Anime might have some truly wild heroes that are leading the charge against evil forces in their respective universes, but there are plenty of villains that manage to outdo their altruistic counterparts. Throughout the years, there have not only been great anime villains that have arrived in the medium, but there have been evil-doers that have far surpassed the heroes they fought. With the spooky season in full swing, now seems like the best time to explore which villains have strode past the protagonists and why they remain beloved by the anime fan community to this day.
7.) Vegeta (Dragon Ball)
Some might see this as a cheat, considering the prince of all Saiyans has put his villainous days behind him, but even when Vegeta was at his most evil, he still was a far more fleshed-out character than Goku. Hailing from a doomed planet and working for the one responsible for the destruction of his homeland, the Dragon Ball villain was as evil as evil could be in the earlier days of the shonen franchise, but still was quite compelling. During the Namek Saga especially, focusing far more on Prince Vegeta versus Goku worked as quite a benefit for the Dragon Ball Z series.
What made Vegeta a better character than Goku during his villainous days was his pride, not just for himself, but for his people. The Saiyan Prince was a true believer in his race, recognizing that while the Saiyans were destroyers, there was an honor to the race that few were able to witness. Vegeta’s evil acts, such as eliminating his opponents with an unhealthy amount of glee, also helped push the popularity of the character, which might explain why he was brought to the light side. Of course, the Prince of all Saiyans remains a part of Dragon Ball to this day, and it seems as though he isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
6.) Entry (My Hero Academia)
Tenko Shimura, the boy who would eventually become Tomura Shigaraki, came from a famous bloodline, with his grandmother known worldwide as the top hero Nana Shimura. Struggling with an abusive father, Shigaraki’s Quirk came at the worst possible time for his family. The villain’s power of decay inadvertently killed every member of his family and made him the perfect choice to be molded into the heir apparent of All For One, the demon lord of Hero Society. Shigaraki was a threat, but his character makes him more interesting than Deku in several ways.
The adversity that Shimura underwent forged a villain unlike any other, consistently working through turmoil and strife to shape his own world. While Deku’s goal to become the new Symbol of Peace was a righteous one, Shigaraki’s journey would often prove far more interesting than his heroic counterpart’s. Going from a lesser-known villain to the head of a paramilitary organization to the strongest villain in the world, Shigaraki remains one of the most compelling villains in Kohei Horikoshi’s superhero series.
5.) Mere (Hunter x Hunter)
Hunter x Hunteras a shonen franchise, is routinely thought of as one of the best examples of a battle anime, with creator Yoshihiro Togashi routinely thinking outside of the box for his series. Such is the case with the villain Mereum, the king of the Chimera Ants, who, shockingly enough, never even faced the heroes Gon and Killua directly during his arc. While “King” did defeat Netero, one of the oldest and most powerful hunters in the world, it was Mereum’s love of chess and his interactions with a young girl that made him such an interesting character.
Mereum was an all-powerful being who, most likely, couldn’t be defeated by any human character in the shonen franchise, but found himself perplexed when he couldn’t be a little girl at chess. Trying to learn more about the girl, and in turn humanity, we got to see new layers to King that were explored right up until his surprising demise, brought about by the ants’ short lifespan. Mereum remains a major example of how a shonen villain can be done right, potentially having far more layers than the young heroes of the series.
4.) His feet (Jujutsu Kaisen)
When it comes to the King of Curses, the villainous Sukuna can often be seen as far more interesting than Yuji Itadori, the young hero with whom he shares a body. Jujutsu Kaisen has some amazing villains in its roster, including the likes of Mahito, Jogo, and Suguru Geto, but there’s something to be said about Sukuna. Outside of being a force of nature in Gege Akutami’s supernatural shonen, there’s a devilish glee that is infectious when it comes to the antagonist.
In the anime adaptation, we were able to see Sukuna unleashed on Shibuya during the second season’s Shibuya Incident Arc, eliminating anyone who got in his way. Manga fans know that there are far more moments set for the King of Curses set to arrive in the anime’s future, even further solidifying his place as a villain who would prove more interesting than the heroic students and teachers of Jujutsu Tech. While Sukuna has been more than willing to eliminate innocents in his quest for power, the cursed king has a personality and powerset that make him one of the most interesting villains of the modern anime era.
3.) Dio Brando (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure)
Dio Brando was such a big villain in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure history that he couldn’t be contained to simply one story arc. While he fought against the likes of Jonathan Joestar in Phantom Bloodthe villainous vampire would go on to fight against Jonathan’s descendant, Jotaro, in Stardust Crusaders. Even following his death, Dio’s legacy would continue in the series via his son, Giorno, in Golden Wind and his one-time best friend, Pucci, in Stone Ocean. Dio’s Stand and his vampiric abilities were reason enough for him to be a threat, but it was his personality that truly had him shine.
Dio was deliciously evil when he first appeared, taking glee in his attempts to destroy Jonathan, going so far as to even be the first one to kiss his girlfriend. Oftentimes, anime villains will be relatable thanks to a dark backstory, but Brando is evil to be evil, wanting to rule the world with an iron fist. To this day, Dio remains a fan-favorite villain within the anime world, and that most likely won’t change for quite some time.
2.) Johan Liebert (Monster)
Monster has been thought of as one of the greatest anime series of all time, and for good reason. The cerebral series from creator Naoki Urasawa had a strong enough protagonist in the surgeon known as Dr. Tenma, but it was in Johan Liebert that the story was able to truly shine. There has never been a villain like Johan, using his intellect to achieve his goals, which many believe is a mystery to this day. Thanks to Tenma saving his life as a boy, the protagonist felt untold guilt when Johan became the monster he is today.
Luckily, fans who want to revisit Monster have some good news coming their way. While the series is available to stream on Netflix to revisit Johan’s evil deeds, it is also coming to Blu-Ray for the first time next year. Steaming might be the current king in town but there are still plenty of physical release enthusiasts who are looking to add Johan Liebert’s villainous exploits to their anime collection.
1.) Team Rocket (Pokemon)
Ash Ketchum might have achieved his dream of becoming the Pokémon World Champion, but we believe that he doesn’t come close to being on the same level as Jesse, James, and Meowth. Team Rocket has been a thorn in Ash’s side for decades, and even when Ketchum departed the Pokémon anime, the villainous trio followed him into the sunset in hopes of getting their hands on Pikachu once and for all.
Jesse, James, and Meowth were three very interesting antagonists, each having wild origin stories that made them more than the anime’s comic relief. While losing Ash Ketchum as the show’s hero is a tough pill for many to swallow, losing Team Rocket might be far more difficult for many. The Explorers are decent threats for Liko and Roy to face, but they pale in comparison to the villainous group that started it all.
What do you think of this villainous list? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
