Revenge is a dish best served cold. This is a frequent theme in many manga, taking on a different shape in each one to better suit the story. Our picks for the 10 best dark revenge manga, however, are some of the goriest, most brutal, and most bleak. These manga are not for the faint-hearted, but their theme of revenge is entirely intriguing. So, here are the 10 best dark revenge manga to read in 2023.
Table of Contents
10 Best Dark Revenge Manga
1) Berserk
- Number of Chapters: 373+
- Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Supernatural
Often considered one of the best dark revenge manga to be ever written, Berserk narrates the tale of Guts, a lone swordsman known as the “Black Swordsman”, who roams the world killing demons and in search of vengeance. In his tragedy-filled life, he met a charming man named Griffith and found a dear friend in him.
However, Griffith betrayed Guts and everyone around him so horrifically that it shattered a lot of lives, including Guts’. Now Guts must pick up the pieces as he seeks revenge from the one who he once considered a friend.
2) Misumisou
- Number of Chapters: 21
- Genre(s): Horror
After moving from Tokyo to the small town of Ootsuuma, Haruka Nozaki has been suffering brutal bullying from her classmates for half a year. She hides the bullying from her parents to not worry them, but when a particular incident of bullying goes too far, her parents come to know of this and have her not go to school anymore.
But her absence at school only incites her bullies further as they target her at home, and do something so horrific to her that it shatters her whole life, and in turn, her control and patience. Filled to the brim with the need of vengeance, Haruka will make sure no bully of hers goes unpunished.
3) Prison Lab
- Number of Chapters: 80
- Genre(s): Horror
Aito Eyama has been being horribly bullied by his classmates, led by Aya Kirishima. In the midst of his painful days, he gets a strange invitation for a “Captivity Game” on the day summer vacation starts. Inside the game, he will be the captor and can imprison any person he wants for a month. In this month, he can do whatever he likes with his victim except to kill them.
There are no legal repercussions for this game, and if the captor manages to hide their identity from the prisoner for a month without killing them, then the captor will receive a staggering amount of money as a prize. Burning with the need for revenge, Eyama chooses Kirishima to be his victim, beginning a game of sadistic torture.
4) Attack on Titan
- Number of Chapters: 141
- Genre(s): Action, Drama
One of the most popular manga of all time, Attack on Titan is a phenomenal dark revenge manga revolving around Eren Yeager whose whole life crashes when Titans break the wall and destroys his entire village. Having seen his mother being eaten as he was being whisked into safety, Eren’s young mind filled with hatred and he vowed to eradicate all Titans from the world.
Years later, Eren, along with his adoptive sister Mikasa and his best friend Armin, have now joined the military to kill the Titans. But the reality is hardly ever so black and white as Eren realizes that there’s more to himself that he knew.
5) My Dearest Self With Malice Aforethought
- Number of Chapters: 98
- Genre(s): Drama, Mystery, Suspense
This grippingly suspenseful manga revolves around Eiji Urashima, a university student, whose life takes a strange turn when he wakes up one day to find himself having a girlfriend and discovers that three days have already passed that he has no memory of.
In the midst of his confusion, a magazine writer exposes his secret of being the son of a serial killer. Now in the mess of his life, Eiji must look for what happened in those three days and why he doesn’t remember anything.
6) Shimauma
- Number of Chapters: 22 volumes
- Genre(s): Action, Drama, Suspense
A group of four people cons people who use marriage services and cheat their money. Their routine of cheating is shattered, however, when a man from the “collection agency” starts kidnapping them after they con a certain person. The kidnapper imprisons them and horrifically tortures them with brutal violence.
One of the conmen, Tatsuo, finds out that their torturer is a man named Akasada who used to go to the same school as Tatsuo and was regularly bullied. Now they have been pulled into the blood-soaked world of Akasada, with no routes of escape in sight.
7) Goblin Slayer
- Number of Chapters: 81+
- Genre(s): Action, Fantasy
The titular protagonist of this dark revenge manga hunts goblins and protects humans from their brutality and tyranny. He is singularly determined in his task of ridding the world of all goblins, and will relentlessly pursue it until he’s killed all goblins.
The Goblin Slayer was once just an ordinary little boy whose entire village, along with his parents and best friends, was brutally slaughtered by the goblins. He survived by hiding and vowed to seek revenge from the detestable creatures.
8) Dungeon Seeker
- Number of Chapters: 33
- Genre(s): Action, Fantasy
The meek and weak Junpei Takeda has been being bullied by Shouta Kido and his gang throughout high school. But his childhood friend Noriko Tatsumiya always helps him. When they are all transported into a fantasy world, Junpei hopes his days of weakness and uselessness are over.
Turns out, he’s just as weak here as he’s back in the real world. On top of that, he’s betrayed by Noriko who joins hands with Kido and tricks Junpei into entering the Sacrificial Labyrinth from where nobody can come out. But Junpei is determined to find his way out if only to exact revenge.
9) Redo of Healer
- Number of Chapters: 54+
- Genre(s): Fantasy, Erotica
This dark revenge manga gained popularity after the anime adaptation was released. Adapted from the light novel of the same name, Redo of Healer narrates the story of Keyaru, the Healer Hero who lacks offensive abilities despite his power of healing.
He’s made addicted to drugs to the point of insanity, and imprisoned and tortured by Princess Flare Arlgrande Jioral and the rest of his adventurer party. Irreparably broken yet burning with the desire for revenge, Keyaru uses his powers to rewind time before his misfortune starts, and begins his brutal journey of vengeance.
10) Zenaku no Kuzu
- Number of Chapters: 37
- Genre(s): Action, Drama
The manga Zenaku no Kuzu is a violent tale of two criminals, Kamo and Tora, who work as “avengers for hire” in the underworld. The two take cases from people or families who have suffered at the hands of someone and now want revenge. Kamo and Tora will exact vengeance on the wrongdoers in exchange for money.
This manga is very graphic in its portrayal of violence and brutality. The main characters, particularly Kamo, demonstrate a twisted sense of justice and the need for violence that will definitely make anyone uncomfortable.
Here is our list of the 10 best dark revenge manga to read in 2023. These stories, despite their intriguing plots, can be too much to handle for some. So, if you’re in the mood for something light after reading one of these, check out our other suggestions in Otakus’ Notes.
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Anamika loves words and stories and putting them to pages. She also loves anime, manga, books, movies and everything fantasy. She has been a fan of anime since childhood and her admiration for it only grew with years. Her passion for writing is even more elevated by writing about the things she loves.
