The villains of anime are here to play. Originally, I was considering going the Grinch route in celebration of Christmas time. However, there are few examples of the unrealistically evil villains of anime learning a lesson. I did cover a few Christmas/New Year’s type episodes last year. So, if you are looking for something more holiday themed, check it out at this link!
Why these villains of anime though? Every story possesses an antagonist. Of course, I must limit myself. These villains stand out to me because they “go beyond” a recognizable evil. They are more than mean…they are more than malefactors. These villains of anime push the protagonist to the brink of defeat. In a struggle, we need to have our heroes challenged by a real threat.
Warning: My desire is to limit these spoilers to as few as possible. Sometimes a villain can be well disguised and revealing that could be a major spoiler. So, I’m trying to limit myself to villains that aren’t so hard to recognize. I’m hopeful they won’t ruin your enjoyment if you want to find out more about these evil villains.
Villains of anime – Esdeath
Esdeath is the sadistic general of the Jaeger squad. She is a woman governed by the philosophy of survival of the fittest. Esdeath builds herself up by being the strongest. Her unflinching loyalty to The Empire and belief that only the strong survive allow her to be unaffected by the bloodbath of civil war. Esdeath could be the strongest hero if not for the utter corruption of The Empire she takes orders from.
Villains of anime – Izaya Orihara
Izaya is the master manipulator and information broker of Ikebukuro. He lives his life with an insatiable love for all of humanity. But this man is playing a game of manipulation more complex than a combination of chess, Othello, and shogi. Izaya stirs pots all over Ikebukuro. He manipulates a kidnapped girl (planning the kidnapping and rescue along the way), frames his “nemesis” for a multiple homicide, and tries his best to bring a Valkyrie back to life via street gang war.
Villains of anime – Ragyo Kiryuin
When you sell out humanity to an alien life-force that qualifies you as a villain beyond normal villains. Ragyo does a few other things that place her among these real bad bad guys. Upon realizing the power and possibilities of the Life Fibers, in an effort to appease them, Ragyo experimented on both her daughters. Going as far as to dispose of her baby when it appeared that the Life Fibers were rejecting her. Ragyo manipulates an entire country into wearing her apparel and become living sacrifices for the Life Fiber aliens.
Villains of anime – Griffith
A leader possesses a special trust and responsibility to those who they lead. However, when they betray that trust it can only be described as a truly villainous act. Griffith is the leader of the Band of the Falcon, a mercenary unit that ends the Hundred-Year War. He is a man completely committed to his dream of ruling his own kingdom – committed to the point of obsession and insanity. To obtain the power to fulfill his dream, Griffith sacrifices his army to a demonic force called the God Hand. He rapes his best friend’s lover while allowing his comrades to be slaughtered by unholy demons. This ritual marks his friend with a brand that causes demons to pursue him to fulfill the ceremony.
These villains of anime are just a few of my favorites. It is amazing to think of just how many villains there are and how they challenge the protagonists of all these stories. These four stand out to me as some of the baddest bad guys. Who tops your list of the villains to be feared above all others? Leave a comment below or let’s talk about it on social media (Facebook – Instagram – Twitter)!
Featured image: Crunchyroll
