Even the most refreshing and unorthodox anime of today take inspiration from the medium’s classics—older series that defined anime before it became mainstream. Even the characters fans currently view as archetypes were once revolutionary, which made them go down in history as prototypes for modern heroes and villains.
Classic anime has countless unforgettable antagonists who still send shivers down viewers’ spines. An anime with subpar character writing would never stand the test of time, and classic anime’s most prominent villains are living proof of that sentiment.
10 Tetsuo Shima
Akira
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The cult-classic 1988 anime film Akira deconstructed the tale of a likable underdog in the characterization of its iconic villain, Tetsuo Shima. Developing an inferiority complex after being bossed around by fellow members of his motorcycle gang, Tetsuo grows irritated and restless, which kickstarts his transformation into one of anime’s most intimidating villains.
When Tetsuo develops intense psychic powers, they corrupt his weakened, vicious mind, leading the boy on a ruthless rampage through Neo-Tokyo to find Akira. Tetsuo’s frantic chase almost costs Tetsuo his humanity.
9 Frieza
Dragon Ball Z
The staple of the ’90s shonen scene, Dragon Ball Z has no shortage of outstanding villains many still consider the best in the genre. Yet, none of them could compare with the cruel allure of Frieza, the series’ most intimidating and immoral foe.
A vicious tyrant and a heartless sociopath, Frieza is the villain responsible for the destruction of countless planets and the near-total annihilation of the Saiyan race. Irredeemable yet powerful antagonists will always have their twisted appeal, as proven by Frieza’s ever-present legacy.
8 Ohtori Akio
Revolutionary Girl Utena
It’s hard to imagine a villain more wicked and twisted than Ohtori Akio, so many might be surprised to find him in a magical girl show. Yet, Revolutionary Girl Utena is far from a conventional shojo fantasy, and Akio is nothing like the superficial as most mahou shojo foes.
The entire Ohtori Academy is manipulated as a part of his wretched plan, and even Utena almost crumbles to his cunning advances. The most outrageous thing about Akio is his relationship with his sister, Anthy, who he sexually abuses and nearly sells into an arranged marriage.
7 Char Aznable
Mobile Suit Gundam
Char Aznable is, arguably, the most iconic villain not only in the Gundam franchise but in the entire mecha genre. Present in the series since its conception in 1979, Char remains its most prominent and well-recognized figure to this day.
A ruthless fighter and a charismatic leader, the Red Comet has all attributes of an iconic leader even heroes treat with respect. Unlike the one-dimensional villains mecha fans were used to at the time, Char also had character depth and a clear, tangible motivation for his evil deeds.
6 Vicious
Cowboy Bebop
Despite his limited screen time in the Cowboy Bebop anime, Spike’s archnemesis Vicious made a tremendous impact on the medium’s approach to creating antagonists. Fans can see shadows of his enchantingly enigmatic yet utterly sadistic demeanor in Wolf’s Rain’s Lord Darcia or Bungou Stray Dogs’ Fyodor.
Vicious’ cold and emotionless personality perfectly translates into his character design. While he might look worn, weak, and older than his 27 years due to his gray hair and slender, almost sickly build, Vicious is formidable both physically and intellectually.
5 Sosuke Aizen
Bleach
Despite emerging at the shonen scene much later than most anime classics, Bleach was a defining show for its era. Unlike the others in Shonen Jump’s “big three,” Bleach’s most memorable and influential character was not a hero but a villain.
Sosuke Aizen’s betrayal of the Soul Society from within was a twist no one saw coming. However, his unraveling as the villain only made Aizen more alluring. Unfortunately, no antagonist in the show could match Aizen’s charisma, which led to his repeated revivals and appearances.
4 Gendo Ikari
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion came out at the dusk of the ’80s and ’90s mecha craze to close this era off with a bang. A subversive take on the genre, NGE deconstructed the image of a classic mecha villain in Gendo Ikari—NERV’s ruthless commander and Shinji’s abusive, emotionally distant father.
Gendo betrayed humanity in the fight against angels and largely contributed to Shinji’s mental health deterioration. Despite commonly ranking as anime’s most hated villain, Gendo had a tremendous cultural impact on what constitutes effective antagonists.
3 Younger Toguro
Yu Yu Hakusho
Younger Toguro from Yu Yu Hakusho encapsulates everything iconic about old-school hypermasculine shonen characters in a perfect, if a bit ridiculous, package. A giant made seemingly of pure muscle, Toguro is a reserved yet immensely powerful beast of a man with demonic strength.
Despite being built to crush skulls with his bare hands, every time Toguro is at a disadvantage in battle, he just reveals that he was using just a fraction of his strength, powering up further. This trick makes all of his fights unpredictable and entertaining.
2 Reinhard Von Lohengramm
Legend Of The Galactic Heroes
A recent trend in modern anime emphasizes the blurred lines between good and evil. Yet, Death Note and Attack on Titan weren’t the first to make their protagonists and antagonists one and the same.
Legend of the Galactic Heroes is a space opera all about exposing both flaws and merits of different political systems at the hands of competent leaders. As the face of an authoritarian regime, Reinhard von Lohengramm is easily mistaken for a demonic tyrant. However, his character is much more complex than such a simple dichotomy, which makes him fascinating.
1 Griffith
Berserk
A rare anime villain sparks as much controversy as Berserk‘s Griffith, once an angelic, righteous leader of the Band of the Hawk turned into a monster by the power of his ambition. Griffith’s sacrifice of his comrades was the betrayal that almost broke Guts’ spirit, pushing the hero on a maniacal revenge quest.
Yet, fans still recognize signs of good nature in Griffith, understanding his philosophy despite disapproving of his actions. All of the above made Griffith a fascinating character a rare villain could match in terms of influence.