10 Most Unforgettable Anime Deaths By Japan’s Most Notorious Serial Killer

Truck-kun has become a running joke in anime, often considered a surprisingly frequent ‘killer’ of characters. It’s especially well-known for appearing in isekai shows, and honestly, those series wouldn’t be quite as engaging without it. Despite its deadly role, Truck-kun’s contribution is often overlooked. It efficiently sets the stage for the story and then quickly exits, making it a surprisingly effective plot device.

Truck-kun, a common trope in isekai anime, actually serves a purpose: guiding characters to where they’re meant to be, even if the method is a bit… drastic. While getting run over by a truck isn’t ideal, it often leads to a positive outcome, revealing Truck-kun’s surprisingly kind nature. Some of these unfortunate incidents are hilariously awkward, deeply sad, or even strangely endearing. Whether fatal or not, each encounter with Truck-kun is memorable for the audience.

From Bureaucrat to Villainess Shows Truck-kun Bumping an Old Guy for Once

The anime From Bureaucrat to Villainess follows a familiar isekai formula: an unfortunate protagonist, often a child, is set up for a dramatic fate, usually involving a fateful encounter with a speeding truck. This time, a seemingly innocent character, who happens to be a serial killer, manages to avoid consequences yet again, successfully killing the main character without facing any punishment.

Okay, so I was reading this incredible story! This guy, Kenzaburou, a 52-year-old office worker, is heading home when he sees a little kid right in the path of a speeding truck – you know, the usual Truck-kun situation! Luckily, this totally unexpected hero swoops in and saves the child. But here’s the crazy part: Kenzaburou isn’t just a bystander. He somehow ends up inside an otome game, while his real body is stuck in a coma. It’s a wild premise, but I’m completely hooked!

Truck-kun Becomes Truly Villainous In Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation

In the anime Mushoku Tensei, a speeding truck – often used to transport characters to new worlds – attempts to hit three people instead of the usual one. However, the show’s main character ends up being the one hit by the truck instead.

I witnessed a truly strange turn of events. A man, who hadn’t worked or gone to school for nearly twenty years, found himself homeless after choosing to watch TV instead of attending his parents’ funeral. Lost and adrift, he unexpectedly died saving three students from a speeding truck. But that wasn’t the end. He was reborn in a different world as a character named Rudeus, and despite being given a second chance, he quickly fell back into his old, problematic habits. Eventually, a series of unfortunate events forced him to finally deal with the pain from his past.

Truck-kun Isekai’d Uncle from Another World’s Creepy Uncle

In the anime Uncle from Another World, the infamous “Truck-kun” makes two appearances. The first is a fake-out in the opening scene, and the second happens through the power of the viewers’ imagination. While no one actually dies, one of the main characters is transported to another world in a typical isekai fashion.

Takafumi’s uncle, Yousuke—affectionately known as “Ojisan”—woke up after being in a coma for 17 years. He’d been hit by a truck (famously known as Truck-kun!), and now he can only speak in a strange, unfamiliar language. It turns out he was transported to a magical world during his coma and learned to speak its language there. In a way, the accident gave Ojisan an incredible adventure.

Truck-kun Doesn’t Even Need to Make an Appearance to Kill Konosuba’s Protagonist

The impact of ‘Truck-kun’ – a running gag about being hit by a truck – became so strong within otaku culture that simply mentioning it was jokingly said to be fatal. This illustrates how fear and anxiety can be harmful in themselves. In one instance, Kazuma, exhausted after purchasing a popular game, mistakenly believes a tractor is a truck and dies of shock before it even reaches him.

After Kazuma died, he learned it was a truly embarrassing accident. To make things worse, he found out the doctors and even his parents couldn’t help but laugh when they heard how it happened. While his death was pathetic, it was also surprisingly memorable and perfectly set the stage for the rest of the anime, becoming a defining moment for the isekai genre.

Truck-Kun Has a Symbolic and a Literal Presence in Journal With Witch

While the trope of being hit by a truck (often called ‘Truck-kun’) is common in other genres, it’s surprising to see it in a Josei anime like Journal with Witch. In this anime, ‘Truck-kun’ isn’t just a plot device, but also a powerful symbol. The character’s parents are killed when they’re hit by a truck, and the trauma leaves her constantly fearing the same fate.

After being orphaned at fifteen, Asa was raised by her aunt, Makio. Despite her own flaws, Makio vowed to give Asa a home, food, and a safe life, free from the troubles caused by their distant relatives.

Truck-kun Fulfills a Lifelong Wish In Zombieland Saga

Truck-kun is famous for causing accidents that send people to be reborn in different worlds. While its methods are definitely strange, it usually manages to grant the main character’s deepest desire, leading to a surprisingly good outcome.

Sakura always dreamed of becoming a pop idol, and she planned to audition during her sophomore year of high school. However, her plans were tragically interrupted when she was hit by a truck and killed. She unexpectedly wakes up ten years later, discovering she’s now a zombie and a member of an idol group called Franchouchou, which is made up entirely of undead performers.

Truck-kun Messed with the Wrong Immortal In Ajin: Demi-Human

It’s common in anime for a character to be hit by a truck as part of the plot, but in Ajin: Demi-Human, this trope doesn’t go as planned. When the truck hits the main character, he survives because he’s an immortal. This is a rare instance where the infamous ‘Truck-kun’ fails to eliminate a character.

Kei Nagai, the main character in Ajin, is a bit of a loner – he’s shy, focused on himself, and can come across as arrogant. He tends to judge people who don’t share his views or goals. But when other Ajin appear, Kei becomes rattled and loses his cool. He almost became another statistic of the infamous ‘Truck-kun’ incident, but luckily, his own Ajin abilities saved him – though he initially refuses to accept what he is.

Minoru’s Wish in The Eminence in Shadow Is Gladly Fulfilled by Truck-kun

Instead of simply killing people, Truck-kun functions more like a guidance counselor, much like the surprisingly benevolent villain in The Eminence in Shadow. While waiting for the right time to cause a fatal accident and trigger reincarnation, Truck-kun actually helps steer the main character toward a better destiny by sending him to a new world.

Minoru from The Eminence in Shadow always dreamed of being incredibly powerful, so he trained in many different martial arts. Unbeknownst to him, a comical force known as Truck-kun was watching. Eventually, Truck-kun transported Minoru to another world, granting him extraordinary abilities.

Truck-kun Refuses to Bow Down In No Longer Allowed in Another World

In the story When No Longer Allowed in Another World, the main character, Sensei, tries to end his life with his partner, but they are hit by a truck that seemingly appears from nowhere. Sensei doesn’t simply reincarnate; he’s summoned to a new world and tasked with defeating the Demon King. His strong desire to die is almost as powerful as the truck’s (nicknamed ‘Truck-kun’) tendency to cause fatal accidents.

I’ve noticed something interesting about this anime – it gives Truck-kun, the vehicle famous for…well, running people over, a real personality. It’s almost petty! It’ll happily eliminate someone, but it won’t even let them try to end things themselves. It’s a strange detail, but it really highlights how this vehicle seems to act out of spite, interrupting even suicide attempts just to prove it’s in control.

Handyman Saitou Would Have Never Been Valued If Not for Truck-kun

It might sound strange, but many viewers are starting to see Truck-kun – the vehicle notorious for killing characters in anime – in a positive light. While it’s true that Truck-kun causes deaths, it often leads to those characters being reborn in a new world where they can truly thrive. The main character of Handyman Saitou in Another World, Saitou, is a perfect example of someone who’s benefited from this unusual second chance.

I saw this really unfortunate thing happen to Saitou, a super talented handyman who didn’t get the recognition – or the pay – he deserved. He lost his job simply for asking for a fair wage. Then, things got really strange. He was hit by a truck – seriously, a truck! – and somehow ended up in a completely different world. It turns out a group of three adventurers were actually looking for someone with his exact skills, so he ended up joining their team.

2026-05-20 18:42