Top 10 Anime Ending Tracks With Hidden Meanings
Anime openings have often been discussed in anime communities when the imagery contains spoilers/hidden images. Some anime fans love openings that foreshadow where a series will go while others tend to just consider these openings filled with possible spoilers. Here at Honey’s Anime, we are a bit indifferent as anime openings can be quite important for gauging future themes of a show and keeping you intrigued for what the series will deliver in the future. Yet, anime openings aren’t the only elements that occasionally have hidden meanings behind them. Anime ending songs also can reveal possible spoilers or reveal hidden theories that need to be pieced together by the viewer. We have gone through hundreds of anime new and old to find various anime endings that contain hidden meanings for their series. Sometimes the imagery within the song will be nothing more than a red herring, while other times, there will be a minor spoiler that will keep you wondering when the show will finally unveil the truth behind it. Anime ending imagery is probably some of the best foreshadowing used in the anime world and if you don’t believe us, let us tell you about ten anime endings that contain hidden messages within the visuals.
10. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - "Ray of Light" by Shoko Nakagawa from
Alchemy is a truly powerful craft that has a multitude of purposes but also an equal amount of laws governing its use. After their mother dies suddenly, Edward and Alphonse Elric use forbidden alchemy to try to revive their mother. Unfortunately, the brothers revive a monster, and as payment for their actions lose more than they could ever dream of. Edward loses two of his limbs while Alphonse loses his entire body but had his soul graphed onto a suit of armor moments before his complete disappearance. Now the brothers journey to regain their lost bodies and search for an even more powerful artifact called The Philosopher’s Stone. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is a series that has so much lore and hidden themes you could spend weeks trying to discover them all. The fifth ending song—Ray of Light—by Shoko Nakagawa, though, has a lot of hidden messages that can also spoil many of the ending themes. Not only do you see Edward in some strange settings but you can also find images that show the anime's final set pieces in mysterious detail. We could break down each image further but we shall let you fans don your detective hats and learn of these messages for yourself.
9. Boku dake ga Inai Machi (Erased) - "Sore wa Chiisana Hikari no Youna" by Sayuri
Satoru Fujinuma lives a pretty normal life despite having a pretty strange power. Satoru will occasionally find time rewound just before an accident, allowing him to alter the event before it even happens. Despite this gift, Satoru has rarely found a use for it until a murder occurs with him as the prime culprit! Satoru activates his strange gift but soon discovers he hasn’t gone back a few seconds or even minutes but all the way back to when he was a child. For Satoru to save his future he will need to stop a serial killer before he commits a murder that’s effect will ripple through time… Erased is one of the murder mysteries that many could solve early on but even still loved to bear witness to. Erased’s ending tune--Sore wa Chiisana Hikari no Youna by Sayuri--helps those who get hooked to the mystery with some interesting images. You’ll probably be confused seeing silhouettes appear and young Satoru walk backward for the opening seconds but if you’re astute, you’ll realize these images pave the way for the big characters Erased has in store for you. It also has a few images that might help you deduce who the killer is but that will be up to your detective skills to realize which images are more important to pay attention to.
8. B: The Beginning - The Perfect World by Marty Friedman
Cremona Island has found its peace and calm environment destroyed as of recent. An unknown killer has begun to murder various people and the only evidence he leaves behind is a strange B symbol. At their wits' end, The RIS hires a strange detective named Keith Flick in order to catch this killer. Can Keith unravel this mystery or will Killer B continue his onslaught of death? The Perfect World by Marty Friedman is one of our favorite elements of B: The Beginning. Not only is this ending song done with the help of Man with a Mission’s very own Jean-Ken Johnny but has Marty Friedman rocking out on guitar! Aside from the epic team-up of these powerhouse musicians, B: The Beginning’s outro song—yeah we always laugh when we realize this isn’t the opening song—has several pieces of imagery that play a vital role to figuring out some hidden themes in the series. So not only will you get an epic ending song to listen to but you’ll find yourself searching the images for hidden clues that even Keith might need for his investigation.
7. Fate/Zero - Memoria by Eir Aoi
The Holy Grail, an object most think is just a fictional legend to entice treasure hunters worldwide. However, The Holy Grail is quite real and contains a power that truly is amazing…the ability to grant the user a wish. The Holy Grail has led to wars where various masters summon warriors from past timelines to battle it out and let the victor get their wish granted. Kiritsugu Emiya is about to enter a new Holy Grail War but will realize this war is filled with death, betrayal, and pain unlike any could expect. Fate/Zero is the prequel series to the Fate/Stay night series and wow…does it prove worthy of such an epic franchise. Fate/Zero is one of our favorite Fate works and is definitely filled with some hidden themes for its future franchise entries. The ending track called Memoria by Eir Aoi is a pretty epic song that has an assortment of images with plenty to discover for those master anime sleuths out there. Not only will you see all of the servants summoned in Fate/Zero but you’ll also discover their original lives and that can help history/mythology buffs discover who each servant really is. Plus, Memoria is a truly powerful song that just gives each episode the perfect ending track to conclude on.
6. Death Note - Alumina by Nightmare
High School student Light Yagami ends up running across a powerful notebook called the Death Note. As he quickly discovers, the Death Note can kill anyone by simply writing their name within the book. Light decides that he can change the world by using the powers of the Death Note and takes on the title of Kira with the goal of becoming the new God of the world. Will Light change the world or will the police find him and stop his reign of death? Death Note is a series we’ve long loved here at Honey’s Anime and it's obvious why, the series is amazing! Death Note even today is a series you can re-watch a dozen times and still find something you missed the first several views. Alumina—the first ending song by Nightmare—has some big images within that actually reveal Light’s shift in mindset and sanity before the series gets going. Watch as Light’s smile contorts during this ending theme and you’ll even notice his design change from a mellow color to a more prominent red that shows his dark intentions. Alumina is a great ending track and now when you go and check out the tune again—which we know you will—you’ll realize how important the images are to showing Light’s true character.
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5. Cowboy Bebop - The Real Folk Blues by Seatbelts
Spike Spiegel and Jet Black are two space bounty hunters who are looking for bad guys not to save the world or be heroic. These two need money as their ship—the Bebop—needs fuel and so do their stomachs! Join our duo as they travel across the ocean of space, hunting bounties and meeting interesting folks on their journey. Space can be filled with dangerous bounties but if the bounty pays, you can bet Bebop is en route! The soundtrack of Cowboy Bebop is one of those compilations that you can listen to every day without ever getting bored. One of the best tunes—The Real Folk Blues by Seatbelts—is how Cowboy Bebop ended almost every episode but did you know the images within explain Spike’s past and give just a bit of foreshadowing to the entire show? We don’t learn immediately that Spike was part of the Syndicate but the images in the ending video show stills of his former life with a cameo by Spike’s once ally turned enemy, Vicious. Next time you boot up the ending video for The Real Folk Blues, see if you can catch all of the images and even a possible spoiler for how the series ends up wrapping up.
4. JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure) - Roundabout by Yes
Joseph Joestar has the looks, the money and the prestige worthy of the Joestar name but there’s one thing that plagues his life. Long ago, Joseph’s father—George—was saved by a man named Dario Brando and has always wished to repay his savior. As Dario grew ill, George took in his son named Dio and tried to give him the life his Joseph had. Sadly, Dio isn’t like the kind Joseph and deep within his soul lies hatred and anger. What’s worse, Dio will soon gain a power that could threaten the world and only Joseph will be able to stop him! JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure needs little introduction, seeing as how it’s probably one of the most popular anime ever created. Many fans know all things JoJo like the hidden meanings behind the names of the characters—many are references to American musicians/bands—but did you know the first song had a pretty big piece of foreshadowing from the first time it was played? Roundabout by Yes is the tune and the images within the ending sequence show a mural of blood and various characters. However, this mural is actually where Dio gains his powers and shows his fate quicker than the show reveals it! Isn’t it wild how a simple moving image can contain such a big spoiler that most won’t even understand till its reveal?!
3. Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso (Your Lie in April) - Orange by 7!!
Young Kousei Arima seemed to be the next big piano prodigy. As a child, Kousei wowed the nation with beautiful renditions of famous piano pieces and showed his skills were truly a blessing. But Kousei’s ambitions died when his mother fell ill and perished, leaving him unable to hear music the same way. A few years later, Kousei still avoids the piano but ends up meeting a young woman named Kaori Miyazono who might hold the key to reawakening Kousei’s piano skills. The stage of music is about to fill the air with drama, sorrow, lies, and love in Your Lie in April. Your Lie in April is one of the most remarkable series in the world of anime for good reason. Not only did it fill the soul with drama and romance but it contained some truly incredible art and—obviously—tunes. The ending shocked all too by providing a big surprise few saw coming…unless you read further into the second ending song called Orange. Performed by 7!!, Orange seemed like a simple passing of time as Kaori laid in an ocean crying while the days passed; but from there, we see her fall into an endless void and then see the same image of the ocean…but without her. If you pair this ending with the surprise twist the series unleashed on fans, you’ll quickly realize this imagery spoils the biggest element to Your Lie in April and that is why we love hidden messages done right!
2. Death Parade - Last Theater by Noisycell
What awaits those who find their lives over? Is there a heaven or hell? Is there a void we end up going to or are we reborn into new lives? Maybe there’s more than that and those who die end up in a strange bar with an even stranger bartender. The bartender will serve you a drink and then tell you a game is about to be played where the outcome will determine a fate greater than life or death… Death Parade is a series with a lot of hidden theories and themes surrounding the inevitable fate that awaits us all. However, the ending song—Last Theater by Noisycell—contains a big hidden theme that only those who watch the entire show will fully understand. You’ll see dozens upon dozens of mannequins and, while many will be creeped out by these lifeless creations, when you ebb closer to Death Parade’s ending, you’ll realize there are more to these mannequins than you can probably guess.
1. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou (Higurashi: When They Cry – New) - God’s Syndrome by Ayane
Higurashi: When They Cry – New follows the children and teens of Hinamizawa Village as they live their lives with fun games and endure brutal nightmares hiding behind closed doors. Acting as a sequel to the original Higurashi series, Higurashi – New delivers new tales of Keiichi Maebara, Rena Ryuuguu, Rika Furude, Satoko Houjou, and twins Mion and Shion Sonozaki. What nightmares await these innocent children as the dreaded festival of death approaches? Find out in Higurashi: When They Cry- New! The Higurashi franchise is no stranger to unsettling imagery in its opening and closing tracks and Higurashi – New continues the trend. God’s Syndrome from Ayane is a brilliant song that pairs with the images of our kids going from happy days to horror-filled ones as you see their various lives in still frames. The biggest scare, though, is seeing the image of a calendar with June 22—something fans will understand—surrounded by torn pages of repeating days and blood marks across the room. Fans will probably understand the meanings behind these random images but newcomers will only question images that have yet to pass…at least in this timeline.
Final Thoughts
Anime endings might be lauded due to their tunes being less popular than the openings but as we noted above, skipping them might make you miss out in a big way. Sure, the occasional spoiler might appear but more often than not, an ending track can help you want the next episode even more as you wonder what will occur next. What anime endings have kept you engaged in a series and did we find the best endings for this list? Comment below to let us know as we always love hearing from our readers! For even more top 10 lists, be sure to keep stuck to our not so mysterious hive here at Honey’s Anime!
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