In anime, battles often have high stakes. Many fights have significant collateral damage, with some even going as far as to put the entire world on the line.
Amidst these rare and brutal instances, certain characters put everything at risk in order to guarantee the safety of the world. Intriguingly, it's a role fulfilled by heroes and villains alike, depending on the circumstances of the situation. By identifying such instances throughout a diverse number of anime, we can better appreciate the cost of peace and security.
10 Kirito Lost Asuna Before Dying To Heathcliff (Sword Art Online)
After it was revealed that Heathcliff was secretly the game master behind Aincrad, Kirito immediately plunged into action. While he may have performed well at the beginning of the duel, Asuna's death caused him to flight sloppily since he was demoralized.
In the end, the Black Swordsman technically "died" to Heathcliff, who impaled him through the chest. However, as his life dwindled to zero, Kirito managed to strike a death blow against the villain that would release him from the game before the NerveGear finished him off.
9 Tatsumi Gave His Life To Defeat The Emperor (Akame Ga Kill!)
While Tatsumi was technically forced to join Night Raid, he took its mission in stride and quickly made it his own. By the time the Capitol was invaded, he was even willing to give his life in order to prevent the Emperor from destroying the people.
Considering that the corrupt nation spanned across the entirety of the anime's known universe, it can be concluded that Tatsumi saved the world through his actions. He was also forced to watch his comrades die for their mission, such as Mine and Bulat.
8 Vanilla Ice Gave His Life To Save The (Figurative) World (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
Vanilla Ice had a unique definition of saving the world. He was willing to sacrifice his life at the behest of his master, even going as far as to commit suicide when ordered to.
During the Crusaders' invasion of the manor, Vanilla Ice killed Avdol and held off both Polnareff and Iggy while the remaining heroes pursued DIO. Since the vampire's Stand name is "The World" and is directly connected to his life force, Ice did all he could to save it.
7 Obito Sacrificed Himself To Save Naruto From Kaguya (Naruto)
Despite the harm he caused in the Fourth Shinobi War, Obito was invaluable in the fight against Kaguya. When Naruto and Sasuke were pinned, he used the Kamui so that the bone spikes intended for them would hit him instead. He did this with the knowledge that he'd die almost instantly in their place.
Because of his selflessness, Team 7 were able to defeat Kaguya and free the entire world from the spell of the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be the last that the Five Nations saw of the Otsutsuki clan.
6 Netero Turned Himself Into A Bomb To Take Out Meruem (Hunter X Hunter)
Netero realized how outmatched he was by Meruem going in to the fight. Although the Chairman wanted to battle anyway, he also planted a bomb inside himself so that when he inevitably failed, his death would still have meaning.
When Netero was on his literal last leg, he plunged a thumb into his own chest and triggered a massive explosion. Meruem may have been able to survive the initial blast, but the pernicious effects of radiation poisoning later killed him.
5 Akira Gave Everything To Stop Ryo But Still Failed (Devilman Crybaby)
Akira transformed into a demon for a climatic final battle against his former friend, Ryo. The impending conflict was brutal enough to shatter Earth itself and solidified his identity as a monster.
Despite his willingness to become a demon for the sake of victory, Akira ultimately failed to defeat his opponent. As a consequence, he was ripped in half and cast into the husk of the planet he once called home. Ryo only realized the gravity of his mistake after it was too late to amend it.
4 Mikasa Gave Up The Love Of Her Life To Do The Right Thing (Attack On Titan)
As Eren's Rumbling raged across the planet, Mikasa realized that he needed to be stopped. Despite the hesitation she displayed in the presence of the Marleyans, she was ultimately responsible for breaching his Titan and decapitating him when the time came.
In addition to sacrificing the love of her life and reason for existing up until that point, Mikasa also faced a considerable amount of danger when ending Eren. He easily could have swatted Falco into the ground and sent her plummeting to her death.
3 All Might Sacrificed His Quirk So That Evil Wouldn't Prevail (My Hero Academia)
All Might willingly sacrificed everything so that All For One wouldn't succeed at Kamino. By the time the dust had settled, his lies had been exposed and his body broken, and the only thing the Symbol of Peace had left was his successor.
Although it might seem as if merely Japan was at risk, this fight between legends resounded across the world. Should All For One have prevailed, evildoers from beyond the country's borders would feel emboldened to start a global crime wave.
2 Greed Gave His Life To Stop Father (Fullmetal Alchemist)
During the final battle against Father, he attempted to consume Greed in a desperate bid to recover his power. Unfortunately, Ling Yao couldn't resist having the Homunculus ripped from him, so he was ultimately returned to from whence he came.
However, Greed wasn't content to be used as a battery. He converted his body to ultimate carbon so that Edward Elric would have an easier time finishing Father off. Nonetheless, the villain's death meant his own, and in the end, the anti-hero paid a high price for betrayal.
1 Itachi Murdered Everyone He Loved To Prevent A World War (Naruto)
The Uchiha clan's initial plan was to betray their Senju allies in a surprise attack. However, a civil war between both factions would prompt third parties to exploit Konoha's weakness, which would then oblige their allies to aid them, and the conflict would expand from there.
In order to prevent a world war, Itachi was forced to murder his clan, including his own parents. Further, his actions traumatized his brother and ruined what was once a promising shinobi career. His sacrifice may have been heroic, but Itachi died in infamy.