Top 10 Anime Heroes Haunted By Their Sins

“JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind” (2018-)

Given his rather intense personality, you wouldn’t have thought a tough guy like Abbacchio would have a reason to lament anything in his life. Well, much like the rest of Bucciarati’s crew, the owner of Moody Blues has a past filled with regret, and it all boils down to when he lost his sense of justice. Originally a police officer, Abbacchio became disillusioned with his job due to the cycle of violence and the lack of appreciation by the civilians he was supposed to be protecting, leading him to letting a criminal go out of spite. Of course, this comes back to bite him when a second encounter leads to the death of a fellow officer.

“Gintama” (2006-)

While he’s more famously known for parodying every anime under the sun and getting his magic beads broken off, you can’t forget that beneath all that fourth wall breaking lies the heart of a master swordsman riddled with trauma over the events of the Joui War. While he would later learn the truth regarding his teacher’s true identity, for the longest time Gintoki was fully convinced that he had killed his beloved mentor Shouyou. For all his deadpan humour and crazy adventures, the White Demon’s pain regarding his bloodsoaked past is just as much a fundamental part of his character.

“Akashic Record of Bastard Magic Instructor” (2017)

While regarded as a fool by both his peers as well as the students now in his care, this magical teacher is more powerful than any of them could fathom. Turns out that his talents and complex understanding of magic stems from the fact he used to be a magician killer, and a damn good one at that. However, after failing to save the one he loved, Glenn became pretty sick of his murderous lifestyle, instead choosing to put his time and energy into his unorthodox teaching methods. Given how this led to him earning the affection of Sistine, we’d say he made the right choice.

“Digimon Adventure 02” (2000-01)

Now this is what you call baggage. For a good chunk of the series, Ken went by the moniker of the Digimon Emperor; a tyrant who kidnapped and mind-controlled the occupants of the Digital World into becoming his slaves. Whether as weapons or means of entertainment, Ken caused damage that has yet to matched. If not for the apparent death of his partner Wormmon, Ken may have remained on his dark path indefinitely. As you can imagine, seeking retribution after enslaving so many wasn’t an easy task…

“The Seven Deadly Sins” (2014-18)

You can’t be the Dragon Sin of Wrath without losing your temper sometimes, it’s just a shame that every time the Captain of the Sins gets angry, a lot of people end up dying. Who knows how many thousands were slaughtered by his hand during his time as the leader of the Ten Commandments, but we do know that even after he made his transition to the light, he wasn’t always able to prevent his rage getting out of control, a la that time he vaporised a whole kingdom after his lover was killed.

“Noragami” (2014-15)

Terrified of being forgotten yet haunted by all the lives he has taken; this God of Calamity has been dealt one bad hand after another. While his abandonment issues are mostly to blame for his pitiful and lonely existence, Yato’s biggest regret stems from those he has killed in the name of his divine duty. He was eventually able to break free of his violent ways, but it only served to further drive him deeper into loneliness. While he’s a nice guy beneath all of that melancholy, it’s hard for deities to change their fate, especially one so drawn to destruction.

“Dimension W” (2016)

This guy has no love for the so-called energy efficient way of life. In a world dominated by a new energy source known as Coils, Kyouma is one of the few people who still clings to the good ol’ days of fossil fuels. It’s not hard to see why he would prefer to burn diesel, after all, as a former member of a special ops group, he was partially responsible for the destruction of an entire island during a war for control over a life-giving coil known as genesis. Just to add salt on the wound, when he finally came to after the crisis, he discovered that his fiancé had lost her life in the experimental surgery he had signed her up for. No wonder he’s such a curmudgeon.

“Bungo Stray Dogs” (2016-)

We’ve seen loss drive people to the dark side, but for this former executive of Port Mafia, it was the complete reverse. Formally a remorseless killer with unmatched intellect, Dazai found no joy in living… save for his friendship with fellow Mafioso, Oda. After the Port Mafia boss’s schemes end up leading Oda to his death, Dazai found himself set on a new path - following his friend’s dying wish to see him try to be a good man. Now the morbid member of the detective agency looks to right his wrongs, but not a moment goes by where he can forget his final Port Mafia days.

“Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood” (2009-10)

And this is what happens when you try to bring back the dead. After losing their mother, Ed and Al decide to employ the ultimate taboo in order to try and bring her back; human transmutation. As we all know, this doesn’t work out so well. Instead of resurrecting her, the Elric brothers end up losing everything. Al’s body and soul are torn apart, Ed loses two of his ligaments, and both are left with the hellish reminder that trying to use alchemy to play God will only bring about despair to all involved.

“Rurouni Kenshin” series (1996-2001)

Known far and wide as the Man-Slayer, Kenshin’s skills with the blade were so infamous that he managed to accumulate quite the body count during the Meijin Revolution. Unfortunately, one can’t live life as an assassin and not expect consequences. In Kenshin’s case, his deeds cost him the life of his beloved Tomoe as well as a lifetime of remorse as he came to realize the weight of his actions. While he would go on to find redemption protecting the innocents of Japan, Kenshin’s shame over his deeds remained rooted in his very being, just as much as his iconic scar.