Fan-Favorite Anime Characters That Were Killed Off Early

Highlights

• Baji, Haku, L, Petra, Kamina, Toji, Sabito & Makomo, and Nina & Alexander are fan-favorite anime characters who made a lasting impact despite their short screen time.
• These characters were able to win over the hearts of fans and leave a memorable impression, even though they were killed off or had limited appearances.
• Their deaths and tragic stories created emotional moments that resonated with the audience, proving their significance in their respective shows.

While some anime characters need some time for audiences to warm up to, others somehow resonate with the crowd right off the bat. It may sound like a perk; being a character that everyone somehow finds instantly likable. However, every so often, a character like that is introduced just to be brutally killed off a mere few episodes later.

But, of course, leave it to loyal fans to forever remember their favorites, no matter how short-lived their time was. Here are some fan-favorite anime characters that managed to steal fans’ hearts despite having only a few short minutes in the spotlight.

Major spoilers ahead!

9 Keisuke Baji (Tokyo Revengers)

Total Episodes: 8 (S1: ep 14-21)

Baji was effectively taken out of the picture during the very first arc of Tokyo Revengers. Baji was a founding member of the Tokyo Manji gang, which led him to get a good amount of screen time via nostalgic flashbacks. However, aside from flashbacks, audiences only had a few episodes to get attached to Baji; and in the end, the fanged delinquent managed to win over a large portion of the fanbase.

Baji had a significant impact on both the series’ story and also the fandom during the few episodes he had to make his mark, proving to audiences why he was such an integral member of Toman, because he’s the kind of person to sacrifice himself in the name of his friends.

8 Haku (Naruto)

Total Episodes: 11 (S1: ep 9-19)

Haku’s story was a tearful memory for many longtime anime fans. Although Haku and Zabuza’s arc in the original 2002 Naruto anime didn’t last for too long, it took place rather early on in Team Seven’s journey when Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were still more children than they were shinobi.

Haku’s tragic story managed to bring audiences to tears, all in the span of eleven episodes. Not only were fans heartbroken over his untimely death and his fierce loyalty to Zabuza, but also because of Naruto’s speech about how, in another lifetime, the two could have been good friends.

7 L Lawliet (Death Note)

Total Episodes: 24 (S1: ep 2-25)

Although L had quite a while to gain popularity during the 37-episode run of Death Note, the moment he was gone, he left a massive pit of emptiness in his wake. While Death Note was a wildly popular anime back in its 2006 release, it’s not uncommon to find fans who have started the series but never finished it.

In the time that L was in the spotlight, he had garnered such a massive following that many Death Note fans simply left the series after his exit! Even though L left the series with only thirteen episodes remaining, those thirteen episodes felt like a lifetime to L fans. After all, L was the only one who was a true match for the mischievous Light Yagami.

6 Mami Tomoe (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

Total Episodes: 3 (S1: ep 1-3)

It’s important to never judge a book by its cover and Madoka Magica is a perfect example of how that way of thinking can be deceiving. Despite its bright and colorful artstyle, Madoka Magica is a rather dark anime that shows the harsh realities of the heavy burden carried by the popular magical girl trope.

The story follows the young Madoka Kaname and her best friend, Sayaka Miki. Upon being offered a magical girl contract by the cat-like creature named Kyubey, upperclassman and fellow magical girl, Mami Tomoe kindly offers to help mentor them. However, only a few episodes later, poor Mami is bested in battle and Kaname begins to understand how grim the magical girl life can be.

5 Petra Ral (Attack On Titan)

Total Episodes: 13 (S1: ep 9-21)

Petra Ral was one of the soldiers of the Survey Corps, hand-picked by Captain Levi Ackerman himself, and was part of the Special Operations Squad. In the beginning, it seemed almost painfully obvious that Petra and Levi were to be each other’s love interest; acting as one another’s rock, getting them through the hardest of times, and allowing love and loyalty to persevere.

However, in the span of a single season, Petra (along with other members of her team) is quickly killed by the vicious Female Titan. Not only was this a heartbreaking twist for fans, poor Petra’s death happened quickly and unceremoniously, reflecting exactly how fast and dangerous the life of the Survey Corps was.

4 Kamina (Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann)

Total Episodes: 8 (S1: ep 1-8)

In the futuristic world of Gurren Lagann, humankind is under the control of the Spiral King, Lordgenome, and is forced to live in isolated villages underneath the earth’s surface. The plot follows Simon while his delinquent friend, Kamina, dreams of breaking free from their underground prison and one day seeing the surface world. Kamina acts as the catalyst and urges Simon to join his gang, Team Gurren, in their endeavor to use Simon’s Core Drill and their newly unearthed Gunmen mecha to create an uprising.

While it seemed as if Simon and Kamina were fated to be partners in crime, liberating humankind together, things went south after Kamina was suddenly killed in battle at the hands of Lordgenome’s four generals. However, the fandom didn’t let Kamina’s spark die, always remembering his charisma and enthusiasm until the very end.

3 Toji Fushiguro (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Total Episodes: 10 (S2: ep 1-4, 11-16)

Jujutsu Kaisen fans had to wait an entire season (and film) to finally meet Toji Fushiguro, the estranged father of Megumi. Toji is far from the perfect dad and isn’t exactly a good guy. However, it was his cool demeanor and incredible strength that drew fans to love him almost immediately.

While Gojo ultimately took Toji out of the picture early on in season two, Toji fans did get treated to a surprise later on in the season, as the beloved Sorcerer Killer made a quick comeback. However, even after being revived by Granny Ogami, he quickly puts himself out of his own misery with just enough time to reconcile with his son and earn a little bit of redemption.

2 Sabito & Makomo (Demon Slayer)

Total Episodes: 1 (S1: ep 3)

The stern Sabito and kind Makomo had only a single episode to shine and still managed to become beloved characters in the Demon Slayer fandom. The pair were some of the strongest apprentices of Sakonji Urokodaki, the retired Demon Slayer Corps member who aids protagonist Tanjiro in his journey to help his younger sister, Nezuko.

In protagonist Tanjiro’s quest to join the Demon Slayer Corps, he must pass the Final Selection exam. While Tanjiro first struggles with his training with the enormous boulder he must cleanly cut through, the ghosts of Sabito and Makomo appear to lend a helping hand. While Sabito was initially cold and merciless about Tanjiro’s training, it becomes clear his anger came from a sense of worry as he gave Tanjiro a kind and relieved smile in his final appearance when Tanjiro had finally completed his training.

Total Episodes: 1 (FMA: S1: ep 6) (FMA:B: S1: ep 4)

One of the most traumatic arcs in anime history is the tragic story of Nina Tucker and her beloved pooch, Alexander. On the Elric brothers’ journey to learn more about bio-alchemy, they travel to see Shou Tucker, the State Alchemist and father of young Nina. Somewhere along the way, Edward and Al find themselves rather attached to Nina as they learn that Nina’s father is often neglectful of his familial duties, heavily favoring his studies instead.

It is in Shou’s depravity and desperation that poor Nina and Alexander meet their untimely demise. Shou then resorts to using his own family, Nina and Alexander, in his twisted alchemic experiments, fusing them into a doomed chimera.