Often, the death of an anime hero is romanticized as a brave sacrifice that draws their life to a satisfying close. In some instances, it can inspire their comrades and encourage them to fight on. In others, their passing may provide the key to the villain's downfall.

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However, there have been dozens of times where a hero died in vain and with no benefit to the protagonists, these futile acts of selflessness a stark contrast to the traditional heroic sacrifice.

10 Yasuie's Death Was Meaningless Due To Orochi's Spy (One Piece)

Yasuie smiling at his execution in One Piece.

After being identified and arrested, Yasuie was strung up in public and prepared to be shot. With his final breath, he told Orochi's henchmen that the crescent mark on dozens of heels was meaningless. Additionally, he invalidated the rendezvous point that Kin'emon and his comrades were passing out as a bad joke.

Though this ruse fooled dozens of villains, Kanjuro informed Orochi of the truth. Fortunately, Oden's other retainers assigned a secondary meaning to the flier which enabled Onigashima's invasion.

9 Escanor's Final Stand Against The Demon King Didn't Amount To Much (Seven Deadly Sins)

Demon King Seven Deadly Sins final villain

When the Demon King finally entered Britannia using Zeldris as a vessel, the Seven Deadly Sins rose to defy him. Escanor borrowed his power from Mael in order to join the heroes for one last fight. Burning through his body to enhance his strength, Escanor engaged the Demon King in single combat.

Although fighting evenly for a time, Escanor's strength eventually faltered. In the end, his comrades were more responsible for defeating the tyrant than he was, which made his death largely unnecessary.

8 Jet's Brand Of Rebellion Was Inevitably A Failure (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Jet holding his hook swords

From attempting to flood a town to exposing Zuko, everything Jet did was inevitably a failure. His radical means of thwarting the Fire Nation deterred potential allies and put civilians at risk.

Eventually, Jet drew the attention of the Dai Li, who captured him and brought him to an underground bunker. By the time that Aang found him, Jet was a hollow shell of his former self. Toward of the end of the series, it was strongly implied that he either died or suffered a fate or even worse.

7 L Died Without Exposing Light's Identity (Death Note)

L dies in Light's arms in Death Note.

After months of diligence and research, L almost had definitive proof of Light's guilt. However, it would have also incriminated Misa Amane, which compelled Rem the shinigami in order to act on her behalf.

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By prematurely forcing L's death, Rem spared Misa's life at the cost of her own. Since Light was physically in the room with L when he died, the other members of the Japanese Task Force were convinced that he could not have possibly been the killer. Therefore, L died without accomplishing his greatest mission.

6 Despite Erwin's Sacrifices, Paradis Was Eventually Destroyed (Attack On Titan)

Erwin Smith from Attack on Titan stares grimly with the sky in the background

Commander Erwin is best known for his heroic final stand against Zeke. He hoped that it would lead to the salvation of Paradis regardless of his ability to see what or who lived beyond the walls.

Although Erwin's actions bought Eldia time, the armies of the world eventually gathered, bombing the island until nothing remained. While Erwin may have died a hero, his sacrifice meant nothing in a matter of a few short generations. In the end, the allied coalition undid his best efforts to save Paradis.

5 Nana Shimura Did Not Stop All For One (My Hero Academia)

Anime My Hero Academia Nana Shimura Versus All For One

Nana Shimura stood against All For One in hopes that her Quirk was strong enough to beat him. Unfortunately, the villain had amassed so many abilities that her courage meant nothing and her sacrifice was meaningless. After Nana's demise, All For One reigned victorious for a considerable amount of time.

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Meanwhile, All Might traveled to America in order to hone his skills and become stronger. Eventually, he returned to Japan and defeated All For One, suffering a grievous injury in the process.

4 Hayate Gekko Failed To Expose The Sand's Treachery (Naruto)

hayate vs baki in naruto

When Kabuto and Baki conspired to overthrow Konoha, Hayate Gekko eavesdropped on their plans. Though nearly escaping, Baki confronted the man and attacked him.

Hayate may have had an advantage in speed and skill, but Baki only needed to land a single well-placed strike with his wind blade in order to win the battle. In the end, the attack on the Leaf went as expected. By the time Orochimaru revealed himself, not even Hiruzen Sarutobi was prepared to fight back.

3 Jonathan Joestar Failed To Stop Dio (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)

Jonathan Joestar's death in a burning ship, while holding Dio's head in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

After mastering Hamon, it appeared as if Jonathan Joestar would avenge his father by defeating Dio. He won their duel so decisively that only Dio's decapitated head managed to survive. Nonetheless, Dio gathered his servants and ambushed Jonathan on a honeymoon cruiser.

He carefully cut off the hero's oxygen so that he could not channel Hamon even as the ship burned down around them. Although Jonathan ultimately died from the explosion, Dio claimed his body and vowed to haunt his descendants as their greatest nemesis. Consequently, it was the most straightforward villainous triumph of the entire series.

2 Akira Failed To Stop Ryo From Destroying The World (Devilman Crybaby)

Final fight devilman series

Having acquired the powers of a demon, Akira was in a better place to fight Ryo's satanic hordes than most. As the Earth itself crumbled around them, Akira sacrificed his humanity in order to oppose his former friend. Unfortunately, Akira's actions were in vain.

Regardless of how much strength he had, Ryo remained a superior opponent. At the battle's conclusion, the human race was exterminated and Akira ripped in half. In the end, there was nothing the heroes could have done to avoid their fate.

1 Kite Wouldn't Have Needed To Die If Gon Acted Sooner (Hunter X Hunter)

a decapitated kite

When Neferpitou first appeared, Kite sacrificed himself so that Gon and Killua could escape. In theory, this might seem like a meaningful death that furthered the story. However, it was later revealed that Gon possessed the strength to defeat Neferpitou so long as he put a nen condition on himself.

If Gon tapped into this inner power earlier, Kite's death could have been completely prevented. It was especially grisly when considering that Kite's body had been strung up as a target dummy for chimera ants to experiment on.

Next: 10 Anime Villains Who Did The Right Thing