10 anime main characters who've lost more than Luffy from One Piece

Watching anime main characters suffer gives viewers a sublime experience in a twisted way. The various traumas experienced by the characters help viewers relate to and sympathize with them. Dark anime of 10-12 episodes leaves no room for its protagonist to breathe, whereas long-running anime gets more character arcs and fillers and lets its protagonist rest before putting them through more trauma.

One Piece's protagonist, Luffy, has suffered and lost a lot through the decades of its serialization. There is no end to his pain. However, some other anime main characters have suffered more than him. This article explores 10 such anime main characters, in no particular order, who have suffered and lost more than Luffy did.

Disclaimer: This article contains triggering/sensitive topics. The list is not ranked and solely reflects the writer's opinions. It contains manga spoilers.

Denji, Edward Elric, and 8 other anime main characters who have suffered more than Luffy

1) Guts (Berserk)

Guts as seen in Berserk manga (Image via Young Animal)

Guts ranks high among the anime main characters who have suffered a lot throughout life. After being born from his mother's corpse, Guts experienced a traumatic childhood at the mercenary after Gambino and Shisu adopted him.

While the plot of One Piece made Luffy suffer a lot, Guts lost much more, ultimately making him cold and anti-social, scared of touch. He never received the love of his parents and was se*ually assaulted by a man appointed by his father figure. This, along with the loss of his allies and Griffith's betrayal, left him deeply traumatized.

2) Eren Jaeger (Attack on Titan)

Eren Jaeger as seen in Attack on Titan: Final Season Part 2 (Image via MAPPA)

Since the beginning, Eren had been driven by the desire to wipe out Titans from the world. However, fans did not know he would achieve his goal in a horrific manner. At a young age, he had to see his mother being eaten alive by a Titan. At the end of the day, he realized that he had been orchestrating every event since the beginning.

The once cheerful boy suffered the trauma of losing his mother, got betrayed by supposed allies, and ultimately learned the truth, leaving him in a depressed state of mind. Eren wanted to be a free man, but at the end of the day, he died against his wish, his actions controlled by Ymir. He is one of the main anime characters who is also considered the antagonist of his own series and has lost much more than Luffy.

3) Edward Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)

Edward Elric as seen in the anime (Image via Bones)

Edward's trauma mainly centers around his mother's death and the loss of Al's body to the failed experiment. After being abandoned by his father at a young age, his world revolved around his mother and brother. He spent years trying to bring back his mother, only to fail horribly by losing his brother's body and his right arm and left leg.

While Luffy from One Piece always smiles and has a cheerful personality despite his traumatic childhood, Edward is portrayed as one of the anime main characters who is violent and stubborn on the surface. His fear of abandonment leaves Edward with trust issues, seldom showing selflessness to the few people he grows to care about in the later part of the story.

4) Denji (Chainsaw Man)

Denji's whole life has been a nightmare. He lost his mother at a young age and killed his father in self-defense, which left him with deep trauma. The dreams he shared with Pochita are the bare minimum one experiences in their everyday life, insinuating the terrible life he leads.

Denji achieved most of his dreams and considered Power and Aki as his family before Makima took it away. The loss of Nayuta and their pet dogs was used as a tactic to summon Chainsaw Man's true powers. Furthermore, he often experienced se*ual assault from Yoru. These are the factors that make Denji one of the anime main characters with the most traumatic life experiences.

5) Gintoki Sakata (Gintama)

Gintoki Sakata as seen in the anime (Image via Sunrise)

Gintoki is one of the anime main characters with the saddest backstory. He survived a traumatic childhood as an orphan. Gintoki was one of the survivors of the war. His inability to save his friends is one of the major causes of his trauma.

Even after the ban on the usage of swords, Gintoki carries the wooden sword, Toyako Bokuto, one of the most powerful weapons one could wield. The war has left Gintoki with PTSD, which manifests in his laziness, but he never backs down from engaging in a fight and taking it seriously. He is one of the anime main characters whose trauma resembles Luffy from One Piece.

6) Shinji Ikari (Neon Genesis Evangelion)

Shinji Ikari as seen in the anime (Image via Gainax)

Shinji is one of the anime main characters who cannot let go of the past that has traumatized him. Being abandoned by his father at a young age has left a profound impact on his life. He constantly tries to do better so he won't be left behind again.

Shinji ranks high amongst anime main characters who suffer throughout the story. Piloting Evangelion Unit-01 from a young age and witnessing the loss of his allies are a few of the factors that contribute to Shinji's extreme suffering, making him an anime character who has lost more than Luffy from One Piece.

7) Akira Fudo (Devilman: Crybaby)

Akira as seen in Devilman: Crybaby (Image via Science SARU)

Akira lived a relatively normal life until his old friend Ryo returned with ulterior motives. Amon's possession of Akira was only the beginning of his agony, making him one of the anime main characters who met a tragic end.

The Makimura family took care of him since his parents left for work. Akira developed attachments towards the family and saw a potential love interest in Miki. He lost every single person he cared for and sacrificed his life while fighting Ryo during the climax. Even though the planet underwent a new beginning, Akira suffered immensely throughout the story.

8) Lelouch Lamperouge (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion)

Lelouch as seen in the anime (Image via Sunrise)

Lelouch is one of the anime main characters, who is regarded as an anti-hero. He uses his intelligence in order to bring about a new world instead of academics that he deems trivial. Throughout the story, he is hated and betrayed by all, with only a few supporters.

The most traumatic moment for the complex character of Lelouch is when the truth about his mother is brought to the limelight. Lelouch has always been motivated by his hatred towards his father, but learning that it was a part of his parents' plan, he kills both of them and becomes the emperor. The betrayal he suffered is somewhat comparable to Eren's and ranks higher than that portrayed in One Piece.

9) Thorfinn (Vinland Saga)

Adult Thorfinn as seen in Vinland Saga season 2 (Image via MAPPA)

Thorfinn lived a good childhood with his family in Iceland after his father defected from the Jomsvikings. His peaceful days soon came to an end when he witnessed the death of his father and vowed to kill Askeladd.

After Canute kills Askeladd, Thorfinn becomes depressed and loses his will as he is unable to attain his main goal of avenging his father. He suffers a lot during his fate as a slave. However, Thorfinn becomes one of the anime main characters who is able to attain freedom and go on to establish Arnheid Village.

10) Yuzuru Otonashi (Angel Beats!)

Yuzuru Otonashi as seen in the anime (Image via P. A. Works)

The death of his sister, Hatsune, left a huge impact on Otonashi's life. While he was mostly portrayed as a depressed child, Otonashi grew the desire to save people after his sister's death.

Hatsune's passing made Otonashi even more depressed, as he thought he had lost the will to live. However, his desire to save people kept him going until he died. Even in the afterlife, Otonashi suffered grave trauma by being unable to save people.

Final Thoughts

Most anime main characters mentioned have suffered a traumatic childhood, which shaped their personality and gave rise to various goals. While some of them attained their objectives, it wasn't without further sacrifices that made their losses more painful than those of Luffy from One Piece.