The realm of anime is filled to the brim with colorful and memorable characters. Sure the bulk of these fictional personalities might fall into one cliche or another, but there's no denying that certain figures in their respective shows still end up being unforgettable for one reason or another. From the lovable band of heroes that stand against evil to the villains that are remarkably complex — anime has it all and more.
Speaking of villains, there's no denying that some anime characters have been immortalized for just how amazing and memorable they are, regardless of their affiliations. In fact, some villains in anime have such amazingly well-written characters that different circumstances could've led to them being heroes in their own right. The most notable examples in this context are listed below.
10 Madara Uchiha – Naruto
Madara Uchiha is one of the most infamous figures in the world of Naruto. His relentless thirst for power led to several conflicts in both the history and present of Naruto, making him a force to be reckoned with.
However, the hate present in the Uchiha clan coupled with the war-torn landscape he was born definitely led to his dark side coming out more often than not. Hashirama's companionship was swaying him, and having other loving figures around him could have changed him for the better.
9 Griffith – Berserk
Griffith is one of the most complex villains ever written, with Miura taking inspiration from his own friendships to wonder what would happen if one of his friends betrayed him and went down a dark path. There's no denying that Griffith's actions were truly deplorable during the Eclipse...but this moment was a culmination of all the unfortunate instances that led him to such a desperate decision in the first place.
Things could very well have been different if Guts never left the party. Unfortunately, losing out on what he desired the most broke him inside and caused him to be rash, leading to him being tortured for a year and relying on the Behelit to give him a new body and powers.
8 Lelouch Vi Britannia – Code Geass
The tale of Lelouch is a truly sad one. After being denied his birthright for the longest time, Lelouch goes on a quest to retrieve the same after receiving the power of Geass. Even a stumbling block midway through his journey that stole his powers didn't stop him from trying to regain the throne once again.
However, in his quest to ascend to the throne, he performs some truly heinous actions that turn him into a villain that must die for the world to truly be united. Perhaps if his childhood and his actions would've been better, this iconic anime character would enjoy a better fate at the end of Code Geass' lauded narrative.
7 Light Yagami – Death Note
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There's no denying that Light was truly extreme in his actions as the owner of the Death Note. However, his first impression and the genuineness he sported after forgetting about the Death Note made it clear that there was a good side to him.
It was the power of the Death Note that corrupted him for good. If he had managed to rein in his superiority complex or just didn't get his hands on the Death Note in the first place, things could've definitely been different for this character.
6 Shinobu Sensui – Yu Yu Hakusho
Technically, the younger Toguro could also be a part of this list. However, while Toguro still technically chose to go down a dark path, Sensui was pretty much forced into it after witnessing just how heinous humanity could really be.
This caused him to lose all hope in the world and consider humanity to be the true threat against the forces of good. Fans really sympathize with Sensui for being so disturbed after seeing these atrocities, and perhaps things would've worked out better had Sensui never seen these horrors, to begin with.
5 Zeke Yeager – Attack On Titan
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Zeke's personality is a truly fascinating one, with the motivations for his goal stemming from the hate he had for his father. Grisha's heart was in the wrong place when he raised Zeke, and he tried to correct his mistakes by raising Eren in the right manner.
Unfortunately, the advent of the Attack Titan itself led to Eren going down a dark path as well. If Zeke had a better childhood, then he would've definitely been fighting for the greater good instead of trying to euthanize all Eldians to prevent this cycle of hatred from ever arising in the first place.
4 Shigaraki Tomura – My Hero Academia
For the longest time, people considered Tomura to be nothing more than the devil himself. However, it was only when his backstory was expanded upon that viewers realized just how tragic his story really is.
Had Shigaraki enjoyed a better childhood, he might've even been on the path to being a superhero! Unfortunately, All for One got a hold of this promising kid before he could get the help he needed, and the rest is history.
3 Dio Brando – JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure adds extra scenes to lend more weight to Dio's transition into becoming a power-hungry psychopath. Again, just like most other characters on this list, Dio's villainy is a product of his upbringing and the squalor he was brought up in.
Aggravated by the hand fate dealt him, Dio strove to attain power through whatever means possible. If Dio just had a different childhood and wasn't put down all the time, it's possible that he might've turned into someone completely different.
2 Broly – Dragon Ball
Broly is one of the most fascinating villains in Dragon Ball. Sure, there's no denying that his origins as a villain are pretty weak in the Dragon Ball Z movies, but the canon Dragon Ball Super film does a great job of painting Broly as the gentle giant that he rightfully should've been from the get-go.
Crash-landing on a planet with a father who controlled him at every step of the way and manipulated him to do his bidding definitely led to Broly being such an angry and shy individual. Thankfully, it seems that he's going to potentially become another hero in Dragon Ball Super, which is bound to be great indeed.
1 Gin Ichimaru – Bleach
Technically, Gin is more of a double agent than a villain...but he definitely deserves a spot here. After all, he never got a chance to explain his motivations to the good guys and was disposed of by Aizen in a flash.
It turns out that Gin's love for Rangiku eclipsed anything else, and hatched an elaborate revenge plot against Aizen after he harmed the love of his life. He might've gone too far in his quest for revenge, but Gin was genuinely a good person who could've fought against Aizen if he had just kept his thirst for vengeance in check.