10 Most Devastating Anime Deaths That Still Haunt Fans Years Later

Who doesn’t appreciate a good cry caused by a tragic anime death? Death has always held a unique place in the world of anime. For characters who are larger than life, living in worlds often beyond our wildest dreams, death seems to carry more weight than in other forms of media.

These are characters made for viewers to care about and even mourn when they are taken away far too soon. So, here are ten devastating deaths that wrecked viewers.

Ace (“One Piece”)

There are outcomes that we take for granted as fans. Rescue missions that end in the rescue of the target are one such outcome. With both the “Impel Down” arc and the “Marineford” arc ending in the failed rescue of Ace, fans were forced to not only come to terms with the heartbreak of one of the series most beloved characters but also with the fact that some missions could go horribly wrong.

While many anime deaths on this list are notable for the profound effect they had on the main characters or the rest of the cast, what makes Ace’s death so uniquely powerful is that it changed the very fabric of the power structure within the world of “One Piece”.

Gugu (“To Your Eternity”)

For a show whose opening episodes hit viewers in the gut time and time again, one wouldn’t think that the third serious anime death would affect viewers that much.

They were wrong.

What makes Gugu’s hit so much different from the other deaths Fushi experiences is the timing associated with it. Unlike the others, Fushi spends years with Gugu, growing closer to him than to any of his previous connections, to the point that he develops a genuine familial bond with him.  

Yet all that warmth is suddenly ripped away during an unexpected attack from the nockers. Not only does that attack start Fushi’s rivalry with his long-time foe, but it also ends with the death of his brother figure, right as Gugu finally confesses his love to his childhood friend, dying in the act of saving her and becoming her hero.

Kaori (“Your Lie in April”)

While seemingly just another generic romance tale of love helping people overcome their past traumas to move on in life, the story takes a dark turn when it is revealed that the main heroine, Kaori, has been suffering from a terminal illness. Kaori’s radiant personality and the light she shines on the main character’s life only further highlight the dark tragedy waiting around the corner.

Untimely deaths that separate lovers are a common trope in romance stories, but just because they’re common doesn’t mean they don’t hit hard. Years later, fans are still devastated by this anime death, and entire posts and videos about it are shared every April in remembrance. Only true heartbreak and pain can elicit such a response.

Lelouch vi Brittania (“Code Geass”)

Before Eren Yeager started the Rumbling to set himself up as the villain to save his loved ones, Lelouch vi Brittania enacted the Zero Requiem, a plan where he would turn the world’s hatred on himself in order to bring about peace.

What really hits home with this particular anime death is the tragic irony surrounding his death. From the beginning of the series, his motivations centered on making the world a better place for his sister to smile. Yet, amidst the cheers of the crowd for the slain tyrant are the heart-wrenching tears of those for whom he started this journey.  The culmination of his grand plan to bring about a peaceful world for his sister left her heartbroken over the decision and the burden he had forced himself to carry.

Truly, he lived by his own words about  how “the only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed.”

Rengoku (“Demon Slayer”)

Rengoku represented everything good about the Demon Slayer Corp. His charm, devotion, and friendliness all meshed tighter to allow him to shine brighter than any other Hashira the audience had been shown up to that point. Yet, it is precisely because of how strongly he immediately came off and resonated with the fans that his death hurt so much more.

In his epic battle with Akaza, fans were drawn to believe that this radiant warrior would overcome the monster before him through his sheer grit and determination to protect those behind him. Yet the only light that shone was how terrifying the upper ranks of Muzan’s demons were.

Still, what truly makes the moment strike such a chord is his final words as he sought to die with the pride of knowing no one died on his watch, which truly shows fans what a pure-hearted soul that was forced to fade away into the sunset.

Sasha Blouse (“Attack on Titan”)

“Attack on Titan” was a show that never shied away from the deaths of its beloved characters, but Sasha’s death just hit differently than the others, despite it being the least gruesome by far.

Unlike so many other deaths within the show, her heartbreaking death was pointless. She did not die heroically fighting titans or protecting the wall. No, she died after the conclusion of a battle at the hands of a brainwashed girl on an angry, suicidal revenge kick while on the way back home. Her tragic end was meant to showcase just how meaningless and cruel the cycle of war could be, along with the destructive hatred it builds.

Lafter Frankland (“Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans”)

While the “Gundam” franchise is no stranger to sad and tragic deaths, Lafter Frankland’s death in “Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans” is a uniquely devastating anime death due to its abrupt, undeserved, and heartbreaking nature. Instead of falling in battle like what fans had come to expect, she is unexpectedly assassinated while shopping, thus emphasizing that even when off the battlefield, these characters aren’t safe (as fans learned against later on with Orga).

Still, the true tragedy of her death came from the fact that fans were robbed of her blossoming relationship with the stoic Akihiro.

Nina Tucker (“Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood”)

Nearly twenty years later, there has still not been an anime death that has enraged and broken the hearts of fans like Nina Tucker’s. To this day, fans are still outraged by the horrid transformation the innocent girl suffered at the hands of her father as he turned her into a chimera solely to satisfy his sick research.

What makes her death so tragic is obvious for all to see, as she is betrayed by the person who should have protected her above all else. The loss of her life and the innocence that she embodied serve as a grim reminder of the cost of blindly chasing after alchemy in that universe, and it only adds another deep, emotional scar to the Elric Brothers.

Nanami (“Jujutsu Kaisen”)

As with many on this list, seeing a mentor or father figure die is hardly surprising. Some may even start taking bets on which certain mentor characters may kick the bucket. Still, even with that in mind, no one can deny that Nanami’s death felt a bit different from others due to how his final moments played out.

When he was first introduced in the series, Nanami made it clear he hated being a sorcerer and would much rather live out a normal life. The embodiment of that desire comes full circle at his end as he wanders around in a daze while dreaming of living in Malaysia and relaxing, following the fatal injuries he received in his previous battle.

That idyllic dream, though, bursts open as he is forced to engage in one final battle. A battle where Yuji sees his final moments come to pass right before his eyes.

Itachi Uchiha (“Naruto”)

The tragedy around Itachi’s death is different from many other anime deaths, considering that it was not until fans learned the truth of his backstory that his end carried much more weight. While other fan-favorite Shinobis like Asuma and Jiraiya also suffered heartbreaking deaths in battle, theirs were still framed as heroic moments in the fight against evil. Itachi’s death, on the other hand, was just the final culmination of the tragic and sacrificial life he had adopted for the sake of peace within the village.

His entire life, he bore the mark of a traitor, yet even in his moments, he acted out of love and duty to his brother and his village, using his fight against Sasuke to extract and seal Orochimaru, which also rid him of Orochimaru’s curse mark. Once all the pieces came together and the truth was revealed, fans cannot help but get choked up when rewatching him poke his brother’s head one last time as he died.