The anime world is filled with great villains fans either love or hate – or both. In fact, many anime aficionados would say that the villains are the best part of their favorite series. The sheer variety of ways that anime antagonists pursue wrongdoing is part of the appeal, and the numbers mean some fly under the radar.
In some cases, villains are motivated by a tragic past, and in others, events eventually prove them to be not so evil after all. Still, there are others who enjoy their demonic natures so much it's impossible not to root for them – even though, morally speaking, fans probably shouldn't.
10 Hisoka Morow Is Everything Fans Want In An Anti-Hero In Hunter x Hunter
A morally ambiguous violent clown – what’s not to like about Hisoka Morow? He’s manipulative and wildly unpredictable – in short, he’s everything that’s required of a menacing anime villain who will always keep everyone guessing about their next move.
He’s evil, but not a complete monster, with a charisma all his own. Ranked third in strength, he'll pass on those not up for his challenge and wait until they do. A self-absorbed, murderous sociopath, he does whatever he feels at the moment, but somehow manages to be a fan favorite all the same.
9 Greed Is The Best Of The Homunculi In Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
Greed is, well, greedy and avaricious, and he tends to see people as his possessions rather than autonomous beings on their own. Despite that, though, he did save his chimeras from becoming the subjects of horrific experiments.
He’s one of the eight homunculi in the series, and he’s the only one with any conscience or sense of right and wrong. While he has no problem killing and is often motivated by petty and selfish reasons, he does die in the end for his friends.
8 Griffin Is A Perfect Antagonist In Berserk
Griffin was once a war hero and close ally of Guts, known for his courage and skill at swordplay. Torture does tend to change personality, however. After sacrificing his army, he's reborn as Femto. Still hot and charismatic, and a strong warrior, he no longer feels human and acts accordingly.
Remorseless and uncaring, he descends into pure evil. It's not that he's at all sympathetic, but fans remember how he got that way, and he brings a pure sense of mission to his devilish plans.
7 Esdeath Is An Uncomplicated Villain In Akame Ga Kill
It’s impossible to ignore the impact of Esdeath on Akame ga Kill. Esdeath lived by a simple code: "The strong survive and the weak die." She is a sadist with a clear conscience and is able to rationalize mass killings with breathtaking facility.
Esdeath does know enough to treat her subordinates well, though, and they're loyal to a fault. While she could be accurately described as bloodthirsty, she is able to maintain a sense of strategy and logic in battle, and she’s also capable of love. Fans love the combination.
6 Zabuza Momochi Was Naruto's Efficient Killer Who Discovered His Emotions
Zabuza Momochi or Demon of the Hidden Mist began his rise to infamy after killing more than 100 Academy students – and he wasn't even a student himself. He racked up even more kills before joining the Seven Swordsman.
What fans love is the combination of efficient and cold-blooded killer, and the man who takes Haku under his wing. While at first he seemed to make light of Haku's death, the depths of his loss are eventually revealed, and he dies admitting how much he did care.
5 Fans Excuse Enishi Yukishiro’s Horrific Actions In Rurouni Kenshin
Enishi is full of anger and vengeance over the death of his older sister Tomoe. She seems to be the one and only person in the world he ever loved. He also endured hardships and injuries during his time in Shanghai.
Still, it doesn't excuse actions like killing the family who helped him recover, or all the deaths and casualties he caused in his quest for vengeance against Kenshin. His ending is tragic and sympathetic, and he's a broken man as he's led into custody.
4 Light Yagami Is The Relatable Anti-Hero/Villain Of Death Note
In Death Note, fans come along for the ride as Light Yagami begins his long slide into a moral quagmire. He wants to do good with the Death Note, but even though fans are on his side and relate to his situation as a bored student, total sympathy begins to change to horror as the body count piles up.
Light (Kira) has clearly slipped over the edge and has begun to play god, but somehow, fans still root for him in his battle of wits with the detective L.
3 Dio Brando Is A Quotable, Meme-able Villain In Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
“Go out there and take this useless world for all you can get.” It’s a quote that is typical of the kind of bombastic bravado that fans love about Dio Brando.
His evil agenda is clear – he’s there to make Jonathan’s life a hellscape of misery, and he goes so far as to kill his dog and his father. Later, he becomes a vampire. He has no conscience or empathy, and he’s a thorn in Jojo’s side, but he does it all with personality.
2 Nui Harime Is A Gleeful Villain In Kill la Kill
Cute, yet deadly, a sadist with fighting abilities second only to one, she's childish and always smiling on the outside. Dressed in pink with ponytails, she is very friendly and even polite – but it's impossible to forget that she also killed her own father without blinking an eye.
She loves violence and is easily bored. It's her over the top villainy that fans love – there’s no remorse, and she’s already thinking about the next way to satisfy her bloodlust.
1 Is Lelouch Vi Brittania From Code Geass A Villain Or Not?
The question of whether Lelouch is actually a villain is one debated in the anime community. He's arrogant and ruthless, and will manipulate others without a thought, but is also intelligent and charismatic.
He's callous about civilian casualties in battle and is responsible for countless deaths. But, he is also capable of compassion and love when it comes to those close to him. Sure, in the end, it seems like his sacrifice was for the greater good, but he took a long, winding route of violence to get there.
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