There have been several anime series released in the past decade. Ranging from outright shōnen to relaxing slice-of-life. With a plethora of series at hand, it’s becoming significantly tricky for viewers to judge a series. However, one of the most crucial aspects of a series is a well-balanced antagonist. Not just a villain with immense power but someone with a great vision. An excellent example of such an antagonist is Madara Uchiha from Naruto, whose vision for peace was morally twisted.
Villains aren’t showered with as much love as the protagonists are. The reasons for that are obvious, but here is a list of villains who might be hailed as exceptionally written and completely psychotic about their philosophies.
Donquixote Doflamingo
The former Shichibukai, Doflamingo, was once a part of the World Government in One Piece. After taking over the country of Dressrosa from King Riku, he ruled there for years.
He is an excellent fighter and a master of all three forms of Haki. Doflamingo had also awakened his devil fruit. He is a ruthless man who didn’t even think twice before killing his father and his younger brother.
Muzan Kibutsuji
The primary antagonist in Demon Slayer is Muzan. Along with his Moon Demons and several other minions, he is responsible for a vast amount of deaths. Power-wise, Muzan can take down even the strongest of Hashira. His blood also allows him to turn humans into demons, who then go on to do his bidding.
He is a cynical and heartless being with no regard whatsoever for the lives of humans or even his own kind. He perceives them as nothing more than disposable trash or a stepping stone. Muzan has even murdered his underlings to make a point.
Griffith
Griffith is another villain praised throughout the anime community for being a great antagonist. He was the leader of the Reborn Band of Hawk in Berserk. He was well-loved by the people of the original Band of Hawk. As Griffith was on the verge of death, he triggered an eclipse, which resulted in the deaths of most members of the group.
He was reborn as Femto and raised a new army of mighty apostles capable of razing entire cities. What made him such a great antagonist was the fact that Griffith prioritized his dream above everything— his friends and his morals.
Johan Liebert
Johan is undoubtedly one of the greatest villains to ever exist in anime. He was the antagonist in Naoki Urasawa’s Monster. With an enigmatic personality and ridiculous charm, Johan was a frightening person. Without having any superpowers, his mind was enough to wreak havoc.
Even after terrorizing an entire city, Johan didn’t even feel a speck of remorse. He was indeed a monster in the anime, and this is what separates him from the rest of the anime villains, who require unique powers to make their mark.
Askeladd
Askeladd was one of the center points in the first season of Vinland Saga. Thors was one of the most prominent fighters in the series. Askeladd murdered him. He is a cold and calculating person, with every move planned ahead of time.
The antagonist was so intriguing that Thorfinn was captivated by him at some point in the series and started to idolize him. His character peaked towards the end of the first season, where he feigned madness and lopped off the King’s head, making him another great villain in anime.
All these anime mentioned above are available for streaming on Crunchyroll except Monster, which is available on Netflix.
