In anime, it's not uncommon for a villain to mistake themselves as a hero. After all, everyone is a protagonist in their own story regardless of the horrible things they do toward that end. However, the inverse has also been true.
Despite the many good things that a character has done, they are absolutely convinced that their every action is self-interested regardless of the people it has benefited in the process. By identifying such heroes, it becomes easier to understand their rationale and the mental gymnastics they do to avoid being labeled as a good person.
This article contains spoilers from the Attack on Titan manga.
10 Alucard Looks Down On Humans Yet Will Give His Life For Them (Hellsing)
Throughout the series, Alucard has deliberately portrayed himself as an amoral monster. He relishes the carnage that the Millennium Organization unleashed on London and has no qualms about drinking the blood of the innocent.
Despite fashioning himself with the hallmarks of a villain, Alucard's behaviors resemble a hero. He is emphatically loyal to Integra Hellsing, who in turn protects England as a whole. As much as Alucard claims to diminish the impact of death, he will sacrifice everything to save the people who've come to depend on him.
9 Leone Has Distinguished That Night Raid Aren't Good People (Akame Ga Kill!)
Despite fighting against a flagrantly barbaric and murderous empire, Leone reminded Tatsumi that Night Raid aren't good people either during one of their first nights together. They fit the textbook definition of terrorists based on the radical extents they go to in order to fulfill their goals.
Additionally, Leone's conscience is burdened by the reality that she is an assassin. Regardless, considering her motives to save thousands from oppression, Loone may be considered a hero without hesitation.
8 Kid Fancies Himself As A Brutal Pirate (One Piece)
Eustass "Captain" Kid would certainly like to think of himself as a villain. In addition to having an irregularly high bounty due to the terror inflicted across the high seas, his first mate proudly bears the moniker "Killer."
Despite his lack of compassion, Kid has caused much more good than harm in his illustrious pirating career. He was one of the only members of the Worst Generation to defy Kaido and even helped to bring down Big Mom during the Onigashima invasion.
7 Eren Wants To Create A World Where His Friends Can Live Free (Attack On Titan)
Since childhood, Eren's only motivation has been to create a world where he and his friends can live free. He has demonstrated heroic qualities time and again, such as his remorse for the death of Historia's family and his willingness to make things right.
Eren himself would agree that he became a monster at the end of his life. However, his true motive behind launching the Rumbling was to give the Eldians a chance to meaningfully prove themselves on the global stage. This makes his death incredibly confusing, as it is paradoxically both heroic and villainous.
6 Kakashi Feels The Weight Of Regret For Letting His Friends Down (Naruto)
Based on Kakashi's exchanges with Obito and general philosophy, he suffers from the sins of his past. Killing Rin was especially devastating and an action that he wished never happened.
As a result, he raised Team Seven in the hopes that they could be better than he ever was. However, Kakashi has never pretended as though Naruto's success absolves him of his own crimes and abdicated the position of Hokage as quickly as he could.
5 Shigechi Thought Of Himself As A Materialistic Conman (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
Considering that Shigechi emotionally manipulated Josuke and Okuyasu into being his friends just to betray them, it's doubtful that he considers himself a hero. He will go so far to procure his payday that he was even willing to gouge Josuke's eyes out.
Despite this self perception, Shigechi has a strong moral foundation. When he discovered Yoshikage Kira's latest victim, his first instinct was to report the man. Unfortunately, Shigechi's most notable act of heroism was also his last.
4 Merlin Had Originally Planned To Betray The Sins (Seven Deadly Sins)
Merlin claimed that she only joined the Seven Deadly Sins in order to weaken the Supreme Deity and Demon King. Once both obstacles were out of the way, she could fully usher in the forces of chaos to ravage the land.
However, it didn't take long before her plan backfired. Meliodas caught up with Merlin, saved her from Cath, and promptly forgave her for her trespass. Considering how quickly Merlin was to change sides yet again, she had still done much more good than harm.
3 Greed Claimed That He Only Cared About His Own Freedom (Fullmetal Alchemist)
As a manifestation of sin, Greed liked to think of himself as a narcissist. To be fair, it made sense that he'd only ally with the Elric brothers in order to procure his freedom from Father. However, Greed proved the extent of his heroism during the final battle.
Instead of giving Ling Yao the chance to save him, he converted his body into ultimate carbon to finish Father off. Poetically, Greed died in a selfless way that cements his legacy as a good person.
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Sesshomaru Found His Humanity After Adopting Rin (Inuyasha)
At first, Sesshomaru marketed himself as a villain determined to destroy humanity. He loathed Inuyasha for his mixed lineage and hated that he kept the company of mortals even more. However, Sesshomaru soon discovered the value of humans after finding and adopting Rin.
Too charmed by the young girl to let her go, he quietly changed his stance about humans though nonetheless maintained a rivalry with Inuyasha. In the end, Sesshomaru's pride was the only thing holding him back from becoming a redeemed hero. Nonetheless, he was instrumental in Naraku's defeat.
1 Reiner Was The Last Barrier Between Humanity & Extinction (Attack On Titan)
Reiner was incredibly useful during the Rumbling. Not only did he prove invaluable in defeating the Yeagerists, he staved off a tide of pure titans while Armin wrestled with Eren. Despite his heroism, Reiner is haunted by his past.
His role in destroying Paradis is what pushed Eren over the edge and resulted with eighty percent of humanity's demise to begin with. Worse yet, he could not even save Bertholdt or Annie since Marley did not make them the mission's highest priority.