Anime villains are notoriously characterized for their immense hubris. Oftentimes, they will boast of their greatness to the heroes either before unleashing their master plan or dealing with what they suspect will be the killing blow to their enemies, thereby ensuring their machinations come to fruition.
However, sometimes their confidence is well-founded—in every observable metric, they are the greatest of their respective stories or extremely close. By analyzing these villains, fans can gain a more fulfilled understanding of whose arrogance is justified as contrasted against whose is not.
10 Ragyo Was Unstoppable Even With The Scissor Blade (Kill La Kill)
Ragyo had an illustrious reign of terror in the few episodes she appeared. The woman was responsible for turning Ryuko Matoi into a villainess, and she also captured and defiled the stalwart Satsuki Kiryuin.
When Ryuko finally united the scissor blade and became imbued with the life fibers of Honnoji Academy, she discovered (much to her horror) that Ragyo was immune to its cutting abilities. Only Senkutsu's affinity for draining his opponents was sufficient in overcoming her.
9 DIO Would Have Killed Jotaro If Not For Polnareff (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
While the fight between DIO and Jotaro was mostly balanced, the vampire got the upper hand halfway through it after his opponent had fallen to the ground. Fortunately, Polnareff could distract him long enough for his friend to regain his bearings and return to the fray.
However, this technically means that DIO would have slain Jotaro and ended the story in a fair fight without intervention. Therefore, we can conclude that he was the strongest villain in Stardust Crusaders and its mightiest character in general.
8 Aizen Powered Through His Opposition Effortlessly (Bleach)
After gaining the power of the Hogyoku, Aizen was unstoppable. None of the Gotei Captains (including even the likes of Kenpachi or Byakuya) could stop him, especially for the sinister Zanpakuto he wielded.
Ultimately, Ichigo was only able to defeat him by converting his spiritual energy into physical brawn. However, this was only a temporary power-up with an allegedly permanent cost. Also, Gin had already damaged Aizen's jewel through his betrayal, even if his master would be able to continue his work regardless of his duplicity.
7 Not Even Netero Could Defeat Meruem Fairly (Hunter X Hunter)
Meruem was the king of Chimera Ants and an unspeakably powerful villain. Though he possessed no notable special abilities, his unmatched physical prowess allowed him to slaughter dozens of people in the blink of an eye and shrug off what would be lethal attacks against any other opponent.
Even Isaac Netero, the chairman of the Hunter's Association, could not overcome him despite gathering a copious amount of strength in advance. Ultimately, the king's demise was only based on the explosive his opponent rigged in his chest, poisoning him and causing a slow, agonizing death by radiation.
6 Eneru Was Literally Untouchable By Almost Everyone (One Piece)
Eneru was the "god" of Sky Island and a sadistic tyrant. His devil fruit turned his body into electricity, making him intangible against virtually everyone he fought. Capable of unleashing up to two hundred million volts of electricity, not even the four strongest of the arc combined (discounting Luffy) were able to harm him meaningfully.
Only the Straw Hat's captain could bring about his defeat and after a great deal of struggling. Since his rubber body did not conduct lightning, Luffy (by sheer coincidence) was Eneru's perfect counter.
5 Estarossa Dominated Meliodas & Only Became Stronger Since (Seven Deadly Sins)
Estarossa was singularly responsible for destroying Meliodas' many hearts, killing him, and pushing him one step further to become the Demon King. His innate commandment prevents anyone who holds malice against him from harming, paralyzing his prey in their tracks.
He provided a massive challenge against Escanor and has become even deadlier since. During his fight against the Archangels, he consumed the other Commandments' essence, reaching unprecedented echelons and becoming a greater threat than most heroes could manage. These accolades give merit to his wishes to become the next Demon King.
4 Naraku Was An Ancient Evil That Commanded Thousands Of Demons (Inuyasha)
Naraku was a downtrodden man infused with the essence of a demon. Throughout the series and with the Shikon jewel's assistance, he swiftly became an insurmountable adversary, forcing Inuyasha to progress his own weapon to continue to stand a chance.
Capable of producing demon hordes, noxious miasmas, and many other malevolent spells with ease, he was handily the series' most deadly and elusive threat. Without the assistance of his allies, the protagonist never would have been able to defeat him.
3 Father Literally Subjugated God (Fullmetal Alchemist)
Father was the ruler of the homunculus and formerly known as the dwarf in the flask. After being fueled by the souls of Amestris, he attained such staggering power that he even defeated and subjugated god.
Though he was immune to the heroes' attacks though shielding himself, what damage they could inflict weakened his defenses and ultimately forced him to forfeit his prize. However, he could have defeated any single character of the Fullmetal Alchemist universe while in this enhanced state.
2 Esdeath Was A General With A Fierce Reputation (Akame Ga Kill!)
Esdeath is unique since while she isn't the main villain of Akame Ga Kill!, she is handily the strongest. In service to the Empire, she has eradicated rebellions across the planet and with no noticeable effort.
Additionally, her Imperial Arms allowed her to freeze time and create massive ice columns with a flick of her wrist. With these combined abilities, she forced Akame to enter a corrupted state for any hope of bringing her down. The General's combination of power and experience renders her a formidable adversary.
1 No One Could Defeat Dracula (Castlevania)
Dracula was a vampire intent on eradicating the human race for what they had done to his wife. None of the heroes could defeat him even with intimate knowledge about his weaknesses and by working together to the fullest extent of their abilities.
However, after they lured him to Alucard's room, he became sentimental and realized what his depravity was turning him into. This allowed the heroes to end his life, bringing about a demise that he secretly craved.