While heroes and their companions tend to be the ones in the spotlight, well-written anime villains are also important to a title’s success. And since more villains tend to be more memorable, the worst anime villains are the ones that leave a lasting impression on fans.

It’s a compelling villain for an interesting story. After all, it’s hard to sympathize with or root for a hero who fights a villain who has no ambition or unknown evil. This is why villainous antagonists determined to wreak havoc on the world typically allow for a more engaging experience.

10 Tomura Shigaraki (My Hero Academia)

Based on the manga created by Kuhei Horikoshi

My Hero Academia Tomura Shigaraki is the main antagonist of the series, who is also the leader of the League of Villains, a powerful organization made up of various villains who, for one reason or another, despise the hero community and aim to destroy it. As the leader, Shigaraki has more strength and hatred towards the heroes than most villains. While he wasn’t necessarily born evil, Shigaraki’s circumstances and upbringing made him go that way. Still, while some may be saddened by his story, nothing can change the fact that he tried to destroy society by killing innocent people without remorse.

9 Cinderella (Vineland Saga)

Based on the manga created by Makoto Yukimura

Vineland Saga’s Escalade was the defining antagonist of the show’s first season, but he’s a complex character who’s managed to endear himself to viewers. Unlike other villains, his actions are motivated by specific goals, and as he appears to genuinely care for the well-being of his mother and her country, Wales, he does not destroy indiscriminately. However, his methods are far from heroic and do not always reflect his original wishes. As a Viking, Escalade took to violence without hesitation, and ordered the slaughter and slaughter of entire villages without showing any harm.

8 Light Yagami (Death Note)

Based on the manga created by Tsugumi Ooba and Takeshi Obata

Light Yagami, also known as Kira, is a role especially reserved for Heroes of Justice, as he is not the antagonist, but rather the protagonist of Death Note. In fact, Light is mainly motivated by his sense of justice, because he is trying to create a world of honest and kind people, but his methods and his development in all the shows make him evil. When Light receives the title Death Note, he sees his actions as a necessary evil and uses his powers to eradicate criminals from the world. However, he eventually gets to the point where he kills anyone who stands in his way, criminal or not.

Based on the manga created by Hiromu Arakawa

Although Shu Tucker’s role in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood wasn’t huge, his actions made him one of the show’s most memorable and simultaneously hated characters. At first, he appears to be a gentle man, although he is more interested in his work than most people, but a horrible truth is soon revealed. In the name of promoting science, he experimented on other members of his family, especially his wife, daughter, and dog, only to be sacrificed in order to gain and retain his status as state alchemist. He may not have killed as many people as other villains, but he remains the reason for one of Fullmetal Alchemist’s darkest moments.

6 Bondred (Made in Abyss)

Based on the manga created by Akihito Tsukushi

The theme logo made by Abyss is Bondroud, whose darkness and horror extend beyond the surface. Even though his actions are not motivated by malice and he doesn’t appear hostile to anyone, his callous attitude is even more frightening. In the name of science and knowledge, Bondred’s research defies all common ethics and morality, as he experiments on children without a second thought. Whether he turned them into cartridges or sacrificed them in some other way, no one who met him had a kinder fate. He turned his followers into the Umbra Hand so that his consciousness would never die.

5 Dio Brando (Jojo’s Strange Adventure)

Based on the manga created by Hirohiko Araki

Unlike Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure star Jonathan Joestar, who was portrayed as an unwavering symbol of justice, Dio Brando is an arrogant megalomaniacal who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Even when Jostar’s family took him in kindly, he made no effort to approach them or show any appreciation. Instead, he saw it as an opportunity to deceive him and humiliate Jonathan. What’s more, his brutality grew alongside his strength as he continued to cheat even his loyal followers and unapologetically kill anyone who stood in his way after becoming a vampire. Dio’s enduring popularity proves just how far a good and compelling villain can go, both in and out of the franchise.

4 Kyubey (Madoka Magical Girl)

An original anime created by Studio Shaft

As one of the best and most popular magical girl anime titles, Puella Magi Madoka Magica thrives on a surprisingly large audience. One such example is the Kyubey, who, although seemingly innocent and magical at first glance, is ultimately seen as the cause of infinite sorrow and horror. While Kyubey can’t technically be considered evil, since Incubators are an emotionless race, his actions are undeniably evil. The heat of the universe seduces young girls with the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bpreventing death, but it causes them to die or become disfigured in despair and become witches.

3 Griffith (Berserk)

Based on the manga created by Kentaru Miura

Berserk’s Griffith is perhaps one of the most poignant and compelling characters ever. Some may believe that Guts is the reason why Griffith is evil, while others may say that he was evil from the beginning. Regardless, it was probably his desire to have his own government that primarily motivated him to make the choice that made him famous. The loyal leader of the Hawk Band, whose members are like a lost family, finally betrays and sacrifices all during the Fifth Eclipse when he joins God’s Hand in the form of Femto, thereby losing what is left. His humanity.

2 Johann Liebert (Monster)

Based on the manga created by Naoki Urasawa

The Monster’s titular antagonist is Johan Liebert, a man some consider the Devil himself. Although he appears to be kind and compassionate on the surface, this is all just a facade that he uses to get close to people, manipulate and corrupt them. Combining his incredible intelligence with his psychopathic tendencies, he refrains from directly killing others. Instead, he made them suffer so much that they felt they had no choice but to kill themselves. Moreover, unlike other antagonists, he has no desire to rule the world or change it in any way. Most of the time, he causes havoc just for the fun of it.

1 Frieza (Dragon Ball)

Based on the manga created by Akira Toriyama

Dragon Ball’s Frieza is undoubtedly one of the most iconic and irredeemable anime characters of all time. After rising to power at a young age, he quickly established himself as a ruthless dictator, known for his extraordinary brutality and power. Sadistic and megalomaniac above all, he would torture people and destroy planets just for fun. Even his most loyal followers are not immune to his wrath, as he kills anyone at will. However, his barbaric act must have been the extermination of the Saiyan race, which he only did because he considered the existence of his regime too dangerous. While Frieza may seem like a very traditional villain by modern standards, his popularity has rightly elevated him to iconic status in the anime medium.

Some of these villains wreak havoc on a small scale, limiting themselves to areas that are particularly important or interesting to them. Others feel no need to limit their chaos to the point of destroying entire planets. Whether it’s just for fun or to advance a bigger goal, they stop at nothing to get what they want, avoiding anyone who stands in their way. Still, despite how incredibly popular some of them are, sometimes overshadowing their heroic counterparts, the worst anime are often the most compelling and interesting characters.