15 Best Sad Ending Anime Guaranteed to Make You Cry

Steins;Gate is an exciting science fiction anime centered around the thrilling and complex world of time travel.

Rintaro Okabe, a self-proclaimed scientist, plans to attend a seminar on time travel's mysteries. However, in a surprising twist, he finds himself unexpectedly catapulted back in time. Intrigued by the events he experiences, Rintaro's curiosity about time travel deepens, and he becomes determined to uncover its secrets.

With this newfound interest, Rintaro and his friends experiment with a microwave-like device they've been developing. Little do they know, their experiments begin to distort the timeline, unknowingly affecting future events. This story takes the audience on a journey through the unpredictable and often perilous consequences of tampering with time.

Clannad: After Story picks up the heartfelt tale of Tomoya and Nagisa, whose love story began in the first season. Now married, they are excitedly expecting their first child. However, Nagisa's lifelong frail health takes a turn for the worse. In her final moments, she musters all her strength to give birth to their son, Ushio.

Tragically, after Nagisa's death, Tomoya is engulfed in deep grief and becomes unable to care for Ushio. Consequently, Ushio is raised by her grandparents, Nagisa's parents. For five years, Tomoya remains distant from Ushio's life until he is invited to Nagisa's parents' home and finds himself in a position to look after his son.

It is in these moments that Tomoya and Ushio start to forge a genuine father-son bond. As they begin to live together, Tomoya grows to accept Ushio, and they share brief moments of happiness. However, their joy is short-lived when it's discovered that Ushio has inherited the same illness as Nagisa. What will happen to this little family?

In the aftermath of a great war that split the Telesis continent into two, Violet Evergarden, a former soldier, leaves the battlegrounds to embark on a new chapter in her life. She finds a role at the CH Postal Service, where she works as an Auto Memory Doll, a job dedicated to writing letters for those who wish to express their deepest emotions to others.

Through her work, Violet encounters a spectrum of human feelings, including the pain of loss, the weight of regret, and the warmth of love. Each person she meets teaches her something valuable about life and its many complexities.

However, Violet is haunted by the last words of the man she loved on the battlefield, Gilbert Bougainvillea. As she continues her journey as an Auto Memory Doll, her determination to understand the meaning behind Gilbert's words drives her.

Once celebrated as a child piano prodigy, Kousei Arima's life was filled with music until a personal tragedy struck. His world turned upside down when his mother passed away, leaving him traumatized to the point where he could no longer hear the sound of his own piano playing. Since then, Kousei has led the life of a typical high school student, keeping his past a secret.

Everything changes when Kousei meets Kaori Miyazono, a lively and unconventional violinist. Kaori's passion for music rekindles Kousei's love for the piano, bringing color back into his life. But as their bond grows, Kousei remains unaware of a secret that Kaori has been hiding.

Directed by Kyouhei Ishiguro, "Your Lie in April" is a must-watch for fans of heartfelt melodrama. The anime's success even inspired Takehiko Shinjo to create a live-action movie adaptation, featuring Suzu Hirose and Kento Yamazaki. This story is a touching journey of love, music, and the power of healing.

A Place Further Than The Universe blends adventure, comedy, and drama in a story with a deeply moving ending. It centers around a high school girl, Shirase Kobuchizawa, who is determined to reach Antarctica, a place notoriously difficult to access.

Motivated by the mysterious disappearance of her mother, Shirase faces skepticism and ridicule from those who think her goal is unachievable. Yet, she remains unwavering in her quest and seeks ways to embark on her journey.

In a twist of fate, Shirase's passion and resolve ignite the spirit of her classmate, Mari Tamaki. Mari decides to join her on the expedition to Antarctica. Will they make it to Antarctica and uncover the truth about Shirase's missing mother? The answer unfolds as their journey progresses.

This anime not only takes us on an adventure to a land of extreme cold but also portrays the personal growth and development of the girls as they face new challenges and experiences in the harsh, yet awe-inspiring, Antarctic wilderness.

In a world where humanity is confined within enormous walls, they are protected from the terrifying Titans, giant creatures that pose a grave threat to their existence.

Eren, a young boy, yearns to see the world outside these walls, fascinated by the mysteries it holds. To him, living within the walls feels like captivity. However, his life and the lives of those in his village, which has known peace for a century, are shattered when the Titans breach the walls.

In a devastating attack, Eren watches in horror as his mother falls victim to the Titans. This traumatic experience ignites a fierce determination in Eren: he vows to eradicate every Titan from the face of the Earth.

Driven by this vow, Eren embarks on a journey to join the Survey Corps, an elite military unit dedicated to fighting the Titans and protecting humanity. His journey is one of courage, determination, and a relentless pursuit of a world free from the shadow of the Titans.

The anime series "Nana," based on Ai Yazawa's popular manga and brought to life by Studio Madhouse in 47 episodes, tells the story of two young women, both named Nana, who meet by chance and embark on a journey of friendship and self-discovery.

Nana Osaki, a bold and ambitious lead singer of the punk band Black Stones, carries a challenging past and harbors dreams of stardom. In contrast, Nana Komatsu is a simple girl with simpler aspirations - to find true love and settle down.

Their paths cross as they both head to Tokyo, each driven by their unique dreams. Deciding to share an apartment, these two women with vastly different personalities and life goals form an unexpected but strong bond. As roommates, they navigate the complexities of life in the big city, lending each other strength and support in pursuit of their individual dreams.

To Your Eternity tells the story of an immortal entity experiencing the vast tapestry of life on Earth. This unique being possesses the extraordinary ability to shape-shift, adopting the forms of various objects and creatures it encounters, from inanimate stones and moss to a living wolf.

The narrative begins with the arrival of this enigmatic creature on Earth. Its first significant transformation is into a wolf, accompanying a young boy on his quest to locate his lost tribe. Their journey, filled with hope and determination, takes a tragic turn as the boy succumbs to injuries, leaving the creature to continue its journey alone.

As the story progresses, this shape-shifting being embarks on a profound journey across the globe, taking on the boy's form. It encounters a myriad of people, each interaction weaving a new thread into its understanding of humanity and the world.

At the tender age of 17, Rei Kiriyama has already risen to the ranks of a professional shogi player. Despite this remarkable achievement, Rei grapples with the heavy burdens of expectation from his adoptive family. Yearning for an escape, he moves to a modest apartment in Tokyo, seeking solace in solitude, yet finds himself distanced from his friends.

Rei's life takes a turn when he crosses paths with the Kawamoto sisters: Akari, Hinata, and Momo, along with their grandfather. This small, close-knit family envelops Rei in the warmth and comfort of a loving home, something he has long missed.

This anime unfolds the tale of Rei's journey towards independence, balancing the demands of his professional shogi career with the challenges of self-sufficiency. Amidst the trials and tribulations of life, it is the kindness and support of the Kawamoto family that becomes a beacon of hope for Rei, helping him navigate through life's complexities with newfound strength and resilience.

Jinta Yadomi is a young man who now spends his days playing video games and avoiding social interactions. One day, he finds his solitary life disrupted by an unexpected visitor - his childhood friend, Menma. She appears before Jinta with a request: to help her fulfill a wish that remained uncompleted.

Initially, Jinta believes Menma to be a figment of his imagination, as she had passed away years ago. However, he soon comes to the startling realization that Menma has returned as a ghost. Her untimely and tragic death has long cast a shadow over him.

Confronted with this reality, Jinta reconnects with his old friends from childhood. Together, they are forced to confront their shared, painful past. They embark on a heartfelt journey to fulfill Menma's final wish, a task they believe will help her spirit find peace and move on to the afterlife.

In Erased, originally known as "Boku dake ga Inai Machi," 29-year-old manga artist Satoru Fujinuma is endowed with a unique ability called "Revival." This power mysteriously transports him back in time just minutes before a disastrous event, which he often uses to prevent accidents and save lives.

One day, he's wrongfully accused of murdering his mother. In an attempt to use his Revival ability to escape this situation, he finds himself unexpectedly sent back 18 years, to when he was just a 10-year-old boy.

This time leap reveals a connection between his mother's death and a tragic event from 1988: the kidnapping and murder of his classmate, Kayo Hinazuki, a crime that was never solved. Satoru begins to suspect that the person behind Kayo's abduction might be the same individual responsible for his mother's future murder.

Adapted from Kei Sanbe's manga, this time travel-themed anime became so popular that it was turned into a live-action series. Erased is a perfect pick for those who love unraveling mysteries and piecing together puzzles. The story intricately weaves past and present, challenging the protagonist to alter the course of history to save his loved ones.

Assassination Classroom offers a thrilling twist that goes beyond its suspenseful title. This unique movie combines lessons in life problem-solving with the unexpected theme of learning how to "assassinate."

The story kicks off with a bizarre event: an explosion that transforms the moon into a crescent shape. The culprit? An odd, octopus-like creature who takes credit for the chaos and shockingly declares its intention to destroy the world the following March.

With the world's military forces unable to defeat this creature, the government offers a staggering reward of ten billion yen to anyone who can eliminate it. In an unexpected turn, this creature, later named Koro-Sensei, expresses a desire to teach at Kunugigaoka Junior High School, particularly in the notorious class 3-E.

The students of class 3-E are then faced with an extraordinary challenge: to find a way to assassinate their new teacher. With the fate of the world in their hands, and the lure of the massive reward, they embark on a mission filled with unexpected lessons and life-changing experiences.

In Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, high school student Mirai Onozawa and her younger brother Yuuki find themselves in the midst of chaos when a massive 8.0 magnitude earthquake strikes Tokyo. They are on Odaiba Artificial Island, attending a robot exhibition, when the quake hits, toppling landmarks like Tokyo Tower and Rainbow Bridge.

As panic spreads and people rush to escape the crumbling buildings, Mirai and Yuuki also scramble for safety. Amidst the confusion, they encounter Mari Kusakabe, a motorcyclist who offers to help them get back to their home in Setagaya, West Tokyo. The journey home is fraught with uncertainty and danger, leaving the audience to wonder if Mirai and Yuuki will make it back safely.

This anime poignantly captures the despair and sadness that envelops people during a major natural disaster. Yet, it also highlights the human spirit's resilience, as people strive to survive and help others, even in the direst circumstances.

Directed by Masaki Tachibana, the anime is notable for its impressive graphics, earning acclaim and the Excellence Award at the 13th Japan Media Arts Festival in the Animation Division.

In this touching and visually stunning anime, we follow the story of 19-year-old Tsukasa Mizukagi, who after failing to get into college, finds a new path working at Sion Artificial Intelligence Corporation.

Sion AI specializes in creating "Giftia," highly advanced robots that closely resemble humans. However, these remarkable creations come with a significant limitation: they have a lifespan of only 9 years and 4 months. Beyond this period, they lose their memories and become unpredictable.

Tsukasa's job is to retrieve Giftia that are nearing the end of their lifespan. It's during this challenging task that he meets Isla, a beautiful and highly skilled Giftia experienced in this kind of work. As Tsukasa and Isla grow closer, he develops feelings for her, only to be faced with the harsh reality: Isla, too, is nearing the end of her lifespan. This anime beautifully explores themes of love, life, and the fleeting nature of existence.