The following 20 anime villains take their ruthlessness to the next level.
When it comes to media like anime that has a flair for impressive aesthetics and compelling storytelling, villains grab as much attention as heroes. After all, the most ruthless and evil anime villains motivate protagonists to become better versions of themselves. While they almost always fail in their grand designs, some are ruthless enough to earn a spot among the most horrifying characters in their respective franchises or in anime as a whole.
Fans looking for anime stories with ruthless villains might find it difficult to sift through all the options to find their “perfect” fit. Which villains, with their brutality, mercilessness, and twisted philosophies, end up becoming perfect fits for the “ruthless” description?
Updated on April 29, 2023, by Rhenn Taguiam: With anime such as One Piece slated for a Netflix adaptation, it’s no surprise if anime fans would want to explore other stories where villains are in the same league as Monkey D’ Luffy’s nemeses Donquixote Doflamingo and Charlotte Linlin. And while some might say Doflamingo and Charlotte are at a whole other level of infamy, anime fans who want to meet characters with the same level of evil may look into stories with villains such as a demon who goes to lengths to inflict pain on others for his own amusement, assassins who kill for their own benefit, and others with little to no regard to humanity whatsoever.
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20 Naraku (InuYasha)
Compared to other creatures encountered in Inuyasha’s journey for the crystal shards, Naraku is perhaps the most detestable among them. A hanyo or half-demon like Inuyasha, Naraku of InuYasha has completely absorbed his potential to do evil. Such was Naraku’s inherent power that he not only possesses the abilities of transformation and nigh-immortality by body recomposition, but he can also absorb the powers of other demons. These abilities are also combined with his keen cunning and intellect, which are traits he always uses to outsmart his opponents.
Such is Naraku’s infamy in InuYasha that the creature is held responsible for causing all the misfortune in the lives of most, if not all, the main cast of characters. What’s worse is that Naraku’s infliction of these trauma and catastrophic events is almost always for his amusement. While it’s eventually revealed that he’s simply an agent for a darker power, Naraku’s unnecessary vigor in adding salt to wounds makes him a horrifying villain to encounter.
19 Makoto Shishio (Rurouni Kenshin)
When it comes to people Kenshin Himura has crossed blades with in Rurouni Kenshin, none seem more fearsome compared to Makoto Shishio. A double-crossed former government assassin who survived being burned to death, Shishio established the Juppongatana with the intention of overthrowing the very government that betrayed him.
Compared to villains more motivated by a personal agenda, Makoto’s self-absorbed desire to destroy the government had transformed him into a cunning and ruthless person. He treats people as a means to an end and was even willing to cut through Yumi Komagata, perhaps the only one to ever love him, just so he can try to hit Kenshin. His ruthlessness is made even more terrifying by the fact that he’s once considered the Battosai’s successor, making his combat prowess on par with Kenshin’s. Minus the part at the end when Kenshin’s resilience finally prevails, Shishio has spent much of his arc pummeling the Battosai to the ground.
18 Caster (Fate/Zero)
A character with immense power that has a penchant for inhuman acts shouldn’t be paired with a partner just as despicable, and yet this is exactly what happened to Gilles de Rais, assigned as the Caster Class of the Fourth Holy Grail War in Fate/Zero. In his rather tragic backstory, losing his love Joan of Arc drove him to insanity, resorting to alchemy and slaughtering children in a mockery of God’s absence during these horrible acts.
In Fate/Zero, Gilles de Rais is summoned as Caster after his Master, Ryuunosuke Uryuu, mistakenly uses a spellbook to create a summoning circle. Throughout the Holy Grail War, Caster and Ryuunosuke didn’t even spend time trying to fight their fellow Servant-Master pairs for the Holy Grail. Rather, Gilles de Rais served as an instrument to further Ryuunosuke’s curiosity about death, casually killing children and families for their amusement.
17 Hisoka Morow (Hunter X Hunter)
Fans of Hunter X Hunter might be amused at the idea of the world hiring Hunters to conduct a wide variety of tasks, with the likes of Hisoka Morow existing far beyond the reach of the regular professional. Practically a criminal and a fugitive, Hisoka exists only to find the strongest fighters to do battle for his amusement. It doesn’t help that his Transmutation Nen is perfectly suited for combat, with Hisoka using his signature Bungee Gum to create sheets, strings, and constructs that have the elasticity of rubber and durability to even catch and ricochet projectiles back to attackers on top of his absurdly strong physique.
Such is the inherent selfishness of Hisoka that he only pursues his objectives for combat and pleasure. He will willingly switch sides and betray his allies if it meant being amused. Moreover, his cunning and manipulative side allows Hisoka to pit factions against each other with nary a care in the world. Had it not been for protagonist Gon’s potential as a Hunter, Hisoka would have already killed him at the beginning of the series.
16 Tamaki Tsunenaga (Deadman Wonderland)
In the world of Deadman Wonderland, a devastating earthquake has destroyed most of Tokyo and caused widespread destruction in Japan. While protagonist Ganta Igarashi seems like an ordinary 9th grader, a grisly massacre of his class had all evidence point to an innocent Ganta. Cornered and framed, Ganta had no choice but to go to the eponymous Deadman Wonderland as a death sentence, a prison-theme park run by the warden Tsunenaga Tamaki.
While Tamaki being the warden immediately puts him in the crosshairs of most Deadman Wonderland characters, it’s his relationship with them that makes him quite the menace. For starters, not only did he pose as Ganta’s lawyer, he actually rigged evidence against him. Moreover, beneath his goofy, idiotic, and always-smiling exterior is a sadistic nature that cares for nothing but finding ways to kill more prisoners for his amusement.
15 Orochimaru (Naruto)
Despite being sidelined as a scientist figure in Boruto, Orochimaru is, in fact, one of the deadliest antagonists in the Naruto series. In the original Naruto anime, Orochimaru establishes his notoriety by not only studying Forbidden Jutsu but also stopping at nothing to achieve his goal of immortality. These included experimenting on unwitting subjects and even outright experimenting on himself to be capable of “transferring” himself to other bodies.
Such was his nature as a deadly character that he orchestrated the dreaded Konoha Crush that almost caused the destruction of the Hidden Leaf Village. He also served as Sasuke Uchiha’s mentor, training him to become a merciless shinobi. The only reason he hasn’t decided to become a villain in Boruto was in his insistence to observe Sasuke’s “different” path, contrary to his expectations that the Uchiha survivor would choose to destroy Konoha.
14 Bondrewd (Made In Abyss)
The small town of Orth gained notoriety for surrounding a giant hole known only as the Abyss, the eponymous setting of Made In Abyss. It’s said that the Abyss contains remnants of ancient civilizations and artifacts of dangerous qualities, attracting various adventurers known only as Cave Raiders. When protagonist Riko discovers that her mother, White Whistle Lyza, may be alive deep within the Abyss, she takes the robotic Reg with her and ventures forth. And throughout their journey, they eventually discover the existence of Bondrewd, the Lord of Dawn, one of the most legendary White Whistle Delvers to ever exist.
Unbeknownst to Riko, Bondrewd harbors a rather dark secret. Fascinated by the nature of the Abyss, Bondrewd has made it his life’s mission to conduct research on the Abyss’s netizens, employing various methods to get the data he needs. Inside his base called the Ido Front, Bondrewd conducts sadistic experiments with no signs of remorse.
13 The Major (Hellsing)
In the alternate reality of Hellsing, it was Abraham Van Hellsing and his Royal Order of Protestant Knights that became the sole defense of the United Kingdom against the forces of the undead and the paranormal. Now led by Sir Integra Hellsing, a threat in the form of a Nazi group called the Millennium forced Integra to awaken the vampire Alucard, who was defeated by Abraham and forced into a life of servitude.
And despite the nonstop action Hellsing provides to fans, what perhaps serves as the series’ most perplexing figure comes in the form of The Major. Serving as the leader of the Millennium and the former first lieutenant of Adolf Hitler himself, the Major is hell-bent on ensuring that Fuhrer’s Order 666 was implemented, which in itself is a plan to artificially induce vampirism in the mass populace. What makes the Major especially gruesome is his ridiculous love for war, stopping at nothing to ensure violence is propagated throughout the series.
12 Father (Fullmetal Alchemist)
In the region of Amestris in Fullmetal Alchemist exists the craft of Alchemy, a specialized science that involves transforming one object into the other. While protagonist Edward and Alphonse Elric have grown to become reliable State Alchemists throughout the course of Fullmetal Alchemist, it seems they have a much deeper relationship with their father, Van Hohenheim. This is especially since Van Hohenheim has lived for hundreds of years, with his original name simply being “Number 23,” an alchemist in service to the King of Xerxes.
During this ancient time, Van Hohenheim managed to come into contact with the Gate – the origin of all knowledge – and “extract” a part of it. Known simply as the Dwarf in the Flask, it’s this being (called a homunculus) that taught Alchemy to the rest of the region. And after purging himself of sin, he’s adopted a colder, sadistic, and megalomaniacal persona as Father. In this form, his sole purpose was to transform the entirety of Amestris into a large-enough transmutation circle to enable him to achieve the power of godhood, which Father had done for a limited time. In his most powerful form, he was even able to create miniature suns at the palm of his hand. It took the combined powers of Edward Elric and his other companions to finally defeat Father.
11 Gendo Ikari (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
A person solely focused on their goals, regardless of whether they’re right or wrong, can be more terrifying than a megalomaniacal villain. Such is the case of Gendo Ikari, who eventually becomes the ultimate antagonist of Neon Genesis Evangelion. After losing his wife, Gendo would stop at nothing to reunite with her — even if it meant throwing the whole world away in the process.
Through this mission, Gendo knowingly threatens the world with a near-cataclysmic event to awaken powerful Angels, which would then deem his Evangelion project necessary to save the world. Beneath all of this, Gendo mercilessly neglects his own child, emotionally manipulates his assistants, and even conducts human experiments in order to achieve his goals.
10 Majin Buu (Dragon Ball Z)
Initially appearing as the bubbly yet unpredictable pink monster in the latter part of Dragon Ball Z, the character of Majin Buu would end up becoming perhaps its strongest, most dangerous villain. While possessing many forms, the diminutive Kid Buu is his truest form, the one devoid of restraint and sanity. It’s also this form that Goku and his comrades had the hardest time defeating due to its absorption abilities, constant regeneration, and seemingly-indestructible body.
However, what makes Majin Buu ruthless and terrifying is his personality — or lack thereof. Majin Buu lacks any remorse or compassion and seems incapable of comprehending empathy. Majin Buu enjoys destruction and finds amusement whenever he destroys worlds.
9 Kyubey (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
Despite its appearance, Kyubey of Puella Magi Madoka Magica is more than just a cute cat-like mascot. Kyubey is an Incubator, a member of an advanced civilization hell-bent on stopping entropy from killing the universe. Kyubey and his species discover that emotions, particularly from teenage girls, can help prevent the spread of entropy. Kyubey approaches these girls and offers to grant their wishes in exchange for fighting witches, not telling them that they will become witches themselves after being exhausted from their emotional energy.
Kyubey’s abject lack of empathy makes its actions more terrifying. For their species, it’s worth sacrificing the lives of these magical girls if it means stopping the eventual death of the universe. And Kyubey won’t hesitate to discard a magical girl whom it finds useless. It’s possible that once the human race is devoid of magical girls, Kyubey will simply find another species capable of producing such emotions and repeat the cycle.
8 Light Yagami (Death Note)
When Light Yagami receives the Death Note, he soon realizes that writing anyone’s name in it will kill that person. Thus begins Death Note and Light’s quest to kill criminals himself, ushering in the birth of a perfect and lawless world as Kira. However, Light’s journey toward godhood is continuously hindered by the authorities, particularly L, who proves to be his nemesis. Soon enough, Light will stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
Despite Light being the “protagonist” of Death Note, he’s truly its main villain. To Light, being Kira and using the Death Note to kill criminals has become a daily routine. He manipulates his way into the favor of others to transform them into his allies or disciples and then discard them when they’re of no use.
7 Frieza (Dragon Ball Z)
Majin Buu might have been the strongest villain of Dragon Ball, but none could match Frieza in terms of sheer evil. His charm and mercilessness maintain his popularity among fans, to the point of being the most recurring villain in the Dragon Ball franchise. During his time as ruler of the galaxy, Frieza exterminated of the entire Saiyan race. Prior to his demise at the hands of Goku, Frieza freely toyed with his friends and comrades.
Boasting the power of transformation, Frieza always keeps his enemies on their toes and takes delight in taunting and torturing them for his amusement. His intelligence makes his sociopathic nature all the more horrifying. Some of his infamous acts include causing Krillin to explode and destroying Namekian villages in his pursuit of the Dragon Balls.
6 Shinobu Sensui (Yu Yu Hakusho)
Fans of Yu Yu Hakusho remember the arrogant yet noble Yusuke Urameshi and his signature Spirit Gun, while those with an eye for villains will remember Shinobu Sensui. Koenma’s spirit detective prior to Yusuke, Shinobu quit his job and went into hiding prior to resurfacing with a plot to destroy the world. This was tragic, considering Shinobu had a strong spiritual perception. To him, humans are purer than demons, and it’s his job to exterminate demons to stop them from threatening humans.
However, Shinobu witnessed an event where humans lavishly tortured demons for his own amusement. With his moral compass broken, Shinobu unconsciously developed multiple personalities to salvage what was left of his mental state. With demons being vermin and humans being unworthy of saving in his eyes, Shinobu will stop at nothing to see the two species wipe each other out.
5 Griffith (Berserk)
Sometimes, villains that appear extremely humble and innocent strike people as the most terrifying. Such is the case of Griffith from Berserk. Given his humble origins and well-mannered demeanor, no one would suspect the bizarre machinations of Griffith’s mind. His charm, conviction, and ambition always get people to follow him. It’s unfortunately the same ambition that transforms Griffith into Berserk‘s most infamous villain.
When Griffith drowns himself in ambition and is reborn as Femto, he became even more terrifying. Now an instrument of the Idea of Evil, Griffith/Femto willingly gives up his humanity for the pursuit of his ideas. He lies, betrays, and kills his own comrades to further his ambition. Even more horrific, he can seemingly apply callous logic to everything he does.
4 Makishima Shogo (Psycho-Pass)
In the future Japan of Psycho-Pass, the enigmatic Sybil System can instantaneously quantify and measure a person’s mental state, using said information to determine someone’s “perfect” place in society. However, Sybil System requires people to have a low “Psycho-Pass,” a propensity for violence. The police hunt down individuals with a high Psycho-Pass.
Makishima Shogo, the first season’s central antagonist, conducts mass murder with a low Psycho-Pass. Despite his murderous intent, his Psycho-Pass remains low because he thinks of his crimes as sound and reasonable. One might think he kills solely to mock the system that thinks it’s perfect, which makes Makishima all the more horrific.
3 Shou Tucker (Fullmetal Alchemist)
Despite only appearing for a few episodes, Shou Tucker of Fullmetal Alchemist made a horrifying mark on its viewers, showing what can result from unbridled ambition and irresistible curiosity. The foremost expert in chimeras, Shou Tucker lives with his daughter, Nina, after his wife left them. Shou earned his State Alchemist License on the promise of producing a chimera capable of speech.
Unfortunately, he doesn’t produce any results until he comes up with a horrifying solution: fusing Nina and their family dog, Alexander. When confronted, Shou tries to justify his depravity with the explanation that all scientific advancements are founded on a price. It’s this mercilessness of sacrificing his daughter in the name of science that makes Shou so deplorable in the eyes of fans.
2 Johan Liebert (Monster)
The life of surgeon Dr. Kenzo Tenma is inexplicably changed when a patient he saved, Johan Liebert, ends up linked to a string of murders all around the world. While much of the Monster anime is spent by Dr. Kenzo tracking Johan with the bloody trail he’s left, it’s Johan’s status as the series’ overarching villain that places most other evil-doers to shame.
While sharing the same charm and manipulative tendencies as other villains, Johan stands leagues apart out of a sheer disregard for life. With childhood abuse and experimentation transforming Johan into a skilled assassin, he’s also used his newfound charisma to fool serial killers into killing their victims and even themselves. He has no ulterior motive for his actions but rather just a complete disconnection to the value of life at all.
1 Lil’ Slugger (Paranoia Agent)
It’s one thing for a country to sleep in fear of a serial attacker and another to fear an entity that may or may not exist. Such is the dilemma of Lil’ Slugger, the main antagonist of Paranoia Agent. In the anime, a woman named Tsukiko Sagi is attacked by a boy with a bat, whom she names “Lil’ Slugger.” From then on, Lil’ Slugger makes appearances to various individuals, all attacking them under various circumstances.
It’s soon revealed that Lil’ Slugger is no more than a figment of Tsukiko’s imagination. The spreading rumor of Lil’ Slugger transformed it into a meme, a cultural phenomenon that seemingly enters the minds of people with varying degrees of psychological burdens. Lil’ Slugger is ruthless not because of its actions but by how easily it can manifest in the mind.
Fuente: successacademy.edu.vn
Categorías: Anime
