Flashbacks are a common tool used by anime and manga writers to establish motives for characters, set the tone for specific scenes, and provide backstory and context. A famous reoccurring scene that does all of these things is the notorious flashback of the young Naruto Uzumaki sitting alone and crying on the swing outside of the ninja academy watching his classmates.
While it is a frequently used trope that can be found in many anime, there are a few flashback scenes that brought tears to anime fans and still stand as some of the most heart-wrenching moments of all time.
10 Gaara Loses The Only Parental Figure That Showed Him Love In Naruto
Like Naruto, Gaara was a Jinchuriki. He played host to the Shukaku, a spirit the Kazekage, who was also Gaara's father, sealed within him. However, Gaara was unable to control the Shukaku, and this resulted in him accidentally attacking others and going into a frenzy.
For this, his father neglected him, and he even went as far as to order his own son's death. When Gaara's story is revealed to audiences, they see how the only adult who seemed to care for Gaara tried to kill Gaara on the Kazekage's orders, dying in the process. Fans truly feel Gaara's loneliness, as this flashback has remained a famous one for almost two decades.
9 A Young Midoriya In My Hero Academia Learning He Has No Quirk
All Izuku Midoriya wanted was to be like his hero, All Might, but when he learns that he has no Quirk (or superpower) he is devastated. Fans watch the tiny Mirdoriya, who had been glued to watching clips of All Might's heroics, smiles, his eyes filled with sparkles.
Midoriya is soon shocked when the doctor explains that he will never manifest a Quirk. Midoriya continues to watch All Might's exploits on the computer, and in a heartbreaking scene, he turns around with his eyes full of tears as he notes how cool All Might is.
8 Made In Abyss' Mitty Being Transformed Into A Creature
When Riko and Reg meet Nanachi, a girl who was transformed into a rabbit-like creature, Nanachi brings them to her home where she can heal Riko's wounds. Living with Nanachi is Mitty, another girl who suffered a worse fate than Nanachi.
Nanachi explains that the two had been sent deep into the lower layers of the Abyss as part of an experiment. When they were forcibly taken back up, Nanchi was turned into a human-animal hybrid, while Mitty was transformed into a blob-like creature. Fans' hearts break as Mitty asks for Nanachi to kill her, something that Nanachi cannot do without Reg's help.
7 Isabella's Origin Story In The Promised Neverland
While Isabella is the main antagonist in the first season of The Promised Neverland, fans learn that she really had no other option but to be so. In a world where most children except the brightest and most capable women are raised to be fed to monsters, the only option for survival is to become part of the system. This is exactly what Isabella did.
In flashbacks, fans see that she once had friends and happiness, but it was all taken away from her, and she was made into a monster, herself.
6 Shiny Chariot Takes Akko's Powers In Little Witch Academia
During her performances across the land, Shiny Chariot, who is also Chariot Du Nord and Professor Ursula, unknowingly stole the magic from children who would have later become witches. One of these children was Akko, the series' protagonist and one of Chariot's biggest fans.
While the flashback itself is not sad, it depicts Chariot's absorption of magic as being full of wonder and part of the performance, the ramifications of what Chariot did are heartwrenching as many of Akko's hardships in the series could be traced back to that moment. Even sadder is Akko's pain at learning her hero actually ruined her dreams.
5 Naruto Reconnects With His Parents' Spirits
Naruto Uzumaki never got the chance to know his parents. They were both killed during the Nine-Tails attack on Konoha when he was only just birthed. However, there are a few times throughout the series where he gets to meet his parents and speak to them briefly. One of these moments is when he unlocks a message they sealed within him.
The nature of their deaths is revealed in a flashback, and Naruto gets to hear Kushina's last wishes that he eat well and take care of himself. Eventually, he gets to pass a message back to them when his father's spirit is finally allowed to move on.
4 In Avatar: The Last Airbender, Uncle Iroh Remembers His Late Son
Fans are surprised to learn of the wise Uncle Iroh's loss when, in Ba Sing Se, Iroh goes to the top of a hill to honor the memory of his son who died in the war. When Iroh begins to sing the song, "Leaves From the Vines," fans cannot help but cry.
A flashback later on the same hill reveals his playful young son, Lu Ten, who was later killed during the siege of the city. When taken in the context of the larger lore behind Iroh's backstory, this makes Iroh's attachment to Zuko more understandable and poignant.
3 My Hero Academia Reveals Todoroki's Childhood Abuse
Shoto Todoroki's relationship with his father Enji, better known as the number 2 hero, Endeavor, is riddled with complications and uneasiness. After all, his father abused him and his mother, Rei, and neglected his other children. Fans see Endeavor hurt both Shoto and Rei to toughen Shoto up.
This abuse drove Rei to burn Shoto with boiling water when he overhears her saying she can no longer raise him. This is made even sadder as Shoto explains that he didn't see his mother in the hospital because he was afraid it would hurt her more.
2 Shoya Bitterly Bullies Shouko In A Silent Voice
A Silent Voice begins with the ostracized and broken Shoya and takes audiences back to Shoya's 6th-grade year in which he bullies Shouko, a deaf girl, to gain notoriety amongst his peers. This later backfires, and though the kids participated in the bullying too, they turn on Shoya. The rest of the movie features Shoya trying to atone for what happened.
What makes these flashbacks so sad is that it shows audiences how far Shoya has come and how Shouko is so kind despite everything she has been through.
1 Hinako Discovers She Saved The Late Minato When They Were Kids In Ride Your Wave
In a flashback that changes everything for the protagonist, Hinako, she learns how she saved her late boyfriend, Minato, from drowning when they were kids. Though she did not remember who she saved, Minato never forgot who saved him.
While this flashback is more warm than sad, it is made infinitely more bittersweet as viewers learn how that act related to Minato's eventual death, since he died trying to save someone else from drowning. However, this moment also teaches Hinako how to grow and become her own person despite her grief over the loss of Minato.