10 Anime with Insane Plot Twists You'll Never See Coming

If you feel like you are getting tired of anime stories being predictable, you aren't alone. Of course, that extends more than to just anime, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to find series that will be able to shock the viewers. Of course, it's hard to do so without spoiling yourself, so here's a (non-spoiler) compilation of anime with plot twists which you won't ever expect!

1. Attack on Titan ( 2013)

Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) is famous for its plot twists. In fact, it is so full of them that nearly every arc has one or two that will completely turn around your understanding of certain characters — or the world of the anime overall.

It is also more than just that. The entire series goes through multiple genre shifts, and the best part is — everything has been planned and foreshadowed since the very beginning.

2. Code Geass (2006)

Perhaps one of the best examples of anime which entertains the viewer with the unexpected is Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch). Of course, Lelouch is a genius, and we'd expect him to outsmart his enemies — however, it is about how exactly he does it. Besides that, Lelouch himself isn't infallible, and whenever he fails, it's often a shock.

Perhaps the most notorious thing about Code Geass, however, is the ending of S2. In retrospect, it was very obvious the anime was going to end that way, but it still is a shock for the audience.

3. Charlotte (2015)

Key, the visual novel studio behind series like Clannad and Kanon, has been producing original anime as well. One of those is Charlotte, which starts out as a typical student council slice of life series, just with superpowers.

However, it wouldn't be interesting if it was just that, would it? The main plot of Charlotte might be rushed, but there are actual hints at it in the early episodes that you might only notice on a rewatch.

4. Re:Zero (2016)

Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- (Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu) is not your typical isekai. You have probably heard of its premise — the main character going back in time after his death — but that's not even a major plot twist.

Pretty much everything in the anime is a mystery, and the viewer is often left in the dark, or given Subaru's perspective only — which makes every major reveal hit like a truck. Re:Zero excels at shocking the viewer in the best possible way.

5. Astra Lost in Space (2019)

Astra Lost in Space (Kanata no Astra) follows a group of teenagers on a space voyage that end up stranded on an unknown planet. They try to return home while also attempting to face their own problems. But, of course, not everything is as it seems to be, and there always is a reason for things happening: a huge focus of the anime is why they ended up out there in the first place.

6. Talentless Nana (2020)

Talentless Nana (Munou na Nana) is an excellent bait-and-switch anime that tricks viewers into completely misunderstanding the premise at first. Of course, after the premiere, fans quickly learned to not trust anything the anime does, but pretty much every plot twist was a shock, as it is hard to expect them — not if they happen in such a quick succession in a thriller anime with an unsettling atmosphere.

7. Higurashi: When They Cry (2002)

If you have been watching anime for a while, you have definitely heard of Higurashi: When They Cry (Higurashi no Naku Koro ni) as a go-to horror anime recommendation. The anime very much deserves that reputation, but it is also incredibly entertaining, especially if you go in blind. The structure of the anime itself is a plot twist, and the reason why it is structured like that is also one — but it gets revealed way later.

8. Occultic;Nine (2016)

Steins;Gate is already full of amazing plot twists, but Occultic;Nine, which belongs to the same series, takes that up to eleven. The story is told at a breakneck pace (in fact, the first episode in particular was a turnoff to those who couldn't adapt to the very fast dialogue), but that's what makes it so fun. You really won't expect things coming, even though they become obvious when you look at them in retrospect.

Oh, and while this is a part of the same series as Steins;Gate and other Science Adventure series like Robotics;Notes, they also exist as visual novels in the world of Occultic;Nine. Don't even try to understand that.

9. Love Flops (2022)

The first episode of Love Flops (Renai Flops) is so generic that it feels like a parody. While the latter episodes seem to continue this romcom harem setup, you get first glimpses of the fact that not everything is as it looks like pretty soon. To not spoil it, the anime goes into sci-fi territory roughly halfway through, and does it in a very unusual way.

10. Zegapain (2006)

It is really hard to talk about Zegapain without spoiling it — because pretty much everything that makes the series so great comes from the fact that you don't know what is actually happening. The main character finds himself forced to pilot a mech and fight aliens… only to realize that pretty much nothing he knew about the world is actually true.