The world of anime features an incredible variety of villains in the shonen and seinen genres, and there are some powerful shojo villains out there, too. These villains are just as varied as the heroes whom they face, and some villains have a code of honor while others certainly do not.
Some of the more honorable and selfless villains might sacrifice their lives for their boss or their cause, or they might surrender and give up on their ambitions. Other villains are totally unwilling to sacrifice themselves, often because survival itself is the goal, or they are too proud to sacrifice anything for the sake of a higher cause or another party.
10 Nnoitora Gilga Only Fought For His Own Sake (Bleach)
A few of the mighty Espadas were willing to lay down their own lives for Sosuke Aizen's sake, most notably Zommari Rureaux, and other Arrancars would do the same. But not Nnoitora Gilga, the thuggish 5th Espada. He wouldn't give his life for Aizen even if he was ordered to do so.
Instead, Nnoitora was a deeply selfish being who wanted to become the strongest fighter of all time, and of course, giving his life for that cause would defeat the purpose. He had to survive no matter what, and only when Kenpachi defeated him was Nnoitora willing to face death.
9 Demon Lord Clayman Was A Puppetmaster (That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime)
Whether or not an anime villain will sacrifice themselves often depends on their position in the hierarchy of bad guys. Noble and selfless minions will gladly give their lives for the boss, and that's what the villains are counting on. The villain at the top of the food chain has no one to sacrifice their life for.
Demon Lord Clayman is one such villain with dozens of minions at his disposal, including Yamza and the skeletal mage Adalman. They might give their lives for Clayman, but by no means would Clayman give his own life for a higher cause. In his eyes, he is the cause. Death is unthinkable.
8 Himiko Toga Must Survive & Be Herself (My Hero Academia)
The shapeshifter villain Himiko Toga would rather die in battle against the heroes than allow herself to be captured and imprisoned in Tartarus, but that's not the same as sacrificing herself. Himiko is determined to live freely and enjoy her villainous lifestyle, and she won't allow anyone to get in the way of her fun.
Himiko rarely follows orders from Tomura or All For One, instead making up her own rules and doing whatever she pleases. She would undertake a risky mission if Tomura asked her to, but it's unlikely that she would give her life for his sake. She'd rather cut and run.
7 Light Yagami Can't Afford To Die (Death Note)
Light Yagami is willing to sacrifice anything and anyone else around him to achieve his goal of ruling the new world as Kira, including his most loyal assistant, Misa Amane. However, Light would never give his own life for the cause, even if the idea of Kira survived long after his death.
Light only trusts himself to be Kira, even if he has Teru Mikami acting as his proxy, and he won't allow anyone else to claim the title of Kira in his stead. If he dies, his Kira kingdom is doomed, so he must survive at all costs. Light isn't ready to be a martyr.
6 Yoshikage Kira Has No Higher Cause To Die For (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
Some fictional characters, good or evil, are ready to lay down their lives for the sake of a higher cause, but others are not. Some characters simply lack a higher cause to die for, and that includes anime villains such as the serial killer Yoshikage Kira.
Kira would never give his life for the sake of anything or anyone else since his sadistic hobbies are his only true goal. He can't date women's hands if he's dead, and it wouldn't make sense for him to have a successor, either. His ambitions live and die with him, so he must survive, no matter what.
5 Orochimaru Wanted Everyone Else To Die Instead (Naruto)
The mad scientist Orochimaru is perfectly willing to have all his minions and allies die for his own sake, such as the Sound genin and even the Sound Four, but he can't stand the idea of his own death. In fact, Orochimaru is pursuing immortality, and of course, sacrificing himself would contradict that lofty goal.
So, Orochimaru must survive no matter what, and he is downright terrified of dying. That's why he keeps moving around from one body to another. He tried to take Itachi's body before setting his sights on Sasuke. It's okay for Uchihas to die, but not lord Orochimaru.
4 Overhaul Is The Boss (My Hero Academia)
Overhaul the Yakuza boss is similar to Demon Lord Clayman, a boss who is happy to sacrifice his own minions, but not himself. He is the one people should sacrifice themselves for, so it makes no sense for Overhaul to lay down his own life. If he died, everything would fall apart.
Overhaul wants power above all else, and he also wants to take down the "disease" that is heroes. He's willing to take on formidable odds to kill heroes, but it's difficult to imagine him giving his life for the sake of this mission. If someone must die, it should be his minions.
3 Father Wanted To Become A God (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
Father the homunculus is similar to both Overhaul and Clayman, being an anime villain who is willing to sacrifice absolutely anybody except himself. In this case, the villain aims to become a new god, and of course, giving his own life would ruin that goal. He must survive at all costs.
Millions of people have died for the sake of Father's plans, from the entire population of Xerxes to countless thousands who died in battle across Amestris' history. He'll even send his homunculi "children" to their deaths if he must, but he won't give up his own life. He's doing all this for his own sake, after all.
2 Princes Azula Has Too Much To Lose (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
Princess Azula is an arrogant and proud member of the Fire Nation's royal family. While she is willing to do what her father Ozai tells her, it's unlikely that Azula would lay down her life for his sake or the sake of the Fire Nation. Zuko might give his life for his people, though.
Like many animated villains, Azula would much rather have her agents and minions die for her sake, especially if she suspects them of plotting against her. Azula aims to become Fire Lord as well, and she can't do that if she gives up her own life.
1 Rize Kamishiro Wants To Live Freely (Tokyo Ghoul)
In broad strokes, Rize Kamishiro is the Himiko Toga of Tokyo Ghoul, as they are both hedonistic and self-absorbed characters who would rather live free than give their lives for someone else's sake. In fact, Rize is even more independent-minded than Himiko and doesn't like to join ghoul gangs.
Rize loved to devour humans at an alarming rate and often fooled them with her charming outward appearance. It was fun for her, and under no circumstances would Rize sacrifice herself for another ghoul, even if they begged her. Rize also had no higher cause to die for, so she wouldn't give her life for that, either.