Summary
As the year comes to a close andmany anime deliver their finales,fans all over the world prepare for the following year’s anime seasons. Shaping up to be one of the best line-ups in ages, 2024 has several new series debuting, such asSolo LevelingandSuicide Squad Isekai. However, there were still numerous brilliant anime this year that tugged on the heartstrings of thousands and left empty feelings in the hearts of viewers with some of the most touching and tragic stories to date.
Most notably, many anime have seen some of the lovable characters that fans have come to cherish not make it to the end of the season. In some instances, even the series' main characters are not safe from losing their lives in the middle or sometimes even at the beginning of a series. These deaths impact viewers the hardest as they are caught completely off guard. Here are some of the saddest anime deaths of 2023.
Attack on Titanhas solidified itself asone of the best-written stories of the last thirty years.Author Hajame Isayama captured millions of fans with his incredibly deep plot, heart-racing action, and memorable characters.
No other character is quite as memorable as Hange Zoe, the lead scientist and leader of the Scout Regimen. Hange was a true scout all the way to the end, giving her heart for her comrades to have a sliver of a chance toend The Rumblingand halt a devastating outcome.
Edens Zero
Edens Zerocaptured the anime world by surprise and garnered a cult following with manga readers and new fans alike. Seemingly a lighthearted tale,Edens Zerocompletely caught all viewers off guard with one of the most shocking deaths of the anime year.
Shiki serves as one of the main protagonists of the series, and when captured along with his friends, he comes face to face with the maniac Drakken. In a shocking turn of events, as Shiki tries to stand his ground against the crime lord, Drakken guns Shiki down in cold blood.
Tragic “Too Late” Scenario
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is an animated adventure-drama series based on the manga series created by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe. Following her parties' victory against an all-powerful demon king that threatened to destroy their world, Frieren, an elf, attempts to find her place in a new world with an undetermined future fifty years later.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s Endis a series that took the anime world by surprise with its intricate story and unique take on the fantasy genre. Much likeRanking of Kings,Frieren: Beyond Journey’s Endmixes aspects from grounded fantasy and high fantasy alike into a beautiful story.
Frieren, an elf wizard,is on the eve of bidding her comrades farewell after they successfully defeat the demon king and save the world. Frieren, thinking nothing of her goodbye, goes on with her life for quite a while, only to reunite with her friend Himmel. She comes to find that his time has nearly come to an end. Haunted by her friend’s sudden passing, Frieren is overwhelmed with sadness.
Vinland Saga
Vinland Sagastands in a class all on its own as a beautiful story that follows a journey of violence on a level not done before. The second season of the series recently aired on Netflix, where Thorfinn has become a slave and has lost his purpose after his quest for revenge is ripped from his grasp, and he is left with nothing but blood on his hands.
As a slave, Throfinn finds friends in a man, Einar, and a woman, Arnheid. After a tragic series of events, Arnheid finds herself betraying her master. She is ultimately caught and brought back to her master, who beats her for her betrayal. Arnheid later succumbs to her injuries and loses her life gracefully, finally obtaining her freedom in death.
24
Streaming Services
Amazon Prime, Crunchyroll, AppleTV
TheMobile Suit Gundamfranchise is known for its heavy-themed stories that explore the nature of war and its effect on society. The alternate timeline seriesMobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercuryis an especially unique take on the franchise that features a female protagonist for the first time.
While the series starts off lighthearted, the realities of the world the characters live in are quickly revealed. Inthe second season of the series, Ericht, the consciousness of Prospera Mercury’s deceased daughter, suffers another passing by giving her life to protect her big sister from a super weapon aimed directly at her. It’s a tragic loss, felt all the more strongly because her sister had already gone through it before.
A Visceral And Ghastly Plot Twist
Oshi No Ko
Oshi no Ko is an animated supernatural mystery series that follows a gynecologist named Gorou, a big fan of an idol whom he is caring for as she prepares to deliver her children. After an obsessive fan of the idols murders Gorou, he is reincarnated as her newborn son - but along with him, a terminal patient he knew is reborn as his twin sister. Years later, after yet another seemingly related murder, Gorou (now known as Aqua) decides to enter the idol world and find the culprit.
Oshi No Kois a diamond in the rough that did not see a lot of attention, only appearing on the H-Dive streaming service. However,Oshi No Kocombines several genres and tells an outlandish and touching story of music and revenge.
Ai Hoshino is a prominent idol who becomes pregnant, ultimately having twins. Shockingly, her children are the reincarnations of the doctor who oversaw her treatment, and her biggest fan, who died at a young age. All three live an eventful life, and as the children grow older, their mother returns to the stage. Unfortunately, Ai’s death in front of her son and daughter is the kick-off for the series' story, acting as both a painful moment of character growth and the driving force of the narrative.
Jujutsu Kaisenis an anime that needs no introduction, as it has been at the top of the charts ever since its second season began airing earlier this year. Fans all over the world are in shock and awe at the incredible episodes delivered by Mappa’s animators, and the bone-chilling story delivered by the show’s Shibuya Arc by author Gege Akutami.
Fans raved as numerous fan-favorite characters lost their lives, but perhaps nonehit harder than Kento Nanami,one of the series' most important characters who was viciously slaughtered by the cursed spirit Mahito.
1Mikasa Ackerman
At Peace But Not Perfect
Attack on Titanbecame an international phenomenon, with the final part of its final season airing on Crunchyroll and bringing one of the greatest stories to a shocking close. The finale ofAttack on Titanhad everything an anime fan could ask for, with laughs, tears, and gasp-inducing revelations throughout the entire episode.
Perhaps the most tragic and sweetest death in the long list of casualties ofAttack on Titanis Mikasa, the long-standing protagonist of the series. In the closing credits, it’s revealed that Mikasa lived a long life but still clung to her love for Eren, and eventually, she was buried with the scarf he gave her when they met.
