Top 10 Saddest Moments in Anime

Those moments in anime that got you all emotional and made you cry.
The Top Ten
1 Death of Maes Hughes - FullMetal Alchemist

The funeral was what really killed me. Elicia crying...and even Mustang cries, possibly the only time in the series he's cried...Dear God this series isn't kind to small children. Nina got turned into a chimera and killed, Elicia's dad died, Winry's parents died whne she was little...the list goes on. Poor Hughes. I honestly can't think of any dads in FMA who were genuinely kind to their kids and managed to survive to the end.

This was one of the saddest deaths. The funeral brought me to tears, especially Elcia's reaction. The way he died was horrible too. Why, ENVY WHY?! It was bad enough you were killing him, but you also had to look like his wife to do so...

2 Homura's Past Timelines - Puella Magi Madoka✩Magica

Homura Akemi: I'll do it over, no matter how many times it takes. I'll re live it over and over again. I will find a way out. The one path that will save you from this destiny of despair. Madoka my one and my only friend. I don't care because if it's for you, I'll stay trapped in this endless maze... Forever.

This moment was so sad, Homura's perseverance has amazed me and also made me cry. She is truly a strong character to live through those events and I love how she gave everything up just to save her best friend. She showed me to never give up, her story is just so inspiring for me.

3 Korosensei is Killed - Assassination Classroom

Koro-Sensei's death was just a "ah, he's dead, let's cry, then forget about it by the end of the episode" kind of death. His death was dragged out for the whole episode (and the whole chapter for the manga), and they crammed everything they could into those 22 minutes to make it sadder that they could. It was his birthday, he just made peace with his enemy, he just did roll call, the other teachers called him Koro-Sensei for the first time, they show a bunch of scenes where they were having fun with Koro-Sensei. Then he dies, and it's kinda odd to say it was beautiful. He floated into the sky as glowing particles that swirled around the moon. Then seeing the whole class crying their eyes dry made it even sadder, and made you feel like crying along with them. Koro-Sensei impacted every single one of the student's lives in big, if not major ways. He brought the light forward in every student. And now, he is reunited with his lost love.

4 Eye-Opening Arc - Higurashi no Naku Koro ni

The anime is tragic, but the manga is worse. SO much worse.

5 Alucard's Past - Hellsing Ultimate

This made me cry almost as much as Pips death and the last lines

6 Death of Ushio - Clannad After Story

I have watched both Clannad and Clannad: After Story multiple times. I will not lie this scene is one of the most heart breaking scenes I have ever seen. I literally just got done watching this episode, about give minutes ago. MY heart is broken, and I cried. Not going to lie, I even knew that this was going to happen and this still got to me. This anime is hands down one of the best anime I have ever seen. This scene in specifically is one of the most heart breaking scenes ever! MY feels man, my feels.

If you've seen Clannad: After Story, (Which hopefully you have if you're reading this) this is a no-brainer. After Nagisa dies giving birth to Ushio, Tomoya finally reconciles with his child after leaving her for five years. And then when everything cools down...

Clannad and Clannad: After Story are unbelievable. Not only are they hands down the saddest anime in recent memory, but they are also certainly one of the best.

7 Nico's Death - Casshern Sins
8 Itachi's Death (Itachi vs Sasuke) - Naruto Shippuden

The revived Itachi disappearing.
And that line
" For once I would want him to call me elder brother "

This moment broke my heart when the story was told about his truth... I Respect You Itachi

If this isn't hart trenching I don't know what is.

9 Death of Nina Tucker - FullMetal Alchemist

OH MY GOD, THIS MOMENT HAUNTS ME TO THIS VERY DAY! I cried buckets of tears, thinking she would somehow be brought back to humanity, but instead, she gets murdered by Scar. That moment made me realize that this show is not going to be filled with miracles like I'm used to, and that's why Fullmetal Alchemist is my number one favorite anime to this day. I appreciate Ed and Al so much for going through so much just to right their wrongs, even if their wrongs had the right intentions. This moment deserves this spot right here! This is for Nina Tucker!

10 Lucy's Childhood - Elfen Lied

One of the saddest childhoods you'll ever see. The girl is made fun of because she has horns. This is suppose to show society persecutes people for random reasons (ex: white people enslaving blacks). She makes friends with a dog and her bullies kill the dog just because they hate her that much. I don't want to give to much more away but is a good anime and if you really want to be depressed read the manga. Will make you cry harder than Angel Beats

Rather than making me cry it made me want to go outside and randomly pick fights with people and beat them up... Is that a bad thing?

The Contenders
11 The Count's Past - Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo

Nothing could be more tragic than being pulled from the ones you love without cause, only to satisfy the ambitions of selfish men. To wait for countless days and nights alone, stricken with grief. To wait solemnly for death to take you into the darkness.
But wait. A light shines before you, promising freedom and revenge. You take its word, without regard for the destruction that lies ahead. But not all is as it seems, so you find, as your saving grace becomes your prison.
And when you have your final opportunity to deal the same cruelty back onto those wretched men, there couldn't be a more defeating thing in the world than knowing, deep down, that once all is said and done, you cannot reap the benefits of what you sow. You will die, or lose control to the monster that feeds your hate, confined to a mind that no longer belongs to you.

12 Sayaka's Witch Transformation - Puella Magi Madoka Magica

I already knew the twist before I watched madoka, but this scene really got to me. The way that sayaka could go from an hopeful idealist to a despairing nihilist is absolutely heart wrenching. Additionally, the music and animation really drive the sadness home.

I'm gonna be honest I didn't really care for Sayaka as a character. Sorry.

13 Death of Portgas D. Ace - One Piece

I was a HUGE One Piece fan! I started when the manga first came out. Luffy and Ace were my favourite characters of all time they were also the first anime characters that I got attached too. The love and respect that these two shared was something so amazing and beautiful. I cried for days and I know this going to sound pathetic but, after Ace's death I couldn't read or watch the series. To this day I find it difficult to watch any One Piece episodes knowing that Ace is gone. Looking at my plushies and action figures of Ace...sad face...

14 The Death of Kaori - Your Lie In April

I cried so much when Kousei was desperately begging for Kaori stay with him... the music was also so intense and somehow sad for me. One of the saddest anime moments in my opinion

The ep 22 in general was the saddest scene I've ever seen.. And for the first time ever, I actually dropped tears

15 Death of L - Death Note

I was sad when L died to, man I have to tell you I cried man I am serious I did, L is still my favorite ever in death note.

I was all for Light until this point. I was depressed when L died, and I couldn't help but be happy when Light died.

This showed you just how sad you could feel for someone who had you guessing up to the very end.

16 Goku Says Farewell To Friend's and Family as He Dies - Dragon Ball Z

By far the best moment in dragon ball z. Cell was about to explode and take the entire world with him, so goku did the only thing he could think of. He sent himself to king kai's planet to get rid of cell and save the earth. Knowing goku can never be brought back, he saved the entire world. But he was there to defeat cell once and for all. It's this moment that makes the cell saga my favorite saga in dragon ball z.

To be fair, no death in DBZ was ever sad, except maybe for Vegeta's death. You always knew that they would somehow revive the characters using the dragon balls...

17 Kanade Disappears - Angel Beats

I finished Angel Beats yesterday... I'll let you know I only cried about this for like 30 minutes (I'm proud by the way) I'm crying again dang it!

What sets this apart for me is that I STILL tear up about this which is unusual because normally I cry once like at these moments: SPOILERS by the way Menma's disappearance - Anohana, Nagisa's death - Clannad AS, All other disappearances in Angel Beats, Yuuki's Death - Sword Art Online II (mother's rosario), Taiga leaves - Toradora, etc

Anyway, this has to be the most sad, yet strangely fulfilling, moment in anime that I have ever witnessed, this moment ensured Angel Beats's place on my top ten anime of all time

18 Goodbye Mother - Your Lie in April

I'm one of the heartless bastards who feel asleep during the most heart wrenching scenes and never shed a single tear in this anime...

This is such a beautifully sad and happy anime. This episode was so sad, he finally let go, it was a big step in this anime.

Saddest thing ever. Just, no question, see I haven't really cried... about anything for a long time but this made me cry so much, I felt alive. This proved to me I am not souless.

19 Ash, Misty and Brock Part Ways - Pokemon

Every time I watch this scene it reminds me of the movie Stand By Me in the end where Gordie and all his friends go their separate ways.

I am a huge Pokemon fan this is even more sad then bye bye butterfree and the first movie put together.

They were together for so long and then all of a sudden they go their separate ways.

20 Goodbye Pork Bowl - Silver Spoon

Flash back to me crying and hugging my dog while watching this ;_;

21 Welcome Home Ed and Al - Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
22 Meruem and Komugi's Death - Hunter x Hunter

This is the one I was looking for.
I have not seen a more sad episode in any cartoon or manga.
A very powerful seen.
I thought Vegeta sacrifice was the saddest until I watched this.

This was very heartbreaking

I literally bawled my eyes out. This was the absolute saddest scene I've ever seen in any form of media, Eastern or Western.

By far the best emotional scene I have ever seen!

23 Third's Death - Jyu-Oh-Sei: Planet of the Beast King
24 Yui Disappears - Angel Beats!

Okay, I get that Kanade is the main character and whatnot but SERIOUSLY!? Kanade's disappearance (touching and meaningful, but a bit too sudden and rather no buildup) is in the top 10, but Yui's is nowhere to be found... come on people. She couldn't move a muscle in the real world, so even with her tiny, fragile, delicate body she tries her absolute best and squeezes out every ounce of strength in her feeble body in the Afterlife to attempt to do the things she couldn't dream of in the real world. Then she is proposed the ultimate dream of happiness... so bright and colorful that she could envision them in the Afterlife... Yui's death was without a doubt the saddest moment in all anime for me, and it should be near the top for any anime lover as well.

25 Gaara's Past - Naruto

This is the saddest story of all animes... He was made a monster even before he was born... He's been all alone, hated, feared and unwanted during his childhood and more... He didn't have any friend... I don't believe any anime character has suffered so, so much as he...

Gaara is my favorite charater when I heard how bad his past was I cried.

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