Throughout the history of media and entertainment, we have been taught to support the good guys and condemn the bad ones. And that was the obvious choice for most people, since the heroes had all the cool powers and character development. But this tend has changed since the popularization of anime and other modern media. These days, authors try to give villains plausible motives and charming personalities because they have realized that villains make or break a good story. Giving these villains genuine motives and a compelling backstory makes the audience love them and connect with their ideals, even if the means they go about to fulfill their ideals are questionable. With that said, Here is a list of 10 anime villains we love and why:
10-Frieza
Frieza might be a controversial pick for this list since when Dragon Ball Z was originally airing, he wasn’t much of a fan favorite. In fact, most people despised his cruel personality. However, as time passed, people’s fondness for Frieza grew. The vicious alien ruler revels in showing his dominance. Just for fun, he crushes civilizations and destroys planets on a daily basis. He is manipulative and is also an eloquent speaker, which only adds to his personality as a villain. Although Frieza is defeated time and time again, the mere fact that he has so many appearances throughout the series is evidence of how much love he gets from the fans.
9-Garou
Before Garou was introduced to the series, One Punch Man was mainly just a parody series. But his introduction gave a serious storyline to the series. With Garou, the author breaks the 4th wall through his ideal of “Why do bad guys always have to lose.” Garou trained himself till he was invincible due to his sympathy for evil. He became exceedingly deadly, and even when the best heroes banded together, they were unable to defeat him. Despite being a villain, his values and morals are not distorted. He cares about children and doesn’t murder his opponents. These characteristics make him one of the most adored villains.
8-Meruem
The King of the Chimera Ants was built up to be the most formidable threat to humanity in the Hunter x Hunter show. He was made to be the perfect lifeform in existence, with no weaknesses. Both his strength and his intellect are far superior to any hunter. Even Netero, one of the strongest hunters, barely managed to win against him in an all-out bout. But his strength isn’t the only reason he is loved. Meruem’s character development is the main reason fans love him. Thanks to Komugi, his chess rival, he is shown to develop as a being and be understanding. In the end, he even falls in love with her.
7-King Bradley
King Bradley is one of the main antagonists of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood and one of the Seven deadly sins i.e, Wrath. He was a homunculus who had exceeded the bounds of being a superhuman. He had an all-seeing eye, which allowed him to notice the tiniest details in things and also predict his enemy’s moves. He was a formidable foe with high political status as well as tremendous physical prowess. Unlike the other homunculi, Bradley had some resemblance of humanity left within him, which made his eventual defeat all the gloomier and more vindicatory. Despite the atrocities he perpetrated, he managed to remain memorable and a fan favorite.
6-Yoshikage Kira
It’s no surprise that an over-the-top and wild series like JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure would produce amazing and lovable villains. Yoshikage Kira is one such character. He is depicted to be someone who lives an ordinary life and doesn’t want anyone or anything to interfere with his sense of normal while being a serial killer in disguise. His powers revolve around creating bombs and blowing things up, which is quite ironic since his whole thing is living peacefully. His fan popularity comes from his amazing character design to his flashy stand powers. But the main appeal of the character comes from his ideology of living as a pacifist.
5-Madara Uchiha
Even before he was introduced, Madara was anticipated to be overpowered. And his introduction did not disappoint the fans at all. Hailing from the Uchiha clan, he was raised during the conflict, which shows in his temperament and principles, which refuse to disappear. While he was in control, he demolished an entire army on his own and stood his own against the 5 Kage with ease. Madara established himself as one of the most entertaining villains, only to be vanquished by the trope of a bigger fish in the pond. Nonetheless, Madara will never be forgotten.
4-Itachi Uchiha
Another villain from Naruto Shippuden, Itachi, also belongs to the Uchiha clan. His powers include some of the strongest genjutsu and his terrifying Sharingan with his black flames. The reason Itachi stands out in the long list of Naruto villains is due to his backstory. He was forced to make an impossible choice at a young age, which resulted in him killing off his entire clan and also his parents, sparing only his younger brother Sasuke. Although he is portrayed as the villain through the majority of the series, it is revealed at the end that the steps he took were in fact, only for the betterment and safety of the village. He sacrificed his clan to safeguard the rest of the village, all remaining hidden in the shadows. This character development wins him a particular place in the hearts of the majority of fans.
3-Light Yagami
Anyone who has heard of anime most likely knows who Light Yagami is. Although he is the protagonist of the show, he is most definitely the villain. He is a high-school genius who decides to play God. Through the power of the Death Note, he kills anyone he deems unworthy of living in his world. Even after his demise, he was glorified by people who praised his actions. His murky morality and belief in gaining justice at whatever cost are what make this villain deserving of fan adoration.
2-Aizen
Aizen is one of the most cunning and well-written antagonists. He has all the high-quality character traits of a great villain. He is extremely smart, strong, and has an aura of mystery and coldness around him. Thanks to his cunningness, he is a mastermind at coming up with plans. He isn’t evil just for the sake of being evil, but his every step has a motive behind it. His intelligence allowed him to triumph over many-a opponents without even trying. Even with all the captains against him, he easily overpowered them with sheer intellect and battle prowess. Aizen is quite respected when it comes to villains.
1-Dio
Dio is a monstrous villain and quite possibly one of the most, if not the most, iconic villains from anime of all time. If you haven’t heard of Jojo, you’ve most definitely seen his many memes out there. He serves as the main villain in several parts of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventures. The fact that he has killed several main characters shows how overpowered and crazy this guy was. Dio has made several appearances in other media due to his massive popularity. He has inspired countless other anime and manga villains, and most notably, he has given birth to plenty of internet memes. Keeping his popularity in the account and the fan’s love for him, he deserves the 1st spot on this list.
