The journey of a story has its ups and downs, twists, and turns, but ultimately comes down to two major factors. One is how the story starts in the very first episode, while the other is how everything gets wrapped up at the end. It’s all about building into the climax of a tale, and sometimes, a mangaka delivers better than others.
As with any form of media, the creator will always want to stick the landing. The conclusion of one story will have the audience talking for months, sometimes years, after it’s all over. One could argue that the way an anime ends is more important than how it begins, because you can come back from a poor opening, but you can’t escape the way the show ends.
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Fair warning: As with just about any other list out there, the choices made in this one are completely subjective. Perhaps one that you preferred isn’t on this list, but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t a great ending. I just loved the ten included on this one. They’re the final episodes that have stuck with me since the series ended, which means they hold a special place in my heart.
10
Attack On Titan
The Final Chapters (Part 2)
This is probably the most polarizing entry on the list, which is why it’s up there at the number ten spot. The conclusion of Attack on Titan not only left the audience divided on how they felt about it, but mangaka Hajime Isayama even went back to polish the final chapters, and re-release them in order to please the fans. What makes it so special is that people genuinely cared about the story’s end, to the point of debating the last chapters online to this day.
There were some hiccups here and there, particularly the moment Eren lost his “chad” status by crying out to Armin, but overall, it’s a conclusion that reduced many to tears. Eren turned himself into a monster that had to be taken down so that he could become the villain and save his friends from the torment of being the evil Eldians. If you didn’t at least shed one tear during the final episodes, you either have no soul, or you’re a complete liar.
9
Death Note
New World
Death Note will go down as one of the greatest stories told in the anime/manga sphere, and for good reason. Light Yagami’s tale of turning from a well-mannered student into one with a God complex after discovering the death note is one that many can get behind. In a world full of evil and crime, who wouldn’t take advantage of such a power, cleansing the population of its delinquency?
Unfortunately, what goes up must come down. Light’s turn to the dark side ultimately leads to the authorities discovering his identity. A confrontation in a warehouse leaves him severely injured and on the brink of death, but what ties this story up beautifully is that Ryuk, his shinigami, and partner in crime, is the one to write Light’s name in his death note. As his heart beats for the final time, the circle is perfectly completed.
8
Yu Yu Hakusho
To The Future
Everyone loves a happy ending, and Yu Yu Hakusho brings the emotional roller coaster to a satisfying conclusion. Dozens of episodes of struggle, battles against incredible demons, and a tournament where their lives are on the line, and yet, everything turns out all right for Yusuke and his crew. Not only do they make it out alive, but there’s also a satisfying end to Yusuke’s journey as a fighter.
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After connecting with his father, learning of his half-demon, half-human life, and perfecting his abilities, Yusuke found the fulfillment he was desperately looking for. The closing moments of the final episode are what really sets the episode as a whole apart from the rest of the series. It’s peaceful and everyone is able to smile, something that wasn’t the case for a long period of time.
7
Cowboy Bebop
The Real Folk Blues (Part 2)
On the opposite side of the coin, Spike isn’t so lucky with his happy ending. In fact, there is no happy ending in Cowboy Bebop. At most, you could consider it bittersweet, but it’s hard to digest the main protagonist going out in a blaze of glory, taking down Vicious but losing his life in the process. What makes it all the more painful is what led to Spike’s decision to go all out.
Julia, the one person that Spike had promised to protect and make it out alive with, sadly passed away in his arms. Her final words “It was all… a dream” shattered the hearts of the audience, leading to one of the most painful deaths in anime. This made Spike’s decision to fight Vicious with no regard more reasonable, and his final moment of pointing his finger gun at the syndicate group and saying “Bang” was the final act of rebellion before he collapsed and passed away.
6
Erased
Treasure
Erased is a short, 12-episode anime series (13, if you count the mid-season recap) following Satoru Fujinuma, a young boy who undergoes the phenomenon of reversing time back to the point before a life-threatening event occurs. If you’re into a story that continues to torture you, over and over again, until the correct result is reached, Erased is definitely for you. Thankfully, the conclusion of this story will leave you smiling and crying tears of joy.
Throughout the story, Satoru finds himself losing those he swears to protect, leading him down a path of trying to identify the serial killer while living life as a normal kid. When it’s discovered that the killer is Satoru’s beloved teacher, the plan to reveal his crimes culminates in a moment that almost leads to Satoru’s death. His reunion with Kayo Hinazuki leaves the proverbial frog in your throat, as she makes it out alive and is happy, but has started a family and moved away from Satoru, emotionally.
5
Steins;Gate
Achievement Point
- Release Date
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2011 – 2011
- Network
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Sun TV, Teletama
- Directors
-
Kazuhiro Ozawa, Kanji Wakabayashi, Tomoki Kobayashi, Koji Kobayashi, Tomoko Hiramuki, Hisato Shimoda, Shigetaka Ikeda, Hiroyuki Tsuchiya, Yuzuru Tachikawa
There are many great examples of time traveling in anime, but seldom does it explore the butterfly effect and negative results as much as Steins;Gate does. Time and time again, Rintaro Okabe travels back and forth, adjusting certain events to have a more favorable outcome for an individual, only to return to the present timeline to see how much things have turned upside down. At one point, Rintaro’s actions change the very foundation of an entire city.
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It all boils down to the point that Rintaro, Kurisu, and the rest of the crew are faced with the inevitable outcome that they must reverse everything back to its original plot to fix the mess they’ve created. This means that the bond Rintaro and Kurisu had created never happened, leading to their paths crossing once more without Kurisu remembering Rintaro. Perhaps they build it back up again, or Rintaro chooses to let things be. The conclusion leaves that up for the audience to decide.
4
Dragon Ball Z
Goku’s Next Journey
Dragon Ball Z
- Release Date
-
1989 – 1996
- Directors
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Daisuke Nishio
- Writers
-
Akira Toriyama, Takao Koyama
Dragon Ball Z will go down as one of the greatest anime series in history, and it serves as the gateway series to a generation of fans discovering anime for the first time. Despite there being more series out there over the years that have richer stories, deeper characters, and advanced animation, Dragon Ball Z stands the test of time, and a lot of it has to do with how well the ending landed with the audience.
Each arc had its main villain to take down, with the final arc being no different. After Goku took down Kid Buu, he wished for the big bad villain to be reincarnated into a good person, so that he could fight him again one day. That wish came true, as Kid Buu was reincarnated into Uub, who would then go on to become Goku’s apprentice. There’s something very “Goku” about this ending, as he flies away to train and develop a new fighter. It’s as sweet as it is comical, in pure Goku fashion.
3
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean
It’s A Wonderful World
They say that for certain things; if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. You absolutely cannot say that about Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, as every season captures a new story with new device plots, and a brand-new roller coaster to indulge in. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean is the sixth story arc of the series, and is, by far, my favorite ending to any story. The series as a whole always lands with a great ending, but Stone Ocean was perfect.
The villain felt almost unstoppable, made evident by Enrico Pucci’s ability to develop his stand from a disc-stealing menace to one that can manipulate time and gravity. After the major plan leaves only Emporio Alnino alive to take down Enrico, the villain’s defeat leads to the entire universe not only reversing, but changing altogether. When Enrico wakes up, everyone is alive and well, but different at the same time. The end credits playing with Walk Like An Egyptian was a beautiful send-off.
Journey’s End
One of the greatest mistakes I’ve made with anime was making Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood the first anime to complete from start to end. It’s considered a perfect anime, one that is hard to top, and to this day, is hard to beat in terms of a complete story. By the time you conclude this story, you’ve cried at least a half-dozen times, yelled at the television, and gone into hiding for a few days to gather your thoughts.
The final episode of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood sees Edward and Alphonse Elric finally take down the homunculi with alchemy. Upon Edward’s return to the gate, he sacrifices his powers to restore his brother’s body. The moment Alphonse returns and Winry runs into the brothers’ arms while weeping in joy is a moment that still brings tears to my eyes. It’s an ending to an anime that, to this day, is only second to the last entry on this list.
1
Neon Genesis Evangelion
The Beast That Shouted ‘I’ At The Heart Of The World
Not to be confused with The End of Evangelion, which has a much more direct ending that is still discussed today, Neon Genesis Evangelion‘s final episode is one that is regarded as a picture-perfect ending. It’s rare that an ending to an episode of an anime doesn’t feature some major climax with a battle occurring, blood being shed, and a character’s death or two. In Neon Genesis Evangelion‘s case, none of the above apply.
The final episode of Neon Genesis Evangelion is a fever dream full of mental torment, as Shinji faces every single problem in his life, from his strenuous relationship with his father, his troubling love life involving Asuka, and the many uncertainties he faces on a day-to-day basis. After Shinji makes up his mind that it’s okay to exist in the world and that he belongs, his illusions shatter with everyone in his life congratulating him. Is it a happy ending? It’s up to you to decide, as the reality Shinji now lives in may all just be in his head.
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