Not inherently but it does contain grimdark elements and can absolutely be portrayed as such.

However I would argue that the inherent sense of progression the genre has combined with its hope kind of pushes against that. And most of the time, there's a kind of humor or comedy within the genre that makes light on thegrim dark portions of it.

You could absolutely make Xianxia to be Grimdark, it has a lot of the elements already there, but you can also make Xianxia that's not grimdark.

I think that it’s a matter of perspective. It’s pretty grimdark for mortals, but from the point of view of the protagonist, it might not be so grim and dark.

I would say no. Grimdark focuses on the bleak, despairing worlds, one where there is generally little hope for the future.

WH40k: vast majority of every sentient species is locked in perpetual war, life itself is at risk of being wiped out by multiple powerful factions (Tyranid, Necron, Chaos). The god of humanity is a rotting corpse.

Average XX: while violence is common, many mortal villages live in relative peace. Many clans and sects exist for hundreds or thousands of years, cultivators often have the luxury of training for decades. Most importantly, the whole world itself or civilization is not in decline. Humans being shit to each other is pretty normal and can be seen in our own history.

Not usually. 

Grimdark isn't just a terrible setting, it's the tone of the world, the language used.  Xianxia has too much "the buildings were built of 7 greens jade, even the grass was a rank 3 spiritual plant", jade beauties, amazing names, wondrous surroundings, etc. The world is cruel, but it's amazing. 

Also the MC rarely feels seriously troubled, much less truly oppressed or anything else that would make the tone darker. Grimdark tends to have a tone of helplessness. The world sucks & nothing can change that, victory is hard won and often pyrrhic. 

It'd be grimdark if the MC challenged the way the world was & had to settle for minor improvement, or turned into the next dictator. But they never do that, they almost never care. They're out to get theirs & the world can stay the same as long as they benefit.

Most xianxia do not meet the qualifications for grimdark. The awfulness of the world rarely has a true impact on the MC except to be the next whet stone. There's revenge arcs galore but how often do we see grief? There's suffering but when does it not open the gate for a power up? It's all just set dressing & foil to make the MC grander.

Depends on the Xianxia. Grimdark isn't really about content. It's about tone. Soul crushing hopelessness and despair that never ends, that's what makes something grimdark. Terrible things happen all the time in, say the DC universe, but it has a generally hopeful and positive tone, and is therefore not grimdark. TLDR: Xianxia CAN be grimdark, but usually isn't because Xianxia protags are win machines who skate through life on plot armor and are generally having a pretty good time lmao.

Maybe? I think a strike against xianxia is that the bad things aren't often shown to be bad. Or at least, not to the level typical in a grimdark setting.

Warhammer 40k is a miserable place, and no one pretends otherwise. They are all aware that their societies is in a state of decay, that people's lives suck, and that all their actions are basically buying time for a terminally ill universe. The average person basically runs around waiting for a tyranid to turn their planet into a capri sun or the Imperium to decide they're all heretics that need to be purged. Even the leaders of the factions seem to feel this way, believing the best they can do is push back the inevitable.

I don't know that Xianxia does that as often. Yes, the world's suck but there doesn't seem to be that sort of relentless sense of nihilism that you see in grimdark, at least among the upper crust. For the wealthy and powerful, its a flawed society but one they're doing very well in and would like to continue.

I agree. However, medieval society was just as bad. Heck, pretty much all society is bad if you have conflict (monsters or magic). Law of survival, will always mean a class society where might makes right. In cultivation worlds...they are more truthful. Why lie to the weak?

It depends on the xianxia, they range from just eastern fantasy to definitely grim dark.

Does dao of the bizarre immortal count? I'm halfway through and pretty much nothing positive happens

Depends on how it is written imo. Writing style and area of focus would determine grimdark status. If the author doesn’t focus on that aspect of things, or does focus on that aspect but the writing style is generally more humorous or whatever, then no

Mmm I am currently writing a cultivation genre novel and I have incorporated some grimdark themes into some of the events that happen. However, the majority is hopeful and the MC doesn’t turn into some cold blooded killer so I would say overall it’s on the brighter side. Though, if I wanted to go completely grimdark, I don’t think that would be difficult.

Well authors always try to promote " survival of strongest" or dog eat dog world . And most of the time mc will not be a revolutionary ( who'll Change the society) but he'll be himself ( Basically doing all kinds of evil with a small amount of good deed by justifying I'm being myself) . Also power is justice

I would say overall no. Generally speaking the world for ordinary people isn't terrible. Non-Cultivators are largely ignored because even for demonic cultivators they are piss poor batteries for spells. Most cultivation clans in the middle tier have good lives. It's dangerous work but the rewards are worth it. It's only the unlucky and the weak who have to worry and even in our world that's not so different. You get born in the wrong clan serving the wrong lord and things can be harsh.

I think the reason Xianxia is generally not considered grimdark is the murim alliances. When things go wrong, the orthodox and unorthodox sects will unite together to stop it. This is the expected and go to reaction. No matter how bad the Mount Hua sword sect hates the Southern Edge Sect the two will work together when push comes to shove. To do otherwise is seen not only as questionable but downright evil and retrbution will come for those who didn't join the alliance.

Let's compare that with the grandfather; Warhammer 40k. Let's look at the Tyranids. A force that genuinely threatens the goals of every single other major faction. And in my memory there has been only 1 time the Imperium of Man allied with others against them. Specifically Dante of the Blood Angels who hate Tyranids uniquely because of what they did to their home, and Szarekh of the Necrons who is piss scared that the Nids will eat all of the biomass and leave the Necrons with no way to turn back to people. There is no alliance coming to save you. Tau, Eldar, Necron, Imperium, they all have had awful run ins with the bugs and yet suggesting alliance would get you mocked/demoted/killed. There is no hope of a unified tomorrow. Blood will spill and that is the only promise.

I’m not into grimdark, love cultivation martial arts stuff, & keep on dropping stories where the MC just becomes a psychopath, even the non-demonic so called righteous sects are tyrants who kill without consequences, and at best only caring about their family or immediate allies with no care for systemic issues,the general good, or making the world a less shitty place

Like they defy the heavens, but people are just going to take advantage of you so screw them, right?

It definitely gets on my nerves

100%

Depends on the author and the setting they make. A good amount of them could fall into that category though.

A storys got to have conflict though. And Xianxias arnt often slices of life's.

Shameless plug here but I’m writing a Grimdark Xianxia right now 😅 The Cities Still Burn