Anime That Will Make You Cry
Anime has the power to evoke deep emotions, and few experiences are as cathartic as a well-executed tearjerker. This list highlights series and films that masterfully blend compelling narratives with emotional weight, ensuring viewers will need tissues nearby. The selections were chosen based on their reputation for delivering poignant moments, whether through tragic character arcs, bittersweet resolutions, or heart-wrenching dilemmas. From long-running epics to compact films, these titles prove that animation can touch the soul as profoundly as any live-action drama.
1. Gintama: THE VERY FINAL
★ 91 · 2021 · MOVIE · 1 ep · TragedyGintama: THE VERY FINAL delivers a rare mix of humor and heartbreak, culminating the journey of Gintoki and the Yorozuya. The Silver Soul arc's stakes reach their peak, forcing characters to confront sacrifices and farewells. Watch it if you want to laugh through tears as this beloved saga says goodbye.
2. Gintama Season 3
★ 90 · 2015 · TV · 51 ep · TragedyWhile primarily a comedy, Gintama Season 3 sneaks in devastating moments, like Kagura’s family struggles or Shinpachi’s loyalty tests. Its tonal whiplash makes the drama hit harder. Watch it if you enjoy stories that balance slapstick with sudden, gut-punch emotional depth.
3. Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
★ 90 · 2025 · MOVIE · 1 ep · TragedyChainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc explores Denji’s desperation for human connection, with Reze’s tragic role blurring lines between love and manipulation. The film’s violent tenderness lingers long after credits roll. Watch it if raw portrayals of loneliness wrapped in action-horror intrigue you.
Watch on: Crunchyroll
4. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
★ 90 · 2009 · TV · 64 ep · TragedyFullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood devastates with Nina Tucker’s fate and Maes Hughes’ legacy, embedding loss into its core. Edward and Alphonse’s quest becomes a meditation on grief. Watch it if philosophical tragedy woven into adventure resonates with you.
5. Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 4
★ 90 · 2026 · TV · 19 ep · TragedyRe:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 4 torments Subaru anew as he confronts the Watchtower’s trials, his repeated failures amplifying despair. Rem’s absence haunts every choice. Watch it if psychological endurance tests with glimmers of hope appeal to you.
6. Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2
★ 90 · 2019 · TV · 10 ep · TragedyAttack on Titan Season 3 Part 2 shatters hearts with Erwin’s final charge and Levi’s impossible choice, blending battle cries with silent grief. The basement revelation changes everything. Watch it if grand-scale sacrifice paired with intimate mourning moves you.
7. Fruits Basket The Final Season
★ 89 · 2021 · TV · 13 ep · TragedyFruits Basket The Final Season unravels Tohru’s pain and Kyo’s self-loathing in a cathartic climax, the Soma curse’s end demanding emotional honesty. Momiji’s unrequited love adds layers. Watch it if delicate character studies breaking cyclical trauma speak to you.
8. Hunter x Hunter (2011)
★ 89 · 2011 · TV · 148 ep · TragedyHunter x Hunter (2011) delivers gut-wrenching blows in Kurapika’s vengeance arc and Meruem’s poignant end, contrasting brutality with unexpected tenderness. Watch it if epic adventures that pause for profound humanity captivate you.
9. Steins;Gate
★ 89 · 2011 · TV · 24 ep · TragedySteins;Gate destroys with Okabe’s time-loop despair, Mayuri’s inevitable deaths, and Kurisu’s impossible dilemma. The cost of altering fate becomes paralyzing. Watch if tragic romanticism entwined with sci-fi thrills compels you.
10. March comes in like a lion Season 2
★ 89 · 2017 · TV · 22 ep · TragedyMarch comes in like a lion Season 2 devastates quietly through Rei’s depression and the Kawamoto sisters’ warmth, shogi matches mirroring inner battles. Hina’s bullying arc is particularly crushing. Watch if subtle, healing sadness comforts you.
11. BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War
★ 88 · 2022 · TV · 13 ep · TragedyBLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War stings with Byakuya’s near-death and Yamamoto’s sacrifice, the Soul Society’s downfall tinged with regality. Ichigo’s powerlessness hits hard. Watch if spectacle-driven sorrow in supernatural battles appeals.
12. Tomorrow's Joe 2
★ 88 · 1980 · TV · 47 ep · TragedyTomorrow’s Joe 2 drowns in melancholy as Joe wanders after tragedy, Wolf Kanagushi’s presence deepening his existential crisis. The ring becomes a metaphor for life’s weight. Watch if classic sports dramas about shattered idols rebuilding inspire you.
