Summary
Mass destruction events in anime are devastating and can permanently change the series, like Eren Yeager's actions in Attack on Titan. The mass petrification in Dr. Stone is unique, with some victims dying upon thawing, adding complexity to Senku's situation. Catastrophic events like the Fall of Wall Maria in Attack on Titan permanently shape the lives of the characters and must be dealt with head-on.
Mass destruction events in anime aren't very common, but when they do happen, they're devastating. The villain usually causes them, and They will turn the main character's world upside down in an instant. While there may be some cleanup or restoration to bring people back, some of the devastation is permanent. This can leave a lasting impression on the entire series, or even define it, as was the case with Eren Yeager in Attack on Titan.
Mass destruction events are devastating tragedies.; they could kill off some of the series' most beloved characters, thereby changing the show's theme forever.
Whatever happens after these events, it is all devastating, destroy the world and life with just a thought.
10 Petrified – Dr. Stone
The whole world turned to stone
The mass petrification event that takes place at the beginning of the movie Dr. Stone is an unprecedented catastrophic event. Everyone on Earth suddenly saw a beautiful blue light, and moments later, they were turned to stone. Some people were preserved in their normal state, others were not so lucky. Some of the people who were petrified in Dr. Stone's universe were broken when they became stone, causing them to die if they were thawed. This is a complicated problem and it never gets easier for Senku.
Mass petrification events are One of the most unique premises in anime. The film sees the main cast return to their world 3,000 years later, with buildings destroyed and their friends trapped in stone. Luckily, it's a fixable situation for some of the people who were petrified. For others, it is not so.
9 Kid Buu Destroys Earth – Dragon Ball Z
The Death of Everyone on Earth
Death isn't something that's usually taken seriously in the Dragon Ball universe. Most of the cast has died at least once, and Goku himself has died multiple times. While the Z Fighters themselves are no strangers to the afterlife, the rest of the world is. There have been many villains who have threatened to destroy the Earth, but none of them have actually succeeded, until Kid Buu. With a single attack, Kid Buu did what every other villain in Dragon Ball wanted: he destroyed the planet.
Kid Buu not only destroyed the Earth and everyone on it, but also He was also able to kill Goten, Trunks, Piccolo and Gohan, Four of the strongest warriors in the world. Seeing the main cast killed off was truly shocking and made for one of the most serious moments in all of Dragon Ball.
8 Third Closest Impact – Neon Genesis Evangelion
Humanity meets a cruel end
Neon Genesis: Evangelion has some catastrophic events happening. Known as 'Impacts', these events change the course of humanity and in some cases, can end it. Near-Third Impact occurs while Shinji is fighting the 10th Angel. The Angel has absorbed Rei and Shinji does not accept that. He revives his downed Evangelion Unit and charges at the Angel, accidentally using its fuel source as his own. Unit 01 then begins to fly up, sprouted angel wings and caused terrible destruction across the planet.
The resulting explosion was massive. Shockwaves were sent throughout the world, killing anyone not in the bunker. Although the Third Impact was technically stopped, it served as a catalyst for the Fourth Impact that would eventually open the Guf Gate and plunging the world into further chaos.
7 Supernatural Liberation War – My Hero Academia
The Villains Who Reshaped Midoriya's World
The Supernatural Liberation War arc is one of the darkest arcs in the series. My Hero Academia. It's an all-out war between heroes and villains, and like any war, both sides suffer significant losses. Gigantomachia is on the rampage, causing major problems for the heroes trying to stop him. While they are able to subdue him, it's not without a price. Many heroes have sacrificed themselves trying to stop Gigantomachia, including fan-favorite Midnight.
The villains won the Paranormal Liberation War by a wide margin, killing a lot of important heroes and destroying tons of property in the process. Not only did the heroes suffer countless casualties on their side, but they also began to lose the public's trust, making their job more difficult. The Supernatural Liberation War is one of the few moments in anime where the villain wins so easily.
6 Bunker Destroyed – Nier: Automata Ver1.1a
Only two YoRHa units left
Nier: Automata Ver1.1a is a really gloomy anime. Its themes revolve around identity, purpose, and more, but focus on the darker side of reality. One of the darkest moments in the series is when the Bunker is infected, causing every YoRHa unit outside of 2B and 9S to go berserk. 2B and 9S are forced to flee their base by none other than the Commander himself, who is also infected in the process. The fight against the Machine Lifeforms has gone horribly wrong, But without Bunker, the situation seemed hopeless.
A2 is the only remaining YoRHa prototype unit capable of stopping the Machine Lifeforms. But even with her power, the situation is not looking good for humanity's remaining defenders. A2 watches the Bunker explode as 9S and 2B fall back to Earth, hoping to get help against the Machines.
5 The Rumbling – Attack of Titan
Eren kills 80% of the world
Attack on Titan's solution to its Marleyan problem is brilliant. After Eren relives his father's memories, and his own to some extent, he decides that The only way to protect his home island of Paradis is to kill most of those who have threatened him. While this was an absurd leap of logic, one cannot blame him for the decision he made. He relived the past and the future at the same time as the present, which literally shattered his mind. The only thing left in it was to protect his people and destroy all those who would harm them.
His plan worked.. Eren causes the Rumbling, releasing all the Titans from the Wall in Paradis and unleashing them on the world. No country is prepared for the destruction they bring, because Titans will kill 80% of the world's population before Mikasa blocked Eren's attack.
4 The Fall of Kamakura – The Elusive Samurai
Takauji's Betrayal of History
Elusive Samurai has quickly become one of the best shows of the summer of 2024. It has great animation, shocking scenes, and lovable side characters. It also has one of the most brutal betrayals in anime, when Takauji Ashikaga turns against the Kamakura Shogunate and slaughters them all. Most of the descendants of the Hojo clan commit suicide upon hearing the news of this betrayal. For those who cannot do that, life becomes a nightmare.
Takauji's forces wiped out what remained of the shogunate as they returned to Kamakura. Their betrayal set the stage for the Elusive Samurai story and also happened in real life. Takauji's betrayal was a historic betrayal and one of the most brutal betrayals in retrospect. He inspired Tokiyuki Hojo to become a powerful man and a wise leader who would one day reclaim his homeland.
3 Pains of Destroying Konoha – Naruto Shippuden
Pain has come to The Hidden Leaf with a vengeance.
Pain's appearance at Hidden Leaf is one of the most destructive events in Naruto: Shippuden. Not only does Pain defeat most of Konoha's strongest warriors with his six bodies, but his main body then unleashes his strongest abilities on the rest of the village. Using Almighty Push and the Rinnegan, Pain wiped Konoha off the map. If it weren't for Naruto's triumphant return, everything would have been lost forever.
Many characters died protecting Konoha. While Naruto was able to convince Nagato to revive everyone, the loss was huge when it first happened. Kakashi's death was the biggest shock. There are many heartbreaking moments in Naruto, but none compare to Pain destroying Konoha in terms of lives lost and the physical land changed forever.
2 The Fall of Wall Maria – Attack on Titan
Eren's entire world is turned upside down.
The opening of Attack on Titan is shocking to say the least. The first few seconds of the anime feature Eren and the rest of the Shiganshina district enjoying their day before being interrupted by the Colossal Titan. He looks down on their city before he and The Armored Titan breaks the wall and allows the Titans to rush in. The Titans then ran amok inside the walls, trampling over people and buildings. They destroyed everything in sight, and even killed Eren's mother right in front of him.
That was the day that shaped Eren's life. He had a normal upbringing until the Titans appeared and destroyed his family and home. Now, he is focused only on revenge, no matter how many people have to die. The fall of Wall Maria is one of the most devastating events in the entire anime.
1 Shibuya Incident – Jujutsu Kaisen
The Destruction Caused by Yuji's Own Hands
The Shibuya Incident can easily be considered the most brutal arc of all. Jujutsu Kaisen. The heroes of the series are lured into a trap set by Pseudo-Geto, and things couldn't get any worse for them. Their most powerful wizard, Gojo, has been captured, many others have been killed, and worse, Sukuna has slaughtered hundreds of people in Yuji's body. Sukuna takes over Yuji's body and goes on a rampage, usefully defeating Mahoraga while leveling Shibuya in the process.
Before Sukuna causes chaos on Shibuya Street, Choso, Mahito, Dagon, and Hanami set up their trap in the subway. They pulled Gojo down and started killing as many innocent people as possible, cornered the veteran warrior. Their trap worked. They were able to capture Gojo while only losing Dagon in the fight, killing dozens of innocent people in the process.
