Anime series illustrate captivating storytelling with twists that steer viewers’ expectations of the plot and arouse more interest. While a significant number end on satisfactory notes where good trumps evil, this is not always the case, as there are some series with gruesome and unexpected endings.

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Some may begin lightheartedly or not, but as the plot develops near the end, it becomes chaotic and brutal. Despite their peculiar endings that may leave viewers high-strung and uncertain, these anime series depict great storytelling and remarkable development.

7 Terror In Resonance

MyAnimeList Score: 8.09

A covert government program uses a group of gifted children as weapons by subjecting them to harsh and unethical experiments. The program was eventually destroyed along with the test subjects, save Nine, Eleven, and Five, who were taken to join the American Organization. Terror In Resonance is an anime series that depicts the journeys of Nine and Eleven as a terrorist duo with the motive of exposing the organization that stole their childhood.

In their quest to uncover the secret organization, they planted bombs to raise awareness of the corrupt government. The boys were compassionate toward innocent civilians and were careful not to hurt them. Despite living such cruel and unfortunate lives, one would hope justice prevails and they are eventually redeemed, but instead, Nine dies from the gruesome side effects of the drugs right after Twelve is killed by the American government.

6 Your Lie In April

MyAnimeList Score: 8.65

A tale of music, loss, friendship, and love, Your Lie in April is an enthralling anime series, not just because of the music, but also the storytelling. A piano prodigy at 14, Kousei exhibits excellent skills at the cost of emotional and physical abuse from his mother. After her passing, Kousei is traumatized and unable to play the piano. He meets Kaori, a violinist with a rambunctious personality, who becomes his support and motivation as he retraces his steps toward a healthier life.

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Kousei’s depressive life is uplifted by Kaori’s presence, and the former begins playing the piano again. Both characters develop a friendship that grows into love, and just when things start to look up, it is revealed that Kaori has a terminal illness. Kaori is unable to confess her feelings and eventually dies, leaving behind a heartbroken Kousei and a promising future in music.

5 I Want To Eat Your Pancreas

MyAnimeList Score: 8.55

Haruki is a high school student with no desire for friendship and a detachment from his environment. When he comes across a book that turns out to be the diary of a girl in his school, the story of a dynamic yet ill-fated friendship begins. Sakura is an exuberant character with a thirst for life because of a terminal disease that has limited her life. Despite the undeniable odds of their friendship because of their clash of personalities, the two characters become companions.

Haruki is the only one in the school aware of her illness and accompanies Sakura on her adventures as the two become close. When Sakura suffers an episode that lands her in the hospital, she plans to see Haruki when she is discharged. However, this falls through when Sakura does not show up. It is horrifying to find out that Sakura was stabbed to death by a random stranger. It leaves one wondering about the oddities of life and the cruel twist that is the unfortunate circumstance surrounding Sakura’s death.

4 School Days

MyAnimeList Score: 5.52

It is not unusual for high school students to develop crushes on one another. However, what started as a lighthearted tale of romance and longing takes an unexpected turn. Makoto Itou is a high school student who develops a crush on Kotonoha Katsura but is too timid to talk to her. When his friend, Sekai Saionji, discovers his crush, she generously offers to become friends with her so she can set them up.

The series develops with ensuing chaos as the friendship trio falls apart when Makoto begins cheating on Kotonoha with Sekai. His escapades end with a pregnant Sekai, and he tries convincing her to terminate it. In a state of fury and contempt, Sekai murders Makoto, dismembering him, before Kotonoha murders her.

3 Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

MyAnimeList Score: 8.60

In a technologically advanced city where the value of a life is measured by insurance, David Martinez and his mother become victims of this discriminatory infrastructure when she is fatally injured in a motor vehicle accident. The unfairness of their world dawns on David when his mother passes away, leaving him to navigate amidst the loss of his mother and his new cyberware modifications.i

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He joins a group of Edgerunners who, despite introducing him to a fast-paced and dangerous life, give him a sense of belonging and hope. A life that seemed to be coming together for David with new friends and a lover begins to fall apart when his friends die one at a time. While pushing ahead to survive, the series introduces Adam Smasher, who eventually kills David, sealing the protagonist’s fate and robbing his potential for a better life.

2 Devilman Crybaby

MyAnimeList Score: 7.75

Akira Fudo is a softhearted and empathetic boy who befriends the cold and aloof Ryo despite their dissimilar personalities. When Ryo tells Akira that demons possess the bodies of humans, the former is able to convince him to share his body with a demon, this being the only way to fight against demons and protect humanity.

Although Ryo’s ultimate plan is to destroy humanity, his intentions toward Akira are sentimental, as he initially protects him. When Akira learns Ryo’s true identity is that of Satan, they grow apart. While trying to protect humanity from chaos and disaster, a fight ensues between Akira and Ryo, the latter kills the former, and the protagonist is proven to be a mostly-impotent warrior in an endless war that the demons are winning.

1 Death Note

MyAnimeList Score: 8.62

A death note that previously belonged to a Shinigami is in the possession of Light Yagami. When a person’s name is written in this book, they die according to the writer’s will. Light develops a god complex, assigning deaths to criminals anonymously in the Death Note anime series.

Light is able to protect his identity and keep up his feats while deceptively working as a detective. When one of his loyal subordinates, Matsuda, discovers he is the killer and has been deceiving the entire police force, the enraged man shoots him. His selfish act to protect his identity unfairly costs lives, and he meets his promised death at the hands of the rightful owner of the death note.

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