Throughout the history of stories, a routine phrase has been that “a hero is only as good as their villains.” In the world of comic books, the likes of Superman, Spider-Man, and Batman are beguiled by interesting foes such as Lex Luthor, Venom, and the Joker, for example. The anime world is no different in that countless franchises have created interesting villains for the protagonists to face throughout their respective careers. In this latest write-up, we’ll walk you through the best of the best when it comes to anime villains that were able to outshine some of the heroes in their tales.
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5.) Berserk’s Griffith
Luckily, this list isn’t focusing on the most likable villains of the anime industry, because at this point, Berserk’s White Hawk is despised by many in the anime community. Griffith appeared in Berserk as the lifeline to Guts, giving the Black Swordsman the opportunity to not only earn money for his warfare, but also find a place in the world that he always thought he was alone in. What makes Griffith so detestable to many is the fact that he was more than willing to sacrifice the Band of the Hawk to make his dreams come true, as the Eclipse grotesquely murdered Guts’ war-forged family. Despite the hate, Griffith as a character is a wildly interesting one, on even footing with the Black Swordsman in overall characterization. While it might be hard for many not familiar with Berserk to imagine that Griffith looks like a villain, the dichotomy of the character works to hammer home the intricacies of the story itself.
4.) JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’s Dio Brando
The Joestars have had to fight their fair share of villains throughout JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and while Dio was a great villain in both Phantom Blood and Stardust Crusaders, it went to show how good an antagonist he was that his legacy continued throughout the franchise. For example, Golden Wind focused on Dio’s son as the star, while Stone Ocean saw a plan from Brando implemented as the main focus for the story of Jolyne Cujoh. For as much of a stalwart hero Jonathan Joestar was, Dio was the polar opposite, as he always felt “evil for the sake of being evil,” which could often be infectious for fans of the franchise. Even in Steel Ball Run, a story that takes place in an alternate reality, fans are introduced to Diego Brando, an alternate iteration of the character who proves that you just can’t keep an evil anime vampire down for long.
3.) Monster’s Johan Liebert
Naoki Urasawa’s Monster is long considered to be one of the most thoughtful manga series ever released, with Johan Liebert being a good reason for that. Considering Urasawa used this story as a way to look at the nature of evil, it makes sense that Johan would be the most interesting part of this story. Dr. Kenzo Tenma is an interesting enough protagonist, attempting to stop Liebert’s reign of terror while understanding what he has unleashed upon the world, but the villain is such an interesting character study that he helped elevate the overall story to the legendary status Monster now holds. At this point, Monster remains one of the most interesting stories in all of fiction, and Johan remains a major reason for that thanks to his interesting character. Tenma can have interesting character beats, but regularly throughout the compelling story, he is at his most interesting in relation to the terror that threatened his world.
2.) Dragon Ball Z’s Vegeta
Even as a full-blown villain, there are quite a few Dragon Ball enthusiasts who recognize the Prince of the Saiyans as an antagonist who is far more interesting than many of the heroes he fought. Long decimating planets for Frieza, while attempting to maintain his Saiyan pride, it took quite some time for Vegeta to eventually find his way to the light. Luckily, even as a part of the “dark side,” Vegeta was a wildly interesting antagonist, routinely fighting heroes and other villains at the same time. The Z-Fighter has been a hero through and through since coming back from the grave during the Majin Buu Saga, though Vegeta’s character has only evolved further over time as the Earth’s influence stretches further into his soul. There’s a reason why Vegeta is often thought of as one of Akira Toriyama’s greatest characters, and we don’t see anime fans turning their back on the Saiyan Prince anytime soon.
1.) Jujutsu Kaisen’s Sukuna
Yuji Itadori has long been the face of Jujutsu Kaisen, but there has always been a far more interesting character bubbling under the surface of the shonen hero’s light exterior. Sukuna, the king of curses, has been a wildcard every time he has shown up in the story forged by creator Gege Akutami, and perhaps this was most prevalent during season two’s Shibuya Incident Arc. While he has played little to no role in the Culling Game, Sukuna’s influence can still be felt, and even when the cursed king isn’t around, he is still having an effect on the sorcerers’ lives. There’s a certain ghoulish glee demonstrated by Sukuna that makes him such an effective anime character, along with his overwhelming power at his beck and call, and it makes sense that he would easily earn his place on this list. With the fourth season of Jujutsu Kaisen on its way, expect Sukuna to be a big part of the future MAPPA season.
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