The Best of the Worst Anime Betrayals
Few cliffhangers sting as bad as an anime betrayal.
Bleach - Aizen vs Soul Society
Any good shonen series will dabble in betrayal, and Bleach turned turned the trope into a master art. Just as Ichigo enters the Soul Society to save Rukia, another reaper puts the distraction to use. Sousuke Aizen makes his move against the Soul Society from the shadows only to come against the organization in a bloody fashion. The captain of Squad 5 shocked the world by stabbing his blade through Momo's chest, leaving the Soul Society to quake as three of its captains kickstart a coup.
prevnextNaruto - Itachi vs the Uchiha Clan
There are a lot of powerful ninja in Naruto, but no soldier has the kind of clout Itachi wields. Born into the Uchiha Clan, Itachi is touted as a prodigy at a young age, and the child is thrust into a world of pint-sized soldiers. When his home comes under attack by his clan, Itachi is forced to make an impossible choice, and he agrees to betray his bloodline so long as his brother is kept safe. Itachi goes on to massacre the entire clan, and this move sets forward a rough future for the Hidden Leaf Village.
prevnextOne Piece - Kanjuro vs Wano Freedom Fighters
Over the decades, One Piece has not been shy with its cliffhangers. From major deaths to top-tier introductions, the pirates tales has done it all. During the manga's Wano Country saga, fans were left reeling from a betrayal by Kanjuro himself. The man was known as a Kozuki Clan ally and a Red Scabbards member who aided Wano's rebels, but that wasn't the truth. The swordsman worked hand-in-hand with Orochi, Wano's despotic shogun, and his turn against Momonosuke was downright heartbreaking.
prevnextFate/Stay Night - Archer vs Archer
There are complicated anime series, and then there are titles like Fate. The franchise is winding at best, but it is worth exploring to see Archer's betrayal come to life in Fate/Stay Night. The series follows Rin's servant as he reveals his true identity: Archer is a a parallel version of Shirou. In his world, Archer made a vow to kill his counterpart in this world to prevent calamity, but the plan doesn't go as expected.
prevnextHunter x Hunter - Hisoka vs Phantom Troupe
In the world of Hunter x Hunter, all bets are off when it comes to betrayals. You can double-cross anyone while on the hunt, and Hisoka takes that truth to the next level. As a member of the Phantom Trouble, the slippery hunter becomes a nuisance early on in the series. So when he betrays his guild to fight Chrollo one-on-one, fans were left dumbfounded by the bold move.
prevnextMadoka Magica - Kyubey vs Everyone
Puella Magi Madoka Magica may seem like a simple shojo series, but it is anything but. Writer Gen Urobuchi crafted a deceptive tale with this magical girl series that introduced an awfully cute betrayal. The story begins with girls meeting Kyubey, a mysterious cute creature that offers to grant them a wish if they fight witches as magical girls. But as the story carries on, we learned Kyubey wasn't honest in his gang recruitment. After all, no wish is granted freely, and Kyubey's deal will leave his contractees dead or witches themselves.
prevnextAttack on Titan - Reiner and Bertholdt vs the Military
Attack on Titan has plenty of betrayals in pocket, but when it comes to top shocks, nothing can beat its biggest. The entire Survey Corps is shocked when Reiner Braun and Bertholdt Hoover revealed their secret identities as titans in the wake of Annie's outing. The pair try to kidnap Eren after letting their identities loose, leaving Levi's soldiers to kick off a truly intense manhunt.
prevnextDeath Note - Light vs L
Time and again, Death Note left fans on edge with its intense thrills, but nothing impacted fans like Light's final push against L. The two played the ultimate game of cat-and-mouse as L desperately searched for the serial killer targeting society's underbelly. Light played along with L in a bid to lure the detective into a false security, giving him access to strike down L once his investigation hit too close to home.
prevnextBerserk - Griffith vs Band of Hawk
In the world of Berserk, it is safe bet to never trust. The dark series has punished characters for being too trusting, and for the Band of Hawk, they learned this lesson the hard way. Griffith betrays his old mercenary team after they break him out of prison. The warrior sacrifices many of his old friends to tap into the power of the God Hand, leaving Guts a traumatized mess in the end.
prevnextTower of God - Rachel and Bam
In the eyes of Bam, nothing in life is more important than saving his best friend, but Tower of God reveals Rachel doesn't feel the same. Twenty-Fifth Bam goes through her in the tower to reach his friend, and their reunion is nothing but joyous on his end. However, things take a turn when Rachel makes a move against Bam. Jealous of his abilities, Rachel tries to kill Bam by pushing him off a cliff, destroying the bond the pair forged in the slums as kids.
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