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On the fifth day of Weebsmas Luna gave to me…Deaths in the Snow that aren’t spoiler-free (aka this is your spoiler alert warning).

Welcome back to 12 Days of Weebsmas! We’re nearly halfway through our countdown to Weebsmas day and today we’re talking about something less warm and fuzzy and much more cold-hearted and tear-inducing. Today, we’re going to highlight the ghosts of anime past by counting down some of the saddest anime deaths that take place in the snow. Because let’s be real, a lot of deaths actually happen in the snow. These scenes are often pretty but brutal–perhaps because of the stark poetry created from seeing such red in the snow, maybe because of the symbolism of snow in anime. Either way, here are some of the saddest wintery anime deaths.

Demon Slayer

The setting: episode one of Demon Slayer. Tanjiro’s family home. It’s winter and snow is blanketing the forest when Tanjiro wanders home to find practically his whole family slaughtered by demons. There’s blood in the snow, blood in their home, and only Nezuko is slightly alive. Honestly, while these deaths personally don’t bother me or Star, we know that it’s a memorable snowy death sequence for most others.

Naruto

Where my millennials at? I think I can say anyone who watched Naruto back when it was coming out week to week, shed a few tears in season one of Naruto. Haku and Zabuza die within the same fight, both felled by the heroes of the show (Kakashi). Haku dies first, giving his life to save Zabuza–but then when Zabuza finally dies, he asks to be laid beside Haku. Kakashi helps him to Haku and we see glimpses of their special relationship–Haku and Zabuza, and as Zabuza passes away–it begins to snow. It’s truly a heartwrenching scene and quite the beautiful death for a shonen series. It certainly lives in my brain.

Clannad After Story

I’m not the biggest fan of Clannad, but damn do they know how to deaths. In Clannad After Story, which focuses on Tomoya’s relationship with his daughter Ushio, we witness a heartbreaking death that is, to this day, hard for me to watch. Ushio is sick with the same disease that took the life of her mother Nagisa, and she one day asks for Tomoya to take her on a trip. They go on a walk in the snow and Ushio loses strength and then literally dies in her father’s arms. Cue teartracks. Like honestly–killing a kid in the snow? Wow Clannad, you are some serious sadists.

Tokyo Ghoul

Perhaps the most famous death on this list (in my opinion). For many people, Hide’s death is a standout moment that can literally be visualized: Kaneki walking slowly. His boots crunching in the snow, arms holding Hide’s limp body. His eyes are downcast and empty–there’s light behind him–an eerie blue reflected from the snow on the ground as snowflakes fall all around them. The sad version of the opening plays as he slowly walks. It’s a visceral memory for a lot of people, and even if they

Samurai X – Trust and Betrayal

So this is one that I actually had to ask Star for because even though there are SO many deaths that happen in the snow, I was struggling. So I turned around and asked Star for a recommendation and she immediately knew: Kenshin. In particular, the Samurai X – Trust and Betrayal movie. Tomoe, Kenshin’s love interest is slain in the snow, but honestly, this death is much sadder than anticipated. The whole time, Tomoe is actually after revenge on Kenshin for killing her ex-fiance, but throughout the story, Kenshin and Tomoe fall in love instead. So of course that makes it extra heartbreaking when Tomoe dies in front of Kenshin–making him feel the same way she felt when Kenshin killed her ex-fiance. As a parting gift, she also completes the cross scar on Kenshin’s cheek. It’s also after Tomoe’s death that Kenshin made his vow to never use his sword to kill ever again.

xoxo

Luna