10 Anime Heroes Who Would Be Villains In Any Other Story

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People often admire heroes, but what makes someone a hero really depends on who’s telling the story. A character who seems heroic in one narrative could easily be seen as a villain if viewed from a different angle. We often see their struggles and understand their motivations, which justifies their actions. However, change the point of view, the context, or even just remove a little bit of their compassion, and those same actions could appear frightening and evil.

Characters in anime, like Kaneki Ken and Gojo Satoru, aren’t simply villains in disguise. They usually have good intentions – protecting loved ones, stopping conflicts, or improving flawed systems. The issue is how they go about it. While massive force can seem justified when facing a greater danger, it can easily appear oppressive. Even if they weren’t seen as heroes, these characters would still be compelling; they’d just be figures people feared instead of admired.

Luffy is a cheerful and heroic character, but it’s important to remember he’s still a pirate – and pirates are known for breaking the law and stealing. Throughout the story, Luffy frequently overthrows rulers, attacks government facilities, and frees prisoners, all of which the series portrays as acts of liberation. He also tends to draw others into conflicts and wars that they didn’t initially choose to be a part of.

He has noble goals, but consistently creates disorder, and that disorder always has consequences. Combine that with his growing strength – he can level cities with a single blow – and he’s a serious threat to any stable world. Even his generosity feels forceful, like a demand for acceptance. In a more menacing environment, his smile would be terrifying.

Yato hopes to become a god of good fortune, but his past makes it hard to believe he can change. He used to be a god of destruction, known for ruthless killings. Even though he’s trying to be better now, he’s still incredibly skilled at fighting and killing. He can easily defeat both spirits and humans, alter someone’s destiny just by knowing their name, and even wipe people from existence with a single word.

The story of Noragami focuses on Yato’s personal development, allowing his flaws to feel sympathetic. However, if he were in a different story, those same qualities could easily make him a dangerous villain masking as someone charming. He holds onto secrets that could deeply hurt those who trust him, and despite being a hero, he’s still taken lives. If you saw things from the perspective of someone he’s hurt, Yato would appear as a terrifying figure from the past.

At the beginning of Tokyo Ghoul, Kaneki is a kind, quiet student who loves to read. But his life is turned upside down when he’s forced to consume human flesh to survive. While his violent actions are presented as a result of his difficult experiences and a fight for survival, he eventually becomes a powerful leader capable of dividing groups and inspiring fear. Though he often lies to safeguard those he cares about, these deceptions also make him an unreliable and potentially dangerous figure.

He’s a volatile person, driven by hunger and rage, and constantly changing who he is, which makes everyone around him—friends and foes alike—nervous. If things had been different, he could easily have become the villain of his own story – a terrifying figure spoken about in hushed tones. Instead of a hero struggling with inner demons, he’d be the one hunted, a dangerous criminal pursued by a determined detective, and his fate would still be heartbreaking.

Though advertised as a devil hunter, Denji’s power actually comes from a devil living inside his heart. When he activates his chainsaws, fights become incredibly brutal and messy, often ending with someone or something being torn apart. The series Chainsaw Man presents this violence as a release, because Denji begins with nothing and is simply fighting for small moments of happiness. But without that context, Denji appears as a dangerous, violent force controlled by whoever gives him orders.

Denji is easily led and has been taught to see people as disposable, a combination that often creates villains. He also mixes up love and control, meaning even when he tries to do good, he can make risky decisions. If he were in a more peaceful environment, he’d be a volatile hero that everyone would fear losing control of.

Gojo is a hero who safeguards students and battles dangerous curses. However, he’s so much more powerful than anyone else that the existing rules and authorities only function with his permission. While Jujutsu Kaisen portrays his overconfidence as cool, that same assurance can easily turn into oppressive control. Gojo freely ridicules those in charge, disregards regulations, and even suggests he could rebuild society through force.

While his intentions seem admirable, Gojo enforces his methods ruthlessly, demanding obedience and quickly dismissing anyone who disagrees. He approaches conflict casually, as if it were a game. Rather than a guiding figure, he positions himself as the ultimate challenge, an insurmountable obstacle. His affection is conditional; a single mistake, act of treachery, or harm to a student could swiftly turn his favor into severe punishment.

Kiritsugu believes he’s fighting for justice, but his methods are harsh – he relies on weapons like bombs and snipers, and isn’t afraid to deceive others. The series, Fate/Zero, portrays him as a tragic figure because, despite his actions, he genuinely wants to save as many lives as possible. However, Kiritsugu justifies sacrificing a small number of people to protect a larger group, and continues to repeat this logic, ultimately leading to a significant loss of life. He’s willing to lie to his friends and even put innocent people in danger to achieve his goals.

Honestly, this character is fascinatingly dark. It’s chilling how casually he approaches taking lives – his calm demeanor actually highlights how normalized it’s become for him. What really gets me is that he genuinely believes he’s doing the right thing, which is a classic villain trait, giving him this unshakable conviction. Put him up against someone truly hopeful, someone who cherishes every life, and he instantly becomes this incredibly compelling, cold antagonist – a real punishment for kindness.

Guts is a formidable warrior who battles terrifying creatures, but his own appearance is equally intimidating. This massive mercenary wields an enormous sword, has a prosthetic arm that functions like a cannon, and always wears a fierce, painful expression. Berserk doesn’t hide his suffering; his rage feels like a desperate fight for survival. Meanwhile, in many other fantasy stories, a wandering monster leaving destruction in its wake is the very threat kings task heroes with eliminating.

Guts is a volatile and distrustful person, constantly battling to maintain control. He carries a dark curse that draws dangerous demons, meaning any community that shelters him risks complete destruction. Essentially, his very presence could turn him into the enemy, and a genuinely good person would likely see him as a walking catastrophe.

Saitama, the main character in One-Punch Man, is intentionally portrayed as a comical figure. However, the idea behind him is actually quite unsettling: he’s strong enough to win any fight with a single punch. This means the fate of everyone and any sense of justice relies entirely on his whims. While he’s generally a kind, bored, and surprisingly modest person, if you take away the humor, Saitama becomes an incredibly dangerous being capable of wiping out everything, and he wouldn’t even seem to care.

Saitama doesn’t rely on elaborate schemes, a powerful force, or even strong emotions. A single bad day could completely ruin his reputation as a hero. What makes him truly frightening is how unpredictable he is. He doesn’t seem interested in power or control, and he isn’t worried about what might happen as a result of his actions. This combination of traits is often seen in villains. In a world filled with vulnerable people, stories and legends would inevitably spring up around him.

Lelouch, the main character in Code Geass, is designed to evoke both sympathy and understanding, as the story explores his sadness and rage towards the empire. Yet, if you look at his actions, he embodies many traits of a classic anime villain: he hides his identity behind a mask, creates a rebel force, and uses fear to control others. He even possesses a powerful ability that takes away people’s free will, reducing them to mere puppets.

Lelouch often achieves victories by accepting significant losses and deliberately shocking people. In many stories, a character like him would be the villain – someone who throws countries into chaos for personal reasons. While Lelouch isn’t heartless, his concern for others doesn’t excuse his manipulative behavior. What’s truly frightening is his ability to inspire others; he can justify even terrible actions as necessary strategy, then frame it all as being done out of love. That’s a common tactic used by dictators to gain support.

At first, Eren seems like a typical hero fighting for his people’s freedom. But Attack on Titan cleverly subverts this, turning his story into something much darker. He eventually believes mass murder is the only answer and takes it upon himself to decide who lives and dies, forcing his friends to try and stop him. Even earlier on, Eren was fueled by anger and wasn’t afraid to sever ties with anyone who stood in his way.

Those qualities make a compelling villain, but are frightening when seen in a hero. In a different story, Eren could be the radical who believes lasting peace demands total destruction. His words would come across as manipulative propaganda, and his abilities would seem like a weapon of mass destruction. While the sadness of the situation would remain, his role would be obvious: Eren would be the villain that history remembers and warns against.

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2026-02-27 20:40