Some say that it's villains that define who protagonists are in a story - and in a genre like anime where there are multiple ways a villain can make a mark in a character’s story, this adage holds true as well. Despite the nature of anime as being animated, a lot of its more serious stories do feature extremely memorable villains - some too detestably evil to forget, while others earn a bit of sympathy from viewers.
More surprisingly, some anime antagonists actually possess unique stories that don’t necessarily make them villains. Sometimes, circumstances happen around these characters that transform their view of the world, and it’s unfortunate how that view ends up conflicting with what’s right and what is wrong. Just which great antagonists aren’t really villains in their story?
8 Meruem – Hunter X Hunter
Of all villains in Hunter X Hunter, it’s perhaps Meruem that takes the cake as its most frightening. After all, this King of Chimera Ants very well deserves the title, as he stands as the most powerful among his kind. Similar to animals, Chimera Ants rely on their instincts as soon as they’re born. And with evolution, knowing how to hunt and protect oneself guarantees one’s survival. However, unlike other animals, Chimera Ants possess higher intelligence and wield Nen, making them apex predators in the food chain.
As such, when Meruem was born, it was in his nature as Chimera Ant King to simply rule over a domain. However, his pure reliance on his instincts and drive for survival meant he was as merciless as an apex predator could get in Hunter X Hunter. For humans and Hunters, Meruem’s extremely powerful abilities and disregard for humanity can become extremely dangerous. And before Meruem discovers his innate human nature, could one truly blame him for simply relying on his animalistic nature to survive?
7 Kyubey – Puella Magi Madoka Magica
As far as modern science goes, there’s no way to reverse entropy - meaning the known universe will eventually break down and come to an end. In the universe of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, a cat-like species known as the Incubators have discovered that emotions - particularly those of young teenage girls - are capable of stalling entropy during certain years of their lives. One such Incubator, Kyubey, was tasked to give these young girls their “wishes” in exchange for becoming “magical girls,” using their emotional energies to wage wars against evil Witches. As these Magical Girls, led by protagonist Madoka Kaname, would soon learn, these Witches were actually former Magical Girls after being discarded by Kyubey.
And while Madoka and her friends abhor Kyubey for its actions, the Incubator continues to see this as a necessity. Being unable to feel and process emotions themselves, Kyubey simply treats emotions as resources that have to be spent for the universe’s survival. And in the face of their vision of survival as the “greater good,” Kyubey may be an antagonist but not necessarily villainous in the context of being evil.
6 Itachi Uchiha – Naruto
When Naruto viewers first get introduced to the series, they would almost immediately know of Sasuke Uchiha’s desire to kill his brother, Itachi Uchiha, after the latter murdered his entire clan. Sasuke’s quest for vengeance would prove difficult, however, as Itachi would prove to be one of the most powerful shinobi to ever exist in Konoha.
However, in truth, there was more to Itachi’s motives in Naruto than just being a clan member that went rogue. After Madara Uchiha attacked Konoha, the village grew distrustful of the entire clan, with the Uchihas planning a coup. And Itachi, truly believing in a unified village, was always on the path of peace. Machinations of the evil Danzo made Itachi believe that this conflict would only stop with bloodshed, leading to Itachi killing his clan.
While Danzo accepted Itachi’s request of keeping Sasuke alive, it was actually because Itachi wanted Sasuke to be the one to kill Itachi to avenge the clan’s death. Unfortunately for Itachi, his noble motives were twisted by the manipulations of the evil Danzo.
5 Char Aznable – Mobile Suit Gundam
When fans think of any Gundam series, they will likely think of two things - awesome Gundam machines, and an antagonist that almost always wears a mask. And Gundam fans can thank Char Aznable for the latter, as it’s his iconic masked form that inspired this trope in the series. Serving as the rival of pilot Amuro Ray, Char Aznable of the Principality of Zeon was fueled primarily by revenge until he set his sights on bigger things in the future.
In the end, Char would lead the Neo Zeon faction and has decided to force an end to the war between humans and Newtypes by dropping a massive asteroid on Earth and forcing nuclear winter. In his eyes, this should force humans to mass migrate into space and evolve into Newtypes. While Amuro eventually stops Char, it seems his ultimate plan is born out of frustration. After all, Earth has become increasingly inhabitable due to pollution, and constant warfare will send Earth to the same doom.
4 Shogo Makishima – Psycho-Pass
In the future Japan of Psycho-Pass, an entity known as the Sibyl System is capable of quantizing a person’s mental state and using it to tailor-fit their lives as best suit them and society. As a result, the Sibyl System has created a somewhat utopian Japan provided everyone maintains a low Psycho-Pass, or propensity for crime. Any violators would be hunted down by the Criminal Investigation Department for containment or elimination.
Season 1 of the series immediately positions Shogo Makishima as its villain, with Akane and her peers set out to stop him from committing murders. However, as Akane would horrifyingly learn, Shogo doesn’t have a low Psycho-Pass even while killing people. For him, killing is an act within “reason,” allowing him to maintain a low Psycho-Pass.
More importantly, Shogo appears motivated to kill primarily as a form of mockery and protest to the Sibyl System - that humanity should be free, not controlled by an unseen system. While ultimately wrong, it’s Shogo’s actions that will lead Akane and her friends to see the true reality behind the Sibyl System.
3 Scar – Fullmetal Alchemist
Fans of Fullmetal Alchemist won’t easily forget about Scar, especially considering how much of a threat he poses not just to State Alchemists but to society as a whole. Introduced as someone who mercilessly kills State Alchemists, fans would slowly learn about Scar’s motivations for his actions and how his drive for vengeance has thrust him into a path he actively knows he couldn’t go back to.
Originally a warrior monk from Ishval, Scar was supposed to die during the Ishval civil war if it weren’t for his brother, who saved Scar in exchange for his arm and his life. It’s his brother’s arm that is particularly dangerous, as it’s specifically modified to destroy anything it touches. And considering Scar’s hatred towards State Alchemists in his belief that they’re responsible for ruining Ishval, Scar is both a terrifying villain and a sympathetic anti-hero of Fullmetal Alchemist.
2 Crona – Soul Eater
In the world of Soul Eater, humanoid Demon Weapons pair up with Weapon Meisters to hunt Witches and other supernatural beings to keep peace in the underworld. And among its denizens, it’s perhaps Crona that is one of its most terrifying villains. This Weapon Meister is known for their pink hair and a black unimposing robe, a shy demeanor, and an unstable mental state in combat. In fact, Crona immediately fights protagonist Maka Albarn when they meet for the first time.
While Crona’s erratic attitude have had them almost kill Maka and her friends numerous times, fans would soon learn that Crona’s instability is rooted in years of abuse at the hands of Ragnarok and their own mother, the Witch Medusa - unfortunately, to the point where Crona admitted they haven’t been able to understand the concept of morality due to this horrific upbringing.
1 Danjuro Tobita – My Hero Academia
In My Hero Academia, more than 80-percent of people develop superhuman abilities, creating a society where heroes and villains coexist with regular people. And while more than enough Pro Heroes exist to save the world, there’s an equal share of villains who want to use their powers for personal gain. One such villain was Danjuro Tobita, known as the Gentle Criminal, who is known for his Quirk, Elasticity, which he uses cleverly to commit crimes, escape scenes unscathed, and fight enemies without truly harming them.
In fact, it’s due to his extreme count of hurting people that he’s earned the name Gentle Criminal. Unlike other villains in the My Hero Academia series, Danjuro Tobita simply wanted to be written in the annals of history. And if being a hero didn’t cut it for him, perhaps being a known villain - without actually harming others - could help him become remembered by generations to come.