Both anime heroes and villains can be capable of great violence and cruelty, and they do not always have to pay the price for their deeds. Some can switch sides and trade helping the protagonists and dodge certain doom. Others are forgiven for their crimes before they have to atone for them.
While fans love to see poetic justice play out on screen, there are plenty of moments throughout anime where this just is not the case. There are many anime characters who should have been punished for their misdeeds but escaped either by the heroes' help or just pure luck.
10 Sasuke Switches Sides Again & Again, But Naruto Still Forgives Him
Sasuke Uchiha is guilty of becoming a rogue ninja, killing his own brother who was an agent of the village, treating Naruto Uzumaki extremely poorly, turning his back on everyone despite the many chances they gave him, and trying to destroy the Hidden Leaf Village altogether.
However, after their rematch at Final Valley, Naruto still forgives Sasuke and helps him find his place in the village. Luckily, Sasuke has so much plot armor and is so close with Naruto because no other ninja would have been given that treatment.
9 Shiny Chariot May Not Have Meant To Be Cruel, But It Is A Wonder The Community Forgave Her In Little Witch Academia
Though Shiny Chariot did not mean to steal the magic from who knows how many children, she did it, and it was her job to make it right. Instead, she hid as Professor Ursula. Eventually, students she had accidentally antagonized found out, but she is both forgiven and spared any serious punishment by the magical community.
Part of this is, of course, because the plot centers around kindness and forgiveness. However, if Chariot wanted to be forgiven so badly, she could have done more to reverse her crimes.
8 In Fruits Basket, Akito Sohma Got What She Wanted In The End
Akito Sohma throws a tantrum like no other, and she manipulates and tortures the rest of the clan with her psychological abuse, violent fits, and incessant demands. Yet, she gets what she wants by the end of the show when she can be with Shigure and have the Sohma curse broken.
Even after hurting Tohru, a bystander, and everyone else in the Sohma family, she can finally reach her desired end, and this does not please fans in the slightest, as she deserved way worse than she gave.
7 And Fruits Basket's Shigure Did Too
On top of Akito's getting off scot-free, Shigure also gets what he wants. He wanted to break the curse and be with Akito, just like she wanted to be with him. h
He also manipulated Tohru and other family members the same way she did. Of course, a relationship built on distrust, deceit, and abuse cannot last.
6 Somehow, Orochimaru Endures All Three Series In The Naruto Franchise
It is hard to grasp how every Hokage since Tobirama could allow Orochimaru to live despite the crimes to humanity he has committed with his eugenics and outlandish experiments. Somehow he is still around by Boruto and is becoming a fan favorite.
After all the creepiness of the Naruto and Naruto: Shippūden series, it is really a wonder why the all-powerful Naruto has not put a stop to him. However, Orochimaru has provided useful resources, skills, and information to multiple Hokages, so they tend to let him skulk around.
5 My Hero Academia's Endeavor Is Making Amends With His Family, But He Certainly Got Off Easily
When All Might is forced into retirement, Endeavor takes over the top spot as the Number One Hero. Unfortunately, some of his actions can only be described as less than heroic. He is guilty of abusing his family in various ways, including physically hurting, emotionally manipulating, and neglecting them.
Though in the anime's newest season Endeavor has embarked on a quest to atone for his past sins, he has not exactly been punished for them. In fact, he has made it to the top of the hero ranking, his long-time goal.
4 Pakku's Misogyny In Avatar: The Last Airbender Should Not Have Been So Easily Downplayed
Although White Lotus member Grand-Pakku eventually allowed women to learn waterbending in his school, he was not originally receptive to waterbending women in combat roles. While he may call himself old-fashioned, others would call him a misogynist. It is a bit hard to believe when Team Avatar so readily accepts him after he changed his mind.
Katara certainly is not that quick to forgive other characters in the series. It would seem that blood is thicker than water for Katara and Sokka, and Pakku got off the hook easily.
3 Team Rocket Keeps Blasting Off Again, But It's Not Really Deterring Them In Pokémon
Team Rocket comes back again and again in the Pokémon franchise, but it seems that their constant failures are not enough to show them the error of their ways. Though they go blasting off into the sky after most interactions and are often burned, electrocuted, or some other horror, they are not punished in any significant way that would make them think twice.
They are never even seen locked in prison for any great length of time. Though there are obvious drawbacks to their antics, one could not really call it a punishment, at least not an effective one.
2 Hisoka's Crimes Are Consistently Overlooked In Hunter X Hunter
Hisoka Morow has committed countless atrocities, but somehow he is still allowed to roam free. On top of that, he even works with Hunter X Hunter's protagonists on occasion. His actions during the Hunter Exam Arc alone are worthy of calling him unforgivable, but he is never punished in any meaningful way for these crimes.
He has a huge fan following, though, so despite the horrible things he does regularly, many fans are not jumping to see him be punished for any of them.
1 Gajeel & Other Phantom Lord's Members Are Welcomed Into Fairy Tail Despite Their Past Transgressions
Gajeel and many of his guildmates, most notably Juvia, are responsible for exacerbating a huge altercation between Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord. They are also guilty of being cruel and mean to many of the Fairy Tail guild members, and as a result of their actions, many of Fairy Tail's mages were injured and the guildhall was reduced to rubble.
However, Gajeel and Juvia both end up joining Fairy Tail, and the guild is quick to look over their bad blood. In the end, this is good because the two become valuable members of Fairy Tail.