What's with anime characters losing their arms?

I guess spoilers? Idk.

So what's with so many anime characters getting their arms chopped off or missing, sometimes even before dying? Shanks, Gildarts, Jiraiya, Naruto, Gon, Kite, Netero, Edward Elric, and the list goes on.

Is it some sort of status in Japanese culture that a man with an arm missing means he's all powerful or can withstand a lot of pain?

Squalo from KHR did as well, and he turned it into a sword that throws grenades. Why IS that a common theme?~

Losing limbs is a fair result of kids playing with swords.

I think Harime Nui had the best reaction to this particular incident. xD

I'm reminded of Star Wars, as losing hands and arms seems to be a past-time of characters in that as well. I suppose cutting off arms is the fastest way to disable someone? I can't imagine living with it is particularly easy either, which makes those that survive more interesting. Or maybe it's a not-so-subtle message to fans of these shows who get a little too excited over certain characters and like to draw disturbing fanart of them.

It's even a trope. LOL!

I know in comics it's also a trope, arms just get ripped off left and right in those fictional universes.

Yeah but when they lose their arms they just carry on as normal lol, like Gildarts just carries on as normal even though hes been torn apart by a dragon :/.

He only did that because the character Mashima ripped off did the same.

Tokyo Ghoul √A first episode today, and when he said this I thought of this thread xD

For some characters it serves to emphasize the point that they are badasses of the utmost degree and losing one arm or two doesn't slow them down even a bit. I mean, if your total fighting ability doesn't decrease much even after you've lost a limb then you've GOT to be a badass, right? :p

It is just a means to drive home the point that a character is strong. That's it, at least I think so.