AI-generated image Some manga characters don’t simply face hardship — they go through events so violent, so devastating, that they come out of them changed forever. Moments that strip away all sense of reality, dignity, and self. In those moments, manga dives into the raw exploration of pain, madness, or identity loss. This article highlights the characters who, in my view, have experienced the most harrowing turning points. 7. Denji – Chainsaw Man AI-generated image Denji grew up in misery, selling his own organs to survive. He was never loved. When he becomes Chainsaw Man, he thinks he’s finally reached a normal life: bed, shower, food. Then he meets Power and Aki. For the first time, he forms something like a family. But the peace doesn’t last. Aki dies. Then Power. And this time, Denji doesn’t cry. He cleans the blood. He eats. And the next day, he goes back to work like nothing happened. He looks at the world with empty eyes. He wonders wha...