Random Anime Characters Who Died Too Soon (16 items)

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  (#1) Shiro Fujimoto

  • Blue Exorcist, Blue Exorcist

  Before his death, Shiro Fujimoto (Rin Okumura's adoptive father) was a top-notch exorcist who could go toe-to-toe with almost any demon, except for the actual Devil, Rin's biological father. This dude not only refused to kill Rin and his brother Yukio, he also raised the sons of the Devil himself, defying orders to do what he thought was right.

  Isn't Fujimoto a great guy? Unfortunately, viewers only get to see him in action for a few short episodes before he dies. His death itself is epic: he's possessed by the Devil, his adopted son's true father who is attempting to drag Rin back to Gehenna, the anime's version of Hell. Fujimoto ends the possession by stabbing himself to death, a ridiculously heroic act that befits this awesome character. 

  His death was too soon, not because he should have survived his fight with the Devil (his sacrifice was actually really cool), but because it was so unfair that he'd had so little screen time beforehand. 
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  (#2) L Lawliet

  • Death Note

  L Lawliet's death marks the moment when a lot of fans stop watching Death Note. While there's some cool material in the second half of the show, L's absence leaves a gaping hole that never gets properly filled. 

  Over the course of the series, L and Light Yagami develop a surprisingly intimate bond that complicates their mutual desire to eliminate one another. 

  After Light successfully kills L using the Death Note, the eccentric detective is quickly replaced by Near. While fans are divided on whether Near is a good character, he definitely doesn't possess the same connection to Light as his predecessor. When Near finally succeeds in taking Light down, his victory is way less meaningful than L's would have been. 
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  (#3) Kaori Miyazono — Your Lie In April

  Kaori Miyazono suffers from a terminal illness, so when she dies, it's not really a surprise. Even so, her demise comes far too early, as she never gets the chance to admit her true feelings for Kousei Arima, or to find out whether he feels the same way. 

  This could have been the most satisfying moment in the story. Instead, the eventual reveal only adds to the tragedy, as it comes after Kaori has passed away. 
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  (#4) Marco Bodt — Attack On Titan

  Marco's death isn't explicitly shown, so when the Survey Corps finds his body after an intense battle with Titans, viewers learn nothing new. 

  Not only does Marco's demise add little to the lore of Attack on Titan, it actually inhibits some potential plot lines that might have been interesting. Viewers don't get to see Marco's budding friendship with the prickly Jean Kirstein come to fruition, and Marco never succeeds in becoming a positive influence on the Survey Corps.

  Marco's idealistic views could have changed the organization for the better, but instead, he's just another corpse on the Titans' hulking pyre.

  *Update for Season 3*

  Turns out that Marco's death is actually explained during a flashback. He still died too soon though!
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  (#5) Kamina

  • Gurren Lagann

  Kamina is an unrelenting badass whose positive outlook and dedication are some of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann's main draws. He dies during one of the biggest battles of his life, and it's utterly disappointing to watch his charismatic hope get permanently smacked down. 

  While Kamina's death serves a specific narrative purpose, it feels like the creators could have gotten where they wanted to go without eliminating one of the series's best characters. Simon, Kamina's adopted younger brother, needed to gain self-confidence and independence, but killing off one character to further another's development feels cheap.
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  (#6) Shuusei Kagari

  • Psycho-Pass

  The Sibyl System decided Shuusei Kagari was a latent criminal at age five, so by the time he's 21, he has no other option than to become an Enforcer. He helps the police track down (and often kill) active criminals, and many Enforcer assignments are glorified suicide missions.

  Since Kagari never felt any inclination to commit crimes, he's deeply skeptical of the Sibyl System, and irritated by the constrained life it forces him to lead. He never had a chance to choose his own career path, get married, or have children. While Kagari usually suppresses his unhappiness with jokes and sarcasm, he's clearly miserable on the inside.

  When Kagari gets shot in the middle of a mission, it feels like his character arc is cut short. He dies hoping his sacrifice will mean something, but once he's gone, nothing really changes. He isn't allowed to escape his horrid reality, and his absence sucks much of the humor out of the show. 
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  (#7) Mami Tomoe

  • Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Puella Magi Madoka Magica

  Mami Tomoe serves as a mentor for Madoka and company, and shows them the dangers and delights of fighting witches. She's warm, welcoming, kind, and seemingly has everything under control, up until she's unceremoniously killed by a witch. 

  From a narrative standpoint, Mami's death is supposed to illustrate the risks inherent in fighting witches. However, Mami was forced into her position as a magical girl, so it seems odd to kill her for a decision she had no say in. 

  After a brutal car accident pushed Mami to the brink of death, she decided to become a magical girl so she could wish for her own survival. Pretty much every other magical girl actively chooses to take up the position, so punishing a character whose only other option was death seems totally unfair. 
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  (#8) Biscuit Griffon — Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans

  Biscuit Griffon has an important role in Iron Blooded Orphans. He's best friends with Orga Itsuka, the leader of a private security company called Tekkan, and often acts as a voice of reason when Orga is making tough decisions. On top of that, his main motivation for working with the organization is to support his younger siblings and send them to school.

  When he dies under a pile of wreckage, the loss takes a serious toll on the other characters. Without his sounding board, Orga is forced to make difficult choices on his own, and Biscuit's sisters are left to fend for themselves. 

  Although Biscuit is fat, his personality defies the disconcerting stereotypes seen in many popular anime. There are still some problems with his characterization (why is he named Biscuit, anyway?), but it's exciting to see an overweight character who uses his brain more than his stomach. 

  When he dies, fans lose one of the medium's best depictions of an underrepresented demographic. 
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  (#9) Caesar Anthonio Zeppeli

  • Battle Tendency

  JoJo's Bizarre Adventure primarily follows the Joestar family as they battle supernatural foes with their peculiar superpowers. Caesar Zeppeli may not be a part of the Joestar clan, but that didn't make his untimely death any less devastating for fans. 

  Zeppeli is compelled to defeat the Pillar Men, the ancient super-beings responsible for his grandfather's death. In Part 2 of the series, he teams up with Joseph Joestar to bring an end to the god-like race. 

  Unfortunately, Zeppeli loses his cool and decides to fight two Pillar Men by himself. At fist, it looks like he may have the upper hand, but then one of the Pillar Men sneak attacks him, crushing him with falling rocks. 
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  (#10) Hilda — Outlaw Star

  "Outlaws never go down easy, no matter what happens to them." This heroic proclamation perfectly encapsulates Hilda, an absolute monster of a character who doesn't live long enough to see the fifth episode of Outlaw Star. 

  Most of Gene Starwinds good ideas come from Hilda. She teaches him the practicalities of being an outlaw,  and is the person who convinces him to help out Melfina. If Gene hadn't met Hilda, the show's main story would have never taken place. 

  Hilda dies in a battle against the Kei Pirates. To give Gene time to escape, she detonates a bomb that scrambles her enemies, and is killed in the process. Hilda lives on in Gene's memory, and her spirit encourages him to achieve his goals. 

  While that's somewhat touching, it would have been a lot cooler if Hilda had lived on to fight alongside Gene. If she had been allowed to survive, she could have motivated Gene in a similar fashion while simultaneously continuing her badass outlaw adventures. 
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  (#11) Kaworu Nagisa

  • Neon Genesis Evangelion, The End of Evangelion, Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth, Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, Evangelion 1.11: You Are (Not) Alone, Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo

  Kaworu Nagisa is one of the first characters to seriously connect with Shinji Ikari, Neon Genesis Evangelion's lonely protagonist. After teaming up for a vicious battle, the two spend the night together, and Shinji starts to feel like he can actually open up to other people. Then Kaworu is killed off in the following episode. 

  As it turns out, Kaworu is the 17th Angel, which puts him at odds with the NERV organization, including Shinji. When the two finally square off, Kaworu claims meeting Shinji made his life worth living, and asks the hero to kill him. For whatever reason, Shinji agrees. 

  Shinji's feeling of isolation is the main issue in the series, so it's a shame the one character who came close to resolving this problem is killed off less than an hour after his introduction. If Kaworu had survived, the show's ending would have been much more satisfying (and also way easier to understand). 
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  (#12) Mao — Code Geass

  Normally, when someone dies in Code Geass, their demise serves a larger narrative purpose. Even if it's hard to say goodbye, characters' departures usually feel like they had to happen.

  This isn't the case with Mao, a minor villain who kidnaps Nunnally to get CC's attention. Mao has a good reason for picking a fight with CC; when he was a child, the Immortal Witch found him on the street, and started showing him the supernatural ropes.

  The Geass CC bestowed upon Mao gave him the power to read people's minds, but came with some nasty side-effects. Because Mao couldn't turn off his new power, he was driven mad by the unrelenting noise of other people's thoughts. Unsurprisingly, he's fixated on exacting revenge.  

  After Nunnally is rescued unharmed, the police are quick to kill Mao. He never gets the chance to resolve his issues or move on with his life. Mao's more than just CC's mistake, and he deserves better. 
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  (#13) Kureo Mado

  Even though Kureo Mado is technically a villain, his presence on the series Tokyo Ghoul is still missed by fans. Kureo Mado is a First-Class Investigator of the Commission of Counter Ghoul, and a psychotic one at that. Still, he has his reasons: his wife was killed by the One-Eyed Owl, and he has been seeking vengeance ever since.

  Experienced and ruthless, Mado serves as Kotaro Amon's mentor and partner. Mado is obsessed with quinques – weapons made from ghosts' kagune – which ends up being his ultimate demise in Season 1.

  While fighting Touka and Hinami, Mado gloats about his Fueguchi Two Kagune and becomes distracted. This is just enough time for Hinami to kill Mado. He uses his last breath to talk about how he must continue his life-calling of killing ghouls. 

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