Top 10 Best Anime Villains of All Time

He murdered an entire race and blew up planets just for fun. He was a total sadist. He even said himself, "Torture's no fun if I can't hear you scream." He sold some of his planets due to his own greed, not even caring about the races living on those planets. He stabbed and killed Krillin, and even attempted to kill Gohan.

Frieza had a fearsome personality, which made him a great villain. Usually, you'd think that villains don't get scared at all, but he did, which shows he actually had a personality. He even stated that he cared for his family, even though he didn't care for others. His goal was to become the most powerful being ever, and he was almost close to achieving it. Overall, his personality, goals, strife, and charisma make him the top villain.

Johan is definitely the best and most terrifying anime villain ever.

People often overlook him because the series itself is not very popular. Many prefer characters who have superpowers or a book that can kill people.

When it comes to villains, Johan wins hands down. He is the first anime character to ever make me shiver in fright and apprehension.

He doesn't even have a solid reason for killing people. He just does it. It's not as if he enjoys killing people. It's more like he doesn't want to watch the world burn. He just wants to set it on fire.

He killed everyone who ever helped him. He even managed to make all the orphans from his orphanage kill each other while he sat there watching. He is so evil and murderous that a Neo-Nazi party once tried to recruit him to become their new leader. However, that was not Johan's style, so he massacred most of them. He did all of this to be the last man standing. He even wiped out an entire town to stage a perfect suicide for himself.

Before any other anime villain even decides to kill him, Johan would have already shot them in the head. They might even end up killing themselves.

If Johan is not true evil, I don't know who is.

Aizen is easily one of the most talented villains to ever come into existence. Some may argue that he is overpowered, but let's face it: unlike Light Yagami, he's still alive. For all we know, he could easily come back, especially considering he didn't look fazed when given his prison sentence. However, it's not as if he's an impossible character. Despite planning everything out for 100 years, even Aizen had to make adjustments here and there.

To be honest, it wouldn't be surprising if he returned earlier than expected, and as the ever-charming villain he always was. A) We have no idea what his bankai is. B) In the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, Yhwach wanted him as a special war power. Does Yhwach know something we don't about Aizen? Either way, considering he refused when he could have easily gotten out, he must have other plans. C) He planned to be God and probably still does. Do you really think he wouldn't have planned as thoroughly as he did? He considered nearly every possibility. It's likely he has another few backup plans behind that deceptive smile of his.

Lastly, do I even have to mention how badass he is? I'm pretty sure just his entrance made him the God of Villains.

He's one of the only anime villains who has made me really hate him. Some villains, like Frieza or Madara, I can sort of forgive because they're so awesome. But not Light. No matter how awesome he is, I still end up resenting him deeply. This is what makes a villain great: harboring such intense anger towards him.

Returning to the topic, Light is seriously the epitome of evil. He believed what he was doing was right and used everyone around him to ensure he got what he wanted. On top of all that, he killed L. My hatred for him was already high, but that action took it to a whole new level.

He even decided to relish his victory right in L's face as L was dying. He is pure evil.

I adore Hisoka, I really do, but the kids need a restraining order. Firstly, his waist drives me insane - he wears corsets. You can't convince me otherwise. He's a foxy, murderous clown, essentially IT's fetching East-Asian anime counterpart.

Jokes aside, Hisoka is really interesting, both in design and character. He's aesthetically pleasing, unique, and kind of crazy, but we love a feral fox. This guy is here for a good time, not a long time. His battle libido is off the charts.

Watching him fawn over kids can be a little alarming at times, but if you know Hisoka, you know he's all about the fight. He's not the strongest, and everything about him, from his looks to his Nen, is somewhat underwhelming. But don't let the himbo vibes fool you. This clown has the wit and guts to make it work for him.

Have you ever seen someone willingly lose both arms just to mess with their opponent's mind? His dramatic flair adds to his quirkiness and perfectly complements his mysterious, sly nature.

Envy was much more deep and interesting than either Father or Dante. The 2003 version was better than the manga version, but both are amazing villains who should be higher on this list. One thing that made Envy stand out as a villain was that he wasn't an overpowered brute like most villains. He had insecurities and vulnerabilities, which made him believable.

His final battle with Mustang was the biggest mistake Arakawa made. He should have put up more of a fight. When he died, I cried like hell, which is something I've never done for any other villain. He often gets overlooked because he's not the main villain, but he's my personal favorite villain, period.

Dio is probably going to be a VIP in hell. He may even be next in line for the throne, or at the very least, is definitely slated for a general position.

This man literally has the devil's luck and a heart-sized hole in his soul to match. Taking the vampire game to a whole new level, Dio is the pinnacle of loathsome villains. The satisfaction I felt whenever something didn't work out for him was euphoric. At the same time, I had no problem looking at him. I couldn't take my eyes off him, in fact! He's a commanding, attractive villain to boot, even with his disgusting flesh-bud brainwashing tentacles. You know a villain is truly bad when he kicks a dog (poor Danny) and throws it - you know where - to do you-know-what.

Naraku makes you hate him so much that you love him. You can't help but acknowledge his skill at simply being heinously evil. He affects countless lives both directly and indirectly and seems to revel in being cruel, destructive, feared, and loathed. He is calculating, intelligent, and sensible enough to pose a terrible threat. He also has the bloodthirstiness and power to back up his claims most of the time.

There's a sense throughout the series that he is constantly in control, and that events are unfolding according to his plan. Everything about him is ominous: from his theme and appearance to his powers, voice, and even his surroundings. He creates powerful incarnations of himself and discards them when they have outlived their purpose.

Even more miraculously, he actually improves as time goes on. He forces the protagonists to keep pace with his steady gain of power. Many villains are static characters, apart from their backstories, but Naraku is not. He makes life difficult for everyone, and the tension builds. He is a wonderfully terrible character.

- Creepy and scary in his imperfect form.
- A brute without intelligence, but strong enough.

These last two forms killed thousands, or even millions, of people while searching for his perfection. And then, even without fighting seriously, the Z-Fighters wouldn't have stood a chance against him.

The Zaishenzuu states that he is exactly 2,000 times stronger and more powerful than Frieza. Toriyama said that he would have become even more powerful than Majin Buu, even surpassing Goku in SSJ3. He was made to be perfect, the perfect villain.

The strong live and the weak die. Shishio Makoto viewed people who were weaker than him as fodder to make him stronger. He used the Juppongatana to weaken his foes, so he would have an easier time fighting them. The Meiji government even attempted to kill him, labeling him a bloodthirsty monster.

If that's not evidence enough of his sinister mindset, he also took over a village. In this village, his beliefs and mindset were implemented. The villagers lived in fear to the extent that they wouldn't even save their own people or bury them.

The Major is one of the best, if not the best, villains. He did what he did simply because he hated the protagonist, Alucard. He didn't like Alucard because he was a demon who stole humanity and played with them as if they were his masks. But that wasn't the point. He just wanted war and was happy to use this as an excuse. The fact that he knows humans create monsters and exploits this is amazing. His speech and actions place him in the same league as notorious historical figures. Honestly, I don't know why he is placed so low on this list. The character was amazingly executed.

Doflamingo is one of the most well-written characters in any anime I've seen. At first, he seems to be evil just for the sake of being evil, with his only goal being to destroy the world. However, after learning about his backstory, you start to understand where he is coming from. He had everything taken from him and was left with nothing but deep-seated hatred for everything.

Even so, he is never portrayed as anything other than pure evil. While the show wants to make you feel bad for him, it never justifies his actions. Another noteworthy aspect is the parallels he has with Law. Law also had everything taken from him and was left with nothing but hatred. Without Corazon's intervention, he would have essentially become Doflamingo 2.0. This makes you wonder if Doflamingo would have still become the monster he is today if he hadn't met Trebol. As much as I hate him as a person, he is a fascinating character that I hope to see more of, and that's why he's my favorite anime villain.

He is the most powerful one here. Using alchemy, he can disintegrate anyone and absorb energy, whether from a philosopher's stone or an energy attack. He turned the citizens of an entire country into stone. He planned to do the same again to enable him to absorb God.

He would have won if it weren't for his arrogance, thinking that he couldn't be killed. In the last fight, all he did was stand still and let the heroes attack him. If he had just created a bomb using alchemy and made it explode, or created a small sun and burned everyone before his power ran dry, he would have won.

Probably one of the biggest trolls in Bleach. I'm shocked at how he wasn't on this list. He even made Ichigo cry.

My name is Yoshikage Kira. I'm 33 years old. My house is in the northeast section of Morioh, where all the villas are, and I am not married. I work as an employee for the Kame Yu department stores and get home every day by 8 PM at the latest. I don't smoke, but I occasionally drink.

I'm in bed by 11 PM and make sure I get eight hours of sleep, no matter what. After having a glass of warm milk and doing about twenty minutes of stretches before going to bed, I usually have no problems sleeping until morning. Just like a baby, I wake up without any fatigue or stress in the morning. I was told there were no issues at my last check-up.

I'm trying to explain that I'm a person who wishes to live a very quiet life. I take care not to trouble myself with any enemies, like winning and losing, that would cause me to lose sleep at night. That is how I deal with society, and I know that is what brings me happiness. Although, if I were to fight, I wouldn't lose to anyone.

Out of the many complex and powerful villains found in the masterpiece that is Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Wrath/King Bradley is by far the best, in my opinion. You can feel the menace and fury emanating from him in every scene he is in. Combine this with very well-written dialogue and the fact that Wrath is one of the most powerful villains in the show, and you get one of the most brilliant antagonists in the anime world.

The Deathstroke of anime, he has no healing abilities like the other Homunculi but is easily the most skilled.

This guy is the definition of evil. He's been a villain since season one and is an underrated villain whom nobody suspected was manipulating events to his favor until the last episode.

He almost destroyed the world and even defeated the Egyptian God cards in their individual forms. He should rank at least above Marik!

Okay, he is my favorite villain. Even though it's sad when he dies, I still like him. He's my favorite villain of all time!

So epic. He should have ranked higher. Can you say hot and evil?

What we, as humans, fear is power. And not just the power of money, but power in general. Vicious embodies the human lust for power that we so crave. However, his ultimate goal is nothing less than the absolute control of the Red Dragon Syndicate. Anyone who even slightly obstructs his path is killed.

This is not an exaggeration. He has killed every single person who dared to stand up against him and has even sent some of his friends to their own deaths without a second thought. When he's not murdering people, he's abducting them to lure stronger adversaries to their deaths. Friends, enemies, innocent bystanders - it doesn't matter. In the end, you will die by his hand.

As far as antagonists go, Orochimaru was persistent, powerful, and so very typical. To him, you would be nothing but a pile of flesh. He showed no regard for any pain and killed women, men, and children alike. He is the only truly evil character in the series. His name was always uttered with both hatred and fear.

He is the anime version of Voldemort, complete with giant snakes. Orochimaru was creepy yet the most charming character in the series. He didn't walk. He staggered. He didn't speak. He teased. Everything about him was inhuman, almost immortal in a sense.

Orochimaru's main goal was to destroy the protagonist's home village. He killed the village leader, the Hokage, and took Sasuke away. He also kidnapped other characters and genetically modified them for his own taboo experiments. To him, everyone else was just a pawn in his plans.

He wasn't a genius like Light Yagami from Death Note, but he was one hell of a mad scientist with no moral grounding or real concern for any form of life. He was cold and heartless, craving only immortality and greater knowledge. I watched the series just to see him in action. Even when he perished, his evil, his name, and his essence remained. He is the perfect form of a villain, pure evil if one could define it.

He easily qualifies as a "villain protagonist." The empire, led by Charles V. Britannia, may be worse than him, but saying that is like saying, "Well, he isn't as bad as Hitler." Before acquiring Geass, he was just an angry youth who enjoyed defeating other nobles at chess, merely for the satisfaction of humiliating them.

He then becomes a terrorist, motivated not by justice, but by a desire for revenge against his father, a classic case of daddy issues. He shows no concern for collateral damage and willingly sacrifices allies, lying about it afterward, to further his own agenda. Remember the time he was supposed to save a fellow resistance leader and his crew aboard their ship? Instead, he blows up his own ally to eliminate the enemies sent for that very purpose. He then lies, claiming the man committed suicide to take the enemies with him, and encourages his comrades to take this opportunity to "avenge" their allies against the now-exposed enemy forces.

Lelouch has no notion of loyalty and uses everyone around him like a disposable pawn. At the end of season one, he even abandons his forces at a pivotal moment in battle to chase after his sister. Later in the series, he orders his squad to murder Geass-enhanced children rather than capturing or using them as he initially planned, simply because his personal feelings get in the way - a close friend was killed by another Geass user. His power also robs people of their free will. I've lost count of how many people he's used Geass on to force them to commit suicide. His body count of innocent bystanders alone is staggering.

So, how is he not a villain again?

I'm surprised he isn't higher up on the list, considering the amount of scheming, manipulating, and actual physical and mental harm he's done. What makes it crazier is that practically the whole world is tricked into believing he's some sort of godsend. He's a beautiful man whose interior is so foul that it both disgusts and amazes me. His character is intricately complex and well-crafted.

However much he's suffered, whatever his ideals, he is the sort that really cannot be left unchecked. His convictions and ideals are terrifying, coupled with the fact that this man literally gets things done. On a genocidal level and more, Griffith is evil. It would take far more than just a change of heart and hundreds of lifetimes' worth of goodwill to redeem him.

Madara planned things a hundred or so years in advance. He obtained the greatest power possible in the series and even died, manipulating others in death to bring him back to life.

He came back from the dead simply because he manipulated other people's lives to fail and serve him, as they no longer had any other purpose. He represents pure hatred, power, and ambition. He did all of this because his brother died at the hands of a rival clan member. He wanted the power to change the world and create peace in his own way, and he earned it.

He lived through a fight against the Eight Gates, which is said to surpass all Kage. He even fought five Kage just for fun and won. Aizen and Madara may not be comparable in strength, but they are certainly similar in ambition and power. If anything, Aizen failed to achieve his entire goal, whereas Madara didn't. He completed Tsukiyomi and was killed off by plot, simply because the author couldn't think of a logical way for the protagonists to beat him.

The way he lost contradicted what was previously stated in the series. If you lose all the Bijuu from your body, you would be paralyzed for a long time. The Sage of Six Paths was paralyzed, but Madara had to die because there was no other way to kill him. Aizen was beaten logically. If Madara isn't number one, he's definitely number two or three.

She easily ranks in the top ten and is a true villain. She isn't a villain shaped by some tragic event. She is evil for the fun of it. She desires chaos for its own sake. That is a true villain.

Most of the other villains on this list have some kind of tragic motivation for their actions.

I feel like she should be a little higher on this list. She turned her own child into a weapon, and she is far more evil in the manga.

Manipulative, with original and cool powers, she's very evil and hard to kill.

Kyubey should definitely be in the top 10. Not only is he emotionless and cute, but he's also an extremely intelligent manipulator who tricks people without lying.

He could have prevented the deaths of most of the main characters but allowed them to sacrifice themselves just so that the "universe gets more energy."

Kyubey manipulated countless girls for centuries. The ways they died were vicious: 1. Suicide 2. Murdered by witches 3. Killed by demons 4. Going crazy 5. Head getting ripped off 6. And more! He also said, "Are you mad?" as well as "I didn't lie. You just never asked."

He should be number one. He's a smart, evil villain, I've got to say. He's also immortal, so he won't die when they get mad at him.