Bad to the Animated Bone
There’s no shortage of bad guys in the world of anime, but only a select few of them standout as truly deplorable. Whether they’re killers, manipulators or the most chromatic of scumbags, none can hold a candle to these guys in the villain department.
#5: Ainz Ooal Gown
“Overlord†(2015-18)
There’s no denying it now; Bone Daddy Ainz has fully embraced his role as the ultimate fantasy villain, and boy oh boy is making the most of it. It might have started with a little deception here and there, but the Ruler of Nazarick has made it pretty clear that he’s not above torture and genocide. Leading hapless adventurers to their doom, subjugating an entire kingdom and making it his personal playground, slaughtering 70,000 soldiers in an instant in order to summon Lovecraftian goat tentacle demons. Sorry guys, looks like Ainz is operating out of the Lawful Evil alignment these days.Â
#4: The Major
“Hellsing Ultimate†(2006-12)
Granted, the fact that this guy is a high-ranking Nazi pretty much guarantees his villain status. However, what separates the Major from your average remnant of the Third Reich is just how much he likes war. Scratch that, he LOVES war. To the point where his single greatest goal in life is to create the greatest conflict in history, even if it means he gets killed in the process. You would have thought such a disturbed individual wouldn’t be able to attract much of a following…that is, at least until you hear him make one of his signature speeches. You will feel part of your soul die, but you won’t be able to stop listening…
#3: Dio Brando
“JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure†(2012-)
You thought someone else would take this position, but it was actually him – Dio! From the moment this guy arrived on scene, he took every opportunity to display just how much of a bastard he was. Nearly stealing the Joestar fortune, forcing himself on Jonathan’s girl, turning into a vampire, slaughtering hundreds of innocents, killing Jonathan – the list goes on. And all this before he got himself a Stand, resurrected himself, and started the whole cycle of violence again a century later. Honestly, trying to dismiss Dio’s villainous impact is MUDA.Â
#2: Father
“Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood†(2009-10)
Even when he was nothing more than a dwarf in a flash, this insidious being still found a way to wipe out an entire civilization. In search of immortality, what later come to be known as the Father of the Homunculi was willing to sacrifice as many lives as it took to secure its place as the ultimate creation. It may have manifested each of its sins as a way to remain pure, but right up to the end Father remained both petulant and selfish, and as a result nearly managed to throw the entire world into total collapse, purely for its own wants.
#1: Frieza
“Dragon Ball†Franchise (1989-96)
When you can measure your kill count by the amount of planets you’ve destroyed, then there’s no competition. Well before he was representing Universe 7 in the Tournament of Power, this alien tyrant was only interesting in acquiring immortality, enslaving races, and wiping out anyone who dared get in his way. He’s responsible for wiping out the majority of the Saiyan Race, slaughtered the Namekian population, not to mention killed off quite a number of Goku’s allies. DBZ has seen a multitude of villains, but none can compare to the self-proclaimed ruler of the cosmos.
Be sure to check the video below to see our picks for the Top 10 Anime Villains Turned Heroes.
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