In this post, we'll explore the 10 biggest plot twists in anime history—those moments that left us utterly shocked and, to this day, are remembered as milestones of the genre. Get ready to relive these twists and perhaps even discover some you didn't know about. Spoiler alert !
Anime Plot Twists – Top 10
10. Zombie Land – Truck Kills Sakura
First, let's not say a twist can't be hilarious, and Zombie Land Saga delivers right from the start. The series stars Sakura, a high school student who wants nothing more than to be an idol. After a few minutes, she leaves her house and is hit by a truck, killing her. Eventually, she's revived as a zombie, but you won't think about that. You'll still think about how that truck completely destroyed her without any warning. It's comedy gold, pure and simple, a great way to subvert expectations.
09. School Days – The Finale
School Days is a terrible series. It's a mid-2000s harem comedy with poor animation, an absolutely horrendous main character, and plenty of moments that will irritate anyone. Seriously, after three episodes, you'll hate its main character, Makoto. And then we get to the final episode. The outrageous, brilliant, jaw-dropping final episode. A final episode so infamous I won't even spoil it.
08. Madoka Magica – Just… All That
Should I first focus on the true nature of magical girls? What about the cute Kyubey's motivations? Or how about the events of episode 3 that put into perspective what kind of series Madoka Magica is? Or why not talk about Homura's tragic story? So, Madoka Magica are all the same in my eyes, leading to a series whose twists and turns will completely destroy you.
07. Odd Taxi – Everyone is human
If you've never heard of Odd Taxi, stop and watch it now. It's a gripping crime drama about a taxi driver that's painfully real with the themes it explores, but that's not why it's on this list. It's not even because the series revolves around the strange death of a high school girl, and the revelation of the culprit was completely unexpected. No, it's here because, although the entire series follows a group of animals, this is actually just the result of a brain injury suffered by the main character!
06. Kill la Kill – Satsuki was good all along
Throughout Kill la Kill, we see Ryuko battle Satsuki Kiryuin, the head of the Honnouji Academy student council. At first, Satsuki is relentless in her goals and always seems two steps ahead of Ryuko and her friends, even when her subordinates lose. This was all a ploy to defeat her mother, Ragyo, who is the headmaster of Hannouji, and prevent humanity from being assimilated by alien suits. Sure, it's predictable, but the lengths Satsuki went to prove her loyalty to her mother made this twist all the more effective and the revelation all the more dramatic.
Plot Twists Anime – Top 5
05. Dragon Ball Z – Goku is an alien
Audiences might take this for granted, given how generations grew up knowing Goku was an alien, but following classic Dragon Ball, this was a shock. Dragon Ball was a quirky action anime that rarely touched on sci-fi concepts, so seeing Dragon Ball Z begin not only with the revelation that Goku was an alien, but that he also had a brother was a double whammy of twists.
04. Death Note – L dies
On the other hand, Death Note establishes a cat-and-mouse dynamic early on between Light Yagami, a high school student who gains the power of the book that allows him to murder anyone he wants, and L, the reclusive detective trying to hunt him down. The first half of the series sees these two friends-turned-enemies working side by side, with Light doing everything he can to evade L's capture and find a way to kill him. Midway through the series, however, Light succeeds and kills L. L's death was a shocking moment, especially since the show now had to figure out what happens next.
Plot Twists Anime – Top 03
03. Bleach – Aizen faked his death
Bleach's Soul Society arc is often considered its best, largely due to its twist. Someone murdered Division 5 captain Sosuke Aizen, and all eyes are on Ichigo as the prime suspect. At the end of the arc, however, it's revealed that Aizen is not only alive, but that he faked his death and manipulated the other companies to acquire a powerful item called the Hogyoku.
02. Berserk – The Eclipse
For the first part of Berserk's story, we follow a mercenary group called the Band of the Hawk, and its leader Griffith, along with his closest friend Guts. We see them band together, but over time, it becomes abundantly clear that Griffith is losing control of the group, and his own lust for power is causing him unparalleled suffering. At his lowest point, he intentionally triggers an event known as the Eclipse, where he attains godhood and joins a demonic group known as the God Hand. Berserk laid out the prophecy about the Eclipse and Griffith's fate very early on, so it wasn't a huge surprise, but the real shock was how brutal the Eclipse was.
01. Attack On Titan – Eren was the villain all along
Ultimately, there are many good twists in Attack on Titan, and choosing the best was difficult. Learning about the world's history was definitely surprising, as was the origins of the Titans, and how characters like Bertholdt and Reiner were Titans, but the one that topped them all was how Eren was the villain all along. Eren was manipulating events through his ability to send memories into the past, most notably in how he convinced Grisha to kill the Reiss family.
So, what did you guys think of these plot twists? Leave a comment, and we'll see you next time!
