The Best Anime Villains
Good character traits, a certain level of charm, and, of course, a sense of threat can transform a forgettable, mediocre villain into a great villain and a great character overall. A great villain is almost essential in a great anime. Of course, there are exceptions to the qualities I presented.
Here goes the list:
The 25 Most Powerful Villains In Anime, Officially Ranked
10 Most Ruthless Anime Villains1 Lil' Slugger (Paranoia Agent)2 Shou Tucker (Fullmetal Alchemist) ... 3 Makishima Shogo (Psycho-Pass) ... 4 Griffith (Berserk) ... 5 Shinobu Sensui (Yu Yu Hakusho) ... 6 Frieza (Dragon Ball Z) ... 7 Light Yagami (Death Note) ... 8 Kyubey (Puella Magi Madoka Magica) ... More items...•
The 10 Most Powerful Villains In Anime, Ranked1 Beerus — Dragon Ball Super.2 Yhwach — Bleach. ... 3 Kaguya Otsutsuki — Naruto. ... 4 Boros — One-Punch Man. ... 5 Meruem — Hunter X Hunter. ... 6 Father — Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. ... 7 Eren Yeager — Attack On Titan. ... 8 Shinobu Sensui — Yu Yu Hakusho. ... More items...•
The 12 Strongest Anime Characters of All Time1 Saitama (One Punch Man)2 Son Goku (Dragon Ball) ... 3 Giorno Giovanna (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure) ... 4 Anos Voldigoad (The Misfit of Demon King Academy) ... 5 Tetsuo Shima (Akira) ... 6 Muzan Kibutsuji (Demon Slayer) ... 7 Kaguya Otsutsuki (Naruto) ... 8 Yhwach (Bleach) ... More items...•
The League of Villains - 'My Hero Academia' They're also founded by the most fearsome villain in the world (and All Might's strongest opponent), All For One.
Antagonists Abound: 20 of the Greatest Villains in AnimeKyubey. ... Sibyl System. ... The Major. ... Shinobu Sensui. ... Shou Tucker. Series: Fullmetal Alchemist (2003), Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009) ... Gendo Ikari. Series: Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995) ... Griffith. Series: Berserk (2016) ... Johan Liebert. Series: Monster (2004 – 2012)More items...•
Top 10 Smartest Anime Series Villains#1: Light Yagami. “Death Note” (2006-07)#2: Father. “Fullmetal Alchemist” (2003-04) / “Brotherhood” (2009-10) ... #3: Johan Liebert. “Monster” (2004-05) ... #4: Naraku. “Inuyasha” (2000-04) ... #5: The Major. ... #6: Super Buu [aka Majin Buu Evil] ... #7: Annie Leonhart. ... #8: Griffith. ... More items...
Anime Top 10Top 10 Best Rated (bayesian estimate) (Top 50)#titlerating1Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (TV)9.082Steins;Gate (TV)9.043Clannad After Story (TV)9.028 more rows
1) Jiren. As seen in Dragon Ball Super's Tournament of Power arc, Goku was unable to defeat Jiren in a 1v1 even after achieving Mastered Ultra Instinct. While Goku has honed his Ultra Instinct since the Tournament of Power in the manga, Jiren and Goku have yet to rematch as Goku is now.
It is still quite effective during combat. Killua can move at speeds of over 550 mph, which is much higher than the speed of sound. He is also the fastest character in the anime.
1 Saitama - One Punch Man Saitama from One Punch Man is the strongest character in anime.
Darkseid is the most powerful villain in the DCEU so far, but he has a lot of competition for the most powerful villains in DC Comics. A mysterious alien race is an apparent villain in the new Peacemaker series on HBO Max, though it's possible the strange butterflies could be connected to an even larger threat.
22 Shishio Makoto (Rurouni Kenshin) One of the creepiest villains in anime, Shishio's iconic look is something fans will never forget, even after his relevance dwindled. He served as the major antagonist during the Kyoto arc of Rurouni Kenshin, but his overbearing presence remained throughout the series.
The diabolical leader of The Millenium with little to no regard for human life, The Major is perhaps one of the sickest villains featured on this list simply due to the sheer ruthlessness of his actions. He also controls an entire horde of vampires, which definitely doesn't hurt his placement on the list either.
One of the most engrossing tales ever told, the fact of the matter is that Code Geass wouldn't have been half as enthralling had it not been for its scintillating antagonist, Lelouch Lamperouge, who was actually known as Lelouch vi Britannia.
Being the founder and emperor of the Alvarez Empire, you'd expect Zeref Dragneel to have the power to back his claim... and you'd be right. Known to be one of the most powerful mages in the world of Fairy Tail, no one can debate the fact that Zeref is definitely a towering force to be reckoned with.
While his appearances across the series might've been wildly sporadic, his character was so strong that the finale of Cowboy Bebop has become the stuff of legends. Even now, watching the ending scene brings a tear to the eye of even the manliest of men.
However, none of them even come close to the sheer power wielded by Marshall D. Teach, more popularly known in the world of One Piece as Blackbeard. He's the only person in the world to have the power of not one, but two Devil Fruits!
Another case of a bad guy turning good after some much-needed reflection , Accelerator is definitely one of the most powerful temporary antagonists of all time. He was just so powerful that, even with his calculation abilities halved due to his brain being fried, he's still able to pose a significant challenge to his enemies.
Summoned in the Archer class during the fourth and fifth Holy Grail War of the Fate/Stay Night series, Gilgamesh is one of the strongest villains in the Fate franchise. His only weakest is that he’s a servant. Trumping the powers of Hercules, Gilgamesh is like a god.
Not only is one of the strongest characters on the show, Madara Uchiha is a master manipulator too. Faking his own passing, Madara drove the plot of Naruto for most of the series.
He thinks he is the smartest man in the room due to his inside information, leading often to mistakes and oversights. Leskinen employs others to do his dirty work, and when forced to make instant choices, he chooses incorrectly.
Ramen Kenpo is a great example of a trope anime comic relief character in the series One Piece. Using Ramen noodles as his weapon of choice, his trademark style is blowing them out of his nose. Other moves include the Ramen Gyoza Set, where Kenpo “claps” the arms of his ramen armor suit to trap his victims.
A mastermind villain is strong due to their tactical and manipulation skills, controlling others and the environment around them. In anime, these characters often receive equal screen time with the protagonist and heroes. Receiving deep character development, a villain’s story goes beyond stereotypical generalizations.
Featured as the MC in the anime series Overlord, Ainz Ooal Gown is a super OP villain. Formally known by the name Momonga , an expert gamer, he finds himself trapped in his favorite video game as the character Ainz Ooal Gown. Momonga created Ainz, specializing his class as an Overlord.
But at his core, will always remain somewhat of a villain.
Best known for its huge swords and larger-than-life characters, Berserk features plenty of great antagonists, though perhaps none more so than Griffith. Having started out as a friend and ally to Guts, jealousy eventually gets the better of him and his morality gradually fades away as he struggles to get the upper hand.
A recurring villain throughout the Fate series, Gilgamesh is one of the most self-assured villains in all of anime, and for good reason. He's every bit as powerful as he is cocky and has caused the franchise's heroes a ridiculous amount of trouble over the years.
There are plenty of fearsome pirates in One Piece, but none more so than Blackbeard.
Though he can certainly be an incredibly likable character at times, it's difficult to argue against Light Yagami being the true villain of Death Note.
Given that it was he who created the Ten Commandments in the first place, it should come as little surprise to learn that the Demon King is far stronger than all of them combined. Just how powerful he really is has never been fully explored in the anime, but, from what viewers have seen of him so far, "very" seems like a fair assessment.
In many ways, All For One is the exact opposite of All Might and serves as the hero's main nemesis. This is a title that he more than lives up to, as evidenced by the ease with which he swats away a number of powerful Pro Heroes when first introduced to the series.
Father starts life as a fairly underwhelming villain, but through his cunning and intellect, is able to trick Van Hohenheim into sacrificing the people of Xerxes to create a Philosopher's Stone. With this great power, he transforms into a God-like entity and is once again able to perform powerful alchemy.
He somehow convinces Ymir Fritz to unleash the complete power hidden within the Founding Titan, which converts him into the largest entity ever seen in Attack on Titan. Eren's size notwithstanding, he also has the authority to temporarily "reincarnate" all the past users of the Nine Titans to do battle for him.
9 Ragyo Kiryuin — Kill La Kill. Ragyo Kiryuin reveals the protagonist, Ryuko Matoi, to be her long-lost daughter, but this just makes the latter more eager to take the villain out. Unfortunately, the combined efforts of Ryuko and Satsuki Kiryuin pale in comparison to their mother's utterly captivating martial artistry.
Eren Yeager starts his journey as a traumatized child, swearing what sounds like an empty oath of vengeance against the Titans (mainly on behalf of his dead mother, Carla.) Grisha, his dad, secretly imbues him with two of the Nine Titans — the Attack Titan and the Founding Titan, but Eren only uses the first until the end of the manga, which is when he transforms from protagonist to potential antagonist.
Bleach 's Yhwach is more powerful than every character in the series, long before he even reaches Soul King level. He doesn't need more than a single reishi sword-arrow to kill Yamamoto Genryusai, a man whose bankai is so dangerous that it could vaporize Soul Society.
In real life, Ajay disguises himself as an academic, mainly writing textbooks for children — who all hate him for making their lives more miserable. He also writes about TV and film, strewing his opinions across the internet to see if people care (they don't).
Given that Kill la Kill is a parody of the shonen genre, it's not surprising that Ragyo's final outfit, Shinra Koketsu, literally transforms her into a gigantic being floating in outer space.
The Chimera Ant King is born with incalculable reserves of life aura because his mother consumes thousands of Nen-aura during his gestation. He is immediately able to display his talents at Gyo, Ko, and Ren, which take most proficient Hunters months or years to master.
Mikey is the leader and one of the founding members of the Tokyo Manji gang. Known as Mikey the invincible, the pocket-sized gang leader is arguably the strongest character in the series. A martial arts prodigy, Mikey rarely loses a fight, and his kicks are described as nuclear.
Psycho-Pass is an incredibly underrated anime that details a futuristic, dystopian world where a criminal is defined by their personality and state of mind instead of by their actions. This is all possible thanks to the Sibyl System, a Hive mind that analyses one's brain chemistry to determine their threat.
Tetta Kisaki is Tokyo Revengers ' primary antagonist and the physical embodiment of evil. He's a puppet master, manipulating those around him to carry out his wishes. Physically, Kisaki is nothing special, but his power lies in his intelligence and foresight.
Kenny Ackerman was a villainous character who specialized in killing humans. Despite the ever-present threat of the Titans, Kenny's reputation was so gruesome that some people feared him the most. He lead the Anti-Personnel control squad that clashed with the scouts after they got too close to the truth.
Despite being born into one of the major sorcerer families, Toji Fushiguro possessed no cursed energy. Instead, he was gifted with supernatural physical prowess that was far superior to anyone else. Because of this, Toji could contend with the greatest sorcerers of his generation, including Satoru Gojo.
Yujiro Hanma is what you get when one trains their body to its absolute peak. Baki The Grappler isn't exactly reflective of true human capabilities, with most characters capable of effortlessly picking up cars, but all characters are humans with powers born from inhuman discipline and torturous training.
Eren was completely human before inheriting the Titan power from his father, so he qualifies for the list. Eren started Attack On Titan as an angry yet good-natured kid with the single-minded goal of killing every Titan. He was the hero tasked with avenging those who had died at the hands of the disastrous Titans.
Baki Hanma is a ridiculously muscular teenage boy with the sole goal of defeating his father, and the world’s strongest living creature, Yujiro Hanma. Baki constantly trains his body by placing himself in dangerous situations.
The half-demon Inuyasha is a warrior from feudal Japan who can slay any opponent who gets in his way, whether they are human or demon. The son of the most powerful demon in the world, Inuyasha is the most powerful half-demon and his strength only grows over the course of the anime as he gains new mystical transformations and techniques for his shape-shifting sword.
Tatsumaki is one of the few anime characters here who doesn't actually need to have great hand-to-hand combat skills. Her power comes from her psychic abilities. She's called the Tornado of Terror as a result of what she can do.
This oranged-haired Shinigami has a broad, and sometimes confusing, set of powers that allow him to defeat even the most overpowered of foes. His strength and swordsmanship allow him to take down all-powerful deities and reality-bending gods while he gains new powers from each set of foes he defeats.
A young man who gained a natural command over alchemy after tragically losing his right arm and left leg while trying to bring his mother back to life, Edward Elric is extremely powerful. He can alter the terrain of any battlefield with his alchemy skills, and transform nearly any substance into a weapon to complement his versatile fighting style.
In fact, in the sequel Clear Card series, Sakura's own magic is so great that she rewrites the cards over the course of the series. She can use the magic inside of her to augment the cards, make them stronger, or create her own. The use of the cards allow her the power of flight, super strength, speed, and more. She is, however, still one of the youngest Magical Girls in anime, ensuring that she lacks the same ruthlessness of some of her older counterparts.
With the increasing popularity of western anime series and the development of new fictional mythologies, there are always more heroes and villains coming to the screen. While some anime characters get their start on the pages of a manga, others come to the screen without audiences knowing anything about their journey.