Nothing ramps up the stakes in a story quite like an outrageous plot revelation, and the world of anime is home to many series that have some of the most shocking twists in storytelling. The creative field is inundated with stories of every topic imaginable, and the most memorable stories tend to be those that have unforgettable revelations.
Many of these reveals have a haunting and disturbing nature to them that oftentimes drastically alters the tone of the anime itself. From human experimentation to dystopian time-traveling conspiracies, there is a multitude of anime that showcase some of the most shocking plot developments in media.
Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD.
10 Magical Girls Are Fated To Become Witches (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
As if Mami Tomoe's surprise death at the end of Episode 3 in Puella Magi Madoka Magica wasn't shocking enough, the ultimate fate of magical girls adds another layer of existential horror. Not only are Soul Gems literally manifestations of the magical girls' souls, but it's also inevitable that their Soul Gems will become so tainted that every magical girl eventually becomes a Witch. This revelation takes all the whimsical joy out of being a magical girl for justice and drastically changes the tone of the series.
9 The Man-Eating Titans Are Actually Humans (Attack On Titan)
When Eren Yeager gained the power to become a Titan in Attack on Titan, it should have been obvious to audiences that other people can become Titans, too. But the origin of Titans is slightly more insidious, as all Titans are created from people regardless of whether they were willing to become a Titan in the first place. Knowing that the seemingly mindless common Titans are actually humans adds a layer of dread to the series, as this revelation effectively works to literally humanize the enemy.
8 Archive Sabotaged Vivy's Attempts To Avoid The AI-Human War (Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song)
The entire premise of Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song is the AI Vivy's additional mission to prevent the AI-human war that occurs 100 years in the future. To this end, the AI Matsumoto guides Vivy to all the timeline-changing events to prevent them and keep the war from happening.
Unbeknownst to Vivy and Matsumoto, however, is the universal AI database Archive's plan to keep the original timeline on track. Archive ultimately found humans too risky to be allowed to live and wanted to enact humanity's evolution by creating an AI-only world.
7 John Titor's Future & Time-Travelling Mission Are Real (Steins;Gate)
The genius of Steins;Gate's immersion lies in its ties to real-life phenomena with the internet legend of John Titor being a focal point. Originally a real-life event where an unknown internet user pretended to be a time traveler who'd come back to prevent World War III, Steins;Gate latched onto the John Titor urban legend and tied it into its own storytelling.
Suzuha Amane reveals herself as the John Titor of Steins;Gate, she confirms the dystopian future that results from the world's strongest countries fighting over time travel technology. Rintaro Okabe takes it upon himself to fix the timeline and prevent World War III.
6 The Sybil System Is Made Up Of Latent Criminals (Psycho-Pass)
Heralded as a revolutionary top-of-the-line system that's responsible for Japan's peace and safety in Psycho-Pass, the Sybil System's origins are actually far more insidious. A key function of the Sybil System is its ability to evaluate the population's mental state through their Psycho-Pass and determine whether they're a threat to society. It's quite shocking to learn, then, that the Sybil System itself is made up of a hive mind of latent criminals. This revelation essentially confirms Psycho-Pass's society as a dystopia run by society's most dangerous criminals.
5 The Human Instrumentality Project Aims To Remake Humanity (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
There's a lot of talking about the Human Instrumentality Project throughout Neon Genesis Evangelion, but it's not made clear what the Project actually is until near the end of the series. The paramilitary organization NERV has been working with SEELE to enact an evolution of mankind that will be controlled by a select few. Fighting the Angels with Evas turns out to be exactly what needs to be done to eradicate humanity's AT fields and merge them into one sea of consciousness...which is a bad thing, depending on one's opinion.
4 The Entire Anthropomorphic Animal Cast Are Actually Humans (Odd Taxi)
Using anthropomorphic animals as storytelling devices is a useful technique that's been around as long as there have been stories to tell, and Odd Taxi takes advantage of this tried-and-true archetype. Odd Taxi tackles a lot of uncomfortable real-life topics, such as organized crime and addiction to social media.
Watching the animals in Odd Taxi do human things gives the audience some distance, but that distance is shattered when it's revealed that Hiroshi Odokawa has been hallucinating people as animals since an unfortunate accident he had as a child.
3 Rika Is Stuck In A Time Loop Ending In Her Murder (Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni: Kai)
When Higurashi no Naku Koro ni first dropped in 2006, it ended on a strange cliffhanger that teased a complicated answer to its confusing story. It wasn’t until the second season, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni: Kai, that everything became clear. The reason that the murders repeatedly occurred and frequently ended with Rika Furude's death is because Rika herself is stuck in a time loop that ends with her murder. In order to escape the Hinamizawa of 1983, she needs to solve her own murder mystery.
2 Bondrewd Is Experimenting On Children To Unlock The Abyss's Mysteries (Made In Abyss)
Made In Abyss is no doubt a captivating, beautifully animated show, but it has a dark underbelly that's tough for some to swallow. The Abyss itself is presented as a marvelous world with untold secrets that every Cave Raider wants to unveil...but what sacrifices are they willing to make toward that goal?
The minimum sacrifice is the Cave Raider's own life, but for high profile Raiders like Bondrewd, the Sovereign of Dawn, others' lives are also worth sacrificing. Bondrewd participates in horrendous and grotesque experiments to dive further into the Abyss at the cost of countless orphaned children's lives.
1 One For All Is A Quirk With An Important, Solemn Mission (My Hero Academia)
Ordinarily, Quirks in My Hero Academia are gained naturally through evolution, but One For All is the sole exception to that rule – and there's an epic backstory to explain it. Originally a Quirk whose only use is to pass it on to someone who's Quirkless, One For All grows in power as it's passed on to future successors. The ultimate goal of passing on One For All is to stop All For One, a Quirk that's able to steal Quirks from others. The possessor of All For One is an unparalleled villain who seeks to subjugate humanity.