In accordance with the diversity of the medium, anime worlds can be just as complex, interesting, and well-defined: while there are some cool anime worlds that fans would like to live in, there are also some incredibly dangerous ones. While many worlds may serve as a mere generic backdrop for epic adventures, some creators take the extra steps to build an immersive universe that feels real and important.
Through world-building elements that bring viewers closer to the action, fans may find themselves captivated and invited by some fictional territories. On the other hand, others are just so evidently bleak and dangerous that, even for the strongest of the characters therein, survival is anything but guaranteed. These perilous worlds are the ones that no one would ever want to live in, should they get a choice in the matter.
10 Attack On Titan
The world of Attack on Titan is shrouded in mystery for most of its inhabitants, with the ones on Paradis Island mistakenly believing the history that humankind was nearly instantly wiped out by giant Titans, forcing the survivors to hide behind giant walls. Though they were hoping to be free from harm there, their sense of safety immediately crumbles when the supposedly indestructible walls are suddenly breached, and man-eating Titans start ravaging their city. The situation is no more hopeful for the Survey Corps either; despite having the means to defeat Titans, they still live dangerous lives. And that barely scratches the surface of this world’s horrifying truths, revealed later in the series.
9 Sabikui Bisco
The world of Sabikui Bisco is a post-apocalyptic one, defined by a phenomenon known as the Rust Wind, which swept across the entirety of Japan, extinguishing life and corroding flesh. The landscape now consists mostly of sandy plains, with the Rust disease still afflicting what’s remained of civilization. While people may be able to avoid the treacherous Iron Desert and its dangerous pipe snakes, so long as they remain in their own cities, that doesn’t guarantee their safety either, as Rust can affect anyone. What’s worse, the only hope they have to be saved, the titular protagonist Bisco, is instead mistakenly believed to be the cause of all their horrors.
8 Parasyte: The Maxim
The world of Parasyte: The Maxim is a completely normal one, right until an event that suddenly occurs one night, whereby Parasites, worm-like aliens, invade the Earth. Taking complete control over humans by burrowing inside their brains, they are largely indistinguishable from everyone else, until they decide to morph into some of the scariest examples of body horror in anime and devour other people as food. The most horrifying idea of this story is likely the fact that one can never know who to trust and who to fear, meaning that people must be wary at all times. Regardless, no amount of preparation or wariness can save any human from a dangerous hungry alien.
7 Akudama Drive
Though it may present itself as a futuristic utopia, the world of Akudama Drive proves to be closer to a dystopia instead, which is a surprisingly common theme in cyberpunk anime. While neon lights and lifelike holograms may be flashy enough to draw people’s attention, they certainly aren’t enough to hide the injustice of society hidden right underneath the surface. The metropolis of Kansai is, in many ways, an authoritarian system, wherein, by the end of the show, anyone can be labeled as a criminal and given an arbitrary sentence. Moreover, as part of a special department, the “Executioners” are given the right to freely kill these so-called criminals.
6 Chainsaw Man
The most terrifying threat in the world of Chainsaw Man is the existence of virtually immortal devils, beings who have the ability to wreak havoc and kill humans with ease. Perhaps the most notable one, as presented in the show, would be the Gun Devil, who, within no more than 5 minutes, was able to kill more than 1 million people across the world. While not all devils are equally strong, and certainly not all of them are violent and hostile, there are enough powerful and dangerous devils roaming the world to cause humans to live in constant fear for their well-being, knowing just how defenseless they are.
5 Devilman: Crybaby
While Devilman: Crybaby‘s world is not too unlike the real modern world, the main difference consists in the existence of demons, who, unbeknownst to society at large, prove to be a genuine threat to humankind. Often showing themselves at Sabbath Parties, where the youth would ignorantly be having fun, demons could either slaughter people or possess them, thereafter using their bodies to wreak even more havoc. By the end of the show, more monumental events end up taking place, with the world being plunged into chaos and being driven to its imminent doom, though the real cause seems to be not the demons, but rather the humans who defiled the world.
4 One-Punch Man
While the danger of One-Punch Man‘s world is usually downplayed, given the protagonist Saitama’s planet-crushing strength and ability to deal with any threat with ease, it is quite obvious that, should Saitama not be there to protect society, the other heroes would certainly have a tough time against the powerful villains terrorizing humans. Constantly attacking cities, “Mysterious Beings” pose a serious threat to the well-being of ordinary humans, who could find themselves getting caught up in a life-or-death situation at any point. In fact, even with heroes around, cities are still shown to be often destroyed, and humans are supposedly killed as early as the first episode. Some fans speculate that the world of One-Punch Man is actually an apocalyptic dystopia.
3 Tokyo Ghoul
As indicated by the title, Tokyo Ghoul‘s world is defined by the threat of ghouls causing severe damage not only in Japan’s capital, but also in the rest of the country. While ghouls are exceptionally powerful and dangerous, having to eat humans to survive, they are also virtually indistinguishable from the rest of society, blending in perfectly. As they possess a similar appearance, level of intelligence, and rate of aging, anyone could secretly be a monster, without their peers realizing it. Moreover, even life as a ghoul isn’t perfect; as their species is not a monolith, they are likely to find themselves in conflicts and fights with one another.
2 Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign
After most humans above the age of thirteen were wiped out by a mysterious virus that reduced the world’s population by 90%, the remainder of humankind in Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign was subjugated by vampires, being kept alive only to be used as livestock for their blood. Moreover, as long as the vampires can afford the loss in terms of food quantity, they wouldn’t hesitate to kill off the remaining people either, should they rebel in any way. The only chance humans have to reclaim their independence is by fighting back using sentient weapons known as Cursed Gear, but even then, success is far from guaranteed.
1 Dorohedoro
Dorohedoro‘s world may just be the darkest and grittiest one in the medium. Separated into two parts, both the places where magic users and non-magic users reside seem to be equally horrifying. Non-magic users typically stay in the Hole, which magic users see as some kind of testing ground, using humans as guinea pigs, disfiguring and killing them as they please. Meanwhile, though the Magic User World may appear to be slightly more civilized and cleaner, it is really just as lawless; with no law enforcers and rules, people are free to kill others with no consequences, and the weak ones live in constant fear for their lives.
Whether they are of the post-apocalyptic variety, set in the far dystopian future, or merely fraught with numerous powerful foes, these are clearly worlds that only the strongest can survive in, with all others living fragile lives. Constantly facing significant threats, whether on a personal or even global scale, humanity is hardly guaranteed survival in these fictional universes. In stark contrast with the stories that fans would gladly be transported into, these dangerous anime worlds are the ones that no one would ever want to experience first-hand.
