Top 30 Saddest Anime Deaths
They were gone too soon. Join Ashley as we look over the most heartbreaking demises of beloved anime characters
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most soul-crushing
00:15anime deaths ever.
00:25Number 30, Misaki Unasaka – Buddy Daddies.
00:29She won't be winning Mother of the Year, but after finding out she only had a few months
00:33left to live, Misaki at least tries to reconnect with her long-lost daughter, Miri.
00:44Unfortunately, it's not the disease that ends her life.
00:49Just as Misaki's warming back up to Miri, a brush with Rei and Kazuki's work puts
00:54a bullet in her stomach.
00:56All the while, Miri sleeps peacefully in the other room.
01:02It's unfairly tragic, especially since Misaki never gets the atonement she so desperately
01:12wants.
01:13Instead, all she can do is spend her last breath asking Kazuki to watch over her daughter.
01:23At least, she went out thinking of Miri.
01:28Number 29, Kuro Ranke – Golden Kamuy.
01:33As is the case with most characters in the show, Kuro Ranke's entire life was pretty
01:38much defined by violence.
01:40He was born into it, lived it, and eventually died in it too.
01:47Still, you can't help but feel like Kuro Ranke was just dealt a bad hand.
01:53Most of the time, he only fought for what he truly believed was right.
01:57In a way, that makes his demise even more somber.
02:07After all the trauma Kuro Ranke endured, he finally gets the peace he deserves with a
02:12quiet burial in the frozen tundra.
02:16It's always sad saying goodbye to such a great character, but there was really no
02:20other way Kuro Ranke could have gone.
02:27Number 28, Master Asia – Mobile Fighter G Gundam.
02:31The Undefeated of the East always had to die.
02:35Plagued by a terminal illness, he had a foot in the grave before the very first episode.
02:40But that doesn't make his final words any less moving.
02:51In seeking forgiveness for his past actions, Master Asia allied with the Devil Gundam's
02:56plan to exterminate humanity.
02:59Even though it pitted him against his former pupil, Domon.
03:13In the end, the student surpasses the master, and Master Asia finally realizes the error
03:19of his ways.
03:20When he takes his last breath, it's with the solace that the world is in good hands
03:25with Domon.
03:39Number 27, Narumi Asai – aka Seiji Aso.
03:45Detective Conan, following the murder of his family, Seiji, also known by his alias Narumi,
03:52his own hands by seeking vengeance against those responsible.
04:05When Conan catches him red-handed, Seiji decides that, like father, like son, he'd go out
04:11the same way as his family – with fire and brimstone.
04:14But Seiji's final conversation with Conan makes it clear he wasn't born a killer.
04:20He was made into one.
04:28To prove it, Seiji's final act is throwing the detective from the burning building before
04:34he goes down with it.
04:46Killer or not, it's no wonder this is one case Conan can never forget.
04:51Number 26, Meruem – Hunter x Hunter.
04:54The Chimera Ant doesn't spend his last moments in a fight or torturing an underling, or even
05:00issuing orders.
05:02Against all odds and expectations, Meruem insists on playing a game with the blind girl
05:07he's befriended, Komugi.
05:20Their heartfelt musings about life and friendship are enough to make anyone well up with tears.
05:32If you ever doubted Komugi's true intentions, they're put to bed when she stays by Meruem's
05:37side, even though it means exposing herself to the same lethal virus he's succumbing
05:43to.
05:50It's only right that the two go out together, unlikely friends to the end.
06:03Number 25, Ai Hoshino – Oshinoko.
06:07Most people don't take the time to pity their killer, but that's just the type of
06:11person Ai was.
06:20Despite the intense pressures of idol life, she saw the good in everyone – especially
06:25her twin children, Aqua and Ruby.
06:27That's why it's so hard to accept that she'll never see them grow up.
06:39A run-in with a crazed fan forces Ai to bestow years of motherhood onto her kids in the span
06:46of minutes.
06:47It's a blood-soaked farewell that won't leave a dry eye in the audience, certainly
06:52not Aqua and Ruby.
06:58The only one holding it together is Ai, who, in spite of everything, still leaves the world
07:03with a smile.
07:05Number 24, Sasha – Attack on Titan.
07:09The word sudden isn't enough to describe what happened to Sasha.
07:13The Survey Corps was retreating from Mali when Gabi snuck aboard their ship, raised
07:18her rifle, and shot one single bullet.
07:24Just like that, Sasha was dead.
07:27No real goodbye, no glorious final battle – between one blink and the next, the comedic
07:33heart of the Survey Corps was simply gone.
07:39It's one thing to part ways with a character in some dramatic self-sacrifice, but Sasha's
07:47death is so indiscriminately out of the blue, it's hard to even register what's happening
07:53before it's too late.
08:05It speaks to the crushing reality of death in a warzone, but that doesn't make it any
08:09less traumatising.
08:20Number 23, Kyoshiro Rengoku – Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba.
08:26At the end of this climactic duel, Akaza gets away, and the Survey Corps is down one hashira.
08:32But despite that tally, Rengoku won in every way that counts.
08:54He steadfastly held his ground against Akaza's ever-mounting might, and even got in a few
08:59iconic fiery blows, too.
09:02Still, no amount of training can fully bridge the gap between human and demon.
09:09Akaza's regeneration eventually outpaces Rengoku's skills, and that's that.
09:21Is it fair?
09:22Absolutely not.
09:24that's the sad fate of being a slayer.
09:35As infuriating as it is to see Akaza turn tail and run away, Rengoku can rest easy knowing
09:41he truly set his heart ablaze.
09:44Number 22, Chiaki Nanami – Danganronpa 3 – The End of Hope's Peak High School.
09:51For all you gaming purists out there, just do yourself a favour, curl up into a ball,
09:56and pretend that what happened to Best Girl in this anime is non-canon.
10:07For the rest of you, you might as well do the same, anything to prevent the imminent
10:12despair of knowing that despite her conviction and confidence in her friends, Chiaki was
10:17still brutally killed at the murderous hands of Junko, who saw fit to throw her into a
10:23gauntlet of death, concluding with her getting impaled every which way.
10:28We need a New Game Plus stat.
10:42It takes a lot for the likes of the Shinsengumi to break down into tears.
10:46After all, the majority of them are bumbling buffoons who only know how to slice up a fool
10:51when the time calls for it.
11:02Except in the case of Sugo's sister, who proved herself to be a radiant figure who
11:07not only brought out the best in her mischievous little brother, but also earned Hijikata's
11:13affection.
11:20Throw in her love for all things spicy, and she was well on her way to becoming a top-tier
11:25waifu, at least until she was crippled by illness, leaving her boys in black to wallow
11:30in grief.
11:50Turns out the origins of the Manslayer's infamous scar is intrinsically tied to the
11:56death of a certain lady, one who won his heart while also plotting to end him.
12:14After slaying her husband during an assassination mission, Kenshin found himself falling for
12:19the woman he had unknowingly turned into a widow.
12:23Things were made all the more awkward when Tomoe became just as infatuated with her former
12:28hubby's killer.
12:33As you can imagine, it all goes a bit pear-shaped as the truths and myrder plots are revealed,
12:39leading to Tomoe losing her life in the arms of the man she both adored and despised.
12:50Who says shows aimed at younger audiences can't deliver on the emotional punches?
13:03Not only did Tamers excel when it came to mature scenes and nightmare fuel, but also
13:07didn't hold back when it came to traumatising death scenes.
13:12Case in point, when the wrathful Beelzemon decided to slay Jerry's digital partner
13:17right in front of her, via a front-stab, with his bare hand.
13:31Not only is it horrifying on every level, but this moment would serve as the catalyst
13:36that would lead to all future terrors involving the D-Reaper.
13:39Jeez, Leomund does not get a break in this whole franchise.
14:00Throughout the 100-year war, the Principality of Zeon was always presented as the elitist
14:06space assholes who didn't care how many died for their cause.
14:10Then along came this little mini-series that explored the tried-and-true theme of how at
14:15the end of the day, there are good people on both sides, with the war itself being the
14:21true villain at the end of the day.
14:27Nowhere was this more evident than with Bernie, a Zeon soldier with a good soul, determined
14:33to complete his mission and destroy the Gundam prototype.
14:42Not only does he fail and lose his life in the process, but he's killed at the unknowing
14:47hands of the Federation soldier who he had fallen for.
14:58With the Britannian Empire on one side and Zero's Rebellion on the other, it's easy
15:04to forget just how many innocents were caught in the middle of the conflict, including the
15:08woman who could arguably be called Lelouch's first true love.
15:19Naive yet charming, Shirley was infatuated with her enigmatic prince from day one.
15:26for the ongoing war to rob her of everything, including her father and eventually her own
15:31life.
15:39Watching Lelouch hopelessly use the Geass to try and resurrect her is quite possibly
15:44his lowest point.
16:04Turns out there are only so many beautiful, beastly, blonde Italians allowed in a JoJo
16:09series at one time.
16:11And while Giorno would go on to shine, the same can't be said for Caesar, who tragically
16:16lost his life during a brutal brawl with the Pillar Man Wamuu.
16:20And while he was able to leave the last of his Hamon behind for Joseph, it wasn't enough
16:25to prevent his unceremonious crushing at the hand of a cross-shaped rock.
16:37It's a very JoJo way to go out, but it was still saddening to see Joseph lose his
16:42bromance in such a horrendous manner.
16:46Arrivederci.
16:48Hard to believe that the mischievous yet ultimately kind-hearted Dazai was once a ruthless enforcer
17:02for the port mafia.
17:04But as we learned in the flashback arc, he was bad to the bone, left tethered to whatever
17:10shred of humanity he had left thanks to his dear friend, Oda Saku.
17:15A paragon of virtue despite his own gunslinging profession.
17:23Alas, following the death of the orphans in his care, Oda Saku embarked on a self-destructive
17:35path of revenge, concluding with his own demise.
17:39But not before pleading with his friend to be a good man and leave the clutches of the
17:44port mafia.
17:45Needless to say, his words had a profound effect.
18:05Going from prideful prodigy to capable comrade, Neji had certainly come far since the days
18:11of beating the crap out of his cousin during the Chunin exams.
18:23With the war against Madara continuing to escalate, countless shinobi lost their lives
18:28due to the Uchiha's top-tier jutsu, which happened to include a slew of giant splinters,
18:34some of which were aimed at Naruto and Hinata.
18:39In the ultimate display of devotion to his family, Neji chose to take the hit, losing
18:44his life soon after, but ensuring that the will of fire lived on.
19:05Hard to believe that watching a giant, smiling yellow tentacle monster being stabbed would
19:10bring everyone to tears, but boy did it.
19:18Following his battle with the new reaper, Koro-sensei is left at his most vulnerable,
19:23allowing Class-E to finally complete their mission and kill him.
19:32Of course, it's a tad difficult for Nagisa to land the final blow, on account of how
19:37the creature had become not only a great teacher, but also an integral figure in their lives,
19:43providing support and comfort when the world had shunned them.
19:47However, with some final words of encouragement, he's finally able to go through with it.
19:52Cue the waterworks.
20:06Portraying the death of a child is never pleasant, though this sequel series decided to take
20:11it to the next level when it decided that it was time for this adorable bundle of innocence
20:17and joy to follow in the footsteps of her mother and jump off the mortal coil.
20:26Just as father and daughter were finally starting to bond in the wake of Nagisa's death, the
20:31youngling soon succumbed to the same disease, passing away in the snow, while all her father
20:37can do is cradle her and fall into a fresh pit of despair.
21:00During the difficult final months of World War II, orphaned Seita does everything he
21:05can to provide for him and his sister.
21:08He begs, he steals, he works, and he sells every sentimental item left by his mother,
21:14and it still isn't enough.
21:23One day, Seita returns home with their meagre rations, only to realise his efforts failed.
21:37Once Setsuko succumbs to malnutrition, Seita doesn't have much left to live for and soon
21:42follows the same path.
21:44It's a devastating turn of events, capping off what is already an incredibly heavy film.
22:01Setsuko and Seita's end ensures you'll never think of World War II the same way again.
22:17With his hatred for shirts, phenomenal speeches, and manliness that surpasses the heavens,
22:23Kamina made one of the strongest introductions in all of modern anime.
22:28Which is why his sudden death so early on in the series came as such a shock.
22:35Sure, this would give way for Simon to rise up as the true protagonist, but having to
22:44say goodbye to such a mad lad moments after he had declared his love for Yoko and was
22:49set to lead humanity into a new age of rebellion, yeah, we're still not over it.
23:03The mission to save Eri and defeat Overhaul may have ended in success, but there were
23:08still monumental casualties on the hero's side.
23:11Namely, All Might's former sidekick, whose wounds proved so grievous, not even he could
23:17escape his doomed future.
23:27What makes this passing all the more of a tearjerker is his final words to Mirio, using
23:32his quirk one last time to see into yet another future, content with the knowledge his protégé
23:39would go on to become a shining hero despite losing his powers.
23:43Just as long as he keeps on smiling.
23:54Sold into slavery and forced to carry another man's child, Arnaid held onto the hope that
24:00she'd one day be reunited with her husband, Garda.
24:03She eventually succeeded, but sadly, they didn't get a happily ever after.
24:16While she manages to break Garda out of his own servitude, Arnaid couldn't save him from
24:21his fatal injuries.
24:27Then, when her treachery was discovered, Arnaid was beaten until she perished the same
24:35way her husband had.
24:47She claims there's nothing left for her among the living, but Eina and Torfinn's
24:52emphatic grief begs to differ.
24:54Still, you can't help but respect that she lived and died for her love.
25:03The only character we'd risk human transmutation to bring back, Mace Hughes' sudden murder
25:09cast a huge shadow on this legendary series, with his incorruptible heart and compassionate
25:15nature sorely missed.
25:22His utter devotion to his family and endearing friendship with Roy Mustang often proving
25:28the sole bright spot as the darkness of the homunculi continued to consume the land.
25:33And then, envy shapeshifted into his wife, caused him to drop his guard and shot him
25:39dead.
25:47At the very least, he was avenged in the most phenomenal manner possible.
26:05Because why just have a beautiful, happily ever after romance, laced together by the
26:10joy of music, when you could have a tragedy that not only destroys both the main character
26:15and the audience, but also paves the way to an ending sequence that's utterly breathtaking.
26:29As Kousei puts on the performance of his life, he witnesses what appears to be a spectre
26:34of Kairi playing alongside him.
26:37Which means that the worst has happened, she's died during her operation, and the girl he
26:42loved is now lost forever, with only the memory of her music and the lie she told
26:47in April to remember her by.
26:56We all know the crux of what made this occult detective thriller such a gem, was the battle
27:02of wits between the God of the New World and his ingenious oddball nemesis.
27:07With every move bringing them closer to either exposure or death.
27:16Despite coming within an inch of revealing Light's secrets, and winning their little
27:20game, L tragically didn't live to see the fruits of his labours come to pass.
27:25All thanks to a rather insidious move by Kira, when he used Rem's protective nature for
27:30Misa to his advantage, having her kill the detective in a move that almost put the mass
27:35murderer at checkmate.
27:45He may have revelled in the demise of his rival, but we sure didn't.
27:57Free-ran beyond Journey's end, it's hard to decide which is worse, passing on without
28:03really knowing your friend, or living with the grief that you kept your comrade at arm's
28:07length.
28:08Either way, Free-ran's first episode is a recipe for waterworks.
28:18As a long-living elf, the title character is cursed to carry on while her quest partner
28:23Himel dies of old age.
28:31The meteor shower scene illustrates the idea perfectly.
28:35It's beautiful, but it's not enough.
28:46From there, the entire show becomes Free-ran trying to reconnect with Himel in the afterlife.
29:03The fact that his death carries the entire story of Beyond Journey's end proves that
29:08Himel's gone, but nowhere near forgotten.
29:14If the death of a misshapen blob can't make you cry, you'd be dead wrong.
29:19Starting off as a creepy, yet ultimately harmless creature that lives with the infinitely fluffier
29:24Nanachi, we soon learn that Meaty used to be a bubbly orphan just looking for a better
29:29life.
29:30Until she was tricked by Bondrewd into taking part in his experiments, got exposed to the
29:36curse of the abyss, and was agonisingly transformed into her new, hideous form.
29:48Unable to be killed by any conventional means, it fell to Reg and his incinerator to finally
29:54end her suffering.
29:56We knew it was for the best, and yet we still can't stop weeping.
30:09Who would have guessed that as soon as OP Lord Kirito left the building and let Asuna
30:14take the reins, it would give way to a truly bittersweet conclusion involving the death
30:20of her new bestie.
30:21While she was a bit of a beast in the virtual gaming sphere, back in the real world, Yuki
30:26was far from okay, not having much time left due to an incurable medical condition.
30:35However, instead of passing away in her clinical prison, Asuna and the rest of the players
30:43jacked her back into the game one last time so that they could all say goodbye together,
30:48along with one hell of a view.
31:19This series has so many death scenes potent enough to break your heart in half, that choosing
31:26one would normally be impossible.
31:29And yet, even compared to the likes of Merry, Whitebeard and Corazon, the end of Ace still
31:35stands tall as the most tragic moment in this shounen juggernaut's history.
31:44After coming so far, overcoming so many enemies, and even achieving the impossible of rescuing
31:50his big brother from his scheduled execution, Luffy can only watch in horror as Ace stands
31:56in the way of an attack meant for him, giving his life so that his straw hat sibling can
32:02escape.
32:03And we're still not over it.
32:08What's an anime death that has you reaching for a tissue box?
32:15Let us know in those comments below.