Every story has an ending and they are often marked by happy or dark and controversial endings. Some notable examples of manga with dark endings are “The Hunger Games” with its bittersweet ending and “The Mist” famous for its shocking ending.
Here are 7 manga series with brutal endings:
7 – Jinrō Game
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“Jinrō Jogo” also known as “Werewolf Game”, is a manga series with a score of 6.55/10 on MyAnimeList, written by Risadinha Akiguchi and illustrated by Koudon. The series includes 3 volumes and 18 chapters.
The plot revolves around a group of teenagers who are kidnapped and imprisoned in a mansion, where they are forced to participate in a life-threatening game of deduction. They are divided between “residents” and “werewolves”, with the residents having to execute the werewolves to win. However, the game has a brutal twist that makes the story dark.
Nishina and her lover, Inoue are the last two survivors. Nishina accuses Inoue of being a werewolf and wins. However, the victory is fleeting as they are both drugged and put into a new game as “werewolves” in a new group, continuing the story in “Jinrō Jogo: Beast Side”.
6 – Sun-Ken Rock
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“Sun-Ken Rock” tells the story of Ken, a rogue high school student who moves to Korea to pursue his crush, Yumin. The manga, created by Korean manga artist Boichi, begins with a romantic premise and develops into a plot focusing on gangs and conflict.
The story culminates in a fight against the White Dragon yakuza gang, led by Yumin’s father. As a result of Yumin’s betrayal, she revealed her desire to control the clan and in a surprising act, threw Ken off a building. Ken survives, but loses his gang and his love, leaving to rebuild his life in America.
5 – Girls Go Around
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Initially presented as a normal school manga, Girls Go Around quickly reveals its dark nature. Protagonist Kyōsuke discovers that his schoolmates are trapped in a time loop due to extreme remorse.
The situation becomes worse when Kyōsuke realizes that the only clear solution to breaking the vicious cycle is a sad ending for himself. However, this only perpetuates the vicious cycle, as her friend Chihiro feels guilty about her death, starting an endless loop of regret and death.
4 – Meteor
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Meteor is a post-apocalyptic survival story after a meteor strike. Protagonist Tomoko and other survivors search for shelter and their families, eventually discovering that the event was a manipulation intended to test weapons. The tragic ending unfolds when Tomoko tries to save a boy but both are seriously injured and abandoned by a friend.
3 – School Mermaid
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The story begins with a peculiar premise: girls who use a magical notebook at night at school can summon mermaids. These seemingly harmless creatures can become aggressive and have a terrifying appearance.
Their purpose is to hunt mermaids to make their love come true. The story takes a dark turn when Yoshiko belatedly realizes the true nature of the game and her friend Haruko reveals her selfish intentions, making Yoshiko easy prey for future games.
2 – Shadow Star
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“Dark Star” begins as a typical magical girl story, but quickly reveals a much darker nature.
The plot develops tragically with the deaths of the characters. The shocking ending reveals that the world is the creation of two dragons by Shīna and Mamiko, who decide to reset the world, transforming their children into the new Adam and Eve.
1. Platinum End
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After the success of “Death Note”, the duo Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata introduced “Platinum End”. The series follows Mirai Kakehashi, a student saved by his guardian angel, Nasse. This person not only swore to protect him but also granted him special powers as Mirai was also one of the 13 candidates chosen by the various angels.
The manga’s ending is especially dark: Humanity should control its own destiny. However, this act ultimately destroys humanity and possibly the entire universe, leaving an ambiguous and disturbing ending.