There's nothing quite like watching your favorite characters persevere when fighting the forces of evil. Heroes dedicate their lives to saving the innocent, and they don't always have superpowers. Sometimes, they are simple people, detectives, soldiers, or policemen.

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But anime protagonists aren't always on the side of good, and the police don't always have the people's best interests at heart. It's not unusual to see cat and mouse chases between the main characters in an anime and the authorities.

10 Light Yagami Becomes Kira Despite His Father Being Chief Of Police (Death Note)

Light Yagami wearing a headset in a helicopter while regaining his memory in Death Note.

One of the most infamous mass murderers in anime history, Death Note's Light Yagami starts out as an intelligent, hardworking young man with a strong sense of justice. His upbringing as the son of Chief of Police Soichiro Yagami gives him unique insight into the world of crime. When he finds Ryuk's Death Note, he decides to get rid of the criminals escaping justice, and to this end, he creates his Kira identity.

Gradually, the power of the Death Note turns his hubris into insanity, and his end goal is to become a god of his new world. Kira is pursued by a task force including Light's own father and genius detective L. After L's death, the investigation is taken over by the Special Provision for Kira, headed by Near and formed out of FBI and CIA members.

9 Lelouch Vi Britannia Has An Entire Empire Hunting Zero Down (Code Geass)

Lelouch, Code Geass

The protagonist of Code Geass, Lelouch vi Britannia is a prince on a mission. He aims to topple his father's tyrannical rule, while at the same time avenging his mother and building a better world for his sister. To this end, he becomes Zero and unites ragtag groups of freedom fighters under the banner of the Black Knights, and Britannian authorities aren't happy. His own sister, Cornelia, heads the search for Zero in Japan, and his best friend Suzaku is instrumental in his capture.

8 Akame Is An Assassin Fighting Against The People Who Once Used Her (Akame Ga Kill!)

Akame Attacking With Her Sword In Akame Ga Kill Anime

The main heroine of the Akame Ga Kill! series, Akame understands gray morality better than anyone. Having seen the corruption of the Empire who enslaved her, she defects to the Rebels and becomes one of the most dangerous assassins in Night Raid. She is as caring with her friends as she is ruthless with her opponents. But Akame and her fellow assassins don't lead an easy life. One of Night Raid's worst enemies is Esdeath, who leads a police squad called the Jaegers. The anime is packed with tragedy as the members of Night Raid are gradually killed.

7 Kaneki Ken Is A Man-Eating Ghoul Hunted Down By The CCG (Tokyo Ghoul)

Kaneki with scary grin in Tokyo Ghoul

Tokyo Ghoul's Kaneki Ken isn't born a ghoul. He is turned into one by the unethical experimentation of his doctor, Professor Kanou, after Kanou transplants the organs of ghoul Rize into Kaneki. He takes refuge with the kind ghouls of Anteiku, but his pacifistic stance changes after he is tortured by Jason. He joins the Aogiri Tree and becomes known as 'Eyepatch', one of the most dangerous ghouls hunted down by the CCG - the Commission of Counter Ghoul. At the end of season two, he surrenders to the CCG and is seriously injured by Kishou Arima.

6 James Moriarty Is Britain's Terrifying Lord Of Crime (Moriarty The Patriot)

Moriarty The Patriot Group

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes, has appeared in countless movies and series. The adventures of Sherlock and Watson always captivate the imagination of the viewers, leaving them wanting more. The most recent anime version Moriarty the Patriot is a little different. Instead of focusing on Sherlock's journey, it rotates around Sherlock's nemesis, James Moriarty. Unlike in TV shows like BBC's Sherlock, in Moriarty the Patriot, James Moriarty isn't just one person, but three.

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The three Moriarty brothers - William, Albert, and Louis - take up the mantle of the Lord of Crime in an attempt to purge Britain of its corrupt aristocracy and bridge the gap between social classes. William plays the bigger role, and it is he who ultimately becomes the face of the Lord of Crime when he goes on a murder spree in the final season of the anime. After his brother's supposed death, Albert is arrested after accepting responsibility for William's actions. Louis dedicates his life to serving the Crown as the leader of the newly formed MI6.

5 Kei Is Hunted Down By The Government For His Ajin Abilities (Ajin: Demi-Human)

Ajin Demi-human Kei

Ajin: Demi-Human centers on Kei Nagai, a character who learns he belongs to the terrifying species called 'ajin.' Their most defining feature is their absolute immortality, but they possess other abilities, such as a paralyzing scream and the power to use Invisible Black Matter in combat.

Kei's ajin's nature becomes revealed after he is run over by a truck and he miraculously comes back to life. He flees with the help of his human friend Kaito, but is ultimately captured by humans and experimented on. In some ways, he becomes a pawn in a grander game played by main antagonist Sato with the members of the government.

4 Hyobu Kyousuke Fights For A Better Future For Espers (Zettai Karen Children)

Hyobu Kyosuke The Unlimited

Hyobu Kyosuke first appears as an antagonist in Zettai Karen Children. He leads an organization called P.A.N.D.R.A, which he creates to build a world where Espers--users of psychic powers--are free instead of ostracized or controlled. His drastic beliefs are the result of a long life riddled with pain and betrayal.

He is the protagonist in The Unlimited - Hyōbu Kyōsuke, and his organization is in constant conflict with B.A.B.E.L., the Esper secret service division of the Japanese Government Home Ministry. B.A.B.E.L.'s main fighting unit, known as The Children, often clashes with Hyobu's forces, but he isn't deterred. He believes that one of the Children, Kaoru Akashi, will be the one to lead the Espers to a better future, even if she does turn into 'the Queen of Catastrophe' in the process.

3 Lupin The Third Is The World's Most Wanted Thief (Lupin The Third)

Lupin III

One of the oldest criminal protagonists in anime history, Lupin the Third is the grandson of Arsene Lupin. Having followed in his grandfather's footsteps, he pursues a life of crime. He's appeared in many types of media, from manga to live-action films and movies, and his personality and the extent of his crimes change on occasion.

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Earlier incarnations of Lupin the Third display a version of the character who indulges in violent and vicious acts. More recently, Lupin has become a 'gentleman thief', the show softening considerably in approach. Either way, he's always pursued by the police, with his biggest nemesis being Inspector Zenigata.

2 Shiro Is Unfairly Accused Of Murdering The Red King's Vassal (K)

Silver King Weismann

In the world of K, seven kings are granted supernatural abilities by the mysterious Dresden Slate, powers which they use to build organizations around themselves. When one of the members of the Red Clan, HOMRA, is killed, the hunt is on for the murderer. The culprit posts a video admitting to the crime, and the main suspect is the protagonist, Yashiro Isana.

Shiro remembers nothing of the murder and spends a large part of the anime on the run from both HOMRA and the police-based Blue Clan, Scepter 4. He is ultimately proven innocent after it turns out that he is the Silver King and his body was stolen by the real murderer, the Colorless King.

1 Shu Stumbles Into A Life Of Terrorism After Receiving The Void Genome (Guilty Crown)

Shu and Inori from Guilty Crown

The protagonist of Guilty Crown Ouma Shu is an apathetic and withdrawn young man. He shows no real interest in his day-to-day life. His only hobby is watching videos of the band Egoist and its singer Inori on the Internet. Unbeknownst to him, she is a freedom fighter working against the GHQ, an organization created by the UN to establish stability in Japan after the Apocalypse Virus.

When Inori is captured by the GHQ, Shu is drawn into her terrorist organization, the Funeral Parlor, and accidentally receives 'the Power of the King' through the Void Genome. Forcibly drawn into the conflict between the Funeral Parlor and the GHQ, he remains indecisive and resentful of the Parlor's leader, Gai. This gradually changes as he ultimately has to take a stand against both the GHQ and Gai.

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