Not all stories have happy endings, and these anime prove how memorable darker conclusions can be — even if they’re hard to rewatch. Both completely happy and wholly bleak endings tend to be rare, with most finales landing somewhere in the middle. Our heroes usually need to make sacrifices to reach their goals, often leading to bittersweet send-offs. Deku sacrificing One for All during My Hero Academia‘s ending, or Edward giving up his powers in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, are prime examples.
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But less hopeful anime are bound to have bleaker endings, and these stories don’t hold back when conveying darker messages and themes. From an anime that sees its protagonist doing the unthinkable to a movie that depicts the harrowing consequences of war, these titles are unafraid to go there. As a result, they’ll leave viewers in their feelings long after they’re finished.
3) Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan has an undeniably dark conclusion. Despite nuggets of hope for some characters, it’s more depressing than anything else. Eren’s villain turn is difficult to swallow, cementing the anime as a tragedy and a cautionary tale about cycles of violence and hatred. Eren’s actions take a bleak view of humanity, suggesting that senseless violence tends to beget more senseless violence. That makes Attack on Titan‘s conclusion bleak even before the finale’s credit sequence. The glimpses of the future, which show war erupting once more, suggest that nothing changes as a result of the story. Even the characters who defeat Eren and survive don’t achieve peace, leaving us to wonder what the point really was. It’s an ending that makes you rethink the entire anime.
2) Devilman Crybaby
Devilman Crybaby is another anime that takes a cynical view of humanity, and it shows in its devastating ending. The series takes everything from its main character, Akira, before it takes his life as well. His fight for humanity fails, sending a pretty tragic message overall. Despite the series’ focus on the power of compassion and love, these things don’t prevail. Arguably, the series’ conclusion depicts the harrowing consequences of a world lacking them. It’s a series that tends to leave viewers feeling hopeless, and that’s after delivering numerous emotional blows. It’s true to the ending of Go Nagai’s manga, but that also closes things in a dark and disturbing way.
1) Grave of the Fireflies
If there’s one anime that will leave viewers feeling depleted and hopeless by its end, it’s Grave of the Fireflies. Indeed, it’s difficult to revisit the film after the first experience watching it. The wildest thing about this anime is that it tells us what becomes of its leads before the harrowing journey to get there. Set during World War II, it sees two siblings slowly perishing, the result of the war’s negative impact on Japan rather than the fighting itself. It sends a powerful message about the effects of war on ordinary people, but it does it in the most devastating way.
What’s an anime with a dark ending that you’ll never forget? Leave a comment and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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