Anime from every genre – whether it be a casual slice-of-life show or battle-centric action shonen – are able to explore a variety of ideas and narrative threads that aren't present in other media. However, this broad range of creativity occasionally results in a series having a confusing ending.

In some cases, this can strengthen a series by giving it a layer of ambiguity to keep audiences fixated on those final moments long after its conclusion. It can also be detrimental to the overall viewing experience. A confusing ending can oftentimes be the one aspect of an anime that fans remember, leaving it with an infamous reputation among the community.

10 Ghost in the Shell

One of the most famous and beloved cyberpunk anime, Ghost in the Shell, follows Motoko Kusanagi and her experience working with the counter-cyberterrorist organization known as Public Security Section 9. Produced by the animation studio Production I.G., the original 1995 film follows the "Puppet Master" arc from the original Ghost in the Shell manga that the anime is based on.

In the film's climax, Section 9 ultimately decides that they can defeat the Puppet Master by merging his ghost with Kusanagi. While this plan seems to work on the surface, this course of action doesn't kill the Puppet Master. The ending is left ambiguous to audiences, hinting that while the plan may have been executed successfully, Kusanagi could inevitably become a new host for the Puppet Master.

9 Akira

Heralded as one of the greatest dystopian sci-fi anime of all time, Akira is famous for its grotesque and abrupt ending. The film follows Kaneda, a bike gang leader in Neo-Tokyo trying to rescue his friend, Tetsuo, from a top-secret government operation.

In the final battle, Tetsuo comes into contact with Akira's true powers, which transforms him into a horrific flesh monstrosity, crying out that he can no longer control his body. Shortly after this, Neo-Tokyo is destroyed in an explosion, followed by a character stating that a new world is coming. This bombastic, violent ending speaks to the core themes of Akira but is ultimately rather sudden.

8 Higurashi: When They Cry - Sotsu

The Higurashi franchise has a long and colorful history for its hyper-violent horror, time-looping plot twists, and otherworldly interventions from various divine deities. The latest installment to the series, Higursashi: When They Cry - Sotsu, which concludes the previous season of the show, Higurashi: When They Cry - Gou, lives up to the classic horror elements expected from fans. However, it left many scratching their heads over the series' ending.

Being the "answer arc" to Gou, Sotsu revealed the antagonist of the series to be Satoko, Rika's closest friend. While shocking, Satoko's motivations felt out of character and even forced when analyzing her flashbacks as to why she chose to throw Rika back into the time loop. This twist ultimately brings down what was one of the more compelling seasons of Higurashi and harmed the momentum leading up to Sotsu's finale.

7 Paranoia Agent

Created by the late Satoshi Kon, the legendary anime director behind mind-bending films like Paprika and Perfect Blue, Paranoia Agent follows a strange phenomenon in Tokyo, in which unconnected individuals are targeted and attacked by a mysterious boy called "Lil' Slugger" wielding a golden baseball bat. Additionally, Paranoia Agent sports an ultra-cute mascot character called Maromi, an in-universe fictional dog with a fanatical following.

As the series progresses, the infamy surrounding Lil' Slugger and Maromi feeds off one another, creating mass hysteria across Japan. In a surrealist twist, Lil' Slugger is revealed to be a figment of a young girl named Tsukiko's imagination as a manifestation of her guilt over the death of the real dog Maromi was based on. When she's finally able to accept her guilt in the situation, Lil' Slugger vanishes. The ending of Paranoia Agent is confusing due to its very subtle build-up amidst what felt like a very standard thriller for most of the show's run.

6 Future Diary

Beginning as a rather straightforward Battle Royale series with a supernatural twist, Future Diary quickly spirals into bizarre territory as it goes on, introducing multiple timelines, the grave consequences of winning the game to become the new God, and Yuno's true intentions.

As the series reaches its final episode, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep up with the multiple iterations of Yuno Gasai pursuing the main character. It also bounces back and forth between the different realities to see which characters have a happy ending. The final moments show Yuki by himself after ascending to Godhood, but his fate is left open-ended as it's hinted Yuno may have found her way back to him.

5 Mawaru Penguindrum

Mawaru Penguindrum is a bittersweet series that follows the strenuous efforts of two brothers, Shouma and Kanba, as they attempt to save their sickly sister Himari by making a deal with a magical penguin cap. In the series' final act, the two brothers are forced to make a series of convoluted choices to save their sister's life. The two brothers find themselves imprisoned, and Kanba discovers an apple in his cell, meaning that he's been chosen to survive.

He chooses to split the apple with Shouma, who subsequently splits the apple again with Himari. While this solution would theoretically save the trio, Himari is still fated to die in a train accident. This leads her brothers to sacrifice their own survival to change Himari's fate, allowing her to live while the two of them cease to exist altogether. While sweet and somber once deciphered, the series' final arc is incredibly jumbled, making it difficult to understand what's happening until Penguindrum's final moments.

4 Guilty Crown

Guilty Crown, a 2011 anime series produced by Production I.G. and based on an original manga series of the same name, followed a high schooler named Shu who gains an ability called the "Power of the King," which allows him to draw out objects called "Voids," weapons created from an individual's psyche, out of other people. He rescues a mysterious girl named Inori who he connects with and rescues from the antagonistic forces throughout the series.

While the series had a strong first half, the climax begins a spiral that becomes more confusing as Guilty Crown approaches its final episode. During the final arc, Inori becomes heavily infected by the Apocalypse Virus, a dangerous affliction that ravaged Japan a decade prior to the events of the story. Shu decides to use his abilities to absorb the virus and sacrifice himself, saving Inori – however, in a confusing twist, Inori instead absorbs all remnants of the virus herself to permanently destroy it. The series of events, while meant to feel heroic, feels muddled amidst an otherwise tense ultimatum between the pair.

3 Mekakucity Actors

Adapted from a series of Vocaloid songs under the same project title, Mekakucity Actors was an ambitious animation project that attempted to bring the story to life in a new way. The series follows an eclectic cast of unique teenagers with unique powers trying to solve what's caused a phenomenon known as the "daze." Character-driven, the series splits its focus across a large ensemble cast of characters and attempts to unify their stories in a brisk twelve-episode season.

Unfortunately, due to the nature of the series – dealing with sci-fi concepts like advanced AI becoming corrupted, time-looping, and even fantasy elements with powerful beings called Medusa existing within the world – the anime bit off far more than it could chew when reaching its conclusion. The main antagonist of the anime, "The Snake," planned to continue living by manifesting events within the daze to reset the world in the hopes that she would be able to continue spending time with her friends. While interesting in theory, the series suffered from being far too short to clearly explain this critical plot point, and its alternating character perspectives further muddled the plot.

2 Revolutionary Girl Utena

One of the most iconic shojo anime ever created, Revolutionary Girl Utena has remained impactful due to its poignant social commentary on femininity, and its blatant exploration of LGBTQ+ topics. Following the core idea that "you can lead a horse to water, but can't force him to drink," Utena's ultimate conflict comes from Anthy – one of the main characters – and her struggle to believe in herself.

While not confusing in a convoluted way, rather a metaphorical one, the ending of Revolutionary Girl Utena sees Utena breaking through the illusion that's kept Anthy captured under her brother's control. Anthy is hesitant at first, and it's shown earlier on that she's seemingly unable to leave. However, in these final moments, Utena reaches out her hand for Anthy. Anthy doesn't grab Utena's hand, she instead walks out all on her own. While confusing at a glance, the moment is a powerful representation of one's ability to take control of themselves and to save themselves from a perilous situation.

1 Neon Genesis Evangelion

One of the most discussed psychological anime of all time, Neon Genesis Evangelion is infamous for its bombastic ending sequence from the original 1995 anime series. Neon Genesis Evangelion is a psychological mech series that follows Shinji Ikari and his gradual decline into madness – and ultimately, self-acceptance.

Something that makes Neon Genesis Evangelion so unique is that the series technically has two endings. The 1995 anime ends with Shinji's epiphany for self-acceptance that drives him to continue living and survive his circumstances, which allows him to reunite with everyone else in the series. However, The End of Evangelion provides a controversial alternate ending that explores a much different fate for the main characters. Due to The End of Evangelion, fan discussion is still alive and well to this day debating the proper timeline of events and the legitimacy of the film in the Evangelion canon.