15 Main Characters in Anime Who Died in Their Stories, from Eren to Light Yagami

15. Sailor Moon Anime: SAILOR MOON Usagi Tsukino or Sailor Moon is known as a character full of love and sacrifice. She repeatedly risks her life for the people she cares about. Although she is often brought back to life, her moments of death still feel emotional. Every sacrifice she makes has great significance in the story. This keeps her as a strong character. She once protected Mamoru from a deadly attack with her own body. She also gave her life energy to save the world. Even in the future, she lost her life at one point. All of this shows how deep her love for others is. Her sacrifices become one of the strongest elements in this series.

14. Shinpei Ajiro Anime: SUMMER TIME RENDERING Shinpei is involved in a mystery filled with tension. He returns to his hometown due to someone's death. However, he ends up being killed during the investigation. From there, he realizes that something is strange. The story immediately feels intense. He then rises again at the same time. He realizes that he is in a time loop. Each death gives him new information. He tries to change his fate in that way. The story is full of strategy and mystery.

13. Ash Lynx Anime: BANANA FISH Ash is the leader of a young gang living in the criminal world. He tries to uncover the mystery of "banana fish." In the process, he meets Eiji who changes his life. Their relationship becomes the emotional core of the story. Their tale feels very human. However, the end of their story is very tragic. Ash is stabbed by an enemy while reading a letter from Eiji. He fights back, but his wounds are too severe. He ultimately dies alone. This moment is very touching and painful.

12. Goku Anime: DRAGON BALL Z Goku is one of the characters who dies multiple times in the anime. He has lost his life several times throughout the series. However, each of his deaths always has a significant impact. He often sacrifices himself for others. This reinforces his role as a hero. One of the most iconic moments is when he fights Cell. Goku chooses to sacrifice himself to save the earth. He also dies in another timeline due to heart disease. Although he often comes back to life, his deaths remain memorable. He continues to be a symbol of sacrifice.

11. Seita & Setsuko Anime: GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES This film is known as one of the saddest anime of all time. From the beginning, the atmosphere feels heavy and realistic. The story focuses on two siblings struggling to survive after the war. They must face a cruel world alone. Their situation becomes increasingly difficult. Even though they try to survive, their condition continues to worsen. Lack of food and support leaves them exhausted. Ultimately, both die from starvation. This story brutally depicts the impact of war. Viewers are often left devastated after watching it.

10. Tatsumi Anime: AKAME GA KILL Tatsumi is a village youth who joins Night Raid. He wants to change a world full of corruption. Throughout the story, he grows into a strong fighter. He also loses many friends along the way. This shapes his character to become more mature. At the end of the anime, he sacrifices himself to protect the city. He uses his last strength to hold back a massive attack. His body is unable to withstand that power. He ultimately dies as a hero. This death serves as an emotional conclusion to his story.

9. Spike Spiegel Anime: COWBOY BEBOP Spike is a character with a dark past. He tries to live a relaxed life, but is constantly haunted by his past. His relationship with Julia becomes an important part of the story. All conflicts ultimately lead to the final confrontation. The atmosphere feels very emotional. After losing Julia, Spike chooses to confront Vicious. He knows the risks are very high. His final battle becomes an iconic conclusion. His fate is indeed ambiguous, but many consider him dead. This ending is one of the most memorable.

8. Akira Fudo Anime: DEVILMAN CRYBABY Akira Fudo is an ordinary teenager who transforms into a Devilman. He maintains his humanity despite possessing demonic powers. His story is filled with conflict between humans and demons. The world gradually descends into chaos and brutality. Akira strives to preserve his humanity. However, everything ends in a great tragedy. Akira must fight his own friend, Ryo, who turns out to be Satan. Their battle destroys everything. Akira ultimately dies in this conflict. The ending is very dark and emotional.

7. Lelouch Lamperouge Anime: CODE GEASS Lelouch is a genius character who leads a revolution against the empire. He uses the Geass power to control others. His goal is to create a better world. However, his methods become increasingly extreme. He is willing to become the enemy of the world for his plan. At the end of the story, he executes the Zero Requiem plan. He makes himself a common enemy so that the world can unite. Lelouch is ultimately killed in front of the public as part of this plan. This death brings peace instead. This ending has become one of the most iconic.

6. Kazuma Sato Anime: KONOSUBA Kazuma Sato experiences what can be considered the most absurd death on this list. He thought he saw a truck about to hit his friend and immediately tried to save him. However, instead of getting hit, he actually died from a heart attack due to panic. This situation immediately sets the comedic tone typical of KONOSUBA from the start. In fact, his death itself becomes a subject of jokes. What’s even funnier is that the "truck" he saw was actually just a slow-moving tractor. After he dies, he meets the goddess Aqua who mocks him. From there, Kazuma is reincarnated into another world and begins a new adventure. His new life is full of chaos and absurd humor. All of it starts from a ridiculous but iconic death.

5. Jonathan Joestar Anime: JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE Jonathan is the first protagonist in the JOJO series. He is known as a noble and principled figure. Throughout his life, he continuously fights against DIO. Their conflict becomes the center of the story. His character is highly respected by fans. In the end, he sacrifices himself to stop Dio. He maintains his gentlemanly nature until the end. However, Dio turns out to still be alive. This paves the way for the next story. Jonathan's death becomes an iconic moment.

4. Mitsuha Miyamizu Anime: YOUR NAME Mitsuha is a village girl whose life changes when she swaps bodies with Taki. Their relationship develops in a mysterious and emotional way. They begin to get to know each other and plan to meet. However, fate has other plans in a very surprising manner. The story takes a drastic turn at this point. Taki then realizes that Mitsuha lives in the past. Mitsuha's village has actually been destroyed by a meteor. The fact that Mitsuha is actually already dead becomes a major twist. This moment becomes one of the most touching in the film. Although there is hope in the end, this part remains impactful.

3. Subaru Natsuki Anime: RE:ZERO Subaru experiences death multiple times in his story. He has the ability to return to a certain point after dying. However, each death feels painful. He has to remember all the trauma alone. This continuously tests his mental state. Despite often failing, he keeps trying to improve the situation. His determination becomes one of his main strengths. He learns from every death he experiences. His emotional journey is very heavy. But that's what makes his story interesting.

2. Eren Yeager Anime: ATTACK ON TITAN Eren undergoes a very drastic character development. From a victim, he transforms into an extreme figure. He is even willing to commit genocide for his goals. This decision divides fan opinions. His story becomes increasingly complex. Eren's death feels like something inevitable. All the choices he makes lead to that point. In the end, he is defeated by those closest to him. This moment feels bitter yet logical. For some, this ending is satisfying.

1. Light Yagami Anime: DEATH NOTE Light Yagami was initially a genius student with "noble" intentions. He wanted to cleanse the world of evil using the Death Note. However, over time, he transformed into a power-hungry figure. He began to see himself as God. This change became the core of the conflict in the story. From the beginning, his death felt inevitable. Ryuk had even given hints about Light's end. When everything fell apart, Light lost control. He ultimately died after all his plans failed. This death felt like a consequence of his own choices.