When someone has a god complex, they have a tendency to elevate themselves while simultaneously looking down upon everyone else. It's the precipice of arrogance and a phenomenon all too present in the real world.

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It's been equally ubiquitous in anime and many of the characters who have such a complex wield frightening power to match their disturbing attitudes. By identifying the people who possess a god complex, whether subtly or otherwise, fans gain a better understanding of how their personal outlook on life could impact everyone else around them and single-handedly define a story's trajectory in the long run.

Updated 7/5/22 by Sarah Martin: Since this list was published in 2021, we've added a few more characters with serious god complexes who think that they're better than everyone else. Whether it's narcissism or plain old cockiness, these characters can't see the errors of their ways and adhere to a strict "my way or the highway" mentality.

14 Akashi Seijuro Believes That His Judgment Is Absolute (Kuroko's Basketball)

Seijuro Akashi from Kuroko's Basketball.

In Kuroko's Basketball, Akashi Seijuro believes his judgment is absolute. With his special ability, the Emperor Eye, he can trick the opponent's eyes into making them lose their balance and fall to their knees, as though they're kneeling before him on the court.

To protect himself from his fear of abandonment as a child, Akashi created barriers between himself and others. In time, his pride and need to protect himself at all costs sometimes led him to act more tyrannical while he was captain. As the narrative progressed, Akashi walked away from those tendencies.

13 Lelouch Calls Himself The Devil Incarnate (Code Geass)

Lelouch lamperouge looking smug in Code Geass.

Lelouch from Code Geass has a god complex, but he doesn't think of himself as a divine, holy being. Instead, he calls himself the Devil Incarnate. He's done several questionable things throughout the series and doesn't care who he has to walk over or kill to get his way.

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In Lelouch's mind, the ends justify the brutal means. Despite starting out with noble intentions of destroying the tyrannical Brittania, he becomes everything he hates in the end. Lelouch even takes pride in the atrocities he's committed over the years.

12 Keima Katsuragi Thinks That He's The God Of Dating Simulators (The World Only God Knows)

Keima Katsuragi The World God Only Knows

While other characters with god complexes seek to conquer the world and amass large followings from their conquest, Keima from The World Only God Knows is totally satisfied with being the self-appointed god of dating simulators. His ambition is more innocent than some other characters with lofty views of themselves, but it's nonetheless hilariously bizarre.

Keima is a socially awkward teenager in his real life, but as soon as he starts playing a dating sim, his ego explodes off the charts. He even grows more confident about flirting with the game's runaway spirits to the point where he doesn't have an issue with just walking up and kissing one.

11 Izaya Is A Classic Male Manipulator (Durarara!!)

Izaya Orihara from Durarara

Izaya from Durarara!! is one of anime's most lovable villains, but perhaps that's the entire point of his character. He's a classic manipulator who can charm anyone into doing his bidding, but it's partially to protect himself from getting close to others.

Izaya created his own board game that was an amalgamation of other games like chess, checkers, shogi, and othello. He played it alone in his apartment and played with such strict rules people believed were a reflection of how he viewed the real world. Izaya would swear otherwise.

10 Meruem Claimed The Lives Of His Own Subordinates At His Leisure (Hunter X Hunter)

Meruem hits Pitou (Hunter X Hunter)

In Hunter X Hunter, Meruem was the leader of the Chimera Ants and a villain who considered himself to be the precipice of evolution. The lives of those around him were expendable, a fact he repeatedly made clear to enemy and ally alike.

Meruem butchered professional game masters after defeating them and even murdered his subordinates for addressing him in a way he found improper. Although the King would eventually grow past his god complex, he'd already caused damage too grave for his enemies to overlook.

9 All For One Viewed Himself As His Own Version Of A Savior (My Hero Academia)

All For One propositions Shigaraki in My Hero Academia

In My Hero Academia, All For One's ability to give and take Quirks encouraged him to pursue a life of dominance and villainy. By redistributing powers, he built an army of followers who were feverishly loyal and treated the kingpin like a god. They respected and feared him, partially because of his immense power.

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Even Tomura Shigaraki, a character known for his own hubris, would kneel before All For One and call him "master." Ultimately, All For One was just as much of a symbol of evil as Toshinori was for peace.

8 Eneru Proclaimed Himself As A God Despite Simply Being An Advanced Devil Fruit User (One Piece)

Eneru leaning on his side in One Piece

In One Piece, Eneru claimed himself to be the God of Skypiea, a statement the nation believed wholeheartedly. He was powerful enough to send massive bolts of lightning to any part of his domain, nearly obliterating the Straw Hat pirates before their quest had even begun.

Eneru also possessed an advanced form of observation Haki that allowed him to keep close watch over his "subjects." In spite of this, Eneru was simply an advanced devil fruit user and had no tangible ways to claim authentic divinity.

7 Light Yagami Thought He Embodied Justice Itself (Death Note)

Death Note's Light Yagami

Light Yagami began his journey with the titular Death Note by attempting to eradicate evil from the world. However, it wasn't long before he was assassinating innocent people to preserve his identity.

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In Light's mind, he fancied himself to be the manifestation of justice and encouraged his followers to think of him as such. He only realized the error of his ways on the cusp of death, limping through the streets he knew as a kid, unable to recognize the monster he'd become over time.

6 DIO Acted Like & Was Treated As A God (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)

Dio's evil laughter in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.

DIO's vampiric condition and surprising charisma afforded him a considerable reputation with those who crossed his path in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. He easily amassed vast harems and throngs of servants who were mindlessly devoted to his will. Those who refused were either given brain parasites or murdered outright.

Having already been blinded by hubris before his ascension, DIO's new lot in life enabled him to enact every vile fantasy with the strength to back it up. Were it not for Jotaro's intervention, DIO's usage of Joestar blood would've unlocked The World's full potential.

5 Karl Fritz Used The Founding Titan To Act Like The God Of His People (Attack On Titan)

Karl and Ymir Fritz in Attack On Titan.

In Attack On Titan, Karl Fritz was the lord of Ymir and thereby the true master of the Founding Titan. Having been wrought with guilt for the Eldians' atrocities against the world, he used his powers to corral his entire race behind the walls of Paradis and altered their memories.

Making them think they were the final remnants of humanity, Karl was suppressing the free will of millions to placate his own conscience. He even went so far as to claim that their eventual destruction would be a "penance."

4 Ragyo Kiryuin Viewed Herself As Superior To Humans & Used Her Own Daughter As An Experiment (Kill La Kill)

Ragyo Kiryuin, Kill La Kill

In Kill La Kill, Ragyo Kiryuin was the mistress of life fibers and a woman who intended to destroy the entire planet. She viewed her threads as superior to humans in order to justify the chaos yet to come.

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Ragyo 's views were so radical she even attempted to fuse life fibers and humans and used Ryuko Matoi, her own daughter, as a test subject. Ultimately, this mistake would be her undoing, even if Ryuko displayed potential beyond Ragyo's wildest dreams.

3 Ryo Saw Humans As A Novelty & Adored Turning Them Against Each Other (Devilman Crybaby)

Ryo from Devilman Crybaby.

In Devilman Crybaby, Ryo viewed humans as playthings for his amusement and eventual extermination. Moreover, he enjoyed toying with mortals, particularly when pitting them against each other. This was why he assumed the guise of a humble and concerned philanthropist for a majority of the series.

In the end, Ryo was one of the few villains who managed to successfully destroy the planet and end the life of his heroic counterpart. He only realized the price of his ego after there was nothing and no one left for him to break.

2 Pain Believed He Could Save The World Through Mass Destruction (Naruto)

Pain From Naruto.

Pain from Naruto is the leader of the Akatsuki. He's develops a religious-like ideology, believes he's the one who can save the world from more war, destruction, and suffering. According to Pain, salvation will comes after inflicting as much pain on the world as possible.

Pain has declared some thought-provoking things about his beliefs, but it's nonetheless a villainous tactic to force societal reform through mass-casualties. He believes pain forces people to grow and that through constant doom, the villages will finally stop warring and the world will be at peace.

1 Father Nearly Destroyed God (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Father from Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood.

Despite his humble beginnings as the dwarf in the flask, Father from Fullmetal Alchemist sought to strike out and even replace God by creating a transmutation circle that would encompass the entire planet. With the power he managed to steal, he was nearly successful in reaching the heavens themselves and becoming the strongest entity in existence.

Were it not for the intervention of Edward Elric and his allies, Father may have even been successful in his machinations. However, his grandiose and over-ambitious plans would soon prove to be his undoing.

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