Corporate antagonists have long been a feature of anime, acting as the principal adversaries in several successful series. These characters are often portrayed as cruel, selfish, and prepared to do everything to attain their ambitions, even trampling the lives and rights of others. Audiences find these corporate villains alarming and compelling because they symbolize the dark side of capitalism and the excesses of corporate power.
Whether they are the crafty and manipulative CEO of a global firm or the merciless head of a research center, the most heinous corporate villains in anime create a lasting impression on viewers. They question our views about the role of companies in society and illustrate the repercussions of unbridled greed and ambition. Despite their unfavorable portrayals, these antagonists demonstrate the power of narrative and anime's capacity to tackle complicated topics and societal concerns.
7 Maximillion J. Pegasus From Yu-Gi-Oh!
Pegasus was an extremely successful businessman and main villian in Yu-Gi-Oh!. He made a ton of money off of his invention of Duel Monsters and used that money to promote the game further. Despite his financial savvy, Pegasus enjoyed diversionary activities such as watching cartoons and playing intricate island games.
His cold demeanor masked his dark plot to steal the Millennium objects and play a vicious shadow game with anybody who stood in his path. To get his hands on the puzzle, Pegasus enticed Yugi to Duelist Isle with the lure of riches.
6 Gato From Naruto
In the world of Naruto, Gato was a shady businessman and crime boss. Instead of fighting shinobi on his own, he hired mercenaries to perform his dirty work. Due to his access to influential people like Zabuza, he was an early-season adversary for Team Seven.
There were many instances in the series where Gato used his influence to manipulate situations for his personal gain; for example, when he put an end to the development of the bridge in the Land Of Waves. To achieve this, he even went as far as using his vast money to recruit a band of goons to halt the construction when they refused to halt construction.
5 Sugou Nobuyuki From Sword Art Online
Business tycoon Sugou acquired the source code for the first iteration of Sword Art Online. He put it to work creating Alfheim, a massively multiplayer online game like Neverwinter but with a more nuanced twist. As part of Sugou's studies, the technology of Alfheim produced subtle, hardly perceptible alterations to the minds of its participants over time rather than holding them as prisoners.
To fine-tune this technique for himself, he experimented with his own players. In addition, Sugou abused Asuna while holding her captive in the virtual environment, a situation that was only resolved thanks to Kirito's involvement. Foregrounding the human stakes of their conflict in the actual world.
4 Yoshikage Kira From The Eighth Part Of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
A recluse by nature, Yoshikage Kira took a different tack than the usual JoJo's Bizarre Adventure bad guys. Very carefully, he had assumed the identity of a department shop clerk.
After adopting a new persona, Kira moved through the organizational ranks to a new position. His "adopted" wife Shinobu was not like his spending too much time with him, so the second pseudonym came in handy. He often committed his murders late at night, after he had gotten back from the office but before anybody else did.
3 Kyosuke Higuchi From Death Note
In Death Note, Kyosuke was in charge of the Yotsuba Group. Kyosuke was a savage businessman who will stop at nothing to succeed. However, he met his match in his encounter with Kira. The magnitude of his cruelty was shown by his usage of the Death Note to eliminate almost all Yotsuba Group competitors.
As a result, Kyosuke was able to establish a monopoly quickly and rise to prominence as one of Japan's most powerful figures. However, after being revealed by Light and L, Kyosuke was killed in a gunfight with the security forces. His secrets went to the grave with him.
2 Kimanjirou Inugane From Back Street Girls: Gokudolls
In Back Street Girls: Gokudolls, the powerful Yakuza lord Inugane was let down by his own employees. As a kind of punishment, he pressured them into a career in pop music by threatening to kill them otherwise. This required legal changes and a drastic adjustment in lifestyle for the reformed felons.
Inugane, the Gokudolls' brutally violent and indifferent employer, had total power and control over their personal and professional life. Since they were internationally famous, he didn't want their Yakuza past to reflect poorly on his business. Now that he had access to the singers, he could generate more revenue from them than from his illicit activities.
1 Rikiya Yotsubashi (Re-Destro) From My Hero Academia
For his part, Re-Destro was one of My Hero Academia's most consequential antagonists. His company's production of specialized gear designed to work with each user's unique Quirks was an enormous hit not just with working heroes but also with the regular people who required his technology.
Re-Destro's true objective was to empower the Meta Liberation Army to rule over all of Japan. He thought the government had gone too far in infringing on people's freedom to use whatever natural abilities they may have. While Re-Destro's original motivation was admirable, his subsequent alliance with Shigaraki has rendered him morally bankrupt.