One of the things that I like about anime that is largely absent in western cartoons (or it was when I was a kid), is that it’s not afraid to kill off a character in order to drive the story. Sometimes these deaths make viewers cry, other times they create mobs of angry fans. Either way, they completely draw in the attention and bring out the emotions of any viewer, ensuring the series will always have people to remember it. Here are just 10 deaths which I thought were excellently done and helped make the series. The videos are the closest I could find of the actual scenes.
Note: I think this is obvious, but spoilers are below. If you haven’t seen but intend to see Mai-Hime, Death Note, Evangelion, Madoka, Nadesico, Gurren Lagann, Clannad After Story, Katanagatari, Code Geass, or Kodomo no Jikan and don’t want to be spoiled, don’t scroll down. Also, before anyone asks “where’s Spike?” I have yet to finish Cowboy Bebop.
Death #1: Takumi Tokiha (Mai-Hime)
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNjxdeS2qKg
Takumi is the younger brother of the main character, Mai Tokiha. He was a weakling with no real fighting abilities and his death was anything but spectacular. What made it so instrumental though, was what happened immediately afterwards. Mai had been the messenger of peace for the entire series up until that point. Once Takumi passed away, she went totally berserk and in a fit of rage, called up Kagutsuchi and set ablaze everything around her before supposedly burning Mikoto to a crisp. Mai was the greatest proponent of pacifism, and when she defeated another Hime, it was as if the world turned upside down and the whole series spiralled into a dog-eat-dog world with no mercy.
Death #2: L (Death Note)
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L-aByNGwAE
When L finally kicked the bucket, I think everyone just went silent for a few minutes until rage finally set in. I mean, c’mon, how could you kill one of the players in a 2-person game of cat and mouse? While I’m sure everyone was upset about L, it paved the way for both him and Light to meet their demise without either one being better than the other (since Light never actually discovered L’s name). If either character had “won”, half of the Death Note fan base would have been up in arms.
Death #3: Asuka Langley Soryu (End of Evangelion)
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJl0V7GWRqc
Asuka’s method of death by itself was already more gruesome than most people can imagine. What had a greater impact was that Shinji just stood by and did nothing (that bastard) while Asuka was being torn to pieces. At this point, everyone just hates Shinji with all of their heart, which is why the ending felt like such a relief when he finally made 1 good decision.
Death #4: Mami Tomoe (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKx3d_RlGnI
As of this writing, everyone, even those who haven’t seen Madoka, knows of Mami’s death. If this article survives the test of time though, here’s a short explanation. Up until this point, Madoka was a cool mahou shoujo series with bubbly characters and some drama between them. Mami was everyone’s favourite because she was a busty, gun-toting, badass that obliterated witches with a smile on her face. Imagine the shock in episode 3 when out on a typical witch hunt, she gets her head ripped off and you hear munching sounds in the background as a witch devours her body. That’s when everyone realized that no, this wasn’t a happy “let’s hunt some witches for fun” series, it was Kyubeyland.
Death #5: Gai Daigoji (Martian Successor Nadesico)
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=didibp-tz2A
Personally, I think the creators of Madoka stole this element from Nadesico. Before Gai’s death, Nadesico was about a wacky, happy-go-lucky crew of a civilian battleship with a mission to go to Mars and rescue any people trapped there after the invasion of the Jovian Lizards. Gai was everyone’s favourite because he was an ace pilot that loved to collect gunpla and made everyone laugh. Imagine the shock in episode 3 when out on a walk through the hangar deck, he gets shot dead by some escaping military prisoners. That’s when everyone realized that no, this wasn’t a happy “let’s go save the world” series, it was a deep drama focused on the human condition, where the greater enemies come from within than from without.
Death #6: Kamina (Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann)
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGwA3aCMT-c
Kamina, the hero of all heroes, leader of all leaders, and player of all players was taken down in episode 8. For someone so seemingly invincible to be taken out so early was a huge psychological blow to the rebellion in TTGL. It also opened up the anime for the other characters to shine in the spotlight, overcoming whatever is thrown their way and “piercing the heavens.” If Kamina had not died, TTGL would not have seemed as much of an anime about perseverance and GAR because Kamina would’ve just made everything too easy.
Death #7: Ushio Okazaki (Clannad After Story)
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IwN67M4UGQ
I had a suspicion that Key wouldn’t actually let Ushio die, but my gosh, when they showed that scene I nearly cried. Imagine having your lover die on you after only a few short years and leaving behind your only child. Not having enough time or money, she gets neglected and falls ill. Then, no matter how hard you try to fulfill her last wishes, she passes away in your arms. This doesn’t have an effect on the characters since it’s only a magical dream world, but it really brought out the emotions. I’m sure Tomoya would make an excellent father with Nagisa there to support him.
Death #8: Togame (Katanagatari)
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5ljdfHzZso
There were quite a few scenes in Katanagatari that alluded to Togame’s death, but I was still shocked when it actually happened. I know it had to have happened or else Togame would have killed Shichika later, but I would like to think she would choose love over personal gain. At least it made Shichika go berserk and made some awesome ending fights.
Death #9: Lelouch Lamperouge (Code Geass R2)
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlbKDBz6k6c
Lelouch was my hero in the first season of Code Geass, he was cunning, ambitious, and took advantage of every opportunity that arose regardless of the ethical or moral issues. That’s why when he finally dominated the world, I was utterly speechless to see him plan and carry out his own death, it was absurd. Lelouch was no hero, I think he should have fallen due to his own folly (divine justice), not something that he planned. For me, this is one of the most shocking deaths in anime because of how he died.
Death #10: Aki Kokonoe (Kodomo no Jikan)
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpPXVRE8maE
When I saw I liked Kodomo no Jikan, I’m not saying I liked Kodomo no Jikan. I’m saying that I liked episode 6 of the first season, where the teacher doesn’t even make an appearance and Rin is just a minor character. This episode was by far one of the most memorable episodes of all the anime I’ve ever watched and could actually be viewed without watching any of the others. The whole episode focused around Aki ane Reiji, cousins who fell in love with each other. The problem was that Aki was an ill single mother who could barely take care of herself much less her daughter. It was heartbreaking to see Reiji and Aki falling in love with each other even though they knew Aki was running out of time. The scene of Rin folding paper cranes beside her mother’s withered corpse made my heart wrench.
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I’m sure there are some more deaths that deserve mention, but these were the first 10 that came to mind. If you can think of some other good ones, feel free to share.