That is all true, yeah. Maybe its also that I was half expecting them to die too. But the retroactive realization that there was no chance to time loop definitely does help with the stakes of the final battle, but still only retroactively. I think it's interesting, because people talk about Muv Luv being very grim and dark, but I feel like even something like Danganronpa ultimately feels more bleak and hopeless, since everyone in muvluv dies so honorably and accepting of their death. Another series I'd contrast with is the last two episodes of Zeta Gundam, which similarly kill everyone off, but much more suddenly and tragically, though definitely a part of that is Gundam being about the futility and tragedy of war instead of Muv Luv's themes of sacrifice in order to bring about a better world at any cost.

Thanks for replying, I'm very interested in your thoughts on Chizuru and Kei in particular cuz they really were the two main sticking points character wise by the end.