Highlights:
* This article lists the top 10 most soul-crushing deaths in anime.
* Koro Sensei is the best sensei and his death was heartbreaking.
* The Going Merry’s death is the reason why Titanic isn’t popular among the Japanese- Oda did it better.
Anime makes itself prominent in the ways it conveys and evokes emotions and amongst them is the emotion of grief and loss. Death in anime is common but when a death accomplishes a grand purpose while also delivering a devastating emotional impact- it is a masterpiece unto itself. So here we are, listing the top 10 most soul-crushing deaths in anime.
- Also Read: 5 Mythology Anime You Should Watch
Colonel Maes Hughes
| Anime | Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood |
| Release Date | April 5, 2009 |
| Creator | Hiromu Arakawa |
Lt. Colonel Maes Hughes was the golden retriever of the military cast. He was not only smart and resourceful but also goofy and a loving husband and father. So bro was the last person to deserve to die- yet he died in the most heartbreaking way possible. It’s a terrible day for rain every time we celebrate one of the most soul-crushing deaths in anime.
Kamina
| Anime | Gurren Lagann |
| Release Date | April 1, 2007 |
| Creator | Kazuki Nakashima |
Kamina’s death was inspiring and a beacon for the next generation. What hurts is how much we, as the audience, and Simon got attached to him throughout their journey and how much we came to miss him after he was gone. His words still rang true and inspired Simon to follow in his footsteps. Not only did he have one of the most soul-crushing deaths in anime, but he also had one of the best sacrifices in anime.
Jiraya
| Anime | Naruto: Shippuden |
| Release Date | October 3, 2002 |
| Creator | Masashi Kishimoto |
Jiraya Sensei started training Naruto at the beginning of Naruto: Shippuden so we had a long time to connect. The pervy sage had one of the most soul-crushing deaths in anime because he died to an ex-student of his just to protect his current student. Of course, he also had to think about the Leaf Village and his love for Tsunade- and all of this combined renders immense weight to his fight against Pain and his eventual death at his hands.
Ulquiorra Cifer
| Anime | Bleach |
| Release Date | October 5, 2004 |
| Creator | Tite Kubo |
Ulquiorra falls among some of the few anime villains that have soul-crushing deaths in anime. His entire life was all about him questioning the way of the humans and their relationships and at the end of it, he died learning what the human heart is. He was a villain for almost the entirety of his lifespan except the last moments before his death.
Itachi Uchiha
| Anime | Naruto: Shippuden |
| Release Date | October 3, 2002 |
| Creator | Masashi Kishimoto |
Itachi not only had one of the most soul-crushing deaths in anime in retrospect but he also had one of the greatest sacrifices in anime. His entire life was lived in dedication to his little brother Sasuke and his village Konoha yet throughout the majority of the story we all thought he was a villain. We were all fooled- the residents of the Hidden Leaf, Sasuke, and the audience.
Portgas D. Ace
| Anime | One Piece |
| Release Date | October 20, 1999 |
| Creator | Eiichiro Oda |
Ace, alongside Itachi, is one of the greatest big-brother figures in anime and both of them sacrificed their lives to protect their younger, bungling kid brother. Ace’s death was one of the most soul-crushing deaths in anime because at first, we mourned Luffy’s loss of Ace because we knew how much he loved him. But then in the very next arc, we mourn Ace himself as a person apart from his relationship to Luffy.
Meruem- The Ant King
| Anime | Hunter X Hunter |
| Release Date | October 2, 2011 |
| Creator | Yoshihiro Togashi |
Never before have we cried so much for a villain as we did during the death of Meruem. The Ant King started off as an absolute figure of evil but as he was defeated by Netero, he spent his last waking moments in the arms of Komugi- the one snotty little blind girl who always defeated him in the game of Gungi and yet saw him as an equal. Meruem’s death was one of the most soul-crushing deaths in anime because he finally showed signs of humanity and redemption- only to be snuffed out alongside his only friend and lover.
Koro Sensei
| Anime | Assassination Classroom |
| Release Date | January 10, 2015 |
| Creator | Yuusei Matsui |
If this were a list of the best sensei in anime, this man would take the crown. Koro Sensei is a school teacher and a planetary threat who destroyed 70% of the moon. His students were tasked with killing him by the end of their term and Koro Sensei trained them to be assassins. An irreplaceable bond comes to form between him and the students so his eventual death at the hands of his students is one of the most soul-crushing deaths in anime history.
Kaori Miyazono
| Anime | Your Lie in April |
| Release Date | October 10, 2014 |
| Creator | Naoshi Arakawa |
Imagine your story and death leave such an impact that anime fans across the world ritualistically start tearing up every year during April in your memory- that’s Kaori for you. This romance anime still holds up to this day as one of the most heartbreaking stories to have ever been animated and yet we all return to it every April. Kaori’s death was one of the most soul-crushing deaths in anime and you can see why every year during the month of April.
Going Merry
| Anime | One Piece |
| Release Date | October 20, 1999 |
| Creator | Eiichiro Oda |
Cried over a boat gang unite! None of us thought the cute sailboat used by the Strawhats as their ship from East Blue would end up becoming a character- with her own form, voice, and sentience. Oda managed to humanize a ship and make us cry over its death within one arc and even though most of us saw it coming, none of us thought it would hit this hard. Going Merry may just be a ship but her death was one of the most soul-crushing deaths in anime- period.
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Considering how rampant death is in our current world order, we thought it was in theme to discuss deaths that actually made us feel things. But we understand if you aren’t a fan of all this doom and gloom- so here are some of the best happy-ending anime series for you.
