An anime villain should instill some menace or fear in the viewer. They are the adversity in the show, constantly tormenting or impeding the protagonists in their stories. This stature normally ensures that these characters are cool or imposing or sophisticated. On rare occasions, these characters are jokes. There are elements to them that make them feel silly or pathetic to the viewer.

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It reaches a point where making fun of these characters becomes commonplace. Fans throw multiple jabs at the show's villains because it is just so easy to do it. They beg to be roasted for their designs, backstories, and demeanor. Their existence is counter-intuitive to their role in the story, and viewers will mock them endlessly for it.

10 Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald Let His Student Upstage Him

Fate/Zero

Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald from Fate Zero

Kayneth is arguably the worst master in Fate/Zero. He is the head of the El-Melloi family and is perceived as a genius, but his carelessness allows his student Waver Velvet to run off with the Rider artifact. During the very first episode, viewers see that Kayneth lost his chance to summon one of the three best servants in the anime.

All of this ignores his worst actions. He treats Lancer poorly and does not think far ahead in the Holy Grail War. He is always one step behind the competition. He is not the first person to lose during the 4th Holy Grail War, but he is the most pathetic one.

9 Kintoki Sakata Tries Too Hard To Be Cool

Gintama

Sakata Kintoki from Gintama

The best thing about Gintoki is that he never tries to be cool. His gravity in Gintama is incredibly strong, despite his attitude. In comparison, Kintoki tries too much. The original gag of a Gintoki with blond hair overstays its welcome when it fawns over him too much.

Once the trick is revealed, it is clear that Kintoki is what the show would be if it were gaudier and had less charm. By taking Gintoki's identity, he becomes a parody of the show while missing what makes its main character relatable. Also, blond hair does not look good on Gintoki.

8 Szayelaporro Granz Is Treated As A Joke

Bleach

Szayelaporro's death at Mayuri's hands in Bleach.

In his fight against Renji and Uryu, Szayelaporro establishes himself as a threat for the combatants in Bleach's Invasion of Hueco Mundo arc. His abilities are powerful until he meets Mayuri. In a single interaction, Mayuri reduces Szayelaporro to an experiment. As one of the Espada, there is a lot of expectation on how strong he will be, but a single member of the Gotei 13 is able to instantly finish him off.

The worst part is the tone of the episode is comedic. Mayuri is unchallenged and makes fun of the people around him. Szayelaporro goes from declaring himself a perfect being to wishing for death due to Mayuri's experimentation.

7 Mozgus Is Built Like A Bunch Of Bricks

Berserk

Mozgus from Berserk

Even without Berserk's hilariously bad 3D GCI, Mozgus' character design is not flattering. Everything about him is made to be hulking. This imposes a sense of fear and awe due to size, something fitting of his religious position. However, his whole appearance is goofy. His face is extremely flat to the point that the sides of his head and his nose stand out. He looks like a bunch of building blocks glued together to form a face.

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Whenever he gets upset, his whole head wrinkles up in anger. His blocky exterior instantly begins to resemble a prune. The only part about him that works is his twisted nature. If it weren't for that, there would be nothing intimidating about him.

6 Rikiya Yotsubashi Has The Worst Design In His Anime

My Hero Academia

De-Restro from My Hero Academia

Rikiya is the head of the Meta Liberation Army and a descendant of Destro, one of the greatest villains in My Hero Academia's history. That would not be clear from looking at him. He has silly spiked hairstyle that clashes with his business attire. His nose is so incredibly long that fans can see similarities to Phineas and Ferb's Dr. Doofenshmirtz. As soon as he is introduced, he is a disappointment.

Despite the grandeur of his claim and ambition, he loses to Shigaraki. This leads to his whole organization getting hijacked by a bunch of young villains. There is no time to establish him as a big bad guy since he becomes a loser right away.

5 Envy Is The Most Pathetic Of The Homunculi

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Envy next to Wrath in Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood establishes Envy as an awful person right from the start. He kills Maes Hughes and is giddy over the damage he causes. There is also the fact that his actions directly start the Ishval Civil War. With his evil established, viewers develop expectations when it comes to Envy's abilities. However, he is bested in almost every fight he gets in.

The most notable are between Tim Marcoh's team and Roy Mustang. Marcoh's team manages to bamboozle and confound him, while Roy absolutely devastates him. Neither interaction is close. Both reveal Envy's true form — a sad, small green creature that is deeply insecure with humans.

4 Hol Horse's Sharp Shooting Loses Its Power

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders

Hol Horse from Stardust Crusaders

Hol Horse has all the elements to be a cool JoJo's Bizarre Adventure character. He has a distinct look, a strong personality, and a decent Stand. The Stardust Crusaders do not lack range, but having a gunslinger on the team would have been cool. However, Hol Horse proves him useless without a partner.

Hol Horse only shows up with a partner, and on the second attempt, he ends up almost shooting himself. He loses his mystique quickly and becomes a meme. He is a running gag because of how lost he becomes once things do not go his way.

3 Petelgeuse Is Too Over-The-Top To Be Menacing

Re:Zero

Petelguese from Re Zero

The main antagonist of Re:Zero's first season. His portrayal of madness and insanity is so exaggerated that it becomes kitsch. Whenever he declares something, his voice is shrill, and he contorts his body in dumb ways. It is impossible to take him seriously. Even when he does serious damage to the anime's main cast, he is still a goofy-looking character.

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There is no sense of menace or danger in his characterization. It is all rendered null by his design. Viewers are more likely to mock him, even if he does something deranged. There is no winning when a character looks as silly as Petelgeuse.

2 Cheetu's Existence Is Its Own Sad Punchline

Hunter X Hunter

Cheetu from Hunter x Hunter smiling and shototing finger guns.

Hunter x Hunter's Chimera Ant arc contains many dangerous and threatening villains. The main villain of the arc is possibly one of the greatest in all anime. However, that is not what Cheetu is. He is an overconfident idiot who does not understand how weak he is compared to his opponents. He relies on his speed to fight his opponents, but his Nen usage is always counter-intuitive.

He gets outsmarted during the game of tag, and his crossbow is virtually useless. It is such a sad existence. Silva crushes him by the end of the arc, and it feels like a joke. It is as if his whole existence was just leading up to a funny death.

1 Team Rocket Is Blasting Off Again

Pokémon

Team Rocket blasting off again in Pokémon.

Team Rocket, specifically the trio of Jesse, James, and Meowth, are the most reliable source of comedy throughout the Pokémon anime. While they are the minor antagonists of almost every episode, they are also lovable. Fans adore them for their incompetence. They routinely fail to catch Pikachu, but they always go out with style.

The Team Rocket Trio will always be the joke of the show because of how poorly they fail, but they are also quintessential characters when it comes to the success of the anime. There are anime villains that are bad enough to mock, but no one else will be so bad that they are mocked with love like Team Rocket.

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