Anime series like Naruto, Demon Slayer, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Jujutsu Kaisen have given the fans some of the most loving characters in the entire anime world but have also taken them away from the fans by giving them sad deaths to move the story or making an emotional impact on the audience.
Characters like Jiraiya, Rengoku, and Gojo Satoru have surely become fans’ favorite characters but also had to leave the series as it helped the protagonist either gain motivation or become stronger in some way. Their deaths not only affect the characters in the series but also affect the audience as they develop an emotional relationship with the characters.
However, before all of these deaths made an impact, there was one character from the popular anime series Fullmetal Alchemist whose death may have been considered the saddest death in anime history. His name was Maes Hughes he was a duty-driven and family-loving character. His death not only made a huge impact on the story, but it also saddened the fans a lot.
Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes in Fullmetal Alchemist
Maes Hughes was Colonel Roy Mustang’s closest friend and an Amestrian State Military officer assigned to the Central City Investigations Office. As an honorable soldier and devoted family man, Hughes was generally well-liked by the other characters, and his murder provided the primary driving force for the plot.
Hughes received a two-rank promotion following his passing, making him a Brigadier General. He was a military officer who always went above and beyond to take care of those who were important to him. He was determined, serious, and exceptionally intelligent.
Because of his keen attention to detail, decisiveness, and realism, Hughes is frequently the first to identify negative trends in a situation so that appropriate action can be taken. Hughes was the perfect character in almost every aspect. His death was an emotional turning point for the other characters and even the fans of the series.
Maes Hughes’s Death was the Saddest Death in Anime History
Hughes was soon targeted by the homunculi because he was the first to discover that they ruled the country of Amestris and wanted to uncover their truth. Hughes made every effort to escape and inform Colonel Roy Mustang of this information, but in the end, he was killed mercilessly by the sin/homunculus Envy, who changed into his wife which made him hesitant and thus resulting in Envy killing Hughes.
The scene where Hughes is killed by envy was heartbreaking to a lot of people, but Hughes’ funeral was the most moving of all. Every fan cried when they had to watch Elicia, Hughes’s daughter and Colonel Mustang cry while everyone else tried to control their emotions. His death is probably the most saddened in anime history.
