No matter the genre, death isn't too uncommon in anime, whether it's natural causes or a demise of the utmost extremity. In some series, the death toll can be quite immense.
Particularly high death tolls can usually be blamed on a character in possession of intense power, or else they're the result of a catastrophic event — and usually, the event is the result of such abilities. Throughout the history of anime, some beloved series have had an unfathomable death toll, ranging from hundreds of thousands to trillions.
10 Death Note - A Book and Its User Dictate Death
A shinigami named Ryuk grows tired of his mundane life and decides to travel into the Human World to make things interesting for a change. Once there, he drops his Death Note, a book capable of killing anyone whose name is written in it. Little did Ryuk know, a high schooler named Light Yagami would exceed his expectations.
Once Light Yagami learns the capabilities of the Death Note, the spree begins. Deaths occur back to back, and even after bringing in specialists to solve the case, the spree continues. Surprisingly, Death Note ends up on the lower end of the scale with an estimated total of 135,832 deaths.
9 Naruto - Ongoing War Takes Its Toll
In Naruto, wars occur between shinobi fighting for peace, and the one with the highest total of tragic deaths was the Fourth Great Ninja War.
The main antagonist is Madara Uchiha, who also once fought for unity — until his goal for peace was by twisted means. Once he starts the war, Madara and the Allied Shinobi Forces fight to the death, and heroes and villains alike lost their lives in the process. Counting the casualties of both this war and the ones from the past, Naruto includes total of over 150,000 deaths.
8 Akame Ga Kill! - There's No Preparation For Some Of These Deaths
To overthrow the Prime Minister, an assassination branch of the Revolutionary Army named Night Raid is established. Every member is an experienced killer and will eliminate any threat to the revolution's cause. But the Prime Minister has his own set of skilled killers to protect him and the twisted Empire, and among them is the sadistic ice queen Esdeath.
Esdeath is a formidable opponent, and anyone who dares challenge her will most likely not see the light of day again. Capable of great destruction and demise, she easily buried 400,000 people alive on her own. That pushes the death toll of Akame ga Kill! over 400,000, along with other deaths throughout the series.
7 Attack On Titan - Humanity Is On The Brink Of Extinction
The Great Titan War occurred centuries ago and left humanity eradicated to near extinction by immense humanoid creatures called Titans. To protect what's left of humanity, impenetrable walls shroud them from the abominations. The fight for survival — and the story of Attack on Titan — begins again after the Colossal Titan breaches the greatest hope of protection.
The anime is in its final season, and deaths are a regular occurrence. Before the reignited fight for humanity, the population of the series was estimated at 1,260,000 individuals within the Walls. Then, after the breach and events following, approximately half a million succumbed to their deaths. With the Rumbling, a catastrophic event that will wipe out 80% of the population, looming, the situation is grim.
6 Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - Over A Million Were Sacrificed To Attain God-Like Status
After attempting a forbidden act of alchemy, two brothers become subjected to an unfortunate consequence. To reverse the effects, they seek the Philosopher's Stone, a mythical relic that allows an alchemist to overcome the Law of Equivalent Exchange. After three years of searching, they learn the true nature of the Philosopher's Stone and uncover a grander conspiracy.
In Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, the main antagonist is referred to as Father. He seeks to become absolutely superior to the human race, first by deceiving the King of Xerxes. The deception resulted in the majority of Xerxes' population being sacrificed to allow Father to obtain the "powers of God." This toll is estimated at just over one million deaths.
5 Hellsing Ultimate - Humans And Vampires Die Alike
Hellsing centers around the secret Hellsing Organization, one that combats supernatural foes who threaten the existence of humanity. The organization's current leader is Sir Integra Hellsing, who has a secret weapon to eliminate the threat of these supernatural beings.
Ironically, Alucard is one of these beings and is extremely powerful, boasting an array of abilities. He's been alive for over 600 years and has killed an immeasurable amount of humans and vampires. Alucard's final most devastating form is Level Zero, which allows him to summon the souls of every person that he's killed. The souls summoned prove that he has killed far more than a million people in the series, and the main antagonist, the Major, has contributed to the overall death toll as well.
4 One-Punch Man - A Single Punch Isn't The Only Probable Cause Of Death
Saitama is a seemingly ordinary person, but in reality he's the complete opposite. In One-Punch Man, Saitama is extremely powerful to the point that he constantly defeats foes in battle with a single punch. Throughout the series, however, there are also other beings wielding formidable abilities.
Humans are the dominant species on the super-continent of Earth in the series, but unclassified creatures called Mysterious Beings appear frequently. The beings with the highest threat level cause cataclysmic events in the cities, resulting in a surge of deaths if citizens fail to evacuate in time. Some of these beings can destroy and exterminate the majority of these cities. Since this often occurs for the series, One-Punch Man has an estimated death toll of over 10 million.
3 Japan Sinks: 2020 - The Entire Country Literally Sinks
Japan Sinks: 2020 focuses on a cataclysmic event that strikes Japan. The story primarily revolves around the peaceful life of the Muto family. But their lives — and the lives of their fellow citizens — are flipped upside down when a catastrophic earthquake, and other following events, obliterate the country with no warning and Japan literally begins to sink.
Throughout the series, death is around every corner. Almost every death is unavoidable, no matter how hard the characters try to push through. Some deaths were even just too much to fathom, given the realistic appeal. At the end of the series, a news anchor stated that the population of Japan disappeared. From this, the estimated death toll is between 60 to 120 million, given the reality of the series.
2 Devilman Crybaby - Humanity Goes Extinct
The story of Devilman Crybaby centers around Akira Fudo. One day his childhood friend, Ryou Asuka, wants Akira to help him uncover devils. Akira accepts, and a bloodbath occurs shortly after during Sabbath, a party for degenerates. One thing leads to another, and demons soon possess the individuals present. At the end of the massacre, Akira becomes a Devilman after merging with the devil Amon. Thus begins the tale.
Toward the end of the series, the majority of humanity have been killed by demons, if they haven't yet become one themselves. Then a final battle takes place between Akira and Ryou resulting in humanity's complete eradication. The death toll defies counting.
1 Dragon Ball - Entire Universes Are Eradicated
The Dragon Ball franchise may have the highest death toll in all anime. It follows the main protagonist, Goku, through his journey, where he discovers his alien heritage, seeks the Dragon Balls, and battles formidable villains, many of whom are also seeking the Dragon Balls. The villains introduced boast overpowered abilities and showcase them quite often throughout the series.
Characters such as Frieza, Majin Buu, and Beerus have no problem obliterating numerous planets with little to no remorse, but no being in the multiverse is as powerful as Zeno. Zeno's capable of wiping out a universe's existence, and he's done it more than once. Since the death toll reaches the trillions, this series can't be beat.
0 Comments