Plot twists are incredibly common inanime, largely due to the fact that most shows and movies are based on serialized manga. Artists attempting to retain an audience will consistently throw in cliffhangers and unexpected developments to ensure their readers keep coming back for more, and as a result, anime adaptations of those stories take their viewers on just as wild a ride.Not all plot twists are as effective as others, however.
Some are meant simply to shock the viewer, while others recontextualize and change the entire trajectory of their stories. There are also anime series built to deliver one twist after the other, and keep their audience guessing as the narrative unfolds in gripping and exciting ways. Not all plot twists are built the same, or used for the same purpose,and only the best have cemented their shows as absolute classics.
Death Note
It would be difficult to find an anime fan who grew to love the art form in the 2000s and 2010s, and hasn’t also lovedDeath Notethroughout their time exploring the landscape of anime and manga. Based on the original manga by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata,Death Noteis one of the more popular mystery thriller series in anime history, and for good reason. The cat and mouse game between Light Yagami and the genius detective L makes for non-stop excitement at every turn.
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Death Noteis a series built on plot twists, using them often multiple times an episode to keep its audience wondering just how Kira will escape the law next. As time has passed since the anime’s initial airing,its popularity has never wavered, and countless teenagers continue to make the questionable choice to base their personality on one ofDeath Note’s two main characters, as countless teenagers have done before them. Fans will be hard-pressed to find another mystery anime that uses unending twists and turns to such an effective degree asDeath Notedoes.
Dragon Ballis arguably the most iconic anime franchise in history, and its lack of reliance on plot twists makes the rare event of one occurring stand out even more. Perhaps the most well-known is Goku’s death just as the series begins, but the most shocking and important for the franchisewas the arrival of Trunks to start the Cell Saga. Following the longest arc yet, in which Goku finally ascended to Super Saiyan in a fight with Frieza that lasted nearly 30 episodes, another mysterious Super Saiyan appears to disassemble the space tyrant in minutes.
Not only is Trunks' introduction shocking to viewers, but the eventual twist that he’s the son of Vegeta and Bulma was so surprisingnot even Akira Toriyama saw it coming. The reveal led to Vegeta eventually becomingone of the most beloved villains turned heroes in fiction, another development Toriyama had never planned for. ThoughDragon Balland its cast of characters transcend the series from which they reside, Trunks' introduction to the series is still incredibly impactful, even when viewers know it’s coming.
Isekai has taken the anime world by stormin recent years, dominating each passing season with several shows titled something that is far too long and cumbersome to remember, andRe:Zerowas one of those series that helped catapult the genre into the spotlight. What helps it stand apart, however, is its propensity to explore darker themes while pummeling the audience with mystery after mystery as Subaru’s ‘Return by Death’ ability continues to both solve and create problems for him.
10 Best Anime like Re:Zero
Re:Zero is a mature isekai series that has attracted legions of fans, naturally begging the question of what other anime series are like it?
LikeDeath Note,Re:Zerois built upon its twists and turns, keeping its audience fully engaged while the series' protagonist tries and often fails to save those around him.The most notable plot twist comes during the second season, when Roswaal reveals he’s aware of Subaru’s ability and has been manipulating situations and events in accordance with ‘Return by Death’. Many anime fans have become somewhat fatigued with the abundance of Isekai series premiering each season, butRe:Zeroknows how to keep its audience engaged.
The second highest-grossing Japanese film in history, behind onlyDemon Slayer - The Movie: Mugen Train,2016’sYour Nameis director Makoto Shinkai’s most celebrated moviein a catalog brimming with highly celebrated movies. The body-swapping hijinks between dual protagonists Mitsuha and Taki deliver a tasteful dose of comedy inYour Name’s first half, before the film drops one of the most stunning plot twists in anime.
The second half of the filmthen takes viewers on an emotional roller-coaster ride, ensuring everyone watching will be on the edge of their seats as Taki desperately tries to save the girl whose name he can’t remember. The twist transformsYour Nameinto one of themore gripping and moving anime films in years, and has further established Makoto Shinkai as one of the art form’s most prominent figures.
Clannad’s first season begins as a relatively typical harem romance anime with a likable cast of characters, and ends as such as well. For its genre, the series doesn’t offer anything too remarkable aside from a few strange sequences featuring a girl and a robot. And thenClannad After Storyarrives to not only shock its audience repeatedly,but also leave them in a puddle of tears.Clannad’s early sections are defined by its somewhat tame drama, until its follow-up season delivers a couple of the most haunting twists in anime history.
It isn’t common for a high school romance series to continue following its leading couple into adulthood, and it’s even less common for a series to portrayboth the struggle and beauty that’s found in growing up and starting a family.Clannad’s second season does both, and doesn’t care if it hurts any feelings in the process. Bawling to a Jun Maeda anime series has become a rite of passage for fans of the medium, and none is as effective at shocking its audience to tears asClannad.
Attack on Titan
Attack on Titanhas been one of the biggest anime and manga franchises in the world for over a decade, capturing the hearts of fans with Eren Yeager’s story and the likable cast it comes with. What begins as another hero’s journey, however,slowly becomes a series which tears its hero down at every turn, and slowly makes him a villain. And by the time the anime kills off a significant portion of its likable cast, it drops the biggest bombshell it has.
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While Attack on Titan is arguably the greatest anime series ever, there is still a lot of mystery surrounding the Titans and their creation.
In a twist that no one saw coming,it turns out Eren was the villain from the very beginning, pulling the strings that set in motion his own horrific tale of loss.Attack on Titan’s plot twist finalecaused countless viewers to go back and re-watch the entire series for hints of what was to come, and shook the anime and manga community for months.
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelionis packed with plot twists at every turn during its latter half. The revelation that the Evangelion units themselves are not only living creatures, but copies of the first Angel kicks offa series of unpredictable events that doesn’t stop until the final credits roll. But the most shocking twist, by far, is Rei’s reveal just before the finale. As the series was initially airing, Rei Ayanami had already become anime’s most popular girl, and the series waited until there were only three episodes to reveal her true nature.
Not only is she one of a series of clones, but also a clone of Yui Ikari, Shinji’s mother. While it takes only a few moments into the series' very first episode for the first hint of Rei not quite being a normal teenager to arrive,her identity is far more complex than anyone can imagine. The reveal becomes instrumental to theanime’s multiple endings, changing the scope of what exactly Shinji is fighting against throughout the series.
Time travel stories, though often compelling,are rarely able to deliver stories as coherent asSteins;Gate. One wrong move and an entire series can crumble under the complex rules it set for itself.Steins;Gate, impressively, not only tells one of the more coherent time travel stories in anime, but continuously increases the stakes while adding to its already tangled web of characters. From the moment mad scientist Rintaro Okabe sends a banana to the past, seemingly each episode brings along a new twist.
The Best Time Travel Anime That Will Blow Fans' Minds
From classics like Steins;Gate to modern hits like Tokyo Revengers, there are plenty of worthwhile options for fans of time travel anime.
By its conclusion,Steins;Gatebecomes an incredibly harrowing, emotional viewing experience, capped off by the revelation that all his efforts to save his childhood best friend only result in the death of the woman he loves. The anime has been consistently regarded as one of the greatest of all time across all genres, and its relatively concise 24-epsisode length packs enough plot twists to keep viewers engaged at all times.
