Best sad and tragic anime
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (2019) leads the sad and tragic list, with a community score of 8.6, ahead of Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2. The 40 shows span 1988 to 2022, and 3 of them came out in the last five years. 32 of them carry the AniList tag "Tragedy". Most are also drama, action, and fantasy. 30 are series and 8 are movies; the typical series runs 24 episodes. Ranked by how plainly each story is built on sad and tragic, then community score and popularity. Each entry says what it was matched on.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy
Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy
The Promised Neverland
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy
Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy
Violet Evergarden
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy
anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day
Why it fits: synopsis mentions “untimely death”
No Game No Life: Zero
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy
Magi: The Kingdom of Magic
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy
The Ancient Magus' Bride
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy
Mushi-Shi
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy
Chainsaw Man
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy
Grave of the Fireflies
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy; synopsis mentions “grief”
Trigun
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy
Bungo Stray Dogs 2
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy
Blue Exorcist
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy
Perfect Blue
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy
Beyond the Boundary
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy
Black Butler
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy; synopsis mentions “tragedy”
Another
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy; synopsis mentions “passed away”
When They Cry
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy
Fire Force
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy
Golden Time
Why it fits: synopsis mentions “tragic”
Kizumonogatari Part 3: Reiketsu
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy
Blast of Tempest
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy
Jujutsu Kaisen 0
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy
Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy
Claymore
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy
Shiki
Why it fits: synopsis mentions “tragedy”
91 Days
Why it fits: synopsis mentions “tragic”
To Your Eternity
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy
Sword Art Online II
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy
Kino's Journey
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy
Penguindrum
Why it fits: synopsis mentions “sorrow”
the Garden of sinners Chapter 1: Overlooking View
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy
Legend of the Galactic Heroes
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy
Gangsta.
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy
Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part 2: Eternal
Why it fits: synopsis mentions “tragedy”, “grief”
Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo
Why it fits: AniList tag: Tragedy
Questions about sad and tragic anime
What is the best sad and tragic anime?
By AniVids' ranking, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba comes first, followed by Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2 and The Promised Neverland.
What are the newest and oldest sad and tragic anime on this list?
The newest is Chainsaw Man (2022) and the oldest is Legend of the Galactic Heroes (1988).
How many sad and tragic anime are there?
AniVids has 260 sad and tragic titles that match (counting each season, movie and special), and 189 separate franchises where it is plainly central. This page lists the best 40.