Warning: Contains spoilers for Attack on Titan: The Final Chapters, Part 2Anime fights are a medical staple, and sure enough, it’s all too common for them to end tragically. Sometimes it’s the result of the hero losing and dying, but there are other tragic times where the victory forces the heroes into a situation that makes them feel worse in the end.

There are many battles in anime that end tragically, and among them there are a few that stand out as the best. Some make the astral direction used to activate them, allowing the sad stories to be told in the highest quality possible. Other wars are notable for the tragic stories behind them, because they are all culminations of many events, both evil and evil, that often end in a way that leaves no one satisfied, no matter how important the fight. has been.

10 Saber Vs. Lancer

Chance/Zero

The first great anime fight that ends in tragedy is Saber vs. It’s Lancer in Fate/Zero. Throughout the series, Saber and Lancer have maintained something of a friendly rivalry built on being two of the most honorable servants, but it’s broken when Kiritsugu forces Lancer to use the Command Seal to destroy himself. That act breaks Lancer until his last breath curses everything he can find, and Saber not only loses what little faith she has in Kirtisugu, but is forced to confront her ideological weakness, leaving no reason behind. Rejoice in her victory.

9 Domon Vs. Master Asia

Mobile Fighter G Gundam

Another hero’s victory is Domon vs Master Asia in Mobile Fighter G Gundam, a great battle that ends in tragedy. There was always a tragic element to Domon and Master Asia’s conflict, but their final battle added to it, revealing that Master Asia had been using the Dark Gundam to try to save Earth the whole time. The revelation that Master Asia didn’t have a monster makes his death tragic for Domon, the later realization that Master Asia was right about the Gundam fight, and it all works to make it one of the saddest fights ever. Gundam franchise.

8 Side Vs. The kidney

Hunter X Hunter

The Hunter x Hunter Chimera Ant arc was filled with many epic battles, but the most notable was Gon vs. It is Neferpitou. When Gon is forced to accept Keith’s death, all of his rage has evolved his body to the point where he can defeat Pete. Besides showing how hard it is to watch Gon fight so brutally, his tragic side switch nearly killed him both and robbed him of his ability to use Nene. The dramatic direction of the fight further accentuates its weight, and remains one of Hunter x Hunter’s most tense moments.

7 Spike Vs. Cruel

Cowboy Bebop

Another anime fight where the danger is more sold on the direction is the final fight between Spike and the brutal Cowboy Bebop. The fact that their fight never happened was tragic in itself, as Spike finally showed that he couldn’t let go of the past, but the animation and music presented really sold how much it was building up to the tragedy of Spike’s death. One of Cowboy Bebop’s greatest strengths is its willingness not to end the story on a happy note, and Spike’s death by choosing to fight unnecessarily is the culmination of that.

6 Yugi Vs. Print

Yu-Gi-Oh!

Desperate battles can also occur when two heroes face off, and a perfect example of that is Yugi and Atom in Yu-Gi-Oh! While Yugi had to defeat Atom in their duel so that he could pass on the afterlife and prove that he could stand on his own, Yugi’s victory still meant saying goodbye to one of his best friends and the person responsible. Growing up for him. It’s a bittersweet finale that plays to Yu-Gi-Oh’s strengths, and it really shows that a fight can be a lot sadder without anyone having to die.

5 Luffy Vs. Usopp

one piece

Luffy vs. Another sad anime fight that pitted two heroes against each other. Usopp was in one piece. Luffy’s poor treatment of the news that the Going Merry must be replaced, coupled with Usopp’s refusal to accept it, causes Usopp to quit his crew and the two fight to capture the Merry. There was never a chance that Usopp could win, so his refusal to bend made each of Luffy’s blows incredibly painful to watch, and Luffy easily stood out as one when he was forced to say goodbye to both his ship and his best friends. The most tragic and emotional conflicts in all in one piece.

4 Sasuke Vs. Itachi

Naruto: Shippuden

Naruto: Shippuden is another anime full of sad fights, and the one that stands out the most is the fight between Sasuke and Itachi. Sasuke finally gets his revenge on Itachi, but his satisfaction is dashed when Obito reveals that Itachi was not only ordered to kill the Uchiha clan to protect the Leaf Village, but that he was secretly guarding Sasuke. Sasuke hated him. That revelation changes everything Sasuke knows about Itachi, but it’s too late to do anything about it, and the tragedy of it all defines Sasuke’s character for the rest of Naruto.

RELATED: Sasuke’s Ultimate Technique Has A Hidden Meaning Naruto Fans Can’t Ignore

3 Majin Vegeta Vs. Majin Buu

Dragon Ball Z

One of the most famous fights in anime is Majin Vegeta vs Majin Buu in Dragon Ball Z. After finally receiving a change of heart, Vegeta tries to forgive him for his actions by sacrificing himself to destroy Majin Buu, but despite how powerful his attack is, Majin Buu ultimately survives. The point of the plant sacrifice was to show how much he had grown as a person, so it more than did the job, but the fact that he died without being able to harm Majin Buu in the slightest still added a lot of tragedy. To the fight, whatever.

2 Global Alliance Vs. Eren

Attack on Titan

The Attack on Titan anime once again showed how tragic the war between the Global Alliance and Eren was in its long-awaited conclusion. It was one thing for Armin, Mikasa, and everyone else to fight Eren after being their friend for so many years, but the fact that Eren had done everything to protect and defend them made the alliance’s victory all the more bittersweet. To make matters worse, at the end of the story, Paradise Island was still destroyed at some point, which means that everything everyone does to protect their loved ones was meaningless, thus adding another tragedy to the fight and the ending, in general.

Related: Attack on Titan Finale Explained

1 Joe Vs. Mendoza

Ashita no jo

Perhaps the most famous tragic fight in all of anime is Joe vs Mendoza in Ashita no Joe. Mendoza served as Joe’s final and toughest challenger as world bantamweight champion, and although Joe did not give up and drove Mendoza to the point of turning his hair white, Joe not only lost by technicality, but ended up dead. From the injuries sustained during the fight. It was a truly heartbreaking note to end the series on, and has since gone on to become one of the most iconic episodes in all of anime.

While action-based anime is simple, they still manage to invoke a sense of danger with their battles. The death of a hero or a fallen friend is an easy way to accomplish this, but when victory comes at a great price, it makes the winner question the price, and in most cases it happens surprisingly. It wasn’t. However, that sense of tragedy adds a lot of depth to these stories, so it makes an anime that ends in tragedy better than ever.