Cartoons don't necessarily have to be lighthearted, with some shockingly dark animation proving the medium's potential for telling poignant stories. For a long time, animation was commonly thought of as fodder for kids, with Saturday morning cartoons of the 80s being the norm for the genre. However, in the modern age, animation has truly branched out to include all kinds of stories, with some of the darker animated shows touching on some incredibly sensitive topics.

In many cases, adult animation can wear a colorful exterior, with zany jokes and characters that betray the true depth that lies beneath. But it's just as often that shows aimed at young adults or even children have begun to broach difficult emotional storylines, with even the likes of Bluey featuring adult-oriented episodes. In many respects, animation is actually better for weaving narratives that take a look at serious themes, tastefully rendering them without the limitations of live-action TV production.

10 Primal

A Silent Dissection Of Humanity's Relationship With Nature

One of the premiere works of Genndy Tartakovsky, an animation legend known for Samurai Jack and Dexter's Lab, Primal is an utterly unique series that simply wouldn't work in live action. Whereas Tartakovsky was fond of injecting small doses of adult humor or situations into his series that were largely aimed at children, Primal gives him full permission to get serious with his storytelling.

The series focuses on Spear, a stone-age hominid eking out an existence in a fantasy version of prehistoric Earth, who forms a bond with Fang, a ferocious dinosaur. Despite its pulp action surface, Primal can be quite cutting with its themes. Beyond a harrowing depiction of man vs. nature and the deep philosophical questions posed by the simple struggle to survive, more nuanced topics like grief also occasionally arise.

After all, it was the shared experience of tragedy and loss that brings Spear and Fang together in the first episode. With hardly any dialogue, Primal weaves engrossing narratives that deepen the bond between its leading characters no matter how much bloody hardship they endure.

9 Bojack Horseman

One Of The Saddest Animated Series Ever

It's hard to mention animated shows that can get achingly real in their dissection of human existence without giving a nod to Bojack Horseman. The Netflix original animated series stars Will Arnett as the titular equine celebrity, a horse-headed man who lives in a world populated by animal characters as well as humans.

It's hard to mention animated shows that can get achingly real in their dissection of human existence without giving a nod to Bojack Horseman.

After becoming famous as the patriarchal center of a feel-good sitcom a la Full House, Bojack has grown into a lonely, narcissistic, drug-addicted burn out who struggles to find meaning in his life as he endeavors to write a memoir. Granted, Bojack Horseman exists in a cartoony reality, full of clever animal-related jokes and fast-talking characters that dispense puns with deft and fidelity.

However, the series is more famous for its dark moments, dissecting the Hollywood entertainment industry with heavy subjects like drug abuse, depression, and child abuse. Bojack himself is quite a reprehensible protagonist, something the show doesn't shy away from as it details his self-fulfilling prophecy of misery and dejection in a world that once adored him.

8 Moral Orel

One Of Adult Swim's Most Cutting Series

Though largely overlooked in its time, Moral Orel has lately seen something of a resurgence of interest as the years have reflected favorably upon the plucky Adult Swim series. Using adorable stop-motion animation reminiscent of the Rankins/Bass holiday specials, Moral Orel revolves around Orel, a young Christian boy growing up in a devout Protestant town in America's bible belt.

As he ages, Orel learns that his parents and the community figures he ires so much might not have all the answers, or be entirely consistent in their religious beliefs. Suffused with crass humor that might make fans of South Park blush, the comedy of Moral Orel is as dark as it gets, superimposed upon the sunny, happy-go-lucky nature of its puppet protagonist.

Yet as the series progresses, Moral Orel examines some shockingly sensitive themes with respect and reverence, with storylines that look at everything from the shunning of homosexuality in the Christian church to the formation of romantic interest in the wake of sexual assault. No subject is off the table for Moral Orel, a strength that ultimately got the show canceled.

7 Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

Broke A Generation Of New Cyberpunk Fans

Anime has always been at the cutting edge of adult animation, by and large aiming itself at older audiences with often fantastical stories. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners introduced the dazzling capabilities of the legendary Studio Trigger to a whole new set of eyes on Netflix, quickly garnering broad appeal with a single short season.

Taking place in the same world as the video game Cyberpunk 2077, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners tells the story of David, a poor kid growing up in the slums of the cyberpunk dystopia Night City. When his mother dies, David has no choice but to turn to crime. The world of Cyberpunk 2077 is a dark indictment of late stage capitalism, exploring the troubling consequences of a modern capital-minded society brought to its natural conclusion.

Above all else, the heartbreak of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is what makes it stand out as an emotionally devastating limited series, with David's tragically preventable journey into madness lined with death. Paired with a breathtaking score that ties its short, bittersweet story together, the science fiction animated series is a stunning proof of animaiton's potential as a serious storytelling tool.

6 Rick and Morty

Still Manages The Occasional Emotional Gut Punch

Infamous by the reputation of its fanbase, Rick and Morty is a pop culture tour-de-force that has become quite popular for a reason. The titular screwball comedy duo consists of Rick Sanchez, a brilliant, but troubled reality-hopping scientist who comes crashing back into the life of his estranged daughter, and his grandson, Morty, an average tween boy of below-average intelligence.

The two go on all sorts of bizarre adventures across the cosmos, taking part in Dan Harmon's penchant for nonsensical gags and goofs. As comedy-forward as Rick and Morty is, some of the series' best episodes are where it allows itself to be taken more seriously.

Rick's troubled past and the dysfunctional nature of the Smith family lead to some heavy emotional beats, not to mention some of the profound sentiments expressed by the many alien beings Rick and Morty meet over the course of their adventures. Weaving tales of grief, revenge, drug abuse, and nihilism, it's no wonder Rick and Morty has been renewed for a dozen seasons.

5 Tuca & Bertie

Picks Up The Baton From Bojack Horseman

On a surface level, Tuca & Bertie is quite comparable to Bojack Horseman. Both are adult-oriented comedies that take place in worlds populated by animal characters, though the universe of Tuca & Bertie is far more zany and colorful than the relatively grounded Los Angeles streets of Bojack Horseman.

The sitcom takes place at the end of an era, as the mild-mannered but sweet baker Tuca moves out of her apartment with her best friend, the loud and eccentric Tuca, to live with her boyfriend, Speckle. From there, the two navigate the turbulent world of adult life together, still maintaining their bond. Despite being even more loose with the laughs than Bojack Horseman, Tuca & Bertie still manages to tastefully navigate the waters of difficult conversations.

The show has a heavy focus on the effects of sexism and misogyny without feeling preachy, exploring emotionally distressing narratives rife with sexual harassment, fraying friendships, and dark childhood events through the lens of two young women. Balancing wacky cartoon hi-jinks with applicable real-world stories, Tuca & Bertie is a genius demonstration of animation's versatility.

4 Young Justice

Proves The Potential Of The DC Universe

An animated show need not necessarily be aimed strictly at adults to be both dark and emotionally volatile. Enter Young Justice, one of the latest in a long line of series that prove the strength of the DC Universe in an animated format. The series begins with the formation of the simply-named "The Team", a superhero group made up of the sidekicks of various Justice League heroes.

The Team goes on to perform clandestine operations for the world's strongest heroes, saving the planet themselves on more than one occasion. ittedly, Young Justice begins as a fairly standard formula for superhero action, though it occasionally dips its toes into heavier waters, such as with Superboy's origin as a clone.

As things progress, the series only gets more and more adult, aging in theme alongside its characters. By the time the series closes, it's managed to get quite adult in spite of its name, with some of Young Justice's most rewatchable episodes focusing on heartbreak, betrayal, PTSD and depression.

3 The Midnight Gospel

A Trippy Animated Podcast That Goes To Poignant Places

Not only are the visuals of The Midnight Gospel a feast for the eyes, but the powerful stories within are some of the hardest-hitting conversations in any animated production. The loose framework of a story centers on Clancy Gilroy, a "spacecaster" who lives in a thin, membranous strip existing between realities.

As Clancy hops from dimension to dimension, audio of real interviews that his voice actor, Duncan Trussell, has conducted on his real-world podcast are worked into the stunningly hallucinogenic animation. Beyond its beautiful art, The Midnight Gospel is well-worth watching for the powerful topics discussed therein, ranging from grief to death to the human condition itself.

It's all the more impactful that these conversations are had by real people, reflecting on their actual experiences to sincere, if often heartbreaking results. Even if it doesn't have much in the way of a traditional narrative, The Midnight Gospel features some of the most heart-breaking moments of modern animation around.

2 Arcane

Turned A Multiplayer Video Game Into Some Of The Best Fantasy Drama Available

Considering it's based on the multiplayer video game League of Legends, whose story takes place entirely in the background in promotional materials, it's incredible that Arcane manages to espouse such an emotional experience. The show takes place in the fantastical city of Piltover, where the rich upper crust of society enjoy a techno-magical world, while the poorer residents of the city's slums, referred to as Zaun, subsist on its scraps.

The crux of the drama centers on the orphans of a war for Zaun independence, Vi and Powder, as well as a gifted, affluent inventor named Jayce. The relationship between Vi and Powder, who gradually becomes the criminal mastermind Jinx, is one of heartbreakingly real consequences.

It's easy to sympathize with both sides of Arcane's conflict, making it all the more devastating when one does finally manage to come out on top. With shockingly true-to-life applications of poverty, mental instability, and the easy deterioration of once strong sibling bonds, Arcane makes for one of the most empathetic fantasy experiences of the modern age. Hopefully, season 2 of Arcane will continue to build upon these topics.

1 Scavenger's Reign

A Meditative Science Fiction Masterpiece

Science fiction has always been a natural fit for animation, which allows for the most far-out ideas of writers to be realized with far less hassle. Scavenger's Reign proves that such grandeur doesn't necessarily need to exclude a poignant human experience, with tales guaranteed to make all but the most stone-faced viewers cry.

Scavenger's Reign proves that such grandeur doesn't necessarily need to exclude a poignant human experience, with tales guaranteed to make all but the most stone-faced viewers cry.

The show takes place on a beautiful, but hostile alien planet, upon which the crew of a deep-space freighter have been stranded. Three pockets of survivors have separate adventures before eventually ing up together. Scavenger's Reign stands out for just how alien it's able to make it's exoplanet feel, brimming with dangers equally horrifying and mesmerizing.

This environment reflects a deeper, darker statement about the futility of human endurance when put up against the grand scope of the universe, championing instead the connective tissue between all living things. Couple these heady thoughts with a few poignant deaths along the way, and Scavenger's Reign remains a bleak, but hopeful testament ot animation's power as a medium.