Behind every great hero is an even greater villain. And it's worth noting that a hero's growth is oftentimes dependent on the challenges their villain presents. Some of the best clashes between heroes and villains are those which contain fundamental perspective differences—that is, disagreements between their basic understandings of the world and the directions each thinks society should go.
Some villains prefer to play by the rules in their schemes while others create a huge mess, but a satisfying villain will always teach the hero a thing or two. Audiences want to be engaged along with the hero, so it's important that the villain's lesson is something relatable—whether it be a grand scheme to reorganize society as they know it or a personal grudge that needs to be resolved.
10 Zabuza & Haku Taught Naruto About Personal Ideals & Reasons For Living (Naruto)
Zabuza and Haku are the first major villains who Team 7 must face in their ninja journey. These unexpected adversaries prove to be true challenges for Team 7, but they also play an important part in Naruto's character development.
After realizing Haku is the same seemingly harmless boy he met earlier in the arc, Naruto learns that his enemies are not monoliths. Instead, they have dreams, feelings, people they care about, and reasons for living. And after watching Zabuza's passionate betrayal of his benefactor Gato in honor of Haku's death, Naruto realizes that he should live his life according to his own ideals.
9 Perfect Cell Made It Clear To Gohan That He Needs To Fight If He Wants To Save His Loved Ones (Dragon Ball Z)
Cell is the perfect warrior created by Dr. Gero with genetics from several of the world's strongest fighters. Because of that, Cell is one of the few enemies who Goku concedes defeat to. And much to Cell and the other Z Fighters' surprise, Goku claims that Gohan will be the one to defeat Cell.
The peaceful Gohan resists for as long as he can, but Cell continues to try and invoke Gohan's fury. Although it's Android 16 who assures Gohan that it's okay to fight to protect loved ones, it's ultimately Cell's cruelty that teaches Gohan to stand up and fight for the people he loves.
8 Cancer Cell's Existence Reminds White Blood Cell Of How Important His Job Is (Cells At Work!)
The Cancer Cell challenges the White Blood Cell's status quo. A dedicated worked, White Blood Cell indiscriminately kills any bacteria or foreign entities that dare to cross his path. At the same time, however, he also enjoys living a peaceful life.
Cancer Cell goes from being a seemingly ordinary cell who needs his protection to a dangerous criminal whose only purpose in life is to destroy a human body. Cancer Cell's lamentations over the futility of his birth shake White Blood Cell's core, but this experience teaches him that his job must be done no matter the sacrifices.
7 Miyo Takano Taught Rika To Trust & Rely On Her Friends More (Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni)
Takano's dogged determination to prove the Hinamizawa Syndrome theory drove her to commit endless atrocities. It seemed that no matter which shard Rika Furude went to, Takano was there to destroy Rika's chance at a happy life. But after countless wanderings among the shards, Rika began to notice her friends were retaining glimmers of memories from shards long past.
Eventually, Rika came to believe that her friends contained the key to solving her murder mystery. Takano helped teach Rika that trusting friends is a better method of solving problems than going at it alone.
6 Gendo Ikari Teaches Shinji That Family Relationships Can Be Flawed (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
Regardless of whether or not Gendo Ikari did something wrong, he is an absolutely selfish man. He's one of the orchestrators of the Second Impact, which destroyed millions of lives—he's incessantly attempting to clone his dead wife because he misses her, and he uses his own son as a tool for his selfish machinations.
If there's anything Shinji Ikari takes from his father, it's the fact that he has no use for people who aren't beneficial to him. Gendo teaches Shinji that even if people are connected by blood, they might not be doing what's best for their family members.
5 Vicious Taught Spike To Not Run From His Past (Cowboy Bebop)
Once a close friend of protagonist Spike Spiegel during their days in the Red Dragon Syndicate, Vicious becomes a painful specter of Spike's past. Vicious is a vindictive man driven by the desire to get back at Spike for having an affair and attempting to run away with his lover, Julia.
When Spike finally regains the opportunity to run away with Julia, Vicious's men in the Red Dragon Syndicate kill her in front of Spike's eyes. This teaches Spike that it's impossible to move on from one's past until it's acknowledged and faced head on.
4 Bondrewd Showed Riko & Reg That There Are People Who Might Take Extreme Measures For The Sake Of Progress (Made In Abyss)
Bondrewed, the Sovereign of Dawn, personifies the dark side of science—some forms of progress can only be made through grotesque sacrifice. Bondrewd is a scientist dedicated to unlocking the secrets of the Abyss without becoming a victim to it.
He uses orphaned children to fulfill this goal, ultimately killing them in order to protect himself from the Curse of the Abyss. The fact that Riko and Reg are disturbed by Bondrewd's cruelty does not perturb him in the slightest. Bondrewd teaches Riko and Reg that people will commit unspeakable horrors in the name of progress.
3 Kyubey Makes Madoka Question The Ways In Which The World's Happiness Can Be Maintained (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
Kyubey's Faustian-level bargains in the name of preventing universal entropy make him an incredibly divisive figure. Whether he's right or wrong is irrelevant to the fact that the service he provides is crucial to the functioning of life at all levels. Kyubey's drive to control Madoka's magical potential culminates in his speech explaining why magical girls are necessary for battling entropy. This reveal prompts Madoka to consider whether there's any other way to ensure the happiness of the world she loves so dearly. She learns that manifesting her own potential and becoming a god is the best way to accomplish that.
2 Millions Knives Teaches Vash That He Can't Save Everyone (Trigun)
Knives's plan to destroy all humans, leaving just him and his twin brother Vash as the only living beings, is the main source of conflict in Trigun. Knives is driven to show Vash that they're superior beings who are better off without humans. Meanwhile, Vash is a pacifist who only wants to live in harmony with all creatures—something Knives insists is impossible.
To prove his point, he continues to harass Vash with assassins and violence, never giving him a moment's rest. The casualties related to this relentless pursuit continue to grow, and Vash learns his brother is right: Vash cannot save everyone.
1 Sybil Insists That Neutrality Is The Best Way To Govern The Unpredictable & Emotional Human Heart (Psycho-Pass)
The Sybil System is an ultra-sophisticated hive mind possessing over 200 of the most criminally asymptomatic minds in the world of Psycho-Pass. Since it lacks both sympathy and empathy, Sybil can govern 22nd century Japan with chilling impartiality.
During their iconic discussions, Sybil teaches heroine Akane Tsunemori that its inherent neutrality is the best tool for governing the wildly unpredictable and emotional human heart. Although Akane is loathed to admit it, she agrees that society as she knows it would fall apart if Sybil were to be deactivated.
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