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Table of contents

Highlights

  • Villains in anime have evolved over time, with more complex backstories, unique powers, and a more humane side.
  • Goku Black, Funny Valentine, and Boros are some of the best anime villains due to their intriguing characters and overwhelming power.
  • Mahito, Kiryu Setsuna, Takasugi, Suzuki Toichiro, Esdeath, and Isabella are also notable villains with impressive abilities and captivating storylines.

With a significant increase in the number of anime produced over the years, it has become even more important to go through the details before starting a new anime. One of the cornerstones of a good anime is a well-written villain, who is not just powerful but has a certain philosophy.

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The roles of villains in a series have been overlooked, but they're just as important as the protagonists. There are tons of anime, but not all of them have eye-catching villains. However, there are a handful of villains that have withstood the test of time and are hailed as the very best to date.

Updated January 6, 2024, by Suzail Ahmad: Anime watchers have become accustomed to the idea of seeing more villains in the story. Earlier, most villains were villains because they were evil and blocked the hero's path. With time, they have become more refined and have had more layers added to them by the authors. Nowadays, villains have unique powers, a proper backstory that shapes their thinking, and a more humane side. So, it has become increasingly difficult to pick the best anime villains based on a single criterion. With that in mind, more characters have been added to the list that deserve to compete for the title of the best villain in anime.

26 ​​​​​​Goku Black

Goku Black in Dragon Ball Super

Goku Black serves as the main villain of the Future Trunks Saga in Dragon Ball Super. He is a rather interesting villain and one of the better things about the series. Goku Black was an intelligent individual with megalomania. He did not take kindly to mortals, mainly because he was jealous of them to a certain extent.

When it comes to strength, Goku Black is not to be trifled with. He could crush most of his opponents with ease, and things only got worse when he fused with Zamasu. Due to his overwhelming power, Zeno had to step in and get rid of Goku Black once and for all.

25 Funny Valentine

D4C and Funny Valentine best anime villains
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Action
Fantasy

Release Date
October 6, 2012
Creator
Hirohiko Araki
Studio
David Production

Funny Valentine is the primary villain of Steel Ball Run. He was the President of the United States, and he wanted to make the country a superpower. To achieve this goal, Funny Valentine was willing to go to any length, even if it meant killing innocent people.

He wanted the saint's corpse at all costs, which is why he kept sending his henchmen to kill Gyro Zeppeli and Johnny Joestar. Funny Valentine was successful in getting rid of Gyro, but Johnny proved to be too much for him. When he realized that it wasn't going to be possible for him to defeat Johnny, Valentine used his Stand to go to alternate dimensions to find an ally to help him. He used his intelligence to keep Johnny busy while it happened. His overall involvement in the story, along with his insanely powerful Stand makes Funny Valentine a candidate for the best anime villain.

24 Boros

Boros in One-Punch Man
One Punch Man
Action
Superhero
Release Date
October 5, 2015
Creator
One
Studio
Madhouse, J.C.Staff

Boros is the main antagonist of the first season of One Punch Man. He was an alien who had accumulated an immense amount of power, and he went from one place to another to find suitable challengers. During his quest, Boros destroyed multiple planets, resulting in the deaths of millions of people.

Ultimately, he landed on Earth, where he fought Saitama. The fight was absolutely incredible, and the bald hero had to struggle quite a bit. Boros had a cool character design, which made him stand out from the other villains in the series. Aside from that, Boros was also suffering from the same problem as Saitama, but he went about it in the wrong way. Saitama acknowledged his strength, and there was definitely a great deal of respect between the two.

23 Mahito

mahito-eye
Jujutsu Kaisen
Action
Supernatural

Release Date
October 3, 2020
Creator
Gege Akutami
Studio
MAPPA

Mahito is among the main antagonists of Jujutsu Kaisen. He is an evil individual through and through. Mahito does not care about the consequences of his actions, and he has used his powers to cause harm to the people around him. If it weren't for the sorcerers, he would have caused chaos throughout the world.

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Mahito may not be the smartest villain, but he is still an impressive fighter. He was able to fight against Nanami without any problems, which is a major testament to his skills. He has a variety of techniques in his arsenal, making him a deadly foe. Mahito brings pure evil to the table, which separates him from the rest of the villains in the anime industry.

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22 Kiryu Setsuna

Kiryu Setsuna from Kengan Ashura

Kiryu Setsuna dedicated his entire life to looking for an opportunity to slay Tokita Ohma. Ever since he laid his eyes on the hero, all he wanted to do was end Ohma's life with his own hands. Kiryu Setsuna was extremely possessive toward Ohma, and oddly, he went to great lengths to ensure that no harm came to him.

He was a talented fighter in his own right, and he would have achieved great things if not for his obsession with Ohma. Kiryu Setsuna's character perfectly highlighted the struggle of an individual who lost all sense of morality in his pursuit of Ohma.

21 Takasugi

Gintama Takasugi Shinsuke with a menacing grin
Gintama
Comedy
Action
Sci-Fi
Release Date
April 4, 2006
Creator
Hideaki Sorachi
Studio
Sunrise, Bandai Namco Pictures

Takasugi used to be a friend of Gintoki's but after the Amanto invasion, he took a drastically different path from his comrade. He became the leader of an extremist Joui faction with the sole purpose of destroying the world. He was motivated to do so after losing his teacher.

Takasugi was ruthless, and his approach led to many deaths. Despite his malevolent nature, Takasugi was respected by his underlings. His charisma played a key role in his success as the leader of one of the most powerful factions in the series. When it comes to swordsmanship, he is one of the best in Gintama. He is capable of taking entire platoons of soldiers with just his blade.

20 Suzuki Toichiro

Toichiro Suzuki using his powers
Mob Psycho 100
Action
Comedy
Supernatural
Release Date
July 12, 2016
Creator
One
Studio
Bones

Suzuki is one of the main antagonists in Mob Psycho 100. He was the founder of Claw, an organization filled with powerful espers who worked toward Suzuki's goal of world dominance. Suzuki was a cunning individual, and he knew how to make the best of every situation.

When it came to psychic powers, Suzuki was on a different level from most individuals. He used his body to accumulate psychic energy for decades, only releasing it once he initiated his plan to take over the world. Suzuki's power was so overwhelming that even Mob couldn't stop him. Fortunately for Mob, Suzuki couldn't handle his own power, which led to his demise.

19 Esdeath

Esdeath (Akame Ga Kill)
Akame ga Kill!
Action
Fantasy
Release Date
July 7, 2014
Creator
Takahiro
Studio
White Fox

Esdeath is a popular anime villain who hails from the Akame ga Kill franchise. Contrary to how most female characters are portrayed in anime, Esdeath was handled in a much better way. She was a well-written character with a good backstory.

She was extremely manipulative and could easily sway weak-willed individuals with her articulate speeches. Esdeath was also a sadistic individual who would go to great lengths to put her opponent through a world of pain. She was ridiculously good at fighting, and it earned her the reputation of being the best soldier in the entire world.

18 Isabella

Isabella in The Promised Neverland
The Promised Neverland
Thriller
Horror
Release Date
January 10, 2019
Creator
Kaiu Shirai
Studio
CloverWorks

Isabella is quite different from some of the other great anime villains in that she does not have any supernatural abilities, yet she instills fear in the hearts of viewers. She was an ordinary human being trying to survive in a world full of demons. Isabella worked as the Mama for Grace Field House Plant 3 to ensure that the demons wouldn't kill her.

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She used her guile to keep the kids in check and ensure that they would never find out about their gruesome fate. Isabella's intelligence also enabled her to foil the children's escape plans time and time again. Emma, Norman, and Ray had to work hard in order to outfox Isabella.

17 All For One

All For One in My Hero Academia
My Hero Academia
Action
Superhero
Release Date
April 3, 2016
Creator
Kōhei Horikoshi
Studio
Bones

All for One is one of the better antagonists in My Hero Academia. He has single-handedly caused many problems for the heroes in Japan. All for One used to be the strongest villain in the country, and he used to compete with All Might. But once he found his powers dwindling, All for One decided to make others do his bidding.

He created the League of Villains and took Tomura Shigaraki under his wing. All for One molded Shigaraki into the person that he wanted him to be. All for One is among the few villains who have both intelligence and strength, making him a truly threatening individual.

16 Eren Yeager

Eren in Attack On Titan
Attack On Titan
Action
Drama
Fantasy

Release Date
April 7, 2013
Creator
Hajime Isayama
Studio
Wit Studio, MAPPA

At the beginning of the series, Eren Yeager was nothing more than an innocent boy who wanted to protect the people dear to him. As the story progressed though, Eren's way of thinking drastically changed, and he became a malevolent individual.

After gaining the power of the Founding Titan, Eren decided to launch a full-out attack on the rest of the world. Eren's actions led to large-scale destruction in which more than half the human population was wiped out. The series extensively covers Eren's transformation, making him one of the best anime villains of all time.

15 Frieza

Dragon Ball Z Screenshot Of Frieza
Dragon Ball Z
Action
Adventure
Comedy

Release Date
April 26, 1989
Creator
Akira Toriyama
Studio
Toei Animation

To say that Frieza is evil would be a bit of an understatement. He is the main villain of the Dragon Ball series, and Goku's biggest nemesis. He's made appearances in the other parts as well.

Frieza's army was known for its ruthlessness, and the stories about their brutality are known throughout the universe. He is extremely manipulative, and he tends to mock his opponents with his dark sense of humor. Unlike many villains though, Frieza is an eloquent speaker, which helps him to hide his sadistic nature.

14 The Major

The Major from Hellsing
Hellsing Ultimate
Action
Supernatural
Fantasy
Release Date
February 10, 2006
Creator
Kouta Hirano
Studio
Satelight, Madhouse, Graphinica

The Major served under Hitler in the SS, which says a lot about him as a person. He was assigned by Hitler to create artificial vampires that could be used in World War II. The Major thrived on chaos and war, and so he did everything in his power to send the world into darkness.

Over the years, The Major's plans changed and instead of just creating an army of vampires, he decided to start a war that would engulf the entire world. Also, he was fixated on Alucard, and wanted to eliminate the vampire by any means necessary.

13 Muzan Kibutsuji

muzan in demon slayer
Demon Slayer
Action
Adventure

Release Date
April 6, 2019
Creator
Koyoharu Gotoge
Studio
ufotable

Muzan is the main antagonist of Demon Slayer, and, together with his demons, has been responsible for countless deaths. Muzan is a very strong character, who can beat the most powerful Hashira without any problems. His blood also allows him to turn humans into demons, who then go on to do his bidding.

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Muzan is a heartless individual, who has no regard whatsoever for the lives of humans or even his subordinates. He sees them as disposable trash, and, on several occasions, Muzan has even murdered his own underlings to make a point.

12 Shogo Makishima

Shogo from Pyscho-Pass

Shogo Makishima is famously known for being very manipulative, and with his ability to persuade people, Shogo has led countless people to their graves.

One of the things that makes Shogo such an effective villain is that he doesn't have any sort of compassion and on countless occasions has shown that he is willing to dispose of anyone who dares to oppose him. In some cases, that also extends to people that he grows tired of too.

11 Envy

Envy grinning in Fullmetal Alchemist
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Action
Adventure
Fantasy
Release Date
April 5, 2009
Creator
Hiromu Arakawa
Studio
Bones

As the name states, Envy is jealous of the people around him. He is a homunculus who thrives off the misery of humans. Envy is cruel, and he feels no remorse for his actions. He boasted about starting the Ishvalan Civil War, which resulted in the deaths of countless people, and this shows that he really doesn't care about the consequences of his actions.

The root cause of Envy's hatred towards mankind is that he is jealous of their ability to work together, and so he tries everything he can to mess up their lives. Envy's ability to shift shapes makes him a very dangerous villain, and allows him to start trouble much more easily than the average bad guy.

10 Nagato Uzumaki

Naruto Nagato Uzumaki
Naruto
Animation
Action
Adventure

Release Date
October 2, 2002
Creator
Masashi Kishimoto
Studio
Pierrot

Naruto is a riveting story about a knucklehead ninja of the same name, who dreams of becoming the Hokage one day. Naruto's path to success was hindered by many villains, but only one of them left a significant mark on Naruto, and that villain was none other than Nagato Uzumaki, who was the leader of Akatsuki.

Nagato was too weak to use his original body, so he used the bodies of dead people to fight against his opponent. Being a student of Jiraiya, Nagato learned a lot of things from him and they were responsible for molding his character. Nagato was powerful and had certain ideas that he really believed in.

9 Yagami Light

Light Yagami in Death Note
Death Note
Thriller
Supernatural
Release Date
October 4, 2006
Creator
Tsugumi Ohba
Studio
Madhouse

Yagami Light is one of the most well-known names in the anime world, thanks to Death Note. A high school genius, Light's world was turned upside-down when he picked up the Death Note that fell on the earth. After deliberating for a while, Light reached the conclusion where he decided that he would rid the world of criminals.

However, Light turned into a criminal who murdered innocent people. He took up the name of Kira and went on a murdering spree until Near and Mello put a halt to his progress.

8 Griffith

Griffith from Berserk anime
Berserk
Fantasy
Action
Release Date
October 8, 1997
Creator
Kentaro Miura
Studio
OLM Team Iguchi

Griffith is the leader of the Reborn Band of Hawk in Berserk. At a certain point in the story, Griffith was adored by all the members of the original Band of Hawk. After being on the verge of death, Griffith triggered the eclipse, which resulted in the deaths of almost all the members of the original group.

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Reborn as Femto, he raised a new army that is filled with powerful apostles, who could raze entire cities to the ground. Griffith prioritized his dream above everything— his friends, his morals, which made him truly frightening.

7 Yohan Liebert

Johan Liebert from Monster
Monster
Thriller
Mystery
Release Date
April 7, 2004
Creator
Naoki Urasawa
Studio
Madhouse

Arguably the best villain in anime history, Yohan Liebert is the antagonist of Naoki Urasawa's Monster. Yohan's enigma and his ridiculous charisma put him at the very top of the villain rankings. He didn't have any superpowers, only his incredible mind with which he was able to wreak havoc.

Yohan terrorized an entire city's population, and he felt absolutely no remorse. This separates him from the rest of the anime villains, who require unique powers to make their mark.