Sad moments are one of the main reasons why everyone loves anime. People get attached to characters and watch them stumble into idealized sacrifices and struggles. Research shows that we form emotional attachments to fictional characters through parasocial relationships. We feel a stronger connection to stories with characters with deep sadness, conflicting morals and other sources of tragedy. Some of the biggest heartbreaking moments in anime follow this formula.
10/10 Gon sacrifices decades of his life – Hunter X Hunter
The chimera antbow of Hunter x Hunter yielded many high-ranking heartbreaking moments. Perhaps one of the saddest of these is when the audience discovers the consequences of Gon’s nen power boost. Gon was willing to throw away years of his life to gain the strength he needed to end the life of the chimera ant Pitou. Gon called in a nen condition when Pitou revealed that his mentor Kite was really dead. With this condition, Gon declared that he would “use anything.” Nen conditions allow the user to gain enormous power at the cost of something. Gon’s price for attaining divine power was to sacrifice all potential in his future for a power boost. This sacrifice was evidence of the emotional turmoil Gon had over Kite’s death.
9/10 Itachi dies for Sasuke – Naruto Shippuden
Sometimes heartbreaking moments come out of nowhere. In both the Naruto show and movies, Itachi was built up as a cruel and thoughtless monster. He slaughtered his entire clan, as well as his own family. Only his younger brother Sasuke could survive. Sasuke had made it his life’s mission to become strong enough to take revenge on his older brother. However, through all of Sasuke’s efforts, he was defeated by Itachi, after which Itachi suddenly died in front of his eyes. During their confrontation, Sasuke risks everything, and it’s still not enough to defeat him. Sasuke and the audience were ready to hate Itachi, but in the end it was revealed by Itachi’s last actions that all he did was to protect Sasuke. Knowing the dangers the future would hold, Itachi placed himself within the evil Akatsuki organization to ensure he could help mitigate those dangers.
8/10 Zero’s Death – Code Geass R2
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ABC2
TV5
Hero
Swimming for adults
The story of Code Geas is full of tragedies and sacrifices. Viewers will find many heartbreaking moments in the series. The Resistance’s battle with Britannica leads many characters to bend their morals to achieve their goals. This culminates in the ending with the main character Lelouche, also known as Zero, sacrificing himself despite all of his vile choices in the series. Lelouche was killed at the hands of his best friend Suzaku and felt that the only way to unite the world is for people to have a common enemy. Lelouche became that enemy by committing evil deeds that would make the world hate him. This contradiction in his actions versus his intentions is what makes his sacrifice particularly poignant.
7/10 The straw hats mourn the gaiety – one piece
What makes this moment a real underbelly is that you don’t see it coming. In A piece of, the audience is constantly worried about the safety of their favorite characters from the dangerous adversaries. This leads to a blind spot in the audience’s feelings that is cleverly alluded to throughout the show. Luffy and his crew feel a real bond with their first ship, The Going Merry, to the point that the ship is considered a different crew member. The Going Merry sustains too many injuries during the Straw Hat Pirate’s journey, forcing Merry to be buried at sea.
6/10 Kaori’s death – your lie in April
Your lie in April is a series of bittersweet and heartbreaking moments. Throughout the show, we sympathize with Kaori and her attitude to life. This attitude is even more tragic when the audience and Kousei learn that she has been hiding her illness. Kaori had a problem with her bone marrow that caused paralysis and fainting spells. Kaori wrote a solemn good letter to Kousei while he was playing the piano. This leads to a somber scene where she dies during surgery to alleviate her condition.
5/10 Pikachu Cries – Pokémon the first movie
pokemon holds the record top grossing anime movies. It has many classic anime moments that still stand the test of time. Pokémon: The First Movie It ranks high in the franchise for a reason. It contains the tear jerking scene where we see what we think is Ash dying. Mewtwo and Mew’s powerful attacks were intercepted by Ash, who tried to stop the fighting. It is then greeted with the tearful eyes of its favorite Pokémon, Pikachu, begging Ash to come back to life.
4/10 Faye’s Video – Cowboy Bebop
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Bandai visual
Faye Valentine’s character inside Cowboy Bebop is a mystery throughout the series. She is introduced as a lazy schemer with many personality flaws. Public perception is turned upside down with the unveiling of the Betamax Videotape. In this tape, we witness Faye’s sad backstory. She was a shy child with a positive attitude towards Earth’s past. After her cryosleep, she was alone in the world and had to learn bad habits to survive in this alien age. With Netflix canceling them Cowboy Bebop show, we may never get to see this moment in live action.
3/10 The Death of Jiraiya – Naruto Shippuden
Jiraiya had a tragic death in it Naruto Shippuden. He had been on a path of redemption to make amends with his students, whom he had failed in the past. One of those former students, Nagato, dealt Jiraiya the fatal blow after an intense fight. The “perverted sage” was a beloved character who was a constant source of support for protagonist Naruto, making it a particularly devastating loss.
2/10 Rengoku’s Death – Demon Slayer
Demon slayer is a series in which death lurks around the corner in every episode. Someone who watches this series is prepared for heartbreak after the very first episode. One of the more sombre points in the show is Rengoku’s death. The audience only gets to know Rengoku for a short time, but his straightforward demeanor makes him instantly endearing. He risks his life against someone much stronger than him. This sacrifice cost him his life.
Roy Mustang’s line “It’s a terrible day for Rain” is one of them Fullmetal alchemist‘s most iconic lines. The juxtaposition of a character like Roy Mustang, who shows no emotion and finally cries, creates a striking feeling in the heart of the audience. Roy had been the only character to hold onto his emotions after Maes Hughes’ death. After letting his guard down in a calmer environment, his deep emotions finally came out.