In the exciting world of anime, characters often have motivations separate from those of the main protagonists and antagonists, branching into individually fascinating developments in the plot. This manifests most prodigiously through betrayals, memorable epochs in the series which shape all participants involved.
Nonetheless, not all double crosses are betrayals are equal. While some betrayals are consistent with a character's motivations and could possibly even be morally warranted, others are nonsensical or poorly thought out. It's time to identify five of the best and worst backstabbers in anime.
10 Bad Traitor - Sango (Inuyasha)
Few resent demons more than their slayer, Sango. With a creative arsenal of tools from gas masks to large boomerangs, she dispatches monsters by the score. However, when it was revealed that Naraku had kidnapped her brother and offered him in exchange for Inuyasha's sword, she was willing to sell her comrades out to retrieve him.
While this might not be blatantly morally askew, it was still absurd of her to trust Naraku, especially without anything binding him to his word. Fortunately, Inuyasha was able to retrieve his weapon before disaster came of it.
9 Good Traitor - Gin (Bleach)
When Aizen planned to overthrow the Soul Society, Gin knew his situation was dire. No one would take his word over the venerated guard captain's, and failing to convince every else would certainly entail his death.
Thus, he embarked on the loftiest endeavor of all; to cast aside everyone and everything he loved to take down Aizen, embracing the facade of a traitor to bring the villainous man to justice. Tragically, he would fail against him anyway, though his intentions have been noble since the beginning and were acknowledged on his deathbed.
8 Bad Traitor - Weevil (Yu-Gi-Oh!)
Weevil's facade as a friend to Yugi was short lived. He feigned fascination with him on the boat so that he could have a look at Exodia, only to cast the cards into the sea once he retrieved them.
Though superficially this might seem clever, it could have went poorly for him. It could have gotten the former card champion disqualified from the tournament or immediate retribution from Joey Wheeler, whose past evinced he wouldn't be beyond throwing him off along with the cards. Luckily for the insect duelist, the latter decided it was more important to retrieve what he could.
7 Good Traitor - Olivier Armstrong
As one of the most decisive officers in Amestris's military, Olivier Armstrong went against the government alongside her battalion after Sloth's attack on their base. This is in direct betrayal of Fuhrer King Bradley's rule, a fact that many soldiers reminded her of as she stormed the city.
Nonetheless, her participation in the attack on Amestris was instrumental in liberating it from Father's forces. Without her contributions, the entire country would have been transmuted to fuel Father's thirst for power.
6 Bad Traitor - Ryo Asuka (Devilman: Crybaby)
Ryo's initial plan to introduce Akira to the demon Amon and then use that demon as a smoke screen to fulfill his own apocalyptic agenda may have worked in the short term, though he did not anticipate his own feelings.
After turning his friend into one of the most unstoppable killing machines on the planet and their climatically grand battle, he would slay Akira, lying beside his former friend on the shell of a cracked world. He didn't realize how much he meant to him until he had already passed, ultimately paying a price for his own successful scheme.
5 Good Traitor - Light Yagami (Death Note)
When L became dangerously close to concretely proving Light's guilt, he knew he had to act fast. Understanding the protective relationship of the shinigami Ren over her notebook's owner, Misa Amane, he intentionally arranged for her to be incriminated first to force the death god's hand.
Because of this strategic maneuver, L died in front of Light, removing the possibility of his guilt and the one who came closest to cracking the case. Sacrificing Ren was ultimately of little consequence, as she was not his ally to him. It gave Yagami an opportunity to wipe the board and enact the next stage of his plans.
4 Bad Traitors - Toga And Twice (My Hero Academia)
Toga and Twice were under Shigaraki's orders to serve the Yakuza boss Overhaul. When the heroes invaded the compound and began to storm it, the assigned villains were not inclined to help them, as it was the League's intention to have the factions mutually weaken one another.
However, this does not account for the reality that the heroes are a considerably stronger organization than the Yakuza. If they decided to be useful, Twice could have copied Chisaki and taken out Deku for good.
3 Good Traitor - Meleoron (Hunter X Hunter)
The first Chimera Ant to defect to the humans and handily the most useful, Meleoron's decision initially did not come from a place of conscience, but through realizing that the lesser chimeras were considered fodder to Meruem and his royal guards.
This was evident upon the King's awakening when he obliterated Peggy with a single stroke of his tail because he annoyed him. Ultimately, working with the humans would not only be a wiser decision, it properly avenged the death of his friend.
2 Bad Traitor - Sasuke (Naruto)
Dismissing the immorality of Sasuke's actions entirely, he betrays his allies so often that it should be impossible for anyone to trust him. He betrayed Konoha to follow Orochimaru, next betraying Orochimaru to pursue Itachi, and finally betraying Naruto when he attempted to rehabilitate him to the Leaf.
Exacerbating matters further, he even betrays his own personal teammates, callously shooting through Karin to get a cheap hit on Danzo. This makes him far more hazardous as an ally than as an enemy.
1 Good Traitor - Ban (Seven Deadly Sins)
When the Goddess race promised Ban to restore his beloved Elaine if he slew Meliodas, the undead reluctantly obliged. Though he might have began his attack at an inopportune time (during the battle against Hendrickson near the conclusion of the first arc), he understood the necessity to defeat the mad knight and postponed his retribution accordingly.
Ban's betrayal against Meliodas may not have been fully morally justified, though the captain failing to disclose that he was a demon ~ a fact which would return to haunt the other Sins later in the series ~ warranted some understanding for his decision. Fortunately, he would not follow through on it.