Anime has taught us many things over the years. While covering a wide variety of subjects and facts, the many life lessons we learned will forever hold a special place in fans’ hearts. The beauty of Anime lies in the fact that it will not hesitate to hit us with harsh and grim realities. As such, there are so many sad and depressing moments and unforgettable quotes strewn all across our favorite titles.
This list will be looking at our top picks for the Best 60 Sad Depressing Anime Quotes out there, delivered in ways that punctured our hearts with memorable characters at just the right moment. It includes quotes on life, love, death, emotions, loneliness, darkness, sacrifice, loss, pain, depression, and so on. See if any of these hit you right in the Kokoro and assault you with a splash of nostalgia.
Best Sad Depressing Anime Quotes
Starting off the list is one of the most iconic and tragic anime out there, Akame Ga Kill. This series is rife with sacrifice and loss, while all the characters believe it is for the greater good. The very first moment of tragedy for fans was likely the death of Sheele. This seemingly absent-minded and clumsy girl leaves an everlasting impression of the type of life most who do not fit in life and how cruel life itself can be.
1. “I’ve never been able to do anything right. I couldn’t take pride in a single thing I did. People would always make mean comments about me, like maybe I was crazy or something.”
2. “I had a friend who was very kind to me. No matter what happened or how badly I messed up, she never once made fun of me. The time I spent with her was the only ray of happiness in my entire life.”
3. “No matter how many good deeds you perform, your past sins cannot be erased.”
In the present day and age, there’s almost a fan who hasn’t heard of Attack on Titan. It is one of the greatest series out there and the level of death and loss here is severe. Each key character’s demise leaves a scar on fans’ hearts in a way they did not know possible. Mikasa Ackerman is one of the most badass swordswomen out there but not even Misaka can take all the heartache head-on.
4. “This world is cruel and merciless.. But it’s also very beautiful.”
5. “I don’t want to lose what little family I have left.”
6. “There are only so many lives I can value. And I decided who those people were six years ago. So you shouldn’t try to ask for my pity. Because right now, I don’t have time to spare or room in my heart.”
When people hear the title “Fairy Tail”, they imagine a fun and happy tale. While this may be true to some extent, it hosts its own share of deep and sad depressing anime quotes. Lucy is the story’s protagonist, right alongside Natsu, who is a pretty average mage with a lot of hidden potentials. That’s why her words mean so much to most fans, who find her to be relatable and kind no matter how tough life gets.
7. “Don’t judge me unless you have looked through my eyes, experienced what I went through, and cried as many tears as me. Until then back-off, cause you to have no idea.”
8. “The worst kind of pain is when you’re smiling just to stop the tears from falling.”
9. “Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something, and has lost something.”
Sword Art Online’s Black Swordsman seems OP MC and untouched by feelings on the surface, but this cannot be further from the truth. Kirigaya “Kirito” Kazuto, at his core, is an ordinary boy who is very skilled at gaming, he is also a skilled sword fighter! His experiences and losses shaped him to be stronger every day, to overcome the grief, and continue sprinting forward. Some of his most memorable lines are dark anime quotes;
10. “I don’t even know the real names of the two… no, three that I killed back then. I just closed my eyes, put my hands over my ears, and tried to forget it all.”
11. “Whether here or in the real world, you can cry when it hurts. There’s no rule that you can’t show feelings just because it’s a game.”
12. “You can go anywhere you want in this world with a single blade. This may be a virtual world, but I feel more alive here than in the real world.”
If you ask an anime fan which series taught them the most life lessons, then their answer would most probably be Naruto. Many start their journey into anime with Naruto and almost all of them start loving Kakashi Hatake and his unyielding strength of heart. Naruto’s quotes are filled with sadness and loneliness, yet he continues to smile.
13. “This place makes me think about the mistakes I’ve made in the past… and I’ve made a lot.”
14. “There are things I learned. The hole in your heart is something other people can fill. If you reject your friends’ feelings and this world…”
15. “Forget about revenge. The fate of those who seek revenge is grim. It’s tragic, you will end up suffering and hurting yourself even more.”
Fairy Tail had more than its fair share of deep and emotional characters. Erza Scarlet is widely considered the Queen of Anime for her beauty and badassery. But underneath her sturdy plates of Armor is another vulnerable girl who is desperately trying to shield her heart from the pain of loss. Some of her best quotes are –
16. “A strong person is not one who doesn’t cry. A strong person is the one who cries and sheds tears for a moment, then gets up and fights again.”
17. “A flower can’t choose the place where it blooms and a child can’t choose the parents he’s born to.”
18. “Moving on doesn’t mean you forget about things. It just means you have to accept what’s happened and continue living.
Revy Rebecca is one of the most badass anime women out there, who is loud, rude, sarcastic, competitive, short-tempered, cynical, and confident. Yet the powerful girl suffers from her fair share of troubles and thus her words hit home.
19. “Whether we live or die isn’t a big issue. If you focus on being alive, you develop fear. Your eyes get clouded. But if you have no such feelings… you are capable of fighting right to the end of the world.”
20. “So how do you measure a thing’s worth? Nostalgia and memories don’t mean shit. Value is determined by a universally accepted unit. Money. Any other measures of value ain’t nothing more than sentimental bullshit.”
Vegeta, the blue hair character of the fallen Saiyan race of Dragon Ball, is a fan-favorite powerful Dragon Ball character. This regal, egotistical, ruthless, and heroic warrior underwent a lot of change in his lifetime, showing fans new depths of character development that would shape all Anime yet to come. Thus his words stuck like glue over countless years in our hearts…
21. “Spend most of your life ruled by another! Watch your race dwindle to a handful! And then… tell me what has more meaning than your own strength!”
22. “Even the mightiest warriors experience fears. What makes them a true warrior is the courage that they possess to overcome their fears.”
23. “Push through the pain. Giving up hurts more.”
If you didn’t cry at the finale of Your Lie In April, you’re a master at fighting back the tears. Kaori Miyazono entered the fray as a cheeky and outgoing cute girl, who had no issues with speaking out about what was on her mind. Little did we know, she was hiding the ugliest of truths and the deepest of emotions under her vibrant smile.
24.“Was I able to live inside someone’s heart? Was I able to live inside your heart? Do you think you’ll remember me at least a little? You’d better not hit “reset!” Don’t forget me, okay? That’s a promise, okay? I’m glad it’s you, after all. Will I reach you? I hope I can reach you.”
25. “Maybe there’s only a dark road ahead. But you still have to believe and keep going. Believe that the stars will light your path, even a little bit. Come on… Let’s go on a journey!”
26. “Whether you’re sad, you’re a mess, or you’ve hit rock bottom, you still have TO PLAY! That’s how people like us survive.”
Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day tugs at our heartstrings too. It’s all just too realistic and you can’t help but think about how many real people out there have experienced the pain of losing their loved ones in unexpected ways. Yet, Meiko “Menma” Honma teaches us about a harsh reality even following her untimely demise
27. “If I would’ve had a normal life, I wonder if when I got older, I would’ve married you…”
28. “Thanks for everything today. Tomorrow I’ll go to Heaven. Please be my friends until the very end.”
Tokyo Ghoul is a very dark emo anime and it’s no surprise that there are so many tragic characters in it who deliver sad quotes about life and death. Juuzou Suzuya appears to be a maniac at first, but through his experiences, he learns to be more human and amounts to something more than carnage.
29. “Why should I apologize for being a monster? Has anyone ever apologized for turning me into one?”
30. “If an angelic being fell from the sky and tried to live in this world of ours, I think even they would commit many wrongs.”
31. “Pain and I aren’t on speaking terms. It’s those who’ve tamed their weakness that wins in battle.”
Toradora’s infamous tsundere Taiga Aisaka is feisty and aggressive. She has a lot going on behind the curtains yet manages to put up the bravest front before others, despite her small stature.
She shows us that, no matter how strong we are, we all need to unwind and let it all out sometimes and the best place to do so is beside our beloved…
32. “It’s not about being right or being wrong. There are more important things than that. That’s why apologies and forgiveness become necessary.”
33. “That’s why people hesitate. In front of all the choices, one could lose hope and try to run away, because no excuse could be used. No matter how dangerous the long journey in life was, or how one admits to being dealt the short end of the stick, everything was the result of one’s own choices, it was a road chosen by oneself. Even if this path is hard, and there’s no chance of changing past choices, one cannot place the blame on other people. No matter how angry or frustrated one was, one would be alone on that path, for no one to replace you.”
34. “The thing you wished for the most, is something you’ll never get.”
The main protagonist of the iconic Hellsing series is none other than the Vampire Alucard, the most powerful weapon of the Hellsing Organization. This former human had tasted the bitterness of the world head-on and continues to fight it remorselessly. Despite the monster he has become, he still holds onto a shred of his humanity.
35. “Beneath that girlish exterior lies a fascinating and complicated creature. Abandoned in a town of death. Her co-workers transformed into hungry, mocking visages of evil. A sadistic vampire hunting her down with the intention to rape and kill her! It was as close to hell as any mortal could imagine. And what did she do? What fate did she choose!? Giving up is what kills people. Those who refuse to give up are entitled their time to trample upon the weak.”
36. “Fight! Fight for the glory of your God! God does not help those who kneel before Him! God does not save those who pray for mercy, for those are not true prayers! Would you beg in the presence of your Lord? Your impiety begs only for death! True prayer is forged in battle! Dazzle your Lord with your prayer, and you shall know Him! You shall know Jerusalem! After the tearing, the crushing, the breaking of men’s bones, when the fruits of our prayers lie at our feet, God will descend from His throne on high to bring judgment upon His wretched and pitiful servants!”
One Piece will no doubt go down in history as the most popular and successful Manga series in the world. While Luffy and his crew are integral players who carry the tale forward, many other unforgettable characters bestowed upon us gems of wisdom, no matter how sad or depressing. Shanks is one of them and his words live eternally…
37. “By Experiencing Both, Victory And Defeat, Running Away And Shedding Tears, A Man Will Become A Man. It’s Okay To Cry, But You Have To Move On.”
“You Can Pour Drinks On Me. You Can Throw Food At Me. You Can Even Spit On Me. I’ll Just Laugh That Stuff Off. But…Good Reason Or Not…Nobody Hurts A Friend Of Mine!”
Zena Marienteil from Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody is a mere magic soldier belonging to Seiryuu city’s territorial army. Despite her family being nobles, they are of the lowest rank, with only humble riches and almost no status in governmental politics to show for it. With only a seemingly promising future ahead of her, this girl marches on and gives it to her all against all odds.
39. “I want to become stronger. At least, on equal footing with the demon. For the shares of our fallen comrades too, we will become stronger. Next time, we will stand beside the one who creates the miracle!”
Albedo is the gorgeous Demon Succubus of the Overlord series, who acts as the Overseer of the Guardians of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. While handling the general management and supervision of the seven Floor Guardians’ activities, she spares nothing in expressing her love and devotion to Momonga. As the highest-ranking NPC of Nazarick, her quotes are shrouded in bone-chilling darkness.
40. “L-Lord Ainz! P-Please promise me. Promise me that you won’t toss us aside and leave this land! Why? Why won’t you promise me?! What are you dissatisfied about?! If you tell me, we will quickly eliminate the problem! If you say I’m the one in your way, I would kill myself immediately!”
41. “I don’t like them. Humans are fragile and inferior creatures. If I crush them like insects, there would be a pretty sight to behold. I don’t like them. Humans are fragile and inferior creatures. If I crush them like insects, there would be a pretty sight to behold.”
42. “History is written by the victors. All of your false accusations will soon be erased.”
Assassination Classroom is probably one of the greatest animated series out there that stresses the true meaning of being a Teacher. While none of the teachers in the series are ordinary, they all have something invaluable to pass on to their students, lessons learned through sweat and blood. Irina Jelavic appears to be blonde hair anime girl designed for fanservice at first, but fans soon discover how she is a scared little girl who was forced to grow up due to circumstances.
43. “Whatever you kids decide, think it through first. Feelings are difficult to kill, but they’re a lot harder to resurrect.”
44. “A woman’s beauty is fleeting. Unlike me, you girls were born into a country that isn’t particularly dangerous. Be grateful and use everything you have to make yourself shine as a woman.”
The King of Sindria, the World Innovator, the head of the International Alliance, and the president of the world’s most powerful trading company, the Sindria Trading Company is none other than the one-man-army purple hair Sinbad of the Magi series. Charismatic and powerful, one would expect his life to be a smooth flow uphill. Yet his path is littered with strife, hard-won battles, sweat, blood, and tears.
45. “The world is still filled with too many unreasonable things. I accept all those who will stand against such inequalities.”
46. “It’s impossible to share everything. No one can become someone else. It’s natural to envy someone who’s more wealthy or who has higher standing. That’s how conflicts begin. However, being blissfully unaware of this, relying on whatever someone provided without thinking, and only seeing things as “black” or “white” with such overly simplified thinking… Isn’t that a sin as well? People need to think for themselves. For this reason, someone “grey”, someone between “black” and “white” is essential. I will not gloss over the flaws in my ideals. It’s not possible for all of mankind to share the same kind of thoughts. However, everyone is capable of thought. Everyone can learn, share, and decide with their own strength. A world built upon an understanding of that. If this is a “dream” if I don’t realize it, who will?”
Hideri Kanzaki from Blend-S anime is all about accepting who you are and not being afraid to follow it. Cafe Stile’s fifth edition captures the hearts of customers via his adorable looks and by playing an idol singer, despite never singing. Most of us have felt these feelings at some point;
47. “But my parents don’t understand….”
48. “I guess I always have to be on guard!”
The red hair Raynesia, also known as Lenessia Erharte Cowen, enters the hectic fray of Log Horizon as a typical Isekai princess. Slowly yet surely, she starts to show fans her true nature, a very relatable one at that; a lazy and carefree girl who loves to eat and sleep the entire day. This is exactly why her words speak volumes to us.
49. “Protecting someone means giving them a place to belong. Giving them a place where they can be happy.”
50. “Adventurers are free. They are freer than we are. It’s true that we may be weaker than they are. But that doesn’t mean that, in our weakness, we can become aggressive. We don’t have the right to take advantage of our weaknesses and use them as tools!”
The 16-year-old princess Nausicaa from the movie Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, is the eleventh child of King Jhil, in addition to being the only one to live to maturity. Her life is full of loss and death despite her young age, thus viewers have a lot to learn from her tale…
51. “The greatness of a mind is determined by the depth of its suffering.”
52. “I irrigated this chamber using water drawn from deep underground by the castle windmill. I used soil drawn from there as well. I found that with clean water and soil, the plants from the toxic jungle aren’t poisonous. All the poison is in the soil. Even the topsoil in our valley is polluted but doesn’t understand who could have polluted the entire earth?”
Kiki from Kiki’s Delivery Service is a 13-year-old witch-in-training, who starts her witch delivery service. Strong-willed, friendly, curious, kind-hearted, sweet, upbeat, proud, and stubborn, she shows us how much we can amount to if we simply had hearts.
53. “Maybe I can stay and find some other nice people who will like me and accept me for who I am.”
54. “Without even thinking about it, I used to be able to fly. Now I’m trying to look inside myself and find out how I did it.”
The Haruhi Suzumiya series is filled to the brim with the unusual. Yet, its characters show viewers time and time again how human they are and how difficult one’s circumstances can be. Yuki Nagato is seemingly emotionless, but underneath this, her facade is a deep and complex web of feelings.
55. “That, I don’t want to do. You may feel that I’m currently an abnormal Nagato Yuki. That judgment is correct. But I myself cannot accept that I am abnormal… because if I do, I’ll become alone. I was scared, so I tried to hide it.”
Pink hair Yuno Gasai from Future Diary has become the face of Yandere Anime girls for a good reason. But that isn’t all there is to her, for underneath her outer guise lies a frightened little girl who only wishes to be with her beloved, after suffering from countless losses and unfairness.
56. “I was practically dead, but you gave me a future. Yukki is my hope in life, but if it won’t come true then I will die for Yukki, and even in death I will chase after Yukki.”
57. “Everything in this world is just a game and we are merely the pawns.”
C.C. is one of the most popular girls out there. As the tritagonist of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, the green hair character expresses little to no emotion. Yet she is a sexy girl who has shown to be stubborn, selfish, headstrong, and possessing high standards in due time, despite her apathetic demeanor.
58. “If you had the strength, you could live. This is our contract. In return for my gift of power, you must grant one of my wishes. If you enter this contract, you will live as a human, but also as one completely different. Different rules, different times, a different life… The power of the king will make you lonely indeed. If you are prepared for that, then…”
59. “False tears bring pain to those around you. A false smile brings pain to one’s self.”
Last but not least, an entry from an older jewel series, Sailor Moon! Michiru Kaiou, more commonly known as Sailor Neptune, is an elegant, sophisticated, sometimes cold girl, who has sharp anger issues. Described as ‘the ideal princess’ by Sailor Moon herself, she hides her fair share of troubles and sadness beneath her glowing exterior….
60. “Maybe you misunderstood…A world without Haruka isn’t a world worth saving.”
This concludes our list of some of the saddest, depressing yet incredibly impactful Anime quotes that touch upon aspects of life, love, death, emotions, loneliness, and darkness. All of us have experienced these feelings and will continue to for as long as we live, but these are part of why we can live life to the maximum. So do not falter, keep pressing forward like our beloved characters, no matter what obstacle you face!
If your favorite quotes were not included in this list, we apologize, for we cannot include them all. Either way, we hope you have a deep and impactful experience.
