In the world of anime, there are countless villains prowling around who are ready to mess your day up. It doesn’t matter whether you are a side character of a full-on lead, there are anime villains around who’d be more than happy to clobber you. Characters like Naraku and Aizen have become symbols of pure evil to anime fans over the years. However, there are still some baddies who fans can’t manage to hate no matter how hard they try.
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Over in Japan, the website Goo recently polled thousands of anime fans to suss out which of the medium’s villains were the least hated. For some, characters like Itachi Uchiha just can’t be ragged upon too hard, but there are even more foes out there fans believe to be misunderstood. So, if you want to brush up on some lovable anime villains, you can click on through the next slides.
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Shinsuke Takasugi – Gintama
Nothing can ever excuse the atrocities which Shinsuke has committed in Gintama, but there is a tragic reason for the boy’s violent behavior. The villain grew up alongside the anime’s hero Gintoki, but Shinsuki diverged paths with his friend during the Kansei Purge. The boys grew up training together under steady teacher named Shouyou, and Shinsuke became unwittingly close to the man. So, when the two men were captured during a battle alongside Katsura, they were ready to meet their ends. However, Gintoki was instead forced to execute Shouyou in front of them, and Shinsuke could never bring himself to forgive his friend of the country for the act.ย
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Team Rocket – Pokemon
Let’s get one fact straight: Team Rocket is a no-good organization which all Pokemon players have a reason to hate. However, the group’s most famous trio is hard to dislike. Jesse, James, and Meowth are the original bad guys of the Pokemon anime, but their outlandish behavior and often considerate selves make them hard to scoff at. The bumbling trio make all kinds of mistakes in their journey to catch Pikachu, but there are too clumsy and soft-hearted to follow through with the act. So, really, it’s no surprise to learn that Team Rocket has revoked their membership more than a few times.
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Baikinman – Anpanman
Alright, so Baikinman doesn’t have any kind of tragic upbringing that makes him a sympathetic characters. Rather, fans of Anpanman have a hard time hating the guy because of his cute looks and fated behavior. In the series, Baikinman was created to be a bad guy and fight against Anpanman. The villain was sent to Baikin Planet to enslave the planet, and Baikinman was given no other reason to live save for that. He rarely lets his evil deeds move out into the civilian realm, and Anpanman stops the critter before he goes too far. So, all in all, he’s not so bad.
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Captain Dola – Laputa: Castle in the Sky
Captain Dola may not look like the friendliest person, but there is some heart underneath the pirate’s gruff exterior. Studio Ghibli fans will know how Dola is able to alter her allegiances to suit her needs. In Laputa: Castle in the Sky, fans watch as the Captain first tries to kidnap the film’s female lead Sheeta because of a crystal she owns. However, as the film progresses, Dola helps Sheeta avoid being captured for good when she allows Pazu to join her team. The group stages a rescue for the girl, and Dola is even able to go plunder the castle Laputa before the floating structure was destroyed.
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Gian – Doraemon
Doraemon is one of Japan’s most beloved franchise, so it is hard to not like its leading characters – even its bad guys. The franchise has a few bullies to its name, but none of them compare to Takeshi ‘Gian’ Gouda. The large, beady-eyed boy is a bully to his classmates, and Doraemon has had to create ways for other children to one-up the boy. However, when it comes down to it, Gian is little more than a confused boy with a big heart. Sure, the way Gian shows his frustration is not ideal, but the simple guy really does care when the going gets rough.
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