The saddest anime on our list will fill you with a range of emotions. Sorrow like any other feeling is an inseparable part of life. And anime have their own way of portraying feelings of emptiness, separation, regret, anxiety, and grief. They give you hope for the future, and then break your heart with reality. But that’s also the beauty of their storytelling. Life is not all merry and joy, accepting that and overcoming the sorrow is what these sad anime let you do.
Now, this is a subjective list, so you might not find them the saddest. Still, we hope you enjoy the list and get to experience the shade of emotions that these saddest anime want to share.
Top 10 Saddest Anime That Will Break Your Heart
Grave of the Fireflies
Grave of the Fireflies is considered the best war anime by many. The anime is based on a semi-autobiographical short story by Akiyuki Nosaka. This sad anime is about two siblings Seita and Setsuko, who are struggling to survive during World War II in Japan. It is a movie of just 1 hour and 29 minutes, but it leaves you thinking for days, weeks, months, and sometimes forever about how fearsome war can be.
I Want to Eat Your Pancreas
They were poles apart until he found Sakura’s secret diary “Living with Dying”. Which eventually leads him to discover Sakura’s pancreatic disease. Even though he is reluctant at first, he becomes good friends with her and ends up accompanying her on her bucket list. He who had no interest in the world, started living with her influence. The name of the guy isn’t revealed till the end, and you will understand why they did that after you reach the end of this saddest anime.
Banana Fish
Ash Lynx is a runaway raised by the godfather of the mafia, Dino Golzine. He is now 17 years old and has his own gang, but the incident with his brother shakes his world. After the combat incident, his brother is now in a vegetative state and Ash is digging to find out why his brother uttered Banana Fish after coming from the Iraq War. Japanese photographer’s assistant, Eiji Okumura helps him in his search and they become close. But what will happen once they discover the meaning of these words?
Kotaro Lives Alone
A four-year-old cute child living on his own, doing everything without relying on anyone might seem wholesome and adorable when you begin. But why would a kid live alone and would never rely on others? Shin Karino is a manga author whose new neighbor Kotarou Satou is a child. The kid acts more mature than his age, so Shin tries to take care of Kotarou in his own way and forms a bond.
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0
This anime shows the vulnerability of humans in front of nature. Japan’s Kanto region faces a magnitude 8.0 earthquake. This anime is about the struggle of two siblings Mirai and Yuuki to reach home and reunite with their family. And even in this disaster, they aren’t alone, they find a companion who is ready to help them in these tough times. So join them in their journey and find out what destiny has written for them.
Into the Forest of Fireflies’ Light
Hotaru Takegawa is a six-year-old girl who came to her grandfather’s house on summer vacation. She gets lost in the forest and a mysterious masked boy helps her find her way. This boy is called Gin, and he is cursed by humans. If any human touches him, he will disappear. Fearing the worst, he wants her to keep her distance. But the girl keeps meeting him, they become close friends, and years pass till she grows to look close to Gin’s age, as he never ages.
Plastic Memories
Tsukasa Mizugaki is an 18-year-old boy who failed his college exams, but after some efforts landed a job at Sion Artificial Intelligence Corporation. The company specializes in creating highly advanced Android Giftias. These Giftias look like any other human but have a lifespan of only 81,920 hours. After the expiration, they will lose their memory and become hostile. To stop that from happening the company has created a team that collects them before expiration. This department is where Tsukasa is assigned. But will he be able to collect all the Giftias without any remorse?
Death Parade
The story revolves around an afterlife bar Quindecim. Humans that come here after death, have to play a death game that decides if they should go into the void or get reincarnated. When they first arrive, they have no memories of their life, and they recover the fabrics of their memory while playing. Decim is an Arbiter of this place who believes that the game reveals humans’ true nature. Until everything is questioned by a black-haired girl who due to some circumstances is acting as Decim’s assistant.
A Silent Voice
A new transfer girl, Shouko Nishimiya is mistreated by her classmates, and that becomes worse day after day. One of her classmates, Shouya Ishida is also among the bullies, but when all the blame comes to him, he gets treated the same way he treated her. Shouya realizes what he did was cruel, and as the day passes the guilt keeps growing. He decides to redeem himself and starts looking for Shouko. But after all he has done, will he truly be able to amend, and would she forgive him.
Your Lie in April
Kousei Arima is a piano prodigy who lost his ability to play after some traumatic event. He tries but never gets over the pain that is tying him down. Till he meets violinist Kaori Miyazono. Kaori never listens to him, forces him to play, and shows that the world is still colorful. She is there for him, if he sinks, she will drag him out. She gives him the strength that helps him get over his pain and embrace his love for music.
These were all the saddest anime that will make you cry. If you found something new or your favorite sad anime is on this list, you should check our Anime guides. We cover all genres of anime, from dark fantasy like Jujutsu Kaisen to comedy like Spy X Family.
