Summary
When it comes to media like animethat hasa flair for impressive aesthetics and compelling storytelling, villains grab as much attention as heroes. After all, themost ruthless and evil anime villainsmotivate protagonists to become better versions of themselves. While they almost always fail in their grand designs, some are ruthless enough to earn a spot among the most horrifying characters in their respective franchises or anime as a whole.
Fans looking for anime stories with ruthless villains might find it difficult to sift through all the options to find their “perfect” fit. With their brutality, mercilessness, and twisted philosophies, which villains end up becoming perfect fits for the “ruthless” description?
Updated on Jun 14, 2025 by Rhenn Taguiam:With the likes of Yhwach and All For One serving as anime’s biggest bads during the release of their respective anime’s recent seasons, fans might be intrigued to know whether other villains have also tried replicating their “Grand Design.” However, more well-versed anime fans may remember that some villains in anime aren’t always relatable individuals with touching backstories and morally-grey objectives. In fact, some villains in anime tend to be some of the most ruthless viewers might encounter, such as a shut-down MMORPG’s most powerful sorcerer with a sociopathic streak and a protagonist-turned-villain obsessed for revenge.
Role in the Story
Status
Alive
When Suzuki Satoru,once known by his IGN Momonga, had come to learn that his favorite VR game “YGGDRASIL” will have to shut down, he decided to wait until the servers actually close. Unfortunately for him, this moment would never come - to the point where not only can Momonga not leave the game at all, but even the NPCs around him had begun developing their own personalities. Realizing how he can technically just start a new life in this world, he renamed himself asAinz Ooal Gownand, as the eponymousOverlord, decided to pursue a life of power in this new reality.
At first, Ainz Ooal Gown created a guild of his own name to stop the discrimination against heteromorphic races, whose appearances had led people to be scared of them. After gaining some infamy, Ainz - as the knight Momon - decided to create an adventuring group called Darkness in the hopes of becoming popular enough to “turn over” Momon’s popularity over to his Overlord persona. One misadventure after another, and Ainz suddenly became the Sorcerer King of the Sorcerer Kingdom, and is now attempting to turn it into a utopia for all races - at all costs. Despite the rather “straightforward” adventures and the progression of his relationships with allies, cracks in Ainz’s personality reveals just how much he’s willing to do anything in pursuit of his goals.
Claim To Infamy: A Traditional Villain, Whose Ends Are Not Justified By The Means
Many fans of theOverlordseries would describe Ainz as a traditionally villain, especially from the perspective of only being loyal to those loyal to him and willing to pursue a goal by any means necessarily. While some might argue that Ainz had some semblance of “good” intentions by eventually wanting to make a utopia for everyone, his approach that often involves the blatant disregard of everything else not concerning his goals or the safety of his nation and his allies might be considered sociopathic. Ainz showing the intent to wipe out the Lizardmen, an indifference towards torture, and even disregard for human life make him one of the most terrifying villains to ever grace anime.
Episode 1
Powerset
Healing Magic, Skill Acquisition (Imitation Heal), EXP Acquisition (Looting Heal), Time Travel
Anyone who’s watched and readRedo of Healerwill understand how conflicting the nature ofKeyaruhad eventually become. Although blessed with the hero’s insignia and possessing a burning desire to save the world as part of the Jioral Empire, his nature as a healer had somehow led to the constant and immense abuse at the hands of his allies. Although battered and broken, the discovery of thePhilosopher’s Stone had allowed Keyaru to travel in the distant pastwhile retaining his memories.
Now armed with this new knowledge, Keyaru - now Keyaruga - hopes to not just change his future but exact revenge on everything who’s harmed him. Throughout the story, it’s evident that Keyaru’s journey isn’t just a typical revenge drama where his conscience suddenly stops him from “stooping to his enemy’s level,” as Keyaru’s quest for vindication takes him to depths not a lot of protagonists dare venture. Although portrayed to have a “soft spot,” Keyaru’s vindictive nature and access to a plethora of insanely OP abilities meant the fates of people who abused him were quite literally in his hands, and he’s not about to miss an opportunity to cherish every moment he has to inflicting as much pain onto them as possible.
Claim To Infamy: The Depths Of Vengeance Run Deep
To say that Keyaru exacted revenge on people who hurt him is an understatement. While the saying says to dig two graves when pursuing a vengeful path, Keyaru made it evident he was willing to dig as many graves as necessary to fulfill his goals. One testament to the newfound depths of his trauma-induced psychopathy was what he’d done to his former abuser Flare, who once treated him lower than dirt as he simply “has to heal them.” In his new encounter with Flare, not only did Keyaru takes her powers, but he even leaves her vulnerable (understatement), erases her memories, alters her appearance, and transforms her into a slave of his physical whims.
Cyborg Physiology, Superhuman Strength and Durability, Telekinesis, Technopathy, Flight, Self-Destructive Bomb
Deceased
When a UFOaccidentally kills cancer patient Ichiro Inuyashiki and student Hiro Shishigami, the two become bound by fate - the benevolent aliens aboard the spacecraft resurrected them through their special technology and, with no prior knowledge of what humans were truly composed of, instead provided them with advanced cybernetics. While the events ofInuyashiki: Last Herosaw Ichiro happy with his newfound life as a cancer-free dad, Hiro’s discovery of his new nature inspired him to go on a rampage.
Much of the events inInuyashikiinvolve Ichiro trying to stop Hiro’s violent streak, with the youth casually wreaking havoc simply because he can and no one else can essentially stop him. It’s only when an asteroid is seen on a collision course with Earth that Hiro gets a last-minute change of heart and uses his self-destruct bomb to destroy the asteroid in a bid to protect the lives Ichiro held dear. While this act wasn’t enough and Ichiro had to make his own sacrifice to destroy the bomb completely, Hiro managed to attempt to live to his namesake.
Claim To Infamy: A Penchant For Mass Murder
Despite Hiro’s attempt at reformation at the very end of the series, Hiro is characterized as having a penchant for casual murder. Having acquired cybernetics at a time in his life when he’s barely matured, even the slightest irritation can cause Hiro to kill people. Throughout the series, Hiro is seen killing his bullies and even committing home invasion mass murders. Hiro also used his control over cybernetics to kill internet trolls who mocked his mother’s death, and decimated law enforcement officers who attempted to capture him. While Hiro is depicted at times as having a shred of humanity left with him, his actions have forced him into a place where he can no longer return.
Started the propagation of Titans
Originally introduced as the leader of a small tribe known as the Eldians,King FritzofAttack on Titanwas already a conqueror. In his early adult years, King Fritz is seen attacking a village that held Ymir, who he ordered be hunted for sport when she set a pig loose. After discovering that Ymir had obtainedthe Power of the Titans, King Fritz pardoned her and forced her to become a slave. It’s thanks to her newfound abilities that King Fritz managed to create a powerful nation amid the wastelands, and it’s her presence that fueled his desire for power.
On top of building structures for his kingdom, King Fritz often commanded Ymir to lay waste against the Marleyans in his pursuit of power. While King Fritz died a natural death, his corrupting influence transformed his family into the Subjects of Ymir, imbuing them with the Power of the Titans that largely transformed them into the threats they are known today.
Claim To Infamy: An Endless Pursuit Of Power
What perhaps made King Fritz rather horrifying was his endless pursuit of power despite being an ordinary human. Such was his desire for world conquest that he forced Ymir to bear his children. When Ymir saved King Fritz from assassination, he felt no pity for his concubine and instead ordered her to get up. Upon realizing that Ymir had died from the attack, he forcibly made his children cannibalize their mother. Such was King Fritz’s pursuit of power that he commanded his daughters to have their spines eaten by their children upon their death, and for this cycle to continue to keep on passing the Power of the Titans. In the mind of King Fritz, even his descendants are his property - their ruling the world after his death is still his victory.
There are rare instances of an anime giving viewers a villain that even the protagonist might never seem to defeat, and this is the role ofSatoinAjin: Demi-Human. Born Samuel T. Owen, Sato was a former Marine drafted into the spec-ops unit “Team” that was deployed in the Vietnam War. After a mission gone awry leads him to become dishonorably discharged, he spent most of his time playing arcade games before his recruitment into the criminal underworld by his uncle. When circumstances lead to his eventual execution, Sato is surprised to learn he is actually an Ajin and effectively an immortal.
Sato becomesa constant presence inAjin: Demi-Human, particularly for his sheer brutality and delight in killing. Discovered to have sociopathic tendencies at an early age, Sato takes delight in killing others simply for the sake of it - transforming him into easilyAjin’s most dangerous character.
Claim To Infamy: A Sociopath Who Lives For The Thrill
Sato being a sociopath makes him the worst person to awaken as an Ajin. Unlike other killers who prefer doing their work swiftly and efficiently, Sato relishes in the act - he wants to wreak as much havoc as possible, and he wants to subject himself to as much danger as possible to experience the highest thrills. This already makes him an extremely dangerous threat, as Ajins are also able to summon more of their infamous Black Ghosts whenever they experience a heightened sense of emotion. Sato looking at his carnage as a mere arcade game transforms him into a horrifically ruthless villain - one whose immortality via being an Ajin practically makes him unstoppable.
Almost all series within theGundamfranchise since the originalMobile Suit Gundamhave had a “Char Archetype,” a roleRau Le Creusettakes as the lead antagonist ofGundam SEED. It’s already implied that he has some connection with Earth Federation’s Mu La Flaga, as their interactions are often preceded by harsh headaches. As the superior officer of Athrun Zala, Rau has proven numerous times his capability as a strategist. He is often found steps ahead of the Archangel’s crew, predicting where they might go and how to best engage them.
Rau is even more brutal as a Mobile Suit pilot, as his spatial awareness allows him to predict his opponent’s moves and even force them to reveal their hand through feints. Unlike other pilots in the series, Rau has shown capabilities of adapting to various suits and even managed to overwhelm a SEED-enhanced Kira Yamato and his Freedom Gundam during their fight.
Claim To Infamy: Became A Genocidal Villain
As a Char Archetype, Rau is presented as a charismatic individual who’s always calm and reasonable even when facing his opponents. However, he becomes akin to the level of other ruthless anime villains when confronted in the final episodes of the series. It’s revealed that Rau is a mere clone of Al Da Flaga, a wealthy politician who believed his son Mu was “nothing” after being “polluted” by the DNA of his mother. Being a clone crippled the psyche of Rau, leading him to install himself as mankind’s executioner. Seeing humanity as a mere “world of endless desires,” Rau wanted to use the world’s nuclear arsenal to eliminate all humans - Naturals and Coordinators, alike - including himself.
Dead
Fans ofYu Yu Hakushoremember the arrogant yet noble Yusuke Urameshi and his signature Spirit Gun, while those with an eye for villains will rememberShinobu Sensui. Koenma’s spirit detectiveprior to Yusuke, Shinobu quit his job and went into hiding before resurfacing with a plot to destroy the world. This was tragic, considering Shinobu had a strong spiritual perception. To him, humans are purer than demons, and it’s his job to exterminate demons to stop them from threatening humans.
However, Shinobu witnessed an event where humans lavishly tortured demons for his amusement. With his moral compass broken, Shinobu unconsciously developed multiple personalities to salvage what was left of his mental state. With demons being vermin and humans being unworthy of saving in his eyes, Shinobu will stop at nothing to see the two species wipe each other out.
Claim To Infamy: The Feast Of Human Vices
Instead of having an act that cemented his ruthlessness, Shinobu Sensui had an instance that pushed him past the brink of sanity. The character’s initial black-and-white thought of demons being evil and humans being good allowed him to kill demons with sheer mercilessness, seeing humans relish in the torture of demons in the ritualistic Feast of Human Vices turned Sensui’s life upside down. Unable to comprehend the reality that humans may be just as monstrous as demons, Sensui killed everyone present in the ritual and blamed it on Kazuya, one of the many personalities he developed to cope with his broken mentality. Disillusioned by humanity, Sensui’s pursuit of breaking the Kekkai Barrier to unleash demonic havoc on Earth felt like a punishment he had to dole out to the evil people he was mistakenly protecting.
As most demons fought by the Demon Slayer Corps ofDemon Slayertend to be aggressive and disorganized, it came as quite a surprise when their leader turned out to be the rather fashionable and calculatingMuzan Kibutsuji. Throughout the series, this Demon King was revealed to be not onlythe leader of the Demon Slayer Corps’ sworn enemies, but he was also their very creator.
When his mission to cure his sickness transformed him into a powerful and immortal demon, Muzan set his sights on “true” immortality by conquering his weakness towards sunlight. This obsession with his goals reflected outward into everything around him, with the villain never settling for anything less. As such, Muzan is known to be extremely flamboyant with a penchant for perfection, whose ego and megalomania will have him kill anyone who dares even turn an eye on him in the wrong way.
Claim To Infamy: Kills On A Whim
It’s not within Muzan’s incredible control over bodily matter and his extraordinary strength as a demon where his ruthlessness lies. Rather, it’s how his manipulative and cunning persona hides a sickeningly cowardly person. While Muzan can easily kill anyone on a whim, the Demon King avoids direct conflict with powerful foes - even in his final conflict with the Demon Slayers. This quality makes his scheming especially more annoying, as much of the pain suffered by characters in the series is due to Muzan’s machinations. Muzan turned Tamayo into a demon outside her knowledge, making her kill her family. He was also aware of the Kamado family’s connection with the Sun Breathing Style, thus making it his business to kill them.
Death Note can kill anyone whose name is written on its pages
Role In The Story
Protagonist, Antagonist, Wants to Kill All Criminals to make a Perfect World
WhenLight Yagamireceives the Death Note, he soon realizes that writing anyone’s name in it will kill that person. ThusbeginsDeath Noteand Light’s quest to kill criminals himself, ushering in the birth of a perfect and lawless world as Kira. However, Light’s journey toward godhood is continuously hindered by the authorities, particularly L, who proves to be his nemesis. Soon enough, Light will stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
Despite Light being the “protagonist” ofDeath Note, he’s truly its main villain. To Light, being Kira and using the Death Note to kill criminals has become a daily routine. He manipulates his way into the favor of others to transform them into his allies or disciples and then discards them when they’re of no use.
Claim To Infamy: The Thought Of Killing Sayu
When unsavory forces kidnap Light’s sister Sayu to force their father, Kira Task Force leader Soichiro Yagami, to hand over the Death Note, the series protagonist finds himself in an alliance with L’s successor Near. Unfortunately for theDeath Noteprotagonist, Near tells him his rival and fellow protege, Mello, may have been responsible. Concerned about the lies he has to keep up with the Death Note’s rules, Light considers killing Sayu to ensure Mello doesn’t get his hands on the Death Note. While he doesn’t push through with it, just the thought that he would be willing to sacrifice his family for his goals makes him all the more heartless.
Active
Fans ofHunter X Huntermight be amused at the idea of the world hiring Hunters to conduct a wide variety of tasks, with the likes ofHisoka Morowexisting far beyond the reach of the regular professional. Practically a criminal and a fugitive, Hisoka exists only to find the strongest fighters to do battle for his amusement. It doesn’t help that his Transmutation Nen is perfectly suited for combat, withHisoka using his signature Bungee Gumto create sheets, strings, and constructs that have the elasticity of rubber and durability to even catch and ricochet projectiles back to attackers on top of his absurdly strong physique.
Such is the inherent selfishness of Hisoka that he only pursues his objectives for combat and pleasure. He will willingly switch sides and betray his allies if it means being amused. Moreover, his cunning and manipulative side allows Hisoka to pit factions against each other with nary a care in the world. Had it not been for protagonist Gon’s potential as a Hunter, Hisoka would have already killed him at the beginning of the series.
Claim To Infamy: What It Takes To Get A Good Fight
Hisoka’s acts of indiscriminate murder had become somewhat of a “trademark” in theHunter X Hunteranime, especially to satiate his obsession for a good fight. Much of this is seen in his fascination with Chrollo Lucifer, the leader of the Phantom Troupe. On top of selling out the Phantom Troupe to protagonist Kurapika just to fight Chrollo, Hisoka refused to fight the then-powerless leader. Sometime later in Heaven’s Arena, Chrollo finally meets Hisoka in combat, only for the both of them to start using the audience themselves as weapons for slaughter. When Chrollo kills him, Hisoka eventually rises from the dead and decided to cripple Chrollo’s power by starting to kill all members of the Phantom Troupe.
