Most Ruthless Anime Villains

Key Takeaways

• Anime villains motivate heroes to become better in their ruthless ways.
• Some anime villains, like Ainz Ooal Gown and Keyaru, are sociopaths with twisted intentions.
• Characters like Hiro Shishigami exhibit deep psychopathic tendencies despite occasional attempts at redemption.

When it comes to media like anime that has a flair for impressive aesthetics and compelling storytelling, villains grab as much attention as heroes. After all, the most ruthless and evil anime villains motivate 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 November 26, 2024 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.

1 Ainz Ooal Gown (Overlord)

A Sociopath Through And Through

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 as Ainz Ooal Gown and, as the eponymous Overlord, decided to pursue a life of power in this new reality.

At first, Ainz Ooal Gown created a guild of his own name in order 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 the Overlord series 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.

2 Keyaru (Redo Of Healer)

Broken And Transformed Into One Thirsty For Revenge

Anyone who’s watched and read Redo of Healer will understand how conflicting the nature of Keyaru had 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 the Philosopher’s Stone had allowed Keyaru to travel in the distant past while 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.

3 Hiro Shishigami (Inuyashiki: Last Hero)

A Cyborg Who Is Nothing Like His Name

When a UFO accidentally 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 of Inuyashiki: Last Hero saw 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 in Inuyashiki involve 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.

4 King Fritz (Attack On Titan)

Pursuing Power, Regardless Of The Time

Originally introduced as the leader of a small tribe known as the Eldians, King Fritz of Attack on Titan was 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 obtained the 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.

5 Sato (Ajin: Demi-Human)

The Last Person Anyone Wants To Become An Ajin

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 of Sato in Ajin: 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 becomes a constant presence in Ajin: 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 easily Ajin’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.

6 Rau Le Creuset (Gundam SEED)

Self-Proclaimed Judge Of Humanity’s Extinction

Almost all series within the Gundam franchise since the original Mobile Suit Gundam have had a “Char Archetype,” a role Rau Le Creuset takes as the lead antagonist of Gundam 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.

7 Shinobu Sensui (Yu Yu Hakusho)

Wanted Demons To Wreak Havoc On Earth For Humanity’s Own Evil

Fans of Yu Yu Hakusho remember the arrogant yet noble Yusuke Urameshi and his signature Spirit Gun, while those with an eye for villains will remember Shinobu Sensui. Koenma’s spirit detective prior 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.

8 Muzan Kibutsuji (Demon Slayer)

The Smallest Slight Is Reason Enough For Him To Kill

As most demons fought by the Demon Slayer Corps of Demon Slayer tend to be aggressive and disorganized, it came as quite a surprise when their leader turned out to be the rather fashionable and calculating Muzan Kibutsuji. Throughout the series, this Demon King was revealed to be not only the 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.

9 Light Yagami (Death Note)

Murdering Criminals Is Just For His New World

When Light Yagami receives the Death Note, he soon realizes that writing anyone’s name in it will kill that person. Thus begins Death Note and 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” of Death 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 the Death Note protagonist, 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.

10 Hisoka Morow (Hunter X Hunter)

Would Stop At Nothing To Meet A Strong Opponent

Fans of Hunter X Hunter might be amused at the idea of the world hiring Hunters to conduct a wide variety of tasks, with the likes of Hisoka Morow existing 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, with Hisoka using his signature Bungee Gum to 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 the Hunter X Hunter anime, 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.

11 Makoto Shishio (Rurouni Kenshin)

Vengeful Rebel Who Wants To See Kyoto Burn

When it comes to people Kenshin Himura has crossed blades with in Rurouni Kenshin, none seem more fearsome compared to Makoto Shishio. A double-crossed former government assassin who survived being burned to death, Shishio established the Juppongatana intending to overthrow the very government that betrayed him.

Compared to villains more motivated by a personal agenda, Makoto’s self-absorbed desire to destroy the government has transformed him into a cunning and ruthless person. He treats people as a means to an end and is even willing to cut through Yumi Komagata, perhaps the only one to ever love him, just so he can try to hit Kenshin. His ruthlessness is made even more terrifying by the fact that he’s once considered the Battosai’s successor, making his combat prowess on par with Kenshin’s. Minus the part at the end when Kenshin’s resilience finally prevails, Shishio has spent much of his arc pummeling the Battosai to the ground.

Claim To Infamy: The Attempt At Aoiya

When Shishio invites Kenshin to their duel to the death at Mount Hiei, the Juppongatana leader commits perhaps his most ruthless act: sending all but his most trusted allies to kill Kenshin’s friends at the Aoiya Inn. While Kaoru Kamiya, Misao Makimachi, and Yahiko Myojin held their own against the Juppongatana’s elite forces, the idea that Shishio sent his men to kill Kenshin’s lesser combat-capable friends is both cunning and cruel. This also demonstrates Shishio’s strategic prowess, correctly predicting that Kenshin will have his most powerful allies (Aoishi Shinomori, Sanosuke Sagara) accompanying him while his friends rest comfortably in the inn with no significant defenses.

12 Orochimaru (Naruto)

Did Everything For Power And Immortality

Despite being sidelined as a scientist figure in Boruto, Orochimaru is, in fact, one of the deadliest antagonists in the Naruto series. In the original Naruto anime, Orochimaru establishes his notoriety by not only studying Forbidden Jutsu but also stopping at nothing to achieve his goal of immortality. These included experimenting on unwitting subjects and even outright experimenting on himself to be capable of “transferring” himself to other bodies.

Such was his nature as a deadly character that he orchestrated the dreaded Konoha Crush that almost destroyed the Hidden Leaf Village. He also served as Sasuke Uchiha’s mentor, training him to become a merciless shinobi. The only reason he hasn’t decided to become a villain in Boruto is his insistence on observing Sasuke’s “different” path, contrary to his expectations that the Uchiha survivor would choose to destroy Konoha.

Claim To Infamy: Human Experimentation

On top of his obsession with attaining immortality, Orochimaru’s unbridled curiosity also extends to unlocking the secrets of Forbidden Jutsu. Orochimaru at some point began kidnapping children and infants for his experiments with the First Hokage’s DNA. The goal of this horrific act was to see if any of them could replicate Hashirama’s unique Wood Release, with all children eventually dying during the experimentation process. When Hiruzen discovered Orochimaru’s horrific human experiments, the Sannin fled the Village. Only one child survived the experiment and developed Hashirama’s Wood Release: Yamato, an Anbu member who eventually became Naruto’s Team 7 Captain in Shipudden.

13 The Major (Hellsing)

Delighted In The Bloodshed Of War

In the alternate reality of Hellsing, it was Abraham Van Hellsing and his Royal Order of Protestant Knights that became the sole defense of the United Kingdom against the forces of the undead and the paranormal. Now led by Sir Integra Hellsing, a threat in the form of a Nazi group called the Millennium forced Integra to awaken the vampire Alucard, who was defeated by Abraham and forced into a life of servitude.

And despite the nonstop action Hellsing provides to fans, what perhaps serves as the series’ most perplexing figure comes in the form of The Major. Serving as the leader of the Millennium and the former first lieutenant of Adolf Hitler himself, the Major is hell-bent on ensuring that Fuhrer’s Order 666 was implemented, which in itself is a plan to artificially induce vampirism in the mass populace. What makes the Major especially gruesome is his ridiculous love for war, stopping at nothing to ensure violence is propagated throughout the series.

Claim To Infamy: The Zeppelin Affair

The Major’s obsession to wage war has been implied to border on the psychological-philosophical rather than mere capitalism, with the Millennium leader enjoying war seemingly for how sheer carnage manages to unravel the full extent of man’s free will and individuality. The full extent of this obsession is seen in what in-universe Hellsing newspapers would eventually call the Zeppelin Affair, a revived Millennium’s attack on London that would’ve escalated to a full-blown World War had it been left unchecked. This incident resulted in the slaughter of 3 million lives – which in itself should be tragic enough. However, the event could be further elevated to nightmarish horror when fans consider the added twist of the Major “conducting” his soldier’s carnage below atop his zeppelin throughout events.

Didn’t Mind Killing A Country If It Meant Having Power

In the region of Amestris in Fullmetal Alchemist exists the craft of Alchemy, a specialized science that involves transforming one object into the other. While protagonists Edward and Alphonse Elric have grown to become reliable State Alchemists throughout Fullmetal Alchemist, it seems they have a much deeper relationship with their father, Van Hohenheim. This is especially true since Van Hohenheim has lived for hundreds of years, with his original name simply being “Number 23,” an alchemist in service to the King of Xerxes.

During this ancient time, Van Hohenheim managed to come into contact with the Gate – the origin of all knowledge – and “extract” a part of it. Known simply as the Dwarf in the Flask, it’s this being (called a homunculus) that taught Alchemy to the rest of the region. And after purging himself of sin, he’s adopted a colder, sadistic, and megalomaniacal persona as Father. In this form, his sole purpose was to transform the entirety of Amestris into a large enough transmutation circle to enable him to achieve the power of godhood, which Father had done for a limited time. In his most powerful form, he was even able to create miniature suns in the palm of his hand. It took the combined powers of Edward Elric and his other companions to finally defeat Father.

Claim To Infamy: The First Philosopher’s Stone

When “Father” was just a formless homunculus summoned by the King of Xerxes to teach alchemy, the creature was quick to befriend Prisoner 23, a fellow slave. And when the King revealed to “Father” his desire to learn the secrets of immortality, the homunculus lured the King into creating a city-wide transmutation circle to help him with his wishes. Afterward, Father orchestrated events to ensure they and the unknowing Hohenheim ended up at the center of the circle, using the city-wide bloodshed to conduct large-scale human transmutation. In his largest act of deception against the King, the homunculus sacrificed all souls within Xerxes to create the world’s first Philosopher Stone, channeling it to create a body in the visage of Hohenheim to control its powers.

15 Akio Ohtori (Revolutionary Girl Utena)

The Fallen Prince Who Fell Much Further Than Imagined

Originally the white-clad Prince Dios who saved Utena Tenjou after the death of her parents in Revolutionary Girl Utena, his corruption and loss of “purpose” as a Prince transformed him into Akio Ohtori. The anime remains vague about his “origin,” presumably having lost his princely status after losing faith in the world. To regain his power, he organizes the Dueling Game to “create” a noble enough Duelist who can break the Rose Gate that was sealing his power.

Throughout the anime, Akio Ohtori is portrayed as a charismatic manipulator. He consistently manipulates his sister Anthy Himemiya through her memories of her “better half” to become her lover, for reasons related to gauging her strength as a member of the nobility. It came to a point that Akio manipulated Anthy and Utena to initially despise one another, simply for his own gains. Even after his passing, Akio attempts to bring ruin to the lives of Anthy and Utena as a spirit.

Claim To Infamy: An Evil Too Real In A Fictional Premise

Despite the imaginative and symbolic focus on much of Utena’s cast and story, Akio sets a mark for hitting too close to home. Unlike other megalomaniacal villains, Akio is simply who he is because he can be. As the head of the Ohtori clan, he constantly manipulates adolescents in Ohtori Academy for his ends, and his status as a “fallen” Prince means he can conveniently wallow in his “own pain” while disregarding everyone else’s. It is relieving to see Akio fall to his death after a horrific act toward his sister – a scene that could be considered among the darkest to ever be shown in anime.

16 Majin Buu (Dragon Ball Z)

A Being Created Only For Absolute Destruction

Initially appearing as the bubbly yet unpredictable pink monster in the latter part of Dragon Ball Z, the character of Majin Buu would end up becoming perhaps its strongest, most dangerous villain. While possessing many forms, the diminutive Kid Buu is his truest form, the one devoid of restraint and sanity. It’s also this form that Goku and his comrades had the hardest time defeating due to its absorption abilities, constant regeneration, and seemingly indestructible body.

However, what makes Majin Buu ruthless and terrifying is his personality — or lack thereof. Majin Buu lacks any remorse or compassion and seems incapable of comprehending empathy. Majin Buu enjoys destruction and finds amusement whenever he destroys worlds.

Claim To Infamy: Planetary Destruction To Search For Opponents

While Kaioshin already elaborated on the ferociousness of Kid Buu as an amalgamation of all evil, the lengths of his ruthlessness are seen firsthand during Buu’s battle with Vegeta and Goku on Earth. Not only did Kid Buu just casually destroy himself and all of Earth with the Planet Burst attack, but Kid Buu reformed himself from all the rubble and went on a rampage when he realized Goku and Vegeta were still alive. Before he locates them on Supreme Kai’s planet, it’s said that Kid Buu destroyed planet after planet in search of the duo. While this segment only happened in the anime for dramatic flair, it greatly demonstrated Kid Buu’s willingness to go no holds barred if it meant having a good fight before pursuing pure destruction.

17 Tamaki Tsunenaga (Deadman Wonderland)

Sadistic Warden Who Toyed With Prisoners

In the world of Deadman Wonderland, a devastating earthquake destroyed most of Tokyo and caused widespread destruction in Japan. While protagonist Ganta Igarashi seems like an ordinary 9th grader, a grisly massacre of his class had all evidence point to an innocent Ganta. Cornered and framed, Ganta had no choice but to go to the eponymous Deadman Wonderland as a death sentence, a prison-theme park run by the warden Tsunenaga Tamaki.

While Tamaki being the warden immediately puts him in the crosshairs of most Deadman Wonderland characters, it’s his relationship with them that makes him quite the menace. For starters, not only did he pose as Ganta’s lawyer, he actually rigged evidence against him. Moreover, beneath his goofy, idiotic, and always-smiling exterior is a sadistic nature that cares for nothing but finding ways to kill more prisoners for his amusement.

Claim To Infamy: Pitting Husband Against Pregnant Wife

Behind Tamaki’s ever-present smile is a sadist who relishes the idea of using prisoners of Deadman Wonderland as his playthings. One such act Tamaki enjoyed was the Carnival Corpse, a gladiator-style event that pits two prisoners in a fight to the death. After arranging a fight between Nagi Kengamine and his pregnant wife, Tamaki makes a deal with Nagi to not harm his wife if he throws his Carnival Corpse match. Instead, Tamaki goes back on his word and orders Nagi’s wife killed while he experimented with the unborn child.

18 Caster (Fate/Zero)

Morbid Amusement Is More Important Than A Wish-Granting Artifact

A character with immense power that has a penchant for inhuman acts shouldn’t be paired with a partner just as despicable, and yet this is exactly what happened to Gilles de Rais, assigned as the Caster Class of the Fourth Holy Grail War in Fate/Zero. In his rather tragic backstory, losing his love Joan of Arc drove him to insanity, resorting to alchemy and slaughtering children in a mockery of God’s absence during these horrible acts.

In Fate/Zero, Gilles de Rais is summoned as Caster after his Master, Ryuunosuke Uryuu, mistakenly uses a spellbook to create a summoning circle. Throughout the Holy Grail War, Caster and Ryuunosuke didn’t even spend time trying to fight their fellow Servant-Master pairs for the Holy Grail. Rather, Gilles de Rais served as an instrument to further Ryuunosuke’s curiosity about death, casually killing children and families for their amusement.

Claim To Infamy: Kidnapping, Torturing Children

Fate/Zero provides the opposite end of the “Master unaware of the Holy Grail War,” as naive but heroic Shiro Emiya of Fate/Stay Night meets his match in the serial killer Uryu Ryuosuke. It’s not enough that Uryu “accidentally” summoned Caster using the blood of a family he murdered, but the Holy Grail pairing Uryu with Gilles de Rais’s sadistic nature led to one of the biggest threats in the Fourth Holy Grail War. While absent for most of the fighting, this time was also when they had done the most horrific act in the show: kidnapping children and using them for experiments. While Uryu commits horrific acts of torture on these victims, Gilles impresses Uryu by using them for black magic. Such was their threat that all war hostilities were halted and a kill order was issued on Uryu and Caster.

19 Frieza (Dragon Ball Z)

Likes Toying With His Opponents

Majin Buu might have been the strongest villain of Dragon Ball, but none could match Frieza in terms of sheer evil. His charm and mercilessness maintain his popularity among fans, to the point of being the most recurring villain in the Dragon Ball franchise. During his time as ruler of the galaxy, Frieza exterminated the entire Saiyan race. Before his demise at the hands of Goku, Frieza freely toyed with his friends and comrades.

Boasting the power of transformation, Frieza always keeps his enemies on their toes and takes delight in taunting and torturing them for his amusement. His intelligence makes his sociopathic nature all the more horrifying. Some of his infamous acts include causing Krillin to explode and destroying Namekian villages in his pursuit of the Dragon Balls.

Claim To Infamy: Killing Krillin

While Frieza has demonstrated the capability of destroying entire planets on a whim, it’s when he truly makes an effort to kill someone that demonstrates the depths of his ruthlessness. This is especially seen with Krillin who, despite being one of Earth’s best martial artists, could barely hold a candle to Frieza’s ever-growing power level. When Frieza unleashes his second form, he mercilessly gores Krillin on the abdomen with his horns. Moreover, when he realizes Krillin’s importance to Goku, he telekinetically raises him into the air and makes him self-destruct for dramatic effect and to see Goku suffer.

20 Kyubey (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

If Saving The World Needed The Sacrifice Of Kids, Then So Be It

Despite its appearance, Kyubey of Puella Magi Madoka Magica is more than just a cute cat-like mascot. Kyubey is an Incubator, a member of an advanced civilization hell-bent on stopping entropy from killing the universe. Kyubey and his species discover that emotions, particularly from teenage girls, can help prevent the spread of entropy. Kyubey approaches these girls and offers to grant their wishes in exchange for fighting witches, not telling them that they will become witches themselves after being exhausted from their emotional energy.

Kyubey’s abject lack of empathy makes its actions more terrifying. For their species, it’s worth sacrificing the lives of these magical girls if it means stopping the eventual death of the universe. And Kyubey won’t hesitate to discard a magical girl whom it finds useless. It’s possible that once the human race is devoid of magical girls, Kyubey will simply find another species capable of producing such emotions and repeat the cycle.

Claim To Infamy: The QB Agenda

Madoka’s Magical Girl companions slowly dying at the hands of Witches prompts Kyubey (QB) to explain the whole point of their endeavors: using the potent magic of grieving young girls to fight the rise of entropy and stop the heat death of the universe. While QB’s species lack the emotion to manifest this magic, their science is advanced enough to create methods of tapping into them. It’s soon revealed that Kyubey has created the very cycle they were in to produce entropy-fighting magic: create Magical Girls who kill Witches for their energy, turn Magical Girls into Witches using their suffering, and create more Magical Girls to fight them. As girls Madoka’s age just so happens to be filled with hope, they can easily be roped into their “duties” as the universe’s protectors. Unfortunately for Madoka, Kyubey likely only objectively sees this convenience, as he has no emotional capacity to see any of his actions as “wrong.”