Highlights
- Anime deaths in 2023 left viewers heartbroken, with beloved characters like Hange Zoe and Shiki Granbell meeting tragic ends.
- Arnheid’s death Vinland Saga was especially poignant and impactful, leaving viewers overwhelmed with sadness.
- Kento Nanami’s death in Jujutsu Kaisen and Mikasa Ackerman’s bittersweet ending in Attack on Titan were among the most devastating, leaving fans shocked and emotional.
As the year comes to a close and many 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 as Solo Leveling and Suicide 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.
8 Hange Zoe
A Brave Last Stand
Attack on Titan has solidified itself as one 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 to end The Rumbling and halt a devastating outcome.
7 Shiki Granbell
Shocking Delivery
Edens Zero captured the anime world by surprise and garnered a cult following with manga readers and new fans alike. Seemingly a lighthearted tale, Edens Zero completely 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.
6 Himmel
Tragic “Too Late” Scenario
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is a series that took the anime world by surprise with its intricate story and unique take on the fantasy genre. Much like Ranking of Kings, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End mixes 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.
5 Arnheid
The Cruelty Of Man In Its Rawest Form
Vinland Saga stands 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.
4 Ericht Samaya
A Tragically Short Life Lost Twice
|
Creator |
Hajime Yatate & Yoshiyuki Tomino |
|
No. of Episodes |
24 |
|
Streaming Services |
Amazon Prime, Crunchyroll, AppleTV |
The Mobile Suit Gundam franchise is known for its heavy-themed stories that explore the nature of war and its effect on society. The alternate timeline series Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury is 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. In the 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.
3 Ai Hoshino
A Visceral And Ghastly Plot Twist
Oshi No Ko is a diamond in the rough that did not see a lot of attention, only appearing on the H-Dive streaming service. However, Oshi No Ko combines 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.
2 Kento Nanami
A Heart-Wrenching Moment
Jujutsu Kaisen is 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 none hit harder than Kento Nanami, one of the series’ most important characters who was viciously slaughtered by the cursed spirit Mahito.
1 Mikasa Ackerman
At Peace But Not Perfect
Attack on Titan became 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 of Attack on Titan had 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 of Attack on Titan is 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.
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