20 Sad Anime That Turned Us Into Sobbing Wrecks (And We Loved Every Minute)

Tears and emotional wreckage, served hot and fresh! Welcome to our definitive list of saddest anime ever. I’ve thrown in my top picks for when you need a good cry, and in the spirit of “misery loves company”, I also hit up my fellow Rocklers for their most heart-wrenching favorites. So scroll down, it’s going to be a beautifully painful ride.

Contents show

1. Grave of the Fireflies

Film | 1h 29min
Watch on: Vudu

If you want to be emotionally ruined, this is it. It’s the story of Seita and Setsuko, siblings trying to survive in Japan during WWII. The desperation, the sibling bond, and the gradual loss of hope in a world gone mad—every time I thought it couldn’t get more depressing, it did. A masterpiece in mysery from from Studio Ghibli. —IZ

2. A Silent Voice

Film | 2h 10min
Watch on: Crunchyroll, Vudu, Apple TV

A heartfelt tale of why being a complete a**hole has consequences. Watching Shoya’s clumsy, heart-wrenching attempt to make amends with Shoko, the deaf girl he treated like trash in the past, made me bawl my eyes out. And that bridge scene? Ouch. Kyoto Animation, we’re buying what you’re selling—pain, lots of it. —BR

3. Your Lie in April

1 season | 22 episodes
Watch on: Crunchyroll, Hulu

You got me good with this one, A-1 Pictures. Kousei’s struggle from being a traumatized, piano-playing robot to rediscovering life’s colors through Kaori, who’s basically spring incarnate, is deeply moving. And when the “lie” is revealed? I was yelling at the screen, wondering why did I sign up for this emotional torture. But dang, it’s beautiful. —RM

4. Violet Evergarden

1 season | 13 episodes
Watch on: Netflix

Violet’s journey from a war tool to someone desperately trying to grasp human emotions through letters is breathtaking. Each episode feels like a mini-movie (major props, KyoAni), complete with its own poignant story, especially episode 10. That one should come with a warning label. I was not prepared for the emotional assault, but it was worth every minute. —BR

5. Your Name

Film | 1h 46min
Watch on: Crunchyroll

Here’s how I imagine Makoto Shinkai and CoMix Wave brainstormed this: “Let’s do a body swap, mess with time, and drag everyone’s asses through ten miles of will-they-won’t-they agony.” Taki and Mitsuha’s race against time to find each other is both exhilarating and heart-breaking. And that twist? I didn’t know whether to smile or sob. So, I did both. —BR

6. I Want to Eat Your Pancreas

I Want to Eat Your Pancreas anime — Aniplex

Film | 1h 49min
Watch on: Netflix

The title sounds like you’re about to watch some weird s**t, but surprise, it’s just emotional devastation. Watching the introverted Haruki embrace life through his friendship with Sakura, a girl living on borrowed time, was beautiful. And brutally sad. Their bond and the inevitable heartache had me clutching my chest. Thanks, studio VOLN, I hate it (but also love it?). —BR

7. Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day

1 season | 11 episodes
Watch on: Crunchyroll

A ghost girl guilt-trips her friends into finally dealing with their issues—that’s what you’re signing up for. A-1 Pictures delivers a story of unspoken feelings, unresolved guilt, and the power of forgiveness. Watching the gang come to terms with Menma’s death is kind of like group therapy you never knew you needed—a cathartic explosion of tears. —RM

8. Plastic Memories

Plastic Memories anime — Aniplex of America

1 season | 13 episodes
Watch on: Crunchyroll, Hulu

What if you knew exactly when your loved one will… cease to function. That’s the deal with Isla, an android with an expiration date, and Tsukasa, her human partner. A cruel setup from the get-go. Who hurt you, Doga Kobo? The final episodes felt like a slow stab to the heart, proving that knowing the end still doesn’t make it any easier. —BR

9. Clannad / Clannad After Story

2 seasons | 47 episodes
Watch S1: Prime Video
Watch S2: Apple TV

Clannad lures you in with school life and romance, then After Story comes along to remind you that life can, and will, kick you in the balls. Tomoya and Nagisa’s adulthood is about family, hardships, and the kind of emotional growth that only comes from profound loss. Hydrate well before this one. Kyoto Animation is coming for your tears. All of them. —BR

10. Made in Abyss

Made in Abyss sad anime — Sentai Filmworks

1 season | 13 episodes
Watch on: Crunchyro ll

A seemingly fun adventure with Riko and Reg, adorable little explorers who venture into the Abyss. But the deeper they got, the more I was side-eyeing my screen, thinking, “Are we sure about this?” Unsettling, sad, and at times downright terrifying high fantasy. But hey, at least it’s pretty to look at. Even through a waterfall of tears. Hats off, Kinema Citrus. —IZ

11. Wolf Children

Film | 1h 57min
Watch on: Crunchyroll

This is a cry-worthy anime tribute to single moms out there, courtesy of Mamoru Hosoda and Studio Chizu. Seeing Hana juggle life with her half-wolf kids, Ame and Yuki, in a world that doesn’t understand them? The kind of stuff that warms your heart before ripping it out. It made me want to call my mom and apologize for every time I was a little s**t. —LH

12. Now and Then, Here and There

1 season | 13 episodes
Watch on: Apple TV

Guys, this is it. The ninth circle of anime hell. War, suffering, and a world so bleak you’ll need to pause it just to remind yourself that sunshine and puppies exist. And in the middle of it all is Shu, a kid who just won’t quit. 😭 This anime doesn’t care about your feelings. It’s here to show you despair, and damn, it succeeds. —RM

13. Puella Magi Madoka Magica

1 season | 12 episodes
Watch on: Crunchyroll

This anime stabs a knife straight through the heart of the magical girl genre, twisting with glee. Deconstruction? More like an emotional ambush. Madoka and the girls learn the hard way that magic has a price, life is meaningless and hope is a lie. Congratulations, you’re now a nihilist. Are you happy now, Studio Shaft? Are you? —BR

14. Assassination Classroom

2 seasons | 47 episodes
Watch on: Crunchyroll

Okay, let me start by saying that I did not expect a yellow octopus teacher and a misfit classroom to make me emotional, but here we are. Koro-Sensei’s bond with his students as they try to kill him (it’s complicated) evolves into something so profound. Thanks for the life lessons, now excuse me while I sob into my pillow. —BR

15. Angel Beats!

1 season | 13 episodes
Watch on: Crunchyroll

Angel Beats! starts off all fun and games, like “haha, we’re dead and in high school, lol,” but then the backstories start rolling in. Suddenly you’re not laughing anymore. P.A. Works’ series is an absurd mix of comedy and tragedy, like laughing at a funeral. And by the time it’s over, you’re emotionally bankrupt but, you know, spiritually enriched. —LH

16. Fruits Basket (2019)

3 seasons | 63 episodes
Watch on: Crunchyroll, Hulu

Furuba reboot did NOT come to play. It looks cute, sounds fluffy, but it’s all lies. This is a trauma conga line disguised as a zodiac-themed family drama. Tohru Honda is out here fixing broken souls with the power of understanding and relentless optimism, and it’s everything all at once: infuriating, inspiring and heart-rending. —RM

17. Banana Fish

1 season | 24 episodes
Watch on: Netflix, Prime Video

You want an anime about gangs, drugs, and betrayal that also shreds your heart into a million pieces? Oddly specific, but congrats, you found it. MAPPA’s Banana Fish is a no-holds-barred story that explores love and loss in the grimiest, most heartbreaking ways possible. Fantastic anime to ruin your week. —BR

18. Steins;Gate

1 season | 24 episodes
Watch on: Crunchyroll, Netflix

Steins;Gate starts all fun with cool science and time travel, but then it smacks you with an unexpected sad stick. Hard. Because messing with time? Big oof, big consequences. Okabe’s mad scientist shtick quickly gives way to a frantic dash through timelines to save the people he loves. Well played, White Fox. —BR

19. Erased

1 season | 12 episodes
Watch on: Crunchyroll, Hulu

You thought this is an anime mystery with a neat little supernatural twist? No, it’s a trainwreck of emotions, and you’re the sucker standing on the tracks. Satoru’s time-traveling attempt to prevent a tragedy is a hard-hitting story of abuse, trauma and redemption. A-1 Pictures, here, just take our entire stock of tears already. —BR

20. 5 Centimeters Per Second

Film | 1h 3min
Watch on: Prime Video

Want to watch an agonizing, poetic heartbreak? With cherry blossom metaphors? Say no more. Here’s a visually stunning story about the painful death of young love and the passage of time. Makoto Shinkai’s slow burn of emotional torture that will leave you questioning why anyone ever thought love was a good idea. —RM

And there you have it, our run-down on anime that’ll mess with your emotions and leave you thanking them for the privilege. Anime, you cruel, beautiful monster, never change.

*Streaming services’ catalogs vary depending on your location.