Anime is full of turning points, moments so crucial that a single different decision could’ve changed theentire story. Some of these “what if” moments haunt fans long after the credits roll, not because of what happened, but because of what could’ve happened.
What if a character had lived instead of died? What if someone made adifferent choice, walked away, or never picked up the phone? These aren’t just throwaway hypotheticals, they’re windows into alternate realities that could have unraveled into completely different outcomes, for better or worse.
In this list, we dive deep into nine of the most compelling “what if” moments in anime.
9What If L Didn’t Die in Death Note?
Death Note
L’s death in Death Note wasn’t just aplot twist, it marked a point of no return. His quiet, bizarre behavior and razor-sharp intellect had kept Light Yagami on edge, cornered, and humanized. But once L was gone, the story shifted. The cat-and-mouse game that had fueled the first half of the anime gave way to a more global, ideological battle with Near and Mello stepping in as his successors.
But what if L had lived?
L was already suspicious of Light, narrowing in on him with his usual surgical precision. He was piecing together evidence, observing behaviors, and even taking risky moves like chaining himself to Light. Given a little more time, there’s a real chance he might’ve exposed Light without the guesswork that Near and Mello relied on. The world might have seen Light fall in a more public, undeniable way.
The second half of Death Note could’ve been something entirely different. Maybe L and Light would’ve pushed each other into deeper moral and psychological territory. Perhaps Light, unable to kill L, would’ve spiraled faster into desperation and mistakes. We’ll never know. What we do know is that the chessboard lost its greatest player too soon.
8What If Eren Never Touched Historia in Attack on Titan?
Attack On Titan
When Eren touched Historia’s hand during the medal ceremony in Attack on Titan Season 3, something irreversible happened. That contact allowed him to access the Founding Titan’s memories, memories of his father, of Ymir, and of a world shaped by cruelty and vengeance. It was the first real step toward the Rumbling.
But what if that touch never happened?
Without those memories, Eren wouldn’t have known the truth about what his father did or what the future demanded of him. He wouldn’t have seen the memory of himself pushing his father to kill the Reiss family. The path wouldn’t have been set.
The Rumbling might never have happened, or Eren might have delayed his rebellion against Marley and the world. He could’ve remained closer to Armin and Mikasa, instead of pushing them away. His choices would have remained grounded in the present, rather than being dictated by a memory of the future.
That single touch changed everything. It gave Eren a reason, a plan, and a crushing inevitability that turned him from a hero into the most tragic villain the series had ever seen.
7What if Future Trunks Never Brought The Medicine?
Dragon Ball Z
In Dragon Ball Z, Future Trunks appeared with one goal: prevent the death of Goku and the future apocalypse caused by the Androids. He brought heart virus medicine and a warning, altering the course of the main timeline forever.
But what if he hadn’t made the trip?
Without the medicine, Goku would’ve died before the Androids even emerged. The Z Fighters would’ve faced Android 17 and 18 without their strongest warrior, leading to an outcome much closer to Trunks’ original timeline, one filled with death, ruin, and desperation.
Cell wouldn’t have been stopped either. Without Goku and without Trunks’ interference, the Android Saga could’ve easily ended with Cell absorbing the others and achieving his perfect form without resistance.
What’s interesting is that Trunks’ actions created an alternate timeline where the worst was avoided… but his own world remained shattered. He saved a reality he never got to live in. That’s one of the most bittersweet ironies in Dragon Ball Z, Trunks was the savior of a world that was never his.
6What If Lelouch Never Became Zero in Code Geass?
Code geass: Lelouch Of The Rebellion
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion
Lelouch’s decision to create the persona of Zero was impulsive and emotional. After witnessing the massacre of innocent Japanese civilians, he chose to take up arms against the Britannian Empire. That mask allowed him to unite the oppressed, deceive his enemies, and become a symbol of rebellion.
But what if he never donned it?
Without Zero, the Black Knights wouldn’t have formed. There would’ve been no unified resistance against Britannia, just scattered outbursts of violence. Lelouch would’ve remained a student, hiding his powers as a Geass user, and perhaps eventually losing control of them.
Suzaku, too, would’ve remained on his path of changing the system from within, but without Lelouch to challenge his ideals, he may never have questioned his loyalty. Euphemia might have lived, and the massacre at the Special Administrative Zone of Japan might never have happened.
Yet, without Zero, the world wouldn’t have been forced to confront the flaws of power and war. The world Lelouch dreamed of, the one where Nunnally could live in peace, could never have existed.
Guts’ decision to leave the Band of the Hawk was personal. He wanted to forge his own destiny, not one that orbited Griffith. But his timing was fateful. His departure shattered Griffith, who then made the fateful decision to seduce Princess Charlotte, and ultimately got imprisoned, tortured, and broken.
But what if Guts had left earlier?
If Guts had walked away just a little sooner, Griffith may have found a way to maintain control, perhaps even keeping his ambitions intact without the desperation that led to his downfall. There would’ve been no need for the Eclipse. The Band of the Hawk might’ve remained whole, even if diminished.
Alternatively, had Guts left earlier, he may have had the strength to change his own fate. Perhaps he could’ve warned the others about the danger Griffith posed. Maybe even returned to stop the Behelit from being used at all.
It’s the kind of scenario that’s hard to escape once you’ve seen what happens. The horror of the Eclipse lingers in every hypothetical, and Guts’ presence at that moment sealed both his and Griffith’s dark destinies.
4What If Thorfinn Killed Askeladd Sooner in Vinland Saga?
Vinland Saga
Thorfinn’s entire youth was consumed by hatred. He followed Askeladd’s band of mercenaries across Europe, fueled only by revenge. His single goal was to kill the man who murdered his father, Thors. But he could never bring himself to do it, not until it was too late.
What if he had?
Had Thorfinn killed Askeladd early on, he would’ve never discovered the complexity of the man who shaped him. He would’ve lost his only source of purpose, yes, but also his only real guide in a brutal, unforgiving world. Askeladd’s death at the hands of Thorfinn would’ve left the young warrior directionless, consumed by vengeance without even understanding what it truly meant.
Askeladd may have been the villain, but he was also a twisted mentor. He taught Thorfinn survival, patience, and eventually, even if painfully, humanity.
In Vinland Saga, Askeladd’s end needed to come the way it did: a sacrifice for a better future, a death that gave birth to a man who would one day become more than a killer. If Thorfinn had taken his revenge sooner, he never would’ve become anything else.
3What If Violet Never Received That Final Letter in Violet Evergarden?
Violet Evergarden
Violet had always been a tool of war, obedient, efficient, and emotionless. But after the war ended, she found herself lost. Her journey through Violet Evergarden was about learning what love meant, what being human felt like.
And then the letters came.
The letter from Gilbert’s family, written posthumously in his name, wasn’t just a message, it was salvation. It gave her closure, a reason to live, and a deeper understanding of what Gilbert had meant when he told her he loved her.
But what if that letter never arrived?
Violet might’ve remained emotionally numb, clinging to the memory of her Major without ever processing her grief. She may have stopped growing, emotionally or socially, and stayed stuck in a limbo of guilt and self-hatred.
The final letter was more than ink on paper, it was the last piece of Gilbert’s love, reaching out to pull her from the edge. Without it, Violet’s story might have ended quietly, not with peace, but with silence.
2What If Light Used the Death Note for Justice Only?
Light Yagami had a dream: to rid the world of evil. At first, he used the Death Note to kill criminals. The early deaths were methodical, calculated, and arguably justified within the twisted logic of deterrence.
But then the power got to him.
What if Light had stuck to his original goal?
If he never killed innocent people, never targeted law enforcement, and never played god, he might’ve become a symbol of justice rather than fear. The world might’ve continued to speculate about Kira, but without knowing who or what he was, the idea alone could’ve inspired societal change.
L might have even struggled to justify hunting him down without the morally gray actions that Light eventually took. Kira could’ve remained a myth, respected, feared, but untouchable.
The tragedy of Death Note is that Light could have been a reformer. But he chose to become a god. And in doing so, he proved that absolute power corrupts absolutely.
1What If the Elric Brothers Never Committed Human Transmutation?
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
It was one of the most iconic and painful moments in anime history, Edward and Alphonse Elric trying to resurrect their mother through human transmutation. The cost was brutal: Ed lost a leg, Al lost his body, and Ed sacrificed an arm to anchor Al’s soul to a suit of armor.
But what if they hadn’t tried?
They would’ve never lost their bodies, never gone in search of the Philosopher’s Stone, never uncovered the truth behind Amestris and Father’s plans. Winry’s parents might still be gone, but the boys would’ve grown up peacefully in Resembool, maybe even becoming ordinary State Alchemists.
Yet without that mistake, the world would’ve remained in danger. The Homunculi would have succeeded. The human sacrifices wouldn’t have gathered to stop Father. And no one would’ve ever seen the Gate or questioned the limits of equivalent exchange.
The Elric brothers broke the ultimate taboo, but in doing so, they set a chain of events in motion that saved the world. Their sin gave them purpose, and their pain became their strength.
