Often, a story is about good versus evil, where the heroes battle the forces of darkness over any stakes imaginable. Some villains want to conquer or destroy the world, or at least reshape it in their own image. Heroes risk it all to uphold the law, justice, honor, and freedom, or even just to settle a personal vendetta.
What heroes and villains have in common is that they fight for a banner, a nation, or a cause. They're lawfully bound to a code of rules or ethics, and this dictates what they do. Some anime characters, though, stake it out on their own, make their own rules, and wander the earth to find their own niche. Being unpredictable and free from a cause, these rogues and outlaws can be great fun to watch. Who are the most intriguing anime rogues out there?
10 Kino (Kino's Journey - The Beautiful World)
In the short anime Kino's Journey - The Beautiful World, and the manga of the same name, an 18-year-old named Kino roams the land on a talking motorcycle. What's his mission? Kino's not out there to avenge a fallen comrade or save the world. Instead, he's content to roam the world's many mini-nations and see what wonders and horrors each one might have, and he never stays in one for more than three days.
This wandering teenager visits a tower-like roaming city, a Wild West-esque nation where murder is legal, a nation on the brink of disaster due to an impending volcanic eruption, and much more.
9 Sesshomaru (InuYasha)
Some rogues in anime were always free spirits who made their own world, since they would not or could not fit in as a villain or hero. Meanwhile, the powerful demon named Sesshomaru started out as a villain in InuYasha, determined to slaughter his half-demon brother and inherit their father's great legacy.
This didn't last long, though, after InuYasha dealt his older brother a serious blow with the Tetsusaiga. Now, Sesshomaru wanders feudal Japan as a neutral third party. He not only has his goblin-like retainer to contend with, but the orphan Rin. Sesshomaru won over viewers' hearts when he adopted this poor girl and healed her. He's almost like a tender father figure at times.
8 Sasuke Uchiha (Naruto)
Sasuke leans closer to being a true villain than Sesshomaru does, but overall, his slippery allegiances and self-interest certainly make him a fun outlaw to watch. Sasuke's ultimate mission is to restore the Uchiha family and wreak vengeance on anyone who did it harm, and he joined Team Seven not to be a hero, but gain the power needed to make his ambition a reality.
He hit a dead end there and joined Orochimaru to gain some serious strength, as of Naruto Shippuden. But even that wasn't enough, so Sasuke slew Orochimaru and joined Tobi/Madara Uchiha on his mission to destroy the Leaf Village in the fallen Uchiha family's name.
7 Lupin III (Lupin III)
The master thief known as Lupin III has been a charming rogue and outlaw ever since the early 1970s. Lupin's adventures have taken him all over the world, and not for a minute does he fight for a nation or a cause. No, he'd much rather test his skills and get a thrill from stealing jewels, money, and even people or deadly secrets from banks, private collections, and more.
He's not a bad guy, since he never acts out of malice and doesn't kill anyone. He isn't a hero either, not even a Robin Hood type. What will he do next? There's no predicting (or catching) a wily rogue like this!
6 Nezuko (Demon Slayer)
It may be tempting to say that Nezuko is a hero, since she's the loyal little sister of the heroic demon slayer Tanjiro, but not quite. Nezuko's existence is a precarious one, as she is a demon that will not harm people. Thus, she doesn't fit in anywhere in the world, since human society would reject a demon like her, but other demons don't accept her, either.
Nezuko has fought fellow demons several times in Demon Slayer's first season, but the elite nine demon slayers (the Hashira) won't accept her. Nezuko will have to live in the shadows until her loving big brother restores her humanity at last.
5 Yoruichi Shihoin (Bleach)
Rogues can be somewhat villainous, somewhat heroic, or completely neutral and chaotic. Many tend to be on the heroic side, though, and that includes the former Soul Reaper Captain Yoruichi Shihoin of the Bleach anime. 110 years ago in the lore, Yoruichi was the esteemed head of Squad 2, and a noblewoman of the Shihoin family. Yoruichi threw all that away to rescue her friend Kisuke Urahara from his fate and went rogue.
Soi Fon, who idolized her, was devastated by her hero's departure. Now, Yoruichi fights for good, first aiding Ichigo in rescuing Rukia, then helping fight the arrancars without fear. She even contributes to the desperate battle against the Wandenreich in the manga. All this time, she did so on her own terms, as an independent party.
4 Dr. Marcoh (Fullmetal Alchemist)
Strictly speaking, the story of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherood is rife with rogues and outlaws, such as the Homunculus Greed, Scar and even the Elric brothers themselves. Dr. Marcoh is a rogue himself, though, and he ought to get some credit like those other characters do. His story is tragic but fascinating. Dr. Marcoh is a brilliant scientist who engineered the Philosopher's Stones, but he ran away in disgust after this work was done.
He became a simple healer at a peaceful town until the Homunculi dragged him back to Central, and Scar broke him out again. Now, the good doctor is risking his life to help undo the inhumane work he has done, and that is truly noble.
3 Bruno Bucciarati (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
As in Fullmetal Alchemist, many characters in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure operate independently and for selfish reasons, but most of them are clearly defined as heroes of villains. The vampire overlord DIO, for example, had an array of elite stand users to employ against Jotaro's squad in Stardust Crusaders.
Later, in Golden Wind, we meet the huge and powerful Passione gang in Naples. Bruno Bucciarati commands his own squad of stand users, but after a brutal encounter with Diavolo, Bucciarati renounces his allegiance and goes rogue to protect Trisha.
2 Toru (Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid)
Now we get a rogue who's not dark or gritty or tragic, but bright and sunny! Meet Toru, a powerful dragon from an alternate fantasy realm. What makes her such an outlaw? Toru abandoned the dragon wars of her home and ended up in the human world, and in gratitude for Ms. Kobayashi's kindness, became her housemaid at once.
Toru has a human form, which she uses to make the world a better place, one vacuumed floor at a time. It's humble but honest work, and Toru loves it. She's pretty reluctant to return to her own world and its power struggles, even as other dragons and monsters urge her to return.
1 Naofumi Iwatani (The Rising of the Shield Hero)
Like many characters on this list, Naofumi fights for justice and to save the world, but like all other characters on this list, he does things on his own terms. Not by choice, though: the scheming princess Myne frames him and he's banished from the king's court and kicked out of the four-man squad of heroes. But that didn't stop him.
Naofumi fights alongside the demi-human Raphtalia and Filo, and they save the world one village at a time. During his travels, Naofumi learns more about the world, gains new skills, and fights alongside different allies. He'll save the world, even if he does it solo!