Saddest Anime Movies

People often disregard anime as mere cartoons, but it’s in these movies that some of the greatest stories take place. When the studio isn’t concerned about casting issues, creating realistic-looking CGI, directing actors, and all the other aspects involved in producing a live-action film, all the effort goes towards creating the best animation, stories, and characters.

Some anime movies fall within the universe of their anime TV shows, essentially acting as an extension of their plots, or are a feature-length condensation of a multi-episode arc. But there are plenty of standalone movies that go straight towards the audience’s heartstrings, touching them in ways few other shows and films could with their sad stories. So, let’s just go through some supremely sad anime movies that will leave you in tears.

Updated on November 15, 2025, by Mark Sammut: Who does not enjoy a good cry every once in a while? Well, if you are looking to experience that very thing, these devastating anime movies should get you there. Along with updating the images, we have added Violet Evergarden: The Movie.

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Violet Evergarden: The Movie

An Emotional Conclusion To A Powerful Journey

Netflix has had more than its share of anime successes over the years, but Violet Evergarden was arguably the first exclusive to present the streaming service as a viable alternative for Japanese animation. Considering the show delivers multiple gut punches throughout its run, it is hardly surprising that the subsequent movie takes you on an emotional rollercoaster, although that does not make it any less effective.

Now, admittedly, you need to come into the movie already engaged in Violet’s struggle to find her voice as a human and to experience love, especially since she carries most of the story’s emotional weight rather than sharing it with episode-specific characters like in the series. Fortunately, she is a complex and sympathetic character who is just trying to experience life’s small joys, rather than anything particularly ambitious.

The movie predominantly revolves around Violet’s search for Gilbert, along with her desire to see if their relationship still has the potential to create love and joy. To be honest, Violet and Gilbert’s dynamic is the most divisive aspect of the whole show, and it will make or break the movie for you. I prefer the show’s standalone stories that do not focus on this relationship, but that is a matter of personal taste.

The Echoes Of History

Barefoot Gen

Release Date

June 13, 1992

Runtime

83 Minutes

Director

Mori Masaki

Sometimes, a movie’s heartbreaking nature reveals itself without warning, like a gut punch that leaves you reeling on the floor and wondering why you put yourself through this. Other times, the tragedy looms large, and there is no escaping the pending tears. Barefoot Gen takes place in Hiroshima in 1945, which should be enough information to grasp what the story is about. Yes, this anime is about the atomic bomb, and it is exactly as devastating as it should be. The movie does not have much of a story beyond that, instead opting to introduce a bunch of characters and then putting them through history.

Generally regarded as a companion piece to Grave of the Fireflies, Barefoot Gen does not quite reach that film’s extremely high standards, but it is nevertheless a powerful experience that is worth watching at least once. Personally, I will never, ever watch Barefoot Gen again; however, I will also never forget it.

16

Madoka Movies

A Dark Type Of Magic

OK, this might seem like cheating, as two of the Puella Magi Madoka Magica movies, Beginnings and Eternal, are just retellings of the TV series, which is rightfully regarded as one of the greatest magical girl anime of all time. It is also one of the saddest and darkest, and I’m sure that anybody remotely interested in the genre or anime in general has sought out the show.

However, they also need to make sure to watch 2013’s Rebellion, the sequel movie that retains and amplifies the story’s sense of dread, sacrifice, tragedy, obsession, and manipulation, all the while sprinkling in a touch of hope. Madoka is not for the faint of heart, as its various action sequences tend to be emphasized by over-the-top and shocking gore that comes out of nowhere. Innocence has no place in this universe, and it is routinely and systematically destroyed.

15

The Dog of Flanders

A Devastating Movie Based On An Anime Series And A Classic Novel

The Dog of Flanders

Release Date

March 15, 1997

Runtime

102 Minutes

Director

Yoshio Kuroda

If a dog is involved, and they are not named Beethoven, the movie will probably be a tearjerker. The Dog of Flanders is based on one of the most famously sad novels involving humanity’s best friend, and the adaptation pretty much lives up to the source material’s reputation. Technically, the 1997 flick is also a remake of a 1975 anime series, but that is really not that important, and you can jump into this release without consuming any other media associated with the story.

Set in Denmark, the story follows Nello and his trusty canine companion, Patrasche, as they basically go from one awful tragedy to the next. At times, The Dog of Flanders can be a bit too relentless in its misery, but the (many) emotional moments still manage to land. If you consider yourself to be a dog person, prepare yourself.

14

Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul

Made in Abyss

Release Date

2017 – 2022-00-00

Network

AT-X

Directors

Hitoshi Haga, Shunsuke Takarai, Satoshi Mori, Motoki Nakanishi

Made in Abyss is the most beautiful nightmare in anime history, and a recommendation must come with a strong warning that the content is upsetting in a way that very few stories even attempt to match. There is child abuse. Gruesome torture. Existential dread. An endlessly suffocating environment. Human experimentation. It is all bad, but presented in such a captivating way that it is impossible to look away.

Dawn of the Deep Soul is Made in Abyss‘s horrifying masterpiece, a testament to the cold depravity that can arise from the pursuit of endless growth. To get the full experience, you need to first watch season 1, which is by far the least traumatizing part of the story (and it is still very traumatizing). If you survive, then watch Dawn of the Deep Soul, followed by season 2.

13

Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms

Love, Time, & War

A fantasy war epic, Maquia has a lot going for it. The animation is fantastic, as is Mari Okada’s direction. The story delivers an impressive sense of scale and touches upon mature themes like discrimination and power. In this universe, Iorphs are beings who resemble humans but live for centuries, all the while looking like teenagers. They are attacked by a human kingdom, with Maquia just about escaping with her life. After leaving her home, she ends up finding and adopting a human baby, starting a mother-son relationship that feels doomed from the start.

The second half of the narrative revolves around an all-around war, but the movie’s heart is Maquia and Ariel’s relationship. Their family bond is complicated, touching, and frequently devastating. While not constantly sad, Maquia has plenty of powerful moments, along with a constant sense of foreboding.

12

Look Back

A Beautiful Friendship & Heartbreak

Based on a well-loved manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto, Look Back is a movie of two halves. The first revolves around the slow-budding friendship between Fujino and Kyomoto, two very different people who gradually bond over a passion for manga. While not starting on positive terms, their dynamics grow naturally, eventually reaching a point when they are nearly inseparable. The second half of the movie takes a drastic turn that packs a lot of emotion into roughly 20 minutes.

Look Back is a slice-of-life drama that might take inspiration from the Kyoto Animation arson attack, a real-life tragedy that happened in 2019. While not an easy watch at times, Look Back is among the best anime movies of the 2020s so far, along with comfortably being one of the saddest of all time.

11

Wolf Children

A Single Mother And Her Two Lovable Children

Wolf Children

Release Date

July 12, 2012

Runtime

117 Minutes

Director

Mamoru Hosoda

Mamoru Hosoda’s crowning achievement, Wolf Children is one of the definitive anime stories dealing with parenthood. Hana falls in love with a Wolfman, and they have two kids. However, when her partner passes away, Hana is left to raise Yuki and Ame alone, a responsibility that threatens to overwhelm her.

The story follows the family over several years, showing not only Hana’s attempts to adapt to a seemingly impossible situation but also Yuki and Ame’s efforts to find their place in the world. Wolf Children does not tell a constantly devastating story, but rather captures both the simple beauty and sporadic struggles that define life.

10

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

Bringing Out the Sadness in a Classic Folk Tale

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is essentially a retelling of one of Japan’s oldest folk tales, ‘The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter’. It follows the tale faithfully, as the bamboo cutter cuts open one bamboo stalk to reveal an infant no bigger than his thumb. Choosing to raise the child as his daughter, whom he names Kaguya, he’s rewarded for his benevolence by discovering a gold nugget with each stalk he cuts, becoming rich in the process.

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The movie expands on the tale by showing the cutter get conceited as he gets richer, and overprotective of Kaguya as she grows up and gains more suitors. They go to their utmost lengths to win her favor, even dying in the process, which shocks her deeply. All she wanted was to live an ordinary mortal life, living simply in the village. But that path is lost to her, and as she regains memories of her past life, her mortal father soon begins to regret what he let wealth do to him.

9

Into the Forest of Fireflies’ Light

Love, But Don’t Touch

Hotarubi no Mori e

Release Date

September 17, 2011

Runtime

45 minutes

Director

Takahiro Omori

Hotarubi no Mori e (‘Into the Fireflies’ Forest’) goes into the same folklorish territory as Princess Kaguya, only with a more unique story. It sees a young girl called Hotaru who gets lost in the forest on her way to her grandfather’s place. There she meets Gin, a human-like figure in a fox mask who’s actually a spirit. If he’s touched by a human, he’ll disappear forever, so he keeps his distance from Hotaru as he helps her find her way out.

Yet they continue to meet every summer and grow closer together as Hotaru grows up. Their feelings grow stronger, yet they cannot touch each other, or Gin will essentially die. They find ways around their different issues, but their love has an uncertain future, as couples can only go on so long without physical contact. It’s a brief but bittersweet love story that’s bound to make the heartache.