Anime is full of unique characters, narratives, and settings, but despite this level of diversity, there are still some common tropes that appear across the medium. One well-known cliché that is repeatedly used in a variety of genres is timeskips, which often completely change the tone of their respective series.
Since anime rose to international popularity in the 1990s, countless shows have manipulated their timeline to various effect. While these timeskips aren't always appreciated, they almost always result in massive changes to their plot. As a result, they're one of the most important narrative devices regularly used within the medium.
10 Dragon Ball Z
Dragon Ball Z paved the way for many of the shonen genre's most popular tropes — this includes timeskips, which the franchise implements multiple times throughout its run. However, none of these timeskips are as significant as the five-year gap that occurs after Goku's victory over Piccolo at the end of the original Dragon Ball series.
The timeskip between Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z isn't particularly eventful compared to the rest of the franchise, but it provides the opportunity to transition between Goku's adventures as a teenager and his life as an adult. When the Saiyan returns to the screen, he and Chi-Chi have young a son named Gohan, ushering in a new era for Earth and the Z Fighters.
9 One Piece
As far as anime goes, fans would be hard-pressed to find a series that handles its timeskip better than One Piece. The iconic shonen follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates, taking a two-year break after the reach the halfway point of the Grand Line.
During One Piece's timeskip, its main characters grow much stronger, and when they return to take on the New World, they're legitimate contenders to find the legendary treasure, One Piece. While the show's main characters remain the same in terms of personality, the two years that they spend apart are crucial to their development as pirates.
8 Jojo's Bizarre Adventure
Whereas most anime that include employ a timeskip only do so once or twice, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure instead utilizes them to separate each of its major parts. As a result, the eccentric series is able to follow multiple generations of the legendary Joestar Family.
Jonathan Joestar, the first protagonist of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, lives in 19th-century England where he encounters the overarching villain of the franchise — Dio Brando. For the next several centuries, the Joestar Family battles the immortal vampire, learning a variety of powerful techniques in the process.
7 To Your Eternity
To Your Eternity's main character, Fushi, is an otherworldly being capable of replicating any life form that encounters. When it arrives on Earth, Fushi slowly learns what makes humanity so unique, even befriending several individuals that it encounters along the way.
However, Fushi isn't the only being with the ability to copy and manipulate human life. A parasitic species known as Nokkers begins to plague Earth shortly after Fushi's arrival, and after dealing with some of their forces, the protagonist of To Your Eternity waits for 40 years until they start to appear once again. The series' third season is primed for an even larger timeskip, potentially launching it into the modern era.
6 Black Clover
Although Asta's journey to become the Wizard King pits him against numerous dangerous opponents, the first several arcs of Black Clover present the reincarnated elves scattered throughout the Clover Kingdom as the series' biggest threat. However, after the Black Bulls and their allies defeat a Devil in the kingdom's capital, the show initiates a six-month timeskip that significantly changes its trajectory.
The appearance of a Devil confirms the Clover Kingdom's worst fears — beings from the Underworld have invaded the realm of the living. In response, Black Clover's characters begin six months of intense training, and when they return, their sole goal is the extermination of the Devils that have infiltrated the surrounding kingdoms.
5 Tokyo Ghoul:re
Not every anime timeskip is well-received; in fact, in the case of Tokyo Ghoul:re, many fans would argue that the three-year gap between the series and its predecessor, Tokyo Ghoul, is where the show loses its momentum. Considering the stark differences between Tokyo Ghoul and Tokyo Ghoul:re, it's easy to see why the timeskip was too jarring for some of its viewers.
Ken Kaneki is the protagonist throughout the entire Tokyo Ghoul franchise, but after the cliffhanger ending of the original series, he loses his memory, takes up arms against other ghouls, and starts going by a different name. This makes Tokyo Ghoul:re feel like an entirely new product, even if the sequel's plot does eventually revisit Kaneki's old life.
4 Dr. Stone
Most timeskips are significant to the plot of their respective series, but the one that appears in Dr. Stone defines the narrative of entire show. In the anime's very first episode, the human race is petrified for 3,700 years, at which point its protagonist, Senku Ishigami, miraculously emerges from his slumber.
Prior to his petrification, Senku was a talented high school student; after his petrification, he is humanity's sole hope at returning to its former glory. This, as well as the sheer amount of time Dr. Stone's cast spends petrified, make the series' timeskip one of the most memorable in the shonen genre.
3 Naruto: Shippuden
Naruto Uzumaki's ultimate goal is to become the next Hokage, yet much of his journey is defined by a different task — bringing Sasuke Uchiha back to the Hidden Leaf Village. After being afflicted with Orochimaru's Curse Mark, Sasuke departs from his home, forcing Naruto and several other characters to undergo a retrieval mission.
Unfortunately, Naruto's protagonists are unable to convince Sasuke Uchiha to return. Because of how much the Hidden Leaf Village is weakened by his loss, its shinobi begin a two-year period of intense training, which ultimately prepares them for their battle with the Akatsuki in Naruto: Shippuden. Following the events of Naruto: Shippuden, the franchise undergoes an even longer, 14-year timeskip that sets up Boruto: Naruto Next Generations.
2 Attack On Titan
For the first three seasons of Attack on Titan, Eren Jaeger and his allies risk their lives time after time in order to reclaim their home from the giant, humanoid monsters known as Titans. However, when they finally reach their hometown, they discover information that completely changes their worldview.
After Eren and his allies learn that humanity still survives outside the Walls, Attack on Titan undergoes a four-year timeskip; when the series returns to action, it follows an entirely new cast of characters. Even by timeskip standards, this shift is an incredibly stark transition, making it one of the more memorable elements fo the series' final saga.
1 Death Note
Although Death Note is beloved for many reasons, the cat-and-mouse chase between Light Yagami and L is one of the most entertaining storylines in anime history. Their rivalry defines Death Note's narrative pre-timeskip, so when the latter dies at the hands of the Death Note, it completely changes the landscape of the series.
Without L to keep him in check, Light Yagami runs wild for four years, killing an untold amount of individuals in the process. When Death Note returns to action, there is a new threat to the series' protagonist — more characters with their own Death Notes.