When most fans think of heroes, they think of all the good things they do. However, there are many anime heroes who have spilled more than their share of blood. Their motivations might not always be completely pure, but these heroes do what they think is necessary for their causes.
Whether it was justified or not, these anime heroes have killed several people. Some of these heroes have even killed people by the thousands. Although the count varies, the number of lives these anime heroes have taken is staggering. A lot of these heroes are beloved, but that does not make them any less deadly.
10 Roy Mustang Ended Many Ishvalan Lives (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
Roy Mustang was a soldier in the Amestrian-Ishvalan War. As a State Alchemist in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, it was Mustang's job to take out enemy Ishvalans. Due to this, Mustang is responsible for taking many lives. Although he thought he was doing his job in the name of justice, he now feels guilty about his part in the conflict.
Additionally, Mustang's journey to become the Fuhrer puts him in more situations where the need to kill. Mustang is faced with two homunculi who hurt his friends. Blinded by rage, and seeking vengeance, Mustang burns them both to a crisp, leaving nothing but ash behind.
9 Yor Briar Is The Thorn Princess (Spy x Family)
Yor Briar is a young professional by day, and an assassin named Thorn Princess by night. Since she has been in the murderer-for-hire-industry since she was very young, Yor has quite the body count. Though she initially started her treacherous career as a way to make money for herself and her brother, Yor has continued this work into her twenties.
Now Loid Forger's fake wife, Yor does her best in the new role. She also watches over her adopted daughter, Anya, and ensures she knows how to take care of herself. Yor ends countless people's lives, while also building a life with her new family in Spy x Family.
8 Korosensei Is An Ex-Assassin (Assassination Classroom)
Assassination Classroom follows a class of down-on-their-luck students who are tasked with assassinating their teacher. Korosensei may have blown up the moon, but he is a great teacher who his students adore. However, his past harbors more than one exploded moon.
Before he was captured and experimented on, Korosensei was an assassin known as The Reaper. In his tenure as a hired killer, Korosensei killed innumerable people – becoming one of the best assassins in the world. He even passed on his talents to another before his capture. He may be a fun-loving teacher now, but his past explains many of his now inhuman abilities.
7 Light Yagami Became A Vigilante (Death Note)
Light Yagami is an ordinary high schooler until he stumbles upon a notebook and Shinigami in Death Note. Light discovers the notebook is a Death Note, a book that causes peoples' deaths if their names are written in it. Light takes this knowledge to rid the world of people he deems villainous.
As the show goes on, Light becomes more and more bloodthirsty with increasingly creative deaths. He even takes on the pseudonym "Kira" as he systematically takes down people who get in his way. Light even kills the detective on his case in a last-ditch effort to evade capture.
6 Ken Kaneki Has To Eat (Tokyo Ghoul)
Despite his initially held views on the sanctity of human life, Ken Kaneki eventually lets his half-ghoul side take over in Tokyo Ghoul. Although he can still eat regular human food at first, Kaneki finds that he has to eat human flesh to stay alive. However, he does turn to eating other ghouls for a time.
Although he kills mostly out of necessity, there have been times when Kaneki loses himself. He is desperately afraid of being alone, making him a ruthless and fierce protector. If anyone close to him is in danger, Kaneki does not think twice about disposing of those who wish his loved ones harm. Kaneki's body count climbs higher and higher the farther he drifts from humanity.
5 Guts Is The Black Swordsman (Berserk)
As a mercenary known as The Black Swordsman, Guts has a reputation for killing in the show Berserk. As a skilled warrior, Guts has ended many lives – either for payment or during his stint with the Band of the Falcon. Throughout his travels, Guts has harmed many people and entities to cement his status as an excellent swordsman.
Despite being the protagonist, Guts is quick to enact revenge when he feels wronged, especially where Griffith is concerned. Gut's strong sense of retribution has led him on even more quests to end people's lives in the name of vengeance.
4 Meliodas Is The Dragon Sin Of Wrath (The Seven Deadly Sins)
As the Dragon Sin of Wrath, it is no wonder that Meliodas has a propensity for aggression. Additionally, since he has lived such a long life, the number of people he has killed has racked up over the years. That said, no one wants to be on Meliodas's bad side when the Demon King gets angry in The Seven Deadly Sins.
Unfortunately, the people of the Danafor know this fact keenly. When the demon Fraudrin kills Meliodas's love, Liz, Meliodas loses his mind with grief and destroys the kingdom of Danafor. With anger as total and devastating as Meliodas's, enemies would be wise to stay away.
3 Akira Fudo Put An End To A Mob (Devilman Crybaby)
Akira Fudo is a normal young man until he is possessed by the demon Amon in Devilman Crybaby. Fortunately, he retains his human consciousness, making him a Devilman. Akira uses his new power to protect his loved ones from the enemy demons. However, he is not always successful.
When his long-time crush, Miki Makimura is murdered by an angry mob, Akira can no longer hold back his emotions and slaughters everyone in the vicinity. Fire shoots from his back, making a blaze so great that it incinerates everyone in the area. Although he was fighting for them all along, the humans were the monsters who killed Akira's friend Miki.
2 Eren Yeager Hopes To Cull His Enemies (Attack On Titan)
Eren Yeager begins his journey when the monstrous Titans break through the walls surrounding his home and devour his mom in Attack on Titan. From then on, Eren vows to kill all the Titans and live a life of freedom. Unfortunately, the shocked truths that are uncovered change Eren's plans.
After discovering the truth about Titans, Eren decides his only course of action is to start The Rumbling to quash all those opposed to the Eldians of Paradis. By doing so, Eren wipes out everyone and everything in his path. This utter disregard for human life is in stark contrast to his original ideals.
1 Giorno Giovanna Ends People's Lives Forever (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
Giorno Giovanna is JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind's protagonist, and an unofficial Joestar. Giorno has lofty ideals about the way society should run and works his way up through a gang to eventually become the leader.
While all of this is impressive, it is not nearly as imposing as Giorno's stand upgrade: Gold Experience Requiem. This stand nullifies the existence of its victims, causing all of their actions to be reverted. If the victim dies when Gold Experience Requiem strikes, they experience death forever, as their death is continuously reverted to them. This makes Giorno's kill count infinite, as anyone experiencing death under his upgraded Stand dies forever.