It seems like in anime, no one ever really dies for long. They just keep coming back. This is true for anime protagonists and antagonists, but more oftentimes, the latter will continuously make returns posing as a constant threat to the protagonist and plot of the story.
There are so many characters in anime that just don't die, no matter the brutal injuries. More often than not, villains are killed by some death blow but simply resurrect or have some excuse as to why they're still around. Here are 10 that won't stay dead.
10 Aizen (Bleach)
Aizen from Bleach is a perfect example of the "villain who doesn't stay dead" trope. Throughout Bleach, Aizen acts as the primary antagonist in every major arc. And within each of those arcs, it always seems like Ichigo and his friends prevail, saving the day. Yet Aizen is super powerful and keeps coming back for more. In the Arrancar arc, Aizen is the hidden main antagonist. He was actually the one who made all of the Arrancar and promised salvation.
9 Orochimaru (Naruto)
Orochimaru is the first major antagonist of Naruto and is the main cause of so much grief throughout the series. During the second phase of the Chunin exam, Orochimaru puts the curse mark on Sasuke, officially beginning Sasuke's descent into an antagonist and foe for Naruto. So not only is Orochimaru behind all the drama that even got the show started, but he also doesn't stay dead. He has been killed and resurrected several times and has taken serious blows that should have resulted in his death, yet somehow he is still around even in Boruto.
8 Naraku (Inuyasha)
Naraku from Inuyasha is another pesky antagonist who seems to plague the main characters throughout the show. Naraku has one goal in mind, to collect all the jewel shards' pieces to become the most powerful demon in existence. He is constantly a posing threat to Inuyasha, Kagome, and their friends with each new turn.
Naraku also doesn't stay dead. With all the demons within him, he has the ability to reform and heal himself against pretty much every injury completely. And throughout the show, the gang needed to fight him, as he continued to outsmart them continually.
7 Toguro Brothers (Yu Yu Hakusho)
The Toguro Brothers in Yu Yu Hakusho keep coming back for more. These guys are in constant pain and keep coming back to wreak havoc on the main characters' lives. The older brother is the longest reoccurring antagonist in the series, while the younger brother actually defies death. In their first encounter with the brothers, Kuwabara impales the muscular brother in the chest with a sword, seemingly killing him. But he comes back a bit later like everything is totally normal. The older brother is also seemingly immortal and is sentenced to a life of punishment to no longer hurt anyone by Kurama.
6 Hisoka (Hunter X Hunter)
While Hisoka is more of an anti-hero than an actual antagonist, he definitely falls under the anime villain category with his strange morals and demented viewpoints. Hisoka will ruthlessly kill anyone but help Gon and his friends in whatever situation they're in. He's a bit of an oddball, but he also is totally against dying. He refuses to. Because of all his evil deeds, Hisoka is constantly being targeted by his enemies, one of which manages to deal a death blow by having people explode on top of him. But in a fight for his life, Hisoka, using nen, held his own heart in his hand and pumped it himself to keep going.
5 Mahito (Jujutsu Kaisen)
Mahito is a new anime antagonist from Jujutsu Kaisen and already seems to be falling in Hisoka's footsteps. Though fans have yet to see much of this cursed spirit, he has already been featured in several fights and has yet to be defeated. He has taken so many death blows but is perfectly fine due to his form changing nature. He fought against Nanami and Yuji and even briefly came face-to-face with Sukuna, yet somehow he is still alive, kicking, and already totally healed.
4 Envy (Fullmetal Alchemist)
In both iterations of Fullmetal Alchemist, Envy is an antagonist that people hate to love. They are utterly awful yet somehow charming enough to make fans fall in love with them, and they are seemingly even worse in the original anime. In the 2003 adaptation, Envy is revealed to be the half-brother of Ed and Al and Hohenheim and Dante's son and has a "daddy doesn't love me" complex, making him even more annoying.
But in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Envy is just another homunculi with a certain affinity for wickedness. Envy kills Maes Hughes and is a constant threat to the Elrich brothers, never dying. Even after they are defeated in their giant monstrous form, Envy becomes a small parasite-like creature jealous of humanity. In the end, Envy pulled out their own stone, killing themself.
3 Frieza (Dragon Ball Z)
Frieza is one of the main antagonists from the Dragon Ball Z series and seemingly always comes back after being defeated with new and intense powerups. Frieza is one of those villains, like Aizen, that always seems undefeatable when he first arrives in a fight. Originally, Frieza was an antagonist that actually seemed like he was rightfully defeated, not appearing again for a long while. But that all changed when he was summoned once again. When he came back, he was even more powerful than before.
2 DIO (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure)
DIO is the definition of the "villain that doesn't die" trope. Many fans of Jojo's Bizarre Adventures feels like he is the character that makes the series amazing. He torments all of the Joestars throughout the years, acting as the main antagonist to each of them. Even when he isn't the center villain of an arc, he still is somehow managing to pull some strings in the background or be the main source of influenceーand. He sought out immortality that made him a villain who keeps returning.
1 Team Rocket (Pokémon)
Considering how much Jesse, James, and Meowth blast off into the sky to land miles and miles away from Ash, Pikachu, and friends, it is a wonder how they aren't actually dead yet. Team Rocket is constantly coming back for more, and clearly not getting the idea that maybe they can't outsmart the young boy and his pokémon. It is a reoccurring theme for these characters that they "blast off" after getting defeated, and just come back for more, sometimes in that same episode. Team Rocket doesn't stay dead.
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