Well-placed twists can alter the course of an anime forever, and the best ones stay with us long after they happen — indeed, we’re still thinking about some of them years later. Many of the most mind-blowing turns are set up gradually, making them more impressive when they unfold. It’s undeniably satisfying to look back and see the signs were there, even if you missed them the first time around.
Of course, some twists benefit from the element of surprise. The ones that come out of left field can be powerful when done right. Those that occur early in an anime get them off to a memorable start, while those that happen later have the ability to completely upend their stories. And the best ones leave impressions that last years, cementing them among the greats.
7) Reiner and Bertolt Are the Armored and Colossal Titans (Attack on Titan)
Image via Wit Studio
Attack on Titan has so many mind-blowing plot twists that it’s hard to keep count, and the reveal that Reiner and Bertolt are the Armored and Colossal Titans remains one of the most memorable. Perhaps it’s the casual way the scene plays out, but this revelation will genuinely make viewers do a double-take. It’s well established, too, with previous scenes offering clues about their true identities. (I’ll never get over Reiner so clearly regenerating after a run-in with the Female Titan.) And this moment leaves an impression for more than the twist itself. It lays the groundwork for later reveals, like the existence of Marley. Plus, it’s well animated and packs an emotional punch.
6) Sosuke Aizen Is Actually a Villain (Bleach)
Image via Studio Pierrot
More than two decades out from Bleach‘s debut, it’s hard to imagine a time when Sosuke Aizen wasn’t a villain. But the anime’s earliest episodes sure try to convince us that he’s one of the good guys. And his death fakeout during the Soul Society arc makes it even more surprising when he emerges later on…and reveals that he’s been pulling the strings all along. The series sets him up as a kind-hearted, reasonable character, which makes this twist even more surprising. It’s easily one of anime’s most iconic, and it completely changes Bleach going forward. Without it, one of Shonen anime’s best villains wouldn’t exist.
As a horror movie fan, perhaps I should be more wary of young children, but Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood‘s Selim Bradley twist caught me totally off-guard. It’s shocking enough to learn that King Bradley is actually the Homunculus Wrath, but the later revelation that his son is Pride is even more jarring. The surprise factor already makes this an iconic twist, but the creepy nature of this reveal is all the more memorable. Hawkeye realizing the truth moments before the villain shows himself ramps up the tensions further. And Selim being “the first Homunculus” (apart from Father) raises the stakes going forward. It’s a great plot twist all around, and it still gets me on a rewatch.
4) The Characters Aren’t Actually Animals (Odd Taxi)
Odd Taxi is a mystery anime, so it has a few twists throughout its run. The most clever comes at the end, though, when we learn that none of the characters are actually animals — despite the way they’ve been depicted over the series’ 13 episodes. When Odakawa wakes up in the hospital after the series’ climactic confrontation, he suddenly sees the people around him as humans again. As it turns out, he has a condition called visual agnosia, which causes him to see the people around him as animals instead of recognizing what they actually look like. It’s a surprising but clever turn that completely changes how you see the series. And it explains a detail that’s surprisingly easy to overlook.
3) Nana Is There to Kill the Other Students (Talentless Nana)
Image via Studio Bridge
Talentless Nana is an anime that keeps you guessing at every turn, and it’s one that masters the art of the first-episode plot twist. The series’ opening concludes with a shocking moment that completely alters its tone and story going forward. While we’re made to believe that Nana is attending an isolated school for superhumans because she’s one of them, the final moments of Episode 1 prove otherwise. She pushes one of her classmates — a boy it seems will be one of the series’ leads — off a cliff, revealing her true nature. The anime later reveals that she’s there to kill the kids with powers, with this plot twist shifting the story from what looks like a standard Shonen show to a psychological thriller. It’s a brilliant way to grab viewers, and it’s a turn I’m still impressed by years later.
2) The Truth About Grace Field House (The Promised Neverland)
Image Courtesy of CloverWorks
Like Talentless Nana, The Promised Neverland nails its first-episode plot twist: that Grace Field House isn’t the idyllic orphanage it seems but a place to raise children for the slaughter. Emma and Norman learn that their fellow orphans aren’t going off to better homes; they’re being fed to the demons running the place. It’s a reveal that cements The Promised Neverland as a dark horror series and drives home that it’s not holding back. It’s a powerful hook, and it accomplishes a lot in just a few minutes.
1) The Truth About Luffy’s Devil Fruit (One Piece)
Image Courtesy of Toei Animation
One Piece‘s Wano Country arc changes what viewers think they know about Monkey D. Luffy, revealing that his Devil Fruit isn’t actually a Paramecia-type Gum-Gum fruit. Instead, it’s a rare Mythical Zoan fruit that grants him the power of the Sun God. It’s here he unlocks his Gear 5 form. And the awakening of Luffy’s Devil Fruit completely changes the anime, powering up its lead and altering his destiny. It’s a huge moment and one of One Piece‘s most epic, which is saying something given the sheer length of the anime.
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