It’s nearly impossible for an anime’s ending to satisfy every fan. Really, it sometimes feels like anime finales are more likely to get criticism than praise. Nowadays, especially, after witnessing the outrage towards Game of Thrones, Stranger Things, and Euphoria‘s endings, anime producers are likely sweating bullets when their finale episodes eventually air. Anime endings that are retrospectively loved by all are very rare, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist.
There are several criteria that make anime endings stick the landing. Too often, fans are left scratching their heads about plot holes, loose ends, and characters who didn’t get a conclusion to their arcs. But, if an anime’s finale has meaningful losses and gains, a spectacular final showdown, and answers to long-burning questions, it can truly be considered a masterpiece.
Devilman Crybaby Ends in Mass Destruction
An anime finale doesn’t have to be tragic to be good, but in a competition for most nihilistic anime, Devilman Crybaby would definitely win. The anime’s 10-episode format means that its decline into chaos is fast. It leaves hardly any room for heartwarming moments between Akira and Miki before the former’s transformation into the Devilman, and despite desperately trying to save humanity from demons, it becomes increasingly obvious that Akira’s noble plight is in vain due to Ryo’s meddling.
By Devilman Crybaby‘s finale episode, everything is already lost, including the Earth itself. Humans became too paranoid about demons and began to kill each other, including Akira’s own family and friends. Although Akira tries one last time to fight Ryo after he reveals himself as Satan, even the anime’s protagonist is violently cut in half at the waist. Devilman Crybaby‘s haunting final scene, where Ryo finally realizes what he’s done, is a harrowing, yet poignant allegory for genocide and prejudice.
Light Finally Receives Justice in Death Note’s Finale
For an anime with such a high level of suspense, it makes sense that Death Note would go out with a bang. Light Yagami and Near’s final showdown at the Yellow Box Warehouse finally releases all the tension that had been building throughout the series as Light maniacally admits to being Kira.
Unfortunately for him, Near reveals that he possessed the real Death Note, which leads to Light and Mikami’s deaths. Just as Ryuk foreshadowed in the first episode, he writes Light’s name in his notebook and puts an end to his tyranny.
The Death Note anime changed its ending slightly from the manga, but both are still excellent depending on which characterization of Light fans prefer. In the anime, he escapes the warehouse and limps injured down the street, remembering who he was before he picked up the Death Note. He dies in the middle of a staircase, neither going to Heaven nor Hell. In the manga, Light dies inside the warehouse, begging Ryuk not to write his name in the Death Note, portraying Light as a much more pathetic character.
Mob Psycho 100’s Ending is Bittersweet but Hopeful
A typical shonen anime ending might have the hero finally defeating the villain once and for all, achieving untold power, and getting the girl. While Shigeo Kageyama might be Mob Psycho 100‘s most powerful esper, his ending shows that sometimes losing can make someone grow even more.
Throughout Mob Psycho 100, Shigeo is emotionally stunted, choosing to hide his feelings and his powers until he physically can’t anymore. In the finale, he must defeat himself by remembering his love for all the people who have helped him along the way.
Once Shigeo finally returns to his human form, he resolves to finally confess his feelings to his long-time crush, Tsubomi. Mob Psycho 100 sets the scene as a defining moment where all Shigeo’s growth comes to fruition — except Tsubomi rejects him. Watching Shigeo cry is heartbreaking, but it’s what he needed to reach his final stage of growing up. In the anime’s final scene, Shigeo laughs happily with the other Spirits n’ Such employees, a stark contrast to the emotionless boy he was in the first season.
Code Geass Shocked Fans With Lelouch’s Final Sacrifice
The seemingly endless battle between Lelouch and Suzaku finally comes to a head in Code Geass‘ finale episode, “Zero Requiem.” Their relationship was fraught with tension as they held precious childhood memories together while also possessing opposing ideologies.
Lelouch’s final plan to have Suzaku dress as Zero and murder him was a painful end to their friendship, but also gave both of them the ending they desired. Lelouch would be gone, and Suzaku and Nunally could achieve peace in the world without him. Although Lelouch’s grand plan seems noble on the surface, fans knew that he was never the hero of Code Geass‘ story, but more of an anti-hero.
Some fans thought that Lelouch’s death was selfish, as his sister had to go on without him, and it also absolved him of any punishment he would have received. Speculation became even more complex when fans theorized that Lelouch had only faked his death, which turned out to actually be true in Lelouch of the Re;surrection.
Neon Genesis Evangelion’s Finale is Still Debated Today
Over 30 years ago, when the final episode of Neon Genesis Evangelion aired, there was mass outrage from fans. After several episodes abstractly exploring Shinji’s anxieties and insecurities, the anime ends with a scene of all the people in his life congratulating him. At the time, fans hated that the anime ended on a positive note, and were expecting something much more existential. In hindsight, modern fans are less critical of Evangelion‘s finale, but Hideaki Anno still endeavored to “fix” his mistake.
End of Evangelion, the anime’s sequel movie, gave fans the existential ending they were asking for. The movie sets off just before the series’ finale, but instead of Shinji accepting himself, he wallows in self-hatred as his colleagues die around him and the Third Impact sees humanity’s souls merge into one. End of Evangelion gives Shinji a hauntingly beautiful ending, in which he still decides that life is about accepting both happiness and pain, but the final scene shows Asuka expressing disgust at his actions.