10 Most Evil Anime Villains of All Time

An anime’s success heavily depends on the characterization of its protagonist and its villain and the relationship between the two. Anime has given us some very iconic villains; some are tragic characters, and then there are some who are evil. It is extremely important to focus on the villain. A boring, confused villain does not satisfy or impress the audience or the critics. From the vast list of iconic villains, here are 10 of the most evil villains in anime history.

The 10 Most Evil Anime Villains of All Time

10. Tomura Shigaraki (My Hero Academia)

Also known as: Tenko Shimura

Featured in: My Hero Academia

Creator: Kohei Horikoshi

Abilities: Enhanced strength, enhanced ability, enhanced durability, enhanced speed

The primary antagonist of My Hero Academia, Tomura Shigaraki, is the leader of the League of Villains, who hates the Hero Society and seeks to destroy it and get rid of its existence. As the leader, Tomura is the most powerful and intelligent villain in the My Hero Academia universe. Tomura wasn’t born evil, but the circumstances made him a villain. He has a sympathetic character, but that does not mean he is not an evil guy. Tomura is seen killing and murdering innocent people throughout the anime without any remorse.

9. Askellad (Vinland Saga)

Also known as: Lucius Astorius Castus

Featured in: Vinland Saga

Creator: Makoto Yukimara

Abilities: Swordsmanship, leadership skills, range weapons, intelligence

Askellad was the villain of the first season of the Vinland Saga, yet he was able to win the audience with his charismatic personality and cunningness. Unlike most anime villains, Askellad is not someone who causes destruction across the planet just for evilness, but he is working towards certain goals. We know he loves and cares about his mother and the safety of her and her country.

But that doesn’t change the fact that he has massacred and murdered the entirety of villages without even blinking an eye. He is a Viking and a savage man who won’t think twice before killing you.

8. Light Yagami (Death Note)

Also known as: Kira

Featured in: Death Note

Creator: Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata

Abilities: Genius level intellect, stamina, manipulation, owner of Death note

Light Yagami, also known as Kira, is the primary antagonist of the Death Note. He is one of the most well-written characters in the anime. Whereas he starts out as a school kid who just wants to make the world a better place, he goes down this rabbit hole of insanity, killing anyone and everyone who comes in his path. Death Note is held in high regard among anime fans to this day, and Light Yagami is considered the best antagonist of all time. It’s rare that we get a character so well written as Light.

7. Shou Tucker (Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood)

Also known as: Sewing life alchemist

Featured in: Full metal alchemist brotherhood

Creator: Hiromu Arakawa

Abilities: Alchemy

While he did not play a major role in the anime, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, he was still able to steal every second he was on the screen. He is one of the most hated characters in anime history. While he seems like a normal person who wants to stay away from any sort of problem, it is soon revealed that he is a sick, twisted man who has been experimenting on his family in the name of “Advance Science” and to keep his title as State Alchemist.

While he hasn’t murdered innocent people as much as others have, he is one of the most evil villains of all time, and he also gave us one of the darkest moments in any anime.

6. Bondrewd (made in Abyss)

Also known as: Lord of the Dawn

Featured in: Made in Abyss

Creator: Tsukushi

Abilities: Great Strength, Body Surfing, Genius level intellect, charisma, scientific knowledge

Bondrews is one of the most cold-blooded villains ever. While his actions aren’t based on spitefulness, they are in the name of science. His experiments cross all the limits of morals and ethics. The way he experiments on young children without thinking twice gives any watcher chills. His emotionless attitude towards his act makes him extremely scary. Bondrew never came across someone, and that person had a good ending. Meeting him is the worst kind of punishment you can receive.

5. Dio Brando (Jo Jo’s Bizarre Adventure)

Also known as: Lord Dio

Featured in: Jo Jo’s Bizarre Adventure, Phantom Blood #1

Creator: Hirohiko Araki

Abilities: The World Stand, Jonathan Stand, Transformation, durability

Dio works as a great villain opposite Jonathan Joestar, the first protagonist of Jo Jo’s Bizarre Adventure. Unlike Jonathan, who is the symbol of justice, Dio is an egomaniac with arrogance. He betrays the Joestar family, even though they took him in, tries to humiliate Jonathan at every opportunity he gets, and even betrays his followers and manipulates them after he became a vampire.

Dio is one of the most popular antagonistic animes I have ever seen. His popularity exceeds the fandom, and even non-anime fans are fond of Dio Brando. He fits very well in the bizarre world of Jo Jo’s Bizarre Adventure.

4. Kyubey (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

Also known as: Incubator

Featured in: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Creator: Gen Urobuchi & Ume Aoki

Abilities: Power Bestowal, Space Travel, nigh-invulnerability, telepathy, energy manipulation, astral projection

Now, we know Kyubey cannot be considered evil, as the Incubators are an emotionless race. But Kyubey’s actions make her one of the most despicable characters ever. Kyubey is a cute-looking being, but do not let that fool you. Kyubey deceives young girls into becoming magical girls that either lead them to dying, being corrupted, or becoming witches. When the audience is first introduced to Kyubey, it looks innocent and cute, but sooner or later, we realize it is a bottomless pit of grief and horror.

3. Griffith (Berserk)

Also known as: White Hawk, Wing of Darkness

Featured in: Berserk

Creator: Kentaro Miura

Abilities: Swordsmanship, mastermind, matter manipulation, ability to manipulate gravity and space

Griffith is such a compelling character that was so well written that it has anime fandom in shambles. Some believe it was Guts, the main protagonist of Berserk, who led Griffith down the path of villainy; others believe Griffith was an evil, malicious villain from the very beginning. Regardless of all that, his greed for kingship and kingdom has led to him making some pretty evil choices, like sacrificing his teammates.

He started out as the leader of the Band of Hawks, who were like his family, yet he sacrificed them on the fifth eclipse when he joined the Godhand as Femto, losing all of his humanity. He leads Guts on his journey of revenge. And a villain who had this much impact on a hero’s life is quite rare.

2. Johan Liebert (Monster)

Also known as: The Nameless Monster

Featured in: The Monster

Creator: Naoki Urasawa

Abilities: Manipulation, Charismatic personality, apathy, mastermind

The titular antagonist of the anime, Johan Liebert, is the incarnation of the devil himself. He is a charismatic and compassionate person who knows how to talk and beguile people. Unlike most people on the list, Johan doesn’t kill his victims; instead, he tortures them to the point where they have no other choice but to kill themselves.

He is a pure psychopath who loves to watch people suffer; he doesn’t want power; he doesn’t want to rule; he doesn’t want to become god; he doesn’t want any kingdom; he doesn’t want to keep his post; he doesn’t want revenge; none of that. He just wants to torture people because he likes to. This makes him a chilling villain and extremely evil by all standards.

1. Frieza (Dragon Ball)

Also known as: Frieza

Featured in: Dragon Ball chapter #247 Dark Clouds Swirl over planet Namek

Creator: Akira Toriyama

Abilities: Super Strength, Super Speed, Agility, Reflexes, Energy sensing, Energy projection, Transformation, Energy absorption, Strong stamina

Frieza is one of the most famous villains in fiction. He is an extremely evil, irredeemable character of all time. He rose to power at a very young age and has been known for his cruelty and mercilessness across the Dragon Ball universe. He is a sadistic megalomaniac and merciless tyrant who would torture people and destroy entire planets just for enjoyment.

He doesn’t care about anyone; he would kill anyone, including his own loyal followers. He is also the one who committed the genocide against the Saiyans, just so that no one would threaten his reign. There is not a single redeemable characteristic in Frieza, and that makes him the most evil anime villain of all time.

Conclusion

While heroes are the focus of the story, villains such as those mentioned above are what make anime so memorable. These villains have caused destruction on various scales; some destroyed a town, some killed their families, and some went way too far and destroyed entire planets. These villains often overshadow their heroic counterparts and end up becoming the most memorable part of the anime. It has been seen that the more evil, vicious, and terrifying the villain, the more compelling and interesting character that attracts the audience.

Anime largely stands on the shoulders of the compatibility of its protagonists and antagonists. The greater the relationship and struggle between the hero and villain, the more compelling animes are. So, it is important to focus and give enough work to the villains, because if the villain is forgettable, the anime will be forgettable as well.

FAQs: The 10 Most Evil Anime Villains of All Time

1. Who is the most powerful villain in anime?

Boros from One Punch Man is the most powerful villain in anime. He is the only person in the One Punch Man universe that can go face-to-face with Saitama, making him one of the most powerful anime characters of all time.

2. Who is the most sympathetic villain in anime?

Obito Uchicha from Naruto is the most sympathetic villain in any anime. He is the exact replica of Naruto, except his life took a dark turn when he watched Kakashi kill Rin. He is evil, but his villainy is tragic, and you feel sorry for him.

3. Who is the weakest villain in anime?

Spandan from One Piece is one of the weakest characters in the anime universe and in general. Unlike most marines, Spandan is weak, clumsy, sensitive, and a coward, which makes him the weakest villain in any anime.