The 10 biggest sacrifices in anime history that we still haven’t gotten over

Warning: Contains Spoilers for Vinland Saga, Naruto: Shippuden, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Hunter x Hunter, Attack on Titan, Mushoku Tensei, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and Dragon Ball Z

Although an anime character may be forced to sacrifice themselves, usually to save someone or a group of people, That doesn’t make things any easier. Sacrifices in anime are almost always heartbreaking, as they involve a noble character who gives his life for the greater good. Characters like Neji from naruto and Vegeta from Dragon Ball they also prove that, just because they started the series off on the wrong foot with the protagonist, doesn’t mean they can’t redeem themselves in the end.

Other characters, like Thors from Vinlândia Saga or Erwin Smith from Attack on Titan, They were good people their entire lives and chose to sacrifice themselves so that the next generation could live. No matter why a character makes the ultimate sacrifice, it never makes it any less painful to watch. The best sacrifices combine the tragedy and heroism of such a noble act, leaving an impact on both the characters and the audience in a way that resonates long after the one who made the sacrifice has taken their last breath.

10

Thors vs.

Vinland Saga – Episode 4 – “A true warrior”

Thors’ death set the tone at the beginning Vinlândia Saga. He was an honorable man, a good father, and one of the strongest characters of all time. Vinlândia Saga. He fought Askeladd evenly, and before defeating the pirate captain, Askeladd had Bjorn take Thorfinn hostage. Askeladd is an incredibly intelligent and cunning character, so he knew he would have to kill Thors surreptitiously. After Thors sees the position he is in, he lowers his sword and is hit by a dozen arrows at once.

It’s a cruel sacrifice to see how Thors won his duel fair and square, but that never mattered. Askeladd put Thors in checkmate before the fight even began. Thors’ sacrifice set the stage for the rest of the series, leading to Thorfinn’s life of revenge against his father’s killer and his eventual redemption.

9

Neji saves Naruto and Hinata

Naruto: Shippuden – Episode 364 – “The Ties That Bind”

Neji and Naruto didn’t have the best relationship at first Naruto. Neji was under a lot of pressure from the Hyuga Clan and lost hope, telling everyone that fate would catch up with them all. Naruto couldn’t follow this line of thought less, causing the two to always fight. Even though they weren’t exactly friends, Naruto was humble enough to admit that Neji was a genius in his own right, something Neji never forgot.

During the Fourth Great Ninja War, when the Divine Tree sends fragments straight to Naruto and Hinata, Neji gets in the way. Neji’s sacrifice is one of the most moving in history. naruto because he is one of the few good guys who died. Although Kakashi and the rest of Konoha died early in the series, they were eventually resurrected. Neji doesn’t get the same treatment. Without Neji’s sacrifice, Hinata and Naruto could have died and the Fourth Great Ninja War would have been lost.

8

Jonathan Joestar

Episode 9 – “The Final Wave!”

Jonathan Joestar, the first of the Joestars, was the shining example that mangaka Hirohiko Araki wanted all future JoJos to look up to. Jonathan is an honest, determined and strong-willed young man who would do anything for his love, Erina. When the pair leave for their honeymoon at sea, the worst-case scenario unfolds when Dio is found on the ship with them. He attacks Jonathan in an attempt to steal his body, but not even Dio was prepared for Jonathan’s decision.

Jonathan saved his wife, his unborn child, and another child all at once when he took Dio with him. It’s a moment that defines the series, as it shows that no matter how depraved Dio becomes, there will always be a JoJo to stop him. Jonathan takes Dio with him to the bottom of the sea, imprisoning his enemy for nearly 100 years and giving your family and the world a fighting chance. Jonathan’s relationship with Dio is part of what makes the moment work so well. Although Dio has done many terrible things to Jonathan and others, there is affection in Jonathan’s eyes as he cradles Dio’s head and the ship burns around them.

7

Netero’s poor man’s rose

Episode 126 – “Zero xex Rose”

Isaac Netero is one of the strongest characters in Hunter x Hunter, but even he knew that the Chimera Ant King was a threat unlike any he had faced before. Before he even went to fight Meruem, he had a Poor Man’s Rose installed on his body. As soon as his heart rate reached zero, the near-nuclear bomb would explode, obliterating him and everything else in a huge radius. Although Netero put up a good fight against Meruem, even he acknowledged the fact that he never had a chance.

Netero’s use of the Poor Man’s Rose is the most strategic sacrifice in anime. Netero entered the fight knowing there was a high chance of losing and he prepared everything to accommodate that possibility. He took Meruem away from his friends, provoked him to continue the fight by saying he would reveal the Chimera Ant King’s name, and was able to let his guard down long enough to bombard him.

6

Eren Yeager

Episode 93 – “A Long Dream”

Eren Yeager’s sacrifice is easily one of the the most controversial in the anime. He became evil incarnate in an attempt to save his friends and the island of Paradis once and for all. By starting the Rumbling, Eren became solely responsible for the death of 80% of humanity. His plan was to kill everyone who could hurt Paradis and force his friends to kill him, cementing himself as heroes to the rest of the world.

Technically, Eren’s plan worked. Not only did he kill 80% of the world, but it was his friends who stopped him and the rest of the world didn’t try to continue the war. It is a brutal sacrifice that forces Eren’s friends to fight him. Mikasa is the one who finally finishes off Eren, finally saving him from himself. Unfortunately, despite Eren’s intentions to inevitably bring peace, Attack on Titan the ending shows that war will return to Paradis. Whether Eren’s sacrifice was futile or whether he bought it for his friends and the world’s time before the next major conflict is left entirely up to the viewer.

5

Itachi saves Konoha

Naruto: Shippuden – Episode 455 – “Moonlight Night”

Like Eren Yeager, Itachi Uchiha was forced to become evil. He did this for the sake of his brother, Sasuke. Itachi was forced to make a decision and only had two equally dire options to choose from: either he could fight with his clan against the rest of Konoha, creating a violent civil war that could end with more than just the Uchiha massacred, or he could crush your clan’s uprising before it begins. Itachi chose the latter and murdered all of the Uchiha except his younger brother.

Regardless of whether fans feel Itachi is a hero or villain in narutoIt’s a big sacrifice because Itachi’s true intentions are only revealed much later. and he’s not even the person who reveals them. He chooses to be the ultimate enemy from Sasuke’s perspective because he thinks that’s the best option for his younger brother. He eventually takes Orochimaru away from his brother and is the catalyst for Sasuke’s Mangekyou Sharingan as well.

4

Paulo Greyrat

Mushoku Tensei – Episode 46 – “Parents”

Paul Greyrat was never a good father to Rudeus, but he tried his best. He was a fun father who put a lot of pressure on his son, but that didn’t mean he didn’t love Rudy just the same. Rudeus was forced to trade one parent for another when he and the rest of Paul’s gang went to the Labyrinth to save his mother Zenith. In a fight against the Manatite Hydra, Rudy was about to be killed, but his father Paul, kicked him out of the way at the last second.

Paul’s death in Mushoku Tensei it legitimately shook Rudy to his core. He entered the Labyrinth so he could save one of his parents, not to lose him. The worst part about Paul’s death is that the episode where he dies, Fathers, ironically aired on Father’s Day. Paul may not have been the best father figure, but he is certainly a good father to giving his life for his only son.

3

David Rodríguez

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners – Episode 10 – “My Moon My Man”

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners offers a gripping, thought-provoking, and ultimately heartbreaking story in just 10 episodes, making it one of the best short anime series. It stars David Rodriguez as he tries to make a name for himself in Night City. He gets a lot of power that he can’t control, but he is forced to use it if he wants to save his love interest, Lucy. Even though he knows he won’t survive, David does everything he can to make sure Lucy can live and, hopefully, one day, go to the moon.

David’s sacrifice is made even sadder when he apologizes to Lucy for never taking her to the moon. Nothing is more painful than two star-crossed lovers destined to never be together. David fights the legendary Adam Smasher on level ground for much longer than he should have, before finally dying like the hero he always wanted to be.

2

Majin Vegeta

Dragon Ball Z Episode 237 – “Final Atonement”

Few episodes are named better than episode 237 of Dragon Ball Z, “Final Atonement’. Vegeta has lived for himself all his life. When he settles on Earth, there is still a seed of pride within him. This seed is nurtured by the evil wizard Babidi, who gives Vegeta the power he seeks at the price of his own humanity. After realizing the mistake he made, Vegeta seeks to atone for his sins blowing himself up, hopefully taking Buu in the process.

Iit’s the culmination of everything that happened to Vegeta. He can finally thank Kakarot for being a worthy rival, and he can even thank Bulma and Trunks for being the family he always wanted. Unfortunately for the Prince of all Saiyans, like most sacrifices in dragon ball, is completely pointless as Buu is able to revive himself and has one less enemy to face.

1

Erwin Smith and the Scouts

Attack on Titan – Episode 53 – “Perfect Game”

Erwin Smith’s final speech to his scouts is one of the greatest speeches in anime. It’s heroic, logically correct, and so epic it’s no wonder the Scouts were brave enough to ride to their deaths. Zeke Yeager, the Beast Titan, trapped the scout regiment thanks to his spectacular throwing skills. Knowing they had no real options left, Erwin told his troops to head straight for the Beast Titan, sacrificing their lives so that Levi would have a clear shot.

Erwin, a true leader, was at the forefront of the attack. It is one of the most impactful sacrifices in the anime because Erwin is sacrificing his life and the lives of his men to win. He wanted to know the true history of the Titans, but at that moment he placed the future of humanity above his own dreams. He never learned where the Titans actually come from, but he managed to give Levi enough time to cut the Beast Titan to ribbons.