Every story arc in an anime does not always resolve in a completely positive manner. Sometimes situations become so harsh that only the sacrifice of one of the main characters can make the impending doom go away.
It takes a very courageous spirit to walk willingly into lethal danger, and many of the heroes in anime end up dying while trying to address problems like these. Here is a list of some of the most heroic sacrifices in anime.
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The Most Heroic Anime Sacrifices
10. Portgas D. Ace Dies Shielding Luffy
Anime – ‘One Piece‘
In the midst of a confrontation with the Marines, Portgas D. Ace finds himself in a conflict that he is unable to win. Even though his fire talents render him mainly immune to burns, he is not capable of withstanding the lava that freely pours from the cruel Admiral Akainu.
Ace is aware from the very beginning of their fight that he is outgunned and outclassed by his opponent. However, when Akainu turns his attention to Ace’s adoptive brother Luffy, the pirate decides to make a selfless sacrifice in order to save his family.
Ace puts himself in harm’s way by stepping in front of Akainu’s leaping attack on Luffy, and as a result, he takes a molten fist to the middle of his torso.
9. Nui No Kata Sacrifices Herself To Save Hyakkimaru
Anime – ‘Dororo‘
In the world of Dororo, Nui No Kata is both the Lady of Ishikawa and Hyakkimaru’s mother. In the first episode of the series, she can only stand by and do nothing as her husband throws their newborn boy to the demons after having just given birth to him. Even then, she has been burdened by the sorrow and remorse that she felt on that day.
When she learns that Hyakkimaru is still alive, she begs for his forgiveness and makes an effort to offer herself to the demons.
In the end, she makes the ultimate sacrifice by giving up her life in order to prevent Hyakkimaru from losing his humanity. She prioritizes him over all else.
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8. Vegeta Self-Destructs
Anime – ‘Dragon Ball Z‘
To defeat Majin Buu, Vegeta sacrifices himself midway through the Majin Buu Saga. Vegeta’s initial approach is to beat Buu to a pulp in an attempt to vanquish him. When he sees Buu is much too powerful, he uses Final Explosion, a self-destruction method that kills the user.
In ‘Dragon Ball Z’, Vegeta’s suicide is one of the most wrenching scenes. Vegeta’s sacrifice demonstrates how far he has come as a character, considering how terrible he was at the start of the series. He gives his first embrace to his kid Trunks before he departs to face his doom and rescue the Earth.
7. Armin Painful Sacrifice
Anime – ‘Attack on Titans‘
During the arc known as Return to Shiganshina, Armin is able to devise a strategy to fight the Colossal Titan because of the fast thinking and knowledge that he possesses. However, in order to obtain it, a terrible price had to be paid.
Armin hooks himself to the Colossal Titan’s teeth as he produces heat from his body in order to weaken the Colossal Titan’s body and give Eren the opportunity to take him down. This will allow Eren to defeat the Colossal Titan. During that time, Armin makes a sacrifice that is excruciatingly painful as the sweltering heat burns every inch of his body.
Armin is considered to be one of the most courageous heroes in Attack on Titan since no one else would have the guts to accomplish what he did.
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6. Netero Detonates Himself
Anime – ‘Hunter x Hunter‘
During the decisive fight against Meruem, Netero uses Zero Hand in an effort to bring the fight to a successful conclusion. However, even this skill is not enough to defeat him, and as a result, Netero’s power and aura are entirely depleted.
Netero makes a valiant sacrifice as he pierces his own heart in order to trigger the explosion of the Poor Man’s Rose that has been placed within him. He is able to instill terror in Meruem while cautioning him not to underestimate people after eventually revealing his name. Meruem suffers serious injuries as a result of the bomb’s explosion.
And in the end, the poisonous gas from the blast is what ends up being fatal for Meruem.
5. Rem Kills Watari and L To Keep Misa Safe
Anime – ‘Death Note‘
When it comes to human life, Rem is not authorized to extend it in any way, as it is a crime punishable by death. Rem breaches this rule when Light Yagami puts Misa Amane in jeopardy by murdering L and Watari.
For Light, this is a sure way to get Rem to lose her senses and make poor decisions.
During Rem’s final moments, she is aware of Light’s manipulative behaviors, since he frequently tries to influence almost everyone in Death Note. Instead of letting Misa perish, she gladly gives her life to save the human girl.
Killing L and Watari may not seem heroic from a storyline standpoint, but Ren’s sacrifice is unquestionably selfless.
4. Ichiro Inuyashiki Blows Himself Up To Save Humanity
Anime – ‘Inuyashiki‘
At first glance, Ichiro Inuyashiki, an old man, seems like an extraordinarily improbable protagonist. All of that, however, is going to change after his consciousness is transferred into a robot that is already armed with extraterrestrial weaponry. Before the change, he was preoccupied with his career, his family, and his cancer diagnosis; but, as soon as Inuyashiki begins, he is forced to cope with epic space battles.
As a meteor hurtles toward Earth, Ichiro understands that the only way to prevent the destruction of our home planet is to activate the self-destruct.
3. Tomoe Gives Up Her Life To Save Kenshin
Anime – ‘Samurai X: Trust & Betrayal‘
To avenge the death of her former fiancée, Yukishiro Tomoe plans to spy on Himura Kenshin when he first meets her.
Tomoe’s superiors anticipated her to fall in love with Kenshin and believed his love for her would loosen him up and make him easier to murder, but she ended up falling in love with him anyhow.
Several times, the group tries to take Kenshin out, and it appears as if they could succeed in the last battle of the show. Tomoe intervenes just before the leader of the assassins is about to strike. Sadly, she is killed as a result of her actions.
2. Neji Hyuga Sacrifice Himself To Save Naruto
Anime – ‘Naruto‘
The death of Neji is one of the most stunning moments in the entirety of Naruto. Fans have not moved on from the memory of it even to this day. Naruto and the other shinobi engage in combat with the Ten-Tails at the climactic stage of the Fourth Great Shinobi War.
During the attack by the beast, Naruto comes dangerously close to being impaled, and Hinata rushes to help him. Neji decides to intervene and take the strike himself in order to save his friends from certain death at the hands of the Ten-Tails. He passes away while held by Naruto, a grin on his face as he does so.
1. Lelouch Lamperouge’s Ultimate Sacrifice
Anime – ‘Code Geass‘
Lelouch Lamperouge makes a series of selfless sacrifices throughout the course of Code Geass, which serves as the story’s driving force. His mission is to provide a joyful and secure environment for his vulnerable younger sister Nunnally and to shield her from harm wherever he can.
Lelouch decides to leave his safe and secure existence as a student at Ashford Academy in order to participate in risky and maybe deadly terrorist actions. His objective is to topple the government of Britain and give the Japanese people sovereignty of Japan once again. His current focus is on Japan.
Lelouch is forced to make a difficult decision as the intensity of the combat rises. He makes himself into a dictator that both countries may despise in the hopes that the two groups will work together to eliminate him and then be able to coexist peacefully. In order to further the cause of peace, he is willing to give up his own happiness as well as his own life.
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