10 Disturbing Anime Villains Even More Evil Than Griffith From Berserk

Berserk is considered a landmark dark fantasy series, and for good reason. What truly sets it apart, though, are its characters, particularly Griffith. He appears as a beautiful, almost angelic figure with flowing white hair – more like a prince from a storybook than the villain he ultimately becomes. However, beneath that striking appearance lies a ruthless and calculating leader whose relentless ambition and desire for power drive some of the most shocking and devastating events in anime.

Griffith is a truly unforgettable character because he’s so unsettling and manipulative. He’s widely considered a brilliantly written villain, even though most fans intensely dislike him – perhaps as much as the hero, Guts. While he’s undoubtedly one of the most evil characters in anime, particularly after becoming the demon Femto, some villains are still considered even more wicked.

Johan Liebert Proves Himself as an Actual Monster

Naoki Urasawa’s Monster centers around Dr. Tenma, a brain surgeon who makes a fateful decision to save a young boy named Johan Liebert. This choice has devastating consequences, as Johan grows up to become a ruthless and manipulative serial killer, showing no remorse for his actions. He commits horrific crimes, particularly targeting vulnerable children and innocent people who are unable to defend themselves against his control.

This character deliberately exposes a child to horrific environments – prostitution, violence, and drug abuse – to the point of suicidal despair, all for his own entertainment. He also manipulates a detective battling alcoholism into taking his own life just as the detective was about to see his daughter again, and cruelly frames the doctor who once saved his life, ruining it and causing lasting trauma. While Griffith committed a betrayal, this character actively seeks out and destroys the lives of those who are most defenseless and innocent.

Shou Tucker’s Crimes Make Him Anime’s Most Hated Father

Honestly, Shou Tucker from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is a villain who really gets under my skin – and rightfully so! Even though he’s only in a handful of episodes, what he does is just unbelievably disturbing. It’s wild to me that fans often consider him even worse than characters who actually commit murder. The fact that he experimented on his own family – his wife and daughter – just to avoid losing his job is horrifying enough, but what really chills me is that he didn’t seem to feel any remorse. He just… didn’t care. It’s truly sickening.

Facing the loss of his position as a State Alchemist, Shou Tucker desperately tries to prove his value to the government. In a horrific act, he merges his young daughter, Nina, with her dog, Alexander, causing her immense pain until Scar mercifully ends her life. Few villains are as monstrous as Shou Tucker, who manages to make even notorious antagonists like Thanos seem almost sympathetic in comparison.

Danzo’s Actions Caused Most of Naruto’s Tragedies

Danzo Shimura from Naruto is often ranked among the most villainous characters in anime, and for good reason. He’s connected to almost every terrible event in the series, and consistently justifies his actions as being for the benefit of the Hidden Leaf Village. However, his motives are actually entirely selfish.

Danzo was responsible for decades of suffering and destruction, all while claiming to protect the village. He sabotaged peace efforts in the Hidden Rain Village, leading to Yahiko’s death and ultimately the formation of the Akatsuki. His actions even indirectly caused Pain to destroy Konoha. He assisted Orochimaru in experimenting on 49 kidnapped children, stole Shisui Uchiha’s eye, driving him to suicide, and masterminded the Uchiha Clan’s attempted coup, ordering Itachi to kill his entire family.

Makima’s Cruelty and Manipulation Rival Griffith’s Atrocities

Makima, from the anime Chainsaw Man, is a truly cold and calculating villain who prioritizes only herself. She sees everyone else as tools to achieve her goals, and has no concern for humanity. This is starkly shown when she cruelly reveals she manipulated Denji by creating and then destroying his found family, simply to control him. She doesn’t just commit terrible acts – she actively enjoys inflicting emotional pain, making her one of the most chilling villains in anime.

Makima’s actions – forcing the Angel Devil to kill the people who raised him – reveal just how cruel she is. She doesn’t just commit violence through others; she also manipulates memories and controls people like puppets. While her abuse isn’t physical like Griffith’s, she’s a master of emotional manipulation, brainwashing others to achieve her goals. Ultimately, Makima is Chainsaw Man’s equivalent of Griffith: a captivating but deeply cruel character who aims to break the hero’s spirit.

Aizen’s Betrayal Makes Him Bleach’s Ultimate Villain

Sosuke Aizen from Bleach is often considered the gold standard for villains in Shōnen anime and manga. As a former captain of the Fifth Division, he’s always several moves ahead, secretly manipulating events. His betrayal is truly shocking, both for the characters within the story and for viewers, delivering a similar emotional punch to the reveal of Reiner and Bertholdt’s true identities in Attack on Titan.

When I first encountered Aizen in Bleach, he actually seemed like a breath of fresh air – genuinely trustworthy compared to the other, often aggressive, Shinigami. But that was just a facade. It quickly became clear he was a master manipulator, a true sociopath who casually murdered thousands and treated people like experiments. He spent years, decades even, carefully dismantling the trust of those closest to him, and that calculated cruelty made his evil feel incredibly vast and deeply disturbing. It’s a villainy that really stays with you.

Dio Brando Turns a Troubled Childhood into Centuries of Cruelty

I’ve always found Dio Brando from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure a fascinating villain. His backstory definitely gives you some insight into why he became so terrible, but it absolutely doesn’t justify his actions. He had a rough childhood, growing up poor with an abusive father, and you can see how that affected him. However, it doesn’t explain why he’d deliberately poison his adoptive father, harm animals, or even kiss Jonathan Joestar’s girlfriend just to upset him. Those were conscious decisions made by someone who genuinely enjoyed inflicting pain – a real sadist.

Dio is a truly evil character because he has no sense of right or wrong and constantly craves more power. Becoming a vampire allows him to create an army and try to take over the world, turning his personal feud with Jonathan Joestar into a generations-long problem for the entire Joestar family. Once he obtains the Stand, The World, he becomes incredibly powerful and is responsible for many of the biggest conflicts in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. Even if he’d had a better childhood, his inherently corrupt nature would likely have still emerged.

All for One Spreads Pure Evil Without Any Tragic Backstory or Motivation

While My Hero Academia features many compelling villains, All For One stands out as the most malicious. Unlike villains like Overhaul, who inflict pain with a warped sense of purpose, All For One causes destruction simply for his own enjoyment. He brings Hero Society to the edge of collapse, resulting in numerous deaths, and feels no remorse for his actions.

All For One is fundamentally malicious, delighting in controlling and ruining others. He deliberately shaped Shigaraki into a weapon of destruction, shattered the hope embodied by the Symbol of Peace, and tried to throw the world into turmoil – all without any sign of compassion. While Overhaul’s abuse of Eri is shockingly cruel, there’s at least a suggestion he might feel remorse; All For One, however, is pure evil. He has no tragic backstory or warped beliefs, simply a monstrous enjoyment of causing pain.

Frieza’s Genocide Makes Personal Betrayal Look Small

While many anime villains have complicated motives or even inspire some sympathy, characters like Frieza from Dragon Ball are popular precisely because they are purely evil. He’s cruel, controlling, and lacks any compassion for others. Frieza has caused the deaths of billions and destroyed entire civilizations simply on a whim or out of fear they might challenge him.

What makes Frieza stand out from other anime villains, like Griffith, is the sheer scope of his cruelty. While Griffith’s evil is often focused on individuals, Frieza casually destroys entire planets – like Vegeta, home of the Saiyans – and almost eliminates whole races without hesitation. When it comes to the number of lives lost, the extent of destruction, and the complete annihilation of civilizations, Frieza’s actions are far greater.

Mahito Takes Sadistic Pleasure in Tormenting His Victims

Jujutsu Kaisen features many compelling villains, but while Ryomen Sukuna often steals the spotlight, Mojito might actually be more sinister. He stands out as one of the most evil characters in anime, not just for his powers, but because he genuinely enjoys causing psychological pain. Right from the start, Mojito cruelly experiments on people, horribly altering their bodies simply to satisfy his own twisted curiosity.

Mahito is a more malicious villain than Sukuna or Griffith because he intentionally inflicts emotional pain and aims to destroy people psychologically. When he realizes he can’t directly kill Yuji, he targets everyone Yuji cares about, using their deaths to cause maximum emotional distress. Unlike Sukuna, who kills purely for his own enjoyment, Mahito is a sadist who actively delights in the suffering of others.

Light Yagami Becomes a God-Complex-Driven Sociopath

Light Yagami from Death Note brilliantly illustrates how power can corrupt. Initially, he’s a gifted but bored student who feels superior to his peers. When he discovers the Death Note, he’s captivated by the ability to control life and death. While he begins with the seemingly noble goal of eliminating criminals, it quickly spirals into an obsession and a dangerous game of wits against his rivals, L, Mello, and Near. Ultimately, his priority shifts from justice to simply avoiding capture.

Light Yagami’s character drastically changes once he gets the Death Note back. He abandons his talk of justice and becomes fixated on ruling as a god. He coldly uses people like Misa and Takada, viewing them as expendable, and shows no feeling even when his own father is dying. A particularly shocking moment involves him leading Naomi Misora to her death. By the series’ end, Light has lost all empathy, becoming a complete sociopath – a level of coldness even the character Griffith doesn’t quite achieve.

2025-11-13 05:45