Top 10 Most Evil Anime Characters

There's evil, and then there's anime evil. The kind of twisted, calculated, sometimes disturbingly charming evil that makes you question your own morals for even enjoying the story. These characters don't just break the rules. They incinerate them, laugh about it, and then blame someone else. They betray family, manipulate minds, experiment on the innocent, and sometimes wipe out entire populations just to prove a point.

You've seen them. You've hated them. Maybe, in some unsettling corner of your soul, you admired how far they'd go. That's what this list is for. The worst of the worst. The ones whose presence turned the plot from "interesting" to "I need therapy after this." Some hide behind a smile. Others go full maniac from the start. But all of them are here because anime fans like you agreed. These are not your average villains.

So cast your vote. Think about who truly deserves to be called the most evil.

The Top Ten

Light Yagami (Death Note)

Light Yagami is a fictional character and the protagonist of the manga series Death Note, created by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata.e is a high school student who gains the power to kill anyone by writing their name in a supernatural notebook. The story follows his transformation from... read more

Is it wrong that I wanted him to win? I agree the only way to rid the world of evil is to kill everyone who is evil. If one person absorbs all the evil for the betterment of humanity, then fine. Most of the people he killed deserved it anyway. He had good ideals and was coming from the right place.
To me, it's the "kill all that get in my way" attitude that makes him evil. But at the same time, wouldn't you have to kill all in your way? What's a few lives compared to a bright future for humanity? Change can't come without sacrifice. Sorry, I'm a dark thinker. I'll be thinking about this for a while.
I love how he was the stereotypical "perfect boy" before he found the Death Note. If only he hadn't picked it up off the ground, his entire fate would have been different. He had strong, great ideals. He was just given an opportunity that he shouldn't have taken if he wanted to be considered a hero. It just proves that one choice can change your entire life. Anyone can take a wrong turn, anyone can fall to corruption. But maybe he was just meant to be this kind of person. Maybe he was rotten to the core all along.
There's a theory that when you throw a rock into the river, the current will change temporarily, but eventually, the current will correct itself and continue moving the way it had been before. The theory is that time is the same way.
Frieza (Dragon Ball Z)

Frieza is a fictional character in the Dragon Ball series created by Akira Toriyama. He is the main antagonist of the Frieza Saga and is known as a tyrannical ruler of the Planet Trade Organization.
Feared across the universe for his power and cruelty, Frieza plays a major role in the series'... read more

Frieza will do anything, even betray his own teammates or allies, to get what he wants. In one of the episodes in Dragon Ball Super, leading up to the Tournament of Power arc, Frieza was communicating with a god of destruction from another universe. This god wanted him to join his universe at the cost of everyone's life in Frieza's universe.
When asked if Frieza had any loved ones he would like to save by bringing them to Universe 9, Frieza said he had no loved ones whatsoever and didn't even mind his own universe getting obliterated. This shows that Frieza will go to any extent if the end result favors him. In layman's terms, he is a psychopath.
Shou Tucker (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Shou Tucker is a fictional character from the Fullmetal Alchemist manga series and its anime adaptations, created by Hiromu Arakawa. He is known as the Sewing-Life Alchemist and plays a pivotal role in one of the series' most tragic storylines. Tucker's actions involve unethical experiments with human-animal... read more

It was hard choosing between him and Envy, but I had to go with Shou Tucker. I mean, *SPOILER ALERT*
Envy killed Maes Hughes, my favorite character besides Edward, Alphonse, and Winry, but Shou combined his daughter and dog just for an entrance exam! Envy actually had reasons for doing what he did. He had places he needed to go, and Envy was under the influence of Father, so it wasn't like he had too much of a choice. He was born to think that way, and I think Envy was an amazing antagonist who added depth and meaning to the story.
Now, if I had automatically seen Kimblee on here, he would've probably gotten my vote. But for now, I'm voting Tucker.
Johan Liebert (Monster)

Johan Liebert is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Monster, created by Naoki Urasawa. He is the twin brother of Nina Fortner, formerly known as Anna Liebert, and serves as the story's main antagonist. Johan is highly intelligent and manipulative, using his charm to control and influence... read more

The fact about him is that he's not some "fantasy" villain with great powers that can destroy worlds. Evil is about the things you do and what you are, not about badass powers. Johan is a thinker. What he does, he does with thorough thinking. He has goals and a profound background that explain why he's like that and why he does such frightful things.
He manipulated people to commit suicide, killed people himself, and ordered criminals by understanding them. He's not some villain that destroys worlds. He is the villain that could be your neighbor, smiling at you each day while thinking if he should kill you or not in his schemes. You could be his friend, playing into his hands, totally unaware of his true nature before it's too late.
Dio Brando (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)

Dio Brando is a fictional character from the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga series created by Hirohiko Araki. His name was inspired by musician Ronnie James Dio and actor Marlon Brando. Dio is a prominent antagonist in the series, known for his vampiric powers and central role in several major story... read more

What else can you say about a guy who stuffed a dog into a furnace so it would slowly burn to death, all to piss off his adopted brother?

I can think of few villains who have forced a woman to eat her own baby.

Promised a woman he wouldn't touch her child after she sacrificed herself to save the kid. He then turned the mother into a vampire who, in turn, ate her child.
Envy (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Envy killed a child that started a war and extinguished a whole race of people, keeping their souls in his natural form in constant torment.
Yeah, Shou Tucker turned his daughter into a chimera, but to look at a smiling child and put a cap between their eyes is far worse! Envy knew the outcome when Tucker had no clue about the results.

Not many child killers on the list, and Envy not only tossed one to the bone yard, but he also destroyed the city (more children) and kept the lives inside him in constant pain!
No other villain tortures children. Envy laughs about it when they cry to get out of his body!
Kurome (Akame ga Kill!)

Kurome is number one on this list in my book. She's nothing but a freak who is a twisted psycho, drugged or not.

What's so great about this excuse of a human being? Oh wait, she's not human. She's a demon in human skin!

No matter what people say about her, Kurome is evil enough to be despised!
Marshall D. Teach (One Piece)

Marshall D. Teach, also known as Blackbeard, is a fictional pirate in the anime and manga series One Piece, created by Eiichiro Oda. He is inspired by the real-life pirate Edward Teach, who was also called Blackbeard.
In the series, he is notable for possessing the powers of two Devil Fruits.... read more
Sosuke Aizen (Bleach)

Sosuke Aizen is a fictional character in the Bleach manga series and its adaptations, created by Tite Kubo. He is a former captain of the 5th Division in the Gotei 13 and serves as one of the series' primary antagonists. Aizen is known for his intelligence, manipulation, and powerful abilities.

Coolest, sexiest, smartest, most ruthless, badass villain of all time.

Aizen is without a doubt one of the most evil and dangerous villains in all of anime history.
In the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, they described him as the "personification of evil."
Griffith (Berserk)

Griffith is a central character in the dark fantasy manga and anime series Berserk, created by Kentaro Miura. He's the charismatic and enigmatic leader of the mercenary band known as the Band of the Hawk. Griffith is characterized by his near-supernatural prowess in battle, his ambitious nature, and... read more

Once the proud leader of the Band of the Hawk, Griffith is a narcissistic, charismatic, and ambitious villain. He is very compelling mainly because he starts out as a good guy and then does something truly horrific that changes Berserk completely. He is the perfect example of a tragic fallen angel villain. One of the best manga/anime villains of all time.

Leveled dex. Sure, murdering your friends and raping your best friend's fiancée is bad and all, but both of those were done out of perceived necessity in his insane mind. Leveling dex is unforgivable.

The Newcomers

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Cioccolata (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
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Baron Kelvin (Black Butler)

The Contenders

The Major (Hellsing)

Some villains want to kill out of revenge.
Some want to rule the world.
Some want to prove a point.
The Major is none of these things. He has no end goal. Everything he's done is because he loves every aspect of war. He also NEVER STOPS SMILING. Watching London burn to the ground, he's happy. Watching his own allies die painfully, he's happy.
If you want to know why he's truly the most evil villain in anime, listen to his "I love war" speech.
Annie Leonhart (Attack on Titan)

Annie Leonhart is a fictional character in the manga and anime series Attack on Titan, also known as Shingeki no Kyojin in Japanese. She was created by Hajime Isayama. Annie is known for her stoic demeanor, her formidable combat skills, and her transformation into the Female Titan.
Orochimaru (Naruto)

Orochimaru is a fictional character from the Naruto universe created by Masashi Kishimoto. He is known as one of the series' most powerful and dangerous antagonists, obsessed with gaining immortality and mastering forbidden jutsu. The Naruto franchise includes manga, anime, soundtracks, OVAs, movies... read more

He is truly psychotic. He experiments on babies, kids, and all other human beings. He does it to become immortal and to have ultimate power. Even after death, he plans on coming back because he is selfish. He killed his own sensei and tried to destroy his own birth village. He's a legit snake, like literally. There is not a single person in the world he wouldn't kill for his benefit. He is a monster, a psychotic killing machine.

He kills children for the sake of immortality. I've made my point, haven't I?
Dr. Gero (Dragon Ball Z)
Father (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)

Okay, this is an obvious decision. Father created seven (not including GreedLing) homunculi by killing thousands, even millions of people! Not to mention he wiped out the entire city of Xerxes in one night! If you thought Hohenheim was evil, think again.
Sasuke Uchiha (Naruto)

Sasuke Uchiha is a fictional character from the manga and anime series Naruto, created by Masashi Kishimoto. He is a member of the Uchiha clan and one of the main characters in the series. Sasuke is portrayed as Naruto Uzumaki's rival and follows a complex path throughout the storyline.
Arlong (One Piece)

Saw-Tooth Arlong is a sawshark fishman. He was the pirate captain of the all-fishman crew, the Arlong Pirates, and formerly a member of the Sun Pirates. He is best known as the main villain in the Arlong Arc of One Piece and held the highest bounty in the East Blue before being defeated by Monkey... read more

He's a rat. He made a promise to Nami that he would set her and Cocoyasi Village free if she paid him the money he wanted, and used the navy to break his promise. That's about as evil as they get.
Hidan (Naruto)

Hidan is a fictional character from Naruto, a series created by Masashi Kishimoto. He is an S-rank missing-nin from Yugakure and a member of the criminal organization Akatsuki, where he is partnered with Kakuzu. Hidan is known for his immortality and his devotion to the cult-like Jashin religion, which... read more

He and Kakuzu feel like the only Akatsuki members that are truly evil. He was literally laughing at Asuma's death.
Nobuyuki Sugou (Sword Art Online)

Sugou Nobuyuki is a fictional character who appears in the Sword Art Online series of light novels by Reki Kawahara. He is the main antagonist of the Fairy Dance arc. Sugou is known for his role as the chief developer of ALfheim Online and his unethical experiments on virtual reality technology.
Donquixote Doflamingo (One Piece)

Donquixote Doflamingo is a fictional character in the One Piece manga created by Eiichiro Oda. He is the captain of the Donquixote Pirates and a former member of the Shichibukai, a group of powerful pirates allied with the World Government. He also held a frozen bounty of 340,000,000 Beli, operated as... read more

It's Doflamingo. Need I say more?
Nui Harime (Kill la Kill)

BITCH...
This girl. This girl.
Oh wait... she's not a girl. She's some life fiber alien.
Anyways, THIS character is one of the most insanely psycho characters I've ever seen in any show ever.
She's literally unforgettable. Just so in-your-face with her cutesy murderer getup. To be honest, I have a love/hate relationship with her because while she's so messed up and annoying, I've never seen a more impactful villain. She makes you passionately hate her every time she comes on screen. Damn, she's scary. And unkillable too. KLK has the best cast of characters I've ever seen.
Naraku (Inuyasha)

Naraku. He was my favorite evil character.
Seryu Ubiquitous (Akame ga Kill!)
Ragyo Kiryuin (Kill la Kill)

Ragyo Kiryuin is a fictional character in the anime television series Kill la Kill, produced by Studio Trigger. She is the mother of Satsuki Kiryuin and the main antagonist of the series. Ragyo seeks to use the power of Life Fibers to control humanity, positioning her as a major threat to the protagonists... read more
Cell (Dragon Ball Z)

Cell is a fictional character in the Dragon Ball series created by Akira Toriyama. He is the main antagonist of the Android Saga and is portrayed as an artificial life form from the future. His goal is to achieve a "perfect" form by absorbing Androids 17 and 18, which he accomplishes in the series before... read more