History Main / DarkMagicalGirl

* Master Cyclonis from ''WesternAnimation/StormHawks'' has hints of this. She serves as foil to the heroic Piper to an insane degree. The difference, however, is that Piper has allies while Master Cyclonis is "a lonely girl who terribly wants a friend." Sadly, the show was cancelled after her time as the BigBad concluded, so what may have happened to her next we'll never know.

* [[spoiler: The titular character of]] ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' develops into [[spoiler: a RareMaleExample of]] this trope over the course of ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverseFuture''. [[spoiler: A season-long TraumaCongaLine causes Steven to become [[SourOutsideSadInside angry, jaded, and depressed]] in a heart-wrenching ProtagonistJourneyToVillain. Thankfully, he starts on the road to recovery in the finale, but not after [[OneWingedAngel turning into a massive monster.]]]]. For female[[NoBiologicalSex -ish]] examples, Lapis Lazuli and Spinel fit very well.

** [[spoiler:Hunter]] qualifies as a RareMaleExample. As the Golden Guard, he's TheDragon to [[BigBad emperor Belos]], his abusive uncle, who specifically raised the boy to crave his approval by instilling him with the belief that all love must be earned. [[spoiler:Hunter]] turns out to be a decent guy on his own, albeit socially awkward due to his lack of friends, but his desperate need to please Belos forces him to clash with the protagonists who see him as more pitiable than evil. [[spoiler:However, after learning the AwfulTruth about [[ExpendableClone him]] and [[WitchHunter Belos]], he makes a HeelFaceTurn and joins the heroes]].

** [[spoiler:Starlight Glimmer]] is so deliberate she personifies this better than anyone else in the show. A very talented and powerful unicorn who, at a young age, lost her only friend because he got his cutie mark and was sent to Canterlot, and left her behind. This left her so scarred, she ''[[TheCynic never made a friend again]]'' out of fear of losing them for the same reason. [[StartOfDarkness Instead she warped]] into a fanatical dictator who hated Cutie Marks, and started a cult that forced others to give up their cutie marks to conform. In her appearances, she has shown to be extremely petty, [[TheResenter resentful]], and [[GreenEyedMonster jealous]] towards Twilight and her friends, Twilight most especially for her amazing success, to the point where she can't even understand how the Mane Six could be so important to Equestria. She has also proven to be a crafty, powerful adversary, rivaling ''[[PhysicalGod Alicorn Princess]]'' Twilight Sparkle in power and proficiency. To finish it off, she also has a [[NoSocialSkills severe lack of social skills]], and in the end is [[TearsOfRemorse very remorseful]] for her actions. [[spoiler:Which is why Twilight makes her a student in Friendship, and [[SixthRanger welcomes her]] into the Mane Six.]]

%%* Bell from [[http://ppg.snafu-comics.com/ Bleedman's]] ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' MassiveMultiplayerCrossover.

* ''Webcomic/MegaTokyo'''s Tohya Miho: we've seen her [[spoiler:flip a van with one hand, jump three or four blocks whilst carrying Kimiko, and [[IHaveTheHighGround walk nonchalantly on telegraph wires]]]], and the held-back tears give it away when Kimiko tells her that the [[spoiler:lack of emotional connection to others necessarily means the lack of what it is to be alive]].

* Bloody Marie of ''VideoGame/SkullGirls'', who is not evil herself but was changed into the titular monster because she used the Skullheart to [[spoiler:wish vengeance upon the Medici mafia]]. Peacock, despite her extremely twisted nature, is the good magical girl counterpart.

* The main character of ''Manga/LookingUpToMagicalGirls'', Hiiragi Utena is a PlayedForLaughs example. She was recruited to be the Tres Magia magical girl team's greatest foe (by not telling her which side she would be fighting her), her mentor manipulating her into giving into her darker desires (leaving BDSM porn mags for her to find), and she's TrappedInVillainy (under threat of her various videos being released to twitter or her porn mags being left for her mother to find). [[HilarityEnsues Hilarity most definitely ensued]].

-->"Teammates!? Friends!? To hell with that! Why am I inferior to you...!? I was ''extremely particular'' about my life, my grades, my public image, so someone would want me around! I am [[spoiler:an Ace Detective... ''a celebrity'']]! But you... you're just some criminal trash living in an attic! So how...!? How does someone like you have things I don't!? ''How can such a worthless piece of trash be more special than me!?''

* Bloody Marie of ''VideoGame/SkullGirls'' who is not evil herself but was changed into the titular monster because she used the Skullheart to [[spoiler:wish vengeance upon the Medici mafia]]. Peacock, despite her extremely twisted nature, is the good magical girl counterpart.

* Dark Sailor Mercury (a.k.a. [[FanNickname "Darkury"]]) from ''Series/PrettyGuardianSailorMoon'' is not just an ordinary Dark Magical Girl, but a former regular Magical Girl corrupted and co-opted by the bad guys. It takes Moon MORE than a mere IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight to bring her back to the side of good. [[EvilDiva Mio Kuroki]] in the special act is this, made out entire evil.

* Princess Luna from ''Anime/PeterPanNoBouken'' is this, since she was raised by her evil grandmother Queen Sinistra to become a Princess of Darkness despite her desire for friends. Which she gets when she meets Peter and the Lost Boys, and specially after [[RomanticTwoGirlFriendship bonding with]] [[TeamMom Wendy]] [[HotBlooded Darling]]. [[spoiler:Who is also the one who brings her back from her FaceHeelTurn, even if she almost dies while trying.]]

* Amity Blight from ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'' fits the bill pretty well: LonelyRichKid? Check. DarkAndTroubledPast, specifically related to her family situation as a bonus? Check. SourOutsideSadInside? Check. Craves approval from the BigBad? Not directly, but her desire to join the Emperor's Coven counts. [[HeelFaceTurn Sees the light]] because of her MagicalGirl {{Foil}}? Ooh, [[SchoolgirlLesbians double check]]. Yup, she passes the test.

** [[spoiler:Shizuru Fujino]] is a very dark take on this trope. She doesn't have a bad family life, but she's [[SchoolgirlLesbians in love with Natsuki]] and has no idea how to express it in a good way. Instead, she lets her confusion and self-hate [[spoiler: plus the pressure of being a Hime]] take over and ultimately goes nuts [[spoiler: in what's implied to be a mix of her present feelings ''and'' a curse coming from her CHILD]]; then she starts killing anyone who threatens Natsuki, who she thinks Natsuki hates, and anyone who might kinda have looked at Natsuki funny, while [[DudeShesLikeInAComa kissing Natsuki in her sleep]]. [[spoiler:Natsuki has to first [[SurpriseKiss give her a kiss]], then [[TakingYouWithMe kill her *and* herself]] to get her properly on track; when both she and Shizuru come BackFromTheDead, the curse of the Ikusahime is no longer twisting Shizuru's affections, and the first thing she does is tearfully apologize to Natsuki for what she put her through.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' features both ComicBook/{{Raven}} and Terra, both {{Tykebomb}}s, each with their own DarkAndTroubledPast who are ultimately unwilling servants of their abusive parental figures, struggling with their transitions from Face to Heel and back again.

* In chapter 1 of [[https://www.deviantart.com/slifofinadragon/ SilfofinaDragon]]'s VideoGame/SengokuBasara fanfic ''Finally Home'', Toyotomi Hideyoshi's daughter Kirahime is pretty much another epitome of this trope, considering she is out for vengeance for her [[YouKilledMyFather father]]'s death and having magical powers.

* ''Anime/PrettyCure'' has used this trope multiple times. ''Anime/FutariWaPrettyCureSplashStar'' gives us the Kiryuu sisters, Michiru and Kaoru, ''Anime/FreshPrettyCure'' has Setsuna Higashi, alias Eas ([[LateArrivalSpoiler until she became]] [[SixthRanger Cure Passion]]), ''Anime/HeartcatchPrettyCure'' features the aptly-named Dark Pretty Cure, and ''Anime/SuitePrettyCure'' has Ellen Kurokawa aka Siren ([[LateArrivalSpoiler until]] ''[[LateArrivalSpoiler she]]'' [[LateArrivalSpoiler became]] [[SixthRanger Cure Beat]]).

* [[spoiler: The titular character of]] ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' develops into [[spoiler: a RareMaleExample of]] this trope over the course of ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverseFuture''. [[spoiler: A season-long TraumaCongaLine causes Steven to become [[SourOutsideSadInside angry, jaded, and depressed]] in a heart-wrenching ProtagonistJourneyToVillain. Thankfully, he starts on the road to recovery in the finale, but not after [[OneWingedAngel turning into a massive monster.]]]]

The Dark Magical Girl is this fear personified, molded into a dark parody of the MagicalGirl. Where the MagicalGirl is a force for good and light, the Dark Magical Girl's virtues have all been twisted to serve evil.

* Rubi Toujou from ''Manga/RosarioToVampire'' starts off as this archetype, but since she's in an UnwantedHarem show, her move to the side of good is a bit different. Later on, she's the one who saves Tsukune [[spoiler:[[BodyHorror from himself]]]].

* [[{{Ojou}} Rue]]/[[SuperpoweredEvilSide Princess Kraehe]] of ''Anime/PrincessTutu''. Although Rue was already the [[LightFeminineAndDarkFeminine Dark Feminine to Duck's Light]], she probably wouldn't have changed into Kraehe if [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Tutu hadn't sort-of stolen her boyfriend]]. Her HeelFaceTurn comes about when she realizes that she won't escape the DownerEnding just by helping it happen, and she proceeds to [[spoiler:make the HeroicSacrifice which Duck, despite her desire to help Mytho, isn't willing to make -- something Duck herself acknowledges]]. The two of them are really NotSoDifferent: Duck is friendly to everyone, and Rue is aloof yet still admired by others, but neither of them have any TrueCompanions for a long time. They're both just trying to get their HappilyEverAfter with [[PrinceCharming the Prince]] in the only way they know how... and they both turn out to be [[spoiler:working for a villain who was counting on it]]. In the end, [[spoiler:Duck/Tutu returns to her original form/self as a duck [[TheLastDance after giving the heroic performance of her whole life]], while Mytho (his heart restored) acknowledges his love for Rue, saves her from a CruelAndUnusualDeath, and makes her his Princess]].

* Onpu Segawa from ''Anime/OjamajoDoremi''. Darker outfit? Check. Aloof and mostly antagonistic attitude toward the PowerTrio? Check. Suffers ParentalAbandonment? [[ParentsAsPeople To a degree]], but otherwise check. Yep, she definitely fits. [[HeelFaceTurn Until the end of the first series]] [[spoiler:when said PowerTrio saves her from her LaserGuidedKarma and they all have to give up their powers together. Once they get them back, Onpu fully joins the group]].

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* In [[http://worldpeace.emilymarthasorensen.com To Prevent World Peace]], the main character (a villain) takes down dark magical girls in order to make the nice ones stronger.

** ''Audioplay/StrikersSoundStageX'' gives us another Dark Magical Girl, although her identity is a major spoiler: [[spoiler:Runessa Magnus, the former {{Child Soldier|s}} from a CrapsackWorld, who fell under the influence of an interdimensional terrorist, seeing him as her father figure and carrying out his agenda even after his death. To this end, she becomes Teana's partner, allowing her to manipulate the investigation of her own crimes, but is eventually discovered and apprehended by Tea. Notably, RealityEnsues in this case, and Runessa doesn't get a GetOutOfJailFreeCard like the other examples but keeps serving her time in later installments--although Teana regularly visits her in prison, presumably, in an attempt to rehabilitate her]].

* ''ComicBook/LadyDeath'' provides the closest thing to a anime version of this trope in a Western comic with Tormina in the Avatar Press continuity. She is an mage in service to [[EvilMatriarch her mother Death Queen]], who is neglectful or emotionally abusive towards Tormina ''at best''. She also looks the part wearing skimpy gothic color and tying her hair with pigtails. And it turns out, she is related to [[TheHeroine Lady Death]] (though she is more of a LadyOfBlackMagic rather than a MagicalGirl) and ultimately pulls a HeelFaceTurn when finding out the truth.

* [[spoiler:Nina Wong]] (among others) from ''Anime/MaiOtome'', who [[spoiler:joins [[BigBad Grand Duke Nagi]] to protect her father from his wrath]]. [[spoiler:Tomoe]], however, is an aversion; she's simply pure evil.
* ''Manga/MermaidMelodyPichiPichiPitch'' has the dark magical ''woman'', Sara, who, in a variation of this trope, turns out to be [[spoiler:TheManBehindTheMan herself, rather than the other way around]].

* Regina from ''Series/OnceUponATime'' can be read like this, although she's not a "young girl" anymore. She's definitely suffered from an abusive mother and ineffectual [[spoiler:and later dead (by her own hand)]] father. And with what she sees as [[spoiler:Snow's betrayal]], she lost both this blossoming friendship and her OneTrueLove. Many of her major interactions after that -- at least, those not focused on revenge -- can be read as her clinging too tightly to everyone who could prevent her from being alone. It even looks like she might eventually be redeemed by befriending TheChosenOne.

* Another very early example is Hilda from ''Anime/HolsPrinceOfTheSun''. She's a mysterious young girl who bonds with main character Hols, but she turns out to be the younger sister of the BigBad Grunwald, and as the story progresses she's more and more conflicted about her loyalties.