3 Anime Protagonists Who Deserved Far Better Endings

Happy endings in anime aren’t always a given, even for series’ protagonists — and these three leads deserved far better fates. Being a protagonist grants a character a certain amount of plot armor, at least at the beginning of a story. After all, viewers need incentive to embark on a journey alongside the character, which means they need to survive most of the story. And many of them make it through their entire show or film intact, even when the people around them don’t. Some are forced to make major sacrifices — My Hero Academia‘s Deku and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood‘s Edward come to mind — but they’re still alive when the final credits roll.

Not all protagonists are so lucky, though, as there are anime that are unafraid to give them tragic send-offs. In some cases, it’s warranted. No matter how compelling leads like Attack on Titan‘s Eren and Death Note‘s Light are to follow, their terrible actions seal their fates. However, there are main characters who die despite deserving to live, and those tend to be the most tragic anime fates.

3) Seita Yokokawa (Grave of the Fireflies)

The entire point of Grave of the Fireflies is to highlight the horrible impact of war on ordinary people, and we know from the start that its main characters are going to die — but that doesn’t make Seita Yokokawa’s fate any easier to swallow. He deserves better than succumbing to starvation at the age of 14, especially after the great efforts he goes through to keep himself and his sister alive. These don’t pay off, making Grave of the Fireflies a terribly tragic film to watch. Everyone involved deserves more, but then, that’s true of most people who suffer the consequences of war.

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2) Akira (Devilman Crybaby)

Devilman Crybaby is an anime with a seriously dark ending, as Ryo destroys everything the series’ protagonist, Akira, is trying to protect before taking his life as well. It’s a bleak conclusion for everyone involved — and humanity as a whole — and it’s one that Akira desperately tries to prevent. That’s why he’s so undeserving of this fate; he fights for humanity with courage and compassion, and his efforts completely fail to pay off. He’s forced to witness the futility of his actions before his own story comes to a devastating close. In an ideal world, Akira would triumph over Ryo and the darker forces at play. Alas, that’s not the world Devilman Crybaby takes place in.

1) Tatsumi (Akame ga Kill!)

Akame ga Kill! isn’t shy about killing off characters, but Tatsumi gets incredibly close to surviving the series and the fall of the Empire. Unfortunately, the desire to do good and help ordinary people — the very things that push him to join Night Raid — prevent that from happening. Tatsumi dies pushing his Teigu too far in order to save civilians. It’s a gutting scene, and it’s far from what he deserves. Although the members of Night Raid are technically antiheroes, they’re fighting for a just cause. And Tatsumi is among the most well-meaning and loyal of the bunch, making it even sadder that he doesn’t survive to see a better world.

Who’s an anime protagonist you think deserved better? Leave a comment and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!