There's nothing more classic in anime than a nice come-from-behind heroic victory. Battles where the brave hero is on their last legs facing impossible odds yet somehow manages to pull out the win through sheer determination alone are especially exciting. However, sometimes villains are able to pull off miracles of their own.
Whether it's through tricks or a hidden power, a good villain finds a way to win, regardless of the cost or method. The best villains take advantage of a hero's naive nature in order to pull off a comeback victory. These villains were brought to the brink of defeat but still managed to come out on top.
10 Flare Gets Some Outside Help
Fairy Tail
Fairy Tail's Grand Magic Games introduced Raven Tail, a guild created by Laxus' father Ivan, designed specifically to take down Fairy Tail. Lucy was one of the first Fairy Tail members to go one on one with their dark guild counterparts, taking on the hair-powered Flare.
Despite Flare cheating pretty much the entire match, Lucy is able to power up her ultimate attack, the Urano Metria, a move which Flare has no defense for. But thanks to her guild mate Obra draining Lucy's power from the sideline, the attack is canceled and Flare is victorious.
9 Tomura Shigaraki Wakes Up
My Hero Academia
At first, the Pro Heroes' raid on the Paranormal Liberation Front appears to be going to plan. Dr. Garaki is captured, the Nomu are in the process of being restrained, and My Hero Academia's main villain, Tomura Shigaraki, is unconscious and surrounded by Pro Heroes — but a single bolt of electricity wakes him up and turns the whole war on its head.
In an instant, Shigaraki launches a brutal attack, killing several Pro Heroes and causing miles of devastation. As a result, he escapes certain capture and gives the Paranormal Liberation Front a fighting chance. While fans of the anime are still waiting on the outcome of the war, this moment represents a massive turning point in the conflict.
8 Azula Picks The Right Moment To Strike
Avatar: The Last Airbender
In the Battle of the Crystal Catacombs below Ba Sing Se, Avatar Aang at last gained full control over the Avatar State. At this point in Avatar: The Last Airbender, the overpowered Avatar State had been treated like a guaranteed win. After all, the Avatar State destroyed the Fire Nation fleet at the North Pole and demolished an Earth Kingdom division.
Surely, a fully mastered Avatar State would mean instant destruction for Azula and her Dai Lee forces. However, Azula consistently demonstrates that she can pick the perfect moment to attack, striking down Aang with a lightning bolt before he has the chance to unleash the full power of the Avatar State.
7 Obito Becomes The Ten Tails' Jinchuriki
Naruto Shippuden
After his battle with his former friend/rival Kakashi, Obito Uchiha found himself on the brink of death in Naruto Shippuden. Taking a Chidori to the heart is normally a fatal condition, but Obito is far from a normal ninja. Upon leaving his pocket dimension, he's able to seal the Ten Tails into himself and heal his injuries in the process.
Besides giving him the power that basically the whole war was being fought over, Obito was able to pull one over on his "ally" Madara, who was seeking to become the Ten Tails Jinchuriki himself. Obito took a key step towards accomplishing his goal, the Infinite Tsukuyomi, and became the most powerful person in the world in the process.
6 Buu Absorbs Gotenks
Dragon Ball Z
For most of the Majin Buu saga in Dragon Ball Z, Buu in his various forms is presented as an invincible force of nature. For the first time in the lengthy arc, the Z-Fighters finally seize the advantage over the gum-like monster when Gohan unlocks his true power.
Gohan has Super Buu completely outclassed, and it seems that Buu will finally be defeated. Knowing that he's not strong enough to take Gohan head-on, Buu retreats before coming back and absorbing Gotenks and Piccolo to increase his power. Gohan's no match for the new and improved Buu, forcing Goku to step in and eventually save the day.
5 Eren Connects With Zeke A Millisecond Before Death
Attack On Titan
Eren Yeager goes from the determined hero of Attack on Titan to literally its biggest villain, with plans to annihilate all non-Eldians. The forces of Marley, a nation that's just as genocidal as Eren, attack in a battle that results in Eren's decapitation via sniper rifle.
However, just before Eren's brain ceased all function, Zeke made contact with Eren's head. This connection between the Founding Titan and a Titan Shifter with royal blood gave Eren full control over the Founder's power. Not only did this save his life, but it allowed him to unleash the Rumbling and begin his assault on the rest of the world.
4 A Saibamen Goes Down Swinging
Dragon Ball Z
While this Dragon Ball Z battle is technically a draw, it feels like a victory for the bad guys. The Saibamen in question appears at first to have been defeated by Yamcha's Kamehehma, believed to be dead on the ground. Playing dead is often a good tactic for a villain facing a more powerful opponent.
However, the plant man soon jumps on his unsuspecting opponent, detonating himself and killing both of them in the process. Yamcha really was close to a rare victory before being handed his most humiliating defeat ever.
3 Kaiba Manipulates Yugi Into Letting Him Win
Yu-Gi-Oh!
Seto Kaiba's a pretty big jerk in Yu-Gi-Oh!, but when it comes to dueling, he usually tries to play a fair game. When the fate of his brother Mokuba is on the line, all bets are off, and he's willing to resort to any tactic to save him. In order to get Mokuba's captor, Pegasus, Kaiba has to first defeat his biggest rival — Yugi.
Once again, Yugi seizes the advantage over Kaiba, nearly destroying his Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. However, before Yugi can launch the final attack, Kaiba stands on a ledge. The force of Yugi's final attack would surely cause Kaiba to plummet to his death, leading Yugi to allow Kaiba's win.
2 Akaza Barely Escapes The Sun Rise
Demon Slayer
Akaza and Rengoku have one of the best fights in Demon Slayer. It's a back-and-forth battle with the demon Akaza appearing to win when he punches a hole in Rengoku's chest. However, the heroic demon slayer uses the opportunity to trap Akaza. He drives his sword through Akaza's neck and holds him in place waiting for the sun to rise.
As the sun is fatal to demons, it seems that Rengoku has managed to pull off a costly victory, but Akaza takes the gory step of ripping his own arms apart to escape. He wins the battle by fleeing and leaving Rengoku to bleed to death, though it's hardly the most dignified triumph.
1 Licht Distracts Julius
Black Clover
One of the biggest weaknesses a hero has is their drive to protect the innocent. This is something that can easily be taken advantage of to land a critical blow. Licht (or Patolli) uses this tactic perfectly to defeat the Wizard King Julius Novachrono in Black Clover.
The battle between a light user and a time master is obviously a display of incredible speeds, but Julius clearly has Licht outclassed the entire time. Licht decides to attack every single person in the entire Clover Kingdom, forcing Julius to use up all of his magic to save the people. With this distraction, Licht lands the finishing blow on an enemy he really had no business defeating.