Although the mediums of anime and superhero movies differ in big ways, the villains in both mediums are much more similar than fans give credit for. In fact, if the villains from either medium were to switch into the other, the transition would be a seamless one.

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This is particularly true in the case of an anime villain venturing into the superhero genre, or in a franchise such as the DC Extended Universe. DCEU is still a blossoming, growing franchise, but their villains especially tend to stand out the most out of their movies. Many different villains in anime culture have the potential to stand out in the same way and often hold their own similarities to DC villains (and some heroes) who would let them fit right at home.

10 Yhwach Is A Good Antithesis For The Flash

Yhwach Hueco Mundo

The most memorable moment from Zack Snyder's Justice League was when The Flash saved the day by running faster than the speed of light and back in time after Darkseid's side had won. It looks like The Flash's time-traveling powers will come in handy later for his Flashpoint movie.

A character like Yhwach would be an interesting foil for Flash in a way that complicates his powers even further. For readers who've never seen Bleach a day in their lives, just know that Yhwach is able to manipulate timelines in his own right by looking into the future and winning his battles before he has a chance to lose them as time intended.

9 Johan Liebert Is A Much More Dangerous Lex Luthor

johan-liebert-monster

Johan Liebert is similar to Lex Luthor in that both men carry a disarming charm to them that often allows people to see past his true sociopathic nature, but while Luthor is much more of a megalomaniac than a true psychopath, the anime serial killer is an entirely different breed of a sociopath.

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Johan Liebert's twisted mind has allowed him an entire network of criminals at his disposal willing to commit the most atrocious, yet elaborate schemes imaginable. He's practically already a supervillain straight out of a comic book.

8 Sir Crocodile Is A Much More Dangerous Killer Croc

Sir Crocodile with a scar on his face and smoking a cigar in One Piece.

On the surface, Desert King Sir Crocodile likens the size and stature of a more human-looking Killer Croc, but there are some major differences that make him a little more dangerous.

For starters, whereas Killer Croc was never the brightest bulb in the Suicide Squad, this King is deceptively intelligent and cunning in the most sinister ways imaginable. On the flip side, his powers liken something closer to Marvel's Sandman. Not only can he shift his body into sand, but he can also create a sandstorm at will. Oh, and he has a hook for a hand. This is just a bad man all around.

7 Yoshikage Kira Is A Relatable Villain

Yoshikage Kira in front of a weapon and a scary face in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

The DCEU has a knack for showcasing villains who at their core, have relatable motivations, even if their methods are reprehensible. Black Manta in Aquaman, at his core, merely wants to avenge the death of his son. Steppenwolf in Zack Snyder's Justice League merely wants to prove himself worthy to his leader to earn the right to come home.

While most audiences have no ambitions for killing people, they can most likely relate to Kira's ambitions for a quiet, peaceful life. Audiences could probably do without the hand-chopping though.

6 Legato Bluesummers Is Dangerous Without Lifting A Finger

Vash sadly draws his gun on Legato in Trigun

Many of the villains on this list pose a physical threat to heroes within the DCEU, but Legato Bluesummers is a rare villain who could pose a threat without lifting a finger of his own. Not when his powers allow for him to just use his telekinetic mind to make the Justice League hurt themselves or each other. Marvel fans may compare his work to Kilgrave of Jessica Jones.

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His personality, actions, and motivations highlight him as a combination between The Joker, Lex Luthor, and even the aforementioned Johan Liebert. Anyone familiar with any of these characters should know how scary that is.

5 Piedmon Is A Much More Powerful Joker

Piedmon from Digimon

During his run on Digimon, Piedmon had a number of powers at his disposal, including magic, trickery, psychokinesis, and of course, as his appearance would suggest, clown tricks. In short, imagine if The Joker kept his powers from his Emperor Joker days.

Even without the powers, Piedmon is a terrifying individual, as would anyone with allusions to The Joker would be. The Joker has left his stamp throughout the DCEU and has scarred a bevy of characters along the way, both literally and figuratively. Giving him powers would make him unstoppable.

4 Griffith Is Powerful Enough To Take On The League Alone

Femto & Griffith Reborn

Along with being a morally vile and despicable person, Griffith is also incredibly powerful. In terms of power levels, not a lot of anime villains out there can hold a candle to people like Batman or Superman (let alone the entire JLA), but Griffith may be the exception to the rule.

After sacrificing the Band of Hawks to The God Hand, he adorns the power and appearance of Femto, granting him a kinghood and a practically invulnerable sense of power. With this newfound power, it is extremely likely that he could wipe out the Justice League all by himself, making him a formidable adversary.

3 Fused Zamasu Will Do Whatever It Takes To Win

Fused Zamasu as he appears during the climax of the Goku Black arc in Dragon Ball Super

Initially, Zamasu had good intentions. Truly believing that mortals posed a danger to themselves and the universe at large based on their role in previous events, he wanted to wipe out all of humanity. But his hubris got the better of him and it turned him into a crazed monster.

Allowing himself to become a monstrous entity just shows how willing and able he is, almost desperately so, to do whatever it takes to get what he wants. There is no telling how far he'd go to accomplish his goals, especially if anyone from the Justice League stands in his way.

2 Orochimaru Would Hunt Heroes For Their Secret Identities

Creepy Anime Characters Orochimaru

Orochimaru always had two specific ambitions: learning all of the world's secrets and becoming immortal. While the latter is a common villain goal in both anime and comic book movie adaptations, the former is one that would make a world with superheroes an ideal world for him.

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A superhero's most prized possession is their secret identity and in a world full of heroes, there are plenty of secrets that Orochimaru would be begging to discover. What would be even more interesting is seeing just what he'd do to them once he no longer finds them useful once their identity is discovered.

1 Friend Embodies Modern Political Fears

Friend from 20th Century Boys seeing Earth as a small ball

With the real world being engrossed with anxieties surrounding current politics, it only makes sense for a superhero medium like the DCEU to reflect those fears in a villain that could make all audiences uncomfortable. Enter Friend.

Friend is an anonymous, yet charismatic cult leader for the Japanese Friendship Democratic Party whose mission is to pursue a legion of followers to help put an end to humanity. While his ultimate motivation sounds cartoonish in the vein of classic villains from both superhero movies and anime, his veil of politics represents very real fears in viewers.

NEXT: 10 Times Batman & Superman Were The World's Finest