Anime heroes are often ordinary people who are pushed into the spotlight and forced into extreme circumstances. It's one thing, though, to be forced into battle to kill an enemy. It's another to be given an impossible choice and have to take out someone they love.
In some stories, such a tragic scene is pivotal to the anime. In other cases, it’s a sad secret locked away in the backstory of a hero. Here's a look at some of the heroes who had to make that terrible decision to kill those closest to them.
10 Shorter Begs Ash To End His Suffering (Banana Fish)
Ash Lynx and Shorter Wong are close friends on Banana Fish. He rescues him when he's kidnapped and tries to look out for him in general. When Shorter defects to rival Yut-Lung's side. Ash understood he had to do it to protect his family. After Shorter is given Banana Fish, though, it wrecks his mind and he becomes dangerous. Hearing Ash's voice brings his consciousness back temporarily, and Shorter begs Ash to kill him and set him free from the destructive hallucinations. The scene is a real tear-jerker.
9 Rukia Kuchiki Is Forced To Kill Her Former Mentor (Bleach)
Kaien Shiba was a respected lieutenant serving under captain Jushiro Ukitake in the 13th Division in Bleach. At one time, he was Rukia Kuchiki's beloved mentor.
But when Kaien's wife Miyako is killed by a Hollow, Metastacia, Kaien, swept up in his feelings, charged out against it on his own without waiting for an assault squad. It results in his death and his body is used by the Hollow, but then stolen by Aaroniero. Rukia realizes that Kaien's memories were still intact, and while it's hard for her, she finishes him off in the end.
8 Clare Is Forced To Finish Off Her BFF Elena While She's Still Human (Claymore)
The demons called Yoma hide among the human population, disguised in human form even as they prey on and eat them. The Claymores, like Clare, are half-human, half-demon hybrids who kill Yoma for a fee.
Clare and Elena are both Claymores who went through the grueling training together. That makes it even more painful when Elena is taken over by a Yoma and Clare has to kill her while she's still human. They reminisce about the good times before the deed is done on Mount Shire.
7 Lelouch Is Forced To Shoot His Half-Sister Euphemia (Code Geass)
Lelouch doesn't often get sentimental about the many people he’s killed on Code Geass, but his half-sister Euphemia’s death is an exception. While he's not aware that he can't turn his Geass off, he accidentally sends her rampaging against the entire Japanese population using his Geass powers — powers that cannot be disobeyed.
After she orders the Britannia troops to kill the audience at a ceremony, she goes on her own murderous rampage. Lelouch finds her, and sadly unable to rescind his Geass command, shoots her.
6 Itachi Is Forced To Choose Between Annihilating His Clan And His Brother's Death (Naruto)
Itachi Uchiha slaughtered his entire clan, including his own parents. The true story behind the massacre didn't come out until after his death. Then, it was revealed that when he was younger, he worked for the Uchiha, who were planning a revolt.
He tries to help, but after the authorities blame the Uchiha clan for the Nine Tails's attack, they're marked for execution. He's given the impossible choice of joining them in their slaughter or killing them himself to spare both himself and his baby brother Sasuke.
5 Kurumi Is Forced To Kill Her Zombified Crush (School-Live!)
In School-Live!, Kurumi and her friends have to deal with a zombie outbreak in their city all while trying to lead normal lives as students. Kurumi is the first one who realizes she has to take action after her crush becomes a zombie and she has to kill him in self-defense. Later, she encounters her teacher, Megu-nee, but can't face killing her too. Megu-nee bites her, and Kurumi nearly ends up with the same fate until one of her friends shows up with the antidote just in time.
4 Nagisa And Class 3-E Have To Take Out Korosensei To Save The World (Assassination Classroom)
The moon's been damaged, earth is in peril, and Korosensei certainly looks like a monster. He becomes the homeroom teacher for class 3-E, and the government offers a reward to any student who can take him out.
But they learn is that he wasn't the culprit, and his only goal is to actually help them and save the world. To do so, though, he has to make the ultimate sacrifice in the end, and it's quite an emotional moment when the class circles him and Nagisa, his favorite, sinks in the blade.
3 Setsuna Was Manipulated Into Killing His Parents (Mobile Suit Gundam 00)
Setsuna's backstory is tragic in Mobile Suit Gundam 00. He, along with many other children, was kidnapped by Ali al-Saachez and indoctrinated as a soldier in his holy war. Ali tells all the children that, before they can offer themselves to God as soldiers, they must kill their own parents.
Young Setsuna, known as Soran at the time, kills both his father and mother and joins with Ali. Setsuna battles him a few times later on, but in the end spares his life.
2 Shinji Ikari Crushes Kaworu Nagisa With An Eva Unit (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
Shinji and Kaworu have a very close relationship that some viewers would even call love, but it doesn't really have a chance to fully develop.
It's definitely suspicious that Kaworu has such high synchronization rates, and eventually it's discovered that he’s the 17th and final Angel. Shinji is sent to kill him after he's detected descending towards Terminal Dogma, where he hopes to return to Adam. When he finds Lilith instead, he lets Shinji destroy him. Shinji is gutted, even though Misato reassured him that he did what was necessary.
1 Gintoki Is Forced To Decide between His Beloved Teacher And His Friends (Gintama)
Even though it's generally a comedy, Gintoki's tragic past is revealed during the Shogun Assassination Arc of Gintama. Gintoki lives in a world conquered by aliens called Amanto. The Tenshouin Naraku, a secret assassination group working for the government, kidnap his beloved teacher and father figure. In trying to save him, Gintoki and two of his friends are captured. Gintoki is forced to choose between his teacher and his two friends. As his teacher told him to, he saves his friends.