10 Heartbreaking Deaths In Anime
6. The Death Of Maes Hughes - Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Nobody was as much of an altruist as Maes Hughes. Commonly found fawning over his young daughter and beautiful wife, the skilled intelligence agent of the Amestris military was always a spot of levity in the emotional roller coaster that is Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.
From his introduction, Hughes was a light-hearted and grounded character that viewers could easily commiserate with as he constantly commented on the absurdity of State Alchemists and their adjacency to normal humans.
Unfortunately, his aptitude for intelligence led him down the wrong rabbit hole and landed him in the sights of some very dangerous people. With the fresh discovery of a devious plot in tow, Hughes attempts to get in touch with Colonel Roy Mustang to share the information. Sadly, his attempts are thwarted and he is left to bleed out in a phone booth after being shot by a shapeshifter that took on the appearance of his wife.
The death of the character would have been heartbreaking enough on its own, however, Brotherhood doesn’t pull punches. Following his death, viewers are left with a harrowing scene depicting Hughes’s funeral, complete with a truly crippling moment with Hughes’s young daughter, Elicia.
His death was something that shaped the remainder of the entire series and is never forgotten by the characters or viewers.