Pinpointing what makes a villain a great character is difficult. Their perspective on the world, their tragic backstory, or their own moral code can all inform how audiences respond to their presence. The fact that villains are generally hard to like makes it even more powerful when fans can actually connect with a villainous character. On the other hand, that makes it even more devastating when a great villain character is ruined later in the series.
Fans don't take well to great villains being reduced to mere weaklings in the presence of an overpowered hero — they respond even worse when these villains are given an anticlimactic death that's less than they deserve. Without a great antagonist, most shows would be much less interesting, and as a result, poorly-written villains deserve just as much criticism as their more morally acceptable counterparts.
Updated on February 28th, 2023 by Kennedy King: As the proliferation of anime continues around the world, so too does the number of quality villains ruined by their respective sequels. For every stellar antagonist like Muzan Kibutsuji or Donquixote Doflamingo, there are numerous others that fall well short of their mark. Many of these disappointing villains even started off with great potential, only to have it dashed by the handling of their respective franchises.
15 Kaneki Ken (Tokyo Ghoul: Re)
Over the course of Tokyo Ghoul, Kaneki Ken slowly descends into a darker and more sinister headspace, paralleling the physical changes that are happening as part of his ghoulish transformation. By the end of the series' second season, and especially in the franchise's manga, he has almost been completely consumed by his thirst for power.
However, rather than continuing this narrative, Tokyo Ghoul: Re pulls a 180º by jumping forward in time and stripping Kaneki Ken of his former personality. Although this sequel series eventually rights their wrongs, the sharp contrast between Tokyo Ghoul-Kaneki and his Tokyo Ghoul: Re-counterpart is too much to reconcile.
14 Sosuke Aizen (Bleach)
When it comes to shonen antagonists, Sosuke Aizen occupies a rarified air. Despite the criticism that Bleach received surrounding its production schedule and temporary cancelation, few fans ever criticized the former member of the Soul Society's characterization.
Alas, Sosuke Aizen's status as a top-tier villain has deteriorated since his defeat at the hands of Ichigo Kuraski. Aizen remains imprisoned throughout much of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War's narrative — a decision that ultimately feels as though the series' author couldn't decide what to do with his overwhelming power.
13 Patry (Black Clover)
Most of Black Clover's first 100 episodes are spent setting up the Clover Kingdom's struggle to stop the reincarnation of the elven race that used to occupy the land. At the center of this conflict is Patry, an elf jaded by the massacre of his clan that took place generations earlier.
Patry makes multiple decisions that massively impact Black Clover's narrative, most of which were driven by his unwavering resentment of humanity. Unfortunately, after the conclusion of the Elf Reincarnation arc, Patry experiences a change of heart and is given a new lease on life. He proceeds to ally himself with the series' heroes, ultimately completely stripping his character of what made it unique in the first place.
12 Zeldris (The Seven Deadly Sins)
The Seven Deadly Sins hosts a variety of quality characters, yet there is no question that the series' protagonist, Meliodas, carries much of its narrative. As a result, it shouldn't come as a surprise that his relationship with his evil brother, Zeldris, provides a major through-line in the show.
When Zeldris first appears on-screen, he seems poised to take over as the primary antagonist of The Seven Deadly Sins. However, after multiple seasons of poor pacing, unwanted villain introductions, and some of the worst animation in recent memory, his potential is ultimately dashed, resulting in one of the biggest "what-ifs" in recent shonen memory.
11 Kizaru (One Piece)
As far as villains go, One Piece's Kizaru is as apathetic as they come. The Marine Admiral presides over much of the World Government's military forces, but in virtually every encounter with Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates, he seems as nonchalant as possible.
For years, Kizaru's disinterest was a major part of what made him a unique character, but after over 600 episodes of exhibiting the same behavior, his presence has become a bit trope. While the series could easily redeem him with an intriguing flashback or thoughtful monologue, these possibilities seem increasingly unlikely.
10 Light Yagami (Death Note)
Light's complicated development into a despicable villainous mastermind with a god complex made him one of the most iconic characters in anime. This greatness was short-lived though, as he not only completely lost what little may have been left of his humanity in the second season of Death Note, but eventually lost his life as well.
It was a tragic death befitting a tragic character, but his untouchable genius persona was certainly ruined. Light definitely needed something to humble him, but fans would have liked to have seen him be defeated by L at the very least.
9 Orochimaru (Naruto: Shippuden)
In the original Naruto series, Orochimaru was a mysterious figure who utilized forbidden justsu to enact his sinister plans. He is so powerful that he defeats the Kage of the Hidden Leaf Village and coerces Sasuke Uchiha to leave everything he knew behind in search of strength. However, in Shippuden, Orochimaru suffers from an ever-weakening body that is completely worn down by its usage.
Shippuden's Orochimaru no longer makes his opponents freeze in their very tracks just by his mere presence as he once did in the original series. In Boruto, Orochimaru has a son and has seemed to leave the villain life behind, but fans won't forget the evil he once committed.
8 Cell (Dragon Ball Super)
Cell was once the strongest villain the Z Fighters had ever faced. He and the androids wreaked havoc on the present, and not even the future was safe from their terrifying power. Cell was almost literally indestructible, but after being eradicated from both the future and the present, he is left only in the past.
While some of the greatest Z villains have continued to have a part in Dragon Ball Super, Cell seems to be long passed his prime. Even his new Cell Max form in the Super Hero movie was an incomplete version that Gohan's Beast form made quick work of.
7 Elsa Granhiert (Re: Zero)
A seductive, sadistic assassin, Re: Zero's Elsa Granhiert was known to sexually fetishize pain and murder. This made her the ultimate villain for Subaru (especially since he can die an infinite amount of times), and there's nothing Elsa would like more than to kill him forever.
Being the initial source of Subaru's death, Elsa was a mysterious and powerful figure that consistently made his fate seem inevitable. While she was essentially the main villain of the first season of Re:Zero, by the end of the second season, she was more of a side character who was decimated by Garfiel.
6 All For One (My Hero Academia)
All For One was easily the strongest villain to face off against All Might in My Hero Academia. Whereas All Might fights with his own pure resolve and physical strength, All For One utilizes potentially infinite powers which he stole from others. Add to this the fact that his name is the exact opposite of One For All, and the perfect villain is complete.
Fans can't really complain about the way that All For One lost — it was an epic and emotional moment for All Might that made him into a true legend. Still, the ultimate, all-powerful villain being utterly and completely defeated not even halfway into the series was a disappointment for those who love to root for the bad guy.
5 Team Rocket (Pokémon)
The Team Rocket trio has become a staple of the Pokémon anime since being introduced in the second episode of its first season. Jessie, James, and Meowth are more than just villains; they are characters as integral to the success of the show as Ash Ketchum and Pikachu.
Throughout the series, the triad of trouble has seen amazing character development as they've grown from simply being Pokémon thieves to displaying passions, hopes, and desires of their own. Unfortunately for new Pokémon fans, all that development was scrapped in Pokémon Journeys, where Team Rocket has once again been reduced to little more than petty criminals.
4 Eren Jeager (Attack On Titan)
It's not so much that Eren Jeager's character was ruined by Attack on Titan, but rather that he was ruined to the point that he became a villain. Whereas many fans had high hopes for Eren as a hero, he went in the opposite direction, ultimately transforming into a despicable monster.
Eren's status as a hero-turned-villain sets Attack On Titan apart from other big-name anime series, and it's a historic moment in anime. Still, fans of the show couldn't help but feel disappointed in Eren every step of the way as more and more was revealed about his true nature.
3 The Demons (The Promised Neverland)
Promised Neverland's first season will remain a classic in anime, as it delivered a unique blend of mystery and drama full of constant twists and turns. Similarly, its second season will forever live in infamy as an incredible concept with wasted potential.
A huge part of the intrigue of the first season was the terrifying and mysterious demons that ruled over the farm the children were raised in. As it skipped over many aspects of the source material, season two turned these enigmatic creatures into a casually inconvenient obstacle Emma and the others had to overcome.
2 Sesshomaru (InuYasha)
Inuyasha's full-demon brother, Sesshomaru, was the ultimate antithesis to test Inuyasha's resolve. His desire for power fit into his demonic heritage and his cool character design matched his unwavering persona. Perhaps Sesshomaru's greatness as a character is what led to his downfall as a villain; he was simply too good of a character to kill off at the hands of Inuyasha.
Instead, Sesshomaru had a change of heart, and now his daughters continue to adventure with Inuyasha's own offspring in the series' spinoff, Yashahime. Once a great and dangerous villain, Sesshomaru was ultimately appropriated to the side of the heroes — for better or worse.
1 Seto Kaiba (Yu-Gi-Oh!)
Kaiba was once the most powerful duelist in Yu-Gi-Oh!, and it truly seemed as though no one could possibly defeat him. His trump card, Blue-Eyes White Dragon, was a name that struck fear into the hearts of duelists everywhere. Sadly, his unbeatable streak ran out, and by season three, Kaiba was reduced to nothing more than a side character.
In addition, Kaiba's powerful Blue-Eyes White Dragon, which was once viewed as the strongest monster, quickly became old news in comparison to more technical means of victory. While this doesn't make for great television, it actually follows in line with the trajectory the actual card game took.