Top 10 Anime Deaths That Still Hurt

You know you’ve met a special kind of someone when they not only earn the heart of the brooding badass Hijikata, but also succeeded in fundamentally changing the relationship between him and her trigger-happy brother. Along with a spice addiction on par with that of Hijikata’s unsettling mayo obsession, Mitsuba was poised to become the ideal love interest for the Shinsengumi’s Vice-Captain. At least until she lost her life to a lung disease. As expected of Gintama, it gives no shortage of crazy comedy, only to bite deep when it comes to genuine drama. We can only hope she’s having her way with heaven’s spice rack.

Of all the JoJo sidekicks to end up six feet under, why did we have to lose the Italian stallion? This bubble launching fashion marvel immediately won us over due to the banter and bromance he shared with Joseph Joestar, not to mention the fact he could actually hold his own in a fight. Alas, no matter how many bubbles he had at his disposal, it just wasn’t enough against the deadly fabulousness of the Pillar Men. Despite all the craziness we had come to expect from JoJo, none of us were prepared for Caesars final moments.

If music be the food of love, then why did you sour it so?! We can’t deny that the devastating reveal that Kaori had died during her operation hit all the right notes, but it doesn’t take away the fact that we were all left as emotional wrecks. This modern romance had struck gold with the “will-they, won’t-they” aspect thanks to the endearing chemistry between our two musical maestros. Kaori and Kousei were so perfect for each other that it seemed too good to be true – and apparently it was, evident from how the last we see of this incredible violinist is during her phantom duet with her heartbroken love interest. We feel your pain Kousei.

You know an anime has done its job when you’re weeping over the departure of a giant, yellow tentacle monster. Despite being a literal abomination capable of slaughtering humans in the blink of an, Korosensei above all else proved himself to be the ultimate educator, going above and beyond for a group of students that society had all but given up on. Yeah, he still had his monstrous moments, but there was never ever any doubt that he cared for Class E above else. So much so, that when it finally came time for Nagisa and the others to complete their mission and kill their teacher…we weren’t ready for it!

Not sure why such a darling soul would want to subject herself to a VR world filled with fantasy monsters, but that’s beside the point – Sachi was pure as pie! Out of all the lost souls caught inside the virtual prison of SAO, this timid gamer was one of the ones who deserved to be freed! Kind-hearted and obviously infatuated with Kirito, Sachi unfortunately didn’t have the forethought to remain in the Town of Beginnings, and as a result found herself falling victim to a dungeon trap. If that wasn’t bad enough, just to really drive the point home, her final message to Kirito involved a rather heart-breaking rendition of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Christmas is ruined forever.

While Sabo’s return might have managed to dull the ache of losing the iconic Fire Fist, we still can’t get over the fact that Ace is no longer with us. His death may have served as the catalyst for the series’ shift to its phenomenal post time-skip content, but there’s no getting around just how iconic Luffy’s older brother had become. Devoted to Whitebeard, burdened by his connection to Roger, Ace was something of a tortured soul, but who hid it all with a cocky smile and a hell of a lot of flames. Admit it, you were weeping just as much as Luffy!

In a world divided, this little lady stood as a paragon that many should have aspired to. In spite of all the deception and trauma brought on by Lelouch’s quest to destroy Britannia, Shirley was still willing to forgive him, even after his crusade led to her father’s death. Honestly, after all the shit she was put through, she had every right to seek vengeance on Zero, yet the depths of her compassion was so deep, her love so unflappable, she still found a way to cling to her feelings for Lelouch. And then she was snatched away by Rolo, and the world was all the emptier for it…

No offense to the likes of Near, but when it comes to quirky detectives, L remains unsurpassed. Throughout his unending mission to hunt down the serial killer known as Kira, this unorthodox genius won our hearts thanks to his unusual mannerisms yet oddly personable approach. His aversion to socks and insane sugar consumption were a bit weird, but there’s no denying his mental sparring with Light Yagami was utterly fascinating to behold. Losing him at the halfway point wasn’t only shocking, but also dampened our spirits going forward now that one half of the show’s main appeal had vanished.

It’s kind of amazing that even after all he did, the heights he managed to reach, Simon still couldn’t escape the shadow left by Big Bro Kamina, and how could he? In a mere eight episodes, this larger than life numbskull managed to lead humanity’s charge against the Beastmen with nothing but determination, a serious hatred for shirts, and so much badassery that he managed to not only win our hearts, but more than likely made a woman out Yoko after that one kiss. Then, just like that, he was gone. Later buddy, thanks for the fleeting memories.

While everyone else was battling it out with their fearsome displays of alchemy, Hughes was bringing joy to the masses with his terrible Dad jokes and embarrassing displays of affection for his daughter. All in all, this military man was a constant bright spot, providing the perfect amount of light-heartedness when everything else around him was oh so bleak. Naturally, all that goodwill was snuffed when he was gunned down like a dog. There’s truly nothing that can fill the void left behind after Hughes’ departure. Please don’t make us watch that scene again…