In this post, we'll explore the 10 greatest plot twists in anime history – those moments that surprised us in an overwhelming way and that, even today, are remembered as milestones of the genre. Get ready to relive these twists and turns and maybe even discover some you didn't know about. Spoiler alert !
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Plot twists in anime – Top 10
10. Zombie Land – Truck kills Sakura
First, who ever says a plot twist can't be hilarious, and Zombie Land Saga has its twist right off the bat. The series stars Sakura, a high school student who wants nothing more than to be an idol, and after a few minutes, she walks out of her house and a truck hits her, killing her. Eventually, she's revived as a zombie, but you won't dwell on that. You'll still be thinking about how that truck completely destroyed her without any warning. It's pure comedy gold, a great way to subvert expectations.
09. School Days – The Final
School Days is a terrible series. It's a mid-2000s harem comedy with bad animation, an absolutely awful main character, and many moments that will irritate anyone. Seriously, after three episodes, you'll hate the main character, Makoto. And then we get to the final episode. The outrageous, brilliant, and jaw-dropping final episode. A final episode so infamous I won't even spoil it.
08. Madoka Magica – Just… All That
At first, should I follow the true nature of magical girls? And the motivations of the cute Kyubey? 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? Thus, 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 in the themes it examines, 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 the time
Throughout Kill la Kill, we've seen Ryuko fight against the head of the Honnouji Academy student council, Satsuki Kiryuin. At first, Satsuki is ruthless in her goals and always seems two steps ahead of Ryuko and her friends, even when her subordinates lose. All of this was a maneuver to defeat her mother Ragyo, who is the headmistress of Honnouji, and prevent humanity from being assimilated by alien suits. Of course, it's predictable, but the lengths Satsuki went to prove her loyalty to her mother made this twist even more effective and the revelation so dramatic.
Plot twists in anime – Top 5
05. Dragon Ball Z – Goku is an alien
The audience might take this for granted, given how generations grew up knowing Goku is an alien, but following classic Dragon Ball, this was a shock. Dragon Ball was a quirky action anime that rarely touched on science fiction 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 plot twists.
04. Death Note – L dies
On the other hand, Death Note establishes a cat-and-mouse dynamic right from the start between Light Yagami, a high school student who gains the power of the book that allows him to assassinate anyone he wants, and L, the reclusive detective who tries to hunt him down. The first half of the series has these two frenemies working side-by-side, with Light doing everything he can to escape L's capture and find a way to kill him. And in the middle of the series, however, Light succeeds and kills L. L's death was a shocking moment, especially because now the show had to figure out what happens next.
Plot twists in anime – Top 3
03. Bleach – Aizen faked his death
The Soul Society arc of Bleach is often considered the best, and this is largely due to its twist. Someone has murdered the captain of the 5th division, Sosuke Aizen, and all eyes are on Ichigo as the prime suspect. At the end of the arc, however, it is revealed that Aizen is not only alive, but 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 come together, but over time, it becomes very clear that Griffith is losing control of the group and his own ambition for power causes him unparalleled suffering. At his lowest point, he intentionally inaugurates an event known as the Eclipse, where he achieves 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 just how brutal the Eclipse was.
01. Attack On Titan – Eren was the villain all along
Finally, there are many good plot twists in Attack on Titan, and choosing the best one was difficult. Learning about the history of the world was definitely surprising, as were the origins of the Titans, and how characters like Bertholdt and Reiner were Titans, but the one that surpasses them all was how Eren was the villain all along. Eren was manipulating events through his ability to send memories to the past, most notably in how he convinced Grisha to kill the Reiss family.
So, folks, what did you think of these plot twists? Leave a comment below, and see you next time!