Top 10 Anime Deaths That Pissed You Off

“Parasyte -the maxim-” (2014-15) Introduced as a bully who develops a crush on the main character, this teenager was a far more interesting potential love interest than Satomi; sadly, Kana's life is abruptly cut short and with little closure. Possessing the ability to send out signals to other parasites, Kana mistook this skill for a personal link to Shinichi, despite the protagonist's repeated attempts to convince the girl to stop using it. This misunderstanding directly causes the character's demise, as Kana's gift attracts the wrong parasite. Her death has a huge impact on Shinichi, but "Parasyte" never really gives any explanation as to why why Kana owned this ability.

“Bleach” (2004-12) Among the most powerful Arrancar in Aizen's army, Ulquiorra handed Ichigo a sound beating early on in the anime's run. More than a 100 episodes later, "Bleach" finally staged the highly anticipated rematch between the two, but the conclusion was anti-climactic, at least for Ichigo himself. Initially, Ulquiorra demolishes Ichigo, but the human's inner Hollow takes charge and returns the favor, leaving the fourth Espada without a couple of limbs and knocking on heaven's door. Ulquiorra manages to revert Ichigo back to normal, but the villain was already defeated by this point, so the two never truly got to have a fair fight they both wanted.

“JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders” (2014-15) When going up against Lord Dio's minions, there are no third chances. In "Stardust Crusaders'" 10th episode, Polnareff's carelessness seems to inadvertently cause Avdol's death; however, the anime eventually reveals this was nothing but a ploy to convince Dio that the stand user had perished. Jump forward thirty odd episodes and Polnareff's impulsive nature once again forces Avdol to take an attack head on to save the Frenchman's life. This time around, Avdol does not make a shocking comeback. Besides going out in such an anti climatic way, Avdol's real death is essentially a redo of the original, implying little had changed over the course of the anime.

“Overlord” (2015-18) In this world, Ainz Ooal Gown decides who lives and dies. As the Re-Estize Kingdom's Warrior Captain, Gazef is one of the only humans to earn the Overlord's respect; unfortunately, the capable soldier pledged loyalty to a doomed sovereign. Gazef's pride forces the captain to fight Ainz, knowingly full-well this battle cannot be won. Ignoring the fact that they’re very obviously mismatched in terms of strength, Gazef deserved better than to be defeated without even laying a finger on Ainz, as even Clementine and the Thieves at least managed to do something. Watching the Sorcerer King easily destroy anyone is always going to be a treat, but the great warrior captain deserved better. Pride really does come before the fall.

#6: 9'α

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Top 20 Anime Deaths That Pissed Everyone Off

“Darling in the Franxx” (2018) A cross-production between A-1 Pictures and Trigger; "Darling in the Franxx" concluded on a somewhat controversial final arc, and Alpha's death was only one of many missteps. Introduced as the smug leader of the 9's, Alpha accepted every opportunity to mock Zero Two and Squad 13, although the Parasite's most villainous acts were largely a result of manipulation. After realizing that Papa had betrayed them, Alpha joins Squad 13 in fighting off the alien menace, before quickly and pointlessly sacrificing himself to save Hiro. Besides coming across as rushed, Alpha's character arc felt like "Darling in the Franxx" was just ticking boxes off a checklist.

“Naruto: Shippuden” (2007-17) Naruto's Chūnin Exams fight against Neiji is one of the show's defining moments. While the marginalized protagonist refused to be constrained by social status or fate, Neiji was a prodigy who believed destiny could not be altered, although the ninja's ideology weakens thanks to Naruto's infectious attitude. Largely ignored throughout the majority of "Shippuden," Neiji was the most significant casualty of the Fourth Shinobi World War, and Kishimoto confirmed this death was done to help strengthen Hinata and Naruto's relationship. One could say it was Neiji's destiny to be used as a stepping stone by other characters.

“Fate/Zero” (2011-12) There is no honor in war, but that does not mean Kiritsugu's cowardly strategy shouldn’t be scrutinized. Summoned as Kayneth's Servant for the Holy Grail War, Lancer is a noble knight who would never even contemplate using underhanded tactics to win a battle. Spread across multiple episodes, Saber and Lancer engage in various duels throughout "Fate/Zero," but fans were deprived of a decisive match. While the warriors prepared for their final fight, Kiritsugu captures Kayneth's fiance and forces Lancer to commit suicide in exchange for the woman's life. Lancer goes out cursing everyone involved and the Servant's anger is completely justified.

#3: Kid, Zorthy, Iraak, Makken, Jorgun, and Balinbow

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“Gurren Lagann” (2007) Gainax's anime never shied away from axing off characters, but was there really any need to kill six characters in the same episode? Gearing up for the final conflict against the Anti-Spirals, Team Dai-Gurren knew casualties had to be expected. In order to stress the finality of the situation, "Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann's" minor characters began dropping like flies, which would have been fine if the deaths were spread out. Due to these six falling during the opening space battle against the Anti-Spirals, the last three episodes had to make do with a fairly thin cast.

“Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans” (2015-17) Death is always a mecha battle away in Sunrise's anime. While most are hard to sit through but effective, Lafter's passing felt manipulative and trivial. A fantastic pilot with an optimistic nature and an endearing personality, Lafter shows signs of maturity throughout the series, and this character development seemed set to continue. Then, out of nowhere, Lafter is randomly shot while out shopping, wasting any hope tied to the character. To add insult to injury, the villain behind the cheap hit barely lasts another episode, making Lafter's death practically pointless.

“Akame ga Kill!” (2015-16) Despite what might be implied by the title, Akame is not the main protagonist for 99% of this show. After catching up to the manga, "Akame Ga Kill!" decided to do its own thing for the last handful of episodes, and things quickly spiraled out of control. Just one of many characters to die in quick succession, Tatsumi – the anime's real protagonist – defeats the enemy's strongest Teigu but dies moments later trying to protect some civilians. With an episode to go and various villains left to slay, Tatsumi's premature death seemed like it was done purely for shock-value. Do yourself a favor and read the manga.