Post-credits scenes have become a hallmark of modern entertainment, in part due to the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the realm of anime, however, post-credit scenes have been used just as often and for a variety of storytelling purposes.
Some post-credit scenes function as a teaser for future plot points in the series, whereas others are meant to intentionally shock or confuse the audience. Whatever the reason may be, modern anime fans need to keep their eye on the ball to catch any potential twists that their favorite anime are saving for the post-credits sequence.
Warning: Spoilers ahead!
10 Attack On Titan Teased A Dark Future
The first half of Attack on Titan Season 3 focused on being a political thriller with massive implications for the future of the series. When it came to a close, fans were anticipating the battle to come but they didn't expect to see a post-credit twist that raised more questions than answers. A bloodied Levi Ackerman, Eren Yeager, and Mikasa Akerman were at each other's throats, and fans were shocked, to say the least.
9 Re: Zero Wants To Torment Its Viewers
The anticipation surrounding Season 2 of Re: Zero was enough to get most fans to check out the newly created Season 1 director's cut, but it provided more than they bargained for. In the brand-new post-credits scene for the final episode, Natsuki Subaru is talking to Emilia in the back of a carriage on their way home. What appears to be a heartwarming moment of Subaru expressing his feelings soon became terrifying when Emilia asked the simple question: "Who is Rem?"
8 Toradora Added Some Much-Needed Closure
Toradora fans had become emotionally exhausted from trying to understand where the unusual but romantic relationship between Taiga Aisaka and Ryuuji Takasu was going.
That meant that it was a gut punch for viewers to see Taiga's decision to leave in order to spend time with her family and better herself as a person in the final episode. Thankfully, in a post-credits scene set in their high school classroom, the lovebirds are reunited and ready to begin a new journey.
7 Panty & Stocking With Garterbelt Trolled Its Audience
For most of its runtime, Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt was a story that didn't take itself too seriously. Profanity and sexual content were doled out in reckless abandon, but by the climax of the anime, it had built up a threat that needed to be taken down. When all was said and done, it seemed like it was going to be a happily-ever-after kind of affair, but the post-credits twist set up a betrayal from Stocking that came out of nowhere.
6 SSSS Gridman Reframed The Entire Narrative
In the true narrative of SSSS Gridman, Akane Shinjo had been controlling her virtual world by playing with Kaiju as if they were her toys. It's a story that made sympathizing with the villain far easier as more information is revealed to the viewers, but even with all of this in mind, no one expected how far this plot point could go. In the final moments of the season, it's revealed that Akane was a live-action Japanese girl the entire time.
5 Steins; Gate Told Viewers It Wasn't Over Yet
The feeling of safety is something that Steins; Gate viewers were not used to having in the thrilling second half of the show. However, by Episode 22, the story appears to be heading towards a positive conclusion. That is until the credits roll.
Rather than the normal ending song, the final moments of this episode play a new version of the "Gate of Steiner" theme song, followed by creepy distortion effects and call that signifies that the journey isn't over just yet.
4 Angel Beats Gave Fans Hope At The Very End
Angel Beats has its fair share of comedy, but it's often a tearful story that makes the most out of its tragic characters. At the climax of the show, fans were given a sad farewell to the core cast members of Yuzuru Otonashi and Kanade Tachibana as they professed their love before being separated forever. Yet, after the post-credits scene, the final moments of the anime show both characters reincarnated in the human world and walking past each other before Otonashi reaches out his hand to Kanade.
3 Noragami Aragoto Had One Last Suprise To Share
Noragami is a series that follows deities that have come down to Earth, including the main character Yato. After the final credit sequence of Noragami Aragoto, it's revealed that the young boy who kissed Hiyori Iki on her date at Capypa Land, Kouto Fujisaki, was actually Yato's father in disguise. Even more surprisingly, he possed Ebisu's Locution Brush, which has the ability to create and control phantoms to do the users bidding.
2 Koyomimonogatari Brought Back A Fan-Favorite Character
Koyomimonogatari focuses on individual stories that took place in prior seasons of Monogatari. It lured fans into a false sense of security before the post-credit scene of the final episode where Koyomi Araragi proclaims that it's time for the punchline.
Araragi is seen lying down in an arid and unfamiliar desert location, wondering about how he ended up at this new location. But, the inner monologue is broken up by the reveal of Mayoi Hachikuji's return and a joke regarding how ending the series on Araragi failing to attend an exam is a poor punchline.
1 Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Had An Unexpected Family Reunion
In the latter half of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood's run, post-credit scenes became a more frequent occurrence and often served to update viewers on the happenings of other characters or to set up future episodes. In Episode 43, the post-credit scene showed Alphonse Elric and Winry Rockbell arriving in Liore where they meet Rose Thomas. After a cute interaction where Rose is curious about Edward Elric's whereabouts and Winry feels a pang of jealously, Van Hohenheim appears and comes face to face with his armored son.