In the world of Japanese anime, villains fight with a wide variety of techniques and typically have many resources at their command as well. This means that most anime villains have a lot to lose, and they will surely be left with nothing if the heroes somehow defeat them. A lot is on the line.
Unlike villains who fight only for pride or for fun, these anime antagonists have plenty to lose, tangible or not, and they are terrified at the thought of losing it all. Some villains might lose an empire or their career, for example, and others stand to lose whatever they might have gained if their villainous plans came to fruition. Others stand to lose a bunch of money or their social status.
10 Father Stands To Lose His Route To Godhood (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
Father is one of several anime villains who had a "rags to riches" scheme, a character who started off as nobody who dreamed of becoming something incredible. In this case, he was once the little "dwarf in the flask," but then he launched his plan to ascend into godhood someday.
Thus, Father stands to lose not an empire or a career, but his sole means of becoming the deity he always dreamed of becoming. His centuries-long plan is all he's got, and once his plan was foiled, he was condemned to be an obscure nobody for all time.
9 Kirari Momobami Stands To Lose Her Fortune & Good Standing (Kakegurui)
Kirari Momobami is the school council president of Hyakkou, and she is also an elite member of her ultra-powerful family. She and her twin sister Ririka have access to a vast fortune and all kinds of social connections, giving them a total superiority complex.
So far in Kakegurui, Kirari and her sister haven't even come close to losing their countless assets, but not even they are infallible. It's conceivable that if Yumeko Jabami and her friends pull off the gamble of the century, Kirari's economic empire might come crashing down around her.
8 Dio Brando Stands To Lose His Immortality (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
The vampire overlord Dio Brando is in a similar position as Father. Both of them started off as obscure nobodies until they found the means to become all-powerful. Dio, like Father, identifies strongly with his newfound power and is terrified of reverting back to a powerless nobody.
Dio gained immortality via the stone mask and set up his own little kingdom in Victorian England until Jonathan defeated him. Then, he gained his own Stand and an army of followers until Jotaro finished him for good, bringing Dio's fledgling empire to ruin at last.
7 Demon Lord Clayman Stands To Lose His Kingdom & Rank (That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime)
Rimuru Tempest's bitterest enemy is the well-dressed demon lord Clayman, a member of the demon lord council and the king of his own small nation in this isekai world. Clayman has a lot to lose, as his fancy castle and hordes of minions would suggest.
Clayman picked a fight with Rimuru and ended up losing everything, from his many followers to his kingdom to his rank in the council. And at the very end, Clayman lost what he valued most of all - his own life. He won't be bothering Rimuru ever again.
6 Akito Sohma Stands To Lose The Zodiac Members (Fruits Basket)
Akito Sohma is the head of the wealthy, exclusive Sohma family, and this position comes with many perks. Akito enjoys total control of the family and has her every whim catered to, but this also means she has much more to lose than any other Sohma.
Akito has a mystical bond with the twelve Sohmas who represent the Chinese zodiac's animals, and she is terrified of those bonds being severed. And sure enough, the abusive Akito lost her grip on those Sohmas one at a time, but eventually, she came to terms with this devastating loss.
5 Overhaul Stands To Lose His Criminal Empire (My Hero Academia)
Some people join the League of Villains because they have nothing to lose and everything to gain, such as the gecko-like Spinner or the punkish Mustard. Higher-ranking villains have much more to lose in the never-ending battle against pro heroes, such as the mobster known as Overhaul.
Overhaul has an entire crime gang under his command, and he is also profiting greatly from distributing illicit goods such as anti-Quirk bullets. And sure enough, he lost all this to the pro heroes who raided his hideout, and he even lost his beloved Quirk to Tomura Shigaraki's decay-based abilities.
4 Sosuke Aizen Stands To Lose His Chance At Godhood (Bleach)
Much like Fullmetal Alchemist's Father, the scheming Captain Sosuke Aizen is determined to become a new god, and he will use, deceive, and betray anyone whom he must to attain that ultimate status. In particular, Aizen believed that the throne of heaven was empty, and only he could or should claim it.
Thus, Aizen stood to lose what he valued most, his opportunity to become a greater being than any Soul Reaper had ever been. He also stood to lose all of the Arrancars who served him, but Aizen didn't personally care for them at all. Nor did he care that much about the loss of Kaname Tosen.
3 Princess Malty Stands To Lose Her Royal Status & Prestige (The Rising Of The Shield Hero)
Unlike her heroic little sister, Melty, or her gracious mother, Queen Mirellia, Princess Malty Melromarc was a selfish schemer who helped engineer Naofumi Iwatani's downfall as the Shield Hero. In the end, though, Naofumi and the queen turned the tables on Malty and punished her. The king faced a similar fate.
Malty was spared her life in the end, but she lost everything else. She lost Motoyasu as an ally, she lost her prestige as a princess, and she also lost her good standing and reputation. Now, everyone knows that she's a lying monster, meaning she has nothing left to fight for.
2 Orochimaru Stands To Lose His Jutsu, Labs, & Dreams Of Immortality (Naruto)
The villainous scientist Orochimaru has gained quite a bit from his years of hard work, and he would be devastated if he lost it all. Orochimaru, like Father and Aizen, treasures his plans to become something more - an immortal being.
Not only does Orochimaru stand to lose that dream, but he also stands to lose everything he has acquired to achieve that dream. If things go wrong, Orochimaru could lose the use of his jutsu. He could also lose his minions, his test subjects, his research data, and his secret laboratories. He ended up losing most of these things to Sasuke in Naruto Shippuden.
1 Fire Lord Ozai Stands To Lose His Throne & His Bending (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
Fire Lord Ozai is exactly that, the lord of his native Fire Nation and all its peoples. He inherited the throne from his father, Azulon, after his older brother, Iroh, lost all interest in claiming it, and Ozai has enjoyed being the nation's king ever since. He'll demolish anything that threatens his power.
Eventually, the Fire Nation was not enough for him. Ozai schemed to rule the entire world as the Phoenix King, but his ambitions were toppled when Aang defeated him in battle. Then, for good measure, Aang robbed Ozai of his bending too, and Ozai ended up a miserable prisoner.