History UnexpectedlyDarkEpisode / WesternAnimation

* While ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'' is no stranger to darkness, it's usually balanced out by some comedy or sweetness for levity. This is not the case in "Hollow Mind", [[spoiler:where Luz and Hunter spend the entire episode trapped in the Emperor's mind and see first hand that he's a serial killer with genocidal aspirations.]]

** "Dying for Pie" is about Squidward thinking that he has doomed [=SpongeBob=] because he accidentally gave him a bomb disguised as a pie. He then tries to comfort [=SpongeBob=] on his last day on Earth. [[spoiler:Thankfully (although much to Squidward's outrage), he turns out to be alright in the end — that is, until he accidentally splatters the pie bomb in Squidward's face, blowing up all of Bikini Bottom in the process.]]

** "Nasty Patty" is about [=SpongeBob=] and Mr. Krabs trying to poison a health inspector since they think he’s a fake. After the health inspector swallows a fly and goes unconscious, [=SpongeBob=] and Mr. Krabs think that they killed him. They then spend the rest of the episode trying to hide the body. [[BlackComedy It’s all]] PlayedForLaughs, but still…

** "Dying for Pie" is about Squidward thinking that he’s killed [=SpongeBob=] because he accidentally gave him a bomb disguised as a pie. He then tries to comfort [=SpongeBob=] on his last day on Earth. [[spoiler:Thankfully, he turns out alright in the end.]]

** Any episode featuring a villain [[VileVillainSaccharineShow who is really evil]], such as Miss Doombringer (a crazy woman who is definitely worse than [[AntiVillain Mr. Crocker]]) from "No Substitute For Crazy" and The Destructinator from the episode "Wishology".

** In the WhamEpisode "Hassle In The Castle", we're introduced to Maryanne who, despite being a one shot character, is probably one of the most evil characters ever to appear in a children's cartoon. She used Cosmo and Wanda's magic to have Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife assassinated in Sarajevo ForTheEvulz and caused UsefulNotes/WorldWarOne, which led to the formation of the Soviet Union, Adolf Hitler rising to power, UsefulNotes/WorldWarTwo, the deaths of millions, the creation of nuclear weaponry, the Cold War, 9/11, ISIS; if there's a huge problem with modern society, it can be laid at Maryanne's feet. None of this gets elaborated on, of course, but Wanda mentioning in passing that Maryanne's wish was the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand gives way to ''lots'' of FridgeHorror.

** "The Great [=MacGrady=]" has Mrs. [=MacGrady=] (the friendly lunch lady) getting, [[TheTopicOfCancer of all diseases]], ''cancer'' [[note]] What kind of cancer she had was left ambiguous. [[/note]]. She does recover by the end of the episode, but it's still creepy. The episode was created to help kids deal with having cancer or a loved who has it; sadly, it was banned solely because Lance Armstrong guest-starred in the episode, in the wake of the doping scandal.

** In "Are You Happy Now?", Squidward has no happy memories and develops symptoms that seem very similar to clinical UsefulNotes/{{Depression}}. There are even two BaitAndSwitch moments which look like he wants to die but [[StabTheSalad he's really doing something mundane]].

** The show is usually a fairly light-hearted SliceOfLife cartoon with the occasional {{parental bonus}}, but one episode called "On The Lam" was pretty dark as well as hilarious. It involves Harold, Sid, and Stinky [[spoiler:believing to]] blowing up an old police station with a rocket and they bound and gagged Arnold so that he wouldn't tell anybody.
** The infamous "Cheese Festival" episodes. They usually start in a lovey dovey valentine style, with Arnold going to the cheese festival with his love interest, and Helga doing whatever she can to ruin the date. No matter how hilarious the episode is, they always have the same, depressing, dark ending: Arnold doesn't get the girl while Helga is left completely alone at the festival without a lover or even a friend, making a very miserable face just before all the lights go out.

** The PilotMove ''WesternAnimation/HouseOfBloos''. There are much more serious and TearJerker moments dealing with Mac and Bloo possibly losing their friendship. The next episodes become LighterAndSofter when that conflict is resolved.

** The GrandFinale titled ''WesternAnimation/Destination Imagination''. It is even rated TV-PG.

** The GrandFinale titled "Destination Imagination". It is even rated TV-PG.
** The first episode "House of Bloo" could count as well. There are much more serious and TearJerker moments dealing with possibly losing a friendship. The next episodes become LighterAndSofter when that conflict is resolved.
** "Good Wilt Hunting", while not without comedy, gets very heavy in revealing Wilt's DarkAndTroubledPast.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' is usually a comedy, albeit with a few BlackComedy jokes. However...:
** One episode, "Jurassic Bark", is very serious. Fry finds a fossilized dog that used to be his dog before he [[HumanPopsicle accidentally froze himself and ended up in the future]]. They try to bring him back to life, but fail. (There is a minor sad moment with Bender worrying he's not Fry's best friend anymore but that pales in comparison to the ending). The ending is the real kicker: It's revealed that Fry's dog never forgot about him and spent years waiting for Fry until his implied death.
** Fry appears to die within the first few minutes of "The Sting," and you wonder just how he'll be revived. Only as the episode continues [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome every expected solution turns out to be a dead end]], a guilt-stricken Leela takes a FantasticDrug to cope and undergoes severe SanitySlippage, [[ThroughTheEyesOfMadness and the entire story gradually descends into a maelstrom of hallucinatory madness]]. [[spoiler:Even TheReveal that [[AdventuresInComaland all of this happened in Leela's coma dream after being injured]] doesn't do much to lighten the mood, as we also find that [[BreakTheCutie an utterly shattered Fry]] has been [[UnbrokenVigil sitting by her side for two whole weeks]], tearfully begging her to wake up.]]

** The final two episodes of season 1, "Dreamscaperers" and "Gideon Rises" were a whole lot darker than the rest. The former introduced the mind demon Bill Cipher. [[spoiler:Things took an even darker turn when he got mad. EAT NIGHTMARES!]] This was actually symbolized by the picture on Mabel's sweater, a sunset over a lake. "Gideon Rises" had much higher stakes than other episodes in the show, with [[spoiler: the threat of Stan losing the Mystery Shack and Dipper and Mabel having to be sent home]], and the climactic fight scene is surprisingly intense.
** "Northwest Mansion Mystery" is also pretty harsh, featuring a [[AxCrazy psychotically]] [[{{Revenge}} vengeful]] lumberjack ghost as the antagonist, a scene with blood oozing from taxidermy animals (which was cut from some re-runs), [[spoiler: and revelations about the true nature of Pacifica's [[AbusiveParents vile father]]]].
** The short series ''Dipper's Guide to the Unexplained'' was mostly a short, lighthearted comedic bit of animation. However, the last episode, "The Hide Behind", featured a real lumberjack legend (which is disturbingly similar to Slenderman), and even [[spoiler:ended with him being real and stalking Dipper on the way home.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/Animaniacs2020'', the ''WesternAnimation/PinkyAndTheBrain'' segment "[[Recap/Animaniacs2020Episode8 Mousechurian Candidate]]" has Brain running for Senator as a stepping stone to the Presidency. To increase his appeal to voters, he transforms an ordinary mouse into Julia, his super-intelligent potential first lady. However, Julia's [[NiceGirl compassionate, idealistic nature]] makes her so popular that the voters choose her as the candidate instead! So far, so satirical, but then Brain, previously an AntiHero, grabs the VillainBall and reveals that his current TakeOverTheWorld plan involves [[WouldHurtAChild forcing children to build bombs]]. When Julia refuses to go along with this, Brain uses a MindControlDevice to make her obey him. However, it malfunctions during a televised debate, resulting in Julia [[FreakOut snarling at the audience]], making several {{Nightmare Face}}s, and running off with her hair on fire! In the end, we learn that Julia is okay (at least physically), but is now obsessed with getting {{Revenge}} on Brain and might undergo a FaceHeelTurn.