Bleakest Anime Moments of 2023

The anime world has its bright spots, with stories of heroes typically ending with victories for the light side and failures for the dark. There have been, however, more than a few series that will dive into some dark, soul-shattering territory, with 2023 seeing its fair share of bleak moments. Now, we here at ComicBook.com took the opportunity to break down some of the bleakest moments in the anime world this year, and trust us when we say, there were plenty to choose from.

In the history of anime, the medium hasn’t been afraid to not pull any punches with some of its most notable stories. Neon Genesis Evangelion has long been held as a legendary example of how anime has been able to “think outside the box”, following the cerebral story of Shinji Ikari as he certainly finds that his world has no happy endings for him. The beloved film Akira has major characters being killed in some fairly gruesome ways while presenting some weighty questions for viewers to take into account. With series such as Berserk, Monster, Serial Experiments Lain, and Grave of The Fireflies exploring some horrific, tear-jerking territory, it’s no surprise to see that soul-shattering anime franchises are continuing to emerge. 

What do you think was the bleakest anime moment of 2023? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of anime’s darkest moments. 

Vinland Saga: The Deaths of Arnheid and Gardar

Both perfect examples of the brutal nature of Vinland Saga’s world, Arnheid and Gardar found themselves made slaves following the ransacking of their village and the death of their son. While Gardar attempted to escape with his wife, he found himself receiving a fatal wound thanks to Snake, one of Iron Fist Ketil’s strongest soldiers. In two of the bleakest, heart-wrenching scenes in the series to date, Gardar and Arnheid both die in different ways, creating some of the saddest moments of the series so far. 

Attack on Titan: The Rumbling

These picks for the bleakest moments in anime for 2023 aren’t ranked, but if we had to go with a “number one bleak moment”, it would be Attack on Titan’s The Rumbling. In the series’ penultimate episode, Eren Jaeger has unleashed his army of Colossal Titans upon the world, and viewers are given a ringside seat into the reign of destruction. While the Scout Regiment is racing to stop Eren’s campaign, they are too late to save the vast majority of the world’s population as Colossal Titans both crush and burn millions, if not billions, of people. It’s an extremely difficult scene to watch as you witness families coming to grips with their imminent demise, victims taking their own lives before being trampled by the Rumbling, and humans fighting one another to survive. 

Heavenly Delusion: Mother and Man-Eater

Heavenly Delusion is one of the sleeper series of the year that combines stellar animation with a story that is fit to bursting with mystery. As we begin to learn more about our pair of protagonists traveling the countryside in the second episode, the teenagers encounter a hospitable hotel owner who gives them refuge. While attempting to take down a “Man-Eater” that has been stalking the grounds, the hotel owner reveals that she believes the monster to be her own son. This might have actually been the case but it doesn’t stop the Man-Eater from killing the woman in the blink of an eye in a way that is so terrifying, it made for quite the jump scare.

Jujutsu Kaisen: Riko’s Death

Jujutsu Kaisen’s second season is taking the opportunity to study the past by focusing on Gojo and Geto’s days as students at Jujutsu Tech. Despite the pair’s wild power level in the cursed energy department, they found themselves unable to save the life of their new friend Riko. Tasked with bringing her to Tengen, Gojo and Geto were unable to stop the villainous Toji from killing Riko, making for quite the dark moment in the series. Rather than being eaten by a supernatural beast, Riko is killed via a gunshot, making it all the more surprising when she falls. 

Oshi no Ko – Ai Hoshino’s Death

Oshi no Ko has become a hit and then some, with the new anime adaptation exploring the dark side of the idol industry and gaining quite a following in doing so. One of the biggest moments that was able to throw fans for a loop in its premiere episode was the death of the, supposed, main character Ai Hoshino. Killed by a stalker, Ai’s story now continues via her offspring but it made for a bleak moment that shows just how dark the colorful series can go when it wants to, as was evident in future episodes of the anime’s first season. 

Maniac: The Hanging Balloons

A lot of Junji Ito stories are personal in nature, as the horrific and the mundane will routinely blend into a spooky campfire tale. Earlier this year, Netflix released Junji Ito’s Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre, which helped to adapt some of the biggest stories that had yet to be animated from the master of horror. “The Hanging Balloons” was one of Ito’s most recognizable as it creates an apocalyptic scenario unlike anything captures in fiction before. With a city besieged by floating balloons that looked identical to their targets, the short story creates a tale that both begins and ends with dark subject matter. 

My Hero Academia: Lady Nagant’s Backstory

My Hero Academia recently made a separate list of ours that documented some of the biggest fights in anime for 2023, and Lady Nagant is able to make this list as well thanks in part to her depressing backstory. While Hero Society is one that functions thanks to the countless superheroes patrolling the streets, the Public Safety Commission has long been training crime fighters in secret to take on threats behind the scenes. Employing Lady Nagant’s skills in the past, the PSC wiped out people it saw as threats, but bloodied the sniper’s hands and her mind in the process.