When it comes to storytelling, arguably no part of a narrative is more important than the conclusion. The final moments of a story can massively change its generated subject and commentary, and as many fans of popular franchises like Game of Thrones are no doubt aware, a bad ending can also completely undercut everything that came before it. The anime medium is no exception to this trend, and over the years, it has spawned a long list of memorable endings.

However, not every anime ending is well-received — in fact, there are plenty of examples of anime endings that are universally criticized by the vast majority of viewers. Thankfully, there are some currently-airing anime that, regardless of what their conclusion looks like, are sure to be well-remembered by fans, proving that even a bad ending can’t ruin the best that the medium has to offer.

10

Black Clover’s Long-Awaited Final Saga Is Just the Cherry on Top

Streaming on Crunchyroll

Given the volatile nature of the anime & manga landscape, production issues and delays are an unfortunate part of many beloved series. Not even popular shonen anime franchises are exempt from this. Black Clover is one of two Studio Pierrot productions whose anime adaptation has been on hiatus since 2021.

Although Black Clover‘s production hiatus was a devastating blow to fans of the series, it has created a large amount of anticipation regarding its final saga. The shonen anime’s final stretch is set to pit Asta, the Black Bulls, and the rest of the Clover Kingdom against the Devils of the Spade Kingdom. Still, even if this conflict ultimately proves to be a bit disappointing, the series’ story thus far has been more than enjoyable enough to justify whatever is to come.

Black Clover

Release Date

2017 – 2020

Directors

Tatsuya Yoshihara, Ayataka Tanemura

Writers

Kazuyuki Fudeyasu, Kanichi Katou

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9

One Piece Cemented Its Place in History Years Ago

Streaming on Crunchyroll

Over the past few decades, arguably no anime has been more popular around the world than Eiichiro Oda’s legendary series, One Piece. The long-running series has been in syndication for over 1,000 total episodes, and with its final saga now officially underway, Monkey D. Luffy’s journey to become the King of the Pirates is more exciting than ever before.

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10 Darkest One Piece Story Arcs, Ranked

Fans don’t often mention One Piece in discussions about the darkest anime, even though it’s objectively one of the darkest shonen anime series.

Considering One Piece‘s staggering episode count, it makes sense that the overall appeal of the series would largely remain the same regardless of how it ends. No matter where the series’ final saga takes Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates, the beloved story’s place as one of the most influential titles in shonen history is all but guaranteed.

One Piece

Release Date

October 20, 1999

Network

Fuji TV

8

Chainsaw Man’s Production Gives It Evergreen Appeal

Streaming on Crunchyroll

Since the dawn of the 2020s, the production value of popular anime has gone through the roof, and as a result, the bar is higher than ever for new series looking to push boundaries with their visual splendor. However, even by the most contemporary standards, Chainsaw Man remains a cut above in terms of production value.

Released in 2022, the Chainsaw Man anime follows a teen boy named Denji as he attempts to navigate a horrific world inhabited by Devils that reflects humanity’s biggest fears. Unlike many shonen anime, where the protagonist has a concrete goal, Chainsaw Man is much more focused on documenting the gradual growth of its main character, making the stakes of its inevitable final saga a bit lower than other series.

7

Jujutsu Kaisen Has Become an International Hit

Streaming on Crunchyroll

With the conclusion of Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, and numerous other 2000s anime either firmly in the rearview mirror or rapidly approaching, the shonen genre has been forced to look in new directions for the successors to these iconic series. Luckily for fans, titles like Jujutsu Kaisen have filled this void wonderfully, ushering in a brand-new era that feels like a culmination of these previous series.

Jujutsu Kaisen follows the story of Yuji Itadori — a boy whose spiritual powers awaken after becoming the vessel for an ancient sorcerer known as Ryomen Sukuna. As he attempts to deal with the King of Curses who now resides within him, Yuji explores the dangerous world of curses and jutsu sorcery, and even though his journey has only been underway for two seasons, his fights against the curses of Japan have been more than hype enough to overcome a subpar ending.

Jujutsu Kaisen

Release Date

October 3, 2020

Directors

Sunghoo Park, Shōta Goshozono

Writers

Hiroshi Seko

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6

My Hero Academia’s Greatest Rivalry Is the Crux of Its Narrative

Streaming on Crunchyroll

In the world of My Hero Academia, the vast majority of humans are born with superpowers, resulting in a hero-driven society that greatly resembles those of Golden Age American comic books. Ironically though, the series revolves around one of the few humans in the world without powers, Izuku Midoriya, after he is hand selected to receive One For All — the greatest Quirk in history.

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The duality of One For All and All For One is at the core of My Hero Academia‘s narrative, and with each passing narrative arc, their strange dichotomy becomes more and more nuanced. The series’ latest season has pushed the conflict between these two groups to its climax, and with Izuku Midoriya, Tomura Shigaraki, and All For One locked in mortal combat, only time will tell what the future holds for Hero Society.

My Hero Academia

Release Date

April 3, 2016

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5

Vinland Saga Offers Food For Thought Each Episode

Streaming on Netflix

Human history is brimming with danger, mystery, and intrigue, which is why it has often served as the perfect inspiration for exciting narratives and memorable stories. Of humanity’s various eras, none is more bloody than the Dark Ages. It was an era that saw the rise and fall of various civilizations, including the infamous war raiders known as the Vikings. Fittingly, this group of warriors has spawned hundreds of stories over the years, one of which serves as the basis for Vinland Saga.

Vinland Saga is, at times, one of the most brutal shonen anime in recent memory; however, this doesn’t mean the series is solely reliant on violence to drive its narrative. Its exploration of life, death, and the meaning of true happiness is a shockingly mature — and welcome — addition to the shonen genre.

4

Dr. Stone’s Appeal Extends Beyond Narrative Composition

Streaming on Crunchyroll

As enjoyable as anime is, the artistic medium doesn’t necessarily feature a lot of series that deviate from pre-established industry norms. For the most part, the stereotypical shonen, shojo, and isekai tropes can be seen in almost every series, making truly one-of-a-kind titles like Dr. Stone stand out more by comparison.

Dr. Stone follows boy genius Senku Ishigami as he tries to use his scientific knowledge to rebuild human society millenia after a global apocalypse, and along the way, he teaches the audience about a variety of topics that will be necessary to create this new world. The result is a surprisingly informative story that is still plenty exciting to watch unfold, so no matter where the series goes from here, it’s certain to retain much of its appeal.

Dr. Stone

Release Date

July 5, 2019

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  Aaron Dismuke

  Senku Ishigami

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  Brandon McInnis

  Gen Asagiri

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3

Dandadan Has Already Built Plenty of Momentum

Streaming on Crunchyroll

Of all the anime that debuted in 2024, no anime was a bigger breakout success than Dandadan. The eclectic series isn’t the typical shonen anime fodder that has become increasingly common over the past decade, but that’s far from a criticism of the series itself. Merging different genres and taking bold decisions regarding its adaptation, Dandadan is a one-of-a-kind anime experience.

Admittedly, Dandadan is early in its life cycle, so it remains to be seen how the anime’s overarching narrative will branch out from here. However, as long as its tremendous production, hilarious comedy and touching romance remain a constant, the sky is the limit for this title — even if an awful ending were to come at the conclusion of its story.

Dandadan

Release Date

September 13, 2024

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  Natsuki Hanae

  Ken Okarun Takakura

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  Shion Wakayama

  Momo Ayase

2

Bleach’s Rich History and Successful Revival Are Iconic Parts of Its Appeal

Streaming on Hulu

In the mid- to late-2000s, three shonen franchises dominated both the anime and manga worlds. These titles — Bleach, Naruto and One Piece — were collectively referred to as the Big Three, but whereas Naruto & One Piece‘s success remained a near constant over the following decades, Bleach instead stumbled, ultimately leading to the cancelation of its anime in 2012.

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5 Shonen Anime That Cared More About Power-Ups & New Forms Instead of Story By The End

Certain shōnen anime believe that power-ups, transformations, and powerscaling are more important that crafting a well-written ending.

Bleach‘s cancelation came right before the beginning of its final saga, but luckily for fans of Tite Kubo’s beloved series got a second life. Its final arc Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War premiered back in 2022, giving fans a chance to see the end of Ichigo Kurosaki’s journey as it was originally intended. While it remains to be seen how this ending goes, even an unabashed failure would be better than its cancelation years earlier.

Bleach

Release Date

2006 – 2022

Network

Funimation

Showrunner

Tite Kubo

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  Johnny Yong Bosch

  Ulquiorra (voice)

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  Michelle Ruff

  Ryūsei ‘Kenryū’ Kenzaki (voice)

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1

Solo Leveling Makes Strides Where Other Isekai Fall Flat

Streaming on Crunchyroll

The anime medium is full of entertaining genres and exciting titles, ranging from feminine coming-of-age stories to mature explorations of topics like war and romance. However, while the isekai genre is certainly a major contributor to the success of the anime medium, it’s also produced some of the most trope-heavy series that anime has to offer. Thankfully, Solo Leveling has done significant work to change this.

Solo Leveling makes no qualms about its status as an isekai, but unlike the over-the-top gratification and pandering of other popular isekai titles, it approaches its material with a grounded tone (despite the fantastical nature of its plot). The result is an action-packed, visually-spectacular joyride that rivals any other isekai released in recent memory, and even if it were to amount to an ending that disappointed fans, it’s safe to say that Solo Leveling‘s sheer hype factor is enough to justify its success.

Solo Leveling

Release Date

January 7, 2024

Directors

Shunsuke Nakashige

Writers

Noboru Kimura

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  Taito Ban

  Shun Mizushino (voice)

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  Genta Nakamura

  Kenta Morobishi (voice)

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