The anime world is incredibly vast and there are hundreds of unique series that cover every genre. Anime has always had a dedicated fanbase but that fanbase has dramatically increased in recent years because more people see anime as a viable form of entertainment. Many series feature action sequences, tell decent and meaningful stories, and have well-written characters.
When it comes to storytelling, anime utilizes many literary tropes, including plot twists. A plot twist is an event or revelation that completely changes the path of a story. Anime fans have seen many plot twists over the years but some were either silly or very predictable. There are, however, quite a few plot twists that were very well executed.
10 Aizen’s Betrayal Was Unexpected (Bleach)
Bleach‘s story gained momentum when Ichigo and his friends infiltrated the Soul Society to rescue Rukia, and this infiltration coincided with Captain Aizen’s murder. Many believed that Gin Ichimaru was the murderer but Lieutenant Hinamori thought that Captain Hitsugaya was the perpetrator.
The conspiracy ended when Aizen revealed that he had faked his own death with Zanpakutō’s secret hypnosis ability. He also killed every member of Central 46 and governed Soul Society from the shadows to obtain the Hōgyoku. Aizen may have not been Bleach’s tallest villain, but he was certainly one of the smartest.
9 Ryūko And Satsuki Are Actually Sisters (Kill La Kill)
In Kill La Kill, Ryūko Matoi transfers to Honnōji Academy to find the person who killed her father. While there, she meets student council president Satsuki Kiryūin. Satsuki refuses to help Ryūko, and this refusal leads to a surprisingly large battle.
It is later revealed that Ryūko and Satsuki are long-lost sisters. Satsuki believed that her little sister had died years ago with their father. This is why she planned on overthrowing their mother, Ragyō, who is Kill La Kill‘s true antagonist.
8 Lelouch’s Death And The Reason Behind It (Code Geass)
Code Geass is an anime with a worthwhile ending, as it saves its biggest plot twist for the final episode. For the majority of Code Geass, Lelouch worked towards freeing Japan and taking down his father, the Emperor of Britannia.
He eventually assumes the throne but he announces that he plans on ruling the world as a dictator. In the final episode, Lelouch stages a public execution but is killed by Zero, the masked persona he held for most of the series. In a flashback, it is revealed that Lelouch orchestrated the entire event. He wanted everyone to view him as their enemy so that his death could unite the world in peace.
7 Zeref And Natsu Are Brothers (Fairy Tail)
As far as Fairy Tail is concerned, Zeref is the strongest and most evil mage in history. He was cursed with immortality and he could use Living Magic to create demons. He mastered Black Magic as well, which allows him to kill any living being.
Episode 284 unloaded a major bombshell as Zeref revealed parts of his backstory. His little brother had died and Zeref studied magic to bring him back. He succeeded, and fans were shocked to learn that he was actually Natsu’s older brother.
6 Koro-Sensei Didn’t Destroy The Moon (Assassination Classroom)
Assassination Classroom follows the students of class 3-E and, for a large part of the series, these students competed to try to kill their teacher. However, Koro-sensei is not an ordinary teacher, he is an octopus-like monster who was responsible for destroying the moon.
He made it clear that he would destroy the Earth next. Assassination Classroom’s big twist is that Koro-sensei did not destroy the moon. The audience learns that a lab rat that was on the moon’s surface caused the explosion after it discharged antimatter energy.
5 Ray Is Isabella’s Son (The Promised Neverland)
The Promised Neverland is set in a future where humans and demons have attained peace, but this truce could only be forged by providing the demons with humans to eat. This led to the creation of special human breeding farms in the demon world which functioned like orphanages.
Each orphanage is overseen by a human Mother who must ensure that each child grows up to be intelligent. Ray is one of the children who Isabella watches over and it’s revealed that he was the one who was spying on the other children for her. Although, the real shock came when Isabella learns that Ray is actually her son, who she is now raising to be devoured.
4 Mitsuha And Taki Live In Different Timelines (Your Name)
Your Name was released in 2016 and its emotional plot twist is still hard to accept. Your Name centers around Mitsuha and Taki, who start swapping bodies. Mitsuha is a high school girl who lives in a rural area, while Taki is a boy who attends school in the city.
The two figure out how to communicate by leaving notes for each other and they grow closer as they help each other out. One day, their swapping abruptly stops. When Taki tries to find her, he soon learns that Mitsuha has been dead for three years.
3 Human Souls Being The Requirement For The Philosopher’s Stone (FMA: Brotherhood)
Edward Elric is considered to be one of anime’s best-written protagonists, mainly because he learned many tough lessons while trying to get his brother’s body back. When they were younger, they attempted to bring their mother back to life with alchemy. Alphonse lost his body in the process.
Ed lost an arm and a leg, but he was able to attach his brother’s soul to a suit of armor. They found out that a Philosopher’s Stone could restore their bodies. Some way through FMA: Brotherhood, the brothers uncover the truth behind the stone. They were horrified to learn that it could only be created by sacrificing human beings.
2 L’s Death Halfway Through The Series (Death Note)
Light was an ordinary high school boy but he becomes a murderer with a god complex after finding the Death Note. He had good intentions at first, which makes him one of anime’s best-written villains. His actions garner the attention of L, the world’s greatest detective.
L suspects Light early on but Light orchestrates an elaborate plan to prove his innocence. By the time L realizes the truth, it is too late. He dies of a heart attack when a Shinigami writes his name in the notebook. Many people did not expect L to die, let alone halfway through Death Note.
1 The Reason Behind Itachi’s Betrayal (Naruto)
When it comes to meaningful anime deaths, Itachi’s death ranks pretty high because of its impact on Sasuke. For most of Naruto, Sasuke wanted to kill his older brother because he massacred their entire clan. However, Sasuke learns the truth behind Itachi’s actions shortly after their final battle.
The Uchiha clan grew disgruntled with the Leaf Village and they planned a coup d’état. Itachi hated war, and he feared that the coup would lead to a civil war that would expose the Leaf to enemy villages. Itachi agreed to wipe out the Uchiha to prevent a terrible conflict, and willingly became a wanted criminal in the process.
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