8 Seriously Dark Moments In Fantasy TV Shows

Your favorite television show isn’t afraid to get dark. From prestige hits to award-winning sitcoms, Hollywood is willing to get its stories dirty. Some of the most soul-crushing scenes on television come from shows you’d never expect, while others feel downright unavoidable. For fantasy lovers, this reality rings true as some of the genre’s greatest hits have sent television audiences reeling.

Death, betrayal, and shocking endings are all on the table when it comes to fantasy television. We’re now breaking eight seriously dark moments that live rent-free in our heads, but be warned! Some of these shocking scenes may be best left forgotten.

Jamie’s Graphic Torture: Outlander

In the first episodes of Outlander, the hit fantasy drama positions itself as a historical romance for the ages. Claire is an enviable leading lady whose initial fury with Jamie transforms into a love for the ages. However, in season one, Outlander blindsided fans with a dark foray into torture as Jamie found himself physically and sexually assaulted.

The jarring ordeal saw Jamie fall prey to Captain Jonathan ‘Black Jack’ Randall as the officer threatens to assault Claire should the Scotsman not cooperate. What follows is a harrowing depiction of torture as Jamie is subjected to brutal torture such as rape. The assault itself and the aftermath Jamie lives through is dark to say the very least, leaving Outlander fans stunned in their wake.

“There Is No War in Ba Sing Se”: Avatar: The Last Airbender

Fantasy often acts as an escape from the real world, but sometimes, our favorite shows get too close for comfort. Avatar: The Last Airbender doesn’t shy away from its political roots, and that connection sparked the creation of Nickelodeon’s most chilling line to date: “There is no war in Ba Sing Se.”

In the midst of Avatar: The Last Airbender, the series follows Aang and his friends as they travel into the Earth Kingdom. It is there that they are told time and again the war in Ba Sing Se isn’t real, but the motto is just an act. It is revealed that the Dai Li created the ominous phrase as a propaganda tool, one that brainwashes the public into believing there is no war in the city. But in reality, Ba Sing Se is anything but at peace.

The Bent-Neck Lady, Revealed: The Haunting of Hill House

There are few things more terrifying than a horror story, and that fear is only multiplied when supernatural fantasy is brought into the picture. Netflix learned this lesson well with The Haunting of Hill House, a critically acclaimed original that hit television in 2018. The show kept audiences on edge with its dreadful tension, but the show’s darkest moment is one that haunts netizens to this day.

The Haunting of Hill House makes a startling reveal about one of its scariest ghosts, the Bent-Neck Lady. The terrifying specter haunts Eleanor Crain throughout the show, so you can see why fans were stunned when the truth was revealed: The Bent-Neck Lady is Eleanor Crain. The protagonist is transformed into a ghost after committing suicide, and the act sends the Bent-Neck Lady years into the past. The ghost of Eleanor is then left to haunt her younger self, bringing the character’s haunting history full circle.

A Shocking Hero’s Betrayal: Attack on Titan

In the world of anime, few shows are bleaker than Attack on Titan. The apocalyptic series is not for the faint of heart as it tells the story of Eren Yeager, a young man who lives in an isolated world running rampant with man-eating titans. From episode one, the hit anime makes it clear that its story is dark, but not even die-hard fans saw its finale coming.

With his heritage revealed and global politics at play, Attack on Titan‘s hero goes rogue in the final arc of the show. Eren, determined to seek revenge on the people who oppressed him, turns against his closest friends to enact genocide on his enemies. The devastating turn redefined darkness for fans of the show, and Attack on Titan‘s brutal depiction of this final war is hard to swallow.

Welcome to the Diner: Sandman

In a series as dour as Sandman, it is easy to find upsetting scenes. The hit Netflix series adapts Neil Gaiman’s acclaimed comic with vicious grace, but not even the most devoted fans were ready for Sandman episode five.

In the damning episode, fans are left stunned as they watch John Dee and Dream square off in an unassuming diner. The location becomes a battleground in the worst way, as John uses Dream’s ancient ruby to uninhibited the diner’s patrons. When society is stripped back and nobody is able to hide their true desires, the diner devolves into madness quickly. Sex and violence are shed with a brutal swiftness by the end of Sandman episode five, leaving audiences to think over their own wishes and wants.

Fullmetal Alchemist is hailed as one of the greatest anime for good reason. The fantasy epic is sweeping in its take on politics and war. As fans watch brothers Edward and Alphonse fight to fix their pasts, it is easy to fall in love with the many friends (and foes) they make along the way. At the top of that list is Nina Tucker, and her story marks the darkest bombshell in all of Fullmetal Alchemist.

The anime brings Nina center stage when Edward and his younger brother prepare for their State Alchemist Exam. The four-year-old quickly adopts the pair as brothers of her own while her widowed father, Shou, works long hours. The young girl’s joy is infectious as she dotes on her beloved dog Alexander, but it doesn’t last. With pressure mounting on Shou to produce a chimera using alchemy, the twisted father uses science to transmute his daughter and her dog. The human-canine hybrid lives long enough to greet Edward before being mercy killed, scarring the boy (and fans) for life.

Dean’s Last-Minute Death: Supernatural

No show does death quite like Supernatural. The drama made a name for itself with The Winchester Brothers as Sam and Dean hunted monsters across the nation. In season three, Dean found his own soul was at risk as hell put a bounty on the monster hunter. Naturally, fans expected Dean to dodge fate given his skills, but Supernatural made sure to surprise fans with its darkest death of all time.

After spending all of season three fighting fate, Dean succumbs to the crossroads deal he made to save Sam’s own life. The hellhounds find the brothers in “No Rest for the Wicked”, mauling Dean to death in front of his younger brother. The episode ends with a dire look at Dean in hell as he’s chained up in a blazing inferno screaming for his brother. So if that isn’t dark enough for you, what is?

The Iconic Red Wedding: Game of Thrones

When it comes to dark moments on television, there is always one scene mentioned, and it is all thanks to HBO. Game of Thrones is infamous for its brutal storylines and unflinching violence. From sexual assault to torture and war, there is no boundary Game of Thrones won’t cross, and that message was made clear with The Red Wedding.

Set in season three, Game of Thrones made headlines as House Stark was nearly wiped out in its entirety. Audiences watched as House Frey welcomed Robb Stark’s party at the Twins as the latter hoped to repair its relationship with Lord Walder Frey. However, the Freys were lying in wait to massacre the Starks with help from the Lannisters and Bolstons. The massacre kicked off with the brutal murder of Talisa Stark, Robb’s pregnant wife, and it went on to claim thousands more, including Robb and Catelyn in a bloody swath.