Deaths in anime are quite rare depending on the genre and target audience. Most shonen protagonists grow up as either orphans or have at least witnessed the tragic deaths or murders of their parents firsthand. These deaths are usually used as a plot device to further the character’s motivations.

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In many cases, however, the characters in anime are killed off more for shock value, getting rid of characters who have outlived their usefulness, and for advancing the plot along, leaving fans disappointed with the result.

10 Yuichiro Hyakuya’s Orphan Friends Were Killed Off For Dramatic Effect (Seraph Of The End)

yuu and his family orphans from seraph of the end

Witnessing the death of loved ones seems to be a recurring trope in anime, especially for shonen protagonists. This did not make sense in Yuichiro’s case, seeing how the deadly virus already annihilated every adult in his life, including his parents and relatives. He had already experienced losing his loved ones, which in turn shaped his personality. This is why watching Ferid kill his friends in front of him was meant more for shock value than for actual plot progression or character development.

9 Art Was Killed Just To Be “Brought Back” Again (Hamatora)

art inspector hamatora

Moral killed Art and then took his place by impersonating him, fooling both his friends and colleagues. This served no purpose for viewers who already knew what was happening, with only the main characters being kept in the dark. Not to mention, Moral was a confirmed serial killer, which meant he was a bad person whether or not he killed Art. This is why Art’s death disappointed the show’s fans. If that wasn't enough, Art actually survived the attack and ended up closing the loop by killing Moral.

8 William James Moriarty Killed His Foster Family Even Though It Was Completely Unnecessary (Moriarty The Patriot)

moriarty family William

Moriarty’s intelligence was already established long before he convinced Albert of his vision and murdered his foster parents. Albert would have grown up to inherit his father’s entire estate and title, which he would have anyway given to his two adopted brothers who he loved more than his actual family anyway. So, Moriarty did not have any solid motivation to kill his foster family outside of not wanting to wait to get started on his plans.

7 Saazbaum’s Death Wasn’t Needed To Show Slaine Going Off The Deep End (Aldnoah.Zero)

Count Saazbaum aldnoah zero

Saazbaum was a grey character but he showed nothing but kindness after Slaine “lost” the princess. He adopted the boy and accorded him every respect that would have been given to his actual son.

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Slaine killed his adopted father to show how he’d turned bad. However, the truth is he had already gone off the deep end before this murder, making the Count’s death useless. Even if he had wanted to use the opportunity to advance in rank, he would have been given that promotion eventually regardless.

6 Madam Red Was Killed Because Grell Felt Like It (Black Butler)

madam red from black butler ep5

She was the only person Grell killed before her time was up, which in itself was suspicious. While the Black Butler anime is known for its dark undertones, Madam Red’s death did not make much sense, outside of her having outlived her usefulness, because her death by Grell's hands did not affect the plot in any shape or form. If they wanted to develop the main character, Ciel had multiple opportunities in later episodes to portray what a mature and empathic young boy he was, which is why Madam Red’s death was completely unnecessary.

5 Aru Akise’s Was Just One Among The Many People Needlessly Killed Off (Future Diary)

akise aru from future diary

Future Diary is notorious for killing off almost every character it introduced, but fans got a little too attached to Aru Akise, the underdog from the series. His death at Yuno’s hands was more for shock value than for altering the plot of an anime where side characters were killed in every episode, thus cutting his time as a well-written character with solid motivations short.

4 Makoto Edamura’s Mom Was Used As An Unnecessary Plot Device To Make Edamura Hate His Father (Great Pretender)

Edamura Mother Great Pretender

Her death wasn’t necessary because Edamura hated his father ever since he left his family, even when his mother was alive.

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It did not serve even as something that pushed him over the edge, seeing how it was actually his first boss's betrayal that broke him completely, both mentally and physically.

3 Nanami Yasuri Did Not Have To Be Killed For Shichika To Grow As A Character (Katanagatari)

shichika kills nanami katanagatari

It would have made more sense for Shichika to refuse to kill his sister to show he’d become a human capable of emotions and empathy. Yet, the writing of the anime forced him to kill his sister and it was only after her death that he’d realized what he’d done. This in turn meant his flashbacks about killing his previous opponents and showing regret over his actions, were completely moot and that all his character development had been for nothing.

2 Light Yagami Was Caught Red-Handed And Killing Him Off Seemed More For Shock Value (Death Note)

light writing L's name on death note

Near had already caught Light red-handed, and Light himself arrogantly confessed to his crimes before he realized he was unable to kill Near. The anime should have ended with Near’s victory seeing how the entire plot of the anime was to catch Kira. This is why fans were enraged that Light had to die because, even without his death, the purpose of the anime had been met. Not to mention, many would have rather seen him suffer in jail than get a quick merciful end.

1 Nina Tucker’s Death Added Nothing To The Anime’s Plot (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)

Nina Tucker happy with a dog FMA

Even though Nina's death was regarded as one of the most heartbreaking deaths in anime, her death (or for that matter, her presence) in the anime did nothing more than add an emotional element to the show. They even went as far as to rub salt into the wound by having Scar mercy kill her because she couldn't be turned back to a human. At the end of the day, she didn't add much to the plot.

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