There are many anime that are violent and brutal. However, among them are shows known for their character deaths. These tragic shows have made waves for the vicious way characters expire or for the number of deaths throughout the story. Fans of these shows know to expect the worst each time they turn on an episode.
These infamous anime are known for their copious amounts of gore and the tragic way characters meet their fates. While some anime have numerous killings to their name, others have one disastrously barbaric death that fans are unable to forget. If there is one thing fans can count on when watching these shows, it is that someone will pass away unpleasantly.
10 Tokyo Revengers Keeps Killing The Same People
Tokyo Revengers follows Takemichi Hanagaki as he travels between two times to save the girl he once loved. He is spurred on in this endeavor after he learns of her death on the news. However, it seems that no matter what Takemichi does, Hinata Tachibana ends up dying as a result.
Altering time is a messy business. When Takemichi solves one problem, another seems to arise, and people who once survived the past start succumbing much sooner than they would have. The repeated deaths of Hinata Tachibana, plus the unexpected deaths that occur in the past hit fans hard.
9 Attack On Titan Is Indiscriminate
Attack on Titan is a tragic show involving monsters and intrigue. Even so, it lets fans know early on that no character is safe, as the carnage ensues. This anime captured audiences with its unrelenting brutality upon its release.
One of the most disturbing things about Attack on Titan is that the deaths are usually the result of devouring by the dreaded Titans. It is a truly gruesome way to go, and the show does not shy away from the horror of the situation. Anime fans looking to start this show should prepare themselves for much disturbing imagery.
8 Puella Magi Madoka Magica Isn't As Innocent As It Seems
Based on its promotional art and its adorable protagonist, Puella Magi Madoka Magica seems like any other magical girl anime. However, it is a dark and horrifying tale of girls who trade their humanity for a single wish.
The show seems cute at first – if a little unsettling. Yet, when the first death occurs, fans find out very quickly that this is not like other magical girl shows. Because the girls are so young, the deaths seem that much more gruesome. Viewers wanting to watch this show should be prepared for the girls to meet very brutal ends.
7 Danganronpa The Animation Deals In Elaborate Murders
Danganronpa: The Animation is a show based on a popular game where a group of teenagers are trapped in a school by a deranged bear. The only way out is to murder one of their classmates and evade detection. Yet, as the show progresses, none of the murderers are successful, making the deaths all the more tragic.
Due to the murderers trying to fly under the radar, the murders are often elaborate and staged to purposefully misdirect the other classmates. The highly stylized deaths accompanied by neon pink blood drew fans to the franchise. Yet it does not make the deaths any less tragic.
6 Death Note Seals The Fates Of Its Characters With The Written Word
When Light Yagami finds a mysterious notebook, accompanied by the Shinigami, Ryuk, he quickly realizes the power it holds in the hit show, Death Note. When a name is written in the titular Death Note, that person will die of a heart attack, unless otherwise specified by the writer. Light takes the opportunity to rid the world of those he deems unworthy to continue living.
This show gained prominence for its cerebral cat and mouse game between Light and the famous detective, L, as they work together (and against) each other. The increasingly extravagant ways Light goes about murdering people to evade capture by L is what intrigued fans. Death Note does not treat its audiences with kid gloves as it shows death after death, all at the hands of a kid with a notebook.
5 Re: Zero Has A Grudge Against Subaru Natsuki
When Subaru Natsuki finds himself in a new world while coming home from the convenience store, he had no idea the twists and turns his life would take from that moment on. When he and a mysterious girl are murdered, Subaru is surprised to find himself back in the same alley he was as when he first appeared in the new world.
This happens over and over again, as Subaru is heartlessly murdered, only to have to start all over again from the alley. The various ways Subaru succumbs are horrific and gruesome. Yet, he keeps coming back to do it all again. Re: Zero is unrelenting where its protagonist is concerned.
4 Death Parade Shows Death In Snippets
Death Parade follows characters into the afterlife. When they die, they find themselves in bars, waiting to be judged. The bartenders serve as arbiters for the afterlife, and help determine each person’s ultimate fate. One such bartender is Decim, who runs the Quindecim bar where people who died simultaneously are judged.
Although the people who come to Quindecim are already dead, viewers get snippets of the way they died. The deaths are sudden and tragic. With the addition of the gruesome games they play, and the ultimate fates of the dead coming to fruition, Death Parade is a harrowing look into what happens after people die.
3 Elfen Lied Is Not Shy About Gore
Elfen Lied follows two college students, Kouta and Yuuka, who find an injured, helpless girl with horns. However, she is a Diclonius, a new experimental type of human, named Lucy. She escaped the lab by indiscriminately murdering people. Unfortunately, the people of the lab want her back, and will do whatever it takes to put her away again.
Elfen Lied does not shy away from gory, heartless deaths. One death perpetrated by Lucy, in particular, is widely known in the anime community – even by people who have not watched the show. Elfen Leid's utter ferocity never slows as Lucy fights to stay free from those who wish to capture her.
2 Devilman Crybaby Is Unrelenting In Its Disturbing Imagery
Devilman Crybaby is a ruthless show about demons living among humans. Akira Fudo first learns of them after his friend Ryo Asoka tells Akira of his discovery. However, to prove his point, Ryo provokes the demons causing one to enter Akira, making him a Devilman.
This show is bursting with explicit imagery, especially when it comes to its character deaths. The gory and shocking ways people die and are ripped apart will haunt audiences brave enough to watch this show. Devilman Crybaby is not for the faint of heart.
1 Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Has One Death That Haunts Fans
Despite the fact that Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is about war, there are not as many deaths as one might expect. That said, there is one death in particular that haunts nearly every anime fan for its horrific gruesomeness and one haunting word: Edward. Nina Tucker is a normal little girl who loves playing with her dog, Alexander.
Unfortunately, her father, Shou, is a desperate Alchemist, who decides his job and title are more important than his own family. Shou uses alchemy to fuse Nina with Alexander to create a talking chimera. When fans learn about the despicable truth, they are sickened. This anime has the most infamous death because of its effect on the anime community at large, and for the truly horrifying way Nina and Alexander lose their lives.