Most Shocking Anime Ending (30 Days of Anime – Years 1 to 5) – Day 19

30 Days of Anime Year 1 to 5 The Otaku Author Most Shocking Anime Ending

I think the ending of a story can be the most powerful moment. A great ending can elevate an average story and a terrible ending can undo all the good work that came before it. Get ready to be shocked!

Most Shocking Anime Ending (30 Days of Anime – Years 1 to 5) – Day 19

For this category, I’ve decided that I’m not just going to look at the endings that delivered the most shocking twists, as much fun as they are. I’m also going to include some endings that left me shaking my head and wondering why I wasted my time watching them. Shocking can come in different forms and I’m going to talk about both ends of the spectrum. Let’s just dive in. Also, there will likely be spoilers in this post, so tread lightly!

Year 1 – Tower of God (Season One)

I loved Tower of God for the mystery that surrounded the tower and all of the people attempting to reach the top. It certainly didn’t spoonfeed us with the answers, choosing to keep the mystery going. That was one of my favourite things about it as it kept me guessing. It kept me interested. I was always trying to work out what would happen next. So, when Rachel climbed out of her wheelchair and pushed Bam into the void, I was stunned. Never, had I imagined that the end of the first season would go that way. The best thing about it was that it made sense too. Twists have to be obvious after the fact or else it’s just lazy.

Year 2 – The Promised Neverland (Season Two)

The first season of The Promised Neverland was stunning. It blew me away time and again as it wowed with spectacular storytelling and superb direction. So, when the second season came along, I was excited for more of the same. However, that season never showed up. Instead, we got a pale imitation of something… I’m not sure what though. This season was horrible. I absolutely hated it and after eleven episodes it appeared that the production crew did too. The series ended with a PowerPoint presentation of what might have been an epic adventure. I’ve never seen two seasons of the same series be so different. Let’s just pretend that the second season never happened!

Year 3 – Jujutsu Kaisen (Season One)

The way Jujutsu Kaisen continued to get better and better as the season went on is a testament to the quality of the writing and the production values. The second half of the season gave us the Kyoto Sister School Exchange Event which put two groups of sorcerers against each other in an inter-school contest. It was epic. I loved it. Then, the final three episodes took things to another level. Itadori, Fushiguru and Nobara went to investigate a series of weird murders and found themselves fighting against powerful cursed spirits. It was bloody and brutal with everyone putting everything on the line. It certainly wasn’t a twist but the way it topped everything that had come before it shocked me, in a great way. I love it when a story ends leaving you a little shellshocked.

Year 4 – Killing Bites (Season One)

Killing Bites was a lot of fun, delivering tons of exciting fights, a load of fan service, and some of the craziest faces in anime. Seriously, it was a great time all around. The ending was even quite surprising as Hitomi took Yuuya back to the place where they first met after they won the Destroyal. Then, as he was about to tell her that he liked her, she killed him, ripping open his belly with her claws. That was pretty shocking, but not totally unexpected. The reason that I’ve selected Killing Bites is because the ending was just the beginning of a much larger story – one that will likely never be seen as an anime. That annoyed me and took a little bit of the sheen off the series. I think I would have almost been happier with them killing Yuuya and then just leaving it as that. It wouldn’t necessarily stop them from being able to make a second season either, but it would have definitely closed things off better.

Year 5 – The Witch and the Beast (Season One)

The Witch and the Beast was excellent. I loved it from the first moment to the last, and with the last moment, it elevated itself to something else. Guideau was hunting the witch who trapped her in that body and they had just met her once more, however, she got away again since Ashaf was busy elsewhere. The season ended with the revelation that there were a number of parallel worlds that could all be entered through a floating island in the middle of a lake. It wasn’t floating on the lake, it was floating in a hole in the middle of the lake. Ashaf and Guideau were prepared for another of the worlds – one inhabited by vampires. I was already curious about the world and was keen to see how the story ended and then they threw this revelation at us! I am definitely going to get the manga. I can’t wait for a second season to see what happens next. It was an inspired way to end a season!

Final Thoughts!

So, as I mentioned earlier some of these endings were inspired and some were stuff of nightmares. However, all of them made an impact on me. Admittedly, I am still trying to wipe the memories of the second season of The Promised Neverland as the first season was as close to perfect as they come. My recommendations for endings going forward are to either have a huge twist that is nicely foreshadowed, do something that blows everything before it out of the water, or drop a huge teaser for things to come.

And in the spirit of teasers, my next category in my 30 Days of Anime challenge is my Favourite Ecchi Anime. It’s what we’ve all been waiting for. You know that I’m right! Thanks for visiting.

Other Posts in the Series

30 Days of Anime (Years 1 to 5)

DayChallenge
1My First Anime
2Most Nostalgic Anime
3Most Emotional Anime
4Favourite Hot Springs Episode
5Favourite Action Anime
6Favourite Anime Villain
7Favourite Fantasy Anime
8Favourite Horror Anime
9Favourite Sports Anime
10Most Rewatched Anime
11Favourite Anime Couple
12Favourite Anime Protagonist
13Favourite Supernatural Anime
14Favourite Romance Anime
15Most Episodes of an Anime
16Favourite Science Fiction Anime
17Favourite Isekai Anime
18Favourite Drama Anime
19Most Shocking Anime Ending
20Favourite Ecchi Anime
21Favourite Mystery Anime
22Weirdest Anime
23Most Chilled Anime
24Favourite Comedy Anime
25Favourite Harem Anime
26Favourite Anime Fight
27Favourite Male Anime Character
28Favourite Female Anime Character
29Favourite Rewatched Anime
30Favourite New Anime

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6 Comments

  1. I’m surprised you didn’t choose Akame ga Kill’s original anime ending route because it really went into a different direction from its manga counterpart. A lot of the manga readers weren’t pleased with this kind of change but oddly enough, I was anime-only audience and I felt that was a satisfying ending to me. Possibly because I like how open endings I’ve encountered so far feel satisfying at least in my POV.

    Because of this type of ending, hopefully when I get to my webnovel’s final arc years from now, I’ll be able to make one that makes the most sense as much as possible, but still is surprising that aligns with the satisfying factor. But for now, I’m reading similar themed stories for guidelines since I’ve yet to get a clear picture of my own.

    • With Akame ga Kill!, I read the manga first up to volume 14. Volume 15 didn’t come out for another month which was when I watched the anime. I actually preferred the conclusion to the anime although the battle at the capital was far better in the manga.

      The ending is often the first thing that comes to my mind when I’m planning a story. It’s definitely something that a writer can’t overlook.

    • I was so excited for the second season too! What a mess. It’s hard to believe it’s the same story.

      The Witch and the Beast was excellent. I really enjoyed that one.

What did you think?