The world of anime is filled with impossible and wondrous things, giving anime fans the chance to witness some of the most visually stunning and greatest anime fights in their favorite shows. Some of these epic battles ended with a fan-favorite character's death. However, in anime, just because a character is dead, it doesn't mean that they're gone forever.
Anime fans can find characters who somehow came back from the dead, not only in shonen anime but in all kinds of shows. These characters came back to life in a wide variety of often fascinating ways that made their respective series even more engaging and unique while also giving back some of the strongest anime characters to their viewers.
8 Kei Kurono - Gantz
Kei Kurono's death in Gantz is what sets up the whole anime's story. He tries to save someone else but gets killed by a train in the process. He's also one of the youngest anime characters who died and came back to life since he was only a teenager when the tragic accident happened.
Kei's unfortunate death was followed by his dark adventure. After he's brought back to life, he's forced to join a twisted game. Gantz is one of the greatest action anime series with a fairly dark story about a group of recently deceased people who have to kill aliens.
7 Natsuki Subaru - Re:Zero
Natsuki Subaru's normal life in modern Japan ended on the day when he was summoned to a mysterious fantasy world filled with danger, magic, and all kinds of supernatural things. He also had a pretty special ability called the return by death which made it possible for him to return every time he died. Natsuki died many times, often in horrible ways, and is probably one the most frequently revived characters in anime history.
Re:Zero is a fascinating psychological thriller with fantasy elements and with a surprisingly vibrant world. The story follows Natsuki's adventures in this new land as he figures out that he can turn back time once he's alive again. He uses his ability to help hi new friend Emilia to become queen.
6 Ash Ketchum - Pokemon
Pokemon is one of the most fun and creative anime series of all time, but that doesn't mean that the show is without darkness and heartbreaking moments. The show's motivational and confident hero, Ash Ketchum, has actually died multiple times over the past few decades and was brought back to life in various ways.
Sometimes, Ash was saved by his own pokemon, most notably Pikachu. Pokemon has all kinds of cute and strong creatures with a wide variety of popular starter pokemon and other types of imaginative creations. Its story follows Ash as he goes on an adventure to become a Pokemon Master.
5 Yusuke Urameshi - Yu Yu Hakusho
Yusuke Urameshi is an anime character who died in one of the most selfless ways. He saved a child and was hit and killed by the car that he was trying to save the kid from. However, no one in the afterlife expected him to die, and since he died in such a selfless way, he's granted a second chance.
Yu Yu Hakusho's story follows Yusuke's adventures after he accepts Botan, a bubbly spirit's offer. She tells Yusuke that he can return to his life if he becomes a spirit detective and helps out the spirit world by investigating cases about demons and other supernatural things.
4 Satoru Mikami - That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
Satoru Mikami was leading a normal life in modern-day Tokyo with a good job, and loving friends before his death. On an unfortunate day, he was stabbed by a robber and died right there on the street. His way of coming back to life is probably the weirdest in anime since he got reincarnated as a slime in a weird fantasy world.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is about Satoru's story as he finds himself a new life as a slime named Rimuru in this strange new world. Soon, he starts working on turning his new home into a more accepting and better place for all kinds of creatures, and, eventually, he becomes the powerful leader of this fantasy land.
3 Son Goku - Dragon Ball
Son Goku died multiple times during the many episodes of the Dragon Ball franchise. Sometimes, by sacrificing his own life for someone else and sometimes by a powerful and horrifying enemy attack. However, Dragon Ball's lovable and heroic lead didn't stay dead for long, thanks to his loving friends and the magical dragon balls from which the series takes its name.
The Dragon Ball franchise gave fans thrilling stories with some of the most shocking betrayals in anime as well as the most memorable battles ever created. The story follows Goku as he starts his journey to find the seven mystical dragon balls and summon the dragon Shenron who's capable of granting just about any wish one might desire.
2 Brook - One Piece
Brook is one of the weirdest-looking characters in One Piece, and it's all because of his death and the amount of time that it took him to come back to life. Brooke was one of the few characters who ate a special fruit called the devil flower, which is capable of returning one's soul to their body after their death. Unfortunately, it took too long for Brook's soul to find its body again, and he returned to life as a skeleton.
One Piece is a fun and exciting series with some of the best anime pirates ever created. Its story follows Money D. Luffy, a young pirate who is obsessed with finding One Piece, the mythical treasure so that he can become the Pirate King.
1 Kakashi Hatake - Naruto
Kakashi Hatake might have one of the strongest jonins in the series, but that doesn't mean that he's invincible. One of Naruto's most beloved characters, Kakashi died during a battle when he used up all of his power while trying to save Choji. He's soon brought back to life by Pain. Although reincarnation happens often in Naruto, his death still hit fans hard thanks to his short but emotional meeting with his dad in the afterlife.
Naruto is one of the most popular anime series ever created. It follows the story of Naruto Uzumaki and his adventures as a young ninja who wants to become the Hokage of his small village.