History KilledOffForReal / AnimeAndManga

* ''[[Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross Macross]][=/=]Anime/{{Robotech}}'':
** In the episode, "Pineapple Salad/Goodbye Big Brother," it should have been made obvious what was going to happen with Hikaru Ichijou/Rick Hunter's senpai/brother, Roy [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Focker/Fokker]], but the usual standard {{bowdlerization}} of 1980s television animation made assuming that the show would choke rather obvious. When the show actually followed through and killed him off, it showed this was no ordinary animated series on North American TV. MoralGuardians raised a fuss and complained that it was bad for children.\\\
No such ambiguity in the original Japanese version of the episode. Three ragged holes in his back and everything. And the reactions of the rest of the main characters seals the fact that he wasn't coming back. In fact, just to give Akira Kamiya more stick time as Focker, they had to bring him back in a prequel.
** After pulling off a couple fakeout deaths and at least one deliberate [[MythologyGag death joke]], ''Anime/MacrossFrontier'' may have gone overboard in making sure viewers understood that Michael Blanc was dead. He gets stabbed in the chest with an alien claw that's almost as big as he is, and is then sucked out into hard vacuum through a self-sealing hull breach. No real way of coming back from ''that'' one. Not to forget the "coughs up blood, makes a final 'I love you' speech, does the ReallyDeadMontage and has a memorial shot at the end with his glasses." You know, because [[Film/{{Aliens}} it's the only way to be sure.]]

** A number of the Seven Stars Assassins/Shadow Riders after their defeat, namely Camula, Abidos, and Amnael/Daitokuji (Titan gets DraggedOffToHell instead).

** In the original version, Edo Phoenix's adoptive father DD perished in his final confrontation with Edo (although the dub version had him make a threat which made his fate ambiguous).

* ''Anime/PanzerWorldGalient'': TheGero's surrogate grandfather Asbeth died when he fought the BigBad. General Rhodan also got killed when he wanted to fight [[TheHero Jordy]] honorably. Also, the end credits in the final episode heavily imply this for [[TheDragon Hy Shaltat]] and [[BigBad Marder]], as well.

* Cibo and Sana-Kan from ''{{Blame}}''! cop it for real at the end of the series. This comes as quite a shock, as both characters had [[DeathIsCheap technically died several times before this]]. Admittedly, Sana-Kan's death ''is'' heavily {{lampshade|Hanging}}d during a conversation with her [[TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness apparent superior]].

* ''{{Kekkaishi}}'''s Gen, much to the surprise of... everyone.
* ''KenichiTheMightiestDisciple'' has this happen to a few important characters throughout the story.

* Non-minor characters from ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'' that [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism somehow managed to die]] instead of simply getting [[DefeatMeansFriendship befriended]]: The first Reinforce, Zest. Non-minor characters from ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'' that seem to be dead: Precia. Reinforce, in particular, is shown to be doomed to die even in [[VideoGame/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaAsPortable continuities where she survives past her original time of death]], even though other characters related to the Book of Darkness, such as the Wolkenritter and the Materials, would prove to be especially resilient to death, surviving several {{Near Death Experience}}s and [[BackFromTheDead death itself]], and Reinforce herself was the first character described as unkillable due to her Rejuvenation Program.

* There's a common rule in ''OnePiece'': If you die in a flashback, you're Killed Off for Real. If you don't die in a flashback, chances are, you might pull off a DisneyDeath. Prime examples of the former are Bellemere, Hiruluk, Tom, Kuina, Usopp's mother, Robin's friends and mother, and Brook's pirate crew. However, the latter rule saw itself subverted, with Portgas D. Ace having fallen straight into this, and Whitebeard following two chapters later.

** In the original version, Edo Phoenix's adoptive father DD perished in his final confrontation with Edo (although the dub version had him make a threat which made his fate ambiguous).

* ''{{Simoun}}'' has the HeroicSacrifice death of Mamina. And to add insult to injury, the Simile carrying her coffin is shot down. Other characters are much more ambiguous: We have Rimone and Dominura, who TimeTravel, then take off to parts unknown; Amuria, for whom they NeverFoundTheBody; Onasia, who, well, [[MindScrew who knows]]; Yun, who now exists in the sort of limbo the previous did; and Neviril and Aer who AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence. Angulas also manages to die as a suicide bomber, but still show up as a body in the cockpit of an enemy Simoun later. ''Great'' series, but very very strange.

* ''[[Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross Macross]]/{{Robotech}}'':

* In ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'', the scientists who created Mewtwo in ''PokemonTheFirstMovie'', Latios in ''Anime/PokemonHeroes'', Lucario and Sir Aaron in ''Anime/PokemonLucarioAndTheMysteryOfMew'', and J in [=DP151=]. Cyrus is implied to be this in [=DP152=].

* In ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'', the scientists who created Mewtwo in the first movie, Latios in the fifth movie, Lucario and Sir Aaron in the eighth movie, and J in [=DP151=].
** Also in the episode directly after J's death, what happens to Cyrus when he enters a portal to a dimension that is then destroyed by Dialga and Palkia?

** Emerl is also killed by Cream after she fails to bring him back to normal at the end of the Sonic Battle arc, since Gemerl doesn't exist in Sonic X he ends up as this.

* This is an inviolable rule in the Creator/{{CLAMP}} universe. If a person dies, there is absolutely '''NO''' way to bring back him back to life '''EVER'''. In some mangas it is also hinted that not even ''gods'' have the power to bring the dead back to life. The plot of ''TsubasaReservoirChronicle'' comes from the problems that result from trying to circumvent this rule. The rule only applies to living beings who have a "natural existence". So, Chii is excluded from the rule. Even C!Shaoran and C!Sakura can be "brought back from the dead", because their "birth" is "unnatural".

* Everyone in ''SoukouNoStrain''.

* ''Manga/DeathNote'' is set in the Real World. When somebody dies, they stay dead. It is initially implied that, for Death Note users, when they die, instead of Heaven or Hell, they go to Nothingess (Mu). [[TheNothingAfterDeath Ouch.]] It is later revealed that this is true for EVERYONE.
** Not that this has stopped the fanfic writers.
** In the manga, Light uses deductive reasoning to come to the conclusion there is no heaven or hell.

* ''Animation/BlackCatDetective'' is almost schizophrenic about this. On the one hand, this show has no problem killing characters for real. The evil mice [[CaptainObvious certainly die when they get killed]]. His second in command, well, if you watch this show, don't get to attached to him. But the elephant who gets shot in the middle of the head at point blank range is revived by an enormous syringe.

* ''Manga/DeathNote'' is set in the Real World. [[CaptainObvious When somebody dies, they stay dead]]. It is initially implied that, for Death Note users, when they die, instead of Heaven or Hell, they go to Nothingess (Mu). [[TheNothingAfterDeath Ouch.]] It is later revealed that this is true for EVERYONE.

** The Universal Century timeline has this all over the place. Besides the millions upon millions who die in the background, major characters fall in some fantastically '''brutal''' ways. The most memorable of these comes during CharsCounterattack, where [[TheHero Amuro Ray]] and [[TheRival Char Aznable]] die at each other's hand in the climax.

* In ''Pokémon'', the scientists who created Mewtwo in the first movie, Latios in the fifth movie, Lucario and Sir Aaron in the eighth movie, and J in [=DP151=].

* In ''{{Rainbow|NishaRokubouNoShichinin}}'', Sakuragi dies about midway through the series. This is especially surprising since he was TheHero, BigGood and possibly the protagonist as well.

* In the ''{{Mazinger}}'' franchise some characters on both sides died permanently:

* ''MartianSuccessorNadesico'' killed off Akito's friend and enthusiastic mecha pilot Guy Daigoji early on, and teased his return several times. The only time he ever appeared again was in a hallucination, and it wasn't Akito's. The character that ''did'' come back was a minor backgrounder. Another example of the show's recurring theme, "life is not like SuperRobot anime".

** After pulling off a couple fakeout deaths and at least one deliberate [[MythologyGag death joke]], ''MacrossFrontier'' may have gone overboard in making sure viewers understood that Michael Blanc was dead. He gets stabbed in the chest with an alien claw that's almost as big as he is, and is then sucked out into hard vacuum through a self-sealing hull breach. No real way of coming back from ''that'' one. Not to forget the "coughs up blood, makes a final 'I love you' speech, does the ReallyDeadMontage and has a memorial shot at the end with his glasses." You know, because [[Film/{{Aliens}} it's the only way to be sure.]]

* Everyone who was dear to, or trusted by, the protagonist of ''LeChevalierDEon'' is dead by the end of the series -- [[DownerEnding leaving him completely alone and utterly disconsolate.]]
* In the ''[[Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross Macross]]/{{Robotech}}'' episode, "Pineapple Salad/Goodbye Big Brother," it should have been made obvious what was going to happen with Hikaru Ichijou/Rick Hunter's senpai/brother, Roy [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Focker/Fokker]], but the usual standard {{bowdlerization}} of 1980s television animation made assuming that the show would choke rather obvious. When the show actually followed through and killed him off, it showed this was no ordinary animated series on North American TV. MoralGuardians raised a fuss and complained that it was bad for children.
** No such ambiguity in the original Japanese version of the episode. Three ragged holes in his back and everything. And the reactions of the rest of the main characters seals the fact that he wasn't coming back. In fact, just to give Akira Kamiya more stick time as Focker, they had to bring him back in a prequel.
** After pulling off a couple fakeout deaths and at least one deliberate [[MythologyGag death joke]], ''MacrossFrontier'' may have gone overboard in making sure viewers understood that Michael Blanc was dead. He gets stabbed in the chest with an alien claw that's almost as big as he is, and is then sucked out into hard vacuum through a self-sealing hull breach. No real way of coming back from ''that'' one.
** You forgot the 'coughs up blood, makes a final 'I love you' speech, does the ReallyDeadMontage and has a memorial shot at the end with his glasses. You know, because [[Film/{{Aliens}} it's the only way to be sure.]]

*** On the other hand, Tieria was shot similarly a while earlier but [[VirtualGhost survived]] and came back in TheMovie to kick some more ass... only to die ''again'' when his Gundam went into [[SuperMode Trans-Am]] [[ExplosiveOverclocking overload]] to avoid [[YouWillBeAssimilated being assimilated]]. He didn't stay dead this time either, unlike [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTREnsljqWk Graham]] and [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80vHif4TldY Andrei]].

* Misuzu in ''VisualNovel/{{Air}}'', in one of the most [[TearJerker heart-wrenching]] anime scenes ever devised (the word "goal" will never hold the same meaning anymore to anyone who has seen it). The fact that she ''might'' be reincarnated or freed from her curse does not diminish the fact that Misuzu herself is gone for good and leaves behind her immensely grieving adoptive mother, Haruko.

* Leomon from ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' [[Anime/DigimonAdventure season one]] and [[Anime/DigimonTamers three]]. Also Oikawa, Black Wargreymon (could not be reborn due to being artificial), Arukenimon, and Mummymon from season two, as well as some family members of various characters that died before the seasons' start.

* There's a common rule in ''OnePiece'': If you die in a flashback, you're Killed Off for Real. If you don't die in a flashback, chances are, you might pull off a DisneyDeath. Prime examples of the former are Sabo, Bellemere, Hiruluk, Tom, Kuina, Usopp's mother, Robin's friends and mother, and Brook's pirate crew. However, the latter rule saw itself subverted, with Portgas D. Ace having fallen straight into this, and Whitebeard following two chapters later.

** Sabo is an exception to the flash-back rule as chapter 731 reveals that he did survive and is now a revolutionary.

* After years of EverybodyLives for the protagonists in ''Anime/{{Bleach}}'', this trope finally comes in the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc. Confirmed by WordOfGod that he is no longer pulling punches in killing off some of even fan favorite characters.
** List of Soul Society casualties:
*** Lieutenant Chojiro Sakisabe
*** Old Man Yamamoto
*** Restu Unohana aka Yachiru Unohana

*** [[spoiler: Lieutenant Chojiro Sakisabe]]
*** [[spoiler: Old Man Yamamoto]]
*** [[spoiler: Restu Unohana aka Yachiru Unohana]]

* In a subversion of NeverSayDie, in the English dub of ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'', Cecelia Pegasus is killed by an illness (prompting Pegasus to begin Duelist Kingdom as an elaborate ruse thrown together at the last minute so that he can get his hands on Yugi's Millennium Puzzle and resurrect her), Gozaburo and the Big Five are all destroyed along with the virtual world they are trapped in as it is destroyed (Noah isn't listed here because he is speculated to have saved his mind on a backup file, whether or not he did, and therefore invokes NeverSayDie), and also Yami Marik, the Great Leviathan, Yami Bakura, and Zorc are all destroyed near the end of their arcs (although [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman how far these four can be subverted to NeverDayDie is debatable]]. Ahmet is also eaten by a monster in a flashback during Season 5.
** Divine was truly killed in ''Anime/YuGiOh5Ds'', devoured by Earthbound God Ccarayhua (and strangely, the dub did very little to sugarcoat this). Divine clearly did not deserve to be spared; as far as [[AssholeVictim Asshole Victims]] went, he was one of the biggest.
*** Divine was actually not killed. Word of God has proven that he is in jail. His being "eaten" was akin to all the human souls that were absorbed by the Earthbound Gods/Immortals. Thus, they returned at the end of the arc. The real "killed off for real" characters in that arc are Rex and Rudger/Roman. After that, it's every person aside from Zone in the apocalyptic future.
**** And then Zone himself.

* Most of the cast of ''Manga/RoseOfVersailles'' are killed off at the end of the series (save for Rosalie, Bernard and Alain). Since it took place in TheFrenchRevolution, this is [[ForegoneConclusion a given]].

*** ''DigimonTamers'' counts as a meta example,all deaths are final as opposed to every other series where everyone can be reborn. It just so happened that Leomon was the first time a main characters Digimon got killed off.