Line #51 DarkerAndEdgier/WebOriginal


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9	* Parodied in ''WebVideo/AngryBirdsTheMovie'', which is a fake trailer for a Hollywood blockbuster based off of ''VideoGame/AngryBirds''. It's an actiony HumanFocusedAdaptation war film.
10	* Before its first, and original cancellation, Ben's Rants were very tame. The worst that WebAnimation/{{Benthelooney}} would put in was alternatives for curse words. However, when he uncancelled his rants in 2012, Ben Tannehill started writing in more personality for the character, and made him more cartoony, causing for the newly produced rants to include references to violence, and occasionally, sex. Whilst these aren't as bad as some, it is still raunchier than anything that Ben did, before the rants were resurrected.
11	** Not only that, but in the credits of Ben Rants: Sanjay and Craig, the song has an uncensored swear word. Ben stated that the reason for not censoring it was because he refused to censor such an awesome song.
12	* Spoofed in "[[https://web.archive.org/web/20021009174222/http://www.menace.ndo.co.uk/loz/misnom.htm A Bibilography of Mr Misnomer]]", an online supplement to the ''Franchise/BerniceSummerfield'' novel ''Down'' providing more detail about the 26th century pulpzine character. In the main series, Mr Misnomer gains mystical powers from New Tibetian lamas which he uses to fight the Nameless Evil that threatens them, and subsequently against his archenemy Dr Harbinger. The final volume, produced by an indie publisher after the collapse of the pulpzine market, but officially licenced, reveals that the Nameless Evil was actually the manifestation of Misnomer's own angst, that his plucky sidekick was a gay manic-drepressive, and that Dr Harbinger's [[DependingOnTheWriter Depending on the Autolit-Engine]] characterisation was the result of a multiple personality disorder self-medicated with psychotropic drugs. The same publisher's [[https://web.archive.org/web/20020909154155/http://www.menace.ndo.co.uk/poppin.htm interpretation]] of ''Film/MaryPoppins'' is even worse.
13	* ''WebVideo/BoardJames'' started off as a LighterAndFluffier spin-off of the ''WebVideo/AngryVideoGameNerd'', at least until the "Dream Phone" episode. After the series went into hiatus for a couple of years while James Rolfe worked on the ''Film/AngryVideoGameNerdTheMovie'', ''Board James'' returned to the eponymous character alone, with Motherfucker Mike and Bad Luck Bootsy nowhere to be found and an overarching story arc about James's SanitySlippage and whether he killed his friends [[spoiler:if they even existed to begin with]]...
14	* The Tech Adventures storyline in the ''Literature/BraveNewWorldUniverse'' is notorious for being DarkerAndEdgier than any other story in the series by a long shot. Where the original Brave New World storyline occasionally had characters seriously injured, Sasha was at the brink of death so many times that the ''other writers'' on the project lost count. It culminated in a BittersweetEnding when [[spoiler:Shasha sacrificed himself to save the rest of the Chosen in Joanna's secret base]].
15	* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk9oa_PiXAk The Brothers Mario]]'' is a GTA Machinima with Mario and Luigi being mobsters involved in a gang war.
16	* [[Creator/{{Dropout}} CollegeHumor / Dropout]] has touched on it possibly as much as Cracked has:
17	** "I'm going to ask you one more time! [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYhodCCUyBs Where the fuck is Carmen Sandiego?!]]"
18	** Coming soon to a theater near you: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnpTcrtsN3U a dark and gritty live-action adaptation]] of... ''WesternAnimation/DoraTheExplorer''.
19	** To top it off, they even have a video [[http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1935593 illustrating the gritty reboot process]].
20	* Website/{{Cracked}} has commented on the "gritty reboot" trend several times.
21	** They made this the subject of a couple of Photoplastys: [[http://www.cracked.com/photoshop_103_if-hollywood-decided-to-give-everything-gritty-reboot/ If Hollywood Started To Give Everything a Gritty Reboot]], [[http://www.cracked.com/photoplasty_139_if-history-got-gritty-reboot/ If History Got a Gritty Reboot]].
22	** Soren Bowie muses about in [[http://www.cracked.com/blog/4-gritty-reboots-80s-cartoons-girls/ 4 Gritty Reboots of 80s Cartoons for Girls]].
23	** "[[http://www.cracked.com/blog/3-movies-they-dont-make-anymore-but-really-should/ 3 Movies They Don't Make Anymore (But Really Should)]]" decries the trend of "taking popular, existing properties and bringing out the darkest and grittiest aspects they can find" seen in ''Film/HanselAndGretelWitchHunters'', among other movies.
24	** "[[http://www.cracked.com/quick-fixes/4-bizarrely-specific-rules-fairy-tale-adaptations-all-follow/ 4 Bizarrely Specific Rules Fairy Tale Adaptations All Follow]]", David Christopher Bell claims that all film adaptations of fairy tales invoke this to invert {{Disneyfication}}.
25	* The blog Chocolate Hammer mocked this trend with the game ''Darker and Edgier'', in which familiar franchises were warped beyond recognition and readers had to guess what they originally were. The posts in question can be found [[http://www.chocolatehammer.org/?p=91 here]] and [[http://www.chocolatehammer.org/?p=400 here]].
26	* Pretty much all of the Dark Web. If you think the regular internet has bad things, the Dark Web is even more messed up. It is, to put it simply, the darker and edgier part of the internet. Expect child porn, drugs, and red rooms (code name for torture chambers). It is not advised to actually look it up. There is "barely-legal" porn and other websites that are not so fun to look at.
27	* The fifth episode of ''WebVideo/DontHugMeImScared'', where there is no indication the trauma will be reversed, a lot more violence and gore, less jokes, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking a song that isn't quite as catchy]].
28	* ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'', while still being mostly comedic, seems to be diving into this with the Cell Saga, specifically around the time when the BigBad himself is introduced. The fact that Cell's presence is, unlike all the other villains who appeared in the series prior, actually treated with complete seriousness by the cast should be a sign of things to come.
29	* In Website/FunnyOrDie's [[http://FunnyOrDie.com/m/6h0b The Rugrats ''Live Action'' Movie]] apparently Angelica is not just a selfish, spoiled child, but a murderous, manipulative sociopath.
30	* ''Literature/AGiantSuckingSound'', the election of Ross Perot results in a more chaotic 1990s. The constant violence and the murder of prominent people in entertainment like [[spoiler: Steven Spielberg and Harvey Weinstein]] causes this effect in popular culture In-universe.
31	* This is the point of ''WebVideo/GrittyReboots''. They make DarkerAndEdgier LiveActionAdaptation trailers for anything from ''VideoGame/HarvestMoonBackToNature'' to ''Literature/GoodnightMoon''.
32	* When compared to the movies, ''Roleplay/TheGunganCouncil'' is ''definitely'' more mature across the board. However, whether or not it beats out ''ComicBook/{{Legacy}}'' depends on the writer and character.
33	* WebVideo/{{Hatchetfield}}: ''Theatre/TheGuyWhoDidntLikeMusicals'' was a major shift for a Creator/TeamStarkid show, being the first show that took character's deaths seriously and that left the audience with a DownerEnding that was as disturbing as it was funny. It's only gotten DarkerAndEdgier since.
34	* ''Literature/TheHomestuckEpilogues'' are darker in tone than ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'', their webcomic predecessor. Both paths generally deal with more realistic and relatable issues, such as dealing with adulthood, abusive relationships, and friendships drifting away or being torn apart due to political differences. The switch to a prose format means that there are no visual gags or possible ArtStyleDissonance, and many of the comical side characters are either DemotedToExtra or outright KilledOffscreen. All of this on top of being a HappyEndingOverride to the comic's unambiguously positive outcome. [[spoiler:On top of ''that'', two of the heroes go off the deep end of their own volition (so no brainwashing or UnwittingPawn excuses now), are directly responsible for overriding their respective timelines even further, and one of those timelines devolves into outright war. And if you take ''Webcomic/HomestuckBeyondCanon'' into account, these changes ''stick''. No wonder Hussie declared SchrodingersCanon for the epilogues.]]
35	* In [[WebVideo/ImAMarvelAndImADC Marvel/DC: After Hours]] Season 2, ComicBook/TheJoker's plan is to make all comic book characters into DarkerAndEdgier characters. The Green Goblin however ends up pointing out that all that will lead to is TooBleakStoppedCaring without LighterAndSofter heroes.
36	* Lost Episode Creepypastas are about [[Main/ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Lost Episodes]] of (most often) kid's TV Shows that turn the darkness factor up a notch.
37	* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAxFjVCkpRY Mario Kart: Fury Road]]'' is a fake trailer made of scenes from ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad'', edited to look like an exagerratedly grittier adaptation of the ''VideoGame/MarioKart'' series.
38	* Just Google "Misery Machine", possibly adding "Scooby Doo". D&E, textbook case.
39	* ''Mortal Kombat: Rebirth'' by Kevin Tancharoen gives a noir look to ''Franchise/MortalKombat'', eliminating the campy aspects from most depictions.
40	* Season 2 of [[WebVideo/TheMusicVideoShow The Music Video Show]]. While the first season was lighthearted, the second season sees the host of the show slowly delving into [[SanitySlippage Sanity Slippage.]] Throw in attempted suicides, [[FreakOut a mental breakdown]], a book with a creepy hand coming out of the front cover that is possibly a spell book and harsh jokes to boot. There's also the fact that [[spoiler:Fluttershy is not real, [[EmoTeen Dylan]] says that he's the Devil and takes Pinkie Pie with him in Episode 50 after revealing that the host killed his parents.]] Holy shit.
41	** Hello, Season 4 just called. It's jarring considering [[LighterAndSofter Season Three]] ended mere months before. Where season three had [[TakeThat jabs at several subjects]], whether it was necessary or not, Season 4 makes jokes about DomesticAbuse, [[WouldHurtAChild Child Abuse]] and death/murder,[[spoiler:the latter doesn't only [[DeathOfAChild happen to]] [[AndYourLittleDogToo adults..]]]] Watching [[https://youtu.be/3RSQMFIPAp4 Episode 87]] and [[https://youtu.be/zHk864SsYuE Episode 89]] is proof of how black the humor has become, especially with the latter's "top 10 countdown" which starts with [[spoiler:honorable mentions]] before going from [[BlackComedy black hole jokes]] to [[NightmareFuel pitch]] [[SurprisinglyCreepyMoment black.]]
42	** Seasonz 5 through 7 all this due to this trope and CreatorBreakdown. The jokes were much harsher and very very angry at times. Season six also marked the first time the host [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness swore and wished several people harm, to the point of wishing them dead]]. According to [[https://youtu.be/zKUtbcLfp78 this]] video, he had going through suicidal thoughts throughout a lot of this period and it bled into his work. Season eight seems to put an end to this trope, although the first episode was a Paul Brother episode with [[ClusterFBomb tons of swearing]] so the eighth season isn't 100 percent lighter.
43	* Parodied by ''Website/TheOnion'', with [[http://www.theonion.com/articles/general-mills-gives-honey-nut-cheerios-bee-intense,28181/ this]] ([[PoesLaw fake]]) story about a cereal mascot getting a dark backstory.
44	* ''WebVideo/{{Petscop}}'': Petscop goes from a fun (albeit unfinished) game about collecting pets and finding their homes to a dark and twisted story (possibly) inspired by the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candace_Newmaker real-life child killings]] that happened as a result of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attachment_therapy rebirthing therapy]].
45	* Joseph Kahn's ''[[WebVideo/PowerRangersBootlegUniverse Power/Rangers]]'' does this for the ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' Zordon Era. It's actually a StealthParody of this trope, with the ultimate message being that no matter how much fanbases may like the idea of giving lighthearted kids' shows grim-n-gritty reboots, ramping up the violence, sex, and dirty language (even if it doesn't come across as forced) will not make the comical elements go away -- if anything, it just throws them into sharper relief.
46	* Creator/RaymondSipe has a song about [[Franchise/CthulhuMythos Cthulhu]] that [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLFHFWK5FJM pretty much does justice to its source]]. However, when you compare it to songs about forum places like /v/, /mu/, and even /mlp/, as well as many of his other songs he's done, and it makes its darker and edgier motif all the more surprising to see.
47	* ''WebVideo/StampysLovelyWorld'':
48	** While by no means dark, the [=HitTheTarget=] episodes are far more intense and action-packed than the usual relaxing episodes of ''Lovely World''. In addition, some of [=HitTheTarget=]'s plans, such as [[BadPeopleAbuseAnimals attacking Stampy's dogs]], are darker than the [[SugarBowl usual tone]] of the series.
49	** Even among the HTT attack episodes, Episode 541, "I Lost" is [[UnexpectedlyDarkEpisode one of the darkest]], as [[spoiler:it is the only episode where the attack ends [[TheBadGuyWins with a bad ending]]]].
50	** In post-hiatus episodes, the plans get ''even more'' climactic when HTT [[spoiler:sends a dog army of his own via the cloning machine, leading to two of Stampy's dogs dying]], and [[spoiler:blows up Stampy's first bedroom so he can replace it with his own design]]. This is compared to pre-hiatus episodes, where the worst HTT ''reasonably'' gets is [[spoiler:killing Stampy's oldest dog, Barnaby]] in "Memories" and siccing [[spoiler:a RottenRoboticReplacement of Polly]] on Stampy, which were more easily rectified, caused less collateral damage, and weren't ''completely'' direct attacks on Stampy himself.
51	* [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsMZuO7IiqNmqgqjXnAllZa5X4zWWdhWv Season 2]] of ''Series/StewdioMACK'' is noticeably darker than the first, dealing with the fallout of the [[UsefulNotes/Covid19 COVID-19 pandemic]].
52	* ''WebVideo/SuburbanKnights'' compared to ''WebVideo/{{Kickassia}}''. While both are hilarious and ''WebVideo/{{Kickassia}}'' indeed showed off Critic's lack of sanity well, SK had a really dark villain that made the mood drop in whatever scene he was in, innocents getting blown up, a BittersweetEnding where Critic hopes to find the Necronomicon in order to revive [[spoiler: Ma-Ti]], death not being at all cheap and actual, honest-to-God {{Tear Jerker}}s.
53	** In a more meta sense, WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic both in-character and out-of-character openly hates this trope when done poorly and, as he puts it, is "dark for the sake of being dark" instead of being dark to convey some message or have some purpose. It comes up in a good amount of reviews. Ironically, his show has got darker too, with Critic having... issues, Santa Christ TookALevelInJerkass, a lot more NightmareFuel and Doug confirming that he's turned Critic's endearing Christmas love into psychosis.
54	** ''WebVideo/ToBoldlyFlee'' manages to be even darker than ''Suburban Knights''. The story revolves a ''literal'' PlotHole that warps and distorts reality. Highlights include WebVideo/TheNostalgiaChick and WebVideo/ToddInTheShadows [[spoiler: facing UnwillingRoboticization and brainwashing at the hands of [[WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall Mechakara]]]], WebVideo/TheCinemaSnob [[spoiler:being manipulated into joining the villains, which, while a parody of Franchise/StarWars, is still pretty messed up]], the appearance of [[spoiler:Doug Walker (as in [[AuthorAvatar the actual person]]) revealing to the Critic he's a fictional character and that in the real world there's free will]] and finally the Critic, after a long HeroicBSOD that was completely PlayedForDrama, [[spoiler: [[HeroicSacrifice sacrificing himself]] by [[AscendingToAHigherPlaneOfExistence merging with the Plot Hole]]]]. Possibly justified, as according to WordOfGod ''To Boldly Flee'' was written be a send-off to The Nostalgia Critic as a show.
55	* The WebVideo/SuperCarlinBrothers have a series called "Rated R Pixar," where the plot of a normally G or PG rated Pixar movie is retold in a very dark manner.
56	* ''WebVideo/ThereWillBeBrawl'' makes the Creator/{{Nintendo}} universe ''so'' grimdark and FilmNoir-esque that it practically becomes a parody of this trope.
57	* ''WebOriginal/{{Trollge}}'' is a dark revival of WebComic/RageComics in which Trollface is portrayed as an AxCrazy EldritchAbomination.
58	* ''WebVideo/TrulyOutrageousAJemFanFilm'' is a TakeThat at the official ''Film/JemAndTheHolograms2015'' film meant to show that it's possible to darken ''WesternAnimation/{{Jem}}'' while keeping the tone. Kimber ends up kidnapped by [[spoiler:Cobra]] and the stakes are ''slightly'' up from the usual ''Jem'' fare, but the real difference comes from [[spoiler:Kimber's angst after finding out she's really a {{Ridiculously Human Robot\|s}}]].
59	* ''Website/TVTropes'': DarthWiki/DarthWiki is where all the negative opinions go to. And a couple of other dark stuff.
60	* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt3NfymWlss The Waldo Ultimatum]]'' by the Imponderables: ''Literature/WheresWaldo'' meets ''Film/TheBourneUltimatum''.
61	* For ''WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries'', compare ''Yu-Gi-Oh: The Abridged Movie'' and ''Yu-Gi-Oh: Tenth Anniversary Abridged Movie''. While both are still quite funny, the latter has a greater amount of violence and more blue jokes (courtesy of [[Anime/YuGiOhGX Jaden]]).
62	* "Zest Online Riddle" is a game similar to ''[=NotPron=]'', and it's... weird. It also has dark, oppressive music and, overall, it's... creepy. Thing is, unlike most online riddles, this actually has some kind of a story to it, and from what this troper knows, it appears to be darkening "The Wizard of OZ", among other things.
63	* /r/bertstrips does this to the sesame street crowd. The concept to this subreddit is to add dark and spooky captions to "normal" sesame street images. For example, Ert and Bernie are turned into war criminals, Elmo into a pervert, and cookie monster into a... monster.
64	* ''WebVideo/MysteryIncorporated2022'': Daphne has a StageMom and she's implied to be struggling with depression, Shaggy is a small time drug dealer who is being blackmailed and has a rocky relationship with his father, Velma's dad was murdered and her mother has turned to studying demonology and becoming an alcoholic to cope, and Fred's parents were both murdered (seemingly by the same monster that killed Velma's dad).

Context DarkerAndEdgier / WebOriginal