12 Anime Characters Who Could Have Been Villains

In many different anime series, the protagonists and antagonists have complicated points of view and moral differences. Good and evil aren’t always the simple dividers they seem to be. In much new-generation anime, for instance, the protagonist certainly isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. They are more complex, with noticeable flaws and potential areas of improvement to consider. Nobody and no main character is perfect, and this goes for minor personalities in shows as well.

By the same token, antagonists can be surprisingly sympathetic. How far can a character go, though, before they are considered a villain? Which anime characters could have been villains if they truly wanted to? Here are some anime stars who have the moral ambiguity and/or potential to be excellent villains, too.

12 Spike Spiegel: Cowboy Bebop

Spike Could Side With Evil For Money

Moments that almost made Spike a villain:

• Prioritizes his missions over people’s lives.
• Told an old woman that he is not bound to save others.

Though a Bounty Hunter, Cowboy Bebop’s Spike Spiegel has never explicitly said he was a hero. Spike has always been open about the fact he needs money. After all, one of his most iconic quotes is, “Does it look like I got money?” As a result, he has done his fair share of illegal and morally questionable things in the name of survival and profit alike.

For example, he has put countless lives in danger to catch a bounty, including threatening a hostage. Spike defends his actions by saying: “sorry lady, we don’t strictly protect or serve. This is … business.” He does go on to save the hostage in this instance, but it’s commonly understood that Spike is about getting the job done, and he has no qualms about crossing moral lines to do so.

11 Gon Freecss: Hunter x Hunter

Forgets About Good & Bad During His Rage Moments

Moments that almost made Gon a villain:

• Used Komugi as a hostage.
• Threatened to kill his friend Meleoron.

Gon Freecss is typically a jubilant, eccentric, and adventurous child. As the Hunter x Hunter series took a darker turn, however, Gon’s personality changed accordingly. The Chimera Arc introduced a Gon struck with grief and rage after Kite’s death. When fighting the opponent who killed him (Nerferpitou), Gon ruthlessly deals terrible damage to his body. Killua Zoldyck stumbles upon the scene and stares, disturbed yet hurt for his friend.

It’s the first time we see Gon tap into his vicious and merciless side and hint that he could be quite the merciless villain if his story took that direction. On top of that, except for the Chimera Ant arc, Hunter X Hunter is not the typical show where the villains threaten humanity; it is more like an anime where characters need to be strong for their survival and save themselves from others. So, Gon showing his villainous side sometimes might not come as a surprise.

10 Bakugou Katsuki: My Hero Academia

Became A Hero To Satisfy His Ego

Moments that almost made Bakugou a villain:

• Bullied those who are weaker than him.
• Discouraged Deku from applying to UA.

When introduced in My Hero Academia, Bakugou Katsuki’s angry and explosive personality set him up as a potential villain. In fact, the show touches on this topic when Bakugou is interrogated by the League Of Villains, who wish to have Bakugou on their side. Let’s not forget that Bakugou’s ruthless bullying of the main protagonist, Izuku Midoriya, did help his case here.

Nevertheless, Bakugou is a hero and never stops proving himself over the course of the show. His character development has improved in the series, with Bakugou learning how to express empathy and ask for forgiveness. You watch as Bakugou grows from a teenager into an adult. You learn that he isn’t a villain (the series boasts some fantastic ones) but simply a child who needs guidance. If he hadn’t received it, it’s difficult to say where he would have been.

9 Manjiro Sano: Tokyo Revengers

Actually Became A Villain In Other Timelines

Moments that almost made Mikey a villain:

• Shot Takemichi in a different timeline.
• Killed most of his friends.

Firstly, Mikey stands tall as a gang member, a shade away from the halo of goodness. Despite being portrayed as a major protagonist, he’s not one to shy away from showing people their place whenever necessary. Tokyo Revengers boldly illustrates that the smallest tweak in the past could have transformed Mikey into a malevolent gang leader, unleashing chaos with activities ranging from drugs to trafficking.

It’s Takemichi’s relentless struggle for a better future that shapes Mikey into the person we recognize today. Without Takemichi’s resolute efforts, Mikey might have been swallowed by the shadows, becoming a figure synonymous with the darker side of Japan’s underworld.

8 Guts: Berserk

A Sadist

Moments that almost made Guts a villain:

• Threw the severed head of a woman in front of her brother.
• Allowed the slaughter of an entire village.

Guts hovers on the brink of darkness, and who can blame the guy? The horrors he’s witnessed, his haunting past, and his relentless struggles could easily consume anyone with revenge and malevolence. There are moments where he seemingly relishes inflicting pain on his foes, a trait usually associated with villains.

Yet, amid this chaos, Guts clings to his humanity, which is quite surprising. Sure, anime protagonists do their fair share of killing, but Guts occasionally dips into sadism and merciless acts. We mean, what kind of hero hurls a woman’s severed head in front of her brother? There’s a very thin line of evil and good in Guts’ case, and he has crossed that line countless times.

7 Mayuri Kurotsuchi: Bleach

Sides With Humanity For His Own Benefits

Moments that almost made Mayuri a villain:

• Looks at people like test subjects.
• Killed Szayel in the most disturbing and painful way one can imagine.

Bleach’s Mayuri Kurotsuchi was previously a captured prisoner held within the Soul Society, punished for his crimes and dangerous scientific abilities. Nonetheless, Kurotsuchi becomes a captain of the Court Guard Squads, showing that the Soul Society isn’t always about representing traditional heroic characters.

Kurotsuchi has displayed villainous tendencies a number of times. For instance, his battle with Uryuu Ishida showed that Kurotsuchi didn’t care for his “research subjects” and would experiment on anything, including human Quincies, Arrancar, and other unique species. Though it’s for the betterment of the Soul Society’s development, Kurotsuchi can easily use his techniques for evil and could have descended even further if given the chance to do so.

6 Killua Zoldyck: Hunter x Hunter

Doesn’t Hesitate To Kill

Moments that almost made Killua a villain:

• Took out a guy’s heart very casually.

Coming from a family of assassins, it’s no surprise that Killua could have been a villain. And not to forget, he has shown his villainous side a few times in the series. Take his battle with Jones, for instance. What kind of hero takes out the heart of a living human so casually and walks off the field like it’s an everyday thing? He was practically raised to take lives and handle torture. He was also denied friends or other social bonds.

Nonetheless, when he meets Gon, Killua begins to tap into his childlike innocence. He develops strong friendships with others and finds value in his life. Gon’s initial friendship proved absolutely fundamental in Killua’s development as a character. Killua may have succumbed to his family’s deadly and destructive lifestyle without him.

5 Saitama: One-Punch Man

Could Even Battle Heroes In Search Of A Worthy Opponent

Moments that almost made Saitama a villain:

• Destroyed the moon of Jupiter with his sneeze.

When you look at Saitama in One-Punch Man, he isn’t the scariest person ever. He’s rather gentle and is known for his quirky sense of humor. However, he packs an iconic punch, and the level of threat he poses with his unrivaled strength in this action-packed show is frightening to consider.

Saitama has a strength that is both admirable and a curse. He wishes for a stronger opponent but can’t seem to find one. And this same urge to fight more powerful opponents could sometimes erase the line between good and bad. If given the opportunity to fight a worthy opponent, Saitama wouldn’t hesitate to battle someone who isn’t against Humanity. Saitama’s power is admirable but leaves him with free rein to do whatever he pleases in a world that can’t stop him.

4 Eren Jaeger: Attack On Titan

Killed 80% Of Humanity

Moments that almost made Eren a villain:

• Eradicated 80% of humanity.
• Put his friends on the verge of death for his own beliefs.

The discourse regarding Eren Jaeger’s status as a villain or a hero continues to dominate the Attack On Titan fandom. Within the series, his actions lead to countless deaths and so much pain and sadness in a tragic world already doomed by Titan disasters. Nonetheless, some believe Eren’s actions are necessary, while others think they are plain malevolent. This division in beliefs is itself proof of his different sides.

Depending on a viewer’s point of view, he can be labeled as an antagonist and or protagonist, but everything he did was to free the world from Titans once and for all. But at what cost? His actions led to the devastation of four-fifths of humanity. Regardless of these opinions, though, there’s no denying that Eren Jaeger’s moral ambiguity makes him an intriguing main character.

3 Kenpachi Zaraki: Bleach

Wants To Battle Someone Stronger Even If They Are Not Evil

Moments that almost made Kenpachi a villain:

• Killed Unohana despite being on the same side.
• Killed numerous innocent people in search of a good battle.

Just present Kenpachi Zaraki’s photo to someone unacquainted with Bleach, and they might immediately peg him as a cold-hearted murderer, the prime antagonist in an anime. Yet, Kenpachi is a major protagonist in the series, though he could easily have worn the mantle of a formidable villain.

His sole reason for existence centers on battling the most formidable opponents, regardless of who they are sided with. A prime instance of this is Kenny’s showdown with Unohana, the former Kenpachi. It’s the wild, unapologetic, and utterly bad guy persona of Zaraki that we find so riveting. He’s a character that defies easy categorization.

2 Alucard: Hellsing

Follows Sir Integra’s Orders, Even If They Are Evil

Moments that almost made Alucard a villain:

• Killed around four million people.
• Can be seen killing a lot of innocent people.

Alucard’s status as a vampire alone could firmly place him in the villain category. Yet, the Hellsing series took a bold path by casting a sadistic, cold-hearted vampire as its protagonist, a decision that ultimately proved brilliant. Bound by unwavering loyalty to Sir Integra, Alucard undertakes all manner of assignments without question.

However, had this formidable beast been left unchecked, Alucard could have easily become the most formidable anime villain to date. His sinister aura, otherworldly powers, and immortality categorize him as nigh invincible, a prospect that would be even more daunting if he stood on the side of malevolence.

1 Sasuke: Naruto

A villain Turned Hero

Moments that almost made Sasuke a villain:

• Planned the destruction of Leaf Village.
• Almost killed Naruto in a battle.

Lastly, we have Sasuke, claiming the top spot on the list due to his intriguing journey from villainy to heroism in the Naruto franchise. Driven by an insatiable thirst for vengeance over his fallen village and his parents’ murder, Sasuke’s sole purpose was to bring his older brother, Itachi, to justice. Even after achieving his revenge, Sasuke’s quest didn’t end, and he plotted the total destruction of the Leaf Village.

If not for Naruto’s determination and Sakura’s love for Sasuke, he might have remained the franchise’s central antagonist until the very end. However, Sasuke’s destiny took a different turn, and he eventually aligned himself with our heroes, ultimately evolving into a true hero in his own right.