Top 10 Unforgivable Anime Moments

“My Hero Academia” (2016-)

Straight out of the gate and what do we get? A bird-beaked yakuza slicing apart a traumatised child to turn her superpowered genetics into a weapon that could be sold to heroes and villains alike to revert society to a time before Quirks. And considering Overhaul can remake a person’s body instantly, he put Eri through this multiple times. Even his boss knew this was too much, that his so-called bigger picture was one built on horrendous foundations. To say we were thrilled to see Shigaraki put him through hell as a result of his actions is a vast understatement.

“Beastars” (2019)

If there’s one thing that Legoshi will never tolerate, it’s anyone who threatens his precious bunny waifu. Whether it’s his rival in love Louis, a random classmate, or a bunch of lion yakuza who decide they want nothing more than to help themselves to some rabbit meat. By this point, you can bet we were all for Legoshi going full predator mode and shredding the brutes down to the last pelt. Just give these two a break, they’ve been through enough!

“Tower of God” (2020)

She wanted to be a star and was willing to do anything to make that dream a reality…even if it meant killing the one person who loved her unconditionally. Despite what the pure-hearted Bam may have believed, the truth remains that he is special, and it was more than Rachel could stand. So driven by her desires and corrupted by her jealousy, when given the opportunity to get rid of the one person she secretly envied – she took it. Given how she’s happily reaping the rewards of his downfall, it’s clear that she’s on a downward spiral.

“Kaguya-sama: Love is War” (2019-20)

Talk about a heartbreaker. We all knew Ishigami was a reserved, somewhat cynical yet decent person, but we had no idea just how much trauma and baggage he was carrying. While the school body believed that Ishigami beat up the boyfriend of a girl he was creeping on, the truth is that said boyfriend was cheating on her. Having grown fond of her as a friend, Ishigami confronted the slimeball. When topics of revenge porn arose, our boy lost it, the outcome sadly resulting in the boyfriend spinning a tall tale that painted Ishigami as the villain.

“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” (2019)

She may be a demon who can take all kinds of punishment and retaliate just as hard, but don’t think for a second we’ll let some Hashira punk get away with torturing her like this! Refusing to believe that a demon could ever be used for the sake of good, Shinazugawa attempts to make an example of Nezuko by goading her into attacking him, which included repeatedly stabbing her and even enticing her with blood. While the remnants of her humanity and Urokodaki’s hypnosis prevent her from going off the deep end, it’s still wholly unpleasant to watch the adorable Nezuko be put through such pain.

“The Rising of the Shield Hero” (2019)

Amazing how one lie can destroy an entire person’s life. Fuelled by her own greed for the throne as well as her father’s paranoid hatred for the Shield Hero, Myne showed zero empathy or hesitation when it came to laying the groundwork for what would be become a false accusation of assault – one that disgraced Naofumi, sent him hurtling into isolation, and borderline broke him. When you layer it with her pathological lies, sense of entitlement, willingness to have him painted as a literal demon, AND frequent assassination attempts…the princess doesn’t come out of this smelling like roses.

“The Promised Neverland” (2019)

It may lack the gore and gratuity as seen in some other animated examples of “parent hurts child”, but the pure shock value of seeing Isabelle so callously break Emma’s leg, then proceed to cradle her with an unflinching smile is…beyond unnerving. It speaks to how empty a person she is when she can so casually cripple the person that for the longest time regarded her as a mother. It’s a haunting sight that truly condemns her character, even if she’s just a product of this new, messed up world.

“Dororo” (2019)

Yeah, disgusting excuses for parental figures are going to be a running theme here. With his land ravaged by war and poverty, Daigo decides to make a deal with demons. He gains prosperity and gets to rule over his own domain, and all he has to offer up in return is his own son. Not only does he agree to this, but he’s elated by it! Even after the demons’ fail to fully consume the child, he wastes no time in ordering it to be discarded. Just when you thought he couldn’t sink any lower, as soon as he learns that Hyakkimaru is trying to reclaim his body, Daigo sets out to have him murdered to maintain his false peace.

“Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood” (2009-10)

When desperate enough, some individuals prove that they’re willing to bend their moral compass ever so slightly if it means protecting something they love. Fusing your daughter with a dog in order to create a talking Chimera purely to retain a State Alchemist’s License? There’s no coming back from that. What’s worse is the sheer jubilation we see on display as Shou Tucker revels in his creation, appearing almost exalted at what he has accomplished despite the fact he turned his own child into a monster.

“Made in Abyss” (2017)

You know you’re pushing the boundary when you introduce children into a possible harmful situation, but this White Whistle went well beyond what we thought a villain in this series could do. Utterly without compassion save for his experiments, Bondrewd didn’t hesitate to send Mitty and Nanachi hurtling to the bottom of the Abyss just to see what effects the curse would have – resulting in both being transformed into Hollows. Mitty in particular went through an agonising ordeal as her body is melted into a sentient blob that can never truly die no matter how much punishment is inflicted. How do we know this? Because Bondrewd tried it. Someone incinerate him already!