“FEATURE: The Telltale Signs That an Anime Character Is 2 Days From Retirement”

 

Note: the following article contains spoilers for Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, To Your Eternity, My Hero Academia, Chainsaw Man and Attack on Titan.

 

Anyone who’s watched anime can probably recognize death flags from a mile away. Whether it’s the mom with a side ponytail or the protagonist getting hit by the isekai truck, these telltale signs make it easier to predict (but not stomach) characters who are about to die. Let’s take a look at some characters whose deaths were inevitable given the clues that their respective shows dropped.

 

The Married Character in a Serious Setting Who Always Shows off Their Family

 

 

Maes Hughes’ death in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood created one of the most iconic anime quotes in history said by none other than his best friend, Colonel Roy Mustang.

 

“It’s a terrible day for rain.”

 

Maes was a married man with a wife and daughter whom he doted on. He had a successful career and commanded respect from his peers. In short, Maes was happy and he showed it wherever he went, but anime law can’t have a character who’s always broadcasting his happiness in a bleak situation. What’s more, Maes' family photo is a major death flag, one that we saw just moments before his death. Ironically, the one who kills Maes is Envy, who was jealous because no one loved him but everyone loved Maes. Jealously is a strong emotion that often leads to drastic, and in this case, fatal measures. 

 

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Another sign that Maes wasn’t meant to last was his ability to pick up on the plot of the show. When a side character is one step closer to cracking the case, it usually ends up in death to prevent them from digging further. Maes seemed like a lucky man his whole life, only for it to end and leave us bawling during the funeral scene.

 

I’m getting teary-eyed just thinking about it.

 

The Big Dreamer Side Character Who Makes a Promise to a Loved One

 

 

Main characters have big dreams but that doesn’t mean side characters can’t have them, too. To Your Eternity is chock-full of side characters that the protagonist, Fushi, meets, but for the purposes of the plot, these characters are bound to meet their end too soon. 

 

One of them is Gugu, who dreams of living a better life with his older brother but gets his head crushed after saving a girl named Rean. While Gugu survives, this accident sets the wheels of his fate in motion. In exchange for surviving, Gugu has to wear a helmet that hides his face, and after meeting Fushi, he grows jealous of him for stealing Rean’s attention. 

 

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Although Gugu’s unrequited love for Rean may seem like a hint for an unhappy future, Rean does reciprocate his feelings when they grow older — albeit a little too late. Gugu saves her once more from getting crushed but he can’t fool death twice. 

 

On top of that, he tells Rean that he’ll buy her another Dream Bellflower the next day. Not only does the flower represent Gugu’s dreams by name and meaning, but it’s also an empty promise. Characters who say they’ll do something or go somewhere with their loved ones usually don’t get to see the light of day, which is exactly what happened to Gugu when he got buried under rubble.

 

The New Mentor With Connections to the Main Mentor

 

 

If I were an anime character I wouldn’t want to be the main character’s mentor. Why? Because most of them are cursed to die. It's not like they want to, but they're always the ones whose death signals the passing of the torch, and character development, for the protagonist.  

 

Take Sir Nighteye from My Hero Academia who’s got multiple death flags flapping in the wind. Sir Nighteye is doomed from the moment we learn about his character. Not only is he a mentor we meet in later seasons of the show, but he's the former sidekick of the show's main mentor, All Might. To top it all off, Sir Nighteye has a quirk that lets him see people’s futures, which leads to him predicting All Might's death.

 

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The fact that this is a mentor who predicts the future is already bad enough, but he's close to the main character's mentor, predicts his death and is supposed to take on the main character as a student? It was obvious that some kind of mentor was dying this season. Sir Nighteye's introduced to help Deku be a better hero, and once his job’s done, he’s out. That doesn’t mean he won’t be missed. 

 

The Mentor Who Suddenly Gets Extra Screen Time

 

 

Another example of a mentor dying for the sake of others is Himeno from Chainsaw Man. As a more recent example, she’s someone who was given a second chance with a new squad after her previous one got killed. When a character gets another shot at doing something differently, it’s a sign that they’ll die trying to achieve it. 

 

Himeno also got a lot of attention in the episodes leading to her death, sharing laughs and getting drunk. She even confessed her love for Aki to the protagonist, Denji. Even worse? She and Denji decided to team up to help each other with their respective crushes. 

 

These are all major red flags that she’s going to die. 

 

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It bears repeating that when a side character is too happy, the anime plot doesn’t like that and will make them disappear (I’m sorry, I know it’s too soon but I couldn’t help it!). Himeno sacrifices herself to save Aki, and by extension, the others with her who are still alive.

 

Chainsaw Man has broken the mold of anime storytelling with characters dying left and right, and as an anime-only fan, I’m afraid to find out who’s going to die next. 

 

The Captain Who Admits That Death Is Coming but Gives an Inspiring Speech Anyway

 

 

Attack on Titan is another anime with death flags everywhere. While some side characters have stuck it out to the final season, others didn’t make it to the finish line.

 

I’m talking about Erwin Smith, a leader with big dreams who eventually passes on the torch. 

 

RELATED: What’s Your Attack on Titan Character Alignment?

 

From the moment Erwin makes his first appearance in the show he exudes charisma and determination to fulfill his dreams. Many lives were lost under his command but everyone understands that it was for the greater good. It doesn’t help that Erwin has Levi Ackerman as his right-hand man, as that tells us the latter will have to take over one day when the former says his final farewell. 

 

Trust me when I say I was rooting for Erwin to see his dreams come true, but when the chasing drags on for too long, that’s when his time’s coming to an end. Erwin dies fighting until the very end, inspiring the Survey Corps to do the same despite the odds being stacked against them all. Even as Erwin’s on the brink of death, the anime plot gods decide that he can’t be saved even when given the choice. The younger generation is almost always chosen to survive, but that doesn’t mean the mentor’s dream has to die with him.  

 

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