what is the difference between edgy and just plain dark.

[roata11]

For me what consider edge story is when

Charcters : when they start justified his/her actions because the world is shitty so they start shitty as well

World : when the world is dark and blaming people inheritancely evil or some bullshit and nothing good ever happening in the world

 

[LostLibrarian]

I don't think it doesn't really matter as long as it is done right. But if you use "edgy" in the negative way, then for me it is something like this:

Most stories I perceive as edgy are often those, where the world is only there to make the MC look cool. Like there is no reason behind the state of the world. It's only so that the MC can suffer through it and come out on top, being the cool guy.
You often have that in anime, where the MC suffers on his own in the dungeon, on his hunt, on whatever and he becomes the cool and moody kid. And then he meets the harem member that lives in the same world, didn't suffer for a day, had a great good time in the same dungeon, and thinks the entire world is great.

It gets even worse, when there isn't even a real consequence in the story for it. He just suffers through it, doesn't really change after a level up, and goes on to live a happy life. This part of the world forgotten, until he meets that one noble that kicks him down. And of course, only him. Then he wants to go somewhere but the guards stop him. Of course, only him out of the 10,000 guests for the big event...


But to be fair, even a perfect dark story can be disturbed by stupid motivations or a weird sentences that make me laugh. But those "edgy moments" are often fine, if they don't appear too often...

 

[Jemini]

Edge is like you act on negative emotions. Being dark is just an action with zero emotions.

I would argue the exact opposite actually.

Edgy would be the author throwing in dark stuff just to try to get attention. The story could be told just as well without the dark stuff, possibly even better. An example of something that's edgy would be something like Redo of Healer. (The author literally admitted to only writing it with that much sex and murder because he was trolling for a quick buck. The truth is put to this statement when you read World's Finest Assassin, by the same author. It is so much better written and manages without the senseless violence and what dark stuff there is gets very well handled.)

Dark is a story in which dark themes like death and atrocities are baked right into the world-building and are a core integral part of the plot. The story literally cannot be told without that stuff. An example of something dark would be Final Fantasy X. (Actually, Final Fantasy X is almost a gold standard of dark story telling. The dark elements are woven into it so well that they don't even register as dark at all unless you really stop to think about it. But, it's an entire nation's government that is ruled by the dead, it's all about the dead lingering and keeping the living trapped in an eternal cycle of suffering. Almost every major antagonist is already dead, and they have some dark compulsion to cause more death. And, with the exception of Seymore, almost all of them only become that way after they are dead.)

 

[Renaxan]

For me, If a character constantly getting tilted about something around him, or overdoing something... mostly to show off, then I will call that character 'edgy'.

Otherwise, not really.

I would call character is dark is when his purpose is for solely destruction, chaos or for revenge (in a smart way, not showing off). Like I remember reading a story where main character will experiment with anything and will do anything as long he achieve immortality, regardless moral and stuff. Like constantly killing people in the basement for the sake of experiment. But he is not purposely showing off at all. He just that ruthless.

Welp, this is very subjective matter lol. I think different people would have different understanding in this subject.

 

[Agentt]

Edgy is thinking violence is cool. They are the type of people who will stab you because you stole their donut. Dark are people who think violence is funny. They will laugh seeing the edgy person slaughter you.

I would argue the exact opposite actually.

Edgy would be the author throwing in dark stuff just to try to get attention. The story could be told just as well without the dark stuff, possibly even better. An example of something that's edgy would be something like Redo of Healer. (The author literally admitted to only writing it with that much sex and murder because he was trolling for a quick buck. The truth is put to this statement when you read World's Finest Assassin, by the same author. It is so much better written and manages without the senseless violence and what dark stuff there is gets very well handled.)

Dark is a story in which dark themes like death and atrocities are baked right into the world-building and are a core integral part of the plot. The story literally cannot be told without that stuff. An example of something dark would be Final Fantasy X. (Actually, Final Fantasy X is almost a gold standard of dark story telling. The dark elements are woven into it so well that they don't even register as dark at all unless you really stop to think about it. But, it's an entire nation's government that is ruled by the dead, it's all about the dead lingering and keeping the living trapped in an eternal cycle of suffering. Almost every major antagonist is already dead, and they have some dark compulsion to cause more death. And, with the exception of Seymore, almost all of them only become that way after they are dead.)

My view is exactly like this, you mostly use edgy to show the flamboyantly cool nature of mc, like how solo levelling has an mc who doesn't obey any association, and is enough alone. He doesn't need stuff like friends and all.

Dark, however, is more mature, and touches reality, it fuels on things more than just revenge. Justice, perhaps, or maybe just wanting to make a nicer world. Or perhaps just to survive

 

[GodlessEmperor]

dark = serious dark
edgy = cringe dark

 

[NikkuNii]

edgy makes you uncomfortable. Dark makes you feel worse than uncomfortable, maybe a little horrified and/or disgusted, depending on the person.

 

[DominaterRaider]

Thank you all for the info, It is a lot of information to take in. This will help a lot in trying to pinpoint his personality.

 

[YuriDoggo]

To take from one of the earlier examples in the thread. That flamboyant character with the fancy armor and sword of nightmares can still be dark as long as their primary purpose in the story isn't to be cool. If they are some kind of broken traumatized character hellbent on revenge while ironically emulating a "knight in shining armor" who broke him in the first place, I think thats a pretty dark character with none of the edge.

Again, to me, edge is "evil and injustice is cool " and dark is "evil sucks and I will show you why. Look what's happened and is happening"

 

[2021]

Edgy is weird teenage syndrome stufff

Dark is r*pe and shizz