Superpowers are a common element found in anime, and in some cases, heroes have their abilities quite literally drop into their laps when they least expect it. A similar situation appears in the popular series Death Note, where the bored shinigami Ryuk throws his cursed notebook to the mortal world. It is then picked up by Light Yagami, who proceeds to commit an endless stream of murders with it.

RELATED: Death Note And 9 Other Anime Where The Main Character Is the Villain

But the Death Note could have easily landed in the hands of someone else. In fact, some anime villains would have been even more devastating with a Death Note than Light ever was.

10 Cursed Spirit Mahito Would Likely Obliterate All Humans (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Mahito from Jujutsu Kaisen

One of the main antagonists in Jujutsu Kaisen, Mahito is a cursed spirit born out of the hatred humans have for each other. He enjoys causing suffering to humans, and his Idle Transformation cursed technique twists their bodies by manipulating their souls. It would have been very easy for Mahito to use the abilities of the Death Note to kill most of the people on the planet. Since he doesn't have a physical body, he may have also been able to claim the power of shinigami eyes without being in any way affected.

9 Shogo Makishima's Calculating Nature Would Make Him Far More Dangerous Than Light (Psycho-Pass)

Psycho Pass Shogo Makishima

One of Light's main flaws in Death Note is that he can very reckless and jump to conclusions without thinking things through. Psycho-Pass' Shogo Makishima is, in a way, a more calculating, adult version of Light. He sees himself as a freedom fighter, as his goal is to liberate society from the Sybil System that controls it.

RELATED: Psycho-Pass: 10 Real-Life Philosophies That Influenced The Show

A charismatic manipulator, he is criminally asymptomatic, which means he is often able to get away with literal murder by the laws of their country. Unlike Light, he is unflappable, even in physical combat or when he commits murder. With a Death Note, he may very well have been unstoppable.

8 All For One's Deviousness Surpasses Even Ryuk's (My Hero Academia)

All for one gestures to himself

My Hero Academia rotates heavily around the heroes' battle against the sinister villain All For One. His defeat at the hands of All Might was only temporary because he had planned ahead. He uses Tomura Shigaraki as his tool to salvage his consciousness and his quirk from his broken body. He's an incredibly powerful villain thanks to the numerous quirks he's stolen, but it's his deviousness that makes him so dangerous. With a Death Note, he likely would have never lost to All Might in the first place, and hero society would be under his control.

7 The Demon Lord Clayman Is A Ruthless Manipulator (That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime)

demon lord clayman slime

On the list of great isekai series, That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime stands out with the generally light-hearted tone of the anime. But every series has a conflict and a villain, and the powerful slime hero Rimuru Tempest makes enemies through his sheer existence. A notable threat is the Demon Lord Clayman. He engineers many of the events that lead to the attack on Tempest, as well as the destruction of Eurazania. He uses his subordinates as puppets and hypnotizes Demon Lord Milim into doing his bidding. A Death Note would be an invaluable tool for this villain, as it would help him ascend to unprecedented levels of power.

6 Shin Hyuga Shaing's Only Desire Is To Kill People (Code Geass: Akito The Exiled)

Code Geass Akito The Exiled Shin Hyuga Shaing serious expression

A spin-off OVA series from the popular anime Code Geass, Akito the Exiled expands the worldbuilding of the anime, introducing European and Euro-Britannian characters. A member of the Euro-Britannian army, Shin Hyuga Shaing becomes the leader of the Holy Order of Michael after killing his mentor, Michele Manfredi. Like Lelouch, the protagonist in the main anime, Shin also possesses a Geass. His power allows him to order the people he loves to kill themselves or others. Using this ability, he murders his adoptive mother and sister. He attempts to do the same to his brother Akito. He believes life is a curse, and he is a very dangerous and skilled soldier, highly trained in both knightmare and physical combat. Had a Death Note landed at his feet, he would have been able to surpass the limitations of his Geass to achieve his terrible goal.

5 King Fritz Is A Sadistic Ruler Who Indirectly Kills Countless People (Attack On Titan)

Attack on Titan King Fritz makes his daughters eat Ymir

In Attack on Titan, King Fritz is the original ruler of Eldia, and he is the one who begins Eldia's history of atrocities and despair. When Ymir stumbles onto the power of the titans, he takes her as his slave and concubine, using her to achieve his own goals.

RELATED: Attack On Titan: 10 Interesting Facts About Ymir Fritz You Need To Know

She dies in an attempt to protect him, and he forces their three daughters to cannibalize their mother. It is because of him that Eldia becomes known as a nation of monsters. A Death Note would have been devastating in the hands of such a power-hungry and ruthless leader.

4 Tanya Would Turn The Death Note Into Her Most Powerful Resource (The Saga Of Tanya The Evil)

Tanya Laughing At An Enemy She Is About To Destroy

In The Saga of Tanya the Evil, a ruthless and efficient Japanese salaryman is killed by a former coworker he fired. His soul meets Being X, whom he manages to both insult and intrigue. Being X reincarnates him in an alternate version of Europe, as the young girl Tanya von Degurechaff. Originally living in an orphanage, Tanya is scouted by the military at an early age due to her magical talents. Her single-minded determination and calculative, manipulative nature help her quickly ascend through the ranks. Her goal is to reach the upper echelons of society that will guarantee her safety and therefore spite Being X. While she despises everything remotely resembling religion, she would definitely embrace the power of the Death Note and use it to its full potential. Those around her would probably not benefit.

3 Count Saazbaum Holds A Powerful Grudge Against All Terran & Martian Life (Aldnoah.Zero)

Aldnoah.Zero Count Saazbaum evil smile

In Aldnoah.Zero, the Martian Vers Empire attacks Earth in a bid to take over the planet. Count Saazbaum pays a hefty price for this. During the First Earth-Mars War, his fiance Orlane is killed. He blames her death on the Martian royal family, and he plans the assassination of Princess Asseylum while also manipulating the emperor into a new war. The ensuing conflict is devastating for both sides, and Count Saazbaum's machinations play a huge role in the ultimate result. With a Death Note at his disposal, he may have done even more damage.

2 Sugou Noboyuki Views Himself As A God & Is Willing To Do Anything For Power (Sword Art Online)

Oberon crying in Sword Art Online.

One of the most hated villains in Sword Art Online, Sugou takes advantage of the aftermath of the SAO incident to take captive and manipulate the minds of three hundred SAO players. He doesn't even have any ideals like the young Light Yagami. He is jealous of Kayaba Akihiko's genius, power-hungry, amoral, and perverted. In the game Alfheim Online, he takes the form of the Fairy King Oberon and he abuses his administrator privileges to torture Kirito and Asuna. One can only imagine what Sugou would do with something like the Death Note at his disposal.

1 Furuta Nimura Wishes To Obliterate The System That Rejects Him (Tokyo Ghoul)

Tokyo Ghoul Furuta Nimura looking up

Even monsters who crave human flesh have feelings. Tokyo Ghoul centers around that message, on the concept that ghouls and humans aren't so different. The protagonist, Kaneki Ken is a clear example of that, but so is the series' main villain, Furuta Nimura. Furuta is a half-human born in the Washuu clan. His ghoul blood gives him additional speed and strength, but he will consequently die young. He is meant to be just a tool for the organization V, much like his half-sister Rize. The concept repulses him, and he becomes a preeminent figure in the CCG, all the while working behind the scenes with ghouls. He wants revenge on the system that created him, and he's willing to do anything to accomplish that. He is highly intelligent and manipulative, as he hides his true nature until the very end of the anime. With a Death Note, he would have likely achieved his purposes.

NEXT: Death Note: 5 Anime Characters Light Yagami Could Outsmart (And 5 He Couldn't)