History TheHeroDies / AnimeAndManga

[[caption-width-right:350:It's for humanity's own good, Nunnally...]]

* ''Anime/CodeGeass'' provides this page's image. In the final episode, ByronicHero Lelouch vi Britannia is publicly [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice run through]] by his best friend Suzaku Kururugi, and soon after dies in the arms of his sobbing sister Nunnally. He planned the entire thing, having [[ZeroApprovalGambit set himself up as history's greatest monster]], [[GenghisGambit made himself the enemy of the world to unite everyone against him, [[ThanatosGambit and then arranged his death]] so the world's hatred would be symbolically killed with him. It's heavily [[ZigZaggedTrope zig-zagged]] though considering that Lelouch is [[KnightTemplar hardly a hero]] by the end of the anime, having had to massacre tens of millions of people in the process of his plan.

* ''Anime/CodeGeass'' provides this page's image. In the final episode, ByronicHero Lelouch vi Britannia is publicly [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice run through]] by his best friend Suzaku Kururugi, and soon after dies in the arms of his sobbing sister Nunnally. [[TheChessmaster Chessmaster]] and ManipulativeBastard that he is, Lulu [[ThanatosGambit planned the entire thing]] to atone for the horrible things he'd done trying to build a better world and to give Nunnally, [[ActionGirl Kallen]], the [[LaResistance Black Knights]], and the rest of humanity a chance for a better future.
** He didn't plan it from the very start of the series. His original goal was to destroy Britannia, assembling the Black Knights as a freedom fighting force to combat the empire and depose his father, Emperor Charles. But as things got worse for him, his actions caused or helped cause countless deaths, and ultimately his past decisions caught up to him when [[EtTuBrute the Black Knights turned against him]] under the impression that he had used them for immoral ends. After surviving thanks to the sacrifice of yet ''another'' person, his adopted brother Rolo, Lelouch experienced a huge MyGodWhatHaveIDone moment, and decided that the only way he could truly make up for all the tragedy he caused is with his own life. Thus, from that point onward [[ThanatosGambit all of his scheming was dedicated to making his death as beneficial as possible]]. [[ZeroApprovalGambit After managing to kill his own parents and steal the Britannian throne, Lelouch embarked on a campaign to forever be remembered as history's greatest monster]], [[GenghisGambit making himself the enemy of the world to unite everyone against him so that when he died, the world's hatred would be symbolically killed with him]].
** There is also considerable debate among the fandom as to whether or not he is actually dead. WordOfGod says that they added the extra scene with C.C. and the suspiciously Lelouch-like cart driver specifically to cause this debate. So it's either subverted or played straight depending on which team (alive or dead Lelouch) you are on (a writer later said he was dead, but he was frustrated at being asked that question constantly, so it's still up in the air).
*** Confirmed to be alive by WordOfGod after the announcement of ''Lelouch of the Resurrection''. Though it should be noted that the ''Resurrection'' movie is a follow-up to the compilation movies which retconned the fates of some characters (such as Shirley being SparedByTheAdaptation and being instrumental for Lelouch's resurrection in the movie). In the movie, C.C. is responsible for bringing Lelouch back from the dead, except the end result shows Lelouch in an infantile-mind state. The first half of the movie is dedicated to bringing him to a Thought Elevator where he can regain his memories. As a result of this and gaining the Code of Immortality once held by his father, he becomes immortal and ends the movie joining C.C. in WalkingTheEarth.

** The first major arc ends with Light [[DidYouJustScamCthulhu tricking Rem]] into killing L.
** Light himself, as the VillainProtagonist, ultimately dies when Ryuk makes good on his promise to write Light's name in the Death Note after Light's exposed as Kira.

'''''NOTE:''''' '''This is both a SpoileredRotten trope ''and'' a DeathTrope, meaning that EVERY SINGLE EXAMPLE on this list is a spoiler by default and will be unmarked.''' [[Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned This is your last warning]], only proceed if you really believe you can handle this list. That being said, it's also possible that examples may involve subversions or multiple protagonists.

* Late into the ''Manga/GunslingerGirl'' manga Henreitta dies. She was already dying and had shot Jose when she flashbacked to the night her family died. Jose shot her and she shot him back. At the time of the manga Triela was more of the protagonist though. She dies too, along with all the other girls.

* ''Literature/LegendOfTheGalacticHeroes''. Both of them. Yang Wen-Li didn't even make it into the last season.

* ''Anime/TheSkyCrawlers''. The anime film's Hero goes one-on-one with, and dies at the guns of, [[FeaturelessProtagonist the Teacher]] who was previously known as Lynx/Cheetah, the player character of the Wii game, The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces.

* Aya was ''supposed'' to die in the final episode of ''Anime/WeissKreuz Gluhen'', but a manga sequel was greenlit and they retconned it so that he survived.

* It happened to Nine & Twelve in the ending of ''Anime/TerrorInResonance''.

* Munsu from ''Manhwa/ShinAngyoOnshi'', aka ''Blade of the Phantom Master'', dies like a true warrior after the antagonist is killed.

* ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'' [[SubvertedTrope subverts the trope]]. While Eren ''does'' get eaten by a titan, losing [[AnArmAndALeg several limbs]] in the process, and is played as dead for a good episode or two in the anime, ultimately he [[KillItThroughItsStomach returns]]... [[AndThenJohnWasAZombie as a titan himself]].
** At the end of the manga, Eren dies for real, being beheaded by Mikasa as a necessity to stop The Rumbling (An ApocalypseHow that [[VillainProtagonist Eren was causing]]).

*** Every [=JoJo=], save for Giorno and Part 8's Josuke ([[spoiler:and even in this case, he's a fusion of two different individuals]]), has been shown dying at some point in the series. Jonathan died at the end of Part 1, Joseph died fighting DIO (though he was brought back shortly after), Jotaro was killed in one time loop caused by Bites the Dust and was later KilledOffForReal in Part 6, Part 4's Josuke was killed in the same aforementioned time loop, Jolyne dies at the end of Part 6, and Johnny dies in the backstory of Part 8.

*** Every Jojo, save for Giorno and Part 8's Josuke ([[spoiler:and even in this case, he's a fusion of two different individuals]]), has been shown dying at some point in the series. Jonathan died at the end of Part 1, Joseph died fighting DIO (though he was brought back shortly after), Jotaro was killed in one time loop caused by Bites the Dust and was later KilledOffForReal in Part 6, Part 4's Josuke was killed in the same aforementioned time loop, Jolyne dies at the end of Part 6, and Johnny dies in the backstory of Part 8.

** Zigzagged in Part 6. ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean Stone Ocean]]'' ends with the deaths of Jolyne (the protagonist), Hermes and Anasui (allies), and Jotaro (protagonist of part 3 and Jolyne's father). Two more allies, Weather Report and Foo Fighters, died earlier in the part. However, they are reborn as new-but-old people in the new universe.

*** Every Jojo, save for Giorno and part 8' Josuke ([[spoiler:and even in this case, he's a fusion of two different individuals]]), has been shown dying at some point in the series. Jonathan died at the end of Part 1, Joseph died fighting DIO (though he was brought back shortly after), Jotaro was killed in one time loop caused by Bites the Dust and was later KilledOffForReal in Part 6, Part 4's Josuke was killed in the same aforementioned time loop, Jolyne dies at the end of Part 6, and Johnny dies in the backstory of Part 8.

** [[spoiler: At the end of the manga, Eren dies for real, being beheaded by Mikasa as a necessity to stop The Rumbling (An ApocalypseHow that [[VillainProtagonist Eren was causing]])]].

* The manga ''Manga/{{Claudine}}'' finishes with the main character committing suicide.

* Madoka from ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' dies [[GroundhogDayLoop several times]] fighting the powerful witch Walpurgisnacht, whether dying in the battle or becoming a witch. She eventually manages to AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence.