Anime is filled with numerous types of characters and creatures that serve multiple purposes as supporting characters or companions to the main protagonist. Often, this companion is a fluffy four-legged dog that brings a warm feeling to the show with its innocence and loyalty. Famous dogs such as Ein from Cowboy Bebop or Akamaru from Naruto made tremendous impacts in their series and are forever remembered by fans worldwide.
However, sometimes the adorable canines serve another purpose in anime, to bite the dust. When a dog dies in an anime, it is felt by every fan and viewer and remains one of the most tragic moments in the show, even more than the death of the main protagonist. While it is not a common occurrence, there are plenty of shows that send lovable fluffs to the big dog park in the sky; here are some anime that kill the dog.
6 Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood – Alexander
Full Metal Alchemist is one of the greatest anime stories ever told; the series tells a tragic journey of the Elric brothers on a mission to recover their original bodies after an unfortunate alchemy ritual left them permanently scarred inside and out.
However, Full Metal Alchemist’s story also left viewers with a few scars of their own, specifically with the story of Nina Tucker and her dog, Alexander. Nothing would prepare fans for the twisted and horrific event that would engulf the Tucker family; along with Nina, Alexander would also pay the ultimate cost as Shao Tucker attempted to reconstruct his greatest achievement that would go down in history as the most sinister episode of an anime.
5 Wolf's Rain – Blue
Wolf’s Rain is a classic anime created by one of the most prolific writers in anime, Keiko Nobumoto. Nobumoto has worked on several anime and films that have defined anime fans generation after generation, such as Cowboy Bebop, Space Dandy, Tokyo Godfathers, and Samurai Champloo, to name a few. Wolf’s Rain is a unique telling of a pack of wolves on a journey to find Paradise and escape the dismal world where they are constantly hunted.
Within the show, A wolf-dog hybrid named Blue has one of the most impressive character arcs in the series; starting as a loyal pet to a wolf hunter, once her wolf blood is ignited, she realizes she should be with her own kind. Unfortunately, this leads Blue down a dangerous road where her own demise is waiting for her. However, Blue goes out with no regrets and with love in her heart, having gotten her pack as far as she could.
4 Elfen Lied – Lucy’s Puppy
Elfen Lied is another classic among splatterpunk horror anime; the series has gained a cult following that embraces the anime’s dark story and tragic hero. Lucy serves as the main protagonist and antagonist to some extent in Elfen Lied; she is plagued by an alternate personality when pushed to the edge or threatened and becomes incredibly ruthless. Lucy possesses a mysterious power as a Diclonius; this power grants her special invisible weapons called “Vectors” that she uses to turn those who threaten her or the things she holds dear into swiss cheese.
However, Lucy was not always this way, as she endured a horrific childhood of torment and experimentation; a single traumatic event would change Lucy forever when her pet dog was beaten to death in front of her by classmates. As a result, Lucy suffered a mental breakdown and became the villain of her own story.
3 Paranoia Agent – Maromi
One of the most mind-bending and unnerving psychological horror anime, Paranoia Agent, succeeds at making its viewers uncomfortable. The story follows a string of murders committed by a supernatural force known as "Little Slugger," along with the mental health struggles of his victims, including the main character, Tsukiko Sagi.
Specifically, Paranoia Agent explores the amount of damage Tsukiko does to her own mind by holding on to the guilt of her childhood; when Tsukiko was a child, her pet dog was killed when hit by a car. Tsukiko's guilt inadvertently creates Little Slugger and sparks the bizarre events that occur in the series.
2 Gintama – Jerry
The fan community of the Gintama anime will remember the tragedy of Jerry, the dog; in a flashback in episode 153, the tale of Jerry is told alongside the main plot. Matching Gintama’s irregular story, Jerry was the loyal companion to a lonely young girl who spent every day together. Unfortunately, the young girl would soon gain more friends and forget about her dog and begin to neglect him.
The young girl even went as far as to command Jerry to stay in place until she was ready to play with him, and like a good pet, Jerry obeyed. The young girl and her family were forced to flee their home and could bring Jerry along, so instead, she commanded him to stay, and Jerry did so until he wasted away waiting for her to return. This episode of Gintama was portrayed as a radio show that makes you cry and was a completely random addition to the episode.
1 Jo-Jo’s Bizarre Adventure – Multiple
Jo-Jo’s Bizarre Adventure is one of the most well-known anime in existence and has a massive fanbase similar to that of One Piece; for five seasons, the series created by Hirohiko Araki has wowed fans all across the world with its exciting characters and whimsical antics that fill each episode.
A regular trope that appears throughout the length of the show is the gallant sacrifices that dogs make in the series. Countless dogs have met their end in various ways that are almost comical; in total, since the last episode of the most recent season, there have been nine total dog deaths, clearly showing that Jo Jo’s Bizarre Adventure has no fear of killing the dog.