Usually, in most storylines across all forms of media, a character serves as the main obstacle to the protagonist’s objective, often being referred to as the villain. But in anime, there are quite a few villain figures who are rather justified despite committing some of the most atrocious crimes. The way the narrative is built around their character arcs often leads viewers to sympathize with these villains.
Therefore, here, we’ve ranked 10 such series that feature some of anime’s best villains, who are more than justified because of their ideology & worldview. So, do check them all out to see whether you find something new to watch.
10. Death Note‘s Light Yagami Polarises the Fanbase Most
Light’s primary objective in Death Note certainly sounds like an act of virtue. Wishing to eradicate crime is indeed a noble thought. However, in the later arcs, Light ends up becoming more of a criminal himself, which results in Death Note ranking at the bottom of the list. But one thing is for sure: no one else besides Light could put the Death Note to such good use. As a matter of fact, he did reduce the global crime rate by 70%. Therefore, many people still believe he’s totally justified.
9. Gurren Lagann Justifies Lordgenome’s Twisted Beliefs
Almost every villain in Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann aims for the greater good. That’s why many of them are considered misunderstood villains. However, Lordgenome, of all, is the one you will end up caring about the most. His belief that humanity needed to remain underground to prevent the Anti-Spiral from destroying the world wasn’t random. It was based on a real threat, so you understand where he is coming from. That’s why Gurren Lagann deserves a spot on the list.
8. Made in Abyss Gives Reasons Behind Bondrewd’s Vile Sins
On paper, Bondrewd from Made in Abyss has committed the most atrocious sins out of everyone on the list. He used orphaned children as a part of his experiments and exploited their physical bodies to defy the curse of the Abyss. But the only redeeming factor about him is that, for the sake of science, he even sacrificed his own body in his experiments. And technically, his research gives us valuable insight into the nature of the Abyss. Still, it isn’t enough to rank him any higher.
7. One Punch Man‘s Garou Blurs the Line Between Good & Evil
Garou is literally the wild card in One Punch Man. He is the very factor that questions the flawed system of how heroes work in society. Garou points out how the Hero Association blindly glorifies the existing heroes. Therefore, his desire to turn himself into humanity’s common enemy does have some logic. But since One Punch Man is more or less meant to be a comedy anime, Garou’s ideologies are also exploited for fun moments. That’s why the anime ranks only 7th here.
6. My Hero Academia Criticizes Itself With Stain’s Ideologies
My Hero Academia also has its own version of Garou. It’s Stain! He also believes that the hero industry is full of facades. He points out that many heroes in the industry only care about fame and money and rarely worry about saving people. That’s why he believes that if a hero cannot even defeat him, then they aren’t worthy enough to be called a hero. So, he later becomes the Hero Killer. The reason it ranks 6th, above Garou, is that Stain actually felt like one of the anime’s biggest threats.
5. FMAB Provides Justification For Scar’s Questionable Acts
Many of us love revenge storylines, don’t we? Then why do we hate Scar from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood? Is it just because he isn’t the protagonist? That doesn’t sound fair. Since his entire clan was nearly wiped out by Amestris, he had every reason to hate the State Alchemists responsible. However, he does start killing people indiscriminately a bit later on, which deducts some points. But his initial revenge goal holds enough reason to rank FMAB in the top 5 of the list.
4. Naruto Masterfully Makes Viewers Empathize With Pain
Pain’s central argument in Naruto is hard to dismiss. It’s very true that we can never understand the suffering caused by war until we experience it ourselves. That’s why he earns 4th place on the list. Technically, he isn’t wrong when he believes that overwhelming fear can be the only way to create peace. If the authoritarian leader isn’t corrupt, then it can be a viable solution. Now, some may disagree, but surely his understanding of the cycle of hatred was largely correct.
3. Vinland Saga‘s Askeladd Is Anime’s Most Charismatic Villain
By the end of Season 1 of Vinland Saga, Askeladd establishes himself as one of the most justified villains of all time. Throughout the series, fans, along with Thorfinn, harbor utter hatred toward him. Not only did he kill Thorfinn’s father, Thors, but as the leader of a mercenary gang, Askeladd has never hesitated to kill the weak for personal gain. Still, his presence on screen has always been so charismatic, carrying the storyline forward. Thus, Vinland Saga deserves a spot in the top 3.
2. Psycho-Pass Questions Its Own Justice Through Makishima
When you first hear about the plot of Psycho-Pass, you may find it cool. It narrates a society where an AI constantly monitors people’s mental states, and based on the probability of an individual committing a crime in the future, the Public Safety Bureau decides to eliminate them. However, Makishima questions the very concept of serving justice through an algorithm. And he is most definitely right when he says that it can strip away genuine human freedom. That’s why Psycho-Pass ranks 2nd.
1. Hunter × Hunter‘s Meruem Is the Most Justified Anime Villain
Villain writing peaked with Meruem in Hunter x Hunter. Initially introduced as the strongest being, all he cared about was ruling over every race. He believed that the strong naturally deserved to rule the weak. But after certain incidents, he gradually started to question the very objective he was born for. Meruem realized that strength doesn’t determine a person’s value and started noticing flaws in human nature itself. At one point, he started making so much sense in the anime that you may feel like he should have been the protagonist instead. Therefore, it deserves the #1 rank.
Well then. How satisfied are you with the entries in the list?
