The main characters in anime are one of the most crucial factors that can either make or break a series. With their unique personalities and development, many have gone on to become very influential in the lives of fans while heavily enhancing the story. Among these, an evil main character who can be classified as a villain is one of the most beloved. Watching a change in perspective as we watch the protagonist commit heinous acts provides a different level of satisfaction for fans to indulge in. In this article, we will be ranking some of the best main characters who are also villains in anime.
10. 91 Days
91 Days is an original anime which is unlike any other out there. It gives us a peek into the mafia world through the eyes of its protagonist. As a young boy, Angelo witnesses the brutal killing of his family at the hands of an enemy gang. After going into hiding, he returns later and infiltrates the gang by befriending the Don’s son. As they spend time together, the two of them form a friendship.
However, with revenge on the back of his mind, Angelo will need to choose between his new life and the ghosts of his past. The series takes us on a Godfather-esque journey filled with crime, drama and shocking violence and is an underrated masterpiece that everyone needs to experience.
9. Overlord
Overlord is an extremely popular Isekai series that follows a man who gets stuck in a game as his character named Momonga. With the several faithful servants and powers he gained in his time playing the game, he works on adjusting to this new magical world while being a terrifying villain with a horrifying appearance which is feared by everyone. As he explores this world, he runs into several enemies who are left constantly in shock by his prowess in magic.
The series has impressive animation and a protagonist who does not hold back against anyone and is even more brutal than several villains. For fans of fantasy who enjoy a memorable cast and explosive fights, Overlord is an absolute delight to experience.
8. Saga of Tanya the Evil
Right from the name, one can tell that Saga of Tanya the Evil is not your standard anime. It introduces us to its main character who has incurred the wrath of God and is thrown into the midst of a War as a little girl.
However, determined to make the person who put him in that place pay, the girl, Tanya, uses her ingenious tactics and fighting capability to rise through the ranks. Known for her brutality, she is feared by both allies and foes as she relentlessly fights to destroy her enemies. The story is absolutely amazing to watch with a main character who no one expects to be a villain. It is filled with hype scenes and has a fan base which is constantly growing.
7. Terror in Resonance
Terror in Resonance is an exhilarating series with extremely clever dialogues and genius protagonists. The MAPPA original anime introduces us to two kids known as Nine and Twelve who are hell-bent on upturning the world and its governments through their acts of terror. They do this with the hopes of unmasking several secrets being hidden from the public as well as shedding light on their own sad upbringing.
Watching this cat-and-mouse chase between the police who hope to catch them and the main characters who stay a step ahead is one which no fan can miss out on. It is one of the finest psychological series to ever be made which maintains its quality from start to end while building up and executing its mystery elements in a deeply satisfactory manner.
6. Akudama Drive
Not many people would be aware of Akudama Drive but that does not attest to how completely exciting the series is. The main characters of the series consist of various criminals who come together and are assigned different tasks by a mysterious person behind the scenes. With each of them having distinctive personalities which often clash, the anime is a chaotic mess which engrosses the viewer.
It consists of fluid animation and a very enticing environment which leads to its thrilling action sequences that keeps us on the edge of our seats. For anyone who wants a no-nonsense gory action series which is compact yet manages to deliver a punch, Akudama Drive is worth giving a shot.
5. Redo of Healer
Redo of Healer is an anime which made waves when it released for its deeply controversial story and protagonist. It follows a man named Keyaru who is tortured repeatedly after being betrayed by people he considered to be friends. However, one day he manages to escape and rewinds time to before his capture. With his healing powers and knowledge, Keyaru decides to take advantage of the cards he held and inflict double the pain back on his captors.
We watch this with a sense of guilty pleasure while Keyaru keeps adding beautiful girls to his harem and causing destruction to all those he deemed as his enemies. While the anime is heavy on ecchi and is definitely not for everyone, it is still worth watching at least once.
4. Darker Than Black
Darker Than Black is a thrilling series which takes place in a world with supernatural entities known as gates. These gates provide humans with powerful abilities in exchange for their humanity. We are mainly told the story of the main character, Hei, who is both mysterious and strong.
While carrying out various tasks, he runs into a plot which could threaten the very existence of these people with super powers. Darker Than Black is a series with intense action and unique animation while holding nothing back when it comes to violence.
3. Code Geass
There are a few animes which people around the world, regardless of if they watch anime or not, have heard about. Code geass is one of these rare shows which is both grand and bold while having one of the best main characters ever.
It introduces us to an ordinary student named Lelouch who gains the power to control people with the help of a Geass. Using his superior intellect, he makes use of the power to expose the corrupt system while challenging the greatest empire the world had seen. Code Geass is a series which only gets better with time and has a main character who is willing to do whatever it takes for victory.
2. Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan is a phenomenon which has taken over the world with its exhilarating and mind-bending story. The story revolves around Eren, a young boy who loses his mother at the hands of huge monsters called Titans. Vowing to get revenge, he works towards joining an attack force dedicated to this task. However, he soon finds out that things are much deeper than they seem on the outside and eventually even becomes a villain who has made the entire world his enemy. His development from a hot-headed child to a twisted man who seeks to destroy humanity is chilling yet amazing to experience. Due to this, Attack on Titan has earned its reputation for being not just one of the best animes but one of the best shows ever.
1. Death Note
Not many people fit the criteria of an evil main character as well as Light Yagami from Death Note. As a quick-thinking young man, he gets his hands on a notebook which allows him to kill anyone whose name he writes down. Using this, he hands out his own distorted version of justice where he is judge, jury and executioner.
With world governments fearing his existence, they hire a genius detective named L to identify and bring him down. We watch as the two of them have an epic battle of wits with unimaginable twists and turns. With its gripping story, there are very few animes more exhilarating than Death Note.
