Heroes don’t always survive. Here are some manga and anime where the main character dies!
Of course, since the title is like this, this article must contain spoiler heavy. Be careful before continuing to read!
1. Death Note
aminoapps.comFor anime where the main character dies, Death Note including a unique title. At the beginning, maybe some of you supported L the eccentric detective to defeat Kira. In reality? At the end of the first major plot, L was killed because of Kira’s trickery.
Meanwhile Kira, the villain protagonist from this series? He didn’t have any luck either. He was finally shot dead by Touta Matsuda. In the comics, Light Yagami the Kira even states sadly that he doesn’t want to die, while his life is slowly fading away.
2. Space Runaway Ideon
forbes.comYoshiyuki Tomino has made several series Gundam dark, like Zeta Gundam. But for anime where the main character dies, Ideon absolutely brutal. What is presented in Ideon is what we call a great apocalypse, where not only all of humanity is destroyed but even most of the galaxy.
3. Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans
otakuusamagazine.comWhen it comes to anime where the main character dies, it feels like that Iron Blooded Orphans must be counted. Whether you are in Indonesia or in another part of the world, if you watch this series until the end you will definitely know what happens.
See the characters in the photo above? Most of them died. Even Mikazuki Augus, the main character, was not safe from this fate. He was indeed the last Tekkadan member to fall, but he still died in the end, unable to enjoy the new era that followed.
What made fans even more annoyed was that Rustal Ellion, one of the most annoying antagonists in the series, actually survived until the end and his reputation skyrocketed because he was considered to have ended the crisis.
This anime is truly unique, although many people hate it because of its unusual ending.
4. Cowboy Bebop
dotandline.netCowboy Bebop brings Spike Spiegel and the Bebop crew on exciting adventures. Sometimes their adventures are hilarious, sometimes exciting, sometimes sad. In short, throughout the series, the audience is invited to taste various emotions.
But fans probably won’t expect how the series will end. Spike finally meets his arch-nemesis, Vicious. The problem is, even before he met Vicious, Spike was already badly injured. Spike was further injured in his duel with Vicious. But adrenaline helped Spike to dull the pain from some of his enemy’s sharp attacks.
Spike eventually managed to win. He then limped out of the building. He managed to say “Bang!” and… he suddenly collapsed from his injuries.
Is Spike really dead? That is an interesting question and is still a matter of debate. Given the injuries he suffered, it is likely that Spike Spiegel has indeed met his end. But there are also fans who argue that he was only injured and could have been saved. What do you think?
5. Wolf Rain
viz.com/Wolf’s RainSee our main characters above, the wolves who can disguise their form as humans? ending anime (presented through OVA), they all died. Not only them, their allies like Blue and Cher also died. So did Cheza, the girl from the Moon Flower that they wanted to protect.
Even though Paradise is shown to be created, it is still ending which is quite emotional for the audience. At least the manga version ends on a brighter note, although there are also signs that our heroes’ adventures are not yet completely over.
6. Akame ga Kill (real anime version only)
cosplaysky.comEven though the anime title is Akame no Killthe figure who is felt as the main character of this title is Tatsumi.
In the anime version, Tatsumi eventually dies near the end of the series.
I must emphasize that this only happens in the anime version. In the manga version Tatsumi lives, even though he becomes a permanent dragon. Even in the manga Tatsumi can live happily with Mine.
7. Grave of the Fireflies
Dock. Studio Ghibli/Grave of the FirefliesOh my this anime. If you watch anime for refreshingI suggest you watch Grave of the Fireflies. Especially if you are a teenager to adult viewer. Especially if you already have children and are afraid to imagine your children being trapped in a difficult situation, like what Seita and Setsuko experienced.
The main characters of the film are Seita and Setsuko, who live in an area of Japan without parents at the end of World War II, when Japan is clearly going to lose. Due to various problems, partly because of the aunt who is supposed to take care of them and partly because of Seita himself, Seita and Setsuko leave the safety of their aunt’s house to live on their own.
In other films, perhaps it would be shown how Seita and Setsuko could live independently by utilizing everything that nature has given them. Grave of the Fireflies instead shows how stupid Seita’s decision is.
Seita and Setsuko are not heroes like Spike, Mikazuki, or the wolves. Wolf’s Rain. Rather than heroic, their deaths feel realistic. Too realistic, in fact. You will be tortured watching these characters slowly collapse from illness and malnutrition.
As for their fates… well… even the opening of the movie shows Seita dying. Then you see Seita and Setsuko’s spirits. You knew from the beginning that these kids weren’t going to survive, but the way the anime presented their deaths was still incredibly painful.
Those are seven anime where the main character dies. Which one is your favorite?
First published November 12, 2021, republished August 14, 2024.
