24 Anime Characters Deaths That Make Everyone Cry

Any anime fan has experienced the sadness of losing a beloved character at some point or another. It’s one of the reasons that many anime fans don’t enjoy watching series from start to finish—they know their favorite characters will eventually die and they don’t want to go through the grief associated with it. There are some anime character deaths, however, that have broken this trend and caused even the hardest of hardcore anime fans to cry or shed tears of joy. Here are 24 anime characters deaths that made everyone cry, including both children and adults alike.

24. Kurama’s Death: Boruto! Next Generation Naruto

Kurama’s death was one of the saddest and most heartbreaking moments in anime history. He passed away after allowing Naruto to access a brand new transformation known as Baryon. This moment was so emotional because it signified the end of an era. Kurama was one of the original nine tailed beasts, and his death marked the end of an era.

His death brought about an immediate change in Naruto’s persona. For example, Naruto used to refer to Kurama as Kurama, but after his death, he was referred to as You. This subtle difference in language proved just how much of an impact Kurama had on Naruto’s life and development. Ultimately, seeing Kurama pass away brought upon a new chapter in Boruto’s life.

 23. Ace Death: One piece

Ace’s death was one of the saddest and most impactful in the series. He dies in front of Luffy’s lap, leaving Luffy alone with a tormented expression. The loss of Ace was a major turning point for Luffy, and it was hard to see him go. Garp also starts crying when he realizes his grandson is gone. Whitebeard also starts crying because he realizes that after all this time, he couldn’t save Ace from his fate as well.

22. Jiraiya’s Death: Naruto

Jiraiya’s death was one of the most shocking and heartbreaking deaths in the Naruto series. He was a powerful ninja and mentor to Naruto, and his death came at the hands of Nagato, a student of his who had been corrupted by power. Jiraiya’s arm was cut off by Nagato’s Six Paths of Pain, and his throat was crushed, leaving him to die in Naruto’s arms.

21. Rengoku’s Death: Demon Slayer

Rengoku was the Flame Hashira, the strongest and most loyal of the Demon Slayers. He fought tooth and nail against the powerful demon Akaza, only to succumb to his injuries in the end. His death was a turning point in the story, and it left everyone grieving.

 20. Itachi’s Death: Naruto Shippuden

Itachi’s death was one of the most tragic in anime history. A powerful and beloved character, Itachi died after a long battle with his brother, Sasuke. His death was heartbreaking not only because of the relationship between the two brothers, but also because it was a reminder that even the strongest characters can fall.

 19. Yahiko’s Death: Naruto Shippuden

Yahiko’s death was a true selfless act. He stabbed himself with Nagato’s kunai to save himself the trouble, smiling as he died. This death had a huge impact on Naruto and the rest of the Konoha 11. It was a turning point in the war and helped motivate Naruto to become stronger. The others became inspired by his sacrifice, and it showed them how much they cared for each other. His death was just one of many that impacted the characters and the story greatly.

18. Sasha’s Death: Attack on Titan

Sasha’s death was one of the most heartbreaking moments in Attack on Titan. She had been through so much and had fought so hard, only to die in the end from a gunshot wound. It was a sad and tragic death that left everyone feeling heartbroken. For some viewers, it may have even changed their opinion on Sasha as a character.

His death was tragic because he had been through so much to reach that point, and he finally achieved his dream of living with Casca in peace. The fact that Griffith and Zodd ended up being responsible for his death made it even worse. However, there was a silver lining to Shaka’s death because fans knew that he had found peace after struggling for so long.

17. Koro sensei’s Death: Assassination Classroom

koro sensei’s death was one of the saddest deaths in anime. He was such a kind and caring person, and he only wanted the best for his students. Even though he knew Nagisa would be the one to kill him, he still had a smile on his face. It just goes to show how selfless he was.

16. Meruem’s Death: Hunter X Hunter

Meruem’s death is one of the saddest in the anime. He fights Netero, the man who raised him, and after Netero is defeated, Meruem dies in his arms. The death is made even sadder by the fact that, earlier in the series, Meruem had shown remorse for his actions and wanted to make up for them. The show ends with Netero holding a dying Meruem in his arms as he says, “This… is my legacy. 

It was truly a heartbreaking end to an amazing series.

15. Hyuga Neji’s Death: Naruto Shippuden

Neji’s death was one of the most tragic in the series. He sacrificed himself to save Naruto and Hinata, and his final words were a touching tribute to his teammates. The loss of Neji was a turning point in the war, and his death had a profound impact on all who knew him.

14. Minato and Kushina’s Death: Naruto

It was during the 9-tail attack on the hidden leaf that Minato and Kushina died. Their deaths were tragic, and they left behind a young son, Naruto. It was a heart-wrenching scene that made everyone cry.

Their deaths were mainly because of Minato’s giving his life to seal away the 9 tails. He was able to do it with a special technique, which unfortunately left him unable to escape death and Kushina’s being killed by Madara. Her death was so tragic that she made it into Naruto’s mindscape, holding her son as he mourned her loss and keeping him sane through all of his struggles.

13. Zabuza and Haku’s Death: Naruto

In the anime, Zabuza’s death was one of the saddest and most heartbreaking. He was a cold-blooded killer, but he had a heart of gold. As he passed out, he wished that he could go to the same place as Haku. This showed that even though he was a bad person, he still cared for others.

In both series, we see Haku’s feelings for Zabuza as well. He tells him to leave him, because if he dies, then Zabuza will only be a murderer. He doesn’t want that for his master, and he goes against what he wants in order to protect him from himself. This shows how much Haku cared about Zabuza, even though their master-servant relationship was quite confusing.

12. Yuki Yoshida’ Death: Given

Yuki’s death is one of the most devastating in anime. Not only does it happen off-screen, but we never even learn the full story of what happened to her. All we know is that she died of an apparent suicide half a year before the series started. This makes her death all the more tragic, as we never got to see her character development or see her interact with the other characters.

11. Daki and Gyutaro’s Death: Demon Slayer

Daki turned thirteen, only to discover his sister tied up and burned to near death. This tragedy caused Daki to lose all will to live, until he met Gyutaro. Gyutaro was a kind-hearted man who took Daki under his wing and helped him regain the will to live. However, their happiness was short-lived as both men were killed by demons.

10. Obito Uchiha’ Death: Naruto Shippuden

Out of all the anime characters’ deaths, Obito’s is definitely one of the saddest. Obito was always so selfless, and he died while shielding Naruto and Kakashi from Kaguya’s attack. He was such a strong and brave character, and his death left everyone feeling heartbroken.

Another character’s death that was just as tragic was Naruto’s father, Minato Namikaze. After sacrificing himself to save his village, he became a hero in his son’s eyes. He was such a strong, loving character, and his death left everyone heartbroken too. The grief Naruto felt after Minato died made him want to throw away his own life as well.

9. Kite’ Death: Hunter X Hunter

Kite’s death is one of the most heart-wrenching in all of anime. He was killed by Neferpitou while trying to save Gon and Killua. Kite was always selfless, always putting others before himself. His death left Gon and Killua devastated, and the viewers cried along with them.

8. Price Lumiere’s Death: Black Clover

Price Lumiere’s death was one of the saddest in Black Clover. He was sealed away by Nero. Nero unsealed his body, but couldn’t save his soul. He died in Lucy’s arms, with everyone else crying around him. His death was so sad because he was such a good person, and he didn’t deserve to die.

7. Hiruzen’s Death: Naruto

Orochimaru’s attack on the Third Hokage was ruthless, and it’s hard not to cry when such a powerful and wise leader dies. Even though he was smiling, it’s clear that Hiruzen was in a lot of pain, and his death left the village of Konoha in mourning. However, Naruto took the loss hard and vowed to become Hokage so that he could protect everyone like Hiruzen did.

6. Gin’s Death: Bleach

When Ichigo shows up, a relieved Gin passes away after seeing the child has become a strong and capable shinigami. As he dies, he sees that Ichigo is not only a true successor to him but will also fulfill his dream of defeating Aizen one day. 

Ichigo’s mother was killed by an arrancar and his father died protecting him from it too, so I’m sure you can understand why he would feel so much grief over this loss.

5. Ash Lynx’s Death: Banana Fish

Ash Lynx’s death is one of the most heartbreaking in all of anime. Ash was a complex character who was haunted by his past but still managed to find moments of joy and love. His death is made even more tragic by the fact that it is left open-ended, leaving viewers to wonder what could have been. It is assumed that he died at the end of Banana Fish when Eiji killed him with a grenade.

4. Aquarius Death: Fairy Tail

Being a celestial spirit, Aquarius is immortal until she is compelled to remain in the human world by Lucy. During the battle with Tartarus, Aquarius is fatally wounded while trying to protect Lucy and Happy. As she dies, she tells Lucy that she will always be with her. This death was so heartbreaking because it was completely preventable. If only Lucy had not been so reckless, Aquarius would still be alive.

3. Licita’s Death: Black Clover

Licita’s death was one of the saddest in Black Clover. She died protecting Liebe from Lucifero. Her selflessness and love for her friends was touching, and her death left everyone mourning her loss. It also leaves a hole in the series that is difficult to fill. 

Licita’s death is certainly not the only tragic anime character death, but it is certainly one of the most heartbreaking deaths that makes viewers cry. 

2. Kamina’s Death: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

Kamina’s death was one of the most devastating in anime history. Not only was he a fan favorite character, but his death came at a time when it seemed like everything was finally going right for him and the team. Episode 26 saw Kamina, after she had been dead in Episode 8 return. It was a bittersweet moment, but ultimately, it just served to remind everyone how much they missed her.

Things seemed to finally be going right for Team Dai-Gurren after defeating Anti-Spiral. They had formed an alliance with all of their former enemies and had an unlimited supply of spiral power. Everything was finally looking up for Kamina, Simon, and the rest of Team Dai-Gurren. But as they stared at their handiwork from inside Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, you could tell that something just wasn’t right.

1. Shisui Uchiha’s Death: Naruto Shippuden

After giving Itachi one of his eyes and losing one to Danzo, he committed himself to a suicide mission in order to ensure that the village would be safe. He was successful in his mission, but it came at the cost of his own life. His death was incredibly tragic and left everyone who loved him heartbroken.

Another example of an anime character’s death that makes everyone cry is that of Shisui Uchiha. During a fight with Itachi, he gave up his life in order to save Itachi’s life and make him stronger, but he also wished for his eyes to be transplanted into his little brother. His final words of encouragement live on in those who loved him and remind them to cherish every moment they had together.

What other sad anime character deaths make you tear up? Let us know in the comments below!