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A good deal of anime series have used curses as an integral part of their narratives, as the torment and anguish surrounding curses is bound to keep the audience intrigued until the end. Anime characters are no strangers to the use of curses. Some have actively inflicted curses on others, while others end up as victims by being cursed themselves.
Anime shows have also been quite creative and versatile with their depictions of curses, as seen in shows like Dororo and Another. As a result, characters sometimes end up receiving a boost in their power as opposed to the curse condemning them to lifelong suffering. While there are many shows that deal with the usage of curses and their consequence, some anime curses are much more dangerous than others.
5 Made In Abyss: The Curse Of Ascension
Made In Abyss is a mystery adventure show that follows a girl named Riko on a quest to find her mother, who disappeared long ago into the depths of the titular abyss. Viewers are initially led to believe that venturing into the abyss is the hardest thing that Riko would have to face, but it is soon revealed that the real challenge is to climb back up. The deeper down one goes into the Abyss, the harder it is to make one's way back up.
Each layer of the Abyss has its own characteristic effects that activate as soon as an explorer tries to ascend from it. The effects of the curse are especially highlighted by the dehumanized state of Mitty. Mitty was once a small girl but has since been morphed into a white formless monster due to the strain of ascending from the sixth layer of the abyss.
4 Another: The Curse on Class 3-3
Class 3-3 may appear to be just another class at Yomiyama North Middle School. In reality, though, the students, the faculty, and the family members of everybody associated with this class end up being the victims of an old mysterious curse. The curse dates back to 1972 when a boy named Misaki ended up dying in a house fire. Unable to accept the boy's death, his peers and teachers continued to pretend as if he was alive and a part of the class until graduation. The graduation picture of that year, however, showed an alive Misaki among the other students in the class.
Since then, at the beginning of each year, class 3-3 somehow ends up getting an extra student with one desk short. This extra person is a dead student or faculty member that has mysteriously been resurrected. The identity of the extra student remains unknown to even the extra, and they continue to pass the school year like a normal person. However, due to the unnatural presence of this extra person, at least one student of class 3-3 or their family member ends up dying each month.
3 Berserk: The Brand Of Sacrifice
Kentaro Miura's Berserk is a disturbing and nightmare-fueling fantasy show that repeatedly puts its main protagonist, Guts, in harm's way. After surviving a traumatic childhood, Guts finally sees some peace after he aligns himself with Griffith, the leader of the band of the Hawks. The friendship is quite short-lived, however, as Griffith, in his pursuit of power, ends up cursing Guts and his entire band, by branding and offering them as sacrifices for the demons to devour.
Fans then get to witness the horror of this curse as, one by one, the band members meet their brutal ends as the demons continue to torture and devour them. Guts and Casca are the only members who were able to survive the night of the attack, but their brand continued to draw demons toward them for the rest of their journey.
2 Dororo: Hiyakkimaru's Cursed Body
Another show that takes pleasure in the misery of its main protagonist is Dororo. Dororo centers around the misfortune of Hiyakkimaru, a lone samurai warrior, in pursuit of his 12 missing body parts that were stolen from him when he was born. Despite having no nose, eyes, ears, arms, or even legs, he continues on his quest using prosthetic limbs made by his caretaker Jukai.
In truth, however, Hiyakkimaru was cursed by his own father who made a pact with demons and offered the body parts of his own son in exchange for the power to rule over the world. Upon learning this, Hiyyakimaru becomes hellbent on hunting down the demons in possession of his body parts and taking revenge on his father.
1 Jujutsu Kaisen 0: Rika-Chan's Curse
In the brutal yet honest words of Satoru Gojo, "There is no curse more twisted than love." Rika was a childhood friend of Yuta Okkotsu, a student at Tokyo Jujutsu High. Rikka and Yuta cared for one another deeply and promised to marry each other and stay together when they grew older. However, a grave misfortune occurred when Rika was hit by an oncoming car while crossing a walkway. Before she could pass on, Rika ended up being cursed by Yuta, who could not accept Rika's fate despite witnessing the accident firsthand.
Rika then transformed into a white deformed monstrous spirit who continued to haunt Yuta for years and attacked anyone who dared to hurt Yuta. Her immense love for Yuta made Rica unstoppable and earned her the title of Queen of Curses. Yuta was finally able to lift Rica's curse after he joined Tokyo Jujutsu High.