Are you ready to slap the faces of stereotypical comments that anime is kids’ stuff? You better brace yourself to witness heartache and bundles of emotions within sad animes that have the most depressing anime endings to leave fans in despair.
The anime industry is vast enough to explore wholesome to bittersweet animes that can leave a lasting impact on fans. As there are countless sadistic stories, there are countless bittersweet endings that hold the ability to haunt fans’ souls after their final episodes.
If you’re prepared to challenge your spirit, let’s unravel the darkest corners of anime storytelling you could least wish for.
This list includes multi-genre animes, so you can choose accordingly to your taste.
9: The Garden Of Words
“The Garden of Words” is a renowned romance anime movie that portrays a tale of unlikely connections and emotional entanglement. Makoto Shinkai’s sadistic film features a high school student and a mysterious grown-up woman. Who crossed paths in the Tokyo garden while seeking solace on rainy days.
The movie’s highlights lie in capturing the beauty of rain-soaked landscapes while exploring distant characters’ emotions. Even though both strangers have found solace in others’ presence, their separation leaves viewers with a haunting sense of longing and bitter emptiness, yet deeply impactful.
It’s a shame to say that you have to bear a most depressing anime ending while admiring a captivating rain-soaked theme with close-to-realistic characters.
8: Tokyo Magnitude 8.0
“Tokyo Magnitude 8.0” is a heart-wrenching sad anime series set in a ravaged metropolis. Dramatical storyline features two siblings Mirai and Yuuki, who were struck by a devastating earthquake while away from home. Amidst the chaos, loss, and despair, the siblings’ ultimate goal is to reunite with their family.
The ending of this heart-wrenching anime is a most depressing one as it leaves the audience shattered by deciding a cruel fate for our beloved character Yuuki. If you assume yourself admirer of mature animes, brace yourself not to cry after watching the realistic kind of consequences of natural disasters.
7: I Want to Eat Your Pancreas
“I Want to Eat Your Pancreas” is a melancholic and tender anime that features polar opposite personalities Sakura and Haruki falling in wholesome love. Sakura who is terminally ill befriends an introverted boy Haruki by revealing her illness to only him. While helping Sakura fully juice her remaining life, Haruki cluelessly goes head over heal to Sakura.
Yet it’s a renowned romantic tale but its ending unfolds a heart-wrenching tragedy by showcasing the cruelty of fate for our beloved Haruki. However, the subdued color palette and captivating visuals direct the story to a wholesome version but failed to disguise the most depressing anime ending.
Indeed you’re looking for a little fan service within a best romance movie while exploring the tragically romantic plot, this anime is worth watching.
6: Cowboy Bebop
If you’re in search of a captivating anime that combines sci-fi, action, and melancholy in a mesmerizing way, “Cowboy Bebop” best suits you. Set in a futuristic world, Spike Spiegel is the leader of an intergalactic group of bounty hunters. In order to make a living, he and his group catch intergalactic outlaws through various adventures worldwide.
As we are talking about most depressing anime endings, not depressing storylines. The series takes a somber turn as the past catches up with the characters. That results in the demise of Spike’s love interest Julia and leaves fans in tears and sympathy for our mortally wounded protagonist.
5: Banana Fish
Banana Fish anime exposures gang leader Ash Lynx, haunted by his traumatic past. Through unveiling the mystery of the mysterious drug Banana Fish, he forms a bond with Eiji, a photographer. Anime is renowned for a sadistic ending where both besties meet their cruel fates leaving a lasting impression on fans.
The thing most hurts is a sad event that happened right after a wholesome event and the same thing happens in Banana Fish with Ash meets his demise in the street after finally getting his freedom to back to Japan with Eiji.
4: Rurouni Kenshin: Reflection
“Rurouni Kenshin: Reflection” is a poignant anime that revolves around the consequences of a swordsman’s past. “Rurouni Kenshin: Reflection” is a poignant anime that revolves around the consequences of a swordsman’s past. it depicts the tragic love story of Kenshin, a swordsman suffering from a fatal skin disease that can’t be cured. Instead of expiring on the battlefield in a foreign land, Kenshin decides to meet one last time with his love Kaoru back in Japan.
Eventually, the way he achieved his ulterior motive reflects the hopeless and emotional weight of the story. The animation quality is not perfect as it was released in 2001, but not failed to reflect the characters’ pain and inner turmoil with its visuals.
3: Clannad: After Story
“Clannad: After Story” is a deeply emotional anime that portrays the complexities of adulthood and relationships. Tomoya Okazaki and Nagisa Furukawa establish their bond within Clannad’s first season, however, things got complicated Clannad: After Story when the young couple faces realistic hardships in their relationship.
Nagisa passed away while giving birth to Tomoya’s child, Tomoya drown in despair and abandoned his newborn baby. However, before coming back to his senses, it’s too late. Despite the anime is full of sadness, it’s no wonder how its ending couldn’t be sad.
2: Grave of the Fireflies
“Grave of the Fireflies” is an emotional anime that unfolds the consequences of World War 2. It’s a heartache story of two siblings Seita and Setsuka, who are struggling to survive amidst starvation, loss, and despair.
If you’re really sure to handle your emotions, then watch this depressing and realistic masterpiece. Because its cruel ending is enough to tear apart even a 50-year-old guy. One thing is sure, after watching this anime, you’ll never think about wars positively.
1: Your Lie In April
“Your Lie in April” is a touching anime centered around Kousei Arima, a gifted pianist. Who has lost his magical ability after suffering a traumatic event. But his fate eventually gets on the right track after crossing paths with a free-spirited violinist Kaori Miyazono. Through breaching musical boundaries, they fell for each other head over heels.
But the romantic anime turns out a sadistic heartthrob anime by featuring a most depressing anime ending. The series explores the theme of loss, acceptance, and the bittersweet nature of realistic events. From all of the above-mentioned sad endings, You Lie in April blasts the most depressing ending where the protagonist’s love interest dies without letting his chance to confess his love.
Conclusion:
The beauty of realistically most depressing anime endings lies in their ability to capture the raw emotions of humans and the hardships that Mother Nature has stored for us. So without losing your heart must cheer these animes without getting into despair.
