The most intimidating anime characters usually have a limited window to make the threat they pose known. Oftentimes, their first on-screen appearance serves to either make or break how seriously they are perceived in the eyes of the audience and sets the pace for the remainder of their tenure in the story.
In many instances, these setups are wildly successful, providing chilling entries to even more imposing characters. Through identifying the most appropriately harrowing debuts in anime history, we can better appreciate the considerations necessary in building a daunting threat.
10 All For One Finally Came Out Of The Shadows To Fight All Might (My Hero Academia)
Though All For One was technically introduced as a voice on a television screen, his official debut was during the attack on Kamino. Intent on saving Shigaraki and the League of Villains, he bought his comrades time and confronted their pursuers.
The man's raw prowess was nothing short of atrocious. He defeated Best Jeanist in a single hit, who was the third strongest character in hero society at the time. Though Toshinori would eventually overwhelm him, it wasn't without grave sacrifice.
9 The Evangelist Was An Entity Beyond Mortal Comprehension (Fire Force)
The Evangelist was the leader of the White-Clad and a deity interested in destroying the entire world. She was first seen residing over Sho in the Adolla Realm, nestling the young boy in her malevolent embrace.
Considering that she wields power beyond many mortals' comprehension, it was a nerve-wracking scene since none could anticipate what she might do. However, it would have been more intimidating if the cult leader actually attempted to harm or deter Shinra from his mission to bring his brother home.
8 The Pillar Men Were Unstoppable At The Time They Were Introduced (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
When the Pillar Men were first introduced, they were capable of phasing through enemies and murdering dozens of humans on a whim. Their mysteriousness made them a tremendous threat, especially considering that Caesar and Joseph Joestar were both incapable of harming them.
The only reason why they didn't kill the Hamon users instantly was for a bargain Joseph struck with Wamuu. After having two poisonous rings forcibly implanted in his chest, he was obligated to train so that he'd be able to defeat the ancient evils during their rematch.
7 Meruem Murdered A Chimera Ant In The Blink Of An Eye (Hunter X Hunter)
When Meruem was finally born, the chimera ants anticipated his first words with baited breath. One particularly overzealous ally named Peggy even went as far as to rush to his side.
With a single flick of his tail, the King murdered him instantly by obliterating his skull. As his limp carcass dropped to the floor, division was sown among the ranks of his subjects. Though it was a shocking display of the villain's power, it would also turn Meleoron against him. In the future, his allegiance to the Hunter's Association would prove problematic to the ants' efforts.
6 Mihawk Annihilated An Entire Battalion & Defeated Zoro Effortlessly (One Piece)
When Mihawk was introduced, it was on the coattails of the Krieg pirates. Their leader had narrowly escaped from the Grand Line after suffering at the Warlord's hand and hoped to make the Baratie his new ship.
Hoping to defeat the newcomer and prove his skills as a swordsman, Zoro challenged Mihawk to a fight. The result was nothing short of disaster; in addition to nearly killing Roronoa outright, the Warlord left a massive, permanent scar on his chest that would debilitate him during the Arlong Park mission.
5 Esdeath Forced A Powerful Rebel Leader To Lick Her Boots (Akame Ga Kill!)
Esdeath was the most feared and methodically effective warrior of the Empire. Though she did not immediately attend to the nascent Night Raid threat, this was only due to the fact that she was finishing off a rebellion in the north.
After crushing their fortress and identifying their leader, she forced him to lick her boots before the men he once commanded. It was a fantastic illustration of Esdeath's cruelty and the way she prioritizes strength above all else.
4 Madara Obliterated An Entire Army By Himself (Naruto)
Madara's reanimation was commenced by Lord Mu in front of a large army of Allied Shinobi Forces soldiers. Vastly outnumbered and only recently reborn, it seemed as if odds were against the villain.
He proved otherwise the moment he started to fight. By employing taijutsu alone, he was able to decimate a vast majority of an entire ninja army before creating two large meteors in hopes of finishing them off. Were it not for Gaara and Onoki, the casualties would have been unprecedented.
3 Galand Brought The Sins To Their Knees (Seven Deadly Sins)
Though Madara's feats are impressive, it's discounted when considering he destroyed random ninja in his introduction. Galand's presentation was much more devastating, having dispatched almost all of the Sins single-handedly.
He was even able to turn Merlin's silver tongue against her, reducing the woman into a statue before sharing the nature of his Commandment. If Gowther failed to alter his memories and convince the villain that he exterminated his targets, Galand would have massacred them indiscriminately and with unnervingly manic glee.
2 Bertholdt Destroyed The Walls After A Hundred Years & Ushered A Titan Invasion (Attack On Titan)
The city of Shiganshina had enjoyed peace for a hundred years before Bertholdt's arrival. After peering over the walls and allowing the Eldians to know the face of their executioner, he destroyed their treasured border with a single kick.
His actions ushered in a number of titans who would feast upon the populace and force survivors to retreat to the inner walls. Eren Yeager was permanently traumatized by this event, gradually becoming willing to take increasingly drastic measures in the name of his kin until it became arguable whether or not he was a hero at all.
1 Mad Pierrot Was An Indestructible Psychopath Who Murdered For Fun (Cowboy Bebop)
Mad Pierrot didn't have an explicit reason for wanting to attack Spike Spiegel. The bounty hunter was simply unfortunate enough to cross his path in a dark alley, sealing his fate in the process.
Spike would soon uncover that his traditional arsenal of guns and martial arts were useless against his stalker, deflecting his attacks from his bulbous torso. Though he managed a narrow retreat at first, he knew Pierrot would be back to claim him and was forced to plan accordingly.
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