There's something to be said about making a grand entrance. Shonen anime doesn't just feature strong and memorable heroes, but also tons of powerful and intimidating villains to combat them. Some of the best villains, however, know how to make a chilling entrance that sticks with the viewer even long after the scene is over.
These moments don't even have to be the villain's first appearance in the anime either but are always an example of just how terrifying they can be, whether it's a show of strength, their madness, or just how far they're willing to go to achieve their sinister desires.
10 Geto's Restaurant Meeting Shows A Shocking Apathy To Cruelty (Jujutsu Kaisen)
When viewers first meet Curse User Suguru Geto and his pose of Cursed Spirits, all they're doing is sitting in a restaurant while discussing recent events at that point and their next move. It's a first look at the cast of antagonists for Jujutsu Kaisen, but nothing too out of the ordinary. At least, not at first.
As they discuss what to do about Gojo, one of the Cursed Spirits, Jogo, becomes excited and as a result his power greatly increases the temperature in the restaurant. Jogo then lets loose by using his power to make everyone in the establishment burst into flames, not letting a single person leave the place alive. Nobody in the group seems to react, showing what little care the group had for the lives Jogo just snuffed out.
9 Esdeath Conquering The Northern Tribes Is Haunting (Akame ga Kill!)
Esdeath is the notorious general of Akame Ga Kill!'s corrupt empire and of course, there are reasons for her reputation. When first viewers meet Esdeath, she has already conquered the Northern Tribes. An exploit that would take anyone else at least one year, by Night Raid's estimate.
She even defeated Prince Numa Seika, who was previously mentioned for being undefeatable, crushing his spirit and reducing him to nothing before the general casually slaughters soon after. Esdeath had a haunting first appearance that put her power, sadism, and cruelty on full display. Fitting for a blood-thirsty monster like her.
8 The Beast Titan Speaks And Shows That The Titans Might Be More Sentient Than Previous Thought (Attack on Titan)
Admittedly Attack on Titan has had a lot of memorable entrances for its many antagonists, such as the Colossal Titan and the Armored Titan. However, one of the eeriest has to be the first appearance of the Beast Titan, being that it was the first time viewers saw a titan speak.
Up until this point, Titans were mostly seen as mindless monsters who mostly just growled and grunted, but in this chilling first encounter, fans would soon realize that the Beast Titan was different from even other Titan Shifters seen so far. This was made even clearer by the control the Beast Titan had over the other titans around it.
7 Zofis' Masquerade Ball Shows How Easily They Can Manipulate Others (Zatch Bell!)
The Mamodos of Zatch Bell! all have their own set of unique powers, making for some tough enemies for Zatch and Kiyo to battle with, though the creepiest out of them all has to be Zofis. From early on, Zofis' presence and influence could be felt, and soon enough he himself known.
Hypnotizing Suzy as a messenger, Zatch and Kiyo get invited to meet Zofis and his partner Koko at a masquerade ball and tries to get the two to join him. They refuse, forcing Zofis to use his brainwashed party-goers as puppets to attack Zatch and Kiyo. This introduction cements Zofis as a major threat, by how easily he could manipulate others.
6 All For One Reveals Himself In A Terrifying Scene (My Hero Academia)
All For One was built up for a long time in My Hero Academia as a benefactor for the League of Villains and the one manipulating things from behind the scenes, but it took some time before he made his presence known. With his old nemesis, All Might, and the other heroes closing in on Shigeraki and the others, All For One decided it was time to get his own hands dirty.
Despite being outnumbered and restrained, All For One knocks back and gravely injures almost all of the Pro Heroes without even breaking a sweat, leaving All Might to face him one-on-one. All For One's very presence was so terrifying even Deku and friends were paralyzed with fear after only a few seconds.
5 Finding Out Orochimaru Disguised As The Kazekage Was Shocking (Naruto)
Pretty much from the first moment he arrived, Orochimaru cemented himself as a powerful and creepy antagonist to the ninja world at large. While his first battle with Team 7 during the start of the Chunin Exams left a mark (in more ways than one), his more terrifying entrance was later on when his plans to invade Konoha began to take form.
Disguised as the Kazekage, whom he murdered, Orochimaru reveals himself to the Third Hokage and begins their epic battle. The terrifying thing about Orochimaru's "Konoha Crush" was how far he was able to get, to the point where he succeeded in killing one of the powerful Kages.
4 The Wrath Muzan Kibutsushi Exhibits Their Power (Demon Slayer)
Muzan Kibutsushi is a demon that strikes fear into the hearts of Demon Slayers and fellow demons alike. Even the Twelve Kizuki know to fear him, especially after the way he dealt with the lower moons. After Rui's defeat, Muzan summons the rest of the lower Kizuki ranks with the intent of dissolving this half of the demon faction.
Surprising them all by taking on a different form, Muzan wastes no time purging the weakness of the lower moons, by mercilessly slaughtering them all one by one, save for Enmu. Considering some of these demons were implied to be stronger than Rui, who wasn't easy for Tanjiro and company to beat, the execution of the lower moons shows just how much more powerful Muzan really is even among demons.
3 The "My Name Is Yoshikage Kira..." Sequence Is Grotesque And Haunting (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable)
There are many strange and intimidating villains presented throughout JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, from vampires, superhumans, and psychotic Stand Users, but Yoshikage Kira might just be one of the creepiest. From the moment he appeared on screen Kira was introduced as his true self, a serial killer who romances the severed hands of his victims.
As his introductory episode goes on, we see him indulge himself as he goes on to carry the hand of his latest victim around with him as he goes about his daily life. All this is done while accompanied by Kira's eerie inner monologue, to show just how twisted his psyche really is. The mad fantasies of Morio's most infamous killer are downright haunting.
2 The True Purpose of Grace Field Is Revealed In A Bone Chilling Way (The Promised Neverland)
When The Promised Neverland began, all seemed well for the children of Grace Field House, but looks can be deceiving. Emma and Norman try to bring their fellow orphan Conny her favorite stuffed bunny after she leaves to be adopted, only to find out the terrifying truth about their caretaker, Isabella, and the orphanage itself.
The two find Conny laying on the ground dead as Isabella and a group of grotesque demons stand over her, ready to harvest her to be eaten, powerless to stop them. Seeing a child as innocent as Conny die in such a way is already bad enough, but the horrifying truth about Grace Field and its relationship to these child-eating monsters leaves a horrific lasting impression.
1 Cell Decimating Gingertown Is A True Display Of Power (Dragon Ball Z)
Most villains become scarier and more intimidating as they become more powerful, Cell is one of those few exceptions where he was much creepier in his first form. In his debut episode, Piccolo investigates the mass disappearances taking place in Gingertown only to come face to face with the Imperfect Cell. It's soon revealed that Cell literally drained the life out of the population till there was nothing left.
If the implication of Cell devouring a whole town of innocent people wasn't enough, Cell even gives Piccolo an example as he absorbs his hostage right in front of him. Cell would grow to be much more powerful after this, but his execution of Gingertown remains one of the most terrifying sights in Dragon Ball history.