Top 20 Anime Villains That Got Their Asses Kicked

“My Hero Academia” (2016-)

When it comes to villains, it’s hard to get more intimidating than Muscular. He’s beefy, he’s mean, and he nearly ground poor Deku into a certified pulp. But, that just made it all the more vindicating when the hero stepped up for round two. Try not to blink through it, though. With a few new quirks up his sleeve, Deku absolutely wrecks Muscular. The crook didn’t even know what hit him before he was back behind bars. The message is loud and clear: Muscular isn’t even strong enough to qualify as Deku’s rival anymore. Punch or not, that’s gotta sting.

“Sabikui Bisco” (2022-)

Say what you will about Kurokawa, but he sure is consistent. In his quest to uncover the secrets of the Rust Eater, the one thing you can count on is that he’ll be beaten, bruised, and embarrassed every which way. Sometimes, it’s an arrow to the face, and sometimes it’s melting in a vat of boiling rust. But no matter what, Kurokawa always gets the short end of the stick. If the season’s last episode is anything to go by, Kurokawa can’t win even when he’s piloting a giant, rust-covered mech. Given his track record, he really should’ve just left good enough alone.

“Mashle: Magic and Muscles” (2023-)

Mash may not have a single magical bone in his body, but when it comes to good, old-fashioned fisticuffs, he doesn’t need one. He’s basically the One-Punch Man. In his defense, Silva was totally asking for it. The cocky wizard spent all day gloating that no one could survive ten blows from his Iron Magic. But, when the roles were reversed, Silva couldn’t even take two punches before he became a sniveling beggar. If Mash had finished the other eight, he’d probably be more pancake than human. Silva learned the hard way that there’s only one knockout specialist at Easton Academy, and their name is Mash.

“Tokyo Ghoul” (2014-18)

Kaneki knows a thing or two about pain. Most of it he learned through Jason’s bloodstained experiments. But, eventually, the tortured became the torturer, and it’s something else. All of Jason’s cruel and unusual methods majorly backfired, turning Kaneki into a ghoul with something to prove. He tears through his warden with utter abandon, even eating the man’s own ghoul organ for a quick power boost. Against this kind of Kaneki, Jason never stood a chance. In fact, his death is so gruesome, it’s almost hard to watch. Almost. The gross approach is worth it to see Jason finally reap what he sowed.

“Bleach” (2004-12; 2022-)

The Captain of the Soul Society's 5th Division - sorry, we mean former captain - thought he was unbeatable. Emphasis on “thought.” He didn’t plan on Ichigo Kurosaki, who came in and showed who’s really the Zanpak-pro. The look on Aizen’s face when Ichigo blocks his strike is just plain priceless. And that’s not even the main event! As retribution for the betrayal, murder, and attempted coup, Ichigo destroys his arch nemesis with a glorious, Final Getsuga Tensho. Just like its name implies, it’s the final thing Aizen sees for a very long time. Well, besides the inside of a prison, that is.

“Zatch Bell!” (2003-06)

Someone should tell these guys that invisibility is no substitute for real combat experience. While Zatch couldn’t exactly see his opponent, he doesn’t need his eyes to throw a punch. Especially when Baransha reek of stinky nuts. Zatch uses his nose to pin the unseeable foe down, and from there, he quickly makes up for lost time, and then some. Moral of the story? Don’t try to outmaneuver Zatch. He’ll catch you, and deliver the pain with interest. As if to hammer it home, Baransha and their partner end up running off into a river with their tail between their legs. Literally.

“Solo Leveling” (2024-)

Under the guise of a noble crusade, Kang successfully justified all sorts of selfish assassinations. He might’ve gotten away with it, too, had he not tried to kill the witnesses. Unfortunately for Kang, one of those pesky bystanders happened to be Jin-woo. The Hunter was pissed, vengeful, and ready to show off the power of his second awakening. Though, to Kang, it probably just looked like a blur. A few strikes here and there, and Kang’s smug smile vanished in a dance of bloody retribution. Hey, the assassin was right about one thing; it’s just natural selection. And, clearly, Kang isn’t the apex predator anymore.

“Jujutsu Kaisen” (2020-)

During the Shibuya Incident arc, Nanami swooped in and asked Haruta a very simple question: where are his allies, and how many of them are there? Haruta tried to hold firm, but he quickly learned that this wasn’t a request. It was an interrogation, and a cathartic one at that. After all, the frame of Nanami holding Haruta’s hair broke the internet for a reason. The evil sorcerer tries to apologize, but it comes too late for his face. Or the rest of his body, for that matter. Haruta’s downfall is the beatdown to end all beatdowns, proving that they don’t call Nanami a Grade 1 Sorcerer for nothing.

“Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood” (2009-10)

It’s no surprise that a Homunculus named after one of the seven deadly sins is the worst of the worst. If you want proof, how about the fact that Envy didn’t just kill Mustang’s best friend, they did it with a smile. Well, fast-forward a few dozen episodes, and Envy’s grin is replaced with screams. It took a while, but Mustang finally got his revenge, and it came in the form of a glorious incineration. He burns Envy so thoroughly, the Homunculus’ regenerative body can’t even keep up any more. If it sounds like a lot, that’s because it is. But, trust us, Envy deserved each and every ember.

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#11: Team Rocket

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“Pokémon” (1997-)

There may not be any villains in all of storytelling that fail as much as these three. At this point, it’s genuinely easier to count the episodes where Jessie, James, and Meowth don’t go blasting off again. But, credit where it’s due, they definitely get points for perseverance. No matter how many times they get sent to the stars above, Team Rocket comes back with yet another harebrained scheme to steal Pikachu. And, like clockwork, they almost always end up on the wrong side of a thunderbolt. Again. Whether it’s commendable or pure lunacy, their persistence sure is something to behold.

“Fate/Zero” (2011-12)

Arrogant villains are always the best choice for a well deserved beat down, and luckily for us this magus is as smug as they come. After having his secret base destroyed by protagonist Kiritsugu, Kayneth arrives at the Einzbern manor to take some sweet revenge. He has no problem keeping his prey on the ropes thanks to his pet ball of mercury that can block almost anything and slice you into bits at the same time. Alas no one expects the magic bullets and Kiritsugu manages to land two shots with his signature pistol. The first one pierces the shoulder while the second one completely fries Kayneth’s nerves.

“Sword Art Online” (2012-)

The owner of ALfheim Online seems up to some shady business considering 300 people are somehow trapped in his game including series love interest, Asuna. This obviously doesn’t sit well with Kirito and he enters into virtual reality one more time to find his girl. In the climactic showdown, Kirito overpowers him with the use of admin commands. Nobuyuki gets so mad that he ambushes the teenager in the real world with a knife… and loses a second time!

“Yu Yu Hakusho” (1994-96)

Risho is shown to be the strong silent type who only speaks out when one of his teammates is about to get blasted from outside the ring. His true personality comes out when he takes to the ring to face a heavily injured Kuwabara in the final round. His opponent can’t even summon his weapon but that doesn’t stop this ruthless ninja from decimating the poor guy with magic. Fortunately for Kuwabara, the power of love kicks in and charges his power just enough to smack Risho out of the arena – ya’ done, son.

“Hunter x Hunter” (2011-14)

Neferpitou is not an opponent to be taken lightly considering their position as one of the Chimera Ant King’s royal guards. It’s not just a fancy title either since they have no problem taking down the powerful hunter, Kite. However they make the fatal mistake in angering Gon who, once learning of his friend’s fate, releases his latent energy that not only ages him into an adult with a sweet hairdo but also boosts his power considerably. Neferpitou does the smart thing and tries to attack the beast from behind only to meet with one of the most brutal 2-hit combos we’ve seen in anime.

“Mob Psycho 100” (2016-22)

If there’s one thing this series continuously hammers into our heads it’s that when Mob’s emotions go out of control, it’s a bad time for everyone. Koyoma, a high ranking member of the criminal organization Claw, is sent out to do the worst possible thing you can do; kidnap Mob’s brother, Ritsu. Though he maintains the upper-hand for most of the fight and ultimately completes his mission, he does piss off Mob enough to get a crash course in psychic wrestling. Their rematch, if you can even call it one, goes a little differently with Koyoma barely lasting a second before he gets ping-ponged around the room.

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#5: Sea King

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Top 10 Anime Villains That Got Their Asses Kicked

“One-Punch Man” (2015-)

Let’s be honest here, if you’re a villain in this world it is your destiny to get your ass kicked. Sea King stands out from his predecessors because he’s the first tangible threat to the Heroes Association. He single-handily takes down two S-Rank heroes: Puri-puri Prisoner and Saitama’s cyborg student, Genos. The latter narrowly escapes death thanks to the efforts of the much less powerful but equally as heroic Mumen Rider, who unfortunately becomes the Sea King’s new punching bag for a bit. Thankfully all the abuse and tearful monologues pay off when Saitama shows up to do what he does best.

“Overlord” (2015-)

We all knew this fight was coming and we sure couldn’t wait to see it happen. Clementine is one sadistic, crazy rogue sporting an outfit made from the medals of slain adventurers. She greatly enjoys inflicting pain and suffering on her victims which she makes very clear in the gruesome aftermath of her battle with the good-natured Swords of Darkness. Complimenting this unstable personality is her skill in battle, showing little effort in dodging and countering Ainz’s attacks in the first part of their fight. It’s too bad then that Ainz is actually a giant undead mage who is borderline invincible and can give a pretty mean hug.

“Dragon Ball Z” (1989-96)

Created by Dr. Gero solely to take revenge on Goku for defeating the Red Ribbon Army, Android 19 is definitely not someone you’d want to meet in an alley. His signature ability allows him to absorb all manner of energy through the palms in his hands and adds it to his own, so lobbing kamehamehas at him is not exactly the best idea. After Goku succumbs to the reality of high cholesterol, 19 moves onto his next opponent who, unfortunately for him, has no medical conditions and has just ascended to super saiyan status. Needless to say, 19 is quickly disarmed and eventually blown away by Vegeta’s new signature move.

“Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders” (2014-15)

From killing old ladies with parasites to backhanding children across the face, this guy has absolutely no shame. Steely Dan is the antagonist’s hired assassin and he possesses the oh-so-pleasant stand named Lovers. This insect-sized stand crawls inside the victim’s ear and attaches itself firmly to the brain – and yes, it gets worse because any damage that Dan takes is reflected onto the infected person. This might make him quite honestly the most frustrating villain to deal with, but Joseph’s group eventually finds a way to stop this pest from causing any more damage, and Jotaro takes his frustration out with a solid 20 second ORA ORA; one of the longest in the series.

“One Piece” (1999-)

Just like any other long running anime series you’re going to have quite a few ass-kickings along the way. Spandam is a special case on this list just because of how much of a clumsy villain he is. He leads the Cipher Pol 9 but he’s a coward at heart and only appears threatening if his opponent is tied up. He’s no stranger to pain but it’s honestly impressive how he can walk off having his face smashed in or slapped to unconsciousness. It’s even more impressive that he’s still alive after Robin’s brutal, and satisfying, use of her Clutch technique to back him backwards and snap his spine like a twig…

Which villain deserves to be knocked down a few pegs? Let us know if they made our list in the comments below!