Plenty of the best anime shows will kill off their characters, and some of them are notorious for it. Many works of fiction will clearly depict one or more characters dying or getting killed for a variety of narrative purposes, such as creating emotional impact or raising the stakes and tension.

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Even when anime fans see a character's death coming from a mile away, that character's death may hit hard, and it'll tug right on the viewers' heartstrings. In other cases, anime fans are shocked and outraged, and they'll demand revenge on whichever character or monster killed their favorite character like that.

Update May 13th, 2023 by Louis Kemner: Countless anime series have hit the airwaves since the last time CBR discussed the most heartbreaking character deaths, meaning it's time to pay tribute to all the deceased anime characters fans knew and loved. Some of these characters were murdered by a villain's hand, while others passed on more peacefully and left behind a wonderful legacy that inspired everyone who they said goodbye to.

20 Koro-Sensei (Assassination Classroom)

The premise of Assassination Classroom is that a constantly smiling yellow alien is threatening to destroy the world, and it's up to a certain junior high school class to stop him. Koro-Sensei is both loved and feared as class 3-E's teacher, a creature whom the students must learn from - then assassinate at all costs.

A touching flashback of class 3-E’s time together with Koro-sensei is played before Nagisa plunges a knife into his heart with the final words of goodbye. The song that plays during the scene is Tabidachi No Uta, a song that fits in with remembering the good times of Koro-sensei and amplifying the scene.

19 Setsuko (Grave Of The Fireflies)

setsuko is dying in grave of the fireflies

Studio Ghibli is no stranger to sad themes, but they really hit it hard with Setsuko’s death in the anime movie, Grave of the Fireflies. Setsuko is a four-year-old girl who learns how cruel the world can be. She adores her 14-year-old brother who tries his best to take care of her, but it wasn’t good enough.

After feeding Setsuko a small bite of watermelon, Seita sets out for more food. However, this would be Setsuko’s last meal as she passes away in her sleep. The harsh reality that Grave of the Fireflies is based on a true story makes this scene even sadder.

18 Jonathan Joestar (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)

jonathan joestar moments before his death

In the 1980s, the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga shocked shonen fans when the story killed off its first hero, Jonathan Joestar, in cold blood. Jonathan defeated his vampire foster brother, Dio, then gave his life to defeat Dio once again aboard a burning ship.

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Jonathan didn't regret paying the ultimate price to stop Dio's rampage, however. In fact, much to Dio's shock, Jonathan held Dio's severed head to his chest and gladly died, stating that he could never hate his villainous foster brother.

17 Otonashi (Angel Beats)

angel beats otonashi crying

While most of the characters in Angel Beats die, Otonashi's death really hit Angel Beats fans in the feels. Most of the story is told while the characters are dead and, in the afterlife, but Otonashi doesn’t recall how he died. On a journey to figure out how he ended up in the afterlife, he makes friends with everyone there and discovers how they all died.

In an attempt to regain his memories, Yuri hypnotizes Otonashi where he remembers he had a sick younger sister. When his sister passes away Otonashi studies to become a doctor, but on the way to his exam his train crashes from an earthquake. Trapped in a tunnel for seven days, Otonashi helps the survivors due to his studying but dies moments before the rescue team shows up.

16 Nina Tucker (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)

nina tucker and her dog alexander in fullmetal alchemist: brotherhood

One of the most iconic moments of Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood is the shock behind Nina’s death. Shou Tucker was a licensed state alchemist in danger of losing his state certification. When he gained his certification, it was for transmuting his wife into a chimera that could talk, which impressed the government officials who saw it.

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Two years later, Shou Tucker hit a wall with his research, so out of desperation, he fused his daughter and dog into a new chimera. First, Edward beat the hated Shou Tucker half to death in anger, then Scar showed up and killed not just Shou, but also the Nina chimerea, the latter for mercy's sake.

15 Ushio (Clannad: After Story)

Ushio in clannad: after story

The second season of Clannad finds its way onto the list with Ushio’s death. Tomoya and Nagisa now have a daughter together named Ushio. When Ushio falls sick one winter, she becomes ill with a mysterious disease. Tomoya gives up everything to take care of Ushio and takes her on a trip when she asks.

Walking through the snowy road, Ushio’s sickness takes over her. She collapses in the snow whispering her last words “I love you” to her father. Tomoya cries holding his lifeless daughter’s body.

14 Byakuya Ishigami (Dr. Stone)

Byakuya Ishigami in an astronaut suit in the Dr. Stone anime.

The story of Dr. Stone is largely an optimistic one, but there are still a few heavy moments in it. The lead character is the scientific genius Senki Ishigami, and his adopted father Byakuya casts a long shadow over the story.

Senku didn't think he'd miss Byakuya, but he was proven wrong when he found a primitive recording that Byakuya and the other ISS survivors left for him. Byakuya died 3,700 years ago when the new Stone Age began, and that fact hit Senku harder than anyone expected.

13 Menma (Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day)

Menma Finally Passes On in anohana

Like Otonashi from Angel Beats, Meiko Honma, known as Menma, is already dead. Menma died several years before the current time in the anime. Menma had a wish of reuniting her friends which Jinta carries out for her. Menma returns from her death as a ghost only visible to Jinta. She lets others know she's around by carrying things and writing in her diary.

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Menma tries to convince Jinta and friends that she's playing hide and seek when Jinta can no longer see Menma. When everyone leaves the secret base to go look for her, she writes her final goodbyes in the diary leaving a personalized note for each of her friends. The note for Jinta says “I love you."

12 Masaki Kurosaki (Bleach)

Masaki Kurosaki smiles in Bleach anime.

Masaki Kurosaki was Ichigo's doting mother, and she died before the main events of Bleach even started. She was once a human Quincy until she lost her powers and settled down with the Soul Reaper who saved her life, Isshin Shiba.

Masaki lost her life one rainy afternoon when the hollow known as Grand Fisher slew her right before Ichigo's eyes. Masaki had meant everything to young Ichigo, and then she was gone. The happiness soon vanished from Ichigo's life, but he finished processing his grief years later when he learned the truth of this from Isshin.

11 Isla (Plastic Memories)

Ilsa the robot girl in plastic memories

Plastic Memories follows Tsukasa, an 18-year-old in the Sion Artificial Intelligence Corporation. The SIA creates Giftias, which are androids that look like humans. Tsukasa’s partner is Isla, who just returned to the field after horrible experiences with her previous partner. At the end of episode two, it is revealed that Isla only has 2,000 hours left to live.

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Tsukasa and Isla grow attached and fall in love. On Isla’s final day, she and Tsukasa ride a Ferris Wheel together where they share a kiss and reminisce about the time they had together. By the time the Ferris Wheel ride reaches the bottom, Isla and Tsukasa have had their last memory together.

10 Portgas D. Ace (One Piece)

Ace grinning from one piece

Portgas D. Ace and Sabo were Luffy's foster brothers in One Piece, and the three of them vowed to become successful pirates one day. As the oldest, Ace went first and joined the Whitebeard Pirate crew in his late teens. Years later, he fought and lost to the villainous Captain Blackbeard on Banaro Island, and was captured.

An entire war was fought over Ace's fate, and Ace almost escaped. But at the last moment, Admiral Akainu fatally wounded him, and Ace died in Luffy's arms. He died happy, overjoyed that Luffy had loved him as a brother, but it was still heartbreaking to see him go.

9 Itachi Uchiha (Naruto)

Itachi crying after slaughtering clan and leaving Sasuke in Naruto.

Many characters tragically died in the Naruto anime, including the third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi and Asuma Sarutobi, but Itachi Uchiha's death was even more tragic. Itachi was an anti-villain who let everyone think he was a monster, but he was actually a caring big brother who fought tirelessly for his village's sake.

At first, Naruto villains were led to believe that Itachi was a despicable villain. However, Itachi prevented a rebellion and possibly a war by doing so. Flashbacks of Itachi’s time with Sasuke play during the fight between the two. Itachi collapses at his brothers’ feet knowing he did everything he could for his younger brother.

8 Kaori Miyazono (Your Lie In April)

Kaori Tragically Slips Away (Your Lie In April)
Kaori Miyazono from Your Lie in April. Kaori has an unspecified illness and plays the violin. 

Kaori Miyazono was a young musician who played the violin. After hearing Kosei Arima play the piano, Kaori knew she wanted him to play for her and make some beautiful music Kosei, with some convincing, accepts being Kaori’s accompanist and eventually fell in love with her. However, Kaori had a serious illness, and she was running out of time.

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At one point, Kosei performed on stage while Kaori is at the hospital. While he is playing, he imagines she's playing with him for one last performance. By the song's end, Kaori faded away from the stage, leaving Kosei in tears. Kaori leaves a letter behind for Kousei to read, finally confessing her feelings for him.

7 Kyoko Honda (Fruit's Basket)

kyoko honda in fruits basket, looking over her shoulder

Kyoko Honda was the doting mother of Tohru Honda, and she was certainly one of the best parents in all of Fruits Basket. Kyoko had a rough upbringing and once belonged to a girl gang until she quit the delinquent life for good.

Kyoko later married her savior Katsuya and had a daughter with him. But Katsuya died a few years after that, and Kyoko herself lost her life just before Tohru started high school. It was a serious loss, but remarkably, Tohru endured it with grace and maturity and is making the most of her life despite losing her mother.

6 Maes Hughes (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)

maes hughes is fighting in fullmetal alchemist: brotherhood

In its earlier episodes, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood set up Colonel Maes Hughes to be the show's best-supporting character, but that didn't long. The anime spent just enough time establishing him as an excellent father and husband, then killed him off.

Maes stumbled upon the truth of Father's grand plan, and Lust and Envy needed to shut him up at once. Both homunculi attacked him one night, with Envy cornering Maes and shooting him dead. If that weren't cruel enough, Envy even assumed Maes' wife's form, filling Maes with horror and confusion right before he died.

5 Ai Hoshino (Oshi No Ko)

Ai Hoshino from Oshi no Ko making a frame with her fingers.

Oshi no Ko is a dark drama anime that exposes the lies and abuse in the pop idol industry. The story begins when the teenage idol Ai Hoshino gives birth to her twin son and daughter Aquamarine and Ruby, though Ai fears she doesn't truly love them.

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Three years later, a yandere fan fatally stabs Ai in her home, but in her dying moments, Ai finally realizes that she indeed loves her two children, and dies relatively happy. It was heartbreaking to see a confused, overwhelmed young mother die like that, prompting Aquamarine to vow that he'll avenge his mother and punish her killer.

4 Himeno (Chainsaw Man)

Himeno gives her life to the Ghost Devil in Chainsaw Man.

Chainsaw Man often kills off its characters, including heroes and villains alike, to subvert the protective power of friendship and crank up the tension. Even if many of those characters were deeply flawed people, Chainsaw Man fans still miss them, most of all Himeno.

Himeno was a scarred, jaded devil hunter who was tired of seeing her co-workers and friends die, but she fought on for duty's sake. Himeno just wanted to find happiness in everyday life, and she enjoyed her short-lived friendship with Denji the protagonist before she gave her life fighting her enemies.

3 Kite (Hunter X Hunter)

kite looking over his shoulder hxh

The Shonen anime Hunter x Hunter is deceptively dark. For all its colorful visuals and wacky humor with Gon and Killua, the series is also brutally dark and shocking, such as the truth of Killua's rough upbringing. Then, in the Chimera Ant story arc, tragedy struck.

Gon's beloved mentor, the long-haired Kite, lost his life to his enemies, and Gon's grief was palpable. Then, Gon's sorrow turned to burning rage, and that anger sustained him in the difficult fight against the chimera ants, as his harsh glare toward Neferpitou showed.

2 Thors Snorresson (Vinland Saga)

thors got attacked by archers in vinland saga

Vinland Saga is a seinen anime that takes place during the Viking Age in the medieval period. Thors Snorresson was once a feared Viking warrior, but he grew weary of the bloodshed, and renounced violence. Then he started a family, only to get dragged into a new adventure years later.

Askeladd ambushed Thors' troops in the Faroe Islands, and after a sword duel, Askeladd had his archers open fire, and Thors was doomed. His young son Thorfinn could only watch in horror as he died, but ironically, Thorfinn ignored Thors' message of peace and vowed revenge on Thors' killers.

1 Kamina (Gurren Lagann)

Kamina from Gurren Lagann grinning.

For a time, the cheerful Kamina was the co-star of Gurren Lagann, and it was he who encouraged Simon to reach for the stars to find freedom. Kamina fought well with Simon against the Beastmen and their Gunmen mechs, but to everyone's shock, Kamina was killed in action.

The emotional impact of Kamina's death was best expressed through the two people who were closest to him. Simon sank deep into his grief, having lost his inspiring big brother figure, while the heartbroken Yoko Littner lost a lover.

NEXT: 10 Happiest Anime Heroes, Ranked