BL AKA “boys love” has become quite a trend these days. Not to brag, but I was a bit of a taste-maker back in 2014-15 when I got caught searching “yaoi” online as a teen on my home computer. I think BL stories are so fun because they flip gender roles on their head. There’s no beefy man and submissive woman trope. There’s just two men, a plethora of jokes and dicks, and angst to the high heavens. What more could you ask for?

I’ve broken these BL dark romance recommendations into two sections: BL dark romance webtoons/manhwa and BL dark romance books. I use the Lezhin app, but please let me know if they are available elsewhere and I will add the links. My comment sections is always open!

Best BL Dark Romance Comics

I know everyone is jumping on the dark romance trend now, but Japanese and Korean stories basically invented the pitch-black romance tropes we know and love today. Noncon in my “love story”; yes please. Angst that makes you sweat and squirm? Yes, yes, yes. I carefully vet my BL dark rormance using tags like “hardcore,” “intense,” “rough,” “manipulative,” and “what the hell is wrong with you.” (Might be joking on the last one.)

These dark romance BL comics are pay-by-the-chapter, so I have read all or most of them to get a sense if they fit before recommending them.

1. Reluctant Encounters by Gyeon

Jaemin may be an actual psychopath, but he’s a hot one. He’s also weirdly fixated on Taeyoon, an ex-classmate with whom he shared a complicated past. What starts as a chance (?) encounter leads the two to reconnect, Taeyoon does everything he can to break free from his past and his enthusiastic pseudo stalker. But something keeps pulling them back together, and it’s more than just the deal Taeyoon makes to keep seeing one another to make up for a past mistake. And once Jaemin has him, he may never let him go.

This comic is ongoing.

2. Dreadful Night by moan

Bada is trapped in a horror video game, dying again and again at the hands of a virtual serial killer as he tried to win his way out of this violent time loop. Enter: Nam Doha, someone who Bada thought was just an NPC but is suddenly acting strange. Doha is calm, cool, and collected, even when hacking the video game killer to bits to buy them time to solve puzzles, have sex, or find a new ending. It’s up to Bada to logic his way out of this shitshow, dodge Doha’s persistent advances, and figure out who is real and who is just data in this mysterious, high angst dark romance BL.

This comic is ongoing.

3. Jinx by Mingwa

Why am I telling you about Jinx? I don’t need to tell you about Jinx. You already know about Jinx. It’s all over reddit, social media, TikTok. Jinx is the infamous MMA fighter-meets-physical therapist with benefits dark romance BL with the perfect blend of immediate gratification and the slowest “romantic” burn in history. Watch as two loveable idiots hate each other and love each other at all the wrong times, making them the worst “will they won’t they” since Ross and Rachel. MMA fighter Joo Jaekyung is an emotionally stunted asshole who only cares about winning his next match. Physical therapist Kim Dan is beyond broke with a dying grandma who needs medical care. Together, they makes an explosive pair.

This comic is ongoing.

4. Dark Fall by Darurung

Plot, what plot? Dark Fall is labeled with #tentacles, #intense, #groupplay, #fantasyworld, #rough, and #magic, so you know it’s going to be a crazy ride. Leon has long ruled over Dark Fall, but after suddenly losing his powers his once-obedient followers turn into wicked (and horny) enemies overnight. The official synopsis reads, and I quote: “They want him to bear a new king of Dark Fall in his womb, while becoming their plaything in the process.” You can’t make this stuff up. Anyway, it’s one of my favorites and Mephisto can get it.

This comic is ongoing.

5. Liveta by Muzi

Finally, some real romance. Liveta is a BL mafia dark romance feature sex-crazed emo boy Victor Luna and golden retriever boyfriend type Yohan. Luna and Formicarium are rival factions plotting to seize a territory called Liveta, and Victor is the wayward son of a mafia lord who rules over the area. They are actually incredibly sweet together and have big “touch him and I’ll kill you vibes.” However, Yohan was actually hired as Victor’s guard in a plot to betray him and sell inner secrets to a rival faction. Yohan can’t back out, either, because the medical care of his dying brother depends on the success of this job.

This comic is ongoing.

6. Slammer Dogs by Igingogi

Lee Myung-il was warned to “watch out for the guy in the ponytail” on his first day in prison. Unfortunately, fate had other plans for him. Choi Jingi (ponytail) and his brother Heonjae originally target Myung-il for his ability to pickpocket and sneak around without getting caught. But when Myung-il misunderstands their interest and offers sex in exchange fore money, Jingi takes him up on it. Jingi is a hard-ass who rules the prison and has lots of enemies. Heonjae is a softy who does what his brother tells him to, though that may change as his feelings for Myung-il develop beyond a friendly interest.

This comic is ongoing.

7. Pietà by DAONG

Serial killer Demis runs into his perfect match when he meets immortal Dante. Dante wants to die, and Demis might be the one who can help him do it for good this time. But in the meantime, why not have a bit of fun? Unfortunately, some unsavory characters are right on Dante’s heals, drawn in by the power he has and the potential it can offer.

This comic is ongoing.

8. Incomplete Combustion by Gaetsaeng

By day, Gyeol lives a quiet life as a construction worker, but by night, he trains to fight. That is, when he is not asleep and plagued by restless, erotic dreams of Yesung—a man he saw once and can’t forget. When Gyeol sees Yesung again, he refuses to lose track of him a second time. Yesung is cunning, secretive, wry, and exudes temptation. He isalso tangled in a dark web of underground fighting, drugs, high art, and organized crime. Can Gyeol protect him? Or were they doomed from the start?

This comic is ongoing.

9. Cash or Credit by Goodmen

Another hot jail tale! Legendary hacker and current (new) prisoner Keith catches the attention of Della, the most feared guard in the facility. Della meant to torture Keith for a bit and then finish him off, but plans changed after their sexual chemistry can’t be denied. Turns out, they have a shared background: Keith stole from Della once in his long spree as a hacker. Now, Keith will do anything to protect the man who he once targeted. Big enemies-to-lovers vibe with this one.

This comic is ongoing.

10. 2020 by Ryuha

Jail-baity but very much of-age Jeong Hui-jae is sent to live with his grandma temporarily to escape the pursuit of loan sharks that are after his father. While on the island, he runs into “fluffy head” AKA Cha Beomjoon, a local gangster who spends his downtime on the island. Cha Beomjoon can’t be interested in Jeong Hui-jae because he is too young, and Jeong Hui-jae can’t be interested in Cha Beomjoon because he doesn’t even know his name, is pretty sure he’s a terrifying and murderous gangster, and doesn’t even like him that much…right? (Wrong.)

This comic is complete. Side stories are still coming out.

11. Deliver Us to Evil by multiple authors

Az is an incubus and Michael is a priest. Az targets Michael for his life energy, which of course can only be transfer through hot, steamy sex. Turns out, Michael is more than he bargained for. This comic is a short story with only a few chapters.

This short comic is complete.

12. Pearl Boy by Inking

Come for the pretty art, stay for the pearl-ejaculating, gangster-ridden, high angst storyline. Or whatever. After robbing his previous employer, Dooshik has nowhere to go. Luckily, he’s used to getting by on good looks alone. In a small, coastal town, he spots Jooha and tries to work his magic on him. After a free meal, a strange restaurant, a new job, and a surprise roommate, Dooshik starts to realize he might have gotten more than he bargained for. But now that he’s in, he’s all in, and will do anything to protect Jooha from the various criminal entities that are after him for his, er, “unique money-making ability.”

This comic is complete.

Best BL Dark Romance Books

I am an avid reader, but my heart craved pitch-black stories with morally grey men, tons of steamy sex, and a sometimes-too-real portrayal of how the world works, whether it’s societal homophobia or a glimpse into the mind of someone with a mental illness. Here are my top BL dark romance book picks:

1. God of Fury by Rina Kent (2024)

This MM mafia romance centers on a cold, calculating heir who becomes fixated on a seemingly innocent artist. Their dynamic spirals into manipulation, emotional cruelty, and a push-pull obsession that blurs the line between desire and threat. Violence, power plays, and psychological domination drive the relationship. The romance is built on unequal footing, forcing both characters into morally compromising territory.

2. Tied to You by Syn Blackrose (2023)

A crime family enforcer becomes entangled with a captive caught in the crossfire of his dangerous world. The relationship develops under coercion, pressure, and emotional volatility, pushing dark themes of control and dependence. Both characters wrestle with trauma, loyalty, and survival inside a violent criminal ecosystem. The romance is intentionally morally murky, rooted in dominance and forced closeness.

3. Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat (2013)

A prince is enslaved by his enemy and forced into political games, humiliation, and captivity. Their relationship shifts slowly from hatred to a fraught alliance, but the narrative never shies away from exploitation and manipulation. Power imbalance is ever-present, shaping every emotional and physical interaction. Court politics, cruelty, and betrayal create a setting where love is dangerous, rare, and morally compromised.

4. These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever (2020)

This is a deeply psychological MM romance about two young men whose bond becomes obsessive, codependent, and destructive. Their love is a catalyst for violence, impulsive decisions, and emotional domination. The narrative explores mental deterioration, manipulation, and a toxic intensity that becomes impossible to escape. It’s dark because the romance feels like a shared descent rather than a healing force.

5. The Wicker King by K. Ancrum (2017)

Two boys drift into madness together as one experiences hallucinations and the other becomes dangerously complicit. Their bond blends devotion, manipulation, and emotional spiraling, creating a romance coded through suffering and co-dependence. The characters enable each other’s worst impulses, leading them into criminal and self-destructive behavior. Darkness comes from the blurred line between love, delusion, and manipulation.

6. Lord of Eternal Night by Ben Alderson (2021)

Jak’s life has only one meaning; break the curse or die trying. Marius’s life has no meaning; not since he was cursed into the twisted, blood thirsty creature of night. Sent to the creature’s castle as the final Claim, Jak must get close enough to land the final blow. It is what he has trained all his life to accomplish. Not all is as it seems when Jak uncovers secrets and half-truths. The creature is not the haunting beast he had been brought up to hate. And what is more dangerous than hate? Lust.

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