5 Anime That Played Too Safe in The Final Saga, Ranked

Big finales promise that something real will be lost, but a few anime blink. Characters fall, planets blow up, and then a wish, a lucky save, or some borrowed life force puts everything back. One even swaps its best villain for a bigger, blander one.

These are five finished anime whose final sagas played it safe, ranked by how much of their own setup they walked back. The list runs from the one that still leaves scars to the one that quietly dropped its best idea. To make it fair, every pick has already aired its last episode.

5 My Hero Academia Fixes Its War Damage a Little Too Quickly

My Hero Academia | Credits: Studio Bones

The Final War is rough, and we won’t pretend it isn’t. Shigaraki is gone, Toga is gone, and Deku ends up Quirkless again once the last embers of One For All fade. But watch how fast the show tidies up after itself. Edgeshot patches Bakugo from the inside, his own explosive sweat wakes him up, and he’s back on his feet right when All Might needs him. Eri’s horn rewinds Deku’s shredded arms. Even Spinner is saved from turning into a Nomu. My Hero Academia lands at number five because the war still takes real things from the heroes.

4 Fairy Tail Lets Makarov Die, Then Quietly Takes It All Back

Fairy Tail | Credits: A-1 Pictures

In Fairy Tail, Makarov casts Fairy Law in Episode 32 of the final series and dies, and for about fifteen episodes it genuinely stings. Then Mavis and Zeref’s curse finally catches up with them, and their life force brings him back. Gajeel gets pulled toward the underworld by Bloodman, yet Universe One happens to save him. Carla is fatally hurt, and Wendy heals her. Juvia gets revived after her fight with Gray. Ichiya and Anna vanish with Acnologia and are freed two episodes later. It’s number four because Zeref and Acnologia die for real, while the guild’s fallen keep getting a second chance.

3 Sailor Moon Wipes Out Her Whole Team Just to Hit Undo at the End

Sailor Moon | Credits: Toei Animation

Sailor Stars gets properly dark. Galaxia rips out the star seeds of the four inner Senshi first; Uranus and Neptune make their own last stand soon after, and Mamoru’s star seed sits in her collection too. For a stretch, it looks like Usagi might lose everyone. Then the finale arrives: Chibi Chibi is revealed as the Light of Hope, Usagi heals Galaxia instead of striking her down, the star seeds go free, and her friends, Mamoru included, are revived. Sailor Moon sits at number three because nearly everyone returns in one episode, though that’s a smaller reset than a wrecked planet.

2 Dragon Ball Z Blows Up the Whole Planet and Still Gets a Redo

Dragon Ball Z | Credits: Toei Animation

Kid Buu actually destroys the Earth, which should be the end of everything. Instead, Vegeta comes up with a fix. Dende and the Kais head to New Namek, summon Porunga, and make two wishes: restore the Earth, and bring back everyone good who died since the morning of the World Martial Arts Tournament. That clears the way for the Spirit Bomb, and Kid Buu goes down. A later wish even wipes the Buu memories from nearly everyone. Despite being one of the best shonen anime of all time, it takes second place because it resets a whole planet, though the villain still gets a proper ending.

1 Naruto: Shippuden Trades Madara’s Big Dream for a Cosmic Surprise

Naruto: Shippuden | Credits: Studio Pierrot

Madara is the Fourth War’s villain with a real argument. He wants a world without war, even if it means trapping everyone in the Infinite Tsukuyomi, and the heroes have to answer him. Then Black Zetsu drives a hand through his chest and reveals Madara was only ever a pawn. Kaguya Otsutsuki emerges from his body, a goddess arriving with almost no fuss, and Black Zetsu claims all of ninja history was staged to free her. Naruto and Sasuke seal her in about twenty episodes. Naruto: Shippuden is number one because the show dropped its best villain for a bigger, blander one.

Do you agree with our picks? We’d love to know your opinions and ideas in the comments below.