Highlights
- Tragic anime couples often face dark circumstances and have no hope for a happy ending due to the forces working against them.
- Love stories like David and Lucy's in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and Gennosuke and Oboro's in Basilisk end in tragedy for the characters involved.
- Relationships like Eren and Mikasa's in Attack on Titan and Light and Misa's in Death Note are doomed because of the choices made by the characters themselves.
Whether it plays a huge or small role, romance is something that has a great impact on most anime characters. Sometimes it takes time for a romance to bloom and other times, the couple goes in head first without hesitation. However, not all couples are meant to get their happy ending.
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These anime couples were doomed from the start because of the dark circumstances surrounding them. Whether it was between the two people in the relationship or outside forces, there was nothing any of them could do to stay together. These love stories end in tragedy for their characters in one way or another.
10 David Martinez And Lucyna "Lucy" Kushinada (Cyberpunk: Edgerunners)
David and Lucy had such great chemistry as a couple and as coworkers that it’s a shame their love story had a tragic ending. Their relationship starts with Lucy trying to steal David’s shards, but he stops her from doing so. The two of them team up to steal shards and David eventually joins Maine’s crew, which Lucy is already a part of. The two of them become a couple and have their ups and downs, but things really become strained after Maine’s death.
With Lucy keeping secrets from David and David’s increasing cyberpsychosis, fans knew it was only a matter of time before things went south. David was able to maintain sanity long enough to share one last kiss with Lucy before resuming his fight with Smasher and giving her time to escape. Though Lucy finally achieves her dream of going to the moon, it’s a bittersweet ending when she sees a vision of David.
9 Gennosuke Kouga And Oboro (Basilisk)
A rivalry between two ninja clans that has gone on for centuries seldom means a happy ending. Gennosuke and Oboro were betrothed in hopes that it would finally end the bloody war between their families once and for all. The two of them loved each other very much, but their loyalty to their clans was just as strong. After the truce between their families is lifted, their clans are quick to fight and leave Gennosuke and Oboro torn between their duties to their clans and their love for one another.
When their clans agree to send their ten best ninjas to fight, both of them are chosen. They end up as the last two standing, but Oboro can’t bring herself to kill Gennosuke and ends her own life after telling him she loves him. Gennosuke writes that the Iga clan has won and ends his life to join Oboro in death.
8 Lucy And Kouta (Elfen Lied)
Any relationship that Lucy has is automatically doomed from the start, and Kouta is no exception. They quickly became great friends when they were kids, but Lucy’s insecurity and quick anger ruined it before it could bloom. After seeing Kouta at the festival with Yuka, Lucy began murdering people around her and planned to kill Yuka. When she confronted Kouta on the train, she killed his sister, Kanae, and their father.
Having repressed his memories after this, Kouta eventually remembers what happened after seeing Lucy kill people in the same horrific manner she killed his family. Though he can’t forgive her for what she did, Kouta admits he still loves Lucy. The two share their first and last kiss before Lucy leaves to confront the Special Assaults Team who are after her.
7 Eren Yeager And Mikasa Ackerman (Attack On Titan)
The power couple that could’ve been. Fans of Attack on Titan watched their relationship evolve throughout their lives and hoped they would get a happy ending. It’s obvious to everyone that Eren and Mikasa love each other and would stay by each other’s side no matter what. But the more visions Eren saw with his Titan powers, the more he pushed Mikasa away in an attempt to keep her safe.
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Now that he started the Rumbling, there’s no way their relationship can ever be what it once was. Mikasa knows the only way to save the world is to end Eren, and it breaks the hearts of fans to know she’s right.
6 Makoto Ito, Sekai Saionji, And Kotonoha Katsura (School Days)
Being in a love triangle is never a good thing, but this one has a brutal and tragic end. Makoto falls for Kotonoha but is too awkward to speak to her. Sekai sees this and agrees to help him get together with Kotonoha. This sets up a huge and complicated web of lies by Makoto as he uses Sekai for “practice” and strings her along even after he and Kotonoha get together.
Naturally, this leads to Sekai being jealous and to make matters worse, Makoto gets together with other girls. Eventually, Sekai snaps after she reveals she’s pregnant (which turned out false) and Makoto doesn’t want the baby. She kills Makoto in a rage and Sekai is later killed by Kotonoha.
5 Inuyasha And Kikyo (Inuyasha)
Thanks to the Shikon Jewel, this couple had no chance for a peaceful life together. Their relationship started when Inuyasha tried to steal the jewel, but Kikyo stopped him and spared his life. As they got to know one another, Inuyasha thought about using the Shikon Jewel to become human and be with her, thus purifying the jewel and ceasing to exist. Unfortunately for them, Naraku interfered and turned them against each other, which resulted in Inuyasha being sealed to a tree and Kikyo dying.
Even after Kikyo is resurrected, it’s obvious that they can’t be together. Though their love story has a tragic end, Kikyo was happy to pass away peacefully in the arms of Inuyasha as an ordinary woman and harbored no ill will toward Kagome.
4 Guts And Casca (Berserk)
Technically, their story hasn’t ended, but it’s hard to see Guts and Casca’s relationship ending happily. After Guts joins the Band of the Hawk, he and Casca start off having a one-sided rivalry (in Casca’s eyes) to become lovers. Both are highly respected and strong warriors and fans couldn’t help but root for them to be a successful power couple.
Their relationship has taken a sad dive after the brutal slaughter of their comrades and other tragedies caused by Griffith. Casca has since become catatonic and Guts is on a quest for revenge. There’s very little hope their relationship will ever recover even though Guts still loves her.
3 Light Yagami And Misa Amane (Death Note)
It was obvious from the start that this relationship was one-sided. Light only kept Misa around because she was useful to his cause and had the Shinigami Eyes. Much like everyone else around him, Light sees her as a tool to be used in his grand scheme and pretends to love her as a way to keep her on his side. Misa is completely devoted to Light all because he saved her and is willing to give up her life if it means making him happy.
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Even after years of working together, Light still doesn’t feel anything for her while Misa continues to follow him. After Light dies, it’s assumed Misa took her own life as well after she’s last seen standing at the edge of a very tall building.
2 Akira Fudo And Miki Makimura (Devilman)
If there’s one thing consistent in the Devilman series, Miki and Akira’s relationship is always doomed. She and Akira are childhood friends who (depending on the series) become a couple in high school. Miki is often seen as an anchor for Akira and his love for her helps control Amon, the Devilman inside him. She’s initially frightened when she learns that Akira is a Devilman but quickly realizes that he’s still the same person that she loves.
Miki becomes a target for mobs who believe she and her younger brother Tare are demons that need to be executed. Sadly, Akira arrives too late to save them and loses control when he sees the mob celebrating her murder in grotesque fashion.
1 Escanor And Merlin (Seven Deadly Sins)
Two people that would’ve made a great and powerful couple. Fans could only watch and hope that one day Merlin would return Escanor’s feelings for her, but that would never happen. Escanor was perfectly fine just being in her presence and interacting with her even though he knew she was around him to learn more about his power. Despite this, he held Merlin in high regard and often wrote poems about her which he would then read to her.
After their final battle with the Demon King, Escanor’s body begins to burn and disintegrate from his powers. Merlin wishes that they’d met sooner in her life and gives him one kiss before he dies. Even though she could heal the burns it left, Merlin said she’d keep them as proof he existed and to remind her of the only man who ever loved her. Escanor is happy with this and recites one last poem before turning to ash.
