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* {{Recess}} despite being light-hearted show about group of kids and their adventures at school had few dark and serious episodes. "Prickley is Leaving" is perhaps the darkest episode of the series, due to fact that we were introduced to Dr. Slicer- the most evil villain in the entire series, who employed cruel and unusual tactics to control the school and unlike Finster or Prickly he only cared for power and abused the students. [[EvenEvilHasStandards Even Ms. Finster was disgusted by it]] and his cruelty was so evil that even TJ (who stands up to adults) is ''completely scared of him'' and Slicer humilliated T.J just because he showed emotion. To make things worse, [[FridgeHorror what if he would have suceeded in taking over the school, considering his Nazi-like behaviour...]]. To make things even worse, [[FridgeHorror what if he was principal in other schools and considering his methods(making cannon work)]] and [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel what]] [[FridgeHorror could]] [[MoralEventHorizon have]] [[[WouldHurtAChild happened]] there...
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* {{Recess}} despite being light-hearted show about group of kids and their adventures at school had few dark and serious episodes. "Prickley is Leaving" is perhaps the darkest episode of the series, due to fact that we were introduced to Dr. Slicer- the most evil villain in the entire series, who employed cruel and unusual tactics to control the school and unlike Finster or Prickly he only cared for power and abused the students. [[EvenEvilHasStandards Even Ms. Finster was disgusted by it]] and his cruelty was so evil that even TJ (who stands up to adults) is ''completely scared of him'' and Slicer humilliated T.J just because he showed emotion. To make things worse, [[FridgeHorror what if he would have suceeded in taking over the school, considering his Nazi-like behaviour...]]. To make things even worse, [[FridgeHorror what if he was principal in other schools and considering his methods(making cannon work)]] and who knows [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel what]] [[FridgeHorror could]] [[MoralEventHorizon have]] [[[WouldHurtAChild [[WouldHurtAChild happened]] there...
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Changed line(s) 78 (click to see context) from:
* {{Recess}} despite being light-hearted show about group of kids and their adventures at school had few dark and serious episodes. "Prickley is Leaving" is perhaps the darkest episode of the series, due to fact that we were introduced to Dr. Slicer- the most evil villain in the entire series, who employed cruel and unusual tactics to control the school and unlike Finster or Prickly he only cared for power and abused the students. [[EvenEvilHasStandards Even Ms. Finster was disgusted by it]] and his cruelty was so evil that even TJ (who stands up to adults) is ''completely scared of him'' and Slicer humilliated T.J just because he showed emotion. To make things worse, [[FridgeHorror what if he would have suceeded in taking over the school, considering his Nazi-like behaviour...]. To make things even worse, [[FridgeHorror what if he was principal in other schools and considering his methods(making cannon work)]] and [HighOctaneNightmareFuel what]] [[FridgeHorror could]] [[MoralEventHorizon have]] [[WouldHurtAChild happened]] there...
to:
* {{Recess}} despite being light-hearted show about group of kids and their adventures at school had few dark and serious episodes. "Prickley is Leaving" is perhaps the darkest episode of the series, due to fact that we were introduced to Dr. Slicer- the most evil villain in the entire series, who employed cruel and unusual tactics to control the school and unlike Finster or Prickly he only cared for power and abused the students. [[EvenEvilHasStandards Even Ms. Finster was disgusted by it]] and his cruelty was so evil that even TJ (who stands up to adults) is ''completely scared of him'' and Slicer humilliated T.J just because he showed emotion. To make things worse, [[FridgeHorror what if he would have suceeded in taking over the school, considering his Nazi-like behaviour...]. ]]. To make things even worse, [[FridgeHorror what if he was principal in other schools and considering his methods(making cannon work)]] and [HighOctaneNightmareFuel [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel what]] [[FridgeHorror could]] [[MoralEventHorizon have]] [[WouldHurtAChild [[[WouldHurtAChild happened]] there...
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** "The Biggest Trouble Ever" is WhamEpisode for the series. It involves the gang accidently breaking the statue of Thaddeus T. Third III and they become town's most hated people. Ms. Finster punishes them by making them work menial jobs. But the real reason why the episode is so dark is what happens later: Mayor Fitzhugh, the mayor of Third Street, decides to [[MoralEventHorizon send Recess Gang to six seperate schools]], even though they were remorseful and did that accidently and throughout the episode we see that Fitzhugh looked very gleefully sadistic while doing this. This was so bad that [[EvenEvilHasStandards Prickly and Ms. Finster]] objected to this, but he didn't care and his own ego was more important. One could say that Fitzhugh came dangerously close to CompleteMonster territory
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** "The Biggest Trouble Ever" is WhamEpisode for the series. It involves the gang accidently breaking the statue of Thaddeus T. Third III and they become town's most hated people. Ms. Finster punishes them by making them work menial jobs. But the real reason why the episode is so dark is what happens later: Mayor Fitzhugh, the mayor of Third Street, decides to [[MoralEventHorizon send Recess Gang to six seperate schools]], even though they were remorseful and did that accidently and throughout the episode we see that Fitzhugh looked very gleefully sadistic while doing this. This was so bad that [[EvenEvilHasStandards Prickly and Ms. Finster]] objected to this, but he didn't care and his own ego was more important. important and he only apologised. not out of remorse, but out of fact that he was called out on this behaviour and out of fear that his reputation could have been ruined. One could say that Fitzhugh came dangerously close to CompleteMonster territoryterritory.
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* {{Futurama}} in the [[TheMovie films]] and ComedyCentral seasons, though there were earlier examples that foreshadowed this.
to:
* {{Futurama}} in the [[TheMovie films]] and ComedyCentral seasons, though there were earlier examples that foreshadowed this.this.
* {{Recess}} despite being light-hearted show about group of kids and their adventures at school had few dark and serious episodes. "Prickley is Leaving" is perhaps the darkest episode of the series, due to fact that we were introduced to Dr. Slicer- the most evil villain in the entire series, who employed cruel and unusual tactics to control the school and unlike Finster or Prickly he only cared for power and abused the students. [[EvenEvilHasStandards Even Ms. Finster was disgusted by it]] and his cruelty was so evil that even TJ (who stands up to adults) is ''completely scared of him'' and Slicer humilliated T.J just because he showed emotion. To make things worse, [[FridgeHorror what if he would have suceeded in taking over the school, considering his Nazi-like behaviour...]. To make things even worse, [[FridgeHorror what if he was principal in other schools and considering his methods(making cannon work)]] and [HighOctaneNightmareFuel what]] [[FridgeHorror could]] [[MoralEventHorizon have]] [[WouldHurtAChild happened]] there...
** "The Biggest Trouble Ever" is WhamEpisode for the series. It involves the gang accidently breaking the statue of Thaddeus T. Third III and they become town's most hated people. Ms. Finster punishes them by making them work menial jobs. But the real reason why the episode is so dark is what happens later: Mayor Fitzhugh, the mayor of Third Street, decides to [[MoralEventHorizon send Recess Gang to six seperate schools]], even though they were remorseful and did that accidently and throughout the episode we see that Fitzhugh looked very gleefully sadistic while doing this. This was so bad that [[EvenEvilHasStandards Prickly and Ms. Finster]] objected to this, but he didn't care and his own ego was more important. One could say that Fitzhugh came dangerously close to CompleteMonster territory
* {{Recess}} despite being light-hearted show about group of kids and their adventures at school had few dark and serious episodes. "Prickley is Leaving" is perhaps the darkest episode of the series, due to fact that we were introduced to Dr. Slicer- the most evil villain in the entire series, who employed cruel and unusual tactics to control the school and unlike Finster or Prickly he only cared for power and abused the students. [[EvenEvilHasStandards Even Ms. Finster was disgusted by it]] and his cruelty was so evil that even TJ (who stands up to adults) is ''completely scared of him'' and Slicer humilliated T.J just because he showed emotion. To make things worse, [[FridgeHorror what if he would have suceeded in taking over the school, considering his Nazi-like behaviour...]. To make things even worse, [[FridgeHorror what if he was principal in other schools and considering his methods(making cannon work)]] and [HighOctaneNightmareFuel what]] [[FridgeHorror could]] [[MoralEventHorizon have]] [[WouldHurtAChild happened]] there...
** "The Biggest Trouble Ever" is WhamEpisode for the series. It involves the gang accidently breaking the statue of Thaddeus T. Third III and they become town's most hated people. Ms. Finster punishes them by making them work menial jobs. But the real reason why the episode is so dark is what happens later: Mayor Fitzhugh, the mayor of Third Street, decides to [[MoralEventHorizon send Recess Gang to six seperate schools]], even though they were remorseful and did that accidently and throughout the episode we see that Fitzhugh looked very gleefully sadistic while doing this. This was so bad that [[EvenEvilHasStandards Prickly and Ms. Finster]] objected to this, but he didn't care and his own ego was more important. One could say that Fitzhugh came dangerously close to CompleteMonster territory
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* SpongebobSquarepants started out as happy and light kid-friendly cartoon about an optimistic Sea Sponge and with few GrossOutShow elements and all episodes were light-hearted and characters themselves were comical and good-natured. However starting with season 4, series became darker: the episodes are very violent with characters getting skinned, ripped in half and there many gross moments( especially in episodes "The Splinter", the infamous "Toenail incident" in "House Fancy") and a lot more of Squick and NauseaFuel. Characters became Flanderized and many of them TookALevelInJerkass. Special mention goes to Mr. Krabs: he went from greedy yet good person, to completely cheap person, who is ''worse'' than BigBad Plankton.( who became much more symphatethic). Mr. Krabs sells rotten food, abuses his employess and infamuosly crossed the MoralEventHorizon when he dressed as Pearl and scared Plankton, who later was actually wanted to commit suicide.
to:
* SpongebobSquarepants started out as happy and light kid-friendly cartoon about an optimistic Sea Sponge and with few GrossOutShow elements and all episodes were light-hearted and characters themselves were comical and good-natured. However starting with season 4, series became darker: the episodes are very violent with characters getting skinned, ripped in half and there many gross moments( especially in episodes "The Splinter", the infamous "Toenail incident" in "House Fancy") and a lot more of Squick and NauseaFuel. Characters became Flanderized and many of them TookALevelInJerkass. Special mention goes to Mr. Krabs: he went from greedy yet good person, to completely cheap person, who is ''worse'' than BigBad Plankton.( who became much more symphatethic). Mr. Krabs sells rotten food, abuses his employess and infamuosly crossed the MoralEventHorizon when he dressed as Pearl and scared Plankton, who later was actually wanted to commit suicide.suicide.
* {{Futurama}} in the [[TheMovie films]] and ComedyCentral seasons, though there were earlier examples that foreshadowed this.
* {{Futurama}} in the [[TheMovie films]] and ComedyCentral seasons, though there were earlier examples that foreshadowed this.
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* SpongebobSquarepants started out as happy and light kid-friendly cartoon about an optimistic Sea Sponge and with few GrossOutShow elements and all episodes were light-hearted and characters themselves were comical and good-natured. However starting with season 4, series became darker: the episodes are very violent with characters getting skinned, ripped in half and there many gross moments( especially in episodes "The Splinter", the infamous "Toenail incident" in "House Fancy") and a lot more of Squick and NauseaFuel. Characters became Flanderized and many of them TookLevelInAJerkAss. Special mention goes to Mr. Krabs: he went from greedy yet good person, to completely cheap person, who is ''worse'' than BigBad Plankton.( who became much more symphatethic). Mr. Krabs sells rotten food, abuses his employess and infamuosly crossed the MoralEventHorizon when he dressed as Pearl and scared Plankton, who later was actually wanted to commit suicide.
to:
* SpongebobSquarepants started out as happy and light kid-friendly cartoon about an optimistic Sea Sponge and with few GrossOutShow elements and all episodes were light-hearted and characters themselves were comical and good-natured. However starting with season 4, series became darker: the episodes are very violent with characters getting skinned, ripped in half and there many gross moments( especially in episodes "The Splinter", the infamous "Toenail incident" in "House Fancy") and a lot more of Squick and NauseaFuel. Characters became Flanderized and many of them TookLevelInAJerkAss.TookALevelInJerkass. Special mention goes to Mr. Krabs: he went from greedy yet good person, to completely cheap person, who is ''worse'' than BigBad Plankton.( who became much more symphatethic). Mr. Krabs sells rotten food, abuses his employess and infamuosly crossed the MoralEventHorizon when he dressed as Pearl and scared Plankton, who later was actually wanted to commit suicide.
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[[quoteright:350:[[PoohsGrandAdventure http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/DarkPooh_7797.png]]]]
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* ''WesternAnimation/TheLastAirbender'' features this after Season 1. While the first episodes did detail how an entire nation was destroyed and explains Zuko's scar, it's not until the second season when the plot really starts to hammer in the sheer destruction of war, touching on such cheery implications as genocide, concentration camps [[spoiler: for water benders]], and a general feeling of helplessness. Even the personal stories get deeper and darker, with Zuko struggling with moral issues, [[spoiler: Katara seeking vengeance for her mother's death with a technique called "blood-blending", and Azula going absolutely psychotic.]] Done well, because the descent into darkness is gradual and doesn't just put a gun in a character's hand. Rather, the focus is on fleshing out characters and exploring the implications of their situation.
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* ''WesternAnimation/TheLastAirbender'' ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' features this after Season 1. While the first episodes did detail how an entire nation was destroyed and explains Zuko's scar, it's not until the second season when the plot really starts to hammer in the sheer destruction of war, touching on such cheery implications as genocide, concentration camps [[spoiler: for water benders]], and a general feeling of helplessness. Even the personal stories get deeper and darker, with Zuko struggling with moral issues, [[spoiler: Katara seeking vengeance for her mother's death with a technique called "blood-blending", and Azula going absolutely psychotic.]] Done well, because the descent into darkness is gradual and doesn't just put a gun in a character's hand. Rather, the focus is on fleshing out characters and exploring the implications of their situation.
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** Some episodes with [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Mr. Burns]] are darker and more dramatic than any other episodes (except the ones mentioned here). Examples include "Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in The Curse of the Flying Hellfish"( where he crossed MoralEventHorizon by trying to drown Bart), "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" (where he blocked all the sunlight from Springfield, not to mention that he screwed over other characters in the same episode and his action were played seriously), "Mother Simpson" (where he was involved with biological warfare and he is responsible for making Homer's mother, Mona Simpson, to run from the law, even though she saved him).
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** ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLegendOfKorra'' seems to be taking it even further, with a {{Steampunk}} city riddled by crime.
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** ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLegendOfKorra'' ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' seems to be taking it even further, with a {{Steampunk}} city riddled by crime.
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* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' features this after Season 1. While the first episodes did detail how an entire nation was destroyed and explains Zuko's scar, it's not until the second season when the plot really starts to hammer in the sheer destruction of war, touching on such cheery implications as genocide, concentration camps [[spoiler: for water benders]], and a general feeling of helplessness. Even the personal stories get deeper and darker, with Zuko struggling with moral issues, [[spoiler: Katara seeking vengeance for her mother's death with a technique called "blood-blending", and Azula going absolutely psychotic.]] Done well, because the descent into darkness is gradual and doesn't just put a gun in a character's hand. Rather, the focus is on fleshing out characters and exploring the implications of their situation.
to:
* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' ''WesternAnimation/TheLastAirbender'' features this after Season 1. While the first episodes did detail how an entire nation was destroyed and explains Zuko's scar, it's not until the second season when the plot really starts to hammer in the sheer destruction of war, touching on such cheery implications as genocide, concentration camps [[spoiler: for water benders]], and a general feeling of helplessness. Even the personal stories get deeper and darker, with Zuko struggling with moral issues, [[spoiler: Katara seeking vengeance for her mother's death with a technique called "blood-blending", and Azula going absolutely psychotic.]] Done well, because the descent into darkness is gradual and doesn't just put a gun in a character's hand. Rather, the focus is on fleshing out characters and exploring the implications of their situation.
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** All of the arc episodes in Raven's season (a.k.a. season four) were cerebussyndrome incarnate. How bad is it? Well, [[spoiler: Slade comes back to life, has pyrokinesis, and is after Raven in a seriously pedobear way.]] And that's just the first arc episode.
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** All of the arc episodes in Raven's season (a.k.a. season four) were cerebussyndrome CerebusSyndrome incarnate. How bad is it? Well, [[spoiler: Slade comes back to life, has pyrokinesis, and is after Raven in a seriously pedobear way.]] And that's just the first arc episode.
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**All of the arc episodes in Raven's season (a.k.a. season four) were cerebussyndrome incarnate. How bad is it? Well, [[spoiler: Slade comes back to life, has pyrokinesis, and is after Raven in a seriously pedobear way.]] And that's just the first arc episode.
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** "The Boys of the Bummer" also gets a special mention. ''The entire population of Springfield'' [[MoralEventHorizon abused, mocked, humilliated and attacked Bart]] simply over a lousy baseball game. And they ''did not stop abusing Bart, even when he was DrivenToSuicide''. [[FridgeHorror If Marge hadn't intervened, what knows what might have happenned]]...
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** "The Boys of the Bummer" also gets a special mention. ''The entire population of Springfield'' [[MoralEventHorizon abused, mocked, humilliated and attacked Bart]] simply over a lousy baseball game. And they ''did not stop abusing Bart, even when he was DrivenToSuicide''. [[FridgeHorror If Marge hadn't intervened, what who knows what might have happenned]]...
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** Any episode with a character who has no funny quirks and is played seriously to the point of going into CompleteMonster territory. Examples include the winemakers from "The Crepes Of Wrath" (who nearly killed Bart by giving him antfreeze-laced wine), the Babysitter Bandit from "Some Enchanted Evening" (who tied up the kids and tried to rob the house) and Bart's [{SadistTeacher kindergarten teacher]] from "Lisa's Sax" (whose treatment of Bart basically made him what he is today).
to:
** Any episode with a character who has no funny quirks and is played seriously to the point of going into CompleteMonster territory. Examples include the winemakers from "The Crepes Of Wrath" (who nearly killed Bart by giving him antfreeze-laced wine), the Babysitter Bandit from "Some Enchanted Evening" (who tied up the kids and tried to rob the house) and Bart's [{SadistTeacher [[SadistTeacher kindergarten teacher]] from "Lisa's Sax" (whose treatment of Bart basically made him what he is today).
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** Some episodes that have darker and serious undertones include "The Crepes Of Wrath", "The Boys Of Bummer", and "500 Keys".
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** "Lisa's Sax" has also rather dark undertones. We find out that Bart, when he was only ''five'', was treated horribly by his [[SadistTeacher preschool teacher]]. Her treatment was so bad, that Bart considered [[DrivenToSuicide ''suicide'']], when he was just ''a little boy''. The Preschool Teacher herself is a CompleteMonster with no funny quirks and is taken completely seriously.
to:
** Any episode with a character who has no funny quirks and is played seriously to the point of going into CompleteMonster territory. Examples include the winemakers from "The Crepes Of Wrath" (who nearly killed Bart by giving him antfreeze-laced wine), the Babysitter Bandit from "Some Enchanted Evening" (who tied up the kids and tried to rob the house) and Bart's [{SadistTeacher kindergarten teacher]] from "Lisa's Sax" has also rather dark undertones. We find out that Bart, when he was only ''five'', was treated horribly by his [[SadistTeacher preschool teacher]]. Her (whose treatment was so bad, that of Bart considered [[DrivenToSuicide ''suicide'']], when basically made him what he was just ''a little boy''. The Preschool Teacher herself is a CompleteMonster with no funny quirks and is taken completely seriously.today).
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* Hell, ''[[WinnieThePooh WINNIE THE POOH]]'' did one. For proof watch ''Pooh's Grand Adventure''
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* Hell, ''[[WinnieThePooh '''''[[WinnieThePooh WINNIE THE POOH]]'' POOH]]''''' did one. For proof watch ''Pooh's Grand Adventure''''PoohsGrandAdventure.''
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Just moving this to the animated film section.
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* ''TransformersTheMovie'' compared to most of the rest of the series, the original series occasionally took a darker turn but everything usually turned out fine in the end, but in the movie the vast majority of the original Autobots are killed within the first 20 minutes in increasingly gruesome manners Optimus Prime included, later the surviving Autobots (mostly newer characters) band together to save the world from Unicron, a [[PlanetEater planet eating]] Transformer, while having to avoid Galvatron, the rebuilt Megatron.
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* Hell, ''[[WinnieThePooh WINNIE THE POOH]]'' did one. For proof watch ''Pooh's Grand Adventure''
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* Hell, ''[[WinnieThePooh WINNIE THE POOH]]'' did one. For proof watch ''Pooh's Grand Adventure''Adventure''
* SpongebobSquarepants started out as happy and light kid-friendly cartoon about an optimistic Sea Sponge and with few GrossOutShow elements and all episodes were light-hearted and characters themselves were comical and good-natured. However starting with season 4, series became darker: the episodes are very violent with characters getting skinned, ripped in half and there many gross moments( especially in episodes "The Splinter", the infamous "Toenail incident" in "House Fancy") and a lot more of Squick and NauseaFuel. Characters became Flanderized and many of them TookLevelInAJerkAss. Special mention goes to Mr. Krabs: he went from greedy yet good person, to completely cheap person, who is ''worse'' than BigBad Plankton.( who became much more symphatethic). Mr. Krabs sells rotten food, abuses his employess and infamuosly crossed the MoralEventHorizon when he dressed as Pearl and scared Plankton, who later was actually wanted to commit suicide.
* SpongebobSquarepants started out as happy and light kid-friendly cartoon about an optimistic Sea Sponge and with few GrossOutShow elements and all episodes were light-hearted and characters themselves were comical and good-natured. However starting with season 4, series became darker: the episodes are very violent with characters getting skinned, ripped in half and there many gross moments( especially in episodes "The Splinter", the infamous "Toenail incident" in "House Fancy") and a lot more of Squick and NauseaFuel. Characters became Flanderized and many of them TookLevelInAJerkAss. Special mention goes to Mr. Krabs: he went from greedy yet good person, to completely cheap person, who is ''worse'' than BigBad Plankton.( who became much more symphatethic). Mr. Krabs sells rotten food, abuses his employess and infamuosly crossed the MoralEventHorizon when he dressed as Pearl and scared Plankton, who later was actually wanted to commit suicide.
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** "Homer's Enemy" is considered to be one of the darkest episodes of the Simpsons, due to face that Frank Grimes became so appalled by Homer's incompetence that he lost his mind and accidentally committed suicide. Not to mention that in the ending scene, during his funeral people forget him and instead ''laugh at Homer, who is sleeping''. The chilling implication is that anyone from/with the mindset of RealLife would be driven insane by the people in Springfield. "Homer's Enemy" is proof that, beneath it's humorous exterior, is a dystopia. No wonder it's considered America's Worst City...
** "The Boys of the Bummer" also gets a special mention. ''The entire population of Springfield'' [[MoralEventHorizon abused, mocked, humilliated and attacked Bart]] simply over a lousy baseball game. And they ''did not stop abusing Bart, even when he was DrivenToSuicide''. [[FridgeHorror If Marge hadn't intervened, what knows what might have happenned]]...
** "Lisa's Sax" has also rather dark undertones. We find out that Bart, when he was only ''five'', was treated horribly by his [[SadistTeacher preschool teacher]]. Her treatment was so bad, that Bart considered [[DrivenToSuicide ''suicide'']], when he was just ''a little boy''. The Preschool Teacher herself is a CompleteMonster with no funny quirks and is taken completely seriously.
** "The Boys of the Bummer" also gets a special mention. ''The entire population of Springfield'' [[MoralEventHorizon abused, mocked, humilliated and attacked Bart]] simply over a lousy baseball game. And they ''did not stop abusing Bart, even when he was DrivenToSuicide''. [[FridgeHorror If Marge hadn't intervened, what knows what might have happenned]]...
** "Lisa's Sax" has also rather dark undertones. We find out that Bart, when he was only ''five'', was treated horribly by his [[SadistTeacher preschool teacher]]. Her treatment was so bad, that Bart considered [[DrivenToSuicide ''suicide'']], when he was just ''a little boy''. The Preschool Teacher herself is a CompleteMonster with no funny quirks and is taken completely seriously.
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** Hell, ''[[WinnieThePooh WINNIE THE POOH]]'' did one. For proof watch ''Pooh's Grand Adventure''
to:
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** Hell, ''[[Disney/WinnieThePooh WINNIE THE POOH]]'' did one. For proof watch ''Pooh's Grand Adventure''
to:
** Hell, ''[[Disney/WinnieThePooh ''[[WinnieThePooh WINNIE THE POOH]]'' did one. For proof watch ''Pooh's Grand Adventure''
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* ''ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything'' movie in WesternAnimation/VeggieTales seemed pretty more grimmer than its predecessor. While it still had jokes, there was still a darker atmosphere aspect that can be felt in it.
to:
* ''ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything'' movie in WesternAnimation/VeggieTales seemed pretty more grimmer than its predecessor. While it still had jokes, there was still a darker atmosphere aspect that can be felt in it.it.
** Hell, ''[[Disney/WinnieThePooh WINNIE THE POOH]]'' did one. For proof watch ''Pooh's Grand Adventure''
** Hell, ''[[Disney/WinnieThePooh WINNIE THE POOH]]'' did one. For proof watch ''Pooh's Grand Adventure''
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Namespacing
Changed line(s) 69 (click to see context) from:
* ''ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything'' movie in VeggieTales seemed pretty more grimmer than its predecessor. While it still had jokes, there was still a darker atmosphere aspect that can be felt in it.
to:
* ''ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything'' movie in VeggieTales WesternAnimation/VeggieTales seemed pretty more grimmer than its predecessor. While it still had jokes, there was still a darker atmosphere aspect that can be felt in it.
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Changed line(s) 68 (click to see context) from:
** Some episodes that have darker and serious undertones include "The Crepes Of Wrath", "The Boys Of Bummer", and "500 Keys".
to:
** Some episodes that have darker and serious undertones include "The Crepes Of Wrath", "The Boys Of Bummer", and "500 Keys".Keys".
* ''ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything'' movie in VeggieTales seemed pretty more grimmer than its predecessor. While it still had jokes, there was still a darker atmosphere aspect that can be felt in it.
* ''ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything'' movie in VeggieTales seemed pretty more grimmer than its predecessor. While it still had jokes, there was still a darker atmosphere aspect that can be felt in it.
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* ''{{Thundercats 2011}}'' is [[WordOfGod actively]] promoted [[http://tv.ign.com/articles/118/1181091p1.html as such]], particularly noticeable with the [[{{Catfolk}} Thundercats]]' enslavement of their [[{{Lizardfolk}} Lizard]] enemies, and other themes of FantasticRacism. Moral ambiguity comes to Thundera, which soon becomes a SoiledCityOnAHill and DoomedHometown with the murder of young Lion-O's father.
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* ''{{Thundercats 2011}}'' ''[[WesternAnimation/{{Thundercats 2011}} [=ThunderCats (2011)=]]]'' is [[WordOfGod actively]] promoted [[http://tv.ign.com/articles/118/1181091p1.html as such]], particularly noticeable with the [[{{Catfolk}} Thundercats]]' enslavement of their [[{{Lizardfolk}} Lizard]] enemies, and other themes of FantasticRacism. Moral ambiguity comes to Thundera, which soon becomes a SoiledCityOnAHill and DoomedHometown with the murder of young Lion-O's father.
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** Indeed, "The Ultimate Enemy" is DarkerAndEdgier for the series as a whole; it is the only episode/movie in which a character is explicitly ''murdered'', [[GoryDiscretionShot albeit just offscreen]]. It also features the show's single most evil antagonist: a [[OmnicidalManiac mass-murdering]] [[FutureMeScaresMe future version]] of the hero himself.
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** Indeed, "The Ultimate Enemy" is DarkerAndEdgier for the series as a whole; it is the only episode/movie in which a character is explicitly ''murdered'', [[GoryDiscretionShot [[ShadowDiscretionShot albeit just offscreen]]. It also features the show's single most evil antagonist: a [[OmnicidalManiac mass-murdering]] [[FutureMeScaresMe future version]] of the hero himself.
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** Darker still was its follow-up series, ''BatmanBeyond'', set in a gritty CyberPunk future Gotham City. It was basically ''BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' UpToEleven: more mature stories, edgier violence, and an even bleaker tone. And to think the network originally wanted it to be a "kid-friendlier" Batman show!
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** Indeed, "The Ultimate Enemy" is DarkerAndEdgier for the series as whole; it is the only episode/movie in which a character is explicitly ''murdered'', [[GoryDiscretionShot albeit just offscreen]]. It also features the show's single most evil antagonist: a [[OmnicidalManiac mass-murdering]] [[FutureMeScaresMe future version]] of the hero himself.
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** Indeed, "The Ultimate Enemy" is DarkerAndEdgier for the series as a whole; it is the only episode/movie in which a character is explicitly ''murdered'', [[GoryDiscretionShot albeit just offscreen]]. It also features the show's single most evil antagonist: a [[OmnicidalManiac mass-murdering]] [[FutureMeScaresMe future version]] of the hero himself.
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* Speaking of ''DannyPhantom'', while being perhaps one of the edgiest of Nicktoons, the tv movie, "The Ultimate Enemy", was the perhaps the darkest episode in the entire series, as well as one of the darkest moments in Nickelodeon history.
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* Speaking of ''DannyPhantom'', while being perhaps one of the edgiest of Nicktoons, the tv TV movie, "The Ultimate Enemy", was the perhaps the darkest episode in the entire series, as well as one of the darkest moments in Nickelodeon history.history.
** Indeed, "The Ultimate Enemy" is DarkerAndEdgier for the series as whole; it is the only episode/movie in which a character is explicitly ''murdered'', [[GoryDiscretionShot albeit just offscreen]]. It also features the show's single most evil antagonist: a [[OmnicidalManiac mass-murdering]] [[FutureMeScaresMe future version]] of the hero himself.
** Indeed, "The Ultimate Enemy" is DarkerAndEdgier for the series as whole; it is the only episode/movie in which a character is explicitly ''murdered'', [[GoryDiscretionShot albeit just offscreen]]. It also features the show's single most evil antagonist: a [[OmnicidalManiac mass-murdering]] [[FutureMeScaresMe future version]] of the hero himself.
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* Spoofed in [[http://inspector.ytmnd.com/ this]]. Where's Brain?
** Actually not too far from the truth, there ''seemed'' to be a new ''InspectorGadget'' series, where the humor was announced to be darker, the characters more animesque, among other things. The only thing stupid-sounding about the show is that Gadget was going to fight ''ghosts'', for Pete's sake.
*** So...in a sense, it was going to be Danny Phantom with more cyborgs?
* Speaking of ''DannyPhantom'', while being perhaps one of the edgiest of Nicktoons, the tv movie, "The Ultimate Enemy", was the perhaps the darkest episode in the entire series, as well as one of the darkest moments in Nickelodeon history.
* Warner Brothers attempted to make the classic ''LooneyTunes'' characters Darker And Edgier in the 2005 series ''WesternAnimation/LoonaticsUnleashed'', only to result in massive outcry against the idea, and an overhaul resulting in a [[{{Animesque}} strangely drawn cartoon]] that wasn't very much in the way of new or interesting. A ReTool for the second season attempted to add more references to the original LooneyTunes, with mixed results.
* ''Series/{{Legion of Super-Heroes}}'' AnimatedAdaptation started out fairly light in tone, but the second season features [[spoiler:a future laid waste by an evil warlord, the replacement of the young Clark Kent version of {{Superman}} with a rather disagreeable clone called Superman X, an utterly destroyed New Metropolis, and the death of one of Triplicate Girl's selves. Dark and edgy enough? No? How about, Superman X says Brainiac 5's going to do something original-Brainiac-level nasty at some point in the future.]] Ultimately, [[spoiler:it ends up a lot better than you'd think: Brainiac takes over Brainiac 5, kills Imperiex, but 5 takes back over, and Superman X can go home right and the restoration of the time-stream brings the third Triplicate Girl back]].
** V4 [[{{LegionOfSuper-Heroes}} LSH]] in the comic book version, as well as being an example of RunningTheAsylum, was notorious for this. It was even parodied in the Amalgam Comics Marvel/DC crossover.
* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce'', the newer, more dramatic sequel to its predecessor appears to being going in this direction, as allotted by Ben, Gwen, and Kevin being [[TimeSkip aged up into their adolescence]]. Aside from the age difference, one drastic change is that Ben now retains wounds inflicted while in alien form even after he's reverted back human.
* ''{{ReBoot}}'' pulled this off rather well in season 3 by [[spoiler:showing two young characters suddenly grown up]], adapting to the change in writing style, introducing new locations, and expanding the scope of the series.
** This was the culmination of a transitional phase of the story begun during the Web World Wars when [[spoiler:Bob was thrown into the Web and the previously one-shot virus attacks became a full-on assault. When Enzo was required to take the role of Guardian and lost in battle... that was when the DarkerAndEdgier tone was cemented]].
* ''TransformersAnimated'' did similar, starting with the season three opener "Transwarped". Instead of the usual light-hearted action/humor, it explored the ethical implications of building a sentient but simple-minded superweapon, dealt with Ratchet's troubled past, involved far more visceral violence (albeit to robots) and brought several main character close to death. Not to mention that as of "Where Is Thy Sting" [[spoiler: one Autobot character's been killed off grotesquely and ''the leader of the Autobots'' is beaten into a coma with his own hammer. We never do see him wake up, by the way.]]
** WordOfGod says that had the series continued, [[spoiler: he would have been revealed as having been killed.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'', although frequently serious in tone, was also often humourous and silly. ''WesternAnimation/BeastMachines'', the sequel, begins with planetary genocide and things just degenerate from there.
* ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' itself saw this after the end of season 1, which featured [[spoiler: the death of Optimus Primal]]. The first, episodic, often very campy season stands in contrast to the more mature, more serious later seasons.
* Speaking of ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'', ''TransformersAnimated'' has a habit of borrowing characters, ideas, or scenery from the earlier Transformers shows and modifying them for its own purposes. In Beast Wars Waspinator was the lovable hapless ButtMonkey who blew up many times but always pieced himself together without any obvious lasting effects. In Animated he's a gigantic, half-crazed techno-organic bent on bloody revenge upon Bumblebee for (accidentally) having him sent to the stockades under accusations of treachery. When ''he'' [[spoiler: blows up, he's also seen piecing himself back together, but the effect is intensely creepier.]]
* ''TransformersPrime'' is the darkest and edgiest Transformers cartoon thus far. Deaths are common (and the Autobots are actually shown killing Decepticons), there's far less comic relief, and disease, brutality, and the undead are common thematic elements.
* ''TransformersTheMovie'' compared to most of the rest of the series, the original series occasionally took a darker turn but everything usually turned out fine in the end, but in the movie the vast majority of the original Autobots are killed within the first 20 minutes in increasingly gruesome manners Optimus Prime included, later the surviving Autobots (mostly newer characters) band together to save the world from Unicron, a [[PlanetEater planet eating]] Transformer, while having to avoid Galvatron, the rebuilt Megatron.
* ''ThePowerpuffGirls'' underwent this slightly for the movie. It was edgier and more serious than the majority of the series -- not that that's hard to accomplish.
** An episode had them sell the formula to an unscrupulous man who started cranking out "EXTREME" Powerpuff Girls. He used more Chemical X and less of the other ingredients resulting in malformed girls, later when he won't give up the Chemical X he drinks it and turns into a monster and nearly sucks the life out of the girls leaving them a sickly green and covered in spots, the professor and their clones are just barely able to save them.
*** What about the "Speed Demon" episode where the girls travel to a grim future where Ms. Bellum has turned into a Mayor-hat obsessed wretch [[spoiler: because the Mayor had been killed]], the teacher is so traumatized that she keeps repeating a MadnessMantra about the girls leaving, and the professor is shallow shell of his former self, not even going into the list of people who blame them, having suffered possibly even worse things. And it's all caused by [[spoiler: Him]] who has reduced the town to an apocalyptic wasteland and becoming a [[PhysicalGod literal Satan]] himself.
** In the episode Super Zeros, where the girls try to act like their favourite heroes, they poke fun at this trope. Buttercup at one point complains, "And we're not all dark and tormented!"
* In 2003, JohnKricfalusi made a revival of his cartoon ''{{Ren and Stimpy}}'', called ''Ren and Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon'', to allow him more freedom on what he couldn't do previously on the show. It was darker, much more violent, the characters used stronger curse words, and it had a lot more blatant sex jokes, including a few episodes where the duo are portrayed as gay lovers.
* To promote the movie, a PG-13 version of ''GIJoe'' called ''GIJoeResolute'' has been launched for AdultSwim. The first episode has the Joe's battleship base attacked, Bazooka killed, and Cobra Commander wiping Moscow off the face of the map. Then again, what do you expect when WarrenEllis is doing the writing?
* The ''ScoobyDoo'' films of the late 90's were much darker than the previous shows and movies. They were very violent, people actually died, the villains were threatening, most of the monsters were real, and a few adult jokes were put in. By the time ''WhatsNewScoobyDoo'' premiered, they became LighterAndSofter.
** However, the new series ''ScoobyDooMysteryInc'' has become Darker and Edgier, again. And becomes more and more Darker and Edgier so as the series goes on....
* The final episode of ''TalesFromTheCrypt'' (the only one animated) was a bloody and gory retelling of ''The ThreeLittlePigs'', featuring the wolf messily eating the pigs (and presented as a rapist in one scene) and making two of the pigs a smoker and an alcoholic who sponge of their brother. [[spoiler: Plus, TheBadGuyWins.]]
* The 2003 ''WesternAnimation/{{Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|2003}} '' animated series compared to the [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987 original 1987 version]]. But slightly LighterAndSofter compared to the original comic.
** {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d in the animated, Direct-to-DVD feature ''TurtlesForever'', where the Edgier 2003 Turtles disdain their 1987 counterparts, but are in turn scorned by the yet edgier original comic Turtles when they meet.
** The "Red Sky" seasons in the 1987 series is this compared to the light-hearted show before.
* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' features this after Season 1. While the first episodes did detail how an entire nation was destroyed and explains Zuko's scar, it's not until the second season when the plot really starts to hammer in the sheer destruction of war, touching on such cheery implications as genocide, concentration camps [[spoiler: for water benders]], and a general feeling of helplessness. Even the personal stories get deeper and darker, with Zuko struggling with moral issues, [[spoiler: Katara seeking vengeance for her mother's death with a technique called "blood-blending", and Azula going absolutely psychotic.]] Done well, because the descent into darkness is gradual and doesn't just put a gun in a character's hand. Rather, the focus is on fleshing out characters and exploring the implications of their situation.
** The show is an excellent example of how a series can be dark, with mature themes, without having to resort to graphic content (something it shares with a number of other series, including Harry Potter).
** ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLegendOfKorra'' seems to be taking it even further, with a {{Steampunk}} city riddled by crime.
*** The creators have even [[WordOfGod stated outright]] that ''Korra'' is darker and more mature in comparison to ''Airbender'' - which is extremely impressive for a ''Nickelodeon cartoon'', given how mature the original series was already.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Sonic SatAm}}'' to ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'': The latter show was a light hearted comedic show without any of the characters being in any real danger while in ''[=SatAM=]'', Dr. Robotnik has become a power hungry dictator who has taken over the city of Mobotropolis, captured the king and thrown him into another universe, and has turned most of the inhabitants into robots to do his bidding. He is also much more menacing and capable than his other interpretations, which are generally [[IdiotBall bumbling idiots.]] Also, Sonic, Tails and a band of surviving friends known as the Freedom Fighters try to stop him from ''completely'' taking over the world- [[VillainWorld he already owns most of it]] -and must avoid being captured and roboticized in the process.
** Although it is MUCH lighter than the comic.
** Until you actually get to episode 2, when Cat dies. Then it's permanently DARKER than the comic.
* Parodied in TheStinger for the ''EdEddNEddy'' movie. [[spoiler: Having been beaten up by the cul-de-sac kids over a misunderstanding (he attacked the Eds, not knowing that everyone had made up), Johnny, as his superhero persona Captain Melonhead, reimages himself as The Gourd and swears revenge on the neighborhood...[[BreakingTheFourthWall only for Plank to tell him the movie was over.]]]]
-->''What'' movie?
** The movie itself was a more darker and edgier version of the series, and [[DudeNotFunny not in the fun way]]: The Eds' scheme seriously wounded the other kids for once, which cause them to seek retribution, meaning ganging up on the Eds so they could beat them up senseless. The Eds themselves ends up in several hardships trying to escape them, which takes its tolls on both Edd and Eddy. [[spoiler: They ends up in a rather ugly fight because of Eddy's lack of seriousness and empathy unleashed all of Edd's repressed anger, and later it turned out that Eddy has his [[FreudianExcuse reasons]] [[DomesticAbuse for]] [[StepfordSmiler his]] [[JerkassFacade behavior]]]]. The climax itself was a [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel horrific]] {{deconstruction}} of AmusingInjuries and what consequences they actually have.
* The "Coon and Friends" episode trilogy of ''SouthPark'' takes DarkerAndEdgier and ''runs with it''. [[spoiler: Kenny turns out to have experiences every single death consciously, waking up in his bed the next morning unharmed, and having to live with the fact that no one who witnessed his death has any memory of it. When he realizes he has a legitimate super power, he develops a secret super hero identity as "Mysterion". At first, he only uses the secret identity to thwart Cartman's plans and to scare his crack-addicted parents into actually taking care of him. ... and then he gets sucked into [[HPLovecraft R'Lyeh]], realizes it looks all too familiar, and kills himself to be transported back to his bed the next morning so he can save his friends who are stuck in a Lovecraftian nightmare. And ''then'' it's revealed that he's the spawn of Cthulhu, used as an infact in Lovecraftian cult rituals, as depicted in the Necronomicon.]]
** ''SouthPark'' in general, thanks in part to its evolving animation style and in greater part to loosening content restrictions imposed by [[ComedyCentral the network]], has gotten a fair bit darker (if not more serious) over its run, with more and more graphic content included on a regular basis. It's gotten to the point that reruns of old episodes, which were once rated TV-MA, are now rated TV-14 since they appear downright tame compared to what's been allowed on the show (and other basic cable programming) in recent years.
* ''{{Spider-Man The New Animated Series}}'' is perhaps the darkest telling of Spiderman. The pilot alone portrays the origin of villain Electro as a tormented university student who smashes a sign after everyone laughs at a cruel prank played on him, is electrocuted, then murders the chief antagonist. Spiderman tries to stop him from killing more people, Electro seeing everyone as the people who hurt him, but can only do so by killing him. Too bad, as the graphic nature made the series TooGoodToLast.
* ''TheRugratsMovie'': Not too many fans (want to) remember the show containing murderous animals, child endangerment, and tension between the babies thick enough that it can be cut by katana
** It's also a bad sign when the {{adults|AreUseless}} are being more competent than usual.
* ''ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'' has taken on a slightly darker tone in season two, by playing up the ForScience and commando motifs more.
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' got darker with each season, starting out mainly as an action-comedy cartoon with only the Robin-centric episodes being serious, but after the first season it all went downhill from there, and you got episodes like Robin going temporarily insane, Terra "dying" [[spoiler: and then later maybe possibly coming back to life?]], and then there was the apocalypse with everyone [[TakenForGranite turning to stone]]...
--> '''J. Torres''': [The show] started out skewed a lot younger... but along the way, I think the producers discovered it was reaching a wider audience. ... [the show] got into some darker story lines, and they introduced a lot more characters, so they expanded on it, and they let the show evolve with the audience.
* ''ThomasTheTankEngine'': Season Five. It had several scary and adventurous episodes.
* {{Invoked|Trope}} during the third episode of ''FamilyGuyPresentsLaughItUpFuzzball''. When the Rebel team first raids the shield generator on Endor, Han Solo (Peter) tells the Imperial soldiers that he's had enough of the Ewok's cuteness and sends them outside to dig their own graves with their helmets. [[CrossesTheLineTwice He then instructs one of the soldiers to shoot one of the others, cut off his face, and wear it in front of his family.]] Then again, this is before they are ambushed by the empire.
** Immediately afterward, the battle with the Ewoks looks a whole lot darker, with stormtroopers bleeding and screaming as they're hit with arrows and rocks, and Ewoks eating each other. Also, "Holy shit! That blast came from the Death Star!"
** The regular series itself became darker in recent seasons. [[CompleteMonster Bertram]] crosses the MoralEventHorizon by doing something not so comedic. He kills ''LeonardoDaVinci.'' Then Peter seems to cross {{Complete Monster}}dom by throwing an unconscious Stewie under Lois' car wheel, and promptly has her run him over, and there was [[UltimateEvil Evil Stewie]], who committed one homicide, cut of Brian's tail, tries to choke Stewie with it, and later tries to strangle said dog with his collar. Seems like ''Family Guy'' is getting more seriously menacing antagonists, aren't they?
*** On the topic of more recent episodes being darker, the episode "Screams of Silence" actually has very few laughs in it due to the plot being about [[CallBack Quagmire trying to help his]] [[WhamEpisode sister overcome domestic abuse]] she is in severe denial over; due to the serious nature of the topic, the series instead throws itself to the right on the [[SlidingScaleOfComedyAndHorror comedy-horror scale]] by including several instances of domestic violence, [[spoiler: suffocation via autoerotic asphyxiation, attempted murder (by strangulation), graphic murder (by crushing)]] and very, very few gags. ''And those gags weren't all that funny.''
** The difference can also be seen in the {{Christmas Special}}s, evident to anyone who watched both "A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas" and "Road to the North Pole".
* ''TheBoondocks'' TV series in comparison to the comic strip its based on. [[JustifiedTrope Though justified]] in that being on television obviously allows it to get away with a lot more than what a daily newspaper comic strip would.
* ''WeaponBrown'' is ''{{Peanuts}}'' (and other cartoon characters) made ''ludicrously'' grimdark.
** There was also the student film "Bring Me The Head Of Charlie Brown" by future {{Simpsons}} writer Jim Reardon, which involves the Great Pumpkin hiring the kids as hitmen to kill Charlie Brown in gruesome ways, eventually he snaps and goes on a killing spree.
* ''DragonTales'' brutally parodies this concept with its parody video "Dragon Tales: Too Hot for TV!", to the extent that the male lead [[WhoWritesThisCrap expresses distaste at the concept]].
* When ''BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' started in 1992, it was basically this compared to every other kids show out there. In a good way though, with mature storylines and complex characters and themes. The movies were even darker.
* ''{{Thundercats 2011}}'' is [[WordOfGod actively]] promoted [[http://tv.ign.com/articles/118/1181091p1.html as such]], particularly noticeable with the [[{{Catfolk}} Thundercats]]' enslavement of their [[{{Lizardfolk}} Lizard]] enemies, and other themes of FantasticRacism. Moral ambiguity comes to Thundera, which soon becomes a SoiledCityOnAHill and DoomedHometown with the murder of young Lion-O's father.
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'''s second season starts on a [[SarcasmMode light note]] with the new villain brutally [[MindRape Mind Raping]] most of the mane cast and consuming the world in chaos. Then we get to the third episode which has Fluttershy snapping a bear's neck and Twilight going insane.
** Given Discord, and the Deconstruction of the aesop formula in 'Lesson Zero' it's not hard to imagine there'll be an episode parodying the 'Darker and Edgier second season' at some point.
** The show in general is DarkerAndEdgier compared to previous ''MyLittlePony'' shows, especially the G3 ones. This is especially cemented that [[BlackComedy comedic]] SanitySlippage is common among our Mane Cast.
* An in-universe example in KingOfTheHill: Multiple episodes show Luann running a Bible-themed puppet show called "The Manger Babies". In a later episode, John Redcorn runs a business of selling children's educational [=DVDs=] and has Luann make some. When her popularity wanes, she tries to gain back her fanbase by making a DarkerAndEdgier show with "edgier" storylines and characters, including a {{Bratz}} doll {{Expy}}.
** "Pigmalion".
* The first Halloween special for ''TheSimpsons'' was a series of moderately creepy stories connected by a non-frightening FramingDevice which kept reminding viewers that the tales were fictional. Starting with the second special, however, the stories began to get more violent and scary while the FramingDevice got less and less reassuring. Eventually it was dropped altogether, and the stories quickly became [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel downright horrific]].
** Some episodes that have darker and serious undertones include "The Crepes Of Wrath", "The Boys Of Bummer", and "500 Keys".
** Actually not too far from the truth, there ''seemed'' to be a new ''InspectorGadget'' series, where the humor was announced to be darker, the characters more animesque, among other things. The only thing stupid-sounding about the show is that Gadget was going to fight ''ghosts'', for Pete's sake.
*** So...in a sense, it was going to be Danny Phantom with more cyborgs?
* Speaking of ''DannyPhantom'', while being perhaps one of the edgiest of Nicktoons, the tv movie, "The Ultimate Enemy", was the perhaps the darkest episode in the entire series, as well as one of the darkest moments in Nickelodeon history.
* Warner Brothers attempted to make the classic ''LooneyTunes'' characters Darker And Edgier in the 2005 series ''WesternAnimation/LoonaticsUnleashed'', only to result in massive outcry against the idea, and an overhaul resulting in a [[{{Animesque}} strangely drawn cartoon]] that wasn't very much in the way of new or interesting. A ReTool for the second season attempted to add more references to the original LooneyTunes, with mixed results.
* ''Series/{{Legion of Super-Heroes}}'' AnimatedAdaptation started out fairly light in tone, but the second season features [[spoiler:a future laid waste by an evil warlord, the replacement of the young Clark Kent version of {{Superman}} with a rather disagreeable clone called Superman X, an utterly destroyed New Metropolis, and the death of one of Triplicate Girl's selves. Dark and edgy enough? No? How about, Superman X says Brainiac 5's going to do something original-Brainiac-level nasty at some point in the future.]] Ultimately, [[spoiler:it ends up a lot better than you'd think: Brainiac takes over Brainiac 5, kills Imperiex, but 5 takes back over, and Superman X can go home right and the restoration of the time-stream brings the third Triplicate Girl back]].
** V4 [[{{LegionOfSuper-Heroes}} LSH]] in the comic book version, as well as being an example of RunningTheAsylum, was notorious for this. It was even parodied in the Amalgam Comics Marvel/DC crossover.
* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce'', the newer, more dramatic sequel to its predecessor appears to being going in this direction, as allotted by Ben, Gwen, and Kevin being [[TimeSkip aged up into their adolescence]]. Aside from the age difference, one drastic change is that Ben now retains wounds inflicted while in alien form even after he's reverted back human.
* ''{{ReBoot}}'' pulled this off rather well in season 3 by [[spoiler:showing two young characters suddenly grown up]], adapting to the change in writing style, introducing new locations, and expanding the scope of the series.
** This was the culmination of a transitional phase of the story begun during the Web World Wars when [[spoiler:Bob was thrown into the Web and the previously one-shot virus attacks became a full-on assault. When Enzo was required to take the role of Guardian and lost in battle... that was when the DarkerAndEdgier tone was cemented]].
* ''TransformersAnimated'' did similar, starting with the season three opener "Transwarped". Instead of the usual light-hearted action/humor, it explored the ethical implications of building a sentient but simple-minded superweapon, dealt with Ratchet's troubled past, involved far more visceral violence (albeit to robots) and brought several main character close to death. Not to mention that as of "Where Is Thy Sting" [[spoiler: one Autobot character's been killed off grotesquely and ''the leader of the Autobots'' is beaten into a coma with his own hammer. We never do see him wake up, by the way.]]
** WordOfGod says that had the series continued, [[spoiler: he would have been revealed as having been killed.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'', although frequently serious in tone, was also often humourous and silly. ''WesternAnimation/BeastMachines'', the sequel, begins with planetary genocide and things just degenerate from there.
* ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' itself saw this after the end of season 1, which featured [[spoiler: the death of Optimus Primal]]. The first, episodic, often very campy season stands in contrast to the more mature, more serious later seasons.
* Speaking of ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'', ''TransformersAnimated'' has a habit of borrowing characters, ideas, or scenery from the earlier Transformers shows and modifying them for its own purposes. In Beast Wars Waspinator was the lovable hapless ButtMonkey who blew up many times but always pieced himself together without any obvious lasting effects. In Animated he's a gigantic, half-crazed techno-organic bent on bloody revenge upon Bumblebee for (accidentally) having him sent to the stockades under accusations of treachery. When ''he'' [[spoiler: blows up, he's also seen piecing himself back together, but the effect is intensely creepier.]]
* ''TransformersPrime'' is the darkest and edgiest Transformers cartoon thus far. Deaths are common (and the Autobots are actually shown killing Decepticons), there's far less comic relief, and disease, brutality, and the undead are common thematic elements.
* ''TransformersTheMovie'' compared to most of the rest of the series, the original series occasionally took a darker turn but everything usually turned out fine in the end, but in the movie the vast majority of the original Autobots are killed within the first 20 minutes in increasingly gruesome manners Optimus Prime included, later the surviving Autobots (mostly newer characters) band together to save the world from Unicron, a [[PlanetEater planet eating]] Transformer, while having to avoid Galvatron, the rebuilt Megatron.
* ''ThePowerpuffGirls'' underwent this slightly for the movie. It was edgier and more serious than the majority of the series -- not that that's hard to accomplish.
** An episode had them sell the formula to an unscrupulous man who started cranking out "EXTREME" Powerpuff Girls. He used more Chemical X and less of the other ingredients resulting in malformed girls, later when he won't give up the Chemical X he drinks it and turns into a monster and nearly sucks the life out of the girls leaving them a sickly green and covered in spots, the professor and their clones are just barely able to save them.
*** What about the "Speed Demon" episode where the girls travel to a grim future where Ms. Bellum has turned into a Mayor-hat obsessed wretch [[spoiler: because the Mayor had been killed]], the teacher is so traumatized that she keeps repeating a MadnessMantra about the girls leaving, and the professor is shallow shell of his former self, not even going into the list of people who blame them, having suffered possibly even worse things. And it's all caused by [[spoiler: Him]] who has reduced the town to an apocalyptic wasteland and becoming a [[PhysicalGod literal Satan]] himself.
** In the episode Super Zeros, where the girls try to act like their favourite heroes, they poke fun at this trope. Buttercup at one point complains, "And we're not all dark and tormented!"
* In 2003, JohnKricfalusi made a revival of his cartoon ''{{Ren and Stimpy}}'', called ''Ren and Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon'', to allow him more freedom on what he couldn't do previously on the show. It was darker, much more violent, the characters used stronger curse words, and it had a lot more blatant sex jokes, including a few episodes where the duo are portrayed as gay lovers.
* To promote the movie, a PG-13 version of ''GIJoe'' called ''GIJoeResolute'' has been launched for AdultSwim. The first episode has the Joe's battleship base attacked, Bazooka killed, and Cobra Commander wiping Moscow off the face of the map. Then again, what do you expect when WarrenEllis is doing the writing?
* The ''ScoobyDoo'' films of the late 90's were much darker than the previous shows and movies. They were very violent, people actually died, the villains were threatening, most of the monsters were real, and a few adult jokes were put in. By the time ''WhatsNewScoobyDoo'' premiered, they became LighterAndSofter.
** However, the new series ''ScoobyDooMysteryInc'' has become Darker and Edgier, again. And becomes more and more Darker and Edgier so as the series goes on....
* The final episode of ''TalesFromTheCrypt'' (the only one animated) was a bloody and gory retelling of ''The ThreeLittlePigs'', featuring the wolf messily eating the pigs (and presented as a rapist in one scene) and making two of the pigs a smoker and an alcoholic who sponge of their brother. [[spoiler: Plus, TheBadGuyWins.]]
* The 2003 ''WesternAnimation/{{Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|2003}} '' animated series compared to the [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987 original 1987 version]]. But slightly LighterAndSofter compared to the original comic.
** {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d in the animated, Direct-to-DVD feature ''TurtlesForever'', where the Edgier 2003 Turtles disdain their 1987 counterparts, but are in turn scorned by the yet edgier original comic Turtles when they meet.
** The "Red Sky" seasons in the 1987 series is this compared to the light-hearted show before.
* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' features this after Season 1. While the first episodes did detail how an entire nation was destroyed and explains Zuko's scar, it's not until the second season when the plot really starts to hammer in the sheer destruction of war, touching on such cheery implications as genocide, concentration camps [[spoiler: for water benders]], and a general feeling of helplessness. Even the personal stories get deeper and darker, with Zuko struggling with moral issues, [[spoiler: Katara seeking vengeance for her mother's death with a technique called "blood-blending", and Azula going absolutely psychotic.]] Done well, because the descent into darkness is gradual and doesn't just put a gun in a character's hand. Rather, the focus is on fleshing out characters and exploring the implications of their situation.
** The show is an excellent example of how a series can be dark, with mature themes, without having to resort to graphic content (something it shares with a number of other series, including Harry Potter).
** ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLegendOfKorra'' seems to be taking it even further, with a {{Steampunk}} city riddled by crime.
*** The creators have even [[WordOfGod stated outright]] that ''Korra'' is darker and more mature in comparison to ''Airbender'' - which is extremely impressive for a ''Nickelodeon cartoon'', given how mature the original series was already.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Sonic SatAm}}'' to ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'': The latter show was a light hearted comedic show without any of the characters being in any real danger while in ''[=SatAM=]'', Dr. Robotnik has become a power hungry dictator who has taken over the city of Mobotropolis, captured the king and thrown him into another universe, and has turned most of the inhabitants into robots to do his bidding. He is also much more menacing and capable than his other interpretations, which are generally [[IdiotBall bumbling idiots.]] Also, Sonic, Tails and a band of surviving friends known as the Freedom Fighters try to stop him from ''completely'' taking over the world- [[VillainWorld he already owns most of it]] -and must avoid being captured and roboticized in the process.
** Although it is MUCH lighter than the comic.
** Until you actually get to episode 2, when Cat dies. Then it's permanently DARKER than the comic.
* Parodied in TheStinger for the ''EdEddNEddy'' movie. [[spoiler: Having been beaten up by the cul-de-sac kids over a misunderstanding (he attacked the Eds, not knowing that everyone had made up), Johnny, as his superhero persona Captain Melonhead, reimages himself as The Gourd and swears revenge on the neighborhood...[[BreakingTheFourthWall only for Plank to tell him the movie was over.]]]]
-->''What'' movie?
** The movie itself was a more darker and edgier version of the series, and [[DudeNotFunny not in the fun way]]: The Eds' scheme seriously wounded the other kids for once, which cause them to seek retribution, meaning ganging up on the Eds so they could beat them up senseless. The Eds themselves ends up in several hardships trying to escape them, which takes its tolls on both Edd and Eddy. [[spoiler: They ends up in a rather ugly fight because of Eddy's lack of seriousness and empathy unleashed all of Edd's repressed anger, and later it turned out that Eddy has his [[FreudianExcuse reasons]] [[DomesticAbuse for]] [[StepfordSmiler his]] [[JerkassFacade behavior]]]]. The climax itself was a [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel horrific]] {{deconstruction}} of AmusingInjuries and what consequences they actually have.
* The "Coon and Friends" episode trilogy of ''SouthPark'' takes DarkerAndEdgier and ''runs with it''. [[spoiler: Kenny turns out to have experiences every single death consciously, waking up in his bed the next morning unharmed, and having to live with the fact that no one who witnessed his death has any memory of it. When he realizes he has a legitimate super power, he develops a secret super hero identity as "Mysterion". At first, he only uses the secret identity to thwart Cartman's plans and to scare his crack-addicted parents into actually taking care of him. ... and then he gets sucked into [[HPLovecraft R'Lyeh]], realizes it looks all too familiar, and kills himself to be transported back to his bed the next morning so he can save his friends who are stuck in a Lovecraftian nightmare. And ''then'' it's revealed that he's the spawn of Cthulhu, used as an infact in Lovecraftian cult rituals, as depicted in the Necronomicon.]]
** ''SouthPark'' in general, thanks in part to its evolving animation style and in greater part to loosening content restrictions imposed by [[ComedyCentral the network]], has gotten a fair bit darker (if not more serious) over its run, with more and more graphic content included on a regular basis. It's gotten to the point that reruns of old episodes, which were once rated TV-MA, are now rated TV-14 since they appear downright tame compared to what's been allowed on the show (and other basic cable programming) in recent years.
* ''{{Spider-Man The New Animated Series}}'' is perhaps the darkest telling of Spiderman. The pilot alone portrays the origin of villain Electro as a tormented university student who smashes a sign after everyone laughs at a cruel prank played on him, is electrocuted, then murders the chief antagonist. Spiderman tries to stop him from killing more people, Electro seeing everyone as the people who hurt him, but can only do so by killing him. Too bad, as the graphic nature made the series TooGoodToLast.
* ''TheRugratsMovie'': Not too many fans (want to) remember the show containing murderous animals, child endangerment, and tension between the babies thick enough that it can be cut by katana
** It's also a bad sign when the {{adults|AreUseless}} are being more competent than usual.
* ''ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'' has taken on a slightly darker tone in season two, by playing up the ForScience and commando motifs more.
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' got darker with each season, starting out mainly as an action-comedy cartoon with only the Robin-centric episodes being serious, but after the first season it all went downhill from there, and you got episodes like Robin going temporarily insane, Terra "dying" [[spoiler: and then later maybe possibly coming back to life?]], and then there was the apocalypse with everyone [[TakenForGranite turning to stone]]...
--> '''J. Torres''': [The show] started out skewed a lot younger... but along the way, I think the producers discovered it was reaching a wider audience. ... [the show] got into some darker story lines, and they introduced a lot more characters, so they expanded on it, and they let the show evolve with the audience.
* ''ThomasTheTankEngine'': Season Five. It had several scary and adventurous episodes.
* {{Invoked|Trope}} during the third episode of ''FamilyGuyPresentsLaughItUpFuzzball''. When the Rebel team first raids the shield generator on Endor, Han Solo (Peter) tells the Imperial soldiers that he's had enough of the Ewok's cuteness and sends them outside to dig their own graves with their helmets. [[CrossesTheLineTwice He then instructs one of the soldiers to shoot one of the others, cut off his face, and wear it in front of his family.]] Then again, this is before they are ambushed by the empire.
** Immediately afterward, the battle with the Ewoks looks a whole lot darker, with stormtroopers bleeding and screaming as they're hit with arrows and rocks, and Ewoks eating each other. Also, "Holy shit! That blast came from the Death Star!"
** The regular series itself became darker in recent seasons. [[CompleteMonster Bertram]] crosses the MoralEventHorizon by doing something not so comedic. He kills ''LeonardoDaVinci.'' Then Peter seems to cross {{Complete Monster}}dom by throwing an unconscious Stewie under Lois' car wheel, and promptly has her run him over, and there was [[UltimateEvil Evil Stewie]], who committed one homicide, cut of Brian's tail, tries to choke Stewie with it, and later tries to strangle said dog with his collar. Seems like ''Family Guy'' is getting more seriously menacing antagonists, aren't they?
*** On the topic of more recent episodes being darker, the episode "Screams of Silence" actually has very few laughs in it due to the plot being about [[CallBack Quagmire trying to help his]] [[WhamEpisode sister overcome domestic abuse]] she is in severe denial over; due to the serious nature of the topic, the series instead throws itself to the right on the [[SlidingScaleOfComedyAndHorror comedy-horror scale]] by including several instances of domestic violence, [[spoiler: suffocation via autoerotic asphyxiation, attempted murder (by strangulation), graphic murder (by crushing)]] and very, very few gags. ''And those gags weren't all that funny.''
** The difference can also be seen in the {{Christmas Special}}s, evident to anyone who watched both "A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas" and "Road to the North Pole".
* ''TheBoondocks'' TV series in comparison to the comic strip its based on. [[JustifiedTrope Though justified]] in that being on television obviously allows it to get away with a lot more than what a daily newspaper comic strip would.
* ''WeaponBrown'' is ''{{Peanuts}}'' (and other cartoon characters) made ''ludicrously'' grimdark.
** There was also the student film "Bring Me The Head Of Charlie Brown" by future {{Simpsons}} writer Jim Reardon, which involves the Great Pumpkin hiring the kids as hitmen to kill Charlie Brown in gruesome ways, eventually he snaps and goes on a killing spree.
* ''DragonTales'' brutally parodies this concept with its parody video "Dragon Tales: Too Hot for TV!", to the extent that the male lead [[WhoWritesThisCrap expresses distaste at the concept]].
* When ''BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' started in 1992, it was basically this compared to every other kids show out there. In a good way though, with mature storylines and complex characters and themes. The movies were even darker.
* ''{{Thundercats 2011}}'' is [[WordOfGod actively]] promoted [[http://tv.ign.com/articles/118/1181091p1.html as such]], particularly noticeable with the [[{{Catfolk}} Thundercats]]' enslavement of their [[{{Lizardfolk}} Lizard]] enemies, and other themes of FantasticRacism. Moral ambiguity comes to Thundera, which soon becomes a SoiledCityOnAHill and DoomedHometown with the murder of young Lion-O's father.
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'''s second season starts on a [[SarcasmMode light note]] with the new villain brutally [[MindRape Mind Raping]] most of the mane cast and consuming the world in chaos. Then we get to the third episode which has Fluttershy snapping a bear's neck and Twilight going insane.
** Given Discord, and the Deconstruction of the aesop formula in 'Lesson Zero' it's not hard to imagine there'll be an episode parodying the 'Darker and Edgier second season' at some point.
** The show in general is DarkerAndEdgier compared to previous ''MyLittlePony'' shows, especially the G3 ones. This is especially cemented that [[BlackComedy comedic]] SanitySlippage is common among our Mane Cast.
* An in-universe example in KingOfTheHill: Multiple episodes show Luann running a Bible-themed puppet show called "The Manger Babies". In a later episode, John Redcorn runs a business of selling children's educational [=DVDs=] and has Luann make some. When her popularity wanes, she tries to gain back her fanbase by making a DarkerAndEdgier show with "edgier" storylines and characters, including a {{Bratz}} doll {{Expy}}.
** "Pigmalion".
* The first Halloween special for ''TheSimpsons'' was a series of moderately creepy stories connected by a non-frightening FramingDevice which kept reminding viewers that the tales were fictional. Starting with the second special, however, the stories began to get more violent and scary while the FramingDevice got less and less reassuring. Eventually it was dropped altogether, and the stories quickly became [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel downright horrific]].
** Some episodes that have darker and serious undertones include "The Crepes Of Wrath", "The Boys Of Bummer", and "500 Keys".
