In a story as grim as Tokyo Ghoul, witnessing characters die isn’t something startling. Sui Ishida, the creator of the manga, is known for killing off his main characters, and he does it in style. Ishida’s writing is so phenomenal that often, one doesn’t know whether to hate the villain or support their cause.
Every character, be it a hero or a villain, carries a heavy burden and a sad past that leaves the reader feeling truly mournful. Considering the complexity of Tokyo Ghoul, it’s difficult to say which character death in the series was saddest.
Updated by Alexandra Moroca on September 29th, 2021: Even years after its release, Tokyo Ghoul remains just as memorable and striking as it was when it first came out. This is in no small part because of the characters it brings to the table. Many times, they encounter tragic fates. With both the CCG and the ghouls having their own justifiable reasons to fight, it’s not even unusual for one favorite character to kill another.
14 Kureo Mado’s Death Is A Symbol Of The Conflict Between Ghouls & Humans
To say that Kureo Mado is unlikable would be the understatement of the century. A First Class Ghoul Investigator for the CCG, Mado is a quinque fanatic and revels in killing ghouls, even those who are harmless. When he is killed by Touka Kirishima, fans can’t help but find it well-deserved.
But there’s an underlining sad background to Mado’s story. It is revealed that his actions were in large part because of the death of his wife at the hands of the One-eyed Owl. Kureo’s life is probably even sadder than his death, as he represents the concept of the unending circle of viciousness between ghouls and humans. He leaves behind a daughter and a partner who both care for him greatly.
13 Hikari Kirishima’s Death Scars Her Brother For Life
Hikari Kirishima is the mother of Touka and Ayato. She remains a mystery until the latter parts of the series when her cruel fate is finally revealed by her brother, Renji Yomo. Hikari’s own parents died an early death, and she was tasked with the responsibility of looking after Renji.
Things start looking better for her once she marries Arata Kirishima and births two children, but she is soon hunted by the CCG’s white reaper, Kishou Arima. Hikari dies a tragic death and her loss scars Renji for the rest of his life.
12 Ryouko Fueguchi Sacrifices Herself To Protect Her Daughter
One of the most catastrophic events in the entire series, Ryouko Fueguchi’s executions triggers a vicious cycle of deaths across Tokyo. Ryouko is a harmless ghoul, and she lives a peaceful life with her daughter Hinami.
Despite this, the cruel dove Kureo Mado hunts her down and, after seeing her helpless nature, he is even more excited to kill her. Her last act is defending her daughter’s life, which is mocked by Mado since he doesn’t consider her capable enough to show human emotions. Without a doubt, her death is agonizing to witness.
11 Arata Kirishima Pays The Ultimate Price For Seeking Revenge
Arata Kirishima is the husband of Hikari Kirishima, and father to both Touka and Ayato. In a story as dark as Tokyo Ghoul, it’s not a surprise that Arata Kirishima was a broken man. His wife’s death leaves him seeking revenge. He is blinded by rage to the point where he starts scavenging both humans and ghouls alike in order to seek more power to protect his children.
Arata’s tragic life is put to an end when he was captured by Shinohara and Mado together. He is then used as a tool to harvest the Arata costume for the CCG. Even though he goes to extremes to protect his children, he never gets to see them again, nor do they ever find out about his whereabouts. Tragically, Ayato realizes what has happened after he has to face Shinohara in the Arata.
10 Rize Kamishiro’s Life Is An Endless Circle Of Suffering & Fear
Also known as the ‘Binge Eater,’ Rize runs amock in the 20th Ward of Tokyo until she crosses paths with Ken Kaneki. In an attempt to devour him, Rize gets caught up in an accident, after which her life turns into living hell. She is used as a tool to create several one-eyed ghouls, like Kaneki, and put through so much suffering that she loses sight of reality.
She becomes the host of a giant Kagune, known as The Dragon. Rize’s early life is filled with fear of being chased by the V, and she is used as a pawn in the later stages of her life, as well. Ultimately, Kaneki Ken confronts her and gives her the mercy of a quick death, putting her out of the torment in the process.
9 Tatara’s Death Carries A Huge Plot Twist
One of the leaders and most formidable fighters of the Aogiri tree, Tatara’s entire personality is full of deception. While he appears proud and cocky, he is the most devoted person to Eto and the King. His devotion to Eto is unquestionable, and he fights for her ideals until his last breath.
On Rushima, he meets his demise at the hands of Seidou Takizawa. Even when dying, Tatara didn’t flinch. Instead, he harked backed to his memories with the tree and wondered if he had served loyally enough to both Arima and Eto. Tatara’s death carries a huge plot twist.
8 Ukina’s Death Leads To Even More Devastating Loss
The human lover of the manager of Anteiku, Ukina dies before the main arc of the story begins but her mere existence fundamentally changes the course of society. Her lover, Yoshimura, abandons his life as Kuzen after the two find love together. They have a daughter Eto, and in her determination to make sure Eto is born healthy, Ukina even eats human meat throughout her pregnancy.
Their happiness is short-lived, as Ukina and Yoshimura are hunted down. In the manga, she is actually a journalist in disguise, investigating the organization V. Yoshimura is forced to kill her himself, to protect them all. In the anime, she dies during their escape attempt. As a result of her death, Yoshimura also loses their daughter Eto, who grows up to become the second One-Eyed Owl and the founder of the Aogiri Tree.
7 Nashiro’s Fate Is Twice As Tragic Because Of Her Sister’s Reaction To It
Artificial ghouls created by Doctor Kanou, twins Nashiro and Kurona–or Shiro and Kuro–are endearing from the very beginning because of their unique bond. Like many other characters, they are used in Professor Kanou’s unethical experiments, and they consider him their father. When Nashiro is fatally wounded in battle by Juuzou Suzuya, Kuro turns to the Kanou’s aid.
He claims there’s nothing he can do for Shiro. In her desperation, Kuro consumes her fatally wounded sister, killing her. A parasitical growth appears on her body, and Kurona believes Nashiro is still alive. Kuro later confronts Kanou about it, who explains this isn’t the case.
6 Furuta Embraces His Destiny Of Death But He Really Just Wants Freedom
The main antagonist of the entire Tokyo Ghoul series, Kichimura Washuu— also known as Furuta— is a character that makes fans conflicted. There is always a duality about him. While Furuta is often represented as a cruel, heartless monster who has little regard for others, in truth, he is a man who accepted his fate a long time ago.
Kichimura is destined to die, and so he decides to have his share of fun before that. Moments before he dies, he tells Kaneki that he wants nothing more than to live a normal life, one where he could embrace freedom.
5 Yoshimura’s Fate Is Devastating For Fans & Characters Alike
Yoshimura is one of the most influential characters in the entire Tokyo Ghoul series. Interestingly, the man Ken Kaneki meets at the start of Tokyo Ghoul isn’t what he was in the past. His previous self was a cruel killer, an incredibly strong ghoul known as the One-Eyed Owl. After falling in love with a human and becoming a father, he changes.
Yoshimura spends the rest of his life helping other ghouls until the day when the Anteiku raid is carried out. He sacrifices himself to protect an entire generation of ghouls. Even though Yoshimura refrained from killing others, when it comes to protecting his underlings, he doesn’t hesitate in wiping out a huge chunk of the CCG. To make matters worse, he doesn’t truly die in the battle. Instead, he is taken captive and experimented on, used in Professor Kanou’s ghoulification experiments. His death is never shown, but it is mentioned that all the kakuhou samples extracted would have eliminated his regeneration abilities. Yoshimura’s fate is truly devastating for the fans, especially in the anime.
4 Karren von Rosewald Sacrifices Herself For The Man She Loved
Fostered by the Tsukiyama family after the death of her parents, Karren is a loyal servant to Shu Tsukiyama. To hide her identity properly, Karren takes on the alias of Kanae and pretends to be a boy, which causes her a lot of distress. However, to serve the Tsukiyama family, she is even ready to sacrifice her identity.
Karren meets her demise at the hands of Haise Sasaki. Her final act is to protect Shu Tsukiyama, who, in turn, acknowledges her as a woman and calls her by her real name. Karren’s life is filled with regrets, yet the moment Tsukiyama calls her by her real name is so precious to her that she can’t help but consider herself lucky.
3 Kishou Arima Dies For The Sake Of A Better Future
Kishou Arima is the former One-eyed King before Ken Kaneki. He is a ghoul who poses as a member of the CCG for the sake of creating a better future. Arima’s goal is to find a successor for his seat. He achieves that goal when he met Kaneki. Even though he “kills” Kaneki once, Arima becomes a father to him and loves him with all his heart.
Arima meets his demise at the hands of Kaneki himself, all for the sake of a better future for both humans and ghouls. His death is doubtlessly one of the saddest in the entire series.
2 Shirazu Ginshi Never Gets To See How Much He Is Loved
Shirazu Ginshi is a member of the Quinx squad, working under Haise Sasaki. Shirazu’s reason for becoming an investigator is to seek money for her sister’s treatment. Out of all the members of the Quinx, he is the most gentle. Most of his sensitivity is clouded by his obsession for money, all for the sake of his little sister.
He seeks more power and a better rank for her treatment, and this is what ends up killing him in the Rose Extermination arc. Moments before his death, he is surrounded by his entire squad. They hold him and cry for him, but he is unable to hear them. Even though he is loved to his last breath, he can’t see any of it, as he slowly descends into eternal sleep.
1 Hide & Kaneki’s Shared Death Is Easily The Saddest Even If They Turned Out To Be Alive
During the finale of season two of the anime, Ken Kaneki reunites with his friend Hideyoshi Nagachika, only to realize he is lethally injured. Hide confesses that he joined the CCG with the sole purpose of finding out the truth about Kaneki, and that he would never be afraid of his friend even if Kaneki has turned into a ghoul. He surrenders to unconsciousness in Kaneki’s arms, and Kaneki sadly carries him outside, to the forces of the CCG, embracing death too by confronting Arima.
As it turns out, both of them survive, though Hide is badly mutilated and Ken loses his memory, turning into Haise Sasaki. Still, this moment that illustrates their shared death is easily the saddest one in the anime.
About The Author
