Full Answer
The vast number of anime out there means that there are thousands of characters with different backstories. Each unique backstory allows the characters to stand out from the crowd. Across different series, many suffer from a very troubled past, which plays a key role in shaping their personalities.
Here is a list featuring 10 anime characters with tragic backstories. Updated by Brianna Albert on July 21, 2020: Tragic backstories are always an add-on to certain characters that make them even more interesting than the average character.
These anime characters are a constant reminder that not everyone gets to live a life filled with sunshine and rainbows. Some of them have been through events so tragic and heartbreaking that their pasts can only be described as pure hell. The tragedy experienced by these characters is so great that their pain would have killed a normal person.
With that in mind, here are some of the saddest anime backstories. Levi Ackerman is one of the most well-known characters in the anime community. He is the strongest human in Attack on Titan, however, this wasn't always the case. Before becoming a tough and strong soldier, Levi was a weakling.
15 Anime Characters With The Most Emotional Backstories1 Guts (Berserk)2 Hyakkimaru (Dororo) ... 3 Gaara (Naruto) ... 4 Seras Victoria (Hellsing) ... 5 Nico Robin (One Piece) ... 6 Sakata Gintoki (Gintama) ... 7 Kakashi Hatake (Naruto) ... 8 Trafalgar Law (One Piece) ... More items...•
15 Anime Characters With Tragic Backstories1 Guts – Berserk. Since birth, Guts has lived his life surrounded by death and violence.2 Hänsel & Gretel – Black Lagoon. ... 3 Lucy – Elfen Lied. ... 4 Seras Victoria - Hellsing. ... 5 Crona – Soul Eater. ... 6 Nico Robin – One Piece. ... 7 Hyakkimaru - Dororo (2019) ... 8 Itachi Uchiha – Naruto. ... More items...•
Guts, also known as the Black Swordsman, is arguably the most tragic character in all of the anime and the one who has suffered the most. Even as a child, Guts was not safe from the horrors of the Physical World.
The Do's and Don'ts of Revealing a Character's BackstoryDO Write Everything Down About Your Character.DON'T Share Everything With Your Readers.DO Pinpoint the Defining Events that Impacted the Character.DON'T Get Carried Away.DO Show Moral Conflict Throughout the Character's Past.DON'T Narrate the Backstory.More items...
5 Anime Characters With A Harder Life Than Naruto (& 5 With An Easier One)6 Harder Life - Edward Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist)7 Easier Life - Izuku Midoriya (My Hero Academia) ... 8 Harder Life - Integra (Hellsing) ... 9 Easier Life - Jonathan Joestar (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure) ... 10 Harder Life - Haise Sasaki (Tokyo Ghoul: Re) ... More items...•
1) Itachi Uchiha Undoubtedly one of the most tragic characters in Naruto, Itachi Uchiha shouldered the burden of killing his own brethren to stop a coup d'état in the Uchiha clan, orchestrated by his own father.
The Attack on Titan universe is a cruel one, and Levi Ackerman might've been the character who suffered the most. Levi Ackerman has a lot going for him. He is by far one of the most popular characters in Attack on Titan, proven by the fact that he's topped two consecutive popularity polls by a landslide.
Demon Slayer is one of the best Shonen anime series of modern times....Demon Slayer: 8 Characters With The Saddest Backstories1 Upper Rank Three Demon Akaza.2 Obanai Iguro. ... 3 Sanemi Shinazugawa. ... 4 Tanjiro & Nezuko Kamado. ... 5 Lower Rank Five Demon Rui. ... 6 Sabito & Makomo. ... 7 Kanao Tsuyuri. ... 8 Tamayo. ...
6 Tips for Writing a Sad StoryTap into your own emotionality. ... Know the difference between sentimentality and truth. ... Leave room to be surprised by specific detail. ... Pair strong emotions with ordinary ones. ... Use backstories to add weight. ... Use sad moments to further character development.
Here are some tips to help you write compelling backstories:Build a timeline of your character's life events. ... Make sure backstory details are relevant. ... Draw inspiration from real life. ... Show, don't tell. ... Don't overload your first chapter with backstory.
Include only one to two lines of backstory in a scene set in the present. This way, the backstory doesn't feel too distracting to the reader. Make sure the backstory does not take over the main story when you place it in the narrative.
Writing lore does more than just explain the backstory or build the world. It breathes life into your story and hints to your readers that there are many layers waiting to be peeled back. Readers don't want a class on your expansive world—instead, give them a story that a character in your story might tell.
His father then orders him to be abandoned. Hyakkimaru is later saved and raised by the doctor Jukai, who gives him artificial prosthetics to help him thrive. Forced to suffer for the sake of another man’s ambition, Hyakkimaru is cursed with a fate worse than death.
11 Kyo Sohma – Fruits Basket. Being born into the Sohma family, one that has its roots in certain people being born as one of the zodiac animals, is already hard enough in Fruits Basket . However, what makes this worse is that Kyo happens to be the cat, which is the most hated zodiac animal.
It turns out that Ray knew everything all along, and while plotting his escape from Gracefield House since he was a child, he knew Isabella, his own mother, was feeding the children to demons.
14 Ray – The Promised Neverland. When fans first see Ray, they think of him as one of the calmest children amongst Emma and Norman. However, Ray is perhaps one of the most tragic characters in the bunch, despite The Promised Neverland being full of tragic characters.
Their harsh treatment eventually drove Crona to the point of insanity. As an agent of madness, Crona does not hesitate to eliminate his opponents and absorbing their souls. In the anime, Crona’s friendship with Maka helps him to break away from his madness. Unfortunately, this does not happen in the manga.
i am just wondering how the fuck does Yugi,Juvia, lucy,nami Franky even Zoro is above Kurapika?
Appears In: Naruto Shippūden, Naruto, Naruto Shippuden the Movie: Bonds, Ninja World
Appears In: Inu Yasha, InuYasha the Movie: Affections Touching Across Time
Appears In: Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn, Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan, Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound, Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!
Appears In: Fate/Zero, Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works, Fate/Zero
Appears In: Astro Boy, Astro Boy, Astro Boy vs. The Junkyard Pirates, Astro Boy, Undersea Super Train: Marine Express
Levi Ackerman is one of the most well-known characters in the anime community. He is the strongest human in Attack on Titan, however, this wasn't always the case. Before becoming a tough and strong soldier, Levi was a weakling.
Eri is blessed with an incredible quirk, which allows her to rewind everything to its previous state. As it is a very powerful ability, there were many who want to get their hands on Eri. Eri unknowingly made her father disappear which resulted in her mother disowning her.
Arguably the smartest anime character, Lelouch is the protagonist of Code Geass. After getting the Geass in his eye, Lelouch was able to cause major damage to the Kingdom of Britannia. Lelouch had built up the resentment against them for a very long.
Ray is among the main characters in The Promised Neverland. Unlike the rest of the kids at Grace Field House, Ray knew about everything that was happening to the kids once they hit a specific age.
For some time, Chise's life was good. Her father and mother cared for her, but things quickly took a bad turn. Chise's father ran away taking her brother with him. Her mother could not handle the spirits that Chise attracted on her own.
The famous brothers from Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward and Alphonse were involved in a terrifying experiment, which left both of them handicapped. The brothers had set out to revive their mother, but the experiment to revive their mother backfired horribly.
One of the main protagonists from Hunter x Hunter, Kurapika joined Gon and co. during the Hunter exams. Since his introduction, his goal was clear. He wanted to avenge his clan members who were massacred by the Phantom Troupe.
The tragedy is how rare a figure he is in the anime landscape, and the consistent way his unique characteristics and the things he cares about are so carelessly dismissed by a family that really would rather he wasn't himself.
When Hatori tells Akito, the family head, that he wants to marry his beloved assistant Kana, Akito retaliates by attacking Hatori. Hatori loses sight in one eye and the guilt that Kana feels begins to drive her mad. To spare her the pain, Hatori erases Kana's memories.
Before the start of Golden Time, right before starting university, Banri experiences a tragic accident that results in significant brain damage and complete amnesia. As a result, he loses his entire sense of self and feels uncomfortable around those who once knew him now that he's essentially become a stranger.
Anime is guilty of this at times, often implying that the trauma inflicted on young characters by mentor figures is intended to "build character" or prepare them for the worst of life to come. But there's absolutely no excuse for the treatment that Crona of Soul Eater must endure.
To establish a solid protagonist, a writer needs to make an audience sympathetic . The simplest way to do this is to give a character a tragic history, and the easiest way to elicit sympathy is by incorporating death into the tragedy.
3 Fans Were Right About Dabi. For years fans speculated that Dabi was actually Shoto Todoroki's older brother, the eldest son of Endeavor and Rei. Born with a fire quirk and a body that couldn't withstand the burns it caused, Dabi, then called Toya, was destined to disappoint his power-hungry father.
While death is an undeniable fact of life, it's far from the only tragedy that can befall a person. Trauma can take on many forms.
In Demon Slayer ' s first episode, Tanjiro's life was struck with tragedy, as he discovered that his entire family had been attacked by a demon. Such an event would be enough to break many characters, but somehow Tanjiro is still able to hold it together, mainly due to his new mission to find a way to turn his sister back into a human.
Meliodas is the most powerful character in Seven Deadly Sins, and will not hesitate to fight for the ones he cares about. Although he's dubbed the Sin of Wrath, Meliodas for the most part has a very laidback personality. He's a jokester, a flirt, and very nonchalant, yet his backstory is a huge contradiction to his current way of life.
Considering the fact that he was one of the most dangerous assassins in the world, Koro-sensei seems to have a big heart. He grew up in a country where no one could be trusted, and this is what led him down a path of assassination. Koro-sensei is eventually captured and forced to endure an experiment that fuses anti-matter with his own cells.
Might Guy is one of the most genuine characters in Naruto. He radiates nothing but positive vibes and is all-around a very likable person. Growing up, his father was his biggest supporter, and always encouraged him to never give up.
Shoko is a sweet and kind girl, all she wanted to do was make friends in her new school, yet she only received hate and torment, made even worse when it stemmed from her being deaf. The fact that she couldn't even hear what her bullies said about her made the whole situation even more devastating.
Eri is still a child, yet her backstory proves why seeing her smile during a concert is such a big feat. With her Quirk, Eri accidentally rewound time to a moment when her father no longer existed. She soon finds herself in the "care" of Overhaul who treats her as nothing more than an experiment for his own twisted ambition.
Since Angel Beats ' characters are living in a version of the afterlife, they all have tragic backstories of their previous lives. However, Yui's harsh reality whilst alive hasn't stopped her from being cheery in the afterlife.
The boy managed to escape his captors when he’s saved by a swordsmen named Hiko Seijuro. Himura studied under the man until they came to a pass, leaving the lead to become an assassin in Kyoto.
Himura Kenshin. (Photo: Studio Gallop) Rurouni Kenshin is a long-heralded series, and its hero has become one well-known samurai as such. The red-headed hero preaches about the joys of peace, but there is plenty of dark history hiding behind Himura Kenshin that he wishes would disappear.
There are a lot of gods in the anime realm. The industry has a thing for mythical pantheons, and dozens of shows have created its own gods to pad out action-filled stories. That is exactly what Norimgami did with Yato, and the god’s backstory is twisted enough to give any fan a bit of whiplash.
Naruto. 0 comments. There is a lot of drama in the shonen genre, but few series match the scale of Naruto. When the story was whipped up by Masashi Kishimoto, the creator could not have known how complex it would get, and much of the series' layering is thanks to its characters.
Given its complex lore, there is no way The Seven Deadly Sins wouldn’t have some good backstories propping it up. The anime is best-known for its magical action, but its main cast features some interesting heroes. However, none of them have a past quiet like Ban.
Misaki’s mother left her daughter with her abusive husband and ran away. The child grew up being exposed to difficult mental and physical trauma every single day of her life.
Muzan lied to her about curing her disease and turned her into a demon instead. Tamayo lost all control of her senses, went berserk, and ended up killing her own children, husband as well as other innocent people from her village.
Being put under an examination table and being subjected to needles and scalpels became a daily routine for Shinoa, because of the demon within her. Despite only being a child, she endured those operations because she had her sister Mahiru by her side.
In the 4 th episode of the anime, Michelle and her husband bring their sick child to the doorstep of the Viscount of Belfor. They beg him to allow his doctor to have a look at their son since their village doctor was unavailable.
Whether they’re the main character or a simple side character, these girls possess some of the most tragic backstories out there. It’s no secret that female characters in anime often get the short end of the stick. While their male counterparts (including villains and minor characters) often possess elaborate character backstories ...
It’s no secret that female characters in anime often get the short end of the stick. While their male counterparts (including villains and minor characters) often possess elaborate character backstories that usually explain or justify the people they’ve become today, female characters are usually relegated to being the hero's love interest ...
While anime villains may be notorious for being morally evil and possessing no redeeming qualities, this is not always the case. Sometimes, antagonists are presented in a way that renders them sympathetic evils, explaining their backstory well and even giving the hero pause as to whether or not they should proceed with killing them.
The Dio of JoJo 's Phantom Blood arc may have been a sadistic monster, but his origins at least made him a partially sympathetic character (despite Speedwagon's claims to the contrary).
Obito's backstory is more painful than Naruto's on account of the way events had transpired. Instead of being an outcast who gradually became a hero, the converse was true for him, watching helplessly as his identity was stripped away and remade through the careful machinations of Zetsu and Madara.
While Rui may have been at least partially responsible for the deal he struck to regain his legs, he was a child when he made the decision. This justifies his lapse in judgment and forces him to live with the fact that he had turned against his biological family— thus compelling him to create a fake new one from the victims he had converted.
Anime heroes tend to have tragedy-filled backstories the way it is—but there are times when their antagonists have even sadder origins. While anime villains may be notorious for being morally evil and possessing no redeeming qualities, this is not always the case. Sometimes, antagonists are presented in a way that renders them sympathetic evils, ...
Unlike Naruto's ability to save Sasuke, Obito could not rescue Rin and was haunted by her death ever since— even if she might not have been the impetus of his choice to fight against the Allied Shinobi Forces at the start of the fourth great ninja war ).
Asahi Kobe (Happy Sugar Life) Asahi is probably the most tragic character in the entire series because of how it starts and ends (and his past). He and his sister grow up in an abusive household. Him being the older brother, the abusive father constantly abuses him, the mum, and makes home life a living hell.
Anzu (Hinamatsuri) Anzu from Hinamatsuri is a special case. The anime uses her character to portray homelessness, and the seriousness of how it affects people. When Anzu is homeless, she steals food, drinks, money, whatever it takes to survive. She’s just doing what she has to do, and her intentions are pure.
17. Ai Enma (Hell Girl) Ai Enma is the “hell girl” who shows up after 12AM if called upon, and sends sinners straight to hell. The anime itself is dark and portrays the darkest parts of what humans are capable of. But Ai Enma in particular has a past few would be able to survive.
2. Revy Rebecca (Black Lagoon) Rape, abuse, murder…. These 3 words paint a dark, bloody picture of Revy’s past life. Revy is cold-hearted and at times, seems like she no longer even has a soul. But I guess that’s what life does to you when you’re forced into the dark abyss of the underworld.
Even if you do spit it back out. But when you experience sadness in anime? this is what helps you relate or empathize with certain characters . Sadness makes the dullest characters some of the brightest and most interesting.
Keyaru probably has one of the most f*cked up backstories of any anime character. It’s extreme. In the pre-timeline he’s on the path to becoming a hero because of his healer ability. But things change.