Table of Contents
For a movie or any show to become a super hit, the lead actor and actress need to play a vital role. Similarly, the character of the villain has the same importance as the hero character since the villain is the one who challenges the capabilities of the hero.
With the rise in the number of anime produced in recent times, it became even more vital to read the fine print before diving into a new series. A well-written and described villain who is powerful and also has a unique ideology is one of the elements of a hit anime.
8 Greatest All-time Anime Villains You Need To Know
The villains in a series are often ignored, but they play an equally crucial role as the protagonists. There are many anime series, but not all of them feature remarkable villains. Here is the list of the greatest anime villains of all time who took the anime to another level.
1. Yagami Light
With the Death Note series, Yagami Light became one of the most notable anime characters. When Light picked up the Death Note that had dropped to the earth, his world was flipped upside down.
After some thought, Light came to the verdict that he would clear the criminals from the world. But, in this process, Light became a criminal who slaughtered innocent people. He assumed the identity of Kira and continued the murderous rampage until Near and Mello intervened.
2. Johan Liebert
Johan is a cold-blooded serial murderer who uses his shrewdness, wicked intelligence, and ability to manipulate others to carry out his schemes. His humanity is what makes him such a scary evil, and more like a true monster.
His victims are taken aback by his social adaptation, charm, composure, and collected demeanor. What’s terrifying about Johan is that he may be the person walking close to you in a park, sitting next to you on the bus, the cashier at the local shop, or even somebody you knew for years.
3. Griffith
Griffith has a fascinating and deep past, which adds to his complexity as a villain. He is one of the main protagonists throughout the majority of the series, and fans rooted for him to achieve his goal of becoming king until he finally succumbs to the dark side.
His drop from grace follows one of the most brutal and threatening betrayals in anime record. He is adamant from the start that he will do everything it takes to become king, and he is also not scared to eliminate anything that is in his way. He exists between good and evil, but he has done some very horrifying and terrible things.
4. Vicious
Another anime villain who can give you non-stop goosebumps is none other than Vicious. He is the villain in one of the best anime series of the 1990s, Cowboy Bebop. Vicious overthrew the Red Dragon syndicate and rose to become its head.
He was a Titan War veteran which is why he has plenty of combat experience. Vicious was an impassive killer who did not care about other people’s lives. He delighted in turmoil and made sure it never stopped. However, Spike Spiegel eventually killed Vicious.
5. Meruem
Meruem, the King of the Chimera Ants, was judged as a danger to humans in Hunter x Hunter. Meruem was the most powerful Chimera Ant and could easily defeat Netero, who is one of the most powerful Hunters.
When Meruem met Komugi, his character developed on another level. He transformed into a person who was less brutal and saw things from new angles. However, he was held accountable for numerous casualties.
6. Aizen
Sosuke Aizen is one of the most well-known anime personalities. This villain from Bleach was accountable for wreaking havoc. He was the captain of the Fifth Division at one point, but he eventually turned his back to the Soul Society.
There are only a few villains that have a similar level of intelligence as Aizen, who is a great manipulator. Because of his brilliance, Aizen was able to outsmart many opponents without even making an effort. Aizen has the ability to control all five senses with his Kyoka Suigetsu.
7. Lil’ Slugger
Lil’ Slugger is an idea, meme, or an assumption that stretches from one individual to another like a virus, contaminating the collective mind. Lil’ Slugger is a nightmare, a monster born from the contemporary age’s primeval psychic tonic of anxiety, fear, distress, suppression, and melancholy. When he assaults Tsukiko Sagi in the initial episode of the series, he is introduced as Lil’ Slugger.
Since then, Lil’ Slugger has become a recurring character throughout the thirteen-episode series’. He kept preying on his victims’ emotionally fragile mental health and simultaneously relieving them of their psychological burdens. In the conclusion, it turns out that Little Slugger never existed. He is Tsukiko’s fabrication, a mystical demon rising from her childhood and corroborated into reality by the zeitgeist of the twenty-first century.
8. Gendo Akari
Generally, there were several truly awful father characters in the history of drama and films. However, only a few can compare to Gendo Akari’s. Even before he enters the scene, the viewers will start to hate his character because of how bad things he has done. He has no concerns about leaving his estranged adolescent son in the pilot’s seat of a massive mechanical killing machine and pushing him to combat a transdimensional monster right from the start.
He just cares about how he can make use of his son to accomplish his goals, even if it means sacrificing his life. He became one of the best anime villains of all time due to his devilish cunning intelligence, all-or-nothing mentality, and terribly flawed character flaws.
Bottom Line
The villain character, when portrayed well, can help the series or film reach a great level of success. As you can see, almost all of the best anime villains are those who have cruel minds, cold-blooded personalities, and most importantly an evil or wicked ideology, which makes them great.
