A villain's presence has always been essential to the anime genre. They've often been used as an impetus for the plot and a source of trouble for the characters. So, what characteristics do excellent anime villains need to have? Is it their authority, allure, or history that makes them so interesting? This piece focuses on a particular type of evil anime character: those that were formerly considered virtuous.
Beyond their villainy, these villains typically have interesting backstories. They are tragic heroes in the sense that they started out on the right track but eventually turned to the bad side. Their hardships make them more human and relatable, and their histories provide light on why they became villainous. Several notorious bad guys in anime have decent pasts, like Sasuke Uchiha from Naruto or Lelouch vi Britannia from Code Geass.
8 Griffith From Berserk
With his savage betrayal of the protagonist Guts in Berserk, Griffith gained notoriety as one of anime's most infamous villains. Griffith betrayed the Hawk's Band to join the God Hand and transform into Femto. Guts and Casca were the only ones to survive Griffith's inhumane treatment of the other captives.
Guts and Casca's minds were permanently damaged by Griffith's treachery. After being wronged by Griffith, Guts grew obsessed with exacting vengeance on him. After the incident, Casca's whole character changed, and she became a phantom of her former self.
7 Suguru Geto From Jujutsu Kaisen
There was a time in Jujutsu Kaisen when Geto wasn't a murderous cult head and a master of dark curses. Both he and Gojo were students at Jujutsu High, and Gojo was his closest buddy. Geto's transformation into a villain, however, began with a single event. After seeing what occurred to Riko Amanai, Geto's ideology changed.
Before his own eyes, he saw she was brutally murdered. A former believer in his own abilities as a jujutsu sorcerer to protect the defenseless, Geto has come to believe that the weak should be eliminated via natural selection.
6 Sasuke Uchiha From Naruto
During the majority of the Naruto series, Sasuke's motivation was his hate for Itachi. However, Sasuke's anger could not be assuaged by learning the reality of Itachi's plot. As the narrative progressed through Naruto and Naruto Shippuden, he evolved into one of the most important antagonists.
Sasuke abandoned Team 7 and went alone, presenting an enormous problem for the heroes. Afterward, he rejoined the side of the good folks, but not before Naruto severely beat him.
5 Seidou Takizawa From Tokyo Ghoul
Seidou's first introduction in Tokyo Ghoul was that of a shy ghoul detective. He was a poor team member because his anxieties got the best of him. In spite of Seidou's best efforts, the underdog tale that his fans were anticipating was not realized. As a result of a conflict, he transformed into a One-Eyed Ghoul and lost all of his formerly timid tendencies.
More self-assured, Seidou still became a dangerous and aggressive person. He took great satisfaction in the fact that he was a monster without compassion for human life. Yet his fears never abated, and he became as hypervigilant as a ghoul, seeing everyone as an adversary and murdering them without remorse.
4 Straizo From Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
During Phantom Blood, Straizo was on Jonathan's side. During Battle Tendency, however, a change occurred in Straizo's character. He couldn't help but wonder about the Stone Mask's abilities and what it meant to become a vampire who transcends humankind.
Straizo kidnapped a lady and assaulted Joseph. Eventually, he realized that his preoccupation with vampirism was driven by his dread of becoming old. Although Straizo was killed in combat rather than dying of old age, he passed away with a clear conscience.
3 Dabi From My Hero Academia
In the Boku No Hero Academia, Dabi's true motivation was to emulate his legendary dad. Dabi was compelled to cease training since using his Quirk caused him pain. Dabi's relentless pursuit of Endeavor's notice caused him such pain and distress that his hair began to turn gray.
Dabi became evil because of Endeavor's treatment of his family and his disregard for them. He agreed with Stain's premise that the vast majority of heroes are motivated primarily by financial gain. As a villain, his goal is to destroy Endeavor.
2 Lelouch vi Britannia From Code Geass
At the beginning of Code Geass, Lelouch's goal was to free the world from Britannia's tyrannical rule. In the end, he turned out to be much like the tyrants he had fought against. He had good motives at first, but his moral compass clouded as he rose in prominence.
Lelouch is a cruel and merciless ruler. As he sees it, the majority of victims are a price to pay for his perfect world to finally be realized. Lelouch, on the other hand, still has a soft spot for his relatives, particularly his brother Nunally. Lelouch's narrative demonstrates that everyone who survives a battle changes in some way. This one went downhill quickly.
1 Eren Yeager From Attack On Titan
Eren's noble goal in Attack on Titan was to kill every Titan and get revenge for his mother's death, thus he enlisted in the Survey Corps. Things became more ambiguous, however, when Eren and the Corps realized the facts about the Titans. There were no mindless beasts among the dead.
The Titans were human test subjects, a practice that goes against all ethical norms. Because of their forefathers' evil deeds, the Eldians were universally reviled. This realization sent Eren over the edge, and he began the Rumbling.