Anime With The Most Controversial Endings

Key Takeaways

• Not all anime endings are bad; some are just controversial, sparking heated discussions in the community.
• Endings in anime like Oreimo, Tokyo Ghoul, and Soul Eater have left viewers with mixed feelings and unmet expectations.
• Controversial endings like the one in School Days may be brutal but ensure that the anime remains a hot topic of discussion.

One of the most difficult things in storytelling is ‘sticking the landing.’ A masterpiece of a story can be ruined by a bad ending. But sometimes, the ending isn’t really bad; it’s just controversial.

Anime is no stranger to this, as the variety of stories the medium tells means that there are some endings that people struggle to come to terms with. As mentioned earlier, these endings are not necessarily bad, but they did cause a lot of discussion in the community, with some loving them and other hating them.

Spoiler Warning: This list contains spoilers for the end of many of the anime being discussed.

10 Oreimo

An Unsatisfying End

Many will simply discard Oreimo as the incest show where a brother and sister fell in love. That said, many who gave Oreimo a chance were drawn in by a surprisingly good story, characters, and a taboo subject that many were still interested in exploring.

However, the end really left viewers with mixed feelings. The protagonist, Kyousuke, rejects all the other girls in love with him, especially fan favorite, Kuroneko, in favor of his sister, Kirino. Worse still (or better, depending on perspective), they don’t actually end up together but rather only for a brief time. So, Kyousuke ends up with no one, making for a pretty controversial anime ending.

9 Darling In The Franxx

A Master Class In How To Ruin An Ending

Darling In The Franxx was, at one point, the most popular show of 2018, and while the style of piloting the mecha in the show was questionable, everyone was able to notch it up to ‘it’s anime.’

By the time Episode 15 rolled around, people were certain that Darling In The Franxx would go down as one of the all-time classics, but a rushed final act and an exposition dump that no one asked for really ruined things for many. The fact that it ended with Hiro and Zero 2 sacrificing themselves only to be ‘reincarnated’ left people feeling a little less than pleased. It was so controversial because it could have been so much better.

8 Tokyo Ghoul: Root A

A Divergent Story Done Wrong

Tokyo Ghoul was all the rage back in 2014. The story of mild-mannered Kaneki Ken almost getting killed by a Ghoul while out on a date and then becoming part Ghoul himself was very interesting. Then, the season ends with a harrowing torture scene and Kaneki coming into his own.

Expectations for a second season were high, and when Tokyo Ghoul: Root A came about, people were a little surprised by how much it differed from the manga. The show itself wasn’t great, as it left people with more questions than answers, and the end, which featured Kaneki carrying his best friend Hide’s body through the snow as the credits rolled, was just a culmination of everyone’s frustration.

7 Claymore

An Anime With No Real Ending

Claymore are a race of half-human/half-demon beings who are created expressly to destroy demons known as Youma. Clare is a Claymore, and she meets a young boy named Raki, who she allows to follow her on her journey as she seeks a particular Youma to get revenge.

Claymore features a great story with a controversially rushed ending. As with most shows that don’t stick to the manga’s conclusion, Claymore ended up with a tame finale that featured a death that no one wanted. Also, the story never continued, and fans have been waiting almost two decades at this point. It just leaves a bitter taste in one’s mouth.

The Bittersweet End Was Not Everyone’s Cup Of Tea

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is considered one of the greatest anime of all time, but its existence comes at the expense of its very well done predecessor — Fullmetal Alchemist (2003).

The first FMA ever made only followed the manga to a point before branching off on its own route. This also meant it had a different ending from the more positive Brotherhood finale. However, the prospect of Edward getting his brother’s body back but with the consequence being their separation hit some people hard, and with Brotherhood’s happier ending, many even forgot about the original. It’s a shame because, controversial or not, FMA (2003) was a great watch.

5 Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

A Melodramatic End That Left A Sour Taste

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is a show about struggle and the determination it takes to rise above impossible stakes. Simon is something of a tragic character. Having lost his home and all the things the war took from him, including his mentor, Kamina, Simon has to rise above and lead his allies to victory.

So, when Simon is able to achieve victory over the anti-spiral against all odds, it felt like a bit of a gut-punch for him not to end up with Nia, the love of his life. Her death soon after they tied the knot was a bit too much for many, and on top of that, Simon didn’t stay to lead the people he had fought so hard to save.

4 Death Note

It Ended With L’s Death

Death Note’s end wasn’t so much controversial as it was disappointing. The series was mostly known for the fascinating game of cat and mouse being played by the murderous Kira and the detective prodigy, L. The twist in the middle of L falling into Kira’s trap and dying was shocking, but there might have been hope for what came after.

However, Death Note ended with L’s successors, Near and Mello, catching Kira and his death. It was controversial, as it robbed a lot of people of the satisfaction of having either L catch Kira or seeing the two of them mutually destroying themselves.

3 Soul Eater

Soul Eater is fondly remembered by many as one of those underrated shows that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the greats. It follows Maka and her weapon, Soul, as they aim to make Soul a death scythe, fit for use by Lord Death.

At 51 episodes, Soul Eater was a good show until people realized that the manga went on for way longer. The manga ran till 2013, four years after the conclusion of the anime. So, for some, Soul Eater never got the ending it deserved, and with Fire Force being connected to the Soul Eater world and also finding its own conclusion, many still consider Soul Eater an incomplete show and are hoping for a return of some sort.

2 Neon Genesis Evangelion

An Ending So Controversial, They Had To Make Another One

Neon Genesis Evangelion is something of a must-watch for anyone who associates with anime on a deep level, with the series being touted as one of the most essential viewing experiences out there.

However, the anime infamously ends with a very different sort of direction, as Shinji learns to accept himself and is congratulated by all those important to him in an unforgettable scene inside his head. The ending was incredibly controversial, as fans felt that it ignored the high-stakes of the world and was something of a cop-out to what was looking to be a bleak finale. The ‘true’ ending was done in the movie, The End of Evangelion, released in 1997.

1 School Days

One Of The Most Infamous Endings In Anime Of All Time

Almost every anime fan has heard of School Days, and while they might not even know a single thing about the series, they have most likely heard about the ending. School Days is about Makoto Itou, a regular high school student who gets involved with the girl he likes, Kotonoha Katsura, and it follows how things devolve from there.

School Days was adapted from an eroge visual novel game, and the anime decided to go with the most diabolical route, which ends with a ‘friend’ of Makoto and the girl he had been having an affair with, Sekai, killing him in a rather brutal stabbing scene. To some, this was the single greatest thing that could have happened in the anime and, in all honestly, is the only reason the show still gets talked about. Still, it was an undoubtedly controversial ending to the anime.