Watching a character die in anime can either make fans cry or cheer. While some shows bring certain characters back to life, others will kill off one or more characters and simply continue on. While it’s heartbreaking and sad to see fan-favorite characters kick the bucket, there are some who fans feel were perhaps killed off a little too soon.
Some of these characters made it to the halfway point of their respective series, while others were killed off shortly after making their debuts. Whichever the case, they were all memorable characters who many fans wish could’ve lived on for just a little longer.
10 Kamina (Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann)
To say it was shocking to see Kamina die would be a bit of an understatement. He was the leader of Dai-Gurren and a mentor to Simon. He was flashy, confident, and had all the good qualities a leader should have, even though he had some flaws. Considering that he was the one responsible for putting the team together, it seemed like he was destined to lead the group to victory.
It wasn’t meant to be, however, and Kamina dies pretty early on in the series. His death is what sparked Simon to step up and become a strong leader for Dai-Gurren, which Kamina always believed he could be.
9 Caesar Anthonio Zeppeli (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Battle Tendency)
This is one death that was very shocking because Caesar wasn’t around for very long. In a short time, he and Joseph Joestar went from greatly disliking each other to becoming tight-knit allies. During his fight with the Pillar Man Wamuu, victory seemed to be on the horizon for Caesar. Unfortunately, however, Wamuu managed to get the upper hand and dealt a fatal blow to him.
Caesar's death was tragic because he and Joseph argued before splitting up and never got to resolve their issues. This didn’t stop Caesar from using the last of his Hamon to encase Wamuu’s lip ring, which had the antidote Joseph needed, as well as his headband. Though his death was inevitable, no one thought he would die from being crushed by the collapsing ceiling around him.
8 Mami Tomoe (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
Death was probably inevitable for Mami Tomoe since she was a pretty strong magical girl and a mentor to Madoka and Sayaka. However, predictability didn’t make her death any less shocking, especially after learning why she became a magical girl in the first place. After being seriously injured in a car crash that killed her parents, Mami was given the choice by Kyubey to either live and be a magical girl or die from her injuries. Though neither choice sounds appealing, Mami chose to live.
Mami's death was probably more for shock value than anything else, but it would’ve been nice to see her live a little longer. Plus, her death showed viewers that this show wasn’t going to be a typical magical girl anime and not afraid to have very dark moments.
7 Portgas D. Ace (One Piece)
Even though it’s been years since his death, most One Piece fans still think Ace was killed too soon. Seeing him sacrifice himself to protect his little brother-figure Luffy made viewers proud, but hearts were broken knowing there was no saving him. Considering that Ace is the son of Pirate King Gol D. Roger, it would’ve made perfect sense for him to live until the end of the series.
Sadly, fans can only assume what he would’ve accomplished had he lived a little longer. His death wasn't completely in vain though, as it's ultimately what inspired Luffy to train for two years to not only get stronger, but to better protect his friends. His other brother-figure, Sabo, would find and eat the Mera Mera no Mi/Flame-Flame Fruit in honor of Ace.
6 Nuriko (Fushigi Yuugi)
Before this event, Fushigi Yuugi did have action and drama, but no major characters had died, so it was safe to assume that all of the main heroes would live. However, things took a dark turn when Nuriko fought Ashitare, a member of the Seiryuu warriors. Nuriko receives a fatal blow but manages to kill Ashitare and move the giant boulder that was blocking the path his comrades would have to tread on.
Sadly, even Mitsukake, who had healing powers, couldn’t save them and Nuriko is the first Suzaku Warrior to die. It was sad to see Nuriko die because they stopped living life for and as their sister (who passed away when Nuriko was a child), and started living for themselves. It just wasn’t fair that Nuriko’s new life was cut short and had no chance to blossom.
5 Sir Nighteye (My Hero Academia)
My Hero Academia took a dark turn when Sir Nighteye died from the wounds that he got from his fight against Overhaul. While he got his moments to shine in the show, it still felt like he was killed off way too early. He and All Might weren’t able to properly mend their relationship after their fallout before the series. It made it very sad that Sir Nighteye finally accepted that the future could change for the better, but also accepted that he wouldn't live to see it.
Before his death, Sir Nighteye used his Foresight Quirk one last time on Mirio, his pupil, and saw that he would be a great hero one day. Fans wept along with Mirio as Sir Nighteye told him to keep smiling and passed away with a smile on his face.
4 The First Special Operations Squad (Attack On Titan)
Attack on Titan is renowned for killing major characters off at any given moment, but knowing this still doesn’t lessen the sting when it happens. The First Special Operations Squad, which consisted of Oluo, Eld, Petra, and Gunther, were experienced warriors who had taken out a lot of titans in their day. It was fitting that Levi left Eren in their care and trusted them to do their job. Seeing Gunther go down by getting his neck sliced was a shock to both his comrades and viewers because it was unexpected.
Then watching Annie in her Female Titan form kill the rest of the squad one by one to get to Eren made the hearts of fans break. It showed that even experienced warriors could die and further reinforced the idea that the show's viewers shouldn’t get too attached to any one character.
3 Sheele (Akame Ga Kill!)
Akame ga Kill! is a little like Attack on Titan in that it's not being afraid to kill off major characters. Though most of the members of Night Raid met their end throughout the show, Sheele’s death just hits a little differently. She was strong, talented in battle, and looked amazing as she fought.
It looked like she had an easy victory against Seryu, but it just wasn't meant to be. It was almost insulting to see her go down by getting shot in the chest then eaten by Hekatonkheires, Seryu’s Teigu. Watching her die not only stung because of this, but also because it was just too soon for Sheele to go.
2 Kyojuro Rengoku (Demon Slayer)
This death is still fresh on the minds of Demon Slayer fans and the characters. Despite his short time in the show, Kyojuro Rengoku has become a real fan-favorite character because of how strong and caring he is and his determination to do his duty as a Hashira. His fight against Akaza, the Upper Three Kizuki, was epic and beautifully animated along with being one of the best fights in the series so far.
Despite being fatally wounded, Kyojuro came very close to killing Akaza, but just wasn’t able to. It was heartbreaking for everyone to see that he couldn’t end the Upper Three Kizuki’s life before dying. Though it was sad to see him go, fans were smiling through the tears after Kyojuro said encouraging words to Tanjiro and the others before dying with a smile on his face.
1 L (Death Note)
He might’ve made it to the halfway part of the show, but most fans can agree that L was killed off way too soon. He and Light were the perfect foils for each other, and it was fascinating to watch their interactions. Their exchanges and views on justice were definitely a highlight of the show because they both wanted the same thing, but each had their own very different views on how best to accomplish it. Sadly, L dies, and Near and Mello step in to fill the void.
Even with two ready-made replacements, things just weren't the same after L's death because it was pretty clear that Light didn’t have any more true rivals. Even though Light was caught by Near eventually, most fans were left disappointed and felt that L should’ve been one to bring Light to justice.