WARNING: The following contains spoilers for My Hero Academia, Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina,
Talentless Nana, Deca-Dence, Boruto, Millionaire Detective, Tower of God and Higurashi: When They Cry – Gou
2020 has been a patented rollercoaster of a year with twists and turns around every corner. Some were good, some were awful, but this year's unpredictability seemed to reach every corner of our lives — including the world of anime and manga. This year's offerings have been full of exciting revelations and heart-stopping surprises, still giving fans some fun despite some wider industry setbacks. Here are eight of the best plot twists from this year that kept us on our toes even during a time like this.
My Hero Academia — Dabi's True Identity
2020 has seen My Hero Academia thrill its fans with loads of drama and exciting twists. But the biggest twist of the Paranormal Liberation War arc has to be Dabi's identity. Fans have long speculated as to who Dabi really is, and in 2020 they found out. In chapter #290, Dabi intercepts every television network and broadcasts a message. In this message, he reveals that his real name is Toya Todoroki and that he is the son of Endeavor and Rei Todoroki. He was born as part of a "Quirk Marriage" that was aimed towards birthing to a hero with the best powers. But, Toya didn't live up to expectations. And now, he plans to get revenge on his dad. This revelation shocks Endeavor to his core as he believed that Toya had died in a fire on Sekoto Peak, a fire so hot that it totally vaporized his body.
Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina — Sudden Dark Turn
If you read the previews at the start of the season, you would have been forgiven for thinking that Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina was a relaxed show about a witch exploring a fantasy world. However, as the episodes aired, it became apparent that this was far from the case, with hints of the world's dark underbelly starting to poke through.
But Episode 9, "A Deep Sorrow from the Past," was extremely shocking, featuring murder, suffering and buckets of gore quite unlike anything seen in the show before. Elaina helps a woman named Estelle go back in time to prevent her friend Selena from becoming a crazed serial killer following her family's horrific murder. However, when Elania and her new friend meet Selena, they find she is a blood-soaked maniac who openly delights in suffering, pain and death. This sends Estelle into a rage, causing her to brutally murder Selena.
Talentless Nana — Nana's Power "Reveal"
Early previews of Talentless Nana made it look like a show in the vein of My Hero Accademia. A normal person called Nanao Nakajima is thrown onto an island that acts as a school for kids with superpowers. Nanao befriends another new student called Nana Hiiragi, a girl with mind-reading powers. With Nana's help, Nanao is able to overcome his inferiority complex and save his fellow students by discovering that he has the power to suppress other superpowers. However, before he can celebrate, Nanao is pushed off a cliff by Nana. Nana then reveals that she is the true protagonist of the series, and she has one goal. To murder every superpowered person on the island by any means necessary. And then, to top it off, it is revealed that Nana is the talentless one and that her mind-reading power is merely cold reading, deduction and trickery, not a superpower.
Deca-Dence — It's All a Game
Deca-Dence's first episode made it out to be a post-apocalyptic anime set in a world where strange monsters called Gadoll had nearly wiped out humanity, forcing them to all live in a giant fortress called Deca-Dence. However, at the end of episode one, several odd creatures are seen observing the characters.
And then, in episode two, the twist is revealed. When air pollution reached lethal levels, mega-corporations took over the world and filled it with cyborg bodies called Gears. These Gears ended up outnumbering humans. Then a corporation called Solid Quake sealed the continent of Eurasia in a dome, effectively making it a wildlife preserve for unmodified humans and an entertainment center for aliens. Solid Quake also lets its workers pay to jump into the bodies of the Gears so they could fight and kill the Gadoll that Solid Quake created, meaning that Deca-Dence is effectively an elaborate VR game.
Boruto — Naruto's New Form: Baryon Mode
Boruto's manga has had many twists and turns, but it was the unveiling of Naruto's Baryon Mode that shocked many fans. While battling Isshiki in chapter 52, the outlook wasn't great, and it seemed almost certain that Naruto would finally meet his long-rumored end.
However, at the very last minute, Naruto and Kurama enter "Baryon Mode." This supremely-powerful form allows Naruto to create energy by consuming his own chakra, but it comes with a horrific price. Baryon Mode saps the life out of the user, meaning that every second Naruto uses it, he is burning up his lifespan. But that isn't all this form can do. In fact, Baryon Mode is so powerful that it can drain the lifeforce of other beings via their chakra. This means that the form is able to reduce Isshiki's lifespan from 20 hours to 30 minutes within just a few minutes.
Millionaire Detective — Daisuke's Mother's True Murderer
It wouldn't be a detective story without a twist, and the finale of Millionaire Detective certainly delivered. After years of searching, Daisuke finally gets to learn the truth about his mother's murder. When Daisuke sees that his father, Shigemaru, flinches with the wrong hand, he comes to the realization that he isn't actually the real deal.
In fact, this Shigemaru is actually Daisuke's grandmother's butler in disguise. Hattori, the butler, had been working to confuse Daisuke and throw him off the trail in the hopes that he wouldn't learn the truth about the situation. It is also revealed that Kikuko, Daisuke's grandmother, orchestrated the murder of Daisuke's mother. She was killed to prevent her from leaking the strange secret of Adollium to the world, as this would eat into the family's profits. On top of this, Kikuko also kidnapped the real Shigemaru and kept him prisoner for years.
Tower of God — Rachel's Betrayal
Episode 12 of Tower Of God delivered one of the year's most shocking twists. This twist finally allowed anime viewers to understand why manhwa readers hate Rachel so much. When Rachel decided to climb the tower, she left behind Bam. However, Bam was too infatuated with Rachel to forget her and followed her into the tower. As Bam works his way through the tower's various tests, he meets Rachel once more and tries to help her, but he isn't totally successful as Rachel ends up badly injured. This injury means that she likely won't ever be able to walk again.
However, after a brutal aquatic challenge, Bam is able to beat the Bull and climb into a bubble with Rachel so that they may continue their journey. However, as the bubble rises, Rachel rises from her wheelchair and shoves Bam out of the bubble, sending him toppling to certain doom.
Higurashi: When They Cry – Gou — It's Not a Remake
Higurashi: When They Cry – Gou was marketed as a simple remake of Higurashi: When They Cry. And during the first episode, it seemed that the marketing was totally correct. But then the second episode started. This episode opened with an older Rika awakening in a strange otherworldly plane full of time fragments. When she realizes where she is, Rika breaks down, utterly distraught that she is going to have to relive the horrors of June 1983 again.
This makes it clear that this isn't just a remake, but another timeline that is building on the previous Higurashi: When They Cry series. Rika then steels herself, declaring that she is going to use the knowledge she acquired in previous timelines to fix the situation and win back her future. From there, the show massively deviates from the original, letting us see the events of the franchise in a whole new light.