Anime is a diverse medium. It explores a variety of concepts and storylines spread across several unique genres, ranging from blood-pumping action to plucky adventures, satirical comedies to thought-provoking dramas, and everything in between. There's an anime series to suit everyone's taste.

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Some anime also include distressing moments that leave the audience reeling, while others have heartbreaking endings that stay with viewers long after the credits roll. There are also anime that end on uplifting notes, despite their characters going through painful moments, and these entries often become fan favorites.

Updated on May 18, 2023 by Ajay Aravind: Stories that begin on relatively high notes can often have devastating endings, as seen in Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet. At the same time, there are numerous heartbreaking narratives that conclude in happy ways. We've revamped this list of heartbreaking anime series with some more relevant information.

15 The Pet Girl Of Sakurasou

The Pet Girl Of Sakurasou draws on harsh life struggles to engage the audience. Examples include one character trying to fulfill her dreams of being a voice actor and another girl switching careers to create manga instead of fine art.

To begin with, the main protagonist Sorata has no idea what to do with his life. He later pursues designing video games but struggles to get his work noticed. Thankfully, despite the characters' struggles, they achieve a happy ending. They save their dormitory, Sakura Hall, from demolition, and Misaki and Jin get married and move in next door after graduating.

14 Tiger & Bunny

Tiger & Bunny's ending has received a mixed reception, but fans agree that it's at least a happy one. The main cast defeats Maverick, the main antagonist, and Barnaby finally avenges his parents by bringing Maverick to justice.

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Meanwhile, Lunatic gets an opportunity to murder Maverick for his crimes. Kotetsu has diminished powers by the end, but he has a better work-life balance and relationship with his daughter, Kaede. Kotetsu and Barnaby also get along much better than they did at first, and they both continue to work together to stop criminals.

13 Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood's ending is somewhat bittersweet but still happy. Edward Elric finally gives up his powers to bring Alphonse's body back, which completes the main goal Ed had all along: restoring his brother's lost anatomy. Ed and Winry also end up together, get married, and have two children together.

Even side characters like Scar and Ling enjoy happy endings. Scar has his wounds treated so he can help Miles rebuild Ishval, and Ling later becomes the Emperor of Xing. It takes many sacrifices to achieve this happy ending since many other characters die before the end. However, the future looks bright for the surviving characters.

12 Fruits Basket

Fruits Basket ends with the breaking of the Soma family curse for good. All the main characters finally go their own ways to pursue paths with significant meaning to them, and Kyo and Tohru finally get together. The final scenes also imply they get married and grow old together.

During the series, all the characters struggled to achieve their happiness due to various conflicts. Consequently, viewers were happy to see it pay off with a happy ending. Kyo and Tohru aren't the only characters who get romantic partners. Momiji, Ayame, and Hatsuharu also end up with respective significant others.

11 DRAMAtical Murder

DRAMAtical Murder's anime adaptation combines every love interest's route from the visual novel. However, unlike the visual novel, everyone receives a happy ending. Aoba stops Toue's evil schemes and Mink avenges his family. Meanwhile, Noiz accepts himself, Clear embraces his humanity, and Koujaku moves past his rage and revenge.

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Aoba's twin brother, Sei, also gets to die in peace. Aoba doesn't romance anyone, but he at least has his friends and family by his side. And because of the characters' tragic backstories, fans were overjoyed to see them being given a chance at living happily ever after.

10 Tokyo Ghoul

Tokyo Ghoul has its fair share of tragedies and tear-jerking moments. There's no lack of death or destruction throughout the series. However, there are small glimpses of joy, which tend to occur through the character relationships and the series' comic relief.

Viewers end up caring about Kaneki and those he surrounds himself with, both as a human and a ghoul. And despite the issues fans have with the anime as an adaptation, it does have a happy ending. All the tragedies pale in comparison when viewers see how Kaneki survives, which includes him getting to live with Touka and their daughter.

9 Given

On the surface, Given doesn't sound like it's going to be a heartbreaking anime. It focuses on Mafuyu convincing one of his classmates to teach him how to play the guitar he always carries around with him. However, the anime goes deeper than viewers realize. It discusses the realities of loss and the struggles around dealing with a loved one's death.

As a result, viewers go on an emotional and occasionally heart-wrenching journey. Mafuyu finds a passion for music and learns that it's okay to move on, and he also gets to fall in love with Uenoyama while continuing to explore his music with the band.

8 Naruto

Naruto may not seem like an obvious example of a heartbreaking anime, given that it fits the action, adventure, and comedy genres much better. However, throughout the franchise, many characters experience heartbreaking moments.

Seeing characters struggle with their problems (and sometimes even dying along the way) pulls at the heartstrings of all but the hardiest of viewers. Thankfully, all the death and destruction are left behind when Naruto and his friends obtain their happy endings. They each get married and have children to carry on their legacies.

7 Death Parade

Death Parade is an anime that centers around death and the afterlife. It takes place in a gigantic hotel located somewhere between Heaven and Hell. The story focuses on an Arbiter named Decim, whose job is to decide if a soul should be reincarnated or sent into the void.

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Working with Decim is Chiyuki, a black-haired woman whose identity is a mystery at the beginning of the series. Regardless of the show's dark themes, the ending is regarded as bittersweet. Chiyuki helps Decim come to terms with human emotions before she reincarnates.

6 Kiznaiver

Kiznaiver centers around the concept of human connection – viewed through the lens of pain. Its seven main protagonists are part of an experiment that physically connects them, meaning they share each other's pain (both physical and emotional). The anime asks questions about how people connect and whether they can feel each other's pain after building a connection.

Audiences go on an emotional journey with these seven teenagers. A few parts of the story are devastating, but the happy and hopeful ending is worth the sadness. The characters in Kiznaiver carry on with their lives at the end. They build on their friendships and relationships while continuing to support each other.

5 Charlotte

Charlotte is set in an alternate reality where a select number of children develop special abilities. These abilities manifest during their preadolescence and disappear at the end of puberty. The series focuses on Yuu, who can possess other people for five seconds at a time. When he's forced to transfer high schools, he joins the school council, whose job is to protect students with these special abilities.

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Charlotte sometimes misses the mark with pacing and comedy but has its fair share of depressing moments. Yuu endures a lot, but his ending includes hope for the future. He loses memories of his friends but will build new ones with them, and he no longer has to worry about anyone hunting him for his abilities.

4 Your Name

Your Name is an anime movie that revolves around body-swapping. It follows Mitsuha and Taki, two teenagers who begin swapping bodies with no explanation as to why or how. However, when they realize what's happening, they begin to leave notes for each other when they're in the other's body – until the messages suddenly stop.

The twist in the middle of Your Name guarantees to break viewers' hearts. That said, the ending leaves the film on a happy and hopeful note: Mitsuha and Taki will meet each other again, hopefully continuing their friendship.

3 Weathering With You

Weathering With You focuses on Hadoka, a high schooler who runs away from home to Tokyo. There, he finds a new family in the people he meets. He bonds with a girl named Hina, who can control the weather, and her little brother, who cannot. Weathering With You delivers some devastating blows about the reality of climate change, but it also discusses love and family.

Audiences root for Hadoka and Hina, regardless of the consequences of their being together, making it truly heartbreaking in places. Yet, the movie gifts its audience with a happy ending when Hadoka and Hina find each other again, years later.

2 Violet Evergarden

The title character of Violet Evergarden begins her story as an orphan who's later turned into a child soldier. After the war is over, she becomes an "Auto Memories Doll" — writing letters for other people. Viewers are taken on a journey with Violet as she tries to comprehend human emotions.

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Sadly, the last words her mentor says to her are, "I love you." The anime deals with heavy topics such as war, loss, and love. However, in the end, Violet finds her purpose in life while continuing to understand human emotions and the people around her.

1 Steins;Gate

Steins;Gate follows a scientist named Okabe who runs a lab in his apartment with his friends. When he's attending a conference on the science of time travel, he finds a dead body, which makes him panic and text his friends about his discovery.

Interestingly, the text message appears a few days earlier than Okabe sent it, leading him and his friends to discover the microwave they've been working on can send messages to the past. Although confusing at times, Steins;Gate packs an emotional punch, especially when things go wrong. Nevertheless, seeing Mayuri and Kurisu alive at the end makes the journey worth it.

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