Top 10 Anime Characters with the Most Tragic Past

The Top Ten

Naruto Uzumaki (Naruto)

Naruto Uzumaki is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the anime and manga series Naruto, created by Masashi Kishimoto. He first appeared in 1999 in Weekly Shōnen Jump and has since become one of the most iconic characters in anime and manga. Naruto's journey from a mischievous outcast to... read more

Naruto ends up with the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit sealed inside him at birth - the spirit that nearly destroyed the whole village years earlier. Because of his secret, he is ostracized by everyone. With no parents or friends and everyone avoiding him, he constantly acts out - not because he means any harm, but because he desperately wants everyone to notice him.
Edward Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Edward Elric, commonly nicknamed Ed, is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga series and its adaptations created by Hiromu Arakawa. He is a State Alchemist who searches for the Philosopher's Stone to restore his brother's body after a failed alchemical experiment... read more

Along with Alphonse, their father leaves and their mother dies shortly after. They attempt to bring her back using alchemy, which ends in disaster. Ed only loses his leg, while Al loses his whole body. Ed then sacrifices his own arm to bond Al's soul to a suit of armor.
If that wasn't painful enough, he undergoes surgery for automail and becomes a State Alchemist.

He needs to be number one. Out of all of the anime I have seen and out of all the protagonists I have met along the way, this should be at the very top - not second place.
Guts (Berserk)

Guts is the main character in the manga series Berserk, created by Kentaro Miura. He is a skilled swordsman known for wielding a massive weapon called the Dragon Slayer. The series follows his journey through a dark fantasy world as he battles demons and struggles with his traumatic past.

Let's see… *SPOILER* Guts was born while his mother was hanged on a tree. A group of mercenaries picked him up and he had to live his childhood as a warrior. The woman who treated him like her son died of plague and Guts got all the blame. The very man who he considered as a father sold him to a rapist (Yes, he got raped as an 11-year-old kid).
He joined another group of mercenaries, The Band of the Hawk, and considered them his family. He thought that was the place where he belonged. But his dearest friend and the leader of the band, Griffith, sacrificed The Band of the Hawk to the demons to gain godly powers. Guts had to see them get sliced to pieces by demons in hell.
Guts chopped his own arm to break loose from the demon who was holding him and lost an eye too, so he could go save his friends, even though he knew he had no chance at all. Griffith raped Guts' lover in front of him, which caused his son to be born as a horrible-looking demon and his lover to lose her mind and become totally crazy. And the best of all, every single night, hundreds of demons haunt him to take his body, preventing him from any kind of rest for the rest of his life.
And what do we see here? He isn't even in the Top 10 because people don't even know him. Give me a break lol. Seriously people, Anime isn't just Naruto, One Piece, DBZ…etc
Gaara (Naruto)

Gaara is a fictional character in the Naruto manga and anime series created by Masashi Kishimoto. He is the jinchūriki of the One-Tailed Shukaku and possesses the ability to manipulate sand, which he stores in a large gourd carried on his back. Gaara later becomes the Fifth Kazekage of Sunagakure.

What? He suffered more than Naruto!
He was called a "monster" because he couldn't control sand. He can't sleep because Shukaku can possess him when he sleeps. His father wanted to kill him, and then his uncle (the only person who really loved him) tried to kill him and made him believe he hated him. Worse past than Naruto's.

Ok, so there's Naruto, Nagato, Itachi... But no GAARA?! He suffered WAY more than any of them! He was rejected by all of his villagers and, unlike Naruto, didn't have Iruka, or Kakashi, or ANYONE! Even his own siblings were scared of him. Not to mention his only "family," his aunt, tried to kill him. At her own will! That's... come on, people, show some empathy!
Shouto Todoroki (My Hero Academia)

Under the harsh, abusive training of his father, Endeavor, young Shouto Todoroki vomited and cried repeatedly. When his mother defended him, Endeavor would hit her in front of Shouto. Eventually, his mother could no longer maintain the mental stability to raise her son. After seeing Shouto's left side, which reminded her of Endeavor, she snapped and threw boiling water at him, leaving a scar over his left eye.

I love Deku, but in my opinion, Todoroki had a more tragic and painful past than he did.
Itachi (Naruto)

Itachi Uchiha is a fictional character from the manga and anime series Naruto, which was created by Masashi Kishimoto. He is a member of the Uchiha clan and plays a key role in the series' storyline. Itachi is widely recognized for his complex character and significant influence on the plot.

Ha ha, Naruto number 1? Really? Lol. Itachi's situation was far worse. He had to kill his entire clan with his own hands, including his mother, father, and even his girlfriend.
In most anime, we see characters witnessing their parents being killed in front of them, but Itachi's situation was even more tragic. He had to kill every clan member, including his parents and girlfriend, himself - at just 13 or 14 years old (even though he didn't want to).
Before the clan massacre, his best friend Shisui (whom Itachi considered like a brother) committed suicide in front of him. Itachi killed his clan for the greater good, yet the villagers saw him as a psychotic murderer. His village ranked him as a criminal. Itachi deserved at least a little respect from his people, but instead, he was met with hatred. He chose pain over love.
After this event, his entire life was filled with sadness, and there was no happiness left. He spent the rest of his life waiting for his little brother Sasuke to kill him, and eventually, he died around the age of 20. Only a few members of the Akatsuki knew that he had killed everyone for the sake of the village. After his death, only Sasuke, Naruto, Kakashi, and a few others learned the truth.
Itachi is easily the number one tragic character ever. (Excuse my terrible English.)
Izuku Midoriya (My Hero Academia)

Izuku "Deku" Midoriya is a fictional character and the protagonist of My Hero Academia, a manga series written and illustrated by Kōhei Horikoshi. The story is set in a world where most people possess superpowers, called Quirks, and follows Midoriya, who is born Quirkless but dreams of becoming a superhero... read more
Ciel Phantomhive (Black Butler)

Earl Ciel Phantomhive (Japanese: シエル・ファントムハイヴ, Shieru Fantomuhaivu) is the main protagonist of the manga and anime series Black Butler. He is the current head of the Phantomhive house, the notorious Queen's Watchdog, the owner of the Funtom Corporation, and an Aristocrat of Evil.... read more

Ciel watched his parents die and got tortured, and he's only like 11! He is a child!
Ken Kaneki (Tokyo Ghoul)

Ken Kaneki is a fictional character in the manga and anime series Tokyo Ghoul, created by Sui Ishida. He is a human who becomes a half-ghoul after receiving organ transplants from a ghoul. His journey explores themes of identity, morality, and survival in a world divided between humans and ghouls.

Kaneki's past is extremely tragic. He was abused and manipulated from the age of 4, which led him to believe that if he was hurt, he deserved it. He had to delude himself into thinking his mother loved him. After her death, he was neglected.
Then he became a ghoul and was tortured. He was also stabbed in the brain and given amnesia. During this time, he was tormented by his past self non-stop, which he experienced as a dream. Getting his skull split open didn't help, and watching the only man he ever called a father commit suicide only added to his pain. But the worst thing he's been through, worse than all of that, was being in a bad adaptation.

What happened to him was so tragic and unfortunate. If only he hadn't fallen for Rize. This guy has the most tragic past to me, right before Kiritsugu Emiya.
For those of you who don't know the anime or the manga, Ken Kaneki was a regular human boy whose father had died while he was still an infant, and his mother died when he was in elementary school. He loved books and reading and was extremely lonely, with only one friend growing up.
One day when he was nineteen, he took an interest in a girl named Rize that he met at a coffee shop called Anteiku. They found out they both liked the same authors and went out on a date. After the date, she insisted he walk her home because she claimed to live near the area where all the ghoul attacks had been happening.
A ghoul is a human-like species that can only drink coffee and eat humans. They are also physically stronger than humans. Rize pulled him into an alley and attempted to eat him, because she was the binge-eating ghoul that had been all over the news. But a construction site above them collapsed on top of them before Rize could kill Kaneki.
Rize died in the accident, but Kaneki was still alive, barely. So they transplanted Rize's organs into Kaneki's body, causing him to turn into a ghoul. And let's just say all was hell after that.
Zeref Dragneel (Fairy Tail)

Zeref Dragneel is a character from the anime and manga series Fairy Tail, created by Hiro Mashima. He first appears in chapter 200 of the manga and episode 96 of the anime. Zeref is known as the most powerful Dark Wizard in the series and is afflicted with the Curse of Contradiction.... read more

His parents and little brother died at a young age. He tried to find meaning in the word love, but when he loves, people die. His curse is the saddest curse I have ever seen - when he loves, life dies around him. Tragic.

He wants to die and was considered the most evil wizard alive when he is really just a good soul.

He should be up there with Edward Elric.

The Newcomers

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Misa Amane (Death Note)

Misa Amane is a fictional character in the manga and anime series Death Note, created by writer Tsugumi Ohba and illustrator Takeshi Obata. She is a popular model and supporter of Kira, the series' central vigilante figure. Misa becomes the second Kira and plays a significant role in the progression... read more
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Alois Trancy (Black Butler)

Earl Alois Trancy (Japanese: アロイス・トランシー, Aroisu Toranshi) is the main antagonist of Season 2 of the anime series Black Butler. He is the head of the Trancy household and plays a central role in the storyline. His real name is Jim Macken (Japanese: ジム・マッケン, Jimu Makken).

The Contenders

Erza Scarlet (Fairy Tail)

Erza Scarlet is an S-Class Mage from the infamous magic guild Fairy Tail. She starts off as a lone wolf who strictly follows the rules. As the story develops, Erza changes into a loving, strong, and independent mage.
Her terrible past haunts her, and she initially ignores her nakama's calls for... read more

How does she not have the saddest past?! Her parents were killed, she was in slavery for most of her childhood, and she was abused and lost her eye! HER EYE. She got pushed off a cliff and beaten by her closest friend. This is insane.

Her past was so tragic that I started crying. Her best friend got possessed and tried to kill her.
Sanji (One Piece)

Vinsmoke Sanji, commonly known by the nickname "Black Leg" Sanji, is a fictional character in the One Piece franchise created by Eiichiro Oda. He is the cook of the Straw Hat Pirates and previously served as the sous chef at the floating restaurant Baratie.... read more

Why is he so low? First, he was rejected by his father, bullied by his brothers, lost his mother, and was even imprisoned. Then he was stuck in the middle of the ocean and starved for months.

His past is so sad. His father and brothers are the worst!
Robert Haydn (Law of Ueki)

Robert's childhood was just too painful...
He was hated by everyone just because he was a celestial.
His only friends betrayed him.
His carer lied about taking care of him just to get money.
Then he became so resentful he became bad and destroyed his entire town... It was just too sad.
Nico Robin (One Piece)

"Devil Child" Nico Robin is a fictional character in the One Piece franchise created by Eiichiro Oda. She is an archaeologist and a member of the Straw Hat Pirates, known for her calm demeanor and intelligence. Robin has the ability to sprout body parts from any surface using the powers of the Hana Hana... read more

Born on the island of Ohara, Nico Robin was hated by its residents and bullied by the children. Her only safe haven was a library and the scholars who attended it. However, even that tiny bit of happiness was taken from her when all of her friends and her newly found mother were killed.
She was then given a hefty bounty at a very early age, forcing her to trust no one, not even those who showed her kindness, as everyone eventually betrayed her, even pirates. For the longest time, all she could do was find temporary shelter and sleep with one eye open to make a quick getaway.
Throughout it all, she at least had a dream to strive for and eventually joined Crocodile in pursuit of her goal. Her entire life, she had to deal with abuse and mistrust.
Alphonse Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood)

Alphonse Elric, commonly called Al, is a fictional character from the manga series Fullmetal Alchemist, created by Hiromu Arakawa. He is the younger brother of Edward Elric and plays a central role in the series. Alphonse's soul is bound to a suit of armor after a failed alchemical experiment, which... read more
Karou Hanabishi (Ai Yori Aoshi)

He loses his father at a young age, is forced into the Hanabishi Clan, and is forcibly separated from his mother. Later, they try to make him forget about his mother. He finally leaves and runs away to Tokyo, only to find himself all alone with no one left to call his family. However, all that changes when he meets up with Aoi later on.
Nami (One Piece)

Nami is a fictional character in the One Piece franchise created by Eiichiro Oda. She is the navigator of the Straw Hat Pirates and is known for her skills in cartography, navigation, and theft. Her character design was inspired by Ann and Silk, two characters from Oda's earlier work Romance Dawn.

Nami was rescued and raised by a loving woman named Belle-mère for years and grew up alongside her foster sister, Nojiko. But it didn't last long. Large Fishmen came to the island where she lived and took over. They demanded money, but Belle-mère didn't have any because she spent it all to make Nami's favorite meal. So, she asked them to spare her two daughters' lives.
For eight years, Nami worked with the Arlong Pirates to buy back her village from the cruel Fishmen, only to have them lie to her and steal all the money she had saved. Yeah, that's pretty messed up!
Kotomi Ichinose (Clannad)
Lucy Heartfilia (Fairy Tail)

Lucy Heartfilia is a wizard in the Fairy Tail guild. Her magic, known as Celestial Spirit Magic, allows her to summon spirits from another world. She currently holds fifteen Celestial Keys, which is an extraordinary number for a Celestial Mage.... read more

Lucy's mom died, and her dad abused her.
Vegeta (Dragon Ball Z)

Vegeta is a fictional character from the anime series Dragon Ball Z, created by Akira Toriyama. He is the prince of the fallen Saiyan race and initially appears as an antagonist before becoming one of the series' main protagonists. Vegeta is known for his rivalry with Goku and his relentless drive to... read more

He was taken from his father by Frieza right before Frieza killed his father and all the other Saiyans on Planet Vegeta.
Enma Ai (Hell Girl)

Ai Enma is the main protagonist of the series and is known as the "Jigoku Shoujo," which translates to "Hell Girl" in English. She appears regularly throughout the series, though her presence is smaller and less frequent in "Hell Girl: Three Vessels."... read more
Ichigo Morino (Please Teacher)

She's basically a grown woman trapped in a child's body. Years ago, she ended up in a standstill, just like Kei, for six long years.
Gintoki Sakata (Gintama)

Gintoki Sakata is the main character in the manga and anime series Gintama, created by Hideaki Sorachi. He is a silver-haired samurai who runs the Yorozuya, taking on various odd jobs to pay the rent. Gintoki is known for his humorous and lazy personality, but also for his strength and sense of justice... read more

Born during a war era and not knowing his parents, Gintoki had no food to eat, so he resorted to eating the corpses of dead soldiers, earning him the name Corpse-Eating Demon. He then met his master, Yoshida Shouyo, and participated in a war to rescue him, only to be forced to kill his own master to save the lives of his friends.
Just when he finally began to live a normal life, his master returned as a monster who wanted to kill everyone. That's depressing.

Not to mention, as he finally got himself a new family and friends, people from his past come back to haunt him and hurt his new family, like Takasugi and Utsuro. He was just about recovering from Shoyou's death when he was forced to turn against the now alive Shoyou. He is fiercely protective of his family and is willing to die for them because he had lost everything once before.
Gray Fullbuster (Fairy Tail)

Gray Fullbuster is a wizard in the Fairy Tail series who is known for being kind, sensitive, and emotionally complex. He frequently finds himself in his underwear due to a habit of stripping, which he developed while training under his now-deceased master, Ur. Gray is an Ice-Make Mage with deep insecurities... read more

Well, he watched his parents get murdered by a demon, watched his guardian die, got abandoned by his friend, met the same friend again, had his guardian's daughter die, and then had his father die in his arms. I MEAN.

How is Gray's past considered happier than Natsu's? This list is messed up.
Lucy (Elfen Lied)

Lucy, born Kaede, is a fictional Japanese character who serves as the tragic antiheroine and main protagonist of the manga Elfen Lied. The series was created by Lynn Okamoto and is best known for its anime adaptation, directed by Mamoru Kanbe and written by Takao Yoshioka. In the Japanese version, Lucy... read more