Most anime tend to conform to certain tropes and don't really take too many risks in their storytelling. This leads to many anime feeling rather cliched, which is a sentiment that many viewers have. So, when certain anime decides to surprise viewers with certain plot twists, it makes the experience all the more engaging. This is especially true in the case of characters who seem like paragons of justice only to show their true colors and reveal just how evil they are.

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These kinds of twists are extremely popular in anime and have been used to great effect time and time again. The following characters are examples of great characters who surprised everyone by discarding their goody-two-shoes attitude and revealing just how much of a nuisance they really were.

7 Aizen Sosuke (Bleach)

Aizen from Bleach

Aizen is one of the most popular and iconic anime antagonists of all time. A big part of this allure is his memorable betrayal at the end of the brilliant Soul Society arc, which made Bleach one of the most captivating stories around at the time.

It's a shame that Aizen's character was wasted during his final clash against Ichigo since he looked so powerful and compelling before that. His betrayal shocked Soul Society to its very core and forced the Gotei 13 to act and the world from his lust for power.

6 Ryo Asuka (Devilman Crybaby)

Ryo Asuka (Devilman Crybaby)

At the start of the show, Ryo seems like nothing more than Akira's childhood friend who's a bit more of a bad boy. However, the fact that he knew more things than he had any right to sow the seeds of doubt that fully sprouted near the end of the series.

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Ryo Asuka was revealed to be none other than Satan himself, originating as an angel who was banished from Heaven after an argument with God. This led to Asuka sympathizing with the devils of the world before using his powers to manipulate the world and send humanity through a downward spiral of their own.

5 Light Yagami (Death Note)

Light Yagami

Most people would argue that Light Yagami was never evil in the series and did everything to justify saving the world from the villains that are destroying it. However, it's the chilling nature in which Light tries to kill anyone, innocent or otherwise, who stands in his way that makes him such a heinous character.

His warped ideals of justice are so set in stone that anyone fighting against his judgment becomes a villain in his books. This justifies their death in his mind, which is inherently evil and something a villain would do.

4 Griffith (Berserk)

Griffith

Griffith is one of the most interesting antagonists of all time. Initially appearing as one of Guts' devout friends, his lofty ambitions were his own undoing when he made a series of errors after being somewhat emotionally distraught.

The subsequent torture left his body completely broken, leading him to use the power of the Eclipse to be reborn as an Apostle by sacrificing the lives of everyone in the Band of the Hawk. He's one of the most fascinating and iconic villains of all time who is extremely greedy and power-hungry to a fault.

3 Kabuto Yakushi (Naruto)

Kabuto in Naruto

Kabuto initially appears in the Chunin Exams as a shinobi who didn't mind helping the others out with his information. However, after the end of the Forest of Death exam, Kabuto reveals himself as one of the servants of Orochimaru.

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He's extremely cunning and serves as a thorn in the side of the heroes time and time again, going so far as to raise powerful individuals from the dead for the Fourth Shinobi World War. It was only through the use of Izanami that he had a proper change of heart and started helping the others out.

2 Eren Yeager (Attack On Titan)

Eren Yeager in Attack On Titan

Most people argue against the inclusion of Eren on this list. After all, the character had genuinely good intentions before succumbing to the ruthlessness of the world and using destruction as a means to achieve his goal at all costs.

However, the sheer scale of Eren's genocide is truly immense and shows that maybe this character had such evil in him all along. This, coupled with the revelations in the ending of Attack on Titan, has led many fans to believe that Eren wasn't a saint from the get-go and had this destructive mindset all along.

1 Shou Tucker (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Shou Tucker Smiling While Speaking With The Elric Brothers In Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood

Shou Tucker is easily one of the most heinous and despicable anime characters of all time. The fact that he sacrificed his own wife and daughter just for his own experiments to lead a comfortable life is nothing short of deplorable and shows just how dark alchemy can really get in this world.

The revelation that Nina and the family dog Alexander had been transmuted into a Chimera together is a truly chilling reveal that shows just how horrible Shou Tucker really is. He might've been apprehended after this crime, but there's no denying that this moment adds a dark undertone to the events of Fullmetal Alchemist that make it such an important part of the overall story.

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