The importance of a good villain organization cannot be overstated in any anime. While opposing the ideals of the heroes, they provide a much-needed change of pace through their evil and grotesque actions. They cause extreme damage wherever they go in a bid to hurt the protagonist. While making audiences hate them, they are also the main catalyst that triggers the development of the main characters as they make them re-evaluate their ideals and progressively get stronger. In this list, we shall be taking a look at the best and most evil villain organizations that decades’ worth of anime has offered us.
10. Big Mom Pirates – One Piece
While there are several villain groups in One Piece that are extremely entertaining and would be worth mentioning in this list, the Big Mom Pirates are undoubtedly the best of them. Led by the former emperor Charlotte Linlin better known as Big Mom, they control the nation of Totto Land while operating from Cake Island. With several extremely powerful pirates that have huge bounties while those like Katakuri and Big Mom with bounties in the billions, it is no wonder that they are so feared throughout the pirate world. Later they even teamed up with the beast pirates which increased their power monumentally. They are the main antagonists in the Whole Cake Island Saga of One Piece.
9. Twelve Kizuki – Demon Slayer
Also known as the Twelve Demon Moons, the Twelve Kizuki is a group of the 12 strongest and most fearsome demons in the anime who all work and serve under their master and demon king, Muzan Kibutsuji. Every one of them has a great amount of Muzan’s blood which contributes directly to their power. In addition to the strength they already possess, each of them can also use a variety of Blood Demon Arts and many supernatural abilities and techniques that only extremely loyal and powerful demons can use. Even among them, they’re divided into the upper and lower ranks with the Six Lower Moons being the weakest and the Six Upper Moons being the strongest. As the main antagonists of Demon Slayer, they are in a never-ending battle with the Hashiras where uncountable damage has been done to both sides.
8. Aogiri Tree – Tokyo Ghoul
While the Tokyo Ghoul anime is considered to be a disappointing adaptation when compared to the manga, it still has a lot of positive points, the biggest of which is the main villain organization, Aogiri Tree. Led by Eto Yoshimura, it is classified as a ghoul terrorist organization that is regularly at odds with the C.C.G. and inflicting casualties upon them. The group, however, was originally formed with the intention of making the world a better place for ghouls where they can live freely without being feared or oppressed. Eto later says that the main aim of Aogiri Tree is to eradicate the warped roots that lurk in the background, which tells us of a secret faction running things from behind the scenes. Aogiri Tree is an extremely powerful group with several S-Rank Ghouls as well as the One-Eyed King who is said to be their leader.
7. Team Rocket – Pokemon
As the main antagonist group of Pokemon, Team Rocket is feared by Pokemon and their Trainers throughout the world due to their exploitative nature where they steal and kidnap them for their own gain. In addition to being one of the best villain groups, they are also one of the most iconic with their members Jesse, James, and Meowth chasing after the protagonist, Ash, for the majority of the series. While their plans are often foiled and this might give us the impression that the organization as a whole is weak, it is the exact opposite. While being based in the Kanto and Johto regions and led by the evil and strong Giovanni, they are an extremely powerful and sinister group that has captured and even killed several strong Pokemon while working towards their goal of taking over the world.
6. The Alliance of Cursed Spirits – Jujutsu Kaisen
While there is no official name for the group, the Cursed Spirits in Jujutsu Kaisen which work together in order to cause chaos and create a better world for their kind without humans are one of the most wicked groups in anime while constantly raising the bar of how bad their wrongdoings can go. With many extremely powerful cursed spirits such as Kenjaku, Mahito, Jogo, Hanami, and many more special grade curses that control lower level spirits as well, the group was strong enough to even seal Gojo, the one believed to be the strongest sorcerer ever. With their actions during the Shibuya arc and the current Culling Games through which innumerable people have been killed, they have solidified their position as one of the best villain groups in anime.
5. League of Villains – My Hero Academia
Created by All For One and currently led by Tomura Shigaraki, the League of Villains is a Villain Organization that wishes to upend Hero Society due to its mistreatment and bias against the villains. As the main antagonist group in My Hero Academia, they are constantly getting in the way of the heroes while causing damage. Throughout the series, we see them grow from a small group of weak villains to a commendable organization that is able to stand toe-to-toe against powerful heroes. With several tragic yet strong members such as Dabi, Twice, Himiko, and Kurogiri and several Nomus while being led by the twisted minds of Tomura and AFO who are capable of defeating hundreds of heroes in a few moments, the League of Villains was able to stand the test of time while defeating competitors such as the Shie Hassaikai and even merge with the Meta Liberation Army Later which put their forces in the hundreds of thousands.
4. Espada – Bleach
The Espada are the main antagonists of the Bleach anime which consists of the most powerful and high-ranking Arrancars. Led by the devious and genius mind of Aizen, they were the most essential part of Aizen’s army while being the primary opponents of the Gotei 13 during the war. This tells us about their supreme power as they were capable of taking on the captains of Soul Society and even tackling their Bankai. There are a total of 10 members in the group with the numbers 0-9 tattooed on their bodies in terms of their strength. Each of them commands their own forces and is evil in their own way. Aizen was the only reason they were able to work together despite their selfish natures.
3. Homunculi – Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
As the main faction of antagonists in the Fullmetal Alchemist franchise, the Homunculi are mysterious and artificially created beings made by a person they call Father. Named after the Seven Deadly Sins, their behavior and actions implicate that their personalities are also frighteningly close to their names. All of them are extremely powerful while having a malicious attitude toward humanity which causes a lot of violence wherever they go. Despite being created by Father, they all have their own motivations and unique personalities which is what makes them great characters in addition to being an amazing villain organization.
2. Phantom Troupe – Hunter x Hunter
Hunter x Hunter has no shortage of amazing villains, going from the eccentric Hisoka to the powerful Meruem. Even among these, the Phantom Troupe is able to distinguish itself as a group of extremely strong and memorable individuals who commit evil deeds. Despite only being the main antagonists for the relatively short Yorknew City Arc, they were able to win audiences over with their uniquely written characters and creative powers. With their leader, Chrollo Lucifer, there are a total of 13 members in the Phantom Troupe. Since most of the members originate from the same place, Meteor City, they have one of the best dynamics among anime groups despite being villains engaged in murder and thievery. All of the members are some of the strongest Nen Users in the anime who unite and work together equally under Chrollo’s instructions.
1. Akatsuki – Naruto
The greatest and most well-known villain organization in anime is without a doubt the Akatsuki. Formed by Yahiko during the third ninja war, the original goal of the group was to strive towards bringing an end to the violence and working towards world peace. However, through several tragedies, the group took a darker turn where they shifted to a more violent approach through which they would acquire all the tailed beasts and wage war against the world. As the main antagonist group in Naruto which existed outside the system of hidden villages, it was an extremely powerful group with several members who were feared far and wide such as Itachi, Obito, Pain, Orochimaru, and many more. With unique relationships between the members of the groups and the impact they have on the world of Naruto, we believe that they have earned their spot at the top of this list.
