Top 10 Anime Endings That Will Make You Cry

You’d think it would be smiles all around after Shu put a stop to Mana and prevented the Fourth Apocalypse. There’s finally peace, segregation is on the decline, and he and his remaining friends get to sit back and enjoy the simple things in life. All good right? Unless of course you count the fact he’s now blind, missing an arm, and most notably of all, his beloved Inori is dead, meaning until he kicks the bucket himself, all he can do is listen to her songs to feel close to her.

While it’s more uplifting than most endings you’ll find on this list, there’s no getting around how this conclusion had every Digimon fan bawling their eyes out. Despite defeating the D-Reaper and preventing the eradication of both worlds, Takato and the rest were given no choice but to say goodbye to their digital partners as the gateway between them began to close. Watching all of them tearfully say their farewells while not knowing if they will ever see each other again has such gravitas, perfectly matching the third season’s darker and more depressing tone.

It may have gone according to plan, but that doesn’t make Lelouch’s passing any less painful. After dispatching his villainous parents and establishing himself as a tyrant in the eyes of the world, the man formerly known as Zero orchestrated his own demise as a way to finally unite all peoples. With Suzaku acting as his assailant, the mission turned out to go off without a hitch…which meant we had to watch Lelouch die in the arms of his sister after getting a sword run through him while everyone cheered at his untimely death. Ouch.

War, what’s it good for? Apparently making us scream at our screens as we watch two characters we like try to kill each other with their giant robots. Unaware that their newfound love interest is loyal to the opposing factions, Bernie and Chris end up clashing on the battlefield, Mobile Suits in tow. Honestly the only thing more horrifying than watching the Gundam cut through Bernie with a beam sabre, is knowing that Chris has no idea about the atrocity she just committed, and likely never will. That’s the franchise in a nutshell…

Haruo isn’t the brightest bulb, at least when it comes to romance, though maybe that’s due to his obsession with video games. In spite of his overbearing arcade enthusiasm, he nonetheless found a kindred spirit in Ono. While she said little, her skill when it came to fighting games spoke volumes, leading to a rather unorthodox friendship between the two. By the time that Haruo actually realised he loved her, Ono’s parents had arranged for her to study abroad. What’s a gamer geek to do? Sonic Boom the shit out of his scooter, arrive just in time to declare his love, and promise to wait for her no matter how long it takes. What a champ.

You’d think seeing the lead die within the opening few minutes would prepare us for this film’s utterly heart-rending ending. It did not. Nothing could dull the horrific sensation of watching a brother and sister struggle to survive following the harrowing events of World War II, all before they eventually succumb to starvation. Given how much suffering we had seen the two endure and how hard they had worked to make a life for themselves, watching their bodies eventually give out while their spirits are united amongst firefly light broke us completely.

What was supposed to be a magical performance that blended together classical music and the alleviated emotions of our long-suffering protagonist turned out to be the prelude to one of modern anime’s most devastatingly poignant moments. Just as Kousei is getting into the groove of things, he sees a vision of Kaori playing alongside him. It’s stunning on every level…until you realise that her sudden phantom appearance means that she didn’t survive her operation, and that Kousei has lost the love of his life before they could even confess their true feelings. It’s a duet that will captivate you as much as it will crush you.

Remember when the series was all about teens caught in limbo, able to die over and over again in the most hilarious of ways? That all went out the window when the cast slowly began to leave purgatory after coming to grips with the nature of their deaths. This unfortunately wasn’t the case for Otanashi, who decided to stay behind in order to assist those who would come after and help guide them to the afterlife. Since he’s got his darling Kanade by his side, at last he wouldn’t be lonely…only for her to reveal that she has already made her peace and can’t stop herself from leaving, leading to a tearful goodbye between two lost souls.

They challenged fate, altered time itself, and at the very last second got that oh so deserved happy ending. In order to alter the past and save Mitsuha’s life, Taki and his body-swapping beloved go above and beyond, even though the laws of the universe keep messing with their memories, to the point where even after the confess their love, they soon forget about one another, to the point where years go by. Thankfully, by pure chance, the two run into each other as strangers, leaving us with the faint hope that their love story can blossom in earnest this time.

Ever wondered how the Manslayer met his end? Wonder no longer, and prepare to weep. After being infected with a skin disease while helping the innocents of a foreign land, it becomes painfully clear that Kenshin is dying, with no cure in sight. His one goal, instead of expiring on the battlefield, is to return to Japan to see Kaoru one last time. While it seems like an insurmountable task, in the end he achieves his goal, before passing on in the arms of the woman he loves, freed of his cross-shaped scar. It’s a surprisingly beautiful ending, but nonetheless will have fans of the wandering swordsman in a state of disarray.