Top 10 Saddest Anime Series

Angel Beats is the saddest anime I've watched so far. It's beautiful, sad, hilarious, heartbreaking, and the music and emotions are amazing. You just get so attached to the characters, and the last episode left me absolutely crushed. The way he screamed Kanade in the end literally broke my heart. I just had to watch it to the very last second to see if he disappears too.

It left me in such a sad awe that I didn't even think of watching another series for a couple of days. I felt that it would ruin the moment. It leaves you sad and crushed, but at the same time, you're happy and feel kind of free and fulfilled. If you haven't seen this, then you should type it in right now. It's just breathtaking. Must see!

Yes, this anime was the saddest anime I've ever watched. It was sad at the end when the characters I loved the most disappeared one by one. During the ending credits, they usually show all the Angel Beats characters together in one big picture, but in the last episode, it started off with all of the characters being there and then they all disappeared.

After the ending credits, they showed a clip where, in their second lives, Yuzuru passes by a girl (Tachibana) with a hoodie over her head. As he passes by her, the girl starts humming a song that was from a band they both liked when they were dead. Yuzuru hears, pauses, then turns around and sees the girl start to walk the opposite way he was going. Yuzuru then runs to the girl and reaches his hand out, and the whole series ended with his hand an inch away from her shoulder.

Let me just say for the record that I have a heart of stone, and none of the other anime on this list, nor any other anime ever, has gotten me to cry. However, in Clannad After Story, I was bawling like a little child. No other show, book, movie, video, or anything else has ever made me cry so hard - except for maybe a couple of Thai Life Insurance videos, haha. The story is deeply grounded in family values, and it genuinely shows you what emotions feel like. You will never truly connect with any other character or anime as you will with Clannad After Story. If you don't mind the emotional rollercoaster, Clannad After Story is the most beautiful, heart-meltingly sweet anime I have ever seen, and I urge you to watch it.

*SPOILERS*

Although I was extremely saddened by Nagisa's death, I didn't cry. It was too calm for it to be sad. The parts that did make me cry, however, were all of the scenes where Tomoya remembers Nagisa, the scenes when he tells Ushio about it, and after a while, the simple mention of her name would bring me to tears.

Ushio dying was also extremely depressing, as she was so much like her mother.

I also think this show did very well with what I like to call Crying Triggers. This is when the studio making the anime does something that makes you cry. For instance, Nagisa's theme was played throughout the first series and was used whenever she was happy. In season 2, though, after her death, they used it whenever she was talked about. This would bring back all of the happy memories with her, and I would cry. This also happens if I am not watching the show.

It probably didn't help that I watched the entirety of After Story in just over 24 hours.

This show is amazingly sad. "SPOILERS" Two brothers just wanted things to be the way they were before. When they were toddlers, their father left them. When they were 8 and 7, their mother died. They find a teacher who has lost her only child and then lost the ability to give life.

After a year of training, they go on to try and resurrect their mother at the ages of 11 and 10. The attempt fails, and as a result, the older brother loses his leg while the younger loses his whole body. The older brother then sacrifices his arm to tie his younger brother's soul to a suit of armor.

The older brother gets prosthetics and sets out with his younger brother to find a way to get their bodies back. All of this happens in the first 6 episodes. There are 51 episodes and a movie. Imagine what happens after that. "Spoiler ends"

I'm happy this is here. I'm probably a little late in commenting on this, but I feel like this anime gets overlooked. I have a roommate who watches a lot of anime, and he doesn't like this show. Yet, he suggested Elfen Lied, and that sucked. I forget specifically why he dislikes it, but I think it was because he found it childish.

I've watched enough anime to know what's childish. And the reality is, if you see it on TV, it isn't reality. However, this anime has resonated with me in ways that much more commercial anime hasn't. Interestingly, this show can provoke so much emotion without featuring death in the first episodes. Then, more happens. (Spoiler later)

I've never been religious, and I'm not after watching this show. But what I love about this anime is that it deals with a corrupt government, criminals, and general philosophy about life, as well as immortals. What would you do if you knew your destiny was to fight someone people considered immortal? What do immortals want? Why would they want to live or die? Why do you want to live? 1/11/05

This is one of my favorite animes, such a masterfully developed story that shows a lot of meaning and tugs quite a bit at the heartstrings. The protagonists are all quite admirable and each has a strong, but sad, background story that reveals how they could have changed Menma's life that day, showing how many regrets one can have. The emotions of the characters are really strongly portrayed, and both the opening and ending are amazing songs!

The final scene will have you crying like a little girl, so be forewarned! Make sure to bring some buckets and have tissues at the ready. Overall, this is an anime that is quite unique and amazing. I can't wait for the movie this August!

This is the best anime I've ever watched. I feel that Anohana is, in a sense, more real, and all of us can better connect with it. The entire anime is focused on depicting the importance of friends and the different types of conflicts among them. It intends to make people feel sad and empathize. Well, it did a good job.

It is respectable that the places in the anime are crafted based on real-life locations. It's really amazing. Plus, the music makes the show incredibly beautiful. Anohana is beautiful. I feel as if I am really in that world. I feel this strong attraction that I can relate to. I can really understand what it's like. The story is just so real.

I started to watch Death Note one day after I heard it was complete. I watched every episode up to episode 26. The 25th episode was very sad. Spoiler alert, L died. I was discouraged and didn't watch it anymore. Later, I decided to complete it to see what would happen in the end. However, I couldn't help myself and ended up seeing the spoiler about Light's death. I was scarred for life. I was so traumatized that I didn't even think about it anymore. The writer's obsession with the alphabet "L" was scary in itself, if you know what I mean. The opening was sad, and the tunes in the background were scary. This was truly a masterpiece, which even now, I cannot bring myself to watch.

Death Note, which is great by the way, gives you extremely likable characters and then rips them all away with emotional deaths. L is killed just when it seems like he and Light could be friends. As Light dies, he has memories of his life before becoming "Kira." When he's dead, he appears like an innocent young man again, making his death hard to watch. The year after Light dies, Misa commits suicide on Valentine's Day, most likely because of her lost love.

The anime and the manga were both really sad. There was a game that I was addicted to playing. I would spend a lot of time on it every day. After Elfen Lied, well, I stopped playing for weeks. I just sat on my bed and thought about the unfairness of the world.

Later, I tried filling the void it left by watching other anime like Fullmetal Alchemist and Angel Beats. Fullmetal Alchemist was interesting, but nowhere near as sad as Elfen Lied. Angel Beats was actually very sad, mostly because of the ending and the incredible soundtrack. However, the lack of character progression made it so that the ending wasn't as depressing as Elfen Lied.

Elfen Lied is one of the most depressing animes I've watched. I loved both the anime and the manga, but the manga delved deeper into the story. By far, the manga's ending was much more depressing than the anime's. It took me forever to get over the ending, and I'm still so sad whenever I think about it.

After I finished the manga, I cried so much that I was depressed for the next few days. Everything was so unfair in both the manga and the anime. Even though I finished them a long time ago, I still get depressed when I think about them. Elfen Lied's manga is one of my favorites and the one I read the most. However, whenever I read it, I skip the ending because it's too sad for me to handle again.

When I finished the manga, I really wanted to watch the anime. After Elfen Lied, I started loving the tragedy genre. It's what led me to watch all those other sad animes that I love. This is one of my favorites, and I miss it a lot.

Naruto was neglected, hated, despised, isolated, and feared his whole life for something he didn't ask for and something he couldn't control. Yet he always smiled, saying he would be Hokage and hoping for a better day tomorrow. He meets Iruka, Kakashi, Team 7, the Rookie 9, Jiraiya, and so many people who finally acknowledge him as a shinobi. As someone who means something. He's so happy that they saved him from his own depression and sadness. Who wouldn't be?

As if they're not already stuffing enough emotion into our faces, Naruto is forced to endure even more, suffering the deaths of close ones and the loss of his best friend and rival, Sasuke. He continues on through life, affecting so many people, changing the hearts of his enemies, friends, and teachers alike. He strains so hard to save what helped him so much and to keep his friends safe, just as they helped him.

It's heart-wrenching to see the sad but close bond he shares with people like Gaara, Sasuke, Killer B, and anyone who has had a hard life. But he inspires so many to continue on. He is living proof that with enough determination, perseverance, and confidence, you can do anything. By the end of the series, he's made his way to Hokage, and people finally acknowledge him. I couldn't imagine the pure surge of emotion one would feel to be embraced by those who hated you for so long, for people to understand and accept you when you've never had love before. This anime/manga has been able to make me cry when no other has been able to before.

The moment I saw Lelouch die, after everything he had been through, how could this not be the saddest thing ever? His sacrifice for the greater good of humanity was such a huge burden for him to bear. And to think that everyone else shunned him without knowing what he had given them - it is so cruel. In another way, it was a poetic and beautiful ending, even if it ended with his death.

In fact, Lelouch's sacrifice reminded me of Romeo and Juliet's love story, where they could never be together as long as they were alive. Just like Lelouch, they died so that their wish would come true. If this isn't a tragedy, then I don't know what is.

SPOILERS
Code Geass will always be my favorite anime and one of the best anime of all time. You see the main character, Lelouch, go through so much. He's not doing it for himself, but for his sister's wish for a gentle world. You witness him succeed and drastically fail. This anime changes your life and makes you want to change the world. Lelouch's character is so well-developed and complex that there are times when you wonder if you're supporting the right side anymore. At the end of the day, he was still just a boy - a boy who lost his home, was betrayed by his mother, father, best friend, the company he built from the ground up, and most importantly, his little sister. C.C. also has to be one of the best-written characters I've ever come across, whose story is also tragic.

But the thing that hit me the most was that Lelouch did and sacrificed so much but got absolutely nothing back. Only a few were on his side at the end, and only a few actually realized the demon's master plan for world peace until it was too late.

They say that no one mourns the wicked, so no one mourns Lelouch. He was a demon, but he was better than most people on Earth.

The story is beautiful, as is the music. It captures the expressiveness of Romantic Classical music in anime form! At the end, I curled into the fetal position and let out a meek "ow" as I clutched my heart. I then felt grateful because the story leaves you feeling sad, yet also shows the beauty of sorrow itself and how it can create something beautiful. It's like poetry! Some characters could have used more development, but those who were developed were done so exceptionally well. The animation is astounding. I also appreciate how it evokes tears without going out of its way to emotionally wound you. Rather, it shows that pain is a part of life and that humans have a knack for getting through it with softer hearts and gentler smiles.

I began to grow annoyed with this series about halfway through and was going to write it off as a Clannad knockoff with an emphasis on music. Some elements were eerily similar, such as the male protagonist having an abusive parent and the female protagonist having mysterious health issues, with her parents working in a bakery. However, I'm really glad I stuck with it. The payoff in the end was extremely satisfying. Not only was it as emotional as one would hope for a series like this, but it also didn't rely on some sort of strange deus ex machina or supernatural bailout in the end, like Clannad did. It felt more grounded in reality. While Clannad After Story will always be my personal favorite, this series deserves more credit than it receives in this list.

It's a shame that Clannad and Clannad After Story are often discussed separately because they function as Part 1 and Part 2 of an incredible story. That being said, Clannad hits rock bottom in terms of sadness around halfway through with its arc. Meanwhile, After Story takes the foundation of the story and delivers a more memorable heart-wrenching ending.

A lot of people seem to forget about the original Clannad because the After Story was so sad. However, the original Clannad had many tear-jerking moments and is easily one of the greatest anime for storyline and likable characters. It's also a must-see if you plan on watching Clannad: After Story.

To people who have not watched Clannad, it is amazing, and there are really sad parts. People who haven't watched it don't get it, but those who have watched it feel the same way that I do.

Everyone should watch this series. I showed it to my mom, and she loves it. I also showed it to my friend, and we stayed up all night watching it.

I have some advice for anyone who wants to watch this anime. The first piece of advice is to never judge a character based on a first impression. So many characters do not show who they really are at first. I don't want to give any examples, as they would be spoilers, and I hate to spoil things for people.

The next piece of advice is to take some tissues with you. Even I cried, and that means something. Enough said. You will cry, even if you're me.

Now, let me get to the review.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then how many words is a series worth? Especially one like this. There are not enough words to describe this anime. It's a beautiful, sad, almost even heartbreaking series that I enjoy no matter what. I can't seem to find any other anime like this. It's perfectly executed. Everything fits together. The series combines elements of horror, psychological themes, tragedy, and maybe even action. This anime is very tragic, can be scary at times, has parts that contain action, and is, of course, very dramatic. I recommend this anime to fans of the action, tragedy, psychological, and/or horror genres.

This is like action plus sadness. It would be perfect for a person who likes action and very sad things. I would rate it five stars for this. (SPOILERS AHEAD) It was so sad when almost everyone died, including Tatsumi and Mine. For me, it was unbelievable that Tatsumi and Mine never got together in the end. Everyone died a heroic death, but only Akame stayed alive. I would rate this five stars for being sad and having action. And it's like the opposite: the kingdom is bad, and Night Raid is good. (SPOILERS END) This show can make you cry, but you have to find out for yourself.

Akame ga Kill is a perfect anime. It's funny, can be gory - but I get grossed out easily and I wasn't scared - heartwarming, and heartbreaking. You'll fall in love with the characters. You'll have an awful lot of ships, probably with the main protagonist, Tatsumi. There are some bittersweet twists along the way. It's definitely one of the best anime of all time. It would probably rank in my top 5 at least. A great anime. Get ready to be addicted.

(SPOILERS) The scene when Mayuri gets killed by the car and Okabe has to relive her death yet again just killed me. It especially hurt when he traveled back to when they were running the hack and he was just hanging his head, unable to do anything. That scene really hit me hard.

Also, after Mr. Braun killed himself, the scene played of his daughter sitting alone at a table set for two, and it just broke my heart. This is the best anime I have ever watched. It's filled with powerful emotions and an incredible story.

There is nothing that will compare to the second half of this show. Episode 22 is the most incredible climax to any anime in existence.

(SPOILERS) This is the only anime on this entire list that made me cry. I cried for a solid 5 minutes when Mayuri was hit by the car and train, Suzuha's heartbreaking letter, and when Mr. Braun kills himself. It cuts to the shot of his child waiting at the table for a father who will never return. I also cried when Okabe kills Kurisu and she dies in his arms, and in the movie when Okabe throws himself in front of the truck to save Kurisu. This is the best show in existence.

I love Fairy Tail as much as the next guy, but this series isn't as depressing either. Lisanna's return is more like a very emotional reunion. No one in Fairy Tail dies either. The only confirmed death is Mavis, who died generations before the series began. They never kill anyone off from Fairy Tail despite having 15+ members to sacrifice. It's hard to believe Makarov will die the next time when he's already come close to dying three times.

Other than that, Lucy's dad dying and sending her gifts on her birthday every year for 7 years - even though she wasn't present in the timeline - was very depressing. This was only because Lucy finally felt loved by her father.

Fairy Tail has taught many people about facing the hard consequences of life. Despite being emotional, it relates to the spirit of living for your comrades. I nearly cried in each arc, especially when Lucy lost one of her most trusted spirits, Aquarius, and also when Igneel died. I felt intense grief during the arc with Erza and Jellal and simply couldn't stop my tears during the Galuna Island arc. Moreover, everyone's feelings for the guild and support for each other truly make Fairy Tail one of the best anime that can be related to our real life. Fairy Tail has taught me a lot. It deserves to be at the top.

Guilty Crown is sadder than most of the animes listed above. Starting from Shu stabbing Gai to Mana, everything becomes increasingly melancholic. Hare Menjou's death transforms Shu, leading him to become a harsh leader who implements the void ranking system. In the end, when Shu resolves to save Inori, he finds her already transformed into Mana, initiating the fourth apocalypse. Later, he defeats Gai using Inori's void, a gift from Inori's soul through a flower. To add to the tragedy, Inori dies in the end, and Shu becomes blind due to absorbing the apocalypse-affected people's cancer.

This anime tore my emotions to shreds. Afterwards, it tried to glue them back together a little, then said, "Forget it!" and decided to set them on fire and stab them simultaneously. I have never been so emotionally destroyed after watching an anime.

On a side note, how on Earth is this ranked #17?!?!

Dragon Ball Z is higher up, and I was never sad while watching that anime. This anime made me CRY! Whatever. Oh, and Attack on Titan (as well as a number of other shows currently ranked higher) wasn't really that sad. It's just super popular, so everyone up-voted it, from what I've seen. Sorry to bash on it, Titan fans!

Future Diary, or Mirai Nikki, is one of the saddest anime out there for viewers to cry over. It's not just the ending that brings out the emotions in this one, but the entire series. It's much like Angel Beats in that way. The story follows a devoted (and somewhat psychopathic) girl, Yuno, and her boyfriend, Yuki. Throughout the anime, you get to see tragic family events unfold.

You become attached to these characters, so this isn't a matter of "Oh, someone died". This is crying material. These events help to build the love that Yuno and Yuki eventually share for each other. Overall, the only flaw with this show is that it made everyone really, really sad.

- Yes, that's a joke, not an actual flaw.

This anime is incredibly depressing. Every single death scene in this one makes you want to cry, and that's a lot of death scenes, considering the Hunger Games-type situation the story revolves around.

This anime does an excellent job of making you love characters despite the things they have done in the past and mourn for them in their final moments. I personally couldn't hold my tears back any longer by the infamous last few episodes. If you want a

I rarely cry. RARELY. This may be the first time I've ever cried at an anime, or a show for that matter! Also, side note: I've never seen such a beautiful storyline before! And don't get me started on the graphics! Honestly, I've searched the ends of Netflix trying to find an anime that could be as beautiful to look at as this one. Other animes I used to watch, before I learned about SAO, seemed amazing at the time. But looking back, they just didn't have that FEEL, you know? Definitely the best and saddest anime I've seen.

I don't think this anime was really one of the saddest anime series of all time, but there was one scene that had me crying: Yuuki's death. I will never get over that poor girl's death. It was so surprising to me and broke my heart.

Yuuki was my favorite Sword Art Online character, and I just loved her happy I want to make the best of life while I can attitude. I know that many anime series typically feature characters like her, but I just became particularly attached to her persona.

She had a positive outlook on life even though she was really sick and could barely wake up every day. She joined SAO to escape from her reality and do all the simple things she could never do because of her condition.

In the game, she was so strong and sweet, while in reality she was really weak and frail. I would give my heart for her. She really was one of the reasons I watched SAO, even if she was only on screen for a short time. I could never write enough about her.

Kanon is far, far better than Clannad/After Story. Clannad sucked. Most of the "sad" moments were just shoved in and felt manipulative. It was completely unnecessary. In contrast, Kanon's whole story revolved around sadness, so it made a lot more sense. Kanon's story is far superior to Clannad's. The characters are better developed and more fleshed out as well.

And don't get me started on the ending of Clannad After Story. If there's one thing I hate, it's massive cop-outs. Kanon's ending didn't feel like a cop-out, so it was acceptable. I'm not saying Kanon is perfect. It has flaws too, but it is so much better than Clannad, yet it doesn't even get half the credit that Clannad does. Kanon deserves it far more than Clannad.

Not much makes me cry, especially while watching anime or TV in general, but this story sucked me right in. I became attached to all the characters, and when I finished every episode, I was an emotional mess. Even as I write this, I'm tearing up. Everything is blurry, and I have to re-type a few things just because the story is coming back into my mind. It's incredibly underrated and deserves much more credit. I hope that one day the show will continue and bask in the glory it deserves! I hope my opinion was useful! P.S. It's a must-watch!

It's the saddest anime I have seen so far. Clannad and Angel Beats are not even half as sad as this one. Besides, I love the main story of this series, especially the special summer energy. You can FEEL it.

I'm sick of people who say that Misuzu is a crybaby and immature. Honestly, she has been having a very harsh time, unloved and all alone, yet she tried to keep a smile on her face and definitely - after many failures - tried her best and never gave up. Maybe she acted in an immature way, but inside she was very strong.

People complain that they don't understand this anime - yes, you may get lost if you don't follow it carefully or don't read the subtitles well. "Air" is not a simple story. Anyway, yes, I was depressed for a week after watching this.

This anime is quite underrated compared to other Key anime. The only problem I found with this anime is that the plot is hard to keep up with. You can get lost if you don't pay attention to details in the anime.

Aside from that, everything was good. The music, the plot, and the characters were great. The anime is quite similar to Clannad in terms of plot and music. It was sad throughout the story, unlike Angel Beats, where the only sad moment was at the end. I encourage you to watch it, and I'm not going to spoil anything for you.

It is true. There was nothing particularly sad at the start of this anime. However, anyone who watched it through to the end could probably tell you that this was one of the saddest anime series they had ever watched. Koro-sensei's death really broke my heart. Very few anime series have made me cry, but I cried at his death - a lot.

I really loved Koro-sensei and the way he was able to bond with all of his students. So much so, that they didn't want to kill him, even though he could end the world if he wasn't killed. The backstory behind why he decided to teach them hit me hard. He was a truly dedicated teacher. He made a significant impact on each of his students and will forever be my favorite teacher, even if he is fictional.

The anime is absolutely beautiful. The audience is always left with a mystery as to why our "antagonist," Koro Sensei, has decided to teach Class 3-E - until Episode 16 of Season 2. From that point on, a sense of darkness, sadness, and inevitability sets in. When the ending comes, I cried. Very few things have ever managed to make me do that. Congratulations to this anime for achieving what it set out to do with that incredibly emotional ending.

This one has the most impactful unexpected ending ever. Add the ending song to it, and you'll need to buy a megapack of tissues. I don't cry easily. Only two animes have had such a great impact on me that it took me over a week to stop dreaming about them, and my brain was completely out of focus for a few days. This is the second one. Chrono Crusade was the first.

This anime made me think about the ending for weeks after I finished it! I've watched almost over 80 animes, but this one ranks in at least my top 15. The ending was one of the most unexpected, especially considering how the story flows throughout.

Epic, depressive, and sad yet beautiful story. Nice character development. One of the most beautifully symbolic endings that I've seen. Phantom Requiem is a story about the dark side of the human heart, manipulation of a person, loneliness, despair, guilt, and the meaninglessness of life. It's a must-watch Urobuchi anime if you like dark stories, character development, nihilistic themes, and action.

This is the first anime I've ever watched. I don't know why I started with it, but it's by far the saddest anime I've seen. Guts went from hating everyone to having friends that he could call his family, only for him to be shoved right back into the abyss of loneliness again. His life is just so messed up in every way. He will forever be cursed.

This is a tragedy based on Shakespeare's Macbeth. The anime/manga contains the most heartbreaking betrayal in the history of fiction, period. The abuse and hell the main character suffers through genuinely made me tear up.

Berserk is just pain and suffering. The manga is 100,000 times better in my opinion, but this show is just the definition of pain and suffering.

One of the few anime that actually made me cry. The first half of the show is comedic and happy, while the second half is dark and depressing. This contrast is mainly what makes it a good drama anime. Anime that build up all the happy moments so that the sad parts hit hard are what really make me cry. What kept this from surpassing CLANNAD was the ending.

The first half worked great with all the happy and comedic moments. Then, when the sad stuff hit, it was depressing as heck, and it went on for a long time. Finally, the last episode came, which was like waking up from an amazing dream where you're the king of the world, except in a sad way. However, I think the sad parts were more depressing than those in CLANNAD. It was just the ending that brought it down.

I remember watching this show at first simply because it had big, bouncing boobs. But as I progressed through the show, it became filled with all kinds of emotions and betrayal. It's one of my favorites.