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* ''Art/DanteAndVirgilInHell'' is a rapid departure from Creator/WilliamAdolpheBouguereau's various female nudes, pastoral genre {{paintings}}, and his ''Art/{{Cupid and Psyche|Bouguereau}}'' series. The bodies are strained and frozen in violence, there is a demonic beast in the background and the entire thing is done in a harsh series of red, brown, and orange color motifs.
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* ''Art/DanteAndVirgilInHell'' is a rapid departure from Creator/WilliamAdolpheBouguereau's various female nudes, pastoral genre {{paintings}}, and his ''Art/{{Cupid ''Art/{{Psyche and Psyche|Bouguereau}}'' Cupid|Bouguereau}}'' series. The bodies are strained and frozen in violence, there is a demonic beast in the background and the entire thing is done in a harsh series of red, brown, and orange color motifs.
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* ''Art/DanteAndVirgilInHell'' is a rapid departure from Creator/WilliamAdolpheBouguereau's various female nudes, pastoral genre {{paintings}}, and his "Myth/CupidAndPsyche" series (''Art/CupidAndPsycheAsChildren'' and ''Art/TheRaptureOfPsyche''). The bodies are strained and frozen in violence, there is a demonic beast in the background and the entire thing is done in a harsh series of red, brown, and orange color motifs.
to:
* ''Art/DanteAndVirgilInHell'' is a rapid departure from Creator/WilliamAdolpheBouguereau's various female nudes, pastoral genre {{paintings}}, and his "Myth/CupidAndPsyche" series (''Art/CupidAndPsycheAsChildren'' ''Art/{{Cupid and ''Art/TheRaptureOfPsyche'').Psyche|Bouguereau}}'' series. The bodies are strained and frozen in violence, there is a demonic beast in the background and the entire thing is done in a harsh series of red, brown, and orange color motifs.
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* ''Roleplay/DinoAttackRPG'', especially near the end, contained exceptional (and at times extremely gruesome) violence, sexual undertones (along with one or two implied scenes), a sub-plot about a lesbian and her homophobic father, a character whose mother is implied (and confirmed by WordOfGod) [[SonOfAWhore to be a prostitute]], extreme sexism, implied genocide, drugs (including an overdose), child abuse ([[KarmaHoudini and the man responsible gets away with it]]) characters who explicitly smoked and/or consumned alcohol, post-traumatic stress disorder, philosophical discussions, two characters with sub-plots concerning their religious faith, BodyHorror, an unstoppable EldritchAbomination [[CosmicHorrorStory on an almost Lovecraftian scale capable of destroying the planet and possibly the entire universe if it were to ever get out]]... and this roleplay is based entirely on a [[Toys/LEGODinoAttack short-lived LEGO theme]].
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* ''Roleplay/DinoAttackRPG'', especially near the end, contained exceptional (and at times extremely gruesome) violence, sexual undertones (along with one or two implied scenes), a sub-plot about a lesbian and her homophobic father, a character whose mother is implied (and confirmed by WordOfGod) [[SonOfAWhore to be a prostitute]], extreme sexism, implied genocide, drugs (including an overdose), child abuse ([[KarmaHoudini and the man responsible gets away with it]]) characters who explicitly smoked and/or consumned alcohol, post-traumatic stress disorder, philosophical discussions, two characters with sub-plots concerning their religious faith, BodyHorror, an unstoppable EldritchAbomination [[CosmicHorrorStory on an almost Lovecraftian scale capable of destroying the planet and possibly the entire universe if it were to ever get out]]... and this roleplay is based entirely on a [[Toys/LEGODinoAttack short-lived LEGO theme]].theme]], which was itself is already a darker and edgier LEGO theme.
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* ''Theatre/{{Wicked}}'', while lighter than the [[Literature/{{Wicked}} book]], is darker than the ''Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz'' book and film it takes inspiration from.
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* ''Theatre/{{Wicked}}'', while lighter than the [[Literature/{{Wicked}} book]], is darker than the ''Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz'' book and film it takes inspiration from.
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! Alternate Reality Games
* ''ARG/PerplexCity'': The back of Season 2 cards indicated cracks in the veneer of the city's exterior. One of the more thought-provoking ones included the implication that it was essentially a world of autistic people, and those that weren't autistic were ostracized similar to what many autistic people experience in RealLife.
* ''ARG/PerplexCity'': The back of Season 2 cards indicated cracks in the veneer of the city's exterior. One of the more thought-provoking ones included the implication that it was essentially a world of autistic people, and those that weren't autistic were ostracized similar to what many autistic people experience in RealLife.
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* ''Creator/TarsilaDoAmaral's paintings during the 1920's had vibrant and cheerful colors that evoked childhood, portraying natural landscapes, daily activities and colorful sightings. However, her later works in the 30's focusing on social themes present a much more somber tone, having darker, grayer and less intense colors, like ''[[https://arteeartistas.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Segunda-Classe-Fase-Social-da-Tarsila.jpg Segunda Classe]]'' (''Second Class'', 1933), as they critically portrayed the reality of many Brazilians in the context of industrialization and rural exodus. That said, she continued to make cheerful paintings afterwards though, with what it is called the "Neo Pau-Brasil" in the 50's.
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* ''Creator/TarsilaDoAmaral's Creator/TarsilaDoAmaral's paintings during the 1920's had vibrant and cheerful colors that evoked childhood, portraying natural landscapes, daily activities and colorful sightings. However, her later works in the 30's focusing on social themes present a much more somber tone, having darker, grayer and less intense colors, like ''[[https://arteeartistas.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Segunda-Classe-Fase-Social-da-Tarsila.jpg Segunda Classe]]'' (''Second Class'', 1933), as they critically portrayed the reality of many Brazilians in the context of industrialization and rural exodus. That said, she continued to make cheerful paintings afterwards though, with what it is called the "Neo Pau-Brasil" in the 50's.
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* ''Creator/TarsilaDoAmaral's paintings during the 1920's had vibrant and cheerful colors that evoked childhood, portraying natural landscapes, daily activities and colorful sightings. However, her later works in the 30's focusing on social themes present a much more somber tone, having darker, grayer and less intense colors, like ''[[https://arteeartistas.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Segunda-Classe-Fase-Social-da-Tarsila.jpg Segunda Classe]]'' (''Second Class'', 1933), as they critically portrayed the reality of many Brazilians in the context of industrialization and rural exodus. That said, she continued to make cheerful paintings afterwards though, with what it is called the "Neo Pau-Brasil" in the 50's.
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* Life Alert is a serious product - it's meant for older and disabled people if they ever, say, fall down and need help when no one is around -- but the old commercials have been the product of giggles for years. [[{{Narm}} "I've fallen and I can't get up!"]] was subject to MemeticMutation throughout the 90's and frequently mocked and parodied. In 2014, they decided to darken up their ads into pure NightmareFuel. Instead of the old ladies almost comically on the floor, the mood is noticeably darker and you can feel the pain and fear, as if Life Alert is saying "Thought that was ''funny'', did ya? Well, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4JzxG0cnpg yuk it up now]], [[YouBastard you little shits.]]" The darker turn wound up backfiring, with complaints and reports of panic attacks pouring in, forcing the company to pull the ad after two short months.
to:
* Life Alert is a serious product - it's meant for older and disabled people if they ever, say, fall down and need help when no one is around -- but the old commercials have been the product of giggles for years. [[{{Narm}} "I've fallen and I can't get up!"]] was subject to MemeticMutation throughout the 90's and frequently mocked and parodied. In 2014, they decided to darken up their ads into pure NightmareFuel. Instead of the old ladies almost comically on the floor, the mood is noticeably darker and you can feel the pain and fear, as if Life Alert is saying "Thought that was ''funny'', did ya? Well, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4JzxG0cnpg com/watch?v=bAchFqliGG8 yuk it up now]], [[YouBastard you little shits.]]" The darker turn wound up backfiring, with complaints and reports of panic attacks pouring in, forcing the company to pull the ad after two short months.
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* ''Art/DanteAndVirgilInHell'' is a rapid departure from Creator/WilliamAdolpheBouguereau's various female nudes, pastoral genre paintings and his "Cupid and Psyche" series. The bodies are strained and frozen in violence, there is a demonic beast in the background and the entire thing is done in a harsh series of red, brown and orange color motif.
to:
* ''Art/DanteAndVirgilInHell'' is a rapid departure from Creator/WilliamAdolpheBouguereau's various female nudes, pastoral genre paintings {{paintings}}, and his "Cupid "Myth/CupidAndPsyche" series (''Art/CupidAndPsycheAsChildren'' and Psyche" series. ''Art/TheRaptureOfPsyche''). The bodies are strained and frozen in violence, there is a demonic beast in the background and the entire thing is done in a harsh series of red, brown brown, and orange color motif.
motifs.
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** Hades and his underworld qualify, as they are often portrayed as horrifying, ghastly, and generally evil. In reality, the Greek underworld, Erebos, is more like a pleasant inn, and Hades was just a little emotionally unstable. The only commonly-found no-no he did in mythology was kidnapping Persephone, and even then, some variations have Zeus selling her to him.
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** Hades and his underworld qualify, as they are often portrayed as horrifying, ghastly, and generally evil. In reality, the Greek underworld, Erebos, is more like a pleasant inn, rural countryside with some wetlands, and Hades was just a little emotionally unstable. The only commonly-found no-no he did in mythology was kidnapping Persephone, and even then, some variations have Zeus selling her to him.
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* [=OnDigital=], later ITV Digital, was an early attempt to bring digital TV to British viewers. It was advertised by Creator/JohnnyVegas and a cute little DeadpanSnarker sock puppet monkey sidekick as in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeXu2kWsLc4 this advert]]. It wasn't a resounding success and ITV Digital died a quite public death with a lot of recrimination and lawsuits and all that fun stuff. But the Vegas/Monkey team were so loved that they ended up becoming the mascots of a completely different product, namely [[SpotOfTea PG Tips]]. And their idea of reintroducing a pair of endearing and loved characters [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3ETnljaDvU was this, apparently]].
to:
* [=OnDigital=], later ITV Digital, was an early attempt to bring digital TV to British viewers. It was advertised by Creator/JohnnyVegas and a cute little DeadpanSnarker sock puppet monkey sidekick as in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeXu2kWsLc4 this advert]]. It wasn't a resounding success and ITV Digital died a quite public death with a lot of recrimination and lawsuits and all that fun stuff. But the Vegas/Monkey team were so loved that they ended up becoming the mascots of a completely different product, namely [[SpotOfTea PG Tips]].Tips. And their idea of reintroducing a pair of endearing and loved characters [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3ETnljaDvU was this, apparently]].
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Dewicking cut roleplay, was bordering on being a ZCE anyway
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* Roleplay/AK47sISOTMapgame has been noted for drifting into grimdark territory ''before the game even began''.
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* The 2019 ''Theatre/{[Oklahoma}}'' revival placed much more emphasis on the darkness of the show, achieving this primarily through staging the most uncomfortable scenes completely in the dark, leaving the lights on otherwise so the audience was complicit, giving more sympathy to Jud as an outsider ostracized by the town, and changing the ending [[spoiler:into a case of SuicideByCop]] while [[MoodDissonance keeping the cheery finale song]].
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* The 2019 ''Theatre/{[Oklahoma}}'' ''Theatre/{{Oklahoma}}'' revival placed much more emphasis on the darkness of the show, achieving this primarily through staging the most uncomfortable scenes completely in the dark, leaving the lights on otherwise so the audience was complicit, giving more sympathy to Jud as an outsider ostracized by the town, and changing the ending [[spoiler:into a case of SuicideByCop]] while [[MoodDissonance keeping the cheery finale song]].
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* The 2019 ''Theatre/{[Oklahoma}}'' revival placed much more emphasis on the darkness of the show, achieving this primarily through staging the most uncomfortable scenes completely in the dark, leaving the lights on otherwise so the audience was complicit, giving more sympathy to Jud as an outsider ostracized by the town, and changing the ending [[spoiler:into a case of SuicideByCop]] while [[MoodDissonance keeping the cheery finale song]].
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! Music
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! Music
Radio
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! Art
* ''Art/DanteAndVirgilInHell'' is a rapid departure from Creator/WilliamAdolpheBouguereau's various female nudes, pastoral genre paintings and his "Cupid and Psyche" series. The bodies are strained and frozen in violence, there is a demonic beast in the background and the entire thing is done in a harsh series of red, brown and orange color motif.
* ''Art/DanteAndVirgilInHell'' is a rapid departure from Creator/WilliamAdolpheBouguereau's various female nudes, pastoral genre paintings and his "Cupid and Psyche" series. The bodies are strained and frozen in violence, there is a demonic beast in the background and the entire thing is done in a harsh series of red, brown and orange color motif.
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separating the fan-stuff from actual BIONICLE
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* Fanfics and forum {{Role playing Game}}s based on {{Toys/BIONICLE}} will often make the characters take on more human traits compared to their 85% metal, 15% muscle/lung tissue that is canon. While the primary reason by that it's easier to WriteWhatYouKnow, the addition of human aspects also means that fanfic characters suddenly have more detailed descriptions of such things as pain, bleeding, etc.
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*** Fanfics and forum {{Role playing Game}}s based on BIONICLE will often make the characters take on more human traits compared to their 85% metal, 15% muscle/lung tissue that is canon. While the primary reason by that it's easier to WriteWhatYouKnow, the addition of human aspects also means that fanfic characters suddenly have more detailed descriptions of such things as pain, bleeding, etc.
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! Advertising
* [=OnDigital=], later ITV Digital, was an early attempt to bring digital TV to British viewers. It was advertised by Creator/JohnnyVegas and a cute little DeadpanSnarker sock puppet monkey sidekick as in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeXu2kWsLc4 this advert]]. It wasn't a resounding success and ITV Digital died a quite public death with a lot of recrimination and lawsuits and all that fun stuff. But the Vegas/Monkey team were so loved that they ended up becoming the mascots of a completely different product, namely [[SpotOfTea PG Tips]]. And their idea of reintroducing a pair of endearing and loved characters [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3ETnljaDvU was this, apparently]].
* A literal example: Restoration Hardware, an upscale home furnishing chain, went from white walls, brightly lit stores, and a retro-industrial-Thirties/Forties/Fifties aesthetic to dark gray walls, very dim lights, and items with a modern/rough-edged look at some point after 2008.
* T-Mobile tried this in Spring of 2012. Their spokeswoman, the T-Mobile Girl, before seen with only white backgrounds and wearing pink sundresses, is now being advertised as bored with the "nice, safe" life she has. She searches for, and finds, a black full-bodied motorcycle jumpsuit (with pink accents) and rides into the night on a Yamaha-looking sport bike.
* Captain Morgan rum usually portrays their Captain as a playful partygoer. Their new campaign has gone for giving him a more daring and adventurous personality; likely due to the popularity of ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean''.
* Life Alert is a serious product - it's meant for older and disabled people if they ever, say, fall down and need help when no one is around -- but the old commercials have been the product of giggles for years. [[{{Narm}} "I've fallen and I can't get up!"]] was subject to MemeticMutation throughout the 90's and frequently mocked and parodied. In 2014, they decided to darken up their ads into pure NightmareFuel. Instead of the old ladies almost comically on the floor, the mood is noticeably darker and you can feel the pain and fear, as if Life Alert is saying "Thought that was ''funny'', did ya? Well, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4JzxG0cnpg yuk it up now]], [[YouBastard you little shits.]]" The darker turn wound up backfiring, with complaints and reports of panic attacks pouring in, forcing the company to pull the ad after two short months.
* Nationwide Insurance (2015 Super Bowl) - Many audiences thought this advertisement was try to pull too hard on heart-strings. A kid talks about life insurance but ends by saying "because I am dead". The commercial ends with the motto Make Safe Happen. This disturbing commercial aimed to up the ante during the crucial advertising season, which ended up backfiring.
* In what is ostensibly ''not'' intended as a parody of this trope, Fairy -- who have for decades had a baby as a mascot to symbolise the "baby soft hands" you'll have after washing the dishes with their detergent -- introduced a new "Tough Baby" mascot in 2017 to emphasize being tough on dirt. Still a baby, but now he's a tattooed, [[HellBentForLeather studded-leather-jacketed]] [[TheQuincyPunk Quincy Punk]] baby with a deep Cockney growl, a [[BadassBiker motorbike]], and the catchphrase "No More Mr. Nice Baby".
! Music
* When ''Radio/{{Dragnet}}'' premiered in 1949, it used subject matter that previous crime dramas wouldn't have touched with a ten-foot pole, like rape and child murder.
* Many ''Radio/AdventuresInOdyssey'' listeners remember the episode "The Mortal Coil". Whit tries to program a special "Heaven" program into the Imagination Station. Long story short, Whit almost dies, Eugene has a HeroicBSOD from experiencing Hell when he tried the program[[note]]Eugene wasn't a Christian at the time[[/note]], and other things which made that episode famous among listeners as the most terrifying episode in the show's history.
* Creator/TheBBC skewered this idea on AprilFools Day 2012 with ''Radio/TheArchers - Unchained'', a spoof trailer for a ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' style version of the beloved farming soap.
! Mythology
* Contrary to what popular belief holds, this is what modern adaptations do, to an extent, to ancient Myth/{{Greek myth|ology}}s. Some of the grotesque demons and horrid monstrosities, the hellish underworld and evil gods ([[EverybodyHatesHades Hades]] in particular), that we see in modern movies and video games inspired by Greek mythology are the product of [[HijackedByJesus blending the ancient myths with the nightmarish medieval]] [[{{Grimmification}} European folklore]].
** Hades and his underworld qualify, as they are often portrayed as horrifying, ghastly, and generally evil. In reality, the Greek underworld, Erebos, is more like a pleasant inn, and Hades was just a little emotionally unstable. The only commonly-found no-no he did in mythology was kidnapping Persephone, and even then, some variations have Zeus selling her to him.
* This tends to go for the other gods as well. Zeus is often thought of only as the god who went around having sex with women. Never mind he often punished evil doers or helped maintain the world. This is true for the other gods who had their petty moments, but were not evil or went around smiting humans for no reason. They usually had a reason even if only slight. They also had moments where they would help people who were beneficial to civilization.
* While Myth/NorseMythology was never actually LighterAndSofter, some believe Loki himself became this, as he was associated with the Devil by Christianity and his role as the OmnicidalManiac during Ragnarok was a product of Christianization.
! Pinball
* ''VideoGame/LoonyLabyrinth'' was a lighthearted mix of TimeTravel with the Minotaur, wrapped up in cheery music, bright colors, and a "Loony Machine" at its core. The sequel, ''VideoGame/MadDaedalus'', {{Retcon}}s the story with a murderous EvilUncle, a crashed spaceship, AncientAstronauts, and a bittersweet RoboShip love story.
! Roleplay
* ''Roleplay/DinoAttackRPG'', especially near the end, contained exceptional (and at times extremely gruesome) violence, sexual undertones (along with one or two implied scenes), a sub-plot about a lesbian and her homophobic father, a character whose mother is implied (and confirmed by WordOfGod) [[SonOfAWhore to be a prostitute]], extreme sexism, implied genocide, drugs (including an overdose), child abuse ([[KarmaHoudini and the man responsible gets away with it]]) characters who explicitly smoked and/or consumned alcohol, post-traumatic stress disorder, philosophical discussions, two characters with sub-plots concerning their religious faith, BodyHorror, an unstoppable EldritchAbomination [[CosmicHorrorStory on an almost Lovecraftian scale capable of destroying the planet and possibly the entire universe if it were to ever get out]]... and this roleplay is based entirely on a [[Toys/LEGODinoAttack short-lived LEGO theme]].
* ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'' is already dark, but ''Roleplay/DoubtAcademy'' takes it even further thanks to a few key differences. Unlike in canon, where convicting the wrong person equals GameOver, here [[HangingJudge Monobear]] simply tells them they got it wrong before executing the innocent scapegoat. This creates a KangarooCourt atmosphere where classmates have already lynched someone they ''knew'' was innocent to keep them from taking revenge and others have offered themselves up as {{Senseless Sacrifice}}s to keep their friends from suffering the same fate.
* The ''Insane Cafe'' [=RP=] trilogy has elements of this. The first was a nonsensical, hilarious and downright {{Narm}}y. The second was more plot driven and a terrorist attack on a remote laboratory was a key plot point. The 3rd installment features several assassination attempts, [[HotterAndSexier a few sex scenes]] and an impending war. Oh yeah, profanities are uttered the second and third installments.
* ''Roleplay/WelcomeToBeacon'' and its sequel ''Roleplay/WelcomeToBeaconUltimate'' are considerably darker than canon ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}''. The Grimm are a more considerable threat, and the students have to face two major criminal organizations, who have no qualms causing deaths and grevious harm to the student body. Several characters also carry scars, both physical and mental, from prior encounters with the Grimm, and sex between them have been implied several times. There's a reason several players call it "RWBY as written by Creator/GenUrobuchi"
* ''Roleplay/PokemonRiseOfTheRockets'' started out as a straight-up WarFic of {{Franchise/Pokemon}}, with its very first seen being the execution of Rocket Leader Giovanni, and has only gotten darker from there. Doesn't help that much of the MindScrew, [[DespairEventHorizon Despair Event Horizons]], [[MoralEventHorizon Moral Event Horizons]], and overall violence has been [[WordOfGod inspired]] by such series as ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''.
* Roleplay/AK47sISOTMapgame has been noted for drifting into grimdark territory ''before the game even began''.
! Theatre
* ''Theatre/DogSeesGod'' is a play featuring thinly disguised versions of the ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' cast in high school. [[spoiler:Snoopy was put down after getting rabies and killing Woodstock. Lucy is in an asylum for lighting the little redheaded girl's hair on fire]] and that's the tip of the iceberg.
* Creator/CirqueDuSoleil's ''Quidam'' was intentionally conceived by its creators as a show that would be darker, less whimsical, and more realistic than what the company had produced up to that point. They accomplished this by...telling a story about the commonality of loneliness and alienation through the eyes of a jaded preteen girl who learns to reconnect with others via a trip to a sometimes-melancholy MagicalLand.
* Richard Strauss's opera ''Elektra'', based on the Sophocles play but turn the bloodlust and neurotism up to the eleven, and adds a sister-to-sister LesYay moment.
* ''Theatre/KingLear'', believe it or not, wasn't a tragedy [[OlderThanTheyThink until Shakespeare got his hands on the story]]. In the story ''his'' audience knew, the story ends with Lear coming to his senses, forgiving Cordelia, retaking his throne and ruling until he finally dies of old age. [[WhamEpisode Poor audience]].
* The musical ''Theatre/{{Aida|JohnRice}}'' is this to other Disney musicals. No surprise, given that it's based on [[Theatre/AidaVerdi an opera]] (which ironically, it is a LighterAndSofter version of).
* The revival of ''Theatre/MissSaigon'' is this to the original production--which is ''already'' quite gritty. But the language and behavior of nearly everyone in the new version is far coarser and rougher than before.
* ''Theatre/{{Ebenezer}}'' is a prequel to ''Literature/AChristmasCarol'' where murder, destruction, and secrets abound that cast a dark light on the original story. Jacob Marley was was in a one-sided love with Scrooge and Fran's mother despite her having a husband, impregnates and kills Fran as an act of revenge on their family, corrupts Scrooge to love only money and convinces him his fiancee Emily was cheating on him, and convinces him to foreclose Emily's orphanage on Christmas Eve, killing everyone there. When Charles Dickens reveals Marley's crimes to him, Scrooge reveals he'd known about Marley from the start and is fine with all they'd done, including viciously attacking Emily himself and ordering the foreclosure.
* ''Theatre/{{Wicked}}'', while lighter than the [[Literature/{{Wicked}} book]], is darker than the ''Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz'' book and film it takes inspiration from.
* [[Theatre/TheQueenOfSpades The opera]] by Music/PyotrIlyichTchaikovsky based on ''Literature/TheQueenOfSpades'' has it [[{{Pun}} in spades]] in relation to the original story. In the story, Hermann is a manipulative VillainProtagonist who gets his just desserts when he loses at cards and goes mad, while Liza gets over him and more or less happily marries someone else. In the opera, he has AdaptationalHeroism, truly loves the girl but can’t let go of his passion for gambling, and kills himself in the end, his last thoughts being of Liza. And before that, Liza realizes her true love is a crazed gambler and she has no future with him, and drowns herself.
* ''Theatre/TheKansasCollection'' is a loose sequel to the original ''Oz'' book. A now-adult Dorothy has stayed in Kansas while Oz is in civil unrest in Oz to the point where a rebellion is trying to take down the new Scarecrow king.
! Toys
* ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'', when compared to other LEGO lines. The first Franchise/{{LEGO}} line to feature brutal, on-screen deaths and carry shades of CosmicHorrorStory.
** Within ''Bionicle'', the story noticeably turned a shade darker from '04 to '05, and with the advent of the online serials in '07, it also became BloodierAndGorier. So much, in fact, it made the initial years look like a kindergarten play in comparison. A good deal of this stuff LEGO would ''never'' have allowed the writer to publish when the theme first started.
*** Fanfics and forum {{Role playing Game}}s based on BIONICLE will often make the characters take on more human traits compared to their 85% metal, 15% muscle/lung tissue that is canon. While the primary reason by that it's easier to WriteWhatYouKnow, the addition of human aspects also means that fanfic characters suddenly have more detailed descriptions of such things as pain, bleeding, etc.
** Everything with Matoro and the Barraki saga basically slaps you in the face if the Piraka saga hasn't already. Not only do we get a downer ending, in another serial we're showned exactly what would have happened if Matoro never put the mask on. [[spoiler: The universe dies, and Matoro is labeled a coward and a pariah. Everyone also is now deprived of a home because the universe is crumbling, and Matoro only redeems himself when he sacrifices his life again to save the village. Seriously, this guy just can't catch a break.]]
* ''Toys/LEGODinoAttack'' features a group known as the D.I.N.O. Attack team battling against mutated [[FlipFlopOfGod or]] robotic dinosaurs. It's notable in that it is the ''only'' [[AfterTheEnd post-apoc]] LEGO Theme, being set in a empty city ravaged by the dinosaurs. In addition, there is a ''very'' heavy emphasis on weaponry and military vehicles.
* ''Toys/LEGOExoForce'' is implied to take place after the end and is inspired by Anime series such as ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam''. Like many LEGO themes, it was also cancelled before the story was resolved, adding in a dose of NothingIsScarier to the mix - what if the robots won?
* [=OnDigital=], later ITV Digital, was an early attempt to bring digital TV to British viewers. It was advertised by Creator/JohnnyVegas and a cute little DeadpanSnarker sock puppet monkey sidekick as in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeXu2kWsLc4 this advert]]. It wasn't a resounding success and ITV Digital died a quite public death with a lot of recrimination and lawsuits and all that fun stuff. But the Vegas/Monkey team were so loved that they ended up becoming the mascots of a completely different product, namely [[SpotOfTea PG Tips]]. And their idea of reintroducing a pair of endearing and loved characters [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3ETnljaDvU was this, apparently]].
* A literal example: Restoration Hardware, an upscale home furnishing chain, went from white walls, brightly lit stores, and a retro-industrial-Thirties/Forties/Fifties aesthetic to dark gray walls, very dim lights, and items with a modern/rough-edged look at some point after 2008.
* T-Mobile tried this in Spring of 2012. Their spokeswoman, the T-Mobile Girl, before seen with only white backgrounds and wearing pink sundresses, is now being advertised as bored with the "nice, safe" life she has. She searches for, and finds, a black full-bodied motorcycle jumpsuit (with pink accents) and rides into the night on a Yamaha-looking sport bike.
* Captain Morgan rum usually portrays their Captain as a playful partygoer. Their new campaign has gone for giving him a more daring and adventurous personality; likely due to the popularity of ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean''.
* Life Alert is a serious product - it's meant for older and disabled people if they ever, say, fall down and need help when no one is around -- but the old commercials have been the product of giggles for years. [[{{Narm}} "I've fallen and I can't get up!"]] was subject to MemeticMutation throughout the 90's and frequently mocked and parodied. In 2014, they decided to darken up their ads into pure NightmareFuel. Instead of the old ladies almost comically on the floor, the mood is noticeably darker and you can feel the pain and fear, as if Life Alert is saying "Thought that was ''funny'', did ya? Well, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4JzxG0cnpg yuk it up now]], [[YouBastard you little shits.]]" The darker turn wound up backfiring, with complaints and reports of panic attacks pouring in, forcing the company to pull the ad after two short months.
* Nationwide Insurance (2015 Super Bowl) - Many audiences thought this advertisement was try to pull too hard on heart-strings. A kid talks about life insurance but ends by saying "because I am dead". The commercial ends with the motto Make Safe Happen. This disturbing commercial aimed to up the ante during the crucial advertising season, which ended up backfiring.
* In what is ostensibly ''not'' intended as a parody of this trope, Fairy -- who have for decades had a baby as a mascot to symbolise the "baby soft hands" you'll have after washing the dishes with their detergent -- introduced a new "Tough Baby" mascot in 2017 to emphasize being tough on dirt. Still a baby, but now he's a tattooed, [[HellBentForLeather studded-leather-jacketed]] [[TheQuincyPunk Quincy Punk]] baby with a deep Cockney growl, a [[BadassBiker motorbike]], and the catchphrase "No More Mr. Nice Baby".
! Music
* When ''Radio/{{Dragnet}}'' premiered in 1949, it used subject matter that previous crime dramas wouldn't have touched with a ten-foot pole, like rape and child murder.
* Many ''Radio/AdventuresInOdyssey'' listeners remember the episode "The Mortal Coil". Whit tries to program a special "Heaven" program into the Imagination Station. Long story short, Whit almost dies, Eugene has a HeroicBSOD from experiencing Hell when he tried the program[[note]]Eugene wasn't a Christian at the time[[/note]], and other things which made that episode famous among listeners as the most terrifying episode in the show's history.
* Creator/TheBBC skewered this idea on AprilFools Day 2012 with ''Radio/TheArchers - Unchained'', a spoof trailer for a ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' style version of the beloved farming soap.
! Mythology
* Contrary to what popular belief holds, this is what modern adaptations do, to an extent, to ancient Myth/{{Greek myth|ology}}s. Some of the grotesque demons and horrid monstrosities, the hellish underworld and evil gods ([[EverybodyHatesHades Hades]] in particular), that we see in modern movies and video games inspired by Greek mythology are the product of [[HijackedByJesus blending the ancient myths with the nightmarish medieval]] [[{{Grimmification}} European folklore]].
** Hades and his underworld qualify, as they are often portrayed as horrifying, ghastly, and generally evil. In reality, the Greek underworld, Erebos, is more like a pleasant inn, and Hades was just a little emotionally unstable. The only commonly-found no-no he did in mythology was kidnapping Persephone, and even then, some variations have Zeus selling her to him.
* This tends to go for the other gods as well. Zeus is often thought of only as the god who went around having sex with women. Never mind he often punished evil doers or helped maintain the world. This is true for the other gods who had their petty moments, but were not evil or went around smiting humans for no reason. They usually had a reason even if only slight. They also had moments where they would help people who were beneficial to civilization.
* While Myth/NorseMythology was never actually LighterAndSofter, some believe Loki himself became this, as he was associated with the Devil by Christianity and his role as the OmnicidalManiac during Ragnarok was a product of Christianization.
! Pinball
* ''VideoGame/LoonyLabyrinth'' was a lighthearted mix of TimeTravel with the Minotaur, wrapped up in cheery music, bright colors, and a "Loony Machine" at its core. The sequel, ''VideoGame/MadDaedalus'', {{Retcon}}s the story with a murderous EvilUncle, a crashed spaceship, AncientAstronauts, and a bittersweet RoboShip love story.
! Roleplay
* ''Roleplay/DinoAttackRPG'', especially near the end, contained exceptional (and at times extremely gruesome) violence, sexual undertones (along with one or two implied scenes), a sub-plot about a lesbian and her homophobic father, a character whose mother is implied (and confirmed by WordOfGod) [[SonOfAWhore to be a prostitute]], extreme sexism, implied genocide, drugs (including an overdose), child abuse ([[KarmaHoudini and the man responsible gets away with it]]) characters who explicitly smoked and/or consumned alcohol, post-traumatic stress disorder, philosophical discussions, two characters with sub-plots concerning their religious faith, BodyHorror, an unstoppable EldritchAbomination [[CosmicHorrorStory on an almost Lovecraftian scale capable of destroying the planet and possibly the entire universe if it were to ever get out]]... and this roleplay is based entirely on a [[Toys/LEGODinoAttack short-lived LEGO theme]].
* ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'' is already dark, but ''Roleplay/DoubtAcademy'' takes it even further thanks to a few key differences. Unlike in canon, where convicting the wrong person equals GameOver, here [[HangingJudge Monobear]] simply tells them they got it wrong before executing the innocent scapegoat. This creates a KangarooCourt atmosphere where classmates have already lynched someone they ''knew'' was innocent to keep them from taking revenge and others have offered themselves up as {{Senseless Sacrifice}}s to keep their friends from suffering the same fate.
* The ''Insane Cafe'' [=RP=] trilogy has elements of this. The first was a nonsensical, hilarious and downright {{Narm}}y. The second was more plot driven and a terrorist attack on a remote laboratory was a key plot point. The 3rd installment features several assassination attempts, [[HotterAndSexier a few sex scenes]] and an impending war. Oh yeah, profanities are uttered the second and third installments.
* ''Roleplay/WelcomeToBeacon'' and its sequel ''Roleplay/WelcomeToBeaconUltimate'' are considerably darker than canon ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}''. The Grimm are a more considerable threat, and the students have to face two major criminal organizations, who have no qualms causing deaths and grevious harm to the student body. Several characters also carry scars, both physical and mental, from prior encounters with the Grimm, and sex between them have been implied several times. There's a reason several players call it "RWBY as written by Creator/GenUrobuchi"
* ''Roleplay/PokemonRiseOfTheRockets'' started out as a straight-up WarFic of {{Franchise/Pokemon}}, with its very first seen being the execution of Rocket Leader Giovanni, and has only gotten darker from there. Doesn't help that much of the MindScrew, [[DespairEventHorizon Despair Event Horizons]], [[MoralEventHorizon Moral Event Horizons]], and overall violence has been [[WordOfGod inspired]] by such series as ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''.
* Roleplay/AK47sISOTMapgame has been noted for drifting into grimdark territory ''before the game even began''.
! Theatre
* ''Theatre/DogSeesGod'' is a play featuring thinly disguised versions of the ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' cast in high school. [[spoiler:Snoopy was put down after getting rabies and killing Woodstock. Lucy is in an asylum for lighting the little redheaded girl's hair on fire]] and that's the tip of the iceberg.
* Creator/CirqueDuSoleil's ''Quidam'' was intentionally conceived by its creators as a show that would be darker, less whimsical, and more realistic than what the company had produced up to that point. They accomplished this by...telling a story about the commonality of loneliness and alienation through the eyes of a jaded preteen girl who learns to reconnect with others via a trip to a sometimes-melancholy MagicalLand.
* Richard Strauss's opera ''Elektra'', based on the Sophocles play but turn the bloodlust and neurotism up to the eleven, and adds a sister-to-sister LesYay moment.
* ''Theatre/KingLear'', believe it or not, wasn't a tragedy [[OlderThanTheyThink until Shakespeare got his hands on the story]]. In the story ''his'' audience knew, the story ends with Lear coming to his senses, forgiving Cordelia, retaking his throne and ruling until he finally dies of old age. [[WhamEpisode Poor audience]].
* The musical ''Theatre/{{Aida|JohnRice}}'' is this to other Disney musicals. No surprise, given that it's based on [[Theatre/AidaVerdi an opera]] (which ironically, it is a LighterAndSofter version of).
* The revival of ''Theatre/MissSaigon'' is this to the original production--which is ''already'' quite gritty. But the language and behavior of nearly everyone in the new version is far coarser and rougher than before.
* ''Theatre/{{Ebenezer}}'' is a prequel to ''Literature/AChristmasCarol'' where murder, destruction, and secrets abound that cast a dark light on the original story. Jacob Marley was was in a one-sided love with Scrooge and Fran's mother despite her having a husband, impregnates and kills Fran as an act of revenge on their family, corrupts Scrooge to love only money and convinces him his fiancee Emily was cheating on him, and convinces him to foreclose Emily's orphanage on Christmas Eve, killing everyone there. When Charles Dickens reveals Marley's crimes to him, Scrooge reveals he'd known about Marley from the start and is fine with all they'd done, including viciously attacking Emily himself and ordering the foreclosure.
* ''Theatre/{{Wicked}}'', while lighter than the [[Literature/{{Wicked}} book]], is darker than the ''Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz'' book and film it takes inspiration from.
* [[Theatre/TheQueenOfSpades The opera]] by Music/PyotrIlyichTchaikovsky based on ''Literature/TheQueenOfSpades'' has it [[{{Pun}} in spades]] in relation to the original story. In the story, Hermann is a manipulative VillainProtagonist who gets his just desserts when he loses at cards and goes mad, while Liza gets over him and more or less happily marries someone else. In the opera, he has AdaptationalHeroism, truly loves the girl but can’t let go of his passion for gambling, and kills himself in the end, his last thoughts being of Liza. And before that, Liza realizes her true love is a crazed gambler and she has no future with him, and drowns herself.
* ''Theatre/TheKansasCollection'' is a loose sequel to the original ''Oz'' book. A now-adult Dorothy has stayed in Kansas while Oz is in civil unrest in Oz to the point where a rebellion is trying to take down the new Scarecrow king.
! Toys
* ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'', when compared to other LEGO lines. The first Franchise/{{LEGO}} line to feature brutal, on-screen deaths and carry shades of CosmicHorrorStory.
** Within ''Bionicle'', the story noticeably turned a shade darker from '04 to '05, and with the advent of the online serials in '07, it also became BloodierAndGorier. So much, in fact, it made the initial years look like a kindergarten play in comparison. A good deal of this stuff LEGO would ''never'' have allowed the writer to publish when the theme first started.
*** Fanfics and forum {{Role playing Game}}s based on BIONICLE will often make the characters take on more human traits compared to their 85% metal, 15% muscle/lung tissue that is canon. While the primary reason by that it's easier to WriteWhatYouKnow, the addition of human aspects also means that fanfic characters suddenly have more detailed descriptions of such things as pain, bleeding, etc.
** Everything with Matoro and the Barraki saga basically slaps you in the face if the Piraka saga hasn't already. Not only do we get a downer ending, in another serial we're showned exactly what would have happened if Matoro never put the mask on. [[spoiler: The universe dies, and Matoro is labeled a coward and a pariah. Everyone also is now deprived of a home because the universe is crumbling, and Matoro only redeems himself when he sacrifices his life again to save the village. Seriously, this guy just can't catch a break.]]
* ''Toys/LEGODinoAttack'' features a group known as the D.I.N.O. Attack team battling against mutated [[FlipFlopOfGod or]] robotic dinosaurs. It's notable in that it is the ''only'' [[AfterTheEnd post-apoc]] LEGO Theme, being set in a empty city ravaged by the dinosaurs. In addition, there is a ''very'' heavy emphasis on weaponry and military vehicles.
* ''Toys/LEGOExoForce'' is implied to take place after the end and is inspired by Anime series such as ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam''. Like many LEGO themes, it was also cancelled before the story was resolved, adding in a dose of NothingIsScarier to the mix - what if the robots won?
