Everyone has either had an ultimate low point in their lives or knows someone else who has. Loss is one of life's most absolute and heartbreaking truths, after all. It takes a lot of strength for people to stand up and keep walking in a world that's so absurd and unfair, so it can be quite inspiring when anime characters live through their own adversities and manage to put themselves back together despite it all.
Tales of loss are pretty popular for their uncanny ability to rally the spirits of both their characters and their spectators. There are countless stories of loss in the anime world with some characters managing to pull themselves out of despair while others ultimately fail.
10 Tohru Had To Find A New Reason To Live (Fruits Basket)
Before Kyoko Honda died in Fruits Basket, she was the center of her daughter Tohru Honda's world, and understandably so. Tohru's father had already passed when she was too young to remember him and then her mother wavered dangerously close to giving up on life because she missed her husband so badly.
But Tohru persevered and brought Kyoko back from the brink of desperation only to lose her prematurely anyway. Tohru had definitely lost everything when the Sohmas found her in their literal backyard, but they also reinvigorated her reason for living.
9 Shichika Lost His First Connection To The Outside World (Katanagatari)
When Togame snatched up Shichika Yasuri from his remote island home in Katanagatari, he couldn't have imagined the impact she'd have on his life. Since he's technically a sword himself, he devoted his life to protecting Togame and helping her realize her goal, and he was fully prepared to sacrifice himself for Togame's sake.
So, when she perished in his arms while asking him to live, it was too much for Shichika to bear - especially after he'd let himself become so attached to her. He obeys her command to continue living but ultimately avenges her death against her dying wishes.
8 Okabe Lost Everything Several Times & Had To Fight To Get It Back (Steins;Gate)
Fighting against time and fate itself is the key conflict in Steins;Gate, one that ruthlessly traumatized Rintaro Okabe more times than he can count. He had to watch his closest friends and loved ones die dozens of times while hunting down a timeline where everyone lives happily.
There are far more timelines where Okabe loses more than anyone should have to, but he still soldiered on until the end. Some may find Steins;Gate's ending hopelessly idealistic, but it's still the ending that Okabe deserved.
7 Eren Sacrificed It All To Achieve His Ultimate Goal (Attack On Titan)
Although Attack on Titan's ending is considered controversial by many in the fanbase, it still goes without saying that Eren Yeager had to make a heavy sacrifice. His intentions might not be understood by everyone, but what should be understood is the strength Eren had to muster to consider his life forfeit in the pursuit of peace.
In fact, Eren admits that he doesn't want to sacrifice himself for the greater good, but he also realizes it's the best way to bring an end to an old conflict and invite the possibility of a peaceful future.
6 Alphonse Literally Lost His Entire Body (Fullmetal Alchemist)
Both Alphonse Elric and his brother, Edward, knew they were taking a big alchemical risk in Fullmetal Alchemist, but they were still desperate to bring their recently deceased mother back to life. They couldn't have guessed at such a young age that their naivety would come at such a high cost: Edward's right arm and left leg, and Alphonse's entire body.
Despite the massive casualties, Ed and Al still found a way to stand up and keep living... but they're unable to forget the mistakes they've made along the way.
5 Guts Lost Everything More Than Once (Berserk)
Berserk's setting and world are ruthless, and Guts is no stranger to hardship. He's been betrayed by people he trusted and passed around by strangers since his youth, and he even acted as a child mercenary just to get by and make a living.
Guts has seen more death and taken more lives than anyone should ever have to, but not everyone lives in circumstances like his. Perhaps it's due to his namesake, but Guts manages to continue mustering up the "guts" to keep on living and defying fate.
4 Itachi Had To Renounce His Home & Family (Naruto)
Living through a World War traumatized Naruto's Itachi Uchiha so badly that he couldn't bear the thought of living through another one, which is why he ultimately chose to betray his clan. Although the series initially presents Itachi as a cold-blooded villain, it's only because we see him through Sasuke's eyes at first.
To prevent any sympathy for murdering their clan and ensure that Sasuke will punish him, Itachi essentially brainwashes Sasuke into thinking he's evil and worthy of retribution. But the truth is that Itachi never wanted to betray his home and only wanted to prevent further suffering.
3 Kosei's Passion For Piano Died Along With His Mother (Your Lie In April)
As a renowned pianist in Your Lie in April, Kosei Arima was destined to reach the upper echelons of the music world... or he would have if his mother hadn't passed away prematurely. His mother was portrayed as somewhat overbearing in her teaching methods, so it's not surprising that Kosei felt he lost his touch with music after she passed.
But then he met and fell in love with Kaori Miyazono, who reinvigorated his love for music and inspired him to play for himself. Unfortunately, Kosei also lost Kaori to a terminal illness, but her lessons stayed with him and gave him strength.
2 Kenshin's Life Contained Many Losses (Rurouni Kenshin)
Like many who live during tumultuous times in history, Kenshin Himura's life in Rurouni Kenshin is marked with death and loss. Orphaned at a young age and a proficient swordsman by the time he was a teenager, Kenshin lived a life of strife while aiming to stop the warring that caused his early hardships.
His conviction ultimately helped him bring an end to the Bakumatsu and usher in a new era of peace, but the enemies he made along the way prevented him from living the rest of his days peacefully. Instead, he eventually contracts an illness and spends most of his later life in solitude.
1 Kyoko Traded Her Soul To Support Her Family (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
Watching her father struggle to gain a devout following for his religion was too much for Kyoko Sakura to bear in Puella Magi Madoka Magica, so she took matters into her own hands and made the ultimate sacrifice. In return for her father's success as a preacher, she traded her soul to Kyubey and began hunting witches. But how could Kyoko have known that the whole situation would blow up in her face?
Once her father found out about her deal with the proverbial Devil, he deemed her a witch and rejected her. He went on to kill not only himself but the rest of her family, leaving Kyoko to fend for herself as eternal punishment.