Anime isn't always about cute characters and romantic antics. There a lot of anime that put their protagonist through hell and force them to face many trials and tribulations. Of course, this means that get to see the protagonists fight through the obstacles they face, and how they overcome each and every one.
In some anime shows, the protagonists go through so much that fans are amazed when the character is still alive. It makes for an interesting watch to see what else is going to happen to the protagonist, and viewers can be glad that it's not them going through it. Read on to find out some characters that had a rough time throughout their anime, and came out stronger for it.
10 Mieruko-Chan
Mieruko-Chan provides fans with a blend of comedy and truly terrifying horror. Miko Yotsuya's daily life can be extremely tough for her. She's introduced to the viewers as a high school girl who can see horrifying monsters. These monsters follow her and repeatedly ask her if she can see them, but she vows to never acknowledge their existence.
This understandably takes a toll on Miko, as these monsters get increasingly more horrifying through the show. Miko starts to find it incredibly difficult to ignore the presence of the monster, but she fights through it no matter what.
9 Blue Period
Yatora Yaguchi feels as if his life is stale and not going anywhere. He's worried about his lack of ambitions and has no idea what he wants to do in the future, making him feel stuck. After getting a spark of motivation from seeing the Shibuya landscape, he has the urge to create. Yatora's first thought is to paint, and he does just that.
He's surprised when he receives positive feedback about his first-ever painting, and this gives him the drive to work towards getting a place at the Tokyo University of the Arts. Throughout the show, Yatora struggles with his confidence in his art, and he suffers greatly during the exams. Viewers see a sleep-deprived and stressed Yatora who is clearly going through a tough time with the exams, a struggle that many can likely relate to.
8 Deadman Wonderland
Ganta Igarashi is thrown into a dangerous world when he is framed for the murder of his classmates. He finds himself trapped in a prison called Deadman Wonderland, where he lives amongst some frightening individuals. Due to the severity of his sentence, he must wear a collar that injects poison slowly into his neck.
The inmates must take part in perilous, life-threatening games to slow down the poison in their collars. Ganta meets many characters throughout the show, and he finds it hard to work out their true intentions, creating a great sense of distrust towards his fellow inmates.
7 Toilet Bound Hanako-Kun
Nene Yashiro plunges into the spirit world after summoning Hanako-Kun, the spirit that haunts the bathroom in Kamome Academy. Hanako-Kun vows to protect her after they develop a strong friendship, but thanks to Nene's curious tendencies, she gets herself involved in all sorts of trouble.
She's often thrown into a different world by the spirits of the school, leading to Hanako-Kun making his way there to save her. Nene must deal with the terrifying spirits that threaten her existence whilst also struggling with the romantic side of life.
6 Demon Slayer
After finding his family dead after a demon attack, Tanjiro Kamado vows to destroy all demons. His only surviving family member is his sister, Nezuko. Much to his dismay, he realizes that Nezuko has been turned into a demon, but he refuses to kill her.
He promises to find a cure for his sister and notices that she still has humanity inside her after she refuses to kill him. Tanjiro becomes a member of the Demon Slayer corps and faces many hazardous demons throughout the show who want nothing but to kill him.
5 Future Diary
Yukiteru Amano suddenly finds himself in a dangerous world when he receives the titular Future Diary. This is a device that informs him of the future, and every Future Diary has a different power. Yukiteru must participate in a survival game against other players, and the aim of the game is to be the last one alive.
The fan-favorite yandere character, Yuno Gasai, develops strong feelings for Yukiteru and protects him when the other players come to kill them both. Yukiteru lives in a constant state of fear, awaiting the next attack and trying to hide away from those searching for him and Yuno.
4 Neon Genesis Evangelion
Shinji Ikari is the average school student until he meets NERV officer Misato Katsuragi. Due to the loss of his mother and his neglectful father, Shinji has a lot of pent-up emotions that someone of his age shouldn't have to deal with. Misato's kindness comforts him, and he wants to escape the dullness of daily life.
Shinji moves in with Misato while he begins training to pilot Evangelion Unit-01. Throughout the anime, viewers witness Shinji spiral downwards after he experiences even more loss and life-threatening situations. He has a huge responsibility for the safety of others, evidently taking its toll on such a young student.
3 Tokyo Ghoul
At the start of Tokyo Ghoul, Ken Kaneki takes Rize Kamishiro on a date after bonding with her over a book — much to his surprise, as he's quite the introvert. It's soon revealed that Rize is one of the terrifying ghouls that have been wandering through Tokyo. After an accident, Rize is killed, and Kaneki is seriously injured. This leads to Kaneki needing an organ transplant, and due to Rize being dead, the hospital uses her organs for the operation.
As Rize was a ghoul, this then starts to turn Kaneki into a ghoul. He becomes an elusive hybrid of human and ghoul while trying to push down his urges to eat human flesh and blood. Kaneki must evade the government who is searching for ghouls and find a way through his new life.
2 Re: Zero
Subaru Natsuki is an average student who takes a trip to a nearby convenience store and suddenly finds himself transported to a strange fantasy world. Events lead to his murder, alongside a girl he meets named Emilia. Subaru is then brought back to life, but is transported backward through time.
He remembers his murder, but also realizes that his day has been reset. Subaru has the ability to turn back time each time he dies. This becomes frustrating at times but also gives him multiple chances to produce the best outcome for a situation.
1 When They Cry
Keichii Maebara moves to a rural village, and life seems great for a while. He makes new friends, joins a new school, and enjoys the peace of a small village. He develops strong friendships with four girls: Rena, Mion, Satoko, and Rika.
However, Keichii slows and realizes that everything may be too good to be true, and finds out about a number of murders that have happened in the village during the yearly festivals. A worried Keichii asks his friends about these murders, but is met with silence and a sudden distrust of his friends. He starts to believe that they know more about these murders, and that for some reason, they're hiding information.