Death is no stranger to media; it happens all the time in video games, books, films, and even anime. Sometimes, this death can be minor, just some random bystander. It can be emotional with a beloved side character with whom the fans develop a strong emotional connection. Sometimes, however, it is the death of the protagonist themselves.
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In a good anime, the main character’s death is almost always the most impactful moment in the show, such as delivering a heavy emotional blow or pushing the plot forward by handing the torch to a new character. This list will explore the 10 best instances of the main character dying in an anime.
Beware! There be spoilers here!
10Chrono Crusade
The organization known as The Order of Magdalene has been tasked with vanquishing various evils that plague the world. The main characters of this anime are Rosette Christopher and Chrono. Rosette is an elite exorcist for the Order and a 16-year-old girl. She is driven to find and rescue her little brother.
She created a pact with a devil when she was younger, and this pact dramatically shortens her life, with it running out entirely at the end of the anime. The devil in question is her friend and partner, Chrono. It is due to this contract she dies at a young age side by side with Chrono, missing the chance to see her final sunset.
9Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World
The first, and only, traditional isekai anime on this list isRe:Zero - Starting Life in Another World. While the initial death of Subaru Natsuki may have sent him to another world, he is later killed again in this world he has been sent to. This, however, sends him back to where he was when he first arrived in this new world.
This makes Re:Zero a must-watch for fans oftime loop stories. This allows Subaru to die again and again to try to get a preferable outcome for whatever dark and despair-ridden situation is currently plaguing him. The Manga is currently ongoing, but Subaru has many deaths and rebirths ahead of him.
8Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans
Set in theMobile Suit Gundamworld setting, this story follows a group of child soldiers that see the company they are forced to work for flee the work site to save themselves, leaving the children to fight and die. Mikazuki Augus uses the Mobile Suite, Gundam Barbatos, to vanquish the threat that is attacking the site and is able to save all the others.
Orga Itsuka, the leader of the children, then takes control of the company and rebrands its name to Tekkadan for the betterment of children. Orga is gunned down by his opposition, and Mikazuki succumbs to blood loss after an intense battle.
7Yu Yu Hakusho
Yu Yu Hakusho follows the journey of Yusuke Urameshi after he gives his life to stop a little child from being hit by a vehicle after they run into the street. Upon his death, he is confronted by the Grim Reaper, a blue-haired girl named Botan.
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Yusuke is able to witness the aftermath of his death, and Botan takes him to the afterlife where he meets Koenma, the son of the great King Yama, who offers Yusuke a chance to return to his body. This series of events would later lead to Yusuke becoming a Spirit Detective.
6Zombie Land Saga
Set in modern times, the story of Zombie Land Saga follows a teenage girl named Sakura Minamoto who is killed when hit by a truck. Her death would go on to push the plot of the anime with the creation of an all-zombie idol group. After her death, she is awoken by Kotaro Tatsumi a decade later.
Along with her are 6 other girls, some of whom are already highly regarded for their singing talents and have already been in the world of idols. This group is tasked with revitalizing the Saga Prefecture in Japan through their use of song and dance numbers.
5Dragon Ball Super
Gokuis the main protagonist of the long-runningDragon Ballmanga and anime, heralded as one ofthe greatest action anime of all time. Throughout the story, collecting the dragon balls to bring someone back was a very arduous task, but as the tale goes on, it becomes rather easy to assemble them. Goku himself is able to survive all the way to adulthood and even have children of his own.
Later inDragon Ball Z, Goku would go on to die again and again. While he could always be wished back with the dragon balls, it was not until Dragon Ball Super that he would face off against Hit, a warrior who would defeat and kill Goku. Fortunately, Goku threw a ki blast of his life energy into the sky before death, which fell back onto him and revived him.
4Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
Jonathan Joestar is born to the wealthy and dignified George Joestar. Due to his first and last name both starting with “Jo,” everyone would call Jonathan “Jojo.” Jonathan would gain an adopted brother who wanted nothing more than to torment Jonathan throughout their lives together.
While the third part ofJojo’s Bizarre Adventurewould see the introduction of stands andeven more dramatic posing, the first and second parts focused purely on Hamon, a form of life energy that mimics sunlight. This would become the perfect weapon against Dio — his brother-turned-vampire. Jonathan dies on a ship that has been set ablaze holding his brother’s severed head.
3Full Metal Alchemist
Full Metal Alchemist is regarded as one of the best animes to ever be made. The story is set in a world where humans are able to harness ambient energy to transmute the surrounding matter through the science of alchemy. It follows the lives of the Elric brothers, Edward and Alphonse.
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They are on a journey to reclaim what they lost while breaking a great taboo. Edward lost his right arm and left leg, while Alphonse lost his entire body, and his soul became bound to a suit of armor. Edward is fatally wounded in battle toward the end, but Alphonse uses all that remains of himself to save Edward.
2Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
Cyberpunk: Edgerunnersis set in a far-off dystopian future filled with extremely high-tech advancements in science. This is no utopia, however, as everything is owned and run by corporations, where making as much money as possible is the main goal of each (sound familiar?). The anime, like the game, features a lot of futuristic criminal activity and follows David Martinez as he joins up with a group of edgerunners. Edgerunners, also known as cyberpunks, are mercenaries who make use of the various cybernetic devices found throughout this setting.
At the end of the anime, David begins succumbing to cyberpsychosis, a kind of degenerative mental condition brought on by too much cyberware. He resists it right up until the very end when he is killed by the infamous Adam Smasher. Adam Smasher is one of the main antagonists you can find in the video gameCyberpunk 2077.
1Death Note
Some might regard both Light Yagami and L as the main characters ofDeath Note, while some feel Light is the true main character. It hardly matters, as both omeet their end at different parts of the story. Light is a genius with a god complex, seeking to reform the world into a better place where there is no more crime and everyone can live in peace. He uses a notebook from the afterlife to accomplish this. Anyone’s name he writes in the notebook, he can kill.
This anime involves the two bound in a deadly game of cat and mouse, each trying to best the other. The anime featured a lot ofsnappily dressed moments from many of its characters. Light almost succumbs to blood loss, but before he does, the death god who has been following him for all this time gets to do the pleasure of writing Light’s name in his notebook.
