20 Most Emotional Anime Villain Deaths

Top 20 Anime Villains With Sad Deaths

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Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the moments in anime where memorable villains perished in ways that left fans feeling sympathetic and full of sorrow.

“Akame ga Kill!” (2014) Unlike her sister who chose to rebel against the Empire, Kurome became one of its most lethal enforcers. Not only was Kurome brainwashed by the Empire into an obedient and ruthless killer, but due to the nature of her Teigu, not even death can save Kurome’s victims from becoming her playthings. Unable to turn against her twisted masters, Kurome is eventually forced to confront her sister in a no-holds-bar fight to the death. Sadly, unlike her manga counterpart, Kurome doesn’t get to enjoy a happy ending in the anime and dies at the hands of her beloved sister. Even with all the suffering she caused, it’s still heartbreaking to witness how Kurome’s demise impacts the few people who genuinely care for her.

“Jojo's Bizarre Adventure” (2012-13) Unlike his masters, Wamuu lived, fought and died following the warrior code. During his final confrontation against Joseph Joestar, Wamuu pulls out all the stops to defeat his human rival. He even goes so far as to destroy his own body to achieve victory. In the end, even with his superhuman abilities, Wamuu is no match for Jojo’s cunning nature as he pulls off an impossible win with a little help from a fallen comrade. Despite losing to Jojo, Wamuu accepts his defeat like a true warrior and even protects Jojo from getting attacked by his vampire underlings. Impressed by Wamuu’s sense of honor, Jojo pays tribute to his fallen rival and honors him before giving him a final send-off.

“Parasyte -the maxim-” (2014-15) When a legion of parasitic aliens hell-bent on taking over humanity have begun their conquest, the last thing you expect to do is get emotional. Ryouko was always morally ambiguous throughout the series, one minute she’d be slicing heads…the next she’d be having a baby. After giving birth to her son, she soon turned her back on her fellow Parasites, only to get brutally gunned down by the police. Strange thing is, she could have easily fought back, but didn’t resist just so that she could protect her human child…

“Sailor Moon” (1992-97) A loyal servant to the nefarious Queen Beryl, Nephrite was willing to endanger innocent people by robbing them of their life force. When his constant failures to destroy Sailor Moon threaten his standing with Queen Beryl, Nephrite attempts to redeem himself by targeting Usagi’s friend and classmate, Naru. Although Nephrite only intended to use Naru for the sake of his own goals, he eventually came to genuinely care for her. His desire to protect Naru is so strong that he even ignores an opportunity to destroy Sailor Moon to save her from some Youma and even takes a lethal blow for her. Nephrite’s final moments are so heartbreaking that even the Sailor Guardians can’t help but shed tears for their fallen enemy.

“Drifters” (2016) To join the all-powerful Ends, you need one thing – Hatred - And The Serial killing Marshal of France, Giles de Rais, is no stranger to that. Standing defiantly beside his love, Joan of Arc, the big guy proves to be a one-man wrecking crew - however, despite this evil allegiance, Giles still got an emotional sendoff. In his final moments, Giles recalls that he committed his infamous acts of evil so that he could follow Joan, who had been tried as a witch, into Hell. Seconds later, he crumbles into salt and vanishes from history forever.

“Detective Conan” (1996-) From victim to villain, Seiji’s fall from grace is as tragic as they come. Driven by the desire to avenge his family, Seiji goes on a killing spree targeting the true culprits behind their tragic demise. Unfortunately, when Seiji’s actions and true identity are discovered by Conan, he traps himself in a burning building with the intent of leaving this world the same way his father did. Despite Conan’s best efforts to convince Seiji to live and honor his father’s final wishes, Seiji refuses due to the severity of his sins. Fortunately, he has enough time for one final act of altruism by saving Conan. Conan’s failure to save Seiji affected him so much that he considers it his greatest failure.

“Fairy Tail” (2009-2019) All he wanted was to bring his brother back to life. Instead, he suffered a fate far worse than death. While conducting research into reviving the dead, Zeref, unfortunately, pissed off the wrong god and was struck with a terrifying curse that forced him to kill every living thing around him. If that wasn’t bad enough, this curse also caused Zeref to become known as the most evil mage in history and warped his personality to the point where he sought to destroy the world that rejected him. It isn’t until Zeref’s lover Mavis finally confesses her love for him that his Curse of Contradiction is finally broken allowing them both to die peacefully in each other's arms.

“Jujutsu Kaisen” (2020-) His traumatic upbringing turned him into a sorcerer killing machine so dangerous that even his own family feared him. However, even a beast like Toji can’t help but look out for his kid. During a confrontation with a young Satoru Gojo, Toji initially appears to have the upper hand. Unfortunately, his actions end up helping Gojo ascend to even greater heights. This, along with the fact that he murdered Gojo’s friend Riko Amanai, seals his fate. Before dying, Toji mentions his son Megumi to Gojo, causing a domino effect that grants Megumi a better life away from the Zenin clan’s influence and proving that deep down, Toji did care about him.

“Inuyashiki” (2017) Both Shishigami and Mr. Inuyashiki were unfortunate enough to be caught in a mysterious explosion, resulting with their bodies being replaced with powerful robotic copies. And that is where their similarities end. While Inuyashiki uses his newfound powers for good, Shishigami goes on a murdering rampage. So, he was pretty much the last person we’d expect to help stop a meteor from destroying earth. Finally seeing the error of his ways, the violent youth activates his self-destruct module in hopes of saving those he loves. Despite the dark path that Hiro walks down, his sacrifice shows us the tragedy that what was a villain…could’ve truly been a hero.

#11: Vegeta's First Death

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“Dragon Ball Z” (1989-1996) Vegeta’s no stranger to death, but the experience of his first demise was truly something else. During his time serving Freiza, Vegeta destroyed numerous worlds and claimed many lives. The fact that he had an inflated ego only added to his merciless nature. It wasn’t until Vegeta came face to face with Frieza’s full power that he finally got a taste of what it’s like to be a victim. As he drowns in despair against an unstoppable foe, Vegeta is powerless to stop Frieza from breaking him in both body and spirit. In his final moments, Vegeta completely abandons his pride as he breaks down in tears and begs Goku to put an end to Freiza’s reign of terror.

“Yu Yu Hakusho” (1992-94) Morality isn’t always black and white, and sometimes what you thought was right turns out to be the exact opposite. After seeing the good in demons and the evil in humans, Shinobu went into hiding, only to come out decades later to judge humans for their evil ways. So, after Yusuke is finally able to beat him with the help of his papi, Sensui reveals the truth – that he didn’t desire the end of humankind, just to be killed by demons to make up for all of humanity’s crimes. Dying in the arms of the one person who loved him, we finally see some sort of sense in his actions.

“Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works” (2014-15) Among the participants of the Fifth Holy Grail War was this deadly master-servant combo. Though they were major antagonists early in the series, the two meet a heartbreaking end. Yeah, beneath all the trickery and underhanded schemes was a love story that led Caster to sacrifice her own life for the stoic fella. But to make things worse, the bloodshed doesn’t stop there. Despite being able to walk away from the battle, Soichiro resolves to continue the fight…despite the impossible odds.

#8: Eren

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“Attack on Titan” (2013-23) All he wanted was to be free and save his people from the Titans. Instead, he became his world’s most evil villain. Upon learning that the whole world wants to wipe out all the subjects of Ymir, Eren takes extreme measures to save his people. Thanks to the Attack Titan’s power of foresight, Eren influences events in his favor and acquires the power of the Rumbling to unleash a worst-case scenario of genocidal proportions. What makes this whole affair truly tragic is that despite his actions, Eren, more than anyone, hoped to end things peacefully. Unfortunately, even with his foresight, Eren could not change humanity’s tragic fate, nor fulfill his desire to spend the rest of his life with the people he loves most.

#7: Twice

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“My Hero Academia” (2016-) He may have been one of Japan’s worst criminals, but he was also someone who would do anything for his friends. Growing up, Twice suffered several tragedies which gradually pushed him towards the path of villainy. He even suffered a traumatic event due to his own Quirk which left him in an existential crisis. While society may have failed him at every turn, Twice eventually found salvation with the League of Villains as they provided him with purpose and true friends. Unfortunately, Twice’s happiness came to an end at the hands of the undercover hero Hawks, whom he also considered a friend. With his remaining life force, Twice sends one last clone to save his comrades and apologizes to his friend Himiko as he expires in her arms.

“Gintama” (2005-18) After being blamed for the weak health of his twin brother by his mother, Itou worked to excel in literature and martial arts to earn his family’s approval, which only served to garner jealousy from everyone around him. Bitter and cynical towards people, Planned to betray his fellow Shinsengumi members in hopes of becoming its new leader. Only after having his plans foiled did he realize how important the relationships he had formed truly were, and was granted an honorable death at the hands of the vice commander Hijikata.

“Bleach” (2004-12) Ulquiorra was an Arrancar with one strict belief – that the human heart is non-existent. This is something he made clear after his kidnapping of Orihime, and subsequent war with Ichigo. However, after the intense final battle with the substitute shinigami, he seemed to have regained a part of his humanity… since he gets one last emotional moment with Orihime, and finally realizes what a heart is before fading away to dust.

“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” (2019-) They may have been heartless demons that took many lives, but their tragic past makes it hard not to feel for them. Growing up in the slums of society, Gyutaro and Daki were surrounded by the worst aspects of humanity. When their hazardous lifestyle finally pushed them to the brink of death, they soon found salvation by becoming demons. For over a century, these siblings turned Yoshiwara’s red light district into their hunting ground where they tormented and devoured many people. Upon being defeated and ascending to the afterlife, Gyutaro attempts to chase Daki away to spare her from eternal damnation. However, Daki refuses to leave him and the two reaffirm their bond before marching straight into hell to face the weight of their sins together.

“Hunter x Hunter” (2011-14) As the top Chimera Ant, Meruem respected strength over everything, and due to their weakness he only saw humans as food. Yet, his mindset was challenged when he met Komugi, a young blind girl who displayed a different kind of strength to Meruem. As time passed, this admiration grew stronger, and following his poisoning, he chose to spend his last days playing Gungi with Komugi. The two died alongside each other, showing that even the most inhumane of villains can experience love…

“Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood” (2009-10) Envy is easily the most unlikable of all the homunculus; he’s loud, he’s rude, and he tends to find joy in the misery of others. And yet, despite all this, we still felt for Envy in his final moments. After the homunculus was reduced to a weak little creature, we saw exactly what he was envious of, human beings. Envy was humiliated, reduced to tears by this realization, and in his despair he ended his life by ripping the philosopher’s stone from his body, simultaneously ripping at our heartstrings…

“Naruto: Shippuden” (2007-17) After sacrificing his life for Kakashi and giving him his Sharingan, Obito Uchiha supposedly died… But little did we know that in the shadows, he was orchestrating something colossal. With the help of the Akatsuki, Obito started the Fourth Shinobi World War, but had a change of heart at the last minute, sacrificing himself to save Kakashi once more in an attempt to atone for his past sins. In the pure lands, Obito got to see his beloved Rin once again, which, paired with his selfless sacrifice, truly redeemed the once lost soul… Which anime villain deaths left you feeling emotional? Let us know in the comments below.