The strongest villains in shonen anime are constantly fighting uphill battles against both the protagonists and their plot armor, with many receiving little to no recognition for their combat prowess. Moral considerations aside, villains work the hardest job in any narrative and deserve to be discussed.
When it comes to strength, there are always the age-old hypotheses of cross-universe comparison, but to decide which shonen villain reigns supreme, it is necessary to define both strength and the villain. A villain is most loosely defined as a character who commits evil acts contrary to the morals of the story. As for strength, everything is relative to the universe the character inhabits. For example, if strength is defined as the ability to destroy planets, then the majority of the Dragon Ball cast would be unreasonably overestimated. As such, strength is best considered first in relation to the world, and then in relation to character abilities.
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10 Most Evil Anime Villains of All Time
For villains as evil as these, no method is too immoral. Friend or foe, they will remove anyone standing in their path without any remorse.
10 Naraku is the Root of All Misfortune
InuYasha
An agglomeration of various yokai, or demons, Naraku stays hidden for the greater part of the InuYasha series, creating conflict from behind the scenes. Eventually, it is even revealed that Naraku was the cause of the fallout between Inuyasha and Kikyō, which led to the dispersion of the sacred jewel, the Shikon no Tama (the entire premise of the show).
Nakaru is capable of such effortless manipulation because of his perfect transformation ability, and his ability to absorb other demons and their powers. His potential is limitless, and his abilities are volatile. Unfortunately, as a half-demon, Naraku is still struck with a monthly day of weakness.
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9 Hisoka Remains Undefeated Among Chaos
Hunter x Hunter
Considering the amount of chaos and conflict that Hisoka actively inserts himself in throughout Hunter x Hunter, the only explanation for his survival is his strength. With the introduction of new power systems, such as Nen, Hisoka’s real strength surfaced little by little over the course of the anime.
His primary ability is his Bungee Gum, which has the properties of both rubber and gum. He also has the supporting Texture Surprise, which can not only disguise bodily features, but can even be applied to his Bungee Gum ability, causing it to be undetectable. Although Hisoka faces set-backs in the manga, it is clear that they can be attributed to a lack of preparation and environmental disadvantages.
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8 Blackbeard Rose to Fame in One Fell Swoop
One Piece
In One Piece, Marshall D. Teach, former member of the Whitebeard Pirates and better known as Blackbeard, rose to power in a quick, well-orchestrated series of events, propelling him to a spot among the Four Emperors of the Sea, the Yonko. Blackbeard’s ability to capitalize on opportunities, and regardless of moral standing, it makes him a stand-up pirate in the traditional sense.
Despite having eaten the Logia-type Devil Fruit, the Yami Yami no Mi (Dark-Dark Fruit), Blackbeard was able to steal Whitebeard’s Paramecia-type Gura Gura no Mi (Tremor-Tremor Fruit), making him the first to possess more than one Devil Fruit ability.
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7 Raizen is the Strongest Reformed Villain
Yu Yu Hakusho
In the last arc of Yu Yu Hakusho,”Three Kings Saga”, Raizen makes his appearance as protagonist Urameshi Yusuke’s ancestral father, and brings with him a frightening backstory. Although in the present timeline Raizen serves as a mentor for Yusuke, he was once the feared ruler of the demon world. He was a villain through and through, claiming to have eaten humans.
However, having fallen in love with a human woman, he vowed to never eat a human again, leading to the diminution of his strength. Despite his weakened state, he still stands toe to toe with the two other kings of the demon world, Yomi and Mukuro.
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10 Best Anime Villains Who Became Heroes
Just because someone starts as a villain doesn’t mean they have to stay that way. Here are 10 of the best villains-turned-heroes from all of anime.
6 All for One Shakes the Symbol of Peace
My Hero Academia
The main antagonist group of My Hero Academia, The League of Villains, is the creation of All for One, the character that put the number one hero, All Might, in the emaciated state he is introduced in. All for One’s quirk allows him to steal other people’s quirks and redistribute them, making both him and his organization a terrifying threat.
Although All Might and All for One have a rematch, in which All Might wins and All for One is arrested, the battle reopens old wounds, and All Might is forced to retire. Despite the loss, All for One’s legacy continues with the still-thriving League of Villains.
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5 Father, Progenitor of the Seven Deadly Sins
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
In Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Father is the source of all seven homunculi who represent the seven deadly sins, and even holds the power to grant immortality. As for the rest of Father’s abilities, considering the all-encompassing nature of alchemy, the possibilities are boundless. In a world dictated by the law of equivalent exchange, Father wields the power of the Philosopher’s Stone, and the millions of lives that have been sacrificed for it.
Ultimately, Father is able to even absorb God in an attempt to become its vessel. However, he fails due to hubris and a flawed outlook on the meaning of truth.
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4 Aizen Dictates New Realities
Bleach
No character in Bleach walks the line between chaos and order like Aizen Sosuke does, having betrayed Soul Society, and joined the ranks of the Hollows. Before his betrayal, Aizen was already one of the strongest characters in the anime, and led the 5th Division of the Gotei 13 as captain.
Furthermore, the ability of his Zanpakutō, his soul-linked living sword, is Complete Hypnosis, which very few knew the existence of due to its illusionary nature. Later, Aizen even gains immortality through tearing down the barriers of Shinigami (soul reaper) and Hollow with the Hyōgyoku. He was only defeated and sealed through the combined efforts of Ichigo and Urahara Kisuke.
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3 Madara Reanimates Towards Perfection
Naruto: Shippuden
A revived and modified Uchiha Madara created a menacing villain for the final arc of Naruto: Shippuden, having regained every strength in his first life, including the Sharingan, Rinnegan, his Ninjutsu, and more, while receiving some upgrades such as Senjutsu Chakra, which provided strong healing and Wood Release abilities. Furthermore, there was no inhibitor to the growth of his abilities, as he later controls and seals the Ten-tails within himself, gaining Jinchūriki powers.
As a result, Madara’s battle record is nothing to scoff at, having decimated the armies of the Allied Shinobi Forces, and defeated the five Kage all at once.
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2 Garou is Being Built to Become Saitama’s Nemesis
One Punch Man
Having been introduced in the second season of One Punch Man, Garou is rapidly gaining traction in author One’s crusade to find a worthy opponent for Saitama. In a world of heroes and villains, the narrative is structured so that Saitama is ostracized as both the strongest and the weakest hero, though not many know the truth. As a result, Saitama exists on a plane no other character has hopes of reaching, that is, other than Garou.
Garou develops at a frightening speed, growing from around B-class to S-class within a few fights, reminiscent of Saitama’s rise to power. Conveniently, Garou’s and Saitama’s views on gaining strength are contradictory.
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1 Frieza, Eternal Villain of the Dragon Ball Universe
Dragon Ball Super
With the motto “nothing ever dies”, the Dragon Ball Franchise has time and again reinvented the most prominent villain of the Dragon Ball Z series, Frieza, especially in Dragon Ball Super. Originally, the power-hungry space mogul served as a catalyst for Goku to break past his limits, becoming a Super Saiyan, but author Toriyama Akira had more in store.
Dragon Ball Super has leaned into a Frieza renaissance with two major reappearances, the first being Golden Frieza, who actually self-destructs along with the planet, and the most recent being Black Frieza, who defeats Master Ultra Instinct form Goku and Ultra Ego form Vegeta, and is still at large.
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