In a Japanese anime series, "the stakes" describe anything that a given character stands to gain or lose, especially the protagonist. The stakes are much higher when everything the hero holds dear, including intangible things such as love, aspirations, or even a career, is threatened

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Roguish antiheroes might not have much to lose aside from their own lives, but many other anime heroes have plenty on the line when they fight the villains. These anime heroes could lose the lives of their friends or family members, or perhaps even their hometown or country. As such, they will fight bitterly to the very end to defend the things they cherish most.

10 Naruto Uzumaki Could Lose A Whole Lot More (Naruto)

Naruto Uzumaki Brandishing a Kunai knife against a blue background

The shonen hero Naruto Uzumaki lost both of his parents on the same day he was born, and growing up, he had no friends, either. Naruto thought he had nothing to lose, but that couldn't have been further from the truth. Naruto stands to lose his many friends, for example, such as the members of the Konoha 11 group.

Naruto also stood to lose his entire home village, and sure enough, the Six Paths of Pain wiped it out in an afternoon. Meanwhile, Naruto has his Hokage dream to lose, but fortunately, he certainly did not lose that intangible treasure.

9 Shinra Kusakabe Defends The Entire World (Fire Force)

fire force shinra saluting

The fire soldier Shinra Kusakbe lost his mother and thought he also lost his baby brother, Sho, but that doesn't mean he has nothing to lose. Sho is alive after all, and Shinra is determined to redeem his cultist little brother no matter what. Shinra won't let the brotherly bond die.

Those are some decent personal stakes, but there's more. Shinra is fighting to defend the entire world from the apocalyptic schemes of the Evangelist, and he loves his Tokyo Empire home. Even if he defeats the Evangelist in a personal duel, it means little if his home is destroyed in the process.

8 Yor Forger Has A Bigger Family Now (Spy X Family)

Yor with Anya in Spy x Family.

Growing up, Yor only had her little brother, Yuri, for company, and she worked hard to provide for him. That gave her some personal stakes, and now, Yor has even more family members at stake. She is married to Loid Forger the spy, and they have a lovely foster daughter, Anya.

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Yor would be devastated if she lost her brother, husband, or daughter, meaning her enemies could take them hostage to manipulate her. That's why Yor takes the initiative as the Thorn Princess and assassinates her enemies before they can try such a thing.

7 Eren Yeager Supports All Eldians (Attack On Titan)

Attack on Titan's Eren Yeager holding his hand up.

In his earlier days as a soldier, Eren had the entire walled city at stake, but now, the scope of his mission is even greater. Eren is now aware of the world beyond the sea, including the clash between the Marley Empire and the oppressed Eldian people. Eren must fight for his fellow countrymen at all costs.

This means Eren has the fate of the entire Eldian race at stake, and he is fiercely determined to give them a new home in a world that rejects them. Eren stands to lose his people's hope for the future, and he'll use every Titan Shifter power he can to achieve victory.

6 All Might Defends All Of Society (My Hero Academia)

Young All Might in My Hero Academia.

The invincible All Might bears the entire world on his shoulders as the symbol of peace. As Japan's #1 pro hero, All Might is responsible for the life of every member of modern society, and those are some formidable stakes. He would feel devastated if even one person died because of his negligence or failure.

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All Might stands to lose not just all those lives, but the intangible principles and ethics that keep the hero-based society running, and All For One is the most obvious threat to that society. And if that weren't enough, All Might also stands to lose his image as an invincible hero and savior.

5 Light Yagami Will Defend His Kingdom (Death Note)

Light Yagami holding the Death Note in the Death Note anime

Arguably, Light Yagami is actually an anime villain, though he can also be categorized as a grim antihero. At any rate, Light does have noble intentions, such as creating a safe, crime-free society around the world, and he'll do whatever he must to defend that vision.

Light put everything on the line when he decided to become "Kira" and build his new world order one death at a time. An egotistical character like Light would be devastated if his grand ambitions were taken away from him, and sure enough, he eventually lost to Near and lost his very life to Ryuk.

4 Kaguya Shinomiya Has True Love & Her Reputation On The Line (Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War)

Kaguya Shinomiya leaves the parent-teacher conferences in Kaguya-sama: Love Is War

The wealthy heiress Kaguya Shinomiya is under a great deal of pressure to live up to the lofty Shinomiya name and meet all expectations of her. This means Kaguya has her very reputation and that of her family on the line, and getting disowned would be a catastrophe for her.

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Meanwhile, Kaguya Shinomiya also has emotional stakes where Miyuki Shirogane is concerned. She has her pride and her heart at stake during this love war, and she will do whatever it takes to make Miyuki confess his feelings first.

3 Natsu Dragneel Fights For His Friends & Guild (Fairy Tail)

Fairy-Tail Natsu Dragneel on fire

Natsu Dragneel the fire dragon slayer has plenty on the line whenever he fights Fairy Tail's strongest villains, such as the Spriggan 12 or Grimoire Heart's members. He is a loyal member of the Fairy Tail guild, and true to that guild's principles, Natsu will fight to the death for a friend.

Natsu has every single guildmate at stake when he fights, and he would be heartbroken if anyone died. At times, Natsu even has the guildhall itself at stake, such as when Phantom Lord tried to destroy it with a giant magical cannon.

2 Jonathan Joestar Lost One Thing After Another (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)

Jonathan Joestar looking content in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

The Victorian gentleman hero Jonathan Joestar had plenty to lose, and that is why Dio Brando targeted him. Tragically, Jonathan lost most of the things he fought so hard for, and he had to give his very life to save his wife from Dio's wrath aboard that ship.

Jonathan loved his dog Danny, only for Dio to kill that poor hound in secret. Then, Jonathan lost his father George, and then Dio destroyed the entire Joestar family mansion. In short, Jonathan had it all, and then he lost almost everything. But he kept fighting anyway, and despite the cost, he managed to beat Dio and save his wife.

1 Rimuru Tempest Defends His Nation & Citizens (That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime)

rimuru tempest in front of festivals from the slime diaries

Rimuru Tempest the isekai hero has a lot to lose. He is the founder and ruler of his very own monster nation in the Jura forest, meaning he stands to lose his very home, just like Naruto Uzumaki. Rimuru won't let all his hard work go to waste if he can help it.

That town is also heavily populated with thousands of Rimuru's friends and fellow monsters, from the Japanese-style ogres to the orcs, goblins, dire wolves, and more, and Rimuru can't stand the thought of losing them. At one point, Falmuth's forces laid waste to the town, and that devastating loss is what prompted Rimuru to finally tap into his dark side to get revenge.

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