Berserk has rightfully earned its spot as one of the most iconic and brutal dark fantasy series ever, but what makes it truly unforgettable are the characters — especially Griffith. With his majestic white hair and almost angelic face, he looks more like some fairytale prince than the monster he becomes. But behind that delicate exterior is an ambitious, manipulative leader whose dream of ruling his own kingdom leads to some of the worst decisions ever made in anime history.
What makes Griffith so memorable is how deeply this egomaniac gets under everyone’s skin. Griffith gets praised all the time as one of the best-written antagonists, though most fans hate him almost as much as Guts does, since his actions feel totally beyond forgiveness. And while Griffith is, without a doubt, one of the most evil anime villains, especially after turning into the demon Femto, there are other villains out there who manage to rank even higher on the evil scale
Johan Liebert Proves Himself as an Actual Monster
Naoki Urasawa’s Monster tells the story of Dr. Tenma, a neurosurgeon whose decision to save a young boy’s life ends up unleashing one of anime’s most horrifying villains: Johan Liebert. After being saved, Johan grows into a psychopathic serial killer who manipulates, corrupts, and kills without remorse. He committed some of the most atrocious acts imaginable, especially against children and innocent people who never stood a chance against his manipulation.
He forces a child to explore a district filled with prostitution, death, and drugs until the kid wants to kill himself, purely for amusement. He drives a recovering alcoholic detective to suicide right before he can reunite with his daughter, and he even frames Dr. Tenma, the man who saved him, turning his entire life into a living nightmare and traumatizing him for life. Griffith may have betrayed his comrades, but Johan specifically targets the most vulnerable and innocent.
Shou Tucker’s Crimes Make Him Anime’s Most Hated Father
Few villains get more hatred than Shou Tucker from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and honestly, he deserves every bit of it. He only appears in a few episodes, but what he does is so horrifying that fans rank him above actual murderers in terms of evil. This is a man who experimented on his own wife and daughter just to keep his job, and the worst part is that he never showed a hint of guilt or remorse afterward.
When his status as a State Alchemist is about to be revoked, he goes to unimaginable lengths to prove his worth to the Amestrian government. He fuses his 4-year-old daughter, Nina, with her pet dog Alexander, leaving her in agony until Scar finally ends her suffering. There aren’t many characters that can make villains like Thanos, who famously threw Gamora off a cliff, seem not that bad in comparison, but Shou Tucker manages it.
Danzo’s Actions Caused Most of Naruto’s Tragedies
Danzo Shimura from Naruto is considered one of the most evil anime villains ever, and honestly, it’s hard to argue otherwise. He is directly or indirectly behind nearly every major tragedy in the series, all while convincing himself that everything he does is for the greater good of the Hidden Leaf Village. In reality, everything Danzo does is purely for his own personal gain.
He destroys any chance of peace in the Hidden Rain Village, causes Yahiko’s death, sets off the chain of events that led to the rise of the Akatsuki, and even indirectly triggers Pain’s destruction of Konoha. He helps Orochimaru experiment on 49 kidnapped children, steals Shisui’s eye and drives him to suicide, manipulates the Uchiha Clan into planning a coup, and orders Itachi to massacre his entire clan. Danzo spent decades systematically creating suffering and destruction while hiding behind the excuse of protecting the village.
Makima’s Cruelty and Manipulation Rival Griffith’s Atrocities
Makima from Chainsaw Man doesn’t care about humanity — the only person who matters to her is herself, and everyone else is just a means to an end. Her true nature is revealed when she laughs in Denji’s face after killing Power and admits she only gave him a family so she could rip it away later. She’s one of the coldest evil anime villains because every awful thing she did was to gain control over Chainsaw Man, and she didn’t just do it without hesitation; she genuinely enjoyed breaking Denji emotionally.
Forcing the Angel Devil to murder the village that cared for him shows the depth of her cruelty, from murder by proxy to memory manipulation and turning victims into puppets. While Makima didn’t sexually assault someone like Griffith, she is legitimately a groomer who brainwashes people to get what she wants. Her atrocities cement her as Chainsaw Man’s version of Griffith: a beautiful manipulator whose cruelty is deeply personal and designed to destroy the protagonist’s soul.
Aizen’s Betrayal Makes Him Bleach’s Ultimate Villain
Bleach’s Sosuke Aizen set the standard for how Shōnen villains should be. As the ex-captain of the Fifth Division, he stays ten steps ahead of everyone, orchestrating everything from the shadows. His betrayal shocks not just the characters but the entire audience, making for a hard-hitting plot twist with the same impact as the Reiner and Bertholdt reveal in Attack on Titan.
At first, Aizen seems genuinely trustworthy compared to all the other violent Shinigami in Bleach. In reality, he is a manipulative sociopath who murders thousands, experiments on people, and uses everyone as pawns for his god complex. He spent literal decades systematically destroying those who trusted him most, making his calculated evil feel even more far-reaching and unforgettable.
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