of the original set designs. They mesh and flow extremely well together.

7. Elfen Lied

Lucy is a special breed of human referred to as "Diclonius," born with a short pair of horns and invisible telekinetic hands that lands her as a victim of inhumane scientific experimentation by the government. However, once circumstances present her an opportunity to escape, Lucy, corrupted by the confinement and torture, unleashes a torrent of bloodshed as she escapes her captors.

During her breakout, she receives a crippling head injury that leaves her with a split personality: someone with the mentality of a harmless child possessing limited speech capacity. In this state of instability, she stumbles upon two college students, Kouta and his cousin Yuka, who unknowingly take an injured fugitive into their care, unaware of her murderous tendencies. This act of kindness will change their lives, as they soon find themselves dragged into the shadowy world of government secrecy and conspiracy.

Elfen Lied being as conceptually challenging as it was caught me off guard, but it was quite the welcome surprise overall. I always felt for Lucy, and was happy when she came across Kouta and Yuka, or whenever she happened to not have everything go wrong for her for once. I loved the world building, and Lucy’s overall design had me not being able to take my eyes off of her for one second. You should totally check out Elfen Lied!

What We Love About Elfen Lied 

• Elfen Lied’s plotline isn’t just extreme in terms of violence, but it’s extreme in terms of ideas. Exploring themes such as abuse, social alienation, the value of one’s soul, and revenge, its intensity doesn’t stop at the visuals. Elfen Lied definitely has deep motifs to explore.
• The animation is exquisite. Everything is fluid, detailed, and overall very tasteful. The colors mesh well with each other, and nothing feels out of place in terms of design or anything else for that matter.
• Despite being incredibly graphic, the story itself remains engaging and quite pleasing to the audience in terms of the plot they got. It makes a lot of bold choices, and the series does well with that overall.

6. Attack On Titan 

Centuries ago, mankind was slaughtered to near extinction by monstrous humanoid creatures called titans, forcing humans to hide in fear behind enormous concentric walls. What makes these giants truly terrifying is that their taste for human flesh is not born out of hunger but what appears to be out of pleasure. To ensure their survival, the remnants of humanity began living within defensive barriers, resulting in one hundred years without a single titan encounter. However, that fragile calm is soon shattered when a colossal titan manages to breach the supposedly impregnable outer wall, reigniting the fight for survival against the man-eating abominations.

After witnessing a horrific personal loss at the hands of the invading creatures, Eren Yeager dedicates his life to their eradication by enlisting into the Survey Corps, an elite military unit that combats the merciless humanoids outside the protection of the walls. Based on Hajime Isayama's award-winning manga, Shingeki no Kyojin follows Eren, along with his adopted sister Mikasa Ackerman and his childhood friend Armin Arlert, as they join the brutal war against the titans and race to discover a way of defeating them before the last walls are breached.

This may be a typically popular anime, but it definitely hits hard. Visually, it’s absolutely stunning, and when I watched it for the first time I was caught off guard by the intensity of it. But I enjoy the story, I love every character, the action is well animated and exciting, and there’s even a mystery concerning Eren’s father. Eren can get a little overbearing at times, but I think that’s his best personality traits in some cases.

What We Love About Attack On Titan 

• The animation is gorgeous. Everything is so finely tuned and colored, it’s very easy to see that there was a ton of tough work put into it. Besides that, the facial expressions are so realistic it can be haunting when a character is in pain.
• Speaking of characters, they all have depth and passion in them. Each character is well written and their stories are well executed. Not only that, but they all interact with each other in ways that no viewer can expect on some occasions.
• Finally, the violence. It isn’t as graphic as Corpse Party or Parasyte, but the significant violence it does have paired with the better story writing puts it at number one. It’s overall balance between the two makes it the most appealing and interesting in terms of an anime to watch.

5. Junji Ito

In the light of day and in the dead of night, mysterious horrors await in the darkest shadows of every corner. They are unexplainable, inescapable, and undefeatable. Be prepared, or you may become their next victim.

Sit back in terror as traumatizing tales of unparalleled terror unfold. Tales, such as that of a cursed jade carving that opens holes all over its victims' bodies; deep nightmares that span decades; an attractive spirit at a misty crossroad that grants cursed advice; and a slug that grows inside a girl's mouth. Tread carefully, for the horrifying supernatural tales of the Itou Junji: Collection are not for the faint of heart.

These are genuinely terrifying stories, but extremely well written. I watch these myself every Halloween. The characters are human to the point of being typical horror figures, but that is what the show is about. Each story is more terrifying than the last, and each story has amazingly detailed and grotesque animation. It truly tells a terrifying tale in the best way possible.

What We Love About Junji Ito 

• Another anthology series, Junji Ito is so intriguingly well written that you can start just about anywhere in the show and it won’t matter. The show makes up for that structure with intense stories and frightening characters. 
• Speaking of characters, we only see certain individuals for an episode or two before they’re violently snuffed out. But that doesn’t make them underdeveloped or poorly written. In fact, it makes them the opposite. 
• Junji Ito is a master of body horror, and uses this mastery to its visual advantage. After all, this factor makes it one of the best in this particular genre of anime.

4. Deadman Wonderland 

It looked like it would be a normal day for Ganta Igarashi and his classmates—they were preparing to go on a class field trip to a certain prison amusement park called Deadman Wonderland, where the convicts perform dangerous acts for the onlookers' amusement. However, Ganta's life is quickly turned upside down when his whole class gets massacred by a mysterious man in red. Framed for the incident and sentenced to death, Ganta is sent to the very jail he was supposed to visit. 

But Ganta's nightmare is only just beginning. 

The young protagonist is thrown into a world of sadistic inmates and enigmatic powers, to live in constant fear of the lethal collar placed around his neck that is slowed only by winning in the prison's deathly games. Ganta must bet his life to survive in a ruthless place where it isn't always easy to tell friend from foe, all while trying to find the mysterious "Red Man" and clear his name, in Deadman Wonderland.

Deadman Wonderland is incredibly graphic, and I’m not exaggerating. In the first episode, the main character’s entire class is murdered, and his best friend is decapitated. After that, you have characters getting murdered left and right, which becomes pretty par for the course and generally normal. Despite being graphic, however, the visuals are smooth and detailed, and it’s characters are well executed. 

What We Love About Deadman Wonderland 

• The premise of Deadman Wonderland on its own is extremely easy to get invested in, and not only that, you can’t seem to look away from the horrors you’re currently watching. Despite the major concern being only one murder mystery, Deadman Wonderland keeps you absolutely hooked the entire time. 
• What I say is special about Deadman Wonderland is the way that it ultimately chooses to portray violence. Not only is it a lifestyle, but it’s a source of entertainment and specially devised punishment. It’s what gives the show it’s strange but unique taste.
• Ganta, despite being a complete coward for the good first half of the show, becomes a great, well developed character. He becomes much more likable and grows considerably in strength, which is something no one expected. 

3. Angels Of Death

13-year-old Rachel "Ray" Gardner is taken to a hospital for counselling after murdering her parents, but the catch is she forgot about it. However, she wakes up to find herself on basement Floor B7 instead with no memories apart from her name and the reason she came to the hospital. A series of mysterious broadcasts and scribbled messages on the wall set the scene as a game where each participant is designated a floor of their own, and anyone who trespasses on another participant's floor has the chance to be killed.

Ray, ignorant of the details, is almost killed by serial killer Isaac "Zack" Foster, the owner of Floor B6, and captured by Daniel "Danny" Dickens, the owner of Floor B5 and the doctor who examined her. Danny, who has a maniacal obsession with eyes, desires Rachel's blue, once-blank eyes. During this time, Ray recovers her memory during the night when the murder occurred, just as Zack kills Danny for her, but spares Ray after losing interest in her lack of emotions. As Zack has killed someone that was not on his floor, the broadcast designates him as a "sacrifice" along with Ray, where they can freely be killed by any floor master. The two, in the same situation, form an alliance where Zack can use her intelligence to escape, and upon doing so will fulfill Ray's desire to be killed by him.

The name of the game is survival again, and the aspect that really translates over is the ever present idea that you can’t trust anyone, otherwise death is upon you. The story itself is psychologically fascinating, and even has some mixtures of CG animation as a new aspect. The animation is thrilling and sharp, which works incredibly well with the intensity of the story. 

What We Love About Angels Of Death 

• The animation itself is clean, sharp, and definitely varied in terms of the directions the violence goes in. The voice acting even pairs well with this, making the characters feel extremely expressive and oddly creative despite being in significant amounts of pain.
• The plot takes risks, that’s for sure. It’s incredibly inventive, and when it comes to the relationship between Zack and Rachel, it isn’t afraid to take a huge risk in terms of how well they play off of each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
• The way death and violence are portrayed in this show can be considered one of the more creative and better defined perspectives. The way it presents itself is stellar, and shouldn’t be ignored.

2. Corpse Party: Tortured Souls

Nine students gather in their high school at night to bid farewell to a friend. As is customary among many high school students, they perform a sort of ritual for them to remain friends forever, using small paper charms shaped like dolls.

However, the students do not realize that these charms are connected to Heavenly Host Academy—an elementary school that was destroyed years ago after a series of gruesome murders took place, a school that rests under the foundation of their very own Kisaragi Academy. Now, trapped in an alternate dimension with vengeful ghosts of the past, the students must work together to escape—or join the spirits of the damned forever.

A feast for mystery fanatics, gore-hounds, and horror fans alike, Corpse Party: Tortured Souls - Bougyakusareta Tamashii no Jukyou shows a sobering look at redemption, sacrifice, and how the past is always right behind, sometimes a little too close for comfort.

Corpse Party, in my opinion, is rightfully graphic. Not only does it’s gory animation fit the story that’s being told, but it also fits with the common denominator of all of these shows; murder. The fact that this also takes place in a high school, and I find the story incredibly unique and entertaining. It’s very eerie, intense, and the characters are surprisingly likeable. Which makes it sad when people start dying.

What We Love About Corpse Party: Tortured Souls

• The setting for Corpse Party is extremely creative, and allows for so much artistic freedom when it comes to what the writers and artists want to work with. And this definitely paid off; Corpse Party is a great show.
• Corpse Party as a violent mystery works extremely well, especially with that little horror genre sprinkled in. The visuals, however horrifying, compliment everything the best. An odd thing to say about gore, but accurate nonetheless.
• The animation style is fun, scary, and amazingly done all that same time, not something too many shows can pull off. The characters work well with each other in this style, and overall it creates a great show.

Best Survival Horror Anime: King’s Game

It can be rough transferring to a new school—even more so if you don't want to make any friends, like Nobuaki Kanazawa. But the reason for his antisocial behavior soon becomes clear when his class receives a text from someone called "The King." Included are instructions for the "King's Game," and all class members must participate. Those who refuse to play, quit halfway, or don't follow an order in the allotted time of 24 hours will receive a deadly punishment.

Having played the game before and watched as those around him died, Nobuaki tries to warn his clueless classmates. Unfortunately, they only believe him after the King's Game claims its first casualties. Stuck in a horrific situation with no chance of escape, Nobuaki has a choice: put his own survival above those around him, or do what he couldn't before and save his classmates.

In my opinion, King’s Game is better than most people have made it out to be. Its release in 2017 was met with mixed reviews, accused of being a little dull and the dub contrived. However, compared to the majority of the anime’s on this list, we finally have a male protagonist that is more than shy or just thrust into the wrong place at the wrong time. Nobuaki seems to have previous issues, meaning that the fact that he is antisocial isn’t his entire personality, although that is a trait. It’s also nice to have a character in the know about a frightening situation rather than suffering from some form of amnesia or being completely out of it with the rest of the class. It also manages to cover difficult topics beyond death, such as religion, relationships, societal norms, and even mental illness.

What We Love About King’s Game 

• When it comes to ever present societal issues such as death, relationships, religion, social norms and mental illness, King’s Game doesn’t hold back when it comes to any of these. In fact, it embraces them, which is a welcome change from most shows who shy away from this sort of thing. 
• We finally have a male protagonist who isn’t thrust into the middle of an unknown situation. Instead, he’s the smart one, and that makes the story even more unique and interesting. 
• And the violence doesn’t distract from the story King’s Game is trying to tell. Instead, it contributes to the telling of that story, making it even better.

You may also be interested in:

• Top 15 Dark Fantasy Manga of All Time https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/best-dark-fantasy-manga
• [Top 15] Anime With Dark Themes https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/anime-with-dark-themes 
• Top 10 Manga With Dark MC https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/manga-with-dark-mc