At the crux of almost all anime series are heroic main characters, whose noble qualities make them loveable. These characters are adored by their audience, and many have become extremely popular within the anime community. However, there are exceptions to this trope — not all heroes are noble.
In fact, a lot of anime series have a rather unruly, crude, lazy main character at the center of the action. These characters are known as anti-heroes, who have few to no principles that resemble a regular hero. Yet despite — or sometimes because of — their flaws, these characters can rise to the same heights of popularity.
Updated on December 17, 2021, by Suzail Ahmad: The anti-hero trope is becoming popular with every passing day, and many new anime series have successfully implemented the idea, which has made them stand out from their peers. Anti-heroes offer a completely different outlook on things, which broadens the mind of the viewers. With the surge in the anime industry, more and more new anime shows are being released, and it makes it important to add more entries to the list.
15 Scar — Fullmetal Alchemist
Scar is the survivor of the massacre that took place in Ishval. He saw his brother giving up his life to save Scar. This led to Scar becoming obsessed with the killing of the State Alchemists. Scar went as far as killing Winry's parents, who were just doctors.
Scar's right arm is very dangerous as it can destroy anything that it touches. Scar has some very impressive feats to his name, which include killing ten State Alchemists and getting the better of Wrath (albeit he was severely wounded).
14 Kiritsugu Emiya — Fate
He is among the main characters of the Fate franchise. An infamous mercenary, Kiritsugu is known for his inhumane methods of killing. His brutal yet impressive methods have allowed him to take down many strong opponents.
Kiritsugu Emiya considers it important to eliminate every threat to the world. He isn't reluctant to kill a handful of people if that means protecting a larger group.
13 Revy — Black Lagoon
Hailing from Black Lagoon, Revy is a talented fighter, who can put up a fight against an entire platoon. Revy's skill with weapons is almost unmatched by the other characters in the series. She is one of the most prized assets of the Lagoon Company.
There are many things about Revy which stand out. She is racially insensitive and has been shown to call inappropriate names to people around her. Furthermore, Levy has a really bad temper and she can kill anyone at the slightest provocation.
12 Caiman — Dorohedoro
Caiman is a human who was born in the Hole with natural immunity against magic. He was cursed by a magician, which led to him developing the head of a lizard. Caiman is prone to fits of violence, where he goes on a killing spree to reach his goal. Most of the time, he behaves rather arrogantly. Also, Caiman is known for being very hateful towards magicians— killing them on the spot after interrogating them.
11 Accelerator — Toaru Majutsu No Index
Accelerator is the strongest known esper in Academy City. He possesses the ability called Accelerator, which enables him to manipulate vectors. Accelerator is so powerful that he was able to defeat Kakine with the former being unable to use 100% of his calculating ability. Accelerator's rash way of talking to others is not ideal and he has shown that he is indifferent to the events that are happening around him.
10 Mugen — Samurai Champloo
The flamboyant main character in this series is an unorthodox swordsman who travels all over Japan. Unlike most anime heroes, Mugen is very a rude individual who picks fights with people for the pettiest reasons.
His dislike for work and his vulgarity make him different from the usual anime protagonists, who tend to uphold a certain moral code. Mugen has clashed against many powerful characters, and his unpredictability makes it extremely difficult to fight him.
9 Spike — Cowboy Bebop
Within the anime world, very few people haven't heard of Spike Spiegel. He's a central character in Cowboy Bebop, which is an absolute classic and considered by many to be one of the best anime of the 90s.
Spike is a bounty hunter, who usually has little to no motivation other than collecting the reward for his mission. He is indifferent to most things happening around him. However, he is a very talented marksman, capable of finding his mark even in tough situations. Viewers can't help but cheer for him.
8 Hyakkimaru — Dororo
Hyakkimaru's life was ruined before it even began. His father made a deal with demons, which cost Hyakkimaru his limbs. In exchange, Hyakkimaru was granted demonic powers, which he honed to an elite level. His sense of vengeance and his dark abilities grant him anti-hero status.
With his abilities, Hyakkimaru was able to fight against the demons, and regain his lost limbs. Each demon presented a unique challenge, but he was able to overwhelm them and eventually managed to gain revenge against his father.
7 Guts — Berserk
Not many characters have a sadder past than Berserk's main character, Guts. His traumatic life experiences shaped him into a recluse with no regard for the lives of other people. As a lone wolf, Guts relied on his skills and his skills alone.
After the eclipse, his power only continued to increase, and he was able to fight against apostles with his Dragon Slayer. Guts possesses incredible physical abilities, which allow him to swing Dragon Slayer without any problems.
6 Lelouch VI Britannia — Code Geass
Lelouch is one of the most well-known characters within the anime community, whose high intelligence makes him a frightening foe. Lelouch received the Geass from C.C., which allows him to manipulate people. This power of manipulation places him among the ranks of the anti-heroes.
The Geass enabled Lelouch to give commands to any person as long as they maintained eye contact with him. This power, in combination with his intelligence, made Lelouch a force to be reckoned with. The Geass is a very powerful tool, but it has its limitations, so it must be used with extreme caution.
5 Yagami Light — Death Note
Arguably the most well-known anti-hero in the anime community, Yagami Light is the benchmark for this character archetype. His high intelligence separates him from other anime characters, and his method of vigilante justice makes him an anti-hero.
With the Death Note, Yagami Light can kill any individual as long as he knows their name and face. When he received this power, Light used it to get rid of the worst criminals in the world. He used the power of the notebook to inflict his sense of justice on the rest of the world. As the series progressed, though, he became more and more power-hungry, to the point where he started killing innocent people.
4 Johnny Joestar
Johnny Joestar is very different from the rest of the main characters in the JoJo series. Unlike most of his brethren, Johnny Joestar is an unforgiving and relentless individual, who will do anything to accomplish his goal.
It was evident during the Steel Ball Run race that Johnny wouldn't hesitate to kill other people if it meant that he could regain his ability to walk. Johnny's stand made him even more fearsome, as its attacks possess infinite energy.
3 Sasuke Uchiha — Naruto
As a kid, Sasuke was traumatized by his older brother, who used genjutsu to show him the gruesome scene of his parents getting murdered again and again. This experience led to Sasuke becoming an unsympathetic individual.
Throughout Naruto, Sasuke gained numerous power-ups that allowed him to accomplish his goals. At the end of the series, he was the only ninja who could compete against the title character. He has incredible techniques, including Amaterasu and Susanoo in his arsenal. Not many can hold their ground against Sasuke.
2 Alucard — Hellsing
Alucard works for Hellsing and he only takes orders from Integra Hellsing. He is an extraordinarily powerful vampire who can give most characters a run for their money. His powerful abilities separate him from the regular vampires, and his motives separate him from most anime heroes.
Alucard has incredible regeneration powers, which allow him to recover from any sort of wound with ease. He also has the ability to manipulate weather and blood, and he can also teleport to other locations.
1 Vegeta — Dragon Ball Z
Finishing on top of the list is none other than the Saiyan Prince, Vegeta. Originally, Vegeta was introduced as a villain in Dragon Ball Z, but slowly he became more of an anti-hero. He became rivals with Goku as the two of them pushed each other to their limits. At one point, Vegeta even attacked Goku to steal the limelight for himself.
A skilled fighter, Vegeta has several feats to his name, which include getting the better of Toppo, a candidate for the position of the God of Destruction. He's undoubtedly powerful, and his origins as a villain set him apart from typical anime heroes.