The Best Anti-Heroes In Anime

One of the most common tropes in any story is the presence of a good character, often referred to as the hero, and a bad character, typically known as the villain. These two characters are usually written to represent opposite ends of morality, with their inevitable clash portraying a classic good vs. evil face-off. However, when creators blur these lines, it gives rise to characters we often call anti-heroes.

Anti-heroes are characters whose actions may be questionable, but their intentions are often towards something good or at least justifiable. Such characters are usually seen in many anime today, including the famous Attack on Titan, where Eren Yeager is a perfect anti-hero as he didn’t hesitate to achieve his goal, despite dire consequences for his character.

The following article will contain heavy spoilers, be warned!

Survivor Of The Bloody Ishval War

Fullmetal Alchemist is a brilliant show that powerfully portrays the consequences of war and how it can push someone toward insanity. One such character is Scar, a survivor of the Ishval War, who witnessed the massacre of hundreds, including his own brother, as he tried to save his life.

After the war, Scar is filled with hatred for the State Alchemists and wants to kill them one by one without considering whether they are innocent or not. Although his actions can never be justified, anime fans often sympathize with him due to his tragic life.

9

Light Yagami – Death Note

A Person With God-like Powers Is Bound To Falter In Their Pursuit Of Justice

Light Yagami or Kira is a character who is often seen as the villain, but he’s more of an anti-hero as his actions come from a place where he believes he’s doing something right. Even though he’s just a high school student, Light thinks that it’s his responsibility to free the world of crime and injustice when he finds a notebook that lets him kill anyone just by writing their name.

As the series progresses, it turns into a tense cat-and-mouse between Light and L, a genius detective who wants to catch him. Despite being on opposite sides, many anime fans find themselves secretly rooting for Light.

8

Osamu Dazai – Bungo Stray Dogs

Becomes A Mentor Of The Protagonist

Bungo Stray Dogs takes place in a world full of supernatural elements and criminals who lean toward the darker side. However, it also has some really gray characters that have sparked divided opinions among fans, like Osamu Dazai.

Dazai is portrayed as neither entirely good nor completely evil. While he didn’t care much for the methods he used to achieve results, his philosophy was simple, that the end justifies the means. He’s a bit out there though, wanting to die in a beautiful moment with a woman through suicide, which is messed up. He mentors the protagonist, Atsushi Nakajima, in his mission to cleanse the city, and his borderline villainous nature is why he’s considered a great anti-hero.

7

Mugen – Samurai Champloo

Samurai With A Rude Tongue

Most anime protagonists have a humble side, but Mugen is an exception. Mugen is a samurai with unorthodox swordplay, and his tongue is just as sharp as the broad sword on his back.

The anime Samurai Champloo follows Mugen as he travels across Japan with his friend Jin to assist a girl named Fuu on her mission, feeling indebted to her for saving their lives. He’s a skilled swordsman with an unpredictable fighting style that often leaves his enemies confused and unsure of how to respond. But, he’s also a rude, vulgar guy you wouldn’t want to cross, as he’ll fight you for no reason at all.

6

Alucard – Hellsing

Only Vampire Ally To The Mankind

Repeatedly referred to as the Organization’s ultimate weapon by Integra Hellsing, Alucard is a legendary vampire, who is feared across all of London. Introduced in the anime Hellsing, Alucard is one of the few allies humans have against the threat of monsters and vampires, even though he is a vampire.

He’s capable of killing anyone who threatens him with just a single bullet from his iconic guns. Despite his morality wavering between war and evil, he holds himself from harming innocents, which could be considered one of his redeeming qualities.

5

Guts – Berserk

The Black Swordsman Who Killed Hundreds

The friendship-turned-rivalry between Guts and Griffith, in the classic anime Berserk, is one of its kind as it deeply changes both their personalities. As you see Griffith turning into one of the most hated villains, Guts begins a journey of self-discovery, trying to understand who he is and what he stands for.

But you can’t overlook Guts’ past, as he was a mercenary who would kill hundreds without a second thought. Anime fans know him as a violent man, feared by all in battle, yet he is still beloved.

4

Sasuke Uchiha – Naruto

Tragic Uchiha Of The Hidden Leaf Village

Sasuke Uchiha, one of the last descendants of the Uchiha Clan, has had a traumatic life. His ultimate purpose was always to defeat his older brother, Itachi, for the murder of their entire clan.

From the first episode of Naruto, Sasuke is portrayed as a cold, introverted guy, determined to be better than everyone else. As time passed, Sasuke even became increasingly resentful of Naruto, especially when he saw Naruto outshine him time and time again. This jealousy pushed Sasuke so far that he tries to leave the Hidden Leaf Village and join Orochimaru in search of more power.

3

Eren Yeager – Attack On Titan

Destroys The World To Save His Own

If you had to choose between the people of Paradis, blameless victims of a time they had no control over, and most of the world who supported the destruction of the island, who would you choose? If you chose Paradis, then Eren might actually be right after all. Eren Yeager is one of the most polarizing characters in the anime community because he chose to destroy almost the entire world, just to save the people of Paradis.

Eren first appears as an innocent boy, but soon everyone realizes he was hiding the truth all along. With the powers of the Founding Titan, he was aware of nearly every event that happened throughout the series.

2

Spike Spiegel – Cowboy Bepop

An Ex-criminal Turned Into A Fair Man

Cowboy Bebop is a timeless anime from the early 2000s, loved for its Western-futuristic elements. It is a show that still sticks with anime fans to this day, not just because of its aesthetics and soundtrack, but also because it features one of the best anime anti-heroes, Spike Spiegel.

Formerly part of the Red Dragon Syndicate, a criminal group, the anime introduces Spike as a bounty hunter haunted by his past choices. Although Spike has become a fair man, his morality remains ambiguous, as he doesn’t hesitate to hurt or steal from others when necessary, making him a nuanced character.

1

Lelouch Lamperouge – Code Geass

The Rogue Prince With Noble Intentions

To many, Lelouch is a quintessential underdog who sought to free the world from cruelty, but also created his masked identity, whose actions were quite iffy. Lelouch, born into a noble family, wanted revenge on his father and dreamed of bringing down the Britannian Empire.

In doing so, Lelouch became a rebel and took on the persona of Zero. Once he achieved his motive, he orchestrated his own execution, as he wanted to unite people to build a world without tyranny, and lead them into a better future.