The 15 Best Ultra-Violent and Gory 80-90s Anime

The period between the 80s and 90s is famous for having gory and violent anime with all types of bizarre experiments.

Most American media would have never distributed those VHS tapes containing such violent masterpieces but the situation is different today with the Internet.

This listicle is based on our experience and won’t include mainstream shows, except for Berserk, or what just includes a small degree of violence. What’s here is savage, rough and crude, you have been warned.

15. Urotsukidôji II: Legend of the Demon Womb

Urotsukidôji II: Legend of the Demon Womb was incredibly controversial because of its themes and its depiction of violence.

It is a dark fantasy story and involves political themes, such as presenting Nazis, in which three different worlds are endangered by a scientist who wants to subjugate them.

Sexually explicit and with strong bloody scenes, portrayed by some as an overly gratuitous movie in its rawness, it encapsulates themes that can be seen as a strong critique of society and a harsh political satire.

A movie that deserves to be seen if only for its strong identity. Anyone looking for a cult production depicting uncensored violence will not be disappointed.

14. Apocalypse Zero

One of the most atypical and violent anime ever.

It’s the story of Kakugo and Harara, brother and sister, who find themselves fighting at the antipodes. Kakugo protects humanity, while his sister is on a mission to extinguish it.

An incredibly controversial series, often considered to be in bad taste, it’s a unique product of its kind. Bright colors and cartoonish designs contrast with the exaggerated gore it contains.

An ultra-violent anime, suitable only for tough stomachs.

13. Golgo 13

The story of an infallible sniper, able to hit any target from almost any distance.

Golgo 13 is the alias the protagonist uses in his work as a hitman. A series of different, often unrelated missions show us his coolness in taking lives.

Although the anime focuses more on depicting the incredible abilities of the main character, violence is a recurring theme.

The hitman’s utter lack of feelings makes the killings of his targets cruder and creates a formula from which it’s hard to tear one’s eyes away.

12. Violence Jack

Incredibly controversial, this anime is probably the crudes that author Go Nagai has been involved in.

Violence Jack is a post-apocalyptic story in which all human violence and cruelty is depicted as explicitly as possible. At least that was the intention but it was heavily censored in both its print version and its animated counterpart.

It’s a movie that is not easy to like, it has often been received harshly by audiences, creating for itself in some quarters the name of the worst anime ever.

At the same time, it’s a most interesting interpretation of mankind’s bestiality.

11. Wicked city

Often an underrated movie that nevertheless managed to win over a portion of the audience. A story that oscillates between horror and dark fantasy in which gore and sexuality are pivotal themes of the anime.

A story that sees our world and the alternate dimension Black World in a precarious peace, protected by the Black Guards, a kind of police apparatus that protects both sides.

A smoothly-paced action movie in which violence provides the backdrop for a simple but excellently written story.

10. Mad Bull 34

A story set in New York City in which young Japanese-American policeman Daizaburo “Eddie” Ban” meets a ruthless police veteran.

In this anime it’s not the protagonist who perpetrates violence but his partner. “Mad Bull” is the nickname of Eddie’s partner and he tackles crime in his precinct with unprecedented cruelty.

An adult tale that shows a cross-section of what goes on in impoverished neighborhoods left to their own devices. A cycle of violence that seems impossible to break.

Many real issues are dealt with, and violence is multifaceted in many forms and not just the physical.

9. Kite

Kite is an anime with a high rate of violence. The main character is a very young assassin for hire.

Sawa, the main character, is also subjected to all kinds of violence by her guardian, who took her in when she became an orphan.

The anime has often been the subject of discussion, given the very young age of the main character and the abuse to which she has been subjected but also because of the very graphic depiction of gore.

Indeed, Sawa kills with bullets that explode inside her victims’ bodies, creating incredibly crude scenes.

8. JoJo’s Bizzare Adventure (OAV)

This 1993 anime perhaps needs no introduction, being a true cult favorite.

It’s the story of Jotaro Kujo (JoJo) and his journey across the world to confront the cruel vampire who threatens the fate of his family: Dio Brando. Is unquestionably one of the best anime violence-related.

The main character and his fellows’ friends fight against a multitude of quirky enemies through the power of Stands, spiritual extensions of its user, embodying its personality and fighting strength.

If you love long and exciting fights to the death, this anime is a must-see.

The violence is accompanied by fights that are always absurd and over the top but highly strategic.

Blood flows profusely, not only in fights but in many sequences that pay homage to classic horror movies. If you enjoy gore, especially the grotesquely ironic one, this is the anime you’re looking for.

The anime represents only one part of the long family saga of the Joestar family. Jotaro’s confrontation with Dio is the third story arc in the series.

7. Genocyber

It’s hard to find productions with a higher rate of gore and violence than this anime. This is a story with a cyberpunk heart, in which large private corporations threaten the newly found peace among the nations of the world.

The Genocyber is a terrifying war machine that combines the strength of two sisters with psychic powers. A robot capable of destroying our planet.

Genocyber isn’t beloved by the general public, but it is known to all admirers of splatter. This anime features bloody scenes with a very high rate of violence, often considered gratuitous.

Their quality is beyond question. A long series of truculent deaths makes this movie unique.

6. Demon City Shinjuku

Like all productions animated by Madhouse, this is a must-see anime.

Violent clashes rage in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district. A very near future in which the Earth is invaded by demons and the protagonist undertakes a desperate struggle to save humanity.

Kyoka, the young protagonist of this adventure, must confront the demonic menace by learning to master her powers and succeed where her father had failed.

The play finds its character in the bloody and violent madness that is masterfully portrayed on screen.

5. Devilman (OAV)

Another classic of Japanese animation, where violence comes to be the means of criticizing human cruelty.

Akira Fudo, a young high school student with no special abilities, comes into contact with the demon Amon, becoming one entity and gaining the strength to fight the demonic creatures threatening Earth.

A coming-of-age journey that questions the disproportionate use of violence in society. Epic clashes between demons are the order of the day and are among the most violent ever depicted.

4. Cyber City Oedo 808

A three-episode OAV series with a cyberpunk setting in a crime context, fullfilled with a lot of action and breathaking plot twists all in a intense pacing given his short duration.

Set in the future, year 2808, it is the story of three inmates condamned from 295 to 375 years of prison who have a chance to have their sentences lessened by cooperating with the police.

The agreement comes from the head of the cyber police Hasegawa, and with each successful mission, they will be entitled to a sentence discount.

With a strongly dystopian slant, the series depicts the protagonists’ desperate attempts to gain freedom, resulting in outbursts of violence. A short series but worth catching up on.

3. Vampire Hunter D

Yoshitaka Amano was responsible for the character design of this anime OAV consisting in only 1 intense episode, released in 1985 adapted by the light novel of the same name.

A rescue story that nevertheless presents a fantasy horror opera, rich in action and romance consisting in D, the vampire hunter, in his mission to save the girl Doris and to defeat the Count Magnus Lee.

The fights are beautifully animated carnage for the time, a bloodbath that will captivate horror lovers. Try to avoid the English dubbing if possible, as it is one of the worst-performing in history.

2. Hokuto no Ken

One of the greatest classics of Japanese animation.

The drift of humanity is portrayed beautifully with grotesque characters and distorted senses of justice, but the shocking violence stands out above it all.

Thanks to its grotesque and exaggerated design, the rawness of the fights are even better, a blood fest that never tires.

Ken is one of the anime you must have in your cultural background.

1. Berserk

A great dark fantasy classic. The story of Gatsu, an orphan raised as a seemingly heartless mercenary.

This work has irreversibly influenced every media outlet that has approached fantasy from a horror perspective. The confrontations within the anime are fierce and brutal.

A riot of violence that represents the fragility of human life.

Blood is visually one of the production’s strongest points, constantly accompanied by stories at once bleak and epic. The murderous fury of the protagonist and his opponents remains indelibly etched in the viewer’s mind. A must-see work of art.