The 20 Best Anime Villains, Ranked (2024)

For decades, anime villains have been debated back and forth as to who is the most despicable. But a question comes to mind when such a debate occurs: What exactly makes a good anime villain? There is no right or wrong answer, as most anime villains are well-thought-out and developed characters with more nuance to them than expected.

There are many qualities of a good villain. Some of the best villains in anime aren't necessarily the strongest or the most evil. Rather, their characters are more than just violent purveyors of genocide, murder, and crime. They are instead intelligent lifeforms with charismatic personalities, charming appearances, and manipulative behavior. Yes, of course, they do commit some of the worst crimes known to humanity, but it's not always for baseless reasons. However, some of their reasoning – either due to inner emotional turmoil, wanting an ideal world, or even just for vengeance – also lead to the wrong actions. Here's to the best villains, who aren't necessarily the strongest, but instead, are the most memorable villains to exist in anime thus far.

20 Kisaki Tetta

'Tokyo Revengers' (2021–)

Kisaki Tetta is the main antagonist in the popular gang drama Tokyo Revengers. Tokyo Revengers follows Takemichi Hanagaki as he travels between the past and present to save his ex-girlfriend, Hinata, from being killed by the Tokyo Manji Gang in his present timeline. To do so, however, he has to prevent Kisaki from winning over Mikey and creating Tokyo’s deadliest gang in history.

Kisaki is an intelligent antagonist. Although he is not physically strong, he relies on his intelligence to get others to do his bidding. Some such examples include his orchestrating the Bloody Halloween, the repeated murder of Hinata, and the untimely death of Emma - Mikey’s sister - right before a huge gang war. In Takemichi’s present timeline, Kisaki solely runs Toman, and he is presumably the main reason that Mikey embraced his own darkness. This makes Kisaki a challenging foe, as no matter how hard Takemichi works to change the present timeline, Kisaki seems to be one step ahead.

Tokyo Revengers

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Release Date

April 11, 2021

Seasons

3

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll

Watch on Crunchyroll

19 Naraku

'InuYasha' (2000–2004)

Naraku is the main villain of InuYasha. Formerly known as Onigumo, he allowed a mass of demons to feed off his body, ultimately transforming him into Naraku, a half-demon. As Onigumo, he fell in love with his caretaker, Kikyo, who attempted to nurse him after suffering severe burns throughout the entirety of his body. After his transformation, Naraku sought the Shikon Jewel, which was a magical jewel that could grant any wish. In an attempt to get it, he turned InuYasha and Kikyo against one another; however, after Kikyo was fatally injured by him, in order to protect the jewel from evil, she had it burned with her body after death so that no one could have possession of it again. That is until modern-day Japan, where Kagome is in possession of the Shikon jewel and is transported back to feudal Japan.

Ultimately, Naraku is a powerful half-demon who orchestrated many of the tragic events in InuYasha. For example, in Season 1, Episode 24, "Enter Sango the Demon Slayer," Naraku deceives a clan of demon slayers. This includes the supporting character Sango, who loses her brother, father, and clan in a matter of minutes due to the demons doing Naraku’s bidding. Furthermore, he is the reason behind Kikyo’s death and InuYasha’s long, confused anguish, which further strains Kagome’s and InuYasha’s relationship. Not to mention, Naraku never truly fights battles himself; he uses other demons and creatures to do his bidding for him. Throughout the entirety of the series, Naraku collects the Shikon Jewel shards, even through unfair means, such as stealing them from InuYasha’s team and harming others in the process. He is a deadly opponent who works InuYasha and his friends to the bone up until the very end.

InuYasha

TV-14

Animation

Action

Adventure

Where to Watch

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Release Date

August 31, 2002

Creator(s)

Rumiko Takahashi

Cast

Kappei Yamaguchi , Richard Ian Cox , Sarah Hauser , Darren Pleavin , Satsuki Yukino , Moneca Stori , Kumiko Watanabe , Jillian Michaels

Seasons

7

18 Tomura Shigaraki

'My Hero Academia' (2016–)

In the world of My Hero Academia, which is filled to the brim with various creative superheroes and supervillains, the clearest standout when it comes to the best villain in the series is Tomura Shigaraki, the leader of the League of Villains. Trained by one of the other major antagonists of the franchise, All For One, Shigaraki's major goal is that of killing All Might in hopes of destroying the peaceful society that he represents. Much like how All For One parallels All Might as a symbol of villainy as opposed to one of heroism, Shigaraki directly parallels Midoriya as the face of the next generation.

While All For One certainly is in contention for being a greater and more iconic villain during moments of My Hero Academia, what gives Shigaraki the edge is the more varied dynamics and layers to his character. Seeing Shigaraki's shift and perspective change throughout the series, even at points turning on his mentor, shows that his viewpoint of villainy and wrath towards the status quo is much more varied than a run-of-the-mill villain. It also helps that his parallels and stature as Midoriya's arch-enemy give him more opportunities to show the limits of his strength and capabilities.

My Hero Academia

Action

Superhero

Animation

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Release Date

April 3, 2016

Cast

Aoi Yuki , Ayane Sakura , Christopher R. Sabat , Yûki Kaji , Nobuhiko Okamoto , Luci Christian , David Matranga , Justin Briner , Kenta Miyake , Clifford Chapin , Daiki Yamashita

Rating

Seasons

7

17 Lady Eboshi

'Princess Mononoke' (1997)

Studio Ghibli has seen a wide variety of iconic villains throughout its filmography, ranging from simple and effective monsters to nuanced beings that reflect the films' themes. However, few villains from the studio can hold a candle to the enigmatic and powerful Lady Eboshi, the leader of Iron Town, a human civilization created by cutting down the nearby forests. Eboshi acts as the clear parallel and symbol of humanity in Princess Mononoke's continuous themes of man vs nature and environmentalism as a whole.

While it would be incredibly simple for Princess Mononoke to paint Eboshi in a completely irredeemable light with her actions against the spirits of the forest, her view and perspective are given much more depth and nuance. She is simply doing what is deemed necessary to provide for the people of Iron Town, a painful yet required sacrifice that needs to be made to further humanity's survivability. This is all on top of Eboshi's other effective facets of villainy, such as being able to take down the gods of the forest in the name of the town and human survival.

Princess Mononoke

PG-13

Anime

Adventure

Fantasy

Where to Watch

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See Also

10 non-anime characters who can beat Goku from Dragon BallTop 50 Anime With Overpowered Main Characters — DragneelClubMost powerful anime characters of all time including Naruto Uzumaki, Son Goku and more | - Times of India10 Most Powerful Characters in Anime, Ranked ·

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Release Date

July 12, 1997

Director

Hayao Miyazaki

Cast

Yôji Matsuda , Yuriko Ishida , Yûko Tanaka , Kaoru Kobayashi , Masahiko Nishimura , Tsunehiko Kamijô

Runtime

134 minutes

16 Sukuna

'Jujutsu Kaisen' (2020–)

Sukuna from Jujutsu Kaisen proves that true, unadulterated villains will continue to find a way to persevere and spread throughout cultures and generations, no matter how much effort is put into eliminating it for good. Ryomen Sukuna was once the most powerful jujutsu sorcerer of all time, being widely regarded as the King of Curses through his reign over a thousand years ago. Sukuna was able to sustain and survive into the modern day by transforming into a cursed object after his death, splitting his power into twenty indestructible fingers. His most notable appearance is when he was trapped inside the body of Yuji Itadori after he consumed one of the fingers, before eventually transferring his soul into the body of Megumi Fushiguro.

While there are many effective villains that have left an impact in Jujutsu Kaisen, the prospect of a thousand-year-old villain taking control of people's bodies and controlling them from the inside makes him a standout villain in modern anime history. It gives not only Sukuna himself a wide variety of different perspectives and abilities as a villain, but his inclusion in stories also directly impacts the dynamics of the main cast, having them turn against one another to defeat him.

Jujutsu Kaisen

TV-MA

Animation

Action

Adventure

Where to Watch

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Release Date

October 2, 2020

Cast

Junya Enoki , Yuma Uchida , Yuichi Nakamura , Adam McArthur , Asami Seto

Seasons

3

15 Askeladd

'Vinland Saga' (2019–2023)

Askeladd is the first major antagonist of Vinland Saga. He is the pirate bandit captain who killed Thorfinn’s father, Thors, in exchange for a higher bounty. Throughout the beginning of the series, Thorfinn vows to kill Askeladd and avenge his deceased father, but due to his inexperience with battle and young age, he finds this to be a challenging task, as Askeladd has many years on young Thorfinn.

As captain of the pirate bandits, Askeladd is not foreign to cheap tactics and cruelty. This much is clear when Askeladd has Thors murdered. Thors was a well-known Viking warrior; many sought his advice and kindness, even when he couldn’t afford to offer it. Still, despite his generous and gentle nature, Askeladd takes advantage of his selfless nature and forces his hand in a combat between the two. As a result, Thorfinn is left fatherless and in dire need of vengeance.

Vinland Saga

TV-MA

Anime

Action

Adventure

Where to Watch

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Release Date

July 6, 2019

Cast

Yûto Uemura , Mike Haimoto , Shinya Takahashi , Alejandro Saab , Hiroki Gotô , Aleks Le , Kaiji Tang , Michael C. Pizzuto

Seasons

2

14 Cell

'Dragon Ball Z' (1996–2003)

Dragon Ball is easily the golden standard when it comes to legendary shonen anime series, with various equally iconic arcs with their own signature villains for Goku and the rest of the Z fighters to take down. While many top-notch Dragon Ball villains could be in contention for some of the greatest anime villains of all time, the inherent stage presence and cocky demeanor of Cell puts him a step above the rest. An organic lifeform created by Dr. Gero using the genetics of Earth's greatest fighters, Cell was created to be a perfect warrior, having returned to the present from the future to kill Goku and take over the world.

Dragon Ball is filled with powerful villains who subsequently raise the ceiling of power and capabilities of strength, blowing up planets and leaving destruction in their wake. However, what makes Cell such a standout villain in the series is his evolution from genuine horror into suave and infinitely imposing. In his initial form, his tendency to physically suck the life out of humans through his tail is one of the most disturbing things in the entire series, while his final perfect form is some of the most entertaining and imposing that a Dragon Ball villain has ever been.

Dragon Ball Z

TV-PG

Action

Adventure

Anime

Where to Watch

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Release Date

September 13, 1996

Cast

Christopher Sabat , Scott McNeil , Sean Schemmel , Brian Drummond

Seasons

9

13 Sosuke Aizen

'Bleach' (2004–2023)

Bleach has evolved and changed greatly over nearly 20 years as one of the biggest anime series of all time, with easily the most iconic and significant villain of the series being the dastardly Sosuke Aizen. Initially introduced as a heroic captain of the Fifth Division of Soul Reapers, he eventually betrays Ichigo and the Soul Society for his true purpose of attaining immense power and overthrowing the Soul King.

A great plot twist villain is always going to leave an impact on the audience, with Bleach's ability to build up Aizen as a major powerhouse and commendable figure before his shocking betrayal makes the twist all the more impactful and memorable. Even after his shift to the dark side, Aizen doesn't let up commanding a sinister presence throughout the series, as the quintessential force of the series and a villainous parallel to Ichigo. While he wouldn't stay the main villain for the entirety of the series, his impact and legacy on Bleach as a whole cannot be understated.

Bleach

TV-14

Animation

Action

Adventure

Where to Watch

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Release Date

September 6, 2006

Directors

Noriyuki Abe , Jun'ya Koshiba

Cast

Johnny Yong Bosch , Michelle Ruff , Stephanie Sheh , Jamieson Price , Derek Stephen Prince , Wally Wingert

Seasons

16

12 Kyubey

'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' (2011)

Kyubey is the perfect encapsulation of appearances not being the whole story, as many unfamiliar with the story of Puella Magi Madoka Magica would be quick to write off Kyubey as yet another cutesy animal companion character. Kyubey initially sets himself up as the "messenger of magic", granting the wishes of young girls in exchange for them serving as magical girls to take down evil witches. However, Kyubey's true intentions are much more sinister, as he is willing to psychologically abuse and corrupt as many innocent young girls as possible to accomplish his sinister goals.

The shocking disconnect between Kyubey's appearance and his despicable nature is emblematic of Madoka Magica's greatest strengths, showing a horrifying and mature story to those expecting a standard Sailor Moon-inspired story. This cutesy feline form only makes his abhorrent nature as a lovecraftian monster all the more terrifying and reprehensible, as few actions are as egregious as the mental torture of children. Those who have watched Madoka Magica are quick to relay their hatred for Kyubey and his despicable nature, an undeniable sign of just how effective and impactful Kyubey leaves on viewers as a villain.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

TV-14

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Release Date

January 7, 2011

Creator(s)

Akiyuki Shinbo , Gen Urobuchi , Ume Aoki , Shaft

Cast

Christine Marie Cabanos , Cristina Vee , Carrie Keranen , Sarah Anne Williams , Cassandra Lee Morris

Seasons

1

Main Genre

Action

See Also

Top 20 Interesting and Strong Anime Powers

11 Pain

'Naruto' (2002-2007)

Although not the main villain of Naruto, Pain is one of many formidable foes and the most memorable. As a former student of the infamous Jiraiya, previously known as Nagato, Pain became the leader of the Akatsuki in an effort to find and acquire the tailed beasts. In Naruto, the Akatsuki are known as a criminal organization, though originally, Pain formed the Akatsuki with two of his close friends, Konan and Yahiko. However, after Yahiko’s demise, caused by the villages, Nagato adopted the alias Pain and created the powerful Six Paths of Pain, where he controls various corpses to do his bidding due to his weakened body.

The Six Paths of Pain led to a dramatic and all-out war against Konoha and Naruto. Each of Pain’s Paths have their own abilities and strengths. More importantly, Pain was able to control all of them in hand-to-hand combat and meet the pace of any skilled shinobi. Although Pain’s villainy subsided after having a heart-to-heart with Naruto, his time as the Akatsuki leader proved him to be a valuable and challenging foe due to his ninjitsu and Six Paths techniques.

Naruto: Shippuden

TV-PG

Animation

Action

Adventure

Release Date

October 28, 2009

Cast

Alexandre Crepet , Junko Takeuchi , Maile Flanagan , Kate Higgins , Chie Nakamura , Dave Wittenberg

Seasons

21

Watch on Hulu

10 Tetsuo Shima

'Akira' (1988)

As far as villains from cinematic anime films as opposed to longer-lasting anime series go, Tetsuo Shima from Akira is the clear highlight that the vast majority of anime film villains are inspired and built upon. Initially starting off as a young and plucky biker gang member in the futuristic city of Neo Tokyo, Tetsuo soon gets a taste of pure power when he is mysteriously given destructive telekinetic powers. After getting a grasp of his abilities, he quickly goes mad with power and begins ravaging the city as a whole before eventually transforming into a horrific deformed monster.

What makes Tetsuo's overwhelming villainy and abuse of power so effective is how the film slowly builds and shows his rise from an outcasted yet good-hearted child into a power-hungry monster fueled by rage. The masterful transformation into a horrific monster in the climax of the film is as visually jarring and iconic as it is tragic and painful for Tetsuo, as in his search and battle for full control, he gives into his rage and becomes a horrific being that he cannot contain.

Akira

R

Anime

Action

Drama

Release Date

July 16, 1988

Director

Katsuhiro Otomo

Cast

Mitsuo Iwata , Nozomu Sasaki , Mami Koyama , Taro Ishida , Tesshô Genda , Mizuho Suzuki , Tatsuhiko Nakamura , Fukue Itō , Kazuhiro Shindō

Runtime

124 Minutes

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9 The Major

'Hellsing' (2001–2002)

For an anime protagonist as powerful and seemingly indestructible as Alucard in Hellsing, it takes a villain not necessarily as powerful, but above and beyond in terms of despicable and reprehensible nature to leave a notable impact. The Major accomplishes these feats by leaps and bounds, consistently being the symbolic culmination of all that is despicable and abhorrent in the world of Hellsing. A former lieutenant of the SS for the Nazis, The Major was given a special project to perfect the process of artificial vampirization, eventually becoming the acting führer of the Millennium Project and determined to destroy Alucard.

The Major is a warmonger by every definition of the word, craving the brutality and destruction caused by warfare and gleefully getting sadistic joy out of the death and pain that war provides. His pure insanity and reprehensible nature makes him the perfect villain for Hellsing, a world that is already largely defined by brutality and complicated antiheroes, being a true indiscernible face of evil. The brilliant anime remakeHellsing Ultimate proved to only further expand and show off the vicious capabilities of The Major, continuing to make him one of the best, yet most hatable figures in anime history.

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8 Johan Liebert

'Monster' (2004)

From the popular and well-known manga and anime known as Monster, Johan Liebert is the primary antagonist. He first met the protagonist Kenzo Temna as a child when his parents were murdered, and Temna was the one who saved his life during a life-threatening surgery. However, it is only later that Temna learns that Johan is a psychopath.

Johan is an antagonist with a high IQ. Not to mention, with his charismatic personality, Johan faces zero difficulties in swaying a person’s perception of himself. As such, Johan is able to dissuade any suspicion, and his charismatic nature also leads to others doing his bidding for him. As a result, Johan does not necessarily have to commit any crimes with his own hands, as he has the ability to manipulate and control others through word of mouth.

Monster

TV-14

Where to Watch

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Not available

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Release Date

April 7, 2004

Creator(s)

Naoki Urasawa

Cast

Liam O'Brien , Keith Silverstein , Karen Strassman , Richard Epcar , Laura Bailey , Tara Platt

Seasons

1

Main Genre

Animation

7 Meruem

'Hunter X Hunter' (2011–2014)

Also known by his simple yet commanding title of King, Meruem is one of the strongest and most formidable forces in the world of Hunter X Hunter, a series filled to the brim with iconic and memorable villains. Acting as a vicious and ruthless leader of the Chimera Ants, Meruem was born with the sole purpose of laying waste to anyone and everyone between his kind and total domination of the world. While he would slowly gain a change of heart and even adapt aspects of human emotion, his time as a seemingly unstoppable villain has placed him in high ranks as one of the most powerful villains in anime.

Meruem's story of a non-human being fighting for domination over the earth before eventually learning and evolving thanks to the ingenuity of human nature is far from original, but its execution makes it easily one of the best examples of the trope. Especially with the number of memorable characters murdered, and flashy fight sequences made during his time as a villain, Meruem easily lives up to his status as a genuine world-ending threat.

Hunter x Hunter

TV-PG

Animation

Action

Adventure

Release Date

October 16, 1999

Cast

Junko Takeuchi , Yuki Kaida , Kanako Mitsuhashi , Annika Odegard , Hozumi Gôda , Yoshikazu Nagano , Norihisa Mori , Eiji Takemoto

Seasons

3

Watch on Netflix

6 Light

'Death Note' (2006–2007)

Light Yagami is another anime villain with a high IQ. However, in the case of Death Note, Light is also the protagonist of the show. The audience gets to watch how a once-clear-minded and intelligent protagonist transforms into a villain of manipulation and conceit.

For several years, Light is able to evade suspicion by working closely with his father, the chief of police, and top detective L. This is an impressive feat, considering L seems to have suspicion that Light is in fact Kira, the murderer behind the deaths of inmates and other innocent individuals who get in the way. However, Light works by means of manipulation, controlling others, like Misa Amane and Teru Mikami, so that he isn’t in the limelight. Light is so successful that he manages to kill L without so much as touching him; rather, he manipulates a shinigami into sacrificing herself to protect a human. Had it not been for the mistake of others, perhaps Light Yagami would have succeeded in his ideal world.

Death Note (2006)

TV-14

Animation

Crime

Drama

Where to Watch

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Release Date

October 21, 2007

Cast

Mamoru Miyano , Brad Swaile , Vincent Tong , Ryō Naitō , Trevor Devall

Seasons

1

5 Eren Jaegar

'Attack on Titan' (2013–2023)

Eren Jaegar is another protagonist who falls into the path of a villain. However, unlike Light Yagami from Death Note, throughout the entirety of Attack on Titan, Eren is an ally to the island of Paradis and works to protect his friends and humanity from the era of titans. Eren, himself a Titan, uses his mysterious powers to aid humanity and do the impossible.

However, come Season 4, Eren turns his back on Paradis and aims to destroy humanity after learning that Paradis was abandoned and forced to suffer under the torment of Titans while everyone else in the world was able to live a prosperous and oftentimes peaceful life. Though viewers can understand Eren’s changing ideals, there is still no mistaking Eren’s newfound, violent - and meticulous - nature that has led to a skyrocketing body count that no other Attack on Titan antagonist or villain can achieve.

Attack On Titan

TV-MA

Adventure

Action

Anime

Fantasy

Release Date

September 28, 2013

Cast

Marina Inoue , Hiro Shimono , Takehito Koyasu , Yûki Kaji , Josh Grelle , Bryce Papenbrook

Seasons

4

Watch on Hulu

4 Crocodile

'One Piece' (1999–)

As the first major and high-stakes enemy and villain of One Piece, Crocodile is one of the most memorable antagonists of One Piece and in the media. The protagonist of One Piece, Luffy, is often seen as an indestructible force, being able to fight his way through hordes of enemies. However, in the Alabasta arc of One Piece, approximately a hundred episodes, Crocodile faces Luffy in what appears to be a hopeless and unwinnable battle.

Although Crocodile isn’t the toughest villain in One Piece, he leaves a mark on the audience’s memory through his introduction. A corrupted individual, Crocodile was a former warlord, some of the most powerful beings in the One Piece universe. However, he was also the leader of a crime syndicate, which Luffy aided Princess Vivi in defeating. But Crocodile’s most memorable feat was defeating Luffy, forcing Luffy to adapt and overcome him. He proved to be an adversary foe, one that remains even now throughout One Piece despite his own defeat.

One Piece

TV-14

Action

Adventure

Comedy

Drama

Fantasy

Super Power

Where to Watch

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Not available

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Release Date

October 20, 1999

Creator(s)

Eiichiro Oda

Cast

Mayumi Tanaka , Kazuya Nakai , Akemi Okamura , Kappei Yamaguchi , Hiroaki Hirata , Ikue Ôtani , Yuriko Yamaguchi , Kazuki Yao , Chō

Seasons

20

3 Dio Brando

'JoJo's Bizarre Adventure' (2012–)

One of the biggest factors that can play into the impact and iconic status of an anime villain is their stage presence and extravagant nature, with no anime villain coming close to having the show-stealing presence of Dio Brando. Initially starting off as the sadistic and chaotic half-brother of Johnathan Joestar, Dio has seen a wide number of different appearances and renditions throughout JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. His most iconic is easily in Part 3, "Stardust Crusaders", where he continues his overwhelming villainous premise with both vampire abilities and his dangerous stand, The World.

Even when he doesn't make a direct appearance in the series, it's impossible to deny the impact that Dio has over the entirety of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure as easily its most important character. Whether he's murdering dogs just for fun or crushing his enemies under the weight of a road roller, Dio has an inherent level of over-the-top chaos that makes him a villain who is as fun to watch as he is hatable. He's easily grown a presence and icon status well outside of the confines of Jojo's itself, becoming one of the most recognizable anime villains of all time and an immediate contender for one of the best anime villains.

JoJo Bizarre Adventure

TV-14

Animation

Action

Adcenture

Where to Watch

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Not available

*Availability in US

Cast

David Vincent , Matthew Mercer , Daisuke Ono , Unshô Ishizuka , Tôru Ohkawa

Seasons

5

2 Griffith

'Berserk' (1997–1998)

Griffith from Berserk is one of the most despicable villains to come to anime. Berserk is a dark and often violent manga depicting brutal moments that often characterize Griffith as the essence of evil. While Griffith’s actions in the anime - and manga, for that matter - are unforgivable, there is a reason for his actions, as despicable as they may be.

Griffith's loses his aspirations and dreams after meeting (and losing) Guts. This results in Griffith acting without truly thinking, ultimately leaving him a shell of his former self. When all is lost, then everything is to be gained - even at the expense of others. This combination makes Griffith one of the greatest anime villains, as he has committed the unforgivable, but there is a history to his character that emphasizes his cruelty, thus making it all the more impactful.

Berserk

TV-MA

Animation

Action

Fantasy

Release Date

October 7, 1997

Directors

Naohito Takahashi

Cast

Marc Diraison , Kevin T. Collins , Carrie Keranen , Michelle Newman , Christopher Kromer , Jeff Ward , Mark Sebastian , J , David Brimmer , Sean Schemmel

Seasons

1

Buy on Amazon

1 Frieza

'Dragon Ball Z' (1989–1996) and 'Dragon Ball Super' (2015–2023)

Freiza is most definitely the most iconic villain in all of anime. Unlike other villains on this list, Frieza successfully hunted down groups of species and completed full-on genocide against several species, including that of Goku’s race, the Saiyans. Similar to other villains on this list, Frieza was one of Goku’s first and foremost foe in the Dragon Ball Z series, pushing Goku to great lengths that he was able to trigger his Saiyan powers.

Although Frieza was defeated early on in Dragon Ball Z, in the Super series, Frieza returned in both manga and anime, proving to be the same genocidal character with the same killer instincts as before, even appearing in the latest Broly film, Dragon Ball Super: Broly, as he manipulates Broly to fight against Vegeta and Goku.

Dragon Ball Super

TV-PG

Action

Adventure

Anime

Where to Watch

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Not available

*Availability in US

Release Date

January 7, 2017

Cast

Masako Nozawa , Takeshi Kusao , Ryô Horikawa , Hiromi Tsuru , Yûko Minaguchi , Naoko Watanabe , Kôzô Shioya , Mayumi Tanaka

Seasons

5

NEXT: The Best Studio Ghibli Characters, Ranked