Various villains can be found in anime. From nihilistic antagonists who are evil just because they're bored to complex anti-heroes who could benefit from a redemption arc, the medium runs the gamut of villainous stereotypes. Some anime villains go on to become fan-favorite characters, even surpassing the heroes' popularity.
Many of them have tragic backstories that make the audience sympathize with them, while others just have lovable personality traits and hilarious running gags that make them stand out from the rest of the cast. Though their actions are irredeemable, it's hard to dislike some of these complex villains.
Spoiler Alert! This article contains spoilers from the My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen manga.
10 Oikawa Is Often Lumped In With The Worst Of The Worst (Haikyuu!)
It's become a meme in anime communities to list off some of the most horrific villains in the medium's history, but then throw in Oikawa from Haikyuu!. Somehow, a teenage volleyball player with a few antagonistic qualities made it into a list full of mass murderers and master manipulators.
Regardless of opinions on Oikawa, there's no denying that he has plenty of redeeming qualities. He's improved his likability a few times throughout Haikyuu! and fans find his whiny personality and cocky attitude hilarious. Though his character is often written off as a series of running gags, he could be the most complex character in the series.
9 Sesshomaru Changed His Perspective Throughout Inuyasha
Sesshomaru is Inuyasha's brother, and he hates all humans and half-demons. This prejudice fuels their sibling rivalry. It got worse when Inuyasha inherited the Tessaiga instead of him, motivating him to surpass his brother. Eventually, Sesshomaru changes his perspective on humans after meeting Rin.
He even went on to have a couple of half-demon children. Fans love Sesshomaru's character growth and appreciate how he went from someone who utterly despised humans to learning how to be more compassionate towards them. Nobody saw it coming, which is what makes it so special.
8 Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez Has His Own Moral Compass
Bleach's Grimmjow may be an Espada in Aizen's army, but he has his own moral compass that sets him apart from his peers. While other Espadas are battle-crazed warriors who prey on peoples' helplessness, Grimmjow would much rather fight an opponent on a level playing field and bring out their best.
He's an honorable fighter who doesn't believe in winning through underhanded means or unfairly overpowering the opponent. He lives for the thrill of fighting strong opponents and isn't as arrogant as the series' other villains.
7 Akura-Ou Had An Interesting Life (Kamisama Kiss)
Akura-ou was set up as the ultimate big bad in Kamisama Kiss. He was a hedonistic yokai who only enjoyed killing others and viewed humans as lesser-than. He often ridiculed Tomoe for falling in love with a human but eventually had some interesting realizations.
It's unclear how he feels about Nanami, but it's heavily implied that he thinks highly of her and deeply cares for her. He also mfell in love with Kirihito's mother while possessing his body and even took a hit from Yatori to protect her. He died smiling and laughing at himself for falling in love with a human, despite mocking Tomoe for it.
6 Griffith Is One Of Anime's Most Beloved Antagonists (Berserk)
Fans love Griffith for various reasons. He's one of the most well-written antagonists anime offers and it's impossible to talk about Griffith without mentioning his eerily beautiful design that entices fans to learn more about his character.
He entered Berserk as one of Guts' closest friends, only to betray him later and lose his morality as he tried to overpower him. Griffith is incredibly charismatic and has an uncanny way of turning average civilians into fanatical zealots for the Midland Regular Army.
5 Reiner Braun Is A Victim Of Propaganda (Attack On Titan)
Reiner Braun initially seemed like a traitor to Paradis, but as the truth unraveled, it turns out that his situation was much more complicated than fans could fathom. He was sent by Marley to invade Paradis' army and eventually cause widespread destruction. Reiner was lead to believe all of Marley's propaganda about his fellow Eldians and bought into the lie that they were all devils.
After infiltrating the Survey Corps and experiencing their kindness, he fell into an identity crisis and started doubting the Marleyan Warriors' ideology, and eventually even questioned who he was. Ultimately, Reiner is a victim of propaganda. It's pretty hard to dislike him, especially seeing how he treats Gabi and Falco.
4 Gaara Had A Lonely Upbringing (Naruto)
Gaara was one of the first villains to have a change of heart in Naruto. His loneliness led him down a path of villainy and destruction, but many fans always found it hard to dislike him. Gaara has an exciting design, and his Sand Jutsu was compelling for many fans.
On top of that, his backstory was so heartbreaking that fans found it impossible not to sympathize with him. Gaara has had several memorable quotes throughout the series, but perhaps his best one is related to the tattoo on his forehead. His motto is "self-love." He says that his purpose in this world is to love and fight solely for himself.
3 Dabi's True Identity Broke The Internet (My Hero Academia)
Dabi has always fascinated fans of My Hero Academia. His punk rock sense of fashion, flashy blue flames, and patchwork body made fans want to learn more about him from the jump. However, one theory about his true identity turned out to be true.
Dabi's true identity as Toya Todoroki broke the internet back in 2020, outshining even the U.S. Election results. His backstory is heartbreaking, and he didn't have it easy in the Todoroki household. However, he cares deeply for his found family in the League of Villains and would do anything to protect them. He even burned down the home of Toga's abusive parents.
2 Hol Horse Stood Out From The Other Agents Of DIO (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders)
Hol Horse almost made it into the Stardust Crusaders, but Araki decided against it because his personality was too similar to Polnareff's. Though fans still wish he was a hero, his exclusion from the Joestar Group ultimately proved a great decision for Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.
Hol Horse stood out from the other Agents of DIO. He wasn't completely brainwashed and had his own free will. Towards the end, he even contemplated putting a bullet in the vampire's brain. Luckily, he's the co-star of Crazy Diamond's Demonic Heartbreak, a spinoff series where he visits Morioh and runs into Josuke.
1 The Sorcerer Killer Is Surprisingly Likable (Jujutsu Kaisen)
Toji Fushiguro, dubbed "The Sorcerer Killer," might even steal the show from Satoru Gojo once season two of Jujutsu Kaisen is released. He was the Zenin clan's original black sheep since he had no cursed energy. Toji became an assassin and turned to society's underbelly out of spite due to the suffering he endured because of jujutsu society.
Toji is surprisingly likable, however. He's a pretty materialistic guy who will kill anyone if the price is right, but he has his principles. One of the best moments in the Shibuya Arc was when he came back for a while after a seance. He recognized Megumi and asked him what his name was, and was relieved to hear he chose "Fushiguro" instead of "Zenin."