Everyone has to die sometime, and if you happen to find yourself watching an anime with an infamously high body count, there’s always a good chance a favourite character could end up kicking the bucket at any point. That being said, we still refuse to accept the following ten were killed off. Not only were they beloved by fans but their absence in some cases actually hurt the series as a whole!
Fair warning, there are MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!
#10: Marco Bodt
“Attack on Titan†(2013-)
All he wanted to do was earn the friendship of everyone’s favourite jerk, Jean. Unfortunately, the series saw fit to make him one of the first major casualties. After Eren and company manage to defeat a horde of Titans, Jean discovers that his would-be-buddy didn’t survive the assault.
#9: Shusei Kagari
“Psycho-Pass†(2012-14)
If there’s one guy we wish could have made it to the second series, if only to brighten the whole thing up, it would be the Enforcers’ resident jokester. He was also an endearing character whose ideologies regarding the Sibyl System and society as a whole were fascinating. Then he got killed off halfway through the show. Great.
#8: Kureo Mado
“Tokyo Ghoul†(2014-15)
A veteran and seemingly psychotic member of the CCG, Mado’s creepy nature was only matched by his Ghoul killing prowess. It’s weird to say but for as much of a bastard as he was…we kind of needed a villain like him. Especially given what we got afterwards.
#7: Haku
“Naruto†series (2002-)
Not only was this feminine ninja a powerful foe, but his tragic relationship with Zabuza made him one of the series’ most developed characters. His death may have taught Naruto a lesson about being a shinobi, but there was so much more he could have offered.
#6: Shiro Fujimoto
“Blue Exorcist†(2011-)
He was a paladin priest who could exorcise demons on the fly and was so strong that it took Satan himself in order for him to fall under demonic possession. Seriously, the more we found out about Rin’s adoptive father and his escapades, the more we wished he had managed to stick around for more than a couple of episodes.
#5: Caesar Anthonio Zeppeli
“JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure†(2012-16)
While his death was a truly tragic one, and pushed Joseph to find the strength to defeat the Pillar Men, did we really have to lose this Italian stallion? He was just as fabulous as JoJo, and is the only guy we know who can make bubbles look lethal. He didn’t even get a dignified death.
#4: Kaworu Nagisa
“Neon Genesis Evangelion†(1995-96)
Acting as a replacement for Asuka, Kaworu became a valued friend to Shinji, only to then be revealed that, surprise, he’s actually an Angel. After a fierce battle between the Eva Units, Kaworu accepts his death at Shinji’s hands, further sending our lead spiralling into depression.
#3: Kite
“Hunter x Hunter†(2011-14)
As a student of Gon’s father Ging, it wasn’t long before the two Hunters two developed a strong bond. Then he was unceremoniously be killed off by the fearsome kitty Neferpitou. He may have got an epic battle afterwards but there was still so much potential lost.
#2: L
“Death Note†(2006-07)
Everyone is in agreement that what made this series a gem was the battle of wits between Light Yagami and L. No matter whose side you were on, there was no debating that it was their mental war that kept us coming back. Then L was murdered, and as a result lowered the standard of the anime as a whole.
#1: Kamina
“Gurren Lagann†(2007)
To say we were stunned as we watched the manliest man in anime meet his end is a gross understatement. He made us laugh, he made us cheer, and then he made us weep as he passed away in one of anime’s most shocking twists. Even if his sacrifice was a focal point of the series, nothing could ever replace the hole in fans’ hearts following his death.
Do you agree with our list? What anime character do you think died too soon? With new top tens published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo!
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