10 Anime Heroes Who Should Have Died (But Didn’t)

When writing an action/adventure anime series, it’s not always easy to decide who should live or die, or how. The story can’t continue if all the key heroes get killed off, nor do viewers want to see that, so the heroes get all kinds of plot armor to survive their fights and other hazards. The trick is to make their survival believable and not make it obvious that the creators are saving them.

Sometimes, the story is handled askwardly, and an anime hero will cheat death when it’s obvious that they should have succumbed. In some cases, the story will offer a contrived or last-minute reason why the character was spared, which might not sit well with viewers, and in extreme cases, a hero might survive with only a vague explanation about how they staved off their imminent demise.

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10 Nezuko Kamado Evolved to Withstand the Sun’s Rays

Tanjiro Was Prepared to See Her Die

It’s fairly common for shonen action heroes to defy the odds and survive fatal attacks in battle, but Demon Slayer took things a step further by allowing Nezuko Kamado to survive a fatal vulnerability instead. During the battle against Hantengu, Tanjiro left Nezuko behind to finish off his foe, knowing that he was dooming Nezuko to die as the morning sun rose.

Agaisnt all odds, Nezuko survived, and she even looked more human than ever, suggesting that Nezuko was somehow regaining her humanity after all this time. The anime still hasn’t explained how this unprecedented event was possible, but it still attracted the attention of Muzan Kibutsuji, the demon king. By surviving the sun, Nezuko became Muzan’s first real hope to overcome his much-despised weakness to sunlight.

Release Date

April 6, 2019

Cast

Natsuki Hanae , Zach Aguilar , Abby Trott , Akari Kitō , Yoshitsugu Matsuoka

Seasons

5

9 Pell Had No Way to Escape the Bomb’s Explosion

He Magically Popped Back Up Later

It’s well-known that the characters in One Piece hardly ever die, and even the villains benefit from that generous plot armor time and again. However, even by those merciful standards, it made no sense for the Alabasta soldier Pell to survive his sefless sacrifice in the battle for Alubarna, the capital. No one could stop Crocodile’s bomb from exploding, so Pell morphed into a bird and soared high into the air with it.

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The bomb went off with terrific force, obviously vaporizing Pell along with it, and Princess Vivi was both relieved and horrified by what she saw. Later, Pell did the impossible and returned alive and well, which hurt the immersion and cheapened his sacrifice. He was a minor character anyhow, so there was no reason, as well as no way, for Pell to return for more.

One Piece

Follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his pirate crew in order to find the greatest treasure ever left by the legendary Pirate, Gold Roger. The famous mystery treasure named “One Piece”.

Release Date

October 20, 1999

Creator(s)

Eiichiro Oda

Cast

Mayumi Tanaka , Kazuya Nakai , Akemi Okamura , Kappei Yamaguchi , Hiroaki Hirata , Ikue Ôtani , Yuriko Yamaguchi , Kazuki Yao , Chō

Main Genre

Action

Seasons

20

Creator

Production Company

Writers

Junki Takegami , Shoji Yonemura , Hirohiko Uesaka

Number of Episodes

Directors

Kônosuke Uda , Junji Shimizu , Munehisa Sakai

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8 Byakuya Kuchiki Hung on By a Thread After Fighting Äs Nödt

Jugram Haschwalth Was So Sure Byakuya Died

When the Quincy army launched a successful invasion of the Soul Society, countless Soul Reapers got themselves killed, which nearly included Captain Byakuya Kuchiki of squad 6. Sternritter F, Äs Nödt, stole Byakuya’s bankai and attacked him with it, aiming to kill with Senbonzakur Kageyoshi’s enormous power. As that happened, Jugram Haschwalth commented that Byakuya had died, with Yhwach briefly acknowledging that.

However, Byakuya survived after all, which didn’t make much sense, seeing how the Sternritter were determined to kill all Soul Reapers whom they met, and Äs Nödt was the last person who’d become the exception by showing mercy. Byakuya’s ultra-narrow survival was plot armor at work, with Bleach unwilling to kill off such a popular character.

Bleach revolves around Kurosaki Ichigo, a regular always-grouchy high-schooler who for some strange reason is able to see the souls of the dead around him.

Release Date

September 6, 2006

Cast

Johnny Yong Bosch , Michelle Ruff , Stephanie Sheh , Jamieson Price , Derek Stephen Prince , Wally Wingert

Seasons

16

Creator

Production Company

Story By

Tite Kubo

Writers

Tite Kubo , Masashi Sogo

Number of Episodes

Network

Funimation

Directors

Noriyuki Abe , Jun’ya Koshiba

Showrunner

Tite Kubo

Producers

Tasuku Honda , Yoshihiko Tominaga , Genki Negishi

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7 Juvia Lockser Apparently Survived With Sheer Willpower

The Fairy Tail Guild Has Magical Plot Armor

Like One Piece, the shonen action anime Fairy Tail is highly reluctant to write out any of its characters, even the antagonists, though there have been a few exceptions. This has led to some contrivued moments of survival, including Juvia Lockser somehow cheating death when she was forced to fight Gray Fullbuster to the death thanks to Invel Yuria’s icy powers.

Juvia was ready to give her life to protect Gray, and she seemingly did just that, which prompted Gray to fight and defeat Invel with vengeful wrath. Not long after that, Juvia was revealed to be alive, which lessened the impact of her noble sacrifice and showed yet again that the power of friendship and contrivances was still strong in Fairy Tail. On the plus side, that meant Juvia could return in the sequel anime and fight alongside Gray again, such as with their devastating new Unison Raid.

Lucy, an aspiring Celestial Wizard, becomes a friend and ally to powerful wizards Natsu, Gray, and Erza, who are part of the (in)famous wizard guild, Fairy Tail.

Release Date

October 12, 2009

Creator(s)

Hiro Mashima , Masashi Sogo

Cast

Cherami Leigh , Todd Haberkorn , Tia Lynn Ballard , Colleen Clinkenbeard , Newton Pittman , Brittney Karbowski , Monical Rial , Brina Palencia

Main Genre

Action

Seasons

9

Writers

Hiro Mashima , Masashi Sogo

Streaming Service(s)

Hulu

Franchise(s)

Fairy Tail

Directors

Shinji Ishihira

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6 Stark Should Have Died When the Red Dragon Approached Him

Monsters Like That Don’t Show Mercy

For the most part, contrivances and plot armor are limited in the Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End anime, since the story is really about personal growth and not whether the heroes can defeat their enemies. An exception is Stark’s miraculous survival when facing a fearsome red dragon a few years ago, which was presented as a half-comedic moment.

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Red dragons are usually vicious, ravenous beings of fire and wrath in fantasy, and the one in Frienen was no different as it tore a town apart. Then Stark stared down that scaly beast, too frightened to move, so the dragon decided that Stark was a powerful being of immense courage, and departed. That was amusing, but by all rights, Stark should have been gobbled up as soon as the dragon spotted him.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

An elf and her friends defeat a demon king in a great war. But the war is over, and the elf must search for a new way of life.

Release Date

September 29, 2023

Cast

Atsumi Tanezaki , Kana Ichinose , Mallorie Rodak , Jill Harris

Seasons

1

Creator

Tsukasa Abe, Kanehito Yamada

Production Company

Aniplex, Dentsu, Madhouse, Shogakukan, TOHO animation, Toho

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5 Nobara Kugisaki Survived Fatal Wounds Just in Time

Her Survival Wasn’t Fully Shown in the Manga

It was a shocking moment in Jujutsu Kaisen when Mahito the villain attacked Nobara Kugisaki with his Idle Transfiguration, quickly knocking Nobara flat on her back and demolishing part of her head. She lay there, evidently dead, and Yuji Itadori was certain that his friend had just died. As of now in the anime, Nobara’s fated is uncertain, and the odds aren’t looking good.

Manga readers, meanwhile, know that Nobara actually did survive, but given how serious that injury was, it’s surprising that she didn’t simply die the moment Mahito struck her. Nobara has Aratta Nita to thank for her survival, though Nobara’s recovery was not fully depicted, which felt unsatisfying to many fans.

Jujutsu Kaisen

A boy swallows a cursed talisman – the finger of a demon – and becomes cursed himself. He enters a shaman’s school to be able to locate the demon’s other body parts and thus exorcise himself.

Release Date

October 2, 2020

Cast

Junya Enoki , Yuma Uchida , Yuichi Nakamura , Adam McArthur , Asami Seto

Seasons

3

Studio

MAPPA

Creator

Gege Akutami

Main Characters

Yuji Itadori, Satoru Gojo, Ryomen Sukuna

Production Company

Mappa, TOHO animation

Number of Episodes

47 Episodes

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4 Jinwoo Sung Got Another Lease on Life Without Expecting It

He Made the Most of the Opportunity

Jinwoo Sung was introduced as an underdog in Solo Leveling, an E-rank hunter who struggled to even kill goblins and other low-level monsters on his own. Then, he and his party faced their doom in a double dungeon, a traumatic event that clearly cost Jinwoo his life — except it didn’t. That formed the anime’s first major plot twist, with Jinwoo surviving and gaining the ability to level up.

That impossible survival was the whole point of the Solo Leveling anime, so fans don’t mind, but it still seems convenient for a hunter who ought to have died long ago. Of all people, it was Jinwoo who was saved by mysterious forces to give him a second chance, and Jinwoo won’t waste it. Already, he has gained many levels and even became taller and more mature-looking, which is how he will survive these dungeons and look good in the process.

In a world of gifted hunters and monsters, a weak hunter Sung Jin-Woo gains extraordinary powers through a mysterious program, leading him to become one of the strongest hunters and conquering even the strongest dungeons.

Release Date

January 7, 2024

Cast

Aleks Le , Taito Ban

Main Genre

Action

Seasons

1

Studio

A-1 Pictures

Creator

Chugong

Writers

Noboru Kimura

Main Cast

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3 Katsuki Bakugo Got His Heart Destroyed

Edgeshot’s Quirk Isn’t a Medical One

My Hero Academia had generous plot armor for its heroes at first, such as Tensei Iida surviving his battle against Stain the hero killer, but all that changed starting in Season 4. By that time, the villains were getting stronger and pro heroes were dying while fighting them, and that nearly included Katsuki Bakugo, too. He recently got his heart torn out while fighting Tomura Shigaraki, only for Best Jeanist and Edgeshot to intervene.

3:18

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Bakugo seemingly died, but those pro heroes used their thread-based Quirks to seal the wounds and form Bakugo’s new heart, an unexpected use of a Quirk like Foldabody. As Edgeshot hoped, his improvised medical treatment worked, but it still seemed contrived and strange for that strategy to save Bakugo. The plot armor returned in full, undercutting the brutality and stakes of the final war.

My Hero Academia

Izuku has dreamt of being a hero all his life—a lofty goal for anyone, but especially challenging for a kid with no superpowers. That’s right, in a world where eighty percent of the population has some kind of super-powered “quirk,” Izuku was unlucky enough to be born completely normal. But that’s not enough to stop him from enrolling in one of the world’s most prestigious hero academies.

Release Date

April 3, 2016

Cast

Aoi Yuki , Ayane Sakura , Christopher R. Sabat , Yûki Kaji , Nobuhiko Okamoto , Luci Christian , David Matranga , Justin Briner , Kenta Miyake , Clifford Chapin , Daiki Yamashita

Rating

Seasons

7

Franchise

My Hero Academia

Characters By

Kohei Horikoshi

Distributor

FUNimation Entertainment

Main Characters

Tsuyu Asui, Katsuki Bakugo, Ochaco Uraraka, Izuku Midoriya, Shoto Todoroki, All Might

Production Company

Bones

Story By

Kōhei Horikoshi, Yōsuke Kuroda

Number of Episodes

113

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2 Kazuma Sato Lucked His Way Out of Megumin’s Biggest Explosion

It Was Humorous Plot Armor With Stats to Back it Up

For the sake of satirical comedy, the hapless heroes of Konosuba always survive close encounters with monsters and magic, escaping certain death with silly last-minute attacks or having proper heroes bail them out. The most extreme example arrived in the Legend of Crimson movie, when Megumin and Yunyun prepared the biggest combo explosion of all time.

Kazuma was caught right in the middle of that apocalyptic blast, so he relied on his only tool: his immense luck stat. With Aqua blessing him as hard as she could, Kazuma pressed his luck to the maximum, defying the impossible odds and lucking his way out of the explosion. It was a classic Konosuba comedic moment, with the heroes pulling off utter nonsense because that’s what they do.

KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!

It was a happy day for Kazuma – right up to the moment he died. A goddess intervenes and offers him a second chance in a magical land.

Release Date

January 13, 2016

Creator(s)

Natsume Akatsuki

Cast

Jun Fukushima , Sora Amamiya , Noucky Andriansyah

Main Genre

Adventure

Seasons

2

Writers

Natsume Akatsuki , Aoi Akashiro , Touko Machida , Kojiro Nakamura , Makoto Uezu , Alexander Von David

Directors

Takaomi Kanasaki

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1 Sasuke Uchiha Seemingly Died at Haku’s Hands

That Fueled Naruto’s Vengeful Wrath With Kurama’s Chakra

Later in the Naruto anime, Sasuke Uchiha didn’t need plot armor to protect him, since his own skills with jtusu like the Chidori and the Mangekyo Sharingan were all he needed. Early on, though, Sasuke stood little chance against jonin-level ninjas like Haku, and Sasuke seemingly died to protect Naruto from Haku’s deadly needle attack.

An expert ninja like Haku could have and should have dealt a finishing blow that way, but for plot reasons, Sasuke make it out alive, as did Naruto. The latter broke free of Haku’s ice crystal mirrors and turned the tables thanks to Kurama’s vast chakra, while Sasuke had plot armor to get him out of the Landa of Waves story arc intact.

Naruto

Naruto Uzumaki, a mischievous adolescent ninja, struggles as he searches for recognition and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the village’s leader and strongest ninja.

Release Date

September 10, 2002

Cast

Junko Takeuchi , Maile Flanagan , Kate Higgins

Seasons

1

Creator

Masashi Kishimoto

Production Company

Pierrot, Staralis Film Company

Number of Episodes

220

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