Villains in anime are more than just dastardly, nefarious, or scheming. They’re spiteful, ambitious, calculating, and capable of astonishingly amoral feats. The more you try to understand them, the more cruel and horrifying they become. Whether they have their own reasons for being as evil as they are or they simply live for the thrill of villainy, a great anime villain will leave a lasting impression either way.
We’re here to celebrate the best of the worst, ranking some of our favorite anime villains.
10- Malty S. Melromarc (“The Rising of the Shield Hero”)
The kingdom of Melromarc typically calls upon youngsters from other dimensions and has them wield legendary weapons to aid in the fight against The Waves. However, whoever ends up taking the Legendary Shield is considered the weakest among those summoned. As the princess of Melromarc, Malty knew this all too well. She immediately exploited the newest Shield Hero, Naofumi Iwatani, by pretending to join his traveling party. From there, she quickly steals all of his equipment and money. She even goes so far as to accuse him of heinous crimes against her, making him an outcast in this new realm.
From there, Malty works to manipulate the other Heroes in order to increase her standing. Throughout the series, Malty is willing to deceive and cheat her way through life no matter who she has to trample in the process.
9- Char Aznable (“Mobile Suit Gundam”)
As the Lieutenant General of the Principality of Zeon, Char Aznable is an expert tactician and mobile suit pilot. Yet despite his lofty military position, he secretly plots his revenge against an affluent political family all while furthering the Principality’s agenda. Amidst all this, he holds fast his philosophy to attain independence from Earth by any means necessary.
8- Medusa Gorgon (“Soul Eater”)
Though more powerful forces make themselves known throughout the series, Medusa Gorgon remains one of the most toxic villainesses of them all. As a powerful witch, she is unafraid to tap into darker forces to enhance her own strength. She even developed black blood to augment madness within its users, all while using her own child as a guinea pig from birth. Though her allegiances tend to shift based on the situation, she never lets her evil ambitions wear out.
7- Meruem (“Hunter x Hunter”)
Quite literally born into power among the Chimera Ants, Meruem is destined for greatness from the moment he gains sentience. He spends his time methodically learning how to control society and quickly takes over an entire nation. However, he shows a capacity for kindness and understanding upon meeting a blind girl named Komugi and challenging her to a strategy game. Though his trademark cruelty against others never quite goes away, he experiences an emotional shift in character as he tries to understand the complexities of the heart.
6- Makima (“Chainsaw Man”)
From the beginning, it isn’t difficult to see that Makima has ulterior motives when she recruits Denji as an official demon hunter. As head of Public Safety Division 4, she gives off an enigmatic air. One can practically tell that she’s never quite giving you the whole story. Her skill at devilish magic also makes her infamous among demon hunters. And once her true nature is revealed, she becomes nigh unstoppable as she aims to make her deadly ambitions into reality.
5- Muzan Kibutsuji (“Demon Slayer”)
As the first and oldest demon in existence, Muzan Kibutsuji has long reigned as the Demon King. In his endless pursuit to become immortal, he is content with spreading his influence and creating more demons in the hopes that one of his spawn will be immune to sunlight. He detests change and longs for things to remain as they are. To that end, he is willing to mow through humanity to achieve his wicked goals.
4- All For One (“My Hero Academia”)
You can’t have a society full of heroes without creating villains in the process, and All For One is the worst of them all. He was born with a severe superiority complex, exacerbated by his eponymous “All For One” ability that allowed him to steal other people’s Quirks. His ambitions only grew into adulthood as he founded the League of Villains and sought to destroy society. He even goes so far as to manipulate the events of Tomura Shigaraki’s development, ensuring that he will grow into a proper vessel for him to take over as his own body withers. He truly wears his moniker on his sleeve, taking as much as he can for himself with little regard for those around him.
3- Dio Brando (“Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure”)
Few haters are as spiteful, flamboyant, or as generational as Dio Brando. From the second he is adopted into the Joestar family, he seeks to become the favorite son all while making Jonathan Joestar’s life a living hell. He quickly excels at school and abuses Jonathan and his loved ones at every turn. When he becomes a vampire, Dio’s ambitions only become bigger as he seeks to put the entire world under his heel. And despite his defeat at the hands of Jonathan’s descendants, he takes every measure conceivable to ensure that the Joestar bloodline is forever tormented by his influence. His status as a hater is undying, spanning entire timelines and beyond.
2- Griffith (“Berserk”)
As the leader of the Band of the Hawk, Griffith initially leads with a kind heart and charismatic air. However, his lofty ambitions lead him down a progressively darker path. But with the flames of his aspirations never dying, he is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve them. Eventually, that even means he would sacrifice the lives of his longtime companions to attain even greater power in a bloody and terrible ritual. Of course, whether he did this out of determination or simply to spite Guts, the one man who spurned his leadership, is up for debate. But perhaps that very question makes Griffith even more of a nefarious figure.
1- Johan Liebert (“Monster”)
When we talk about men who simply want to watch the world burn, Johan Liebert is perhaps chief among them. He is a man of cunning and charisma, but lacks any sense of empathy, making him especially cold and dangerous. He manipulates without conscience and kills without remorse. Even as Neo-Nazis try to make a political agenda out of his violence, he is ultimately above petty racism and bigotry. He simply wishes to cause suffering and destruction, no matter who his target is. He has no political agenda and few tangible allegiances. His only goal is to be death incarnate.
Who are your favorite villains in anime? Comment below!
