Top 20 Times Cocky Anime Characters Got DESTROYED

Scrpt written by Jonathan Alexander

Top 20 Times Cocky Anime Characters Got DESTROYED

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 Times Cocky Anime Characters Got DESTROYED.

For this list, we’ll be looking at the most satisfying instances of haughty anime characters getting majorly humbled. As such, expect a few spoilers down the line.

Did we miss any of your favorite beatdowns? Let us know in the comments below!

#20: Guel Jeturk

“Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury” (2022-)

There’s no sugarcoating it; Guel is a pompous prick. But, not only does Miorine have to go to school with him, they’re also engaged to be married. Defeating Guel in combat is the only way to call off the wedding, and thankfully, Suletta is more than happy to do the honors. To put it lightly, she shows him what a real Gundam looks like, and it’s not pretty. Guel’s attacks are blocked, Suletta charges in, and suddenly, he’s staring down the wrong end of a blade. Just like that, Suletta stole both his pride and his fiance. But, wiping that smirk off Guel’s face was the best prize of all.

#19: Lloyd & Vice Principal Farman

“Mashle: Magic & Muscles ” (2023)

In just one afternoon, Mash completely usurped Easton Academy’s corrupt power dynamics. But, to be fair, they were totally asking for it. Lloyd’s first and last mistake was messing with one of Mash’s classmates. For his trouble, all he got was a face-first trip to the ground. Afterwards, the slimy Vice Principal Farman sided with Lloyd and even threatened Mash with expulsion. But, the magicless brute made a very compelling argument in his defense. That being, without school rules, there’d be nothing stopping him from burying the VP alive right then and there. Talk about burying the hatchet. After this, odds are we won’t be hearing from Farman or Lloyd ever again.

#18: Kurata

“Digimon Data Squad” (2006-07)

It takes a certain kind of villain to be hated in two worlds. Especially when one is digital. Then, just when it seemed Kurata would finally get his due recompense, he merged with the overpowered Belphemon. He was scary, he was arrogant, and he had the power to back it all up. Or, so it seemed. As it turned out, all of Kurata’s enhancements were nothing in the face of Marcus’ new Burst Mode. Emphasis on the “in the face part.” See, Marcus and ShineGreymon didn’t just take Kurata down, they did it by giving him a one-two punch right between the eyes. A right hook has never been so satisfying.

#17: Hanma

“Tokyo Revengers” (2021-)

It’s hard to accurately put into words, but Shuji Hanma just has a punchable face. To say nothing of his actions. He spends most of the season as a generally deplorable human being in just about every sense of the word. It takes a while, but Mikey finally gets fed up with him, and it’s well worth the wait. Just be sure not to blink through it. Despite his overconfident attitude, Hanma doesn’t even have time to block before Mikey’s kicked the lights out of him. The fight’s over almost as soon as it begins, but something tells us Hanma won’t be forgetting about it any time soon.

#16: Szayelaporro Granz

“Bleach” (2004-12; 2022-)

Mayuri wasn’t content just killing this Arrancar. No, he had to do it with style. On paper, giving your opponent superhuman reactions doesn’t sound like a very good idea. But, since Szayelaporro’s body can’t keep up with his mind, he’s forced to experience what feels like centuries in the span of a few real-world seconds. Now, imagine all that time is spent in excruciating pain - like, for example, because of a Zanpakutō strike. With that in mind, it suddenly makes sense how even someone as self-assured as Szayelaporro ended up begging for death. By the time the Zanpakutō hit his heart, it definitely came as a mercy.

#15: Prison Guards

“Baki Hanma” (2021-)

As a general rule of thumb, it’s best to bring more than just your fists to a gunfight. But, Baki is the exception. His two hands are more capable than any firearm in the world, and he proves as much during this stylish prison break. The guards are nothing more than a glorified obstacle course to him. And, as such, he decides to have some fun with it. Baki steals the second shirt button off of every guard around, for seemingly no other reason than to prove a point. Rest assured, the message was definitely received. They may be the ones with guns, but these guards are Baki’s prisoners.

#14: The Retainers

“Vinland Saga” (2019-)

These guys learned the hard way why you don’t mess with Thorfinn. For what it’s worth, he held his composure longer than most would’ve. But, when he comes face to face with the gloating retainers who burned his crops, Thorfinn just can’t help throwing the first punch. He breaks the guy's jaw with a single, glorious blow, and yet, that’s getting off easy. If the prick and his lackeys had faced Thorfinn at his peak, the retainers would’ve lost more than just a few teeth. Lucky for them, Einar steps in and they escape with their lives. Of course, the same can’t be said for their ego.

#13: Clayman

“That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime” (2018-)

At this Demon Lords’ Banquet, the only thing on the menu is a knuckle sandwich. Clayman lied, stole, and cheated to even get there, so it’s only fitting that he’s then literally knocked down a few pegs. Not by Rimuru, though. He’s just there to spout off a few insults; it’s Shion who gets the main event. Don’t worry, she understands that revenge is a dish best served with your fists. Clayman can’t even react before Shion’s flurry of punches sends him sprawling to the floor. She isn’t even trying very hard, either. Next time, Claymon should really make sure he has the strength to match his mouth.

#12: Kuroki

“Tomodachi Game” (2022)

This is probably the most high-stakes game of Rock-Paper-Scissors that’s ever been played. As penance for all his sleazy behavior, the gang leader Kuroki is gambling with his fingers. It’s quite literally child’s play, though, and his opponent, Yuuchi, even gives him a freebie if he plays Rock. Despite all that, Kuroki still ends up sending his hand to the butcher. In a last-minute hail-Mary, he tries to mooch his punishment onto a proxy. However, surprise surprise, no one volunteers to come to his aid. Technically, Yuuchi passes out before any fingers are chopped, but watching Kuroki devolve into a blubbering mess is more than enough.

#11: Ryuen

“Classroom of the Elite” (2017-)

Torture. Manipulation. General Debauchery. You name it, Ryuen was probably guilty of it. He got away with it all because of his philosophy that violence solves everything. The only issue is that, as Kiyotaka soon proved, Ryuen can’t take what he dishes. Neither can his lackeys, for that matter. Kiyotaka disposes of Class C’s grunts faster than they know what’s hit them. But, when it comes to Ryuen, Kiyotaka takes his sweet time doling out payback. It’s a downright cathartic thrashing, especially since Ryuen doesn’t even get the benefit of a final monologue. Instead, Kiyotaka’s stoic demeanor proved that Class C’s ruler does feel fear, after all.

#10: Saddler

“How Not to Summon a Demon Lord” (2018-21)

Even the vilest, most despicable villains imaginable know that you never mess with a man’s harem. For some reason, though, the prideful Paladin, Saddler, thought that rule didn’t apply to him. Once he set hands on Diablo’s girls, the harem protagonist got even by turning Saddler into stone. To really rub it in, Diablo did it using Saddler’s own spell, too. That isn’t even the end of his problems, either. A few episodes later, Saddler returns ready to exact revenge - only to promptly die again inside of an exploding church. It feels a bit like overkill, but that’s what you get for trying to touch Diablo’s girls.

#9: Yuya Fungami

“JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable” (2016)

Not even an entourage of loyal maidens can protect you from the Joestar’s particular brand of vengeance. Josuke’s a nice guy, though. He’s not about to rough up a feeble hospital patient. Good thing that’s not Fungami anymore. While his sordid acts rightfully landed him in the infirmary, the Stand Shining Diamond patched Fungami right up - all so Josuke could personally thrash him all over again. “Disrespectful” doesn’t begin to cover it. At least Fungami’s still on the hospital grounds, because once Josuke’s done with him, he’s gonna need a whole new round of treatment. And we’d bet this recovery won’t be as quick.

#8: Seto Kaiba

“Yu-Gi-Oh!” (1998)

At first glance, Kaiba’s haughty attitude is totally earned. He has three Blue-Eyes White Dragons, has just wrecked Yugi’s Grandpa, and is about to do the same to Yugi himself. But, all of Kaiba’s self-assurance still couldn’t account for one thing: the power of Exodia. Once Yugi lays the final piece, Kaiba can only watch as his trio of Dragons get utterly obliterated. The cocky duelist loses before he even gets a chance to counterattack. This being Kaiba, though, he doesn’t take the failure particularly well. But, the fact it gets him so riled up just proves that this beatdown was a long-time coming.

#7: Bellamy

“One Piece” (1999-)

Over the years, Bellamy made all sorts of enemies by laughing in the face of pirates who chase their dreams. And yet, his biggest misstep was questioning whether Luffy knew how to punch or not. With his honor and his quest on the line, the rubber sailor cracked his knuckles and got to work. Bellamy sure made a flashy show of things, but in the end, his bouncing abilities only lined him up for one of anime’s most insane punches. The only mercy is that Bellamy wasn’t conscious to face the embarrassing aftermath. Yeah, it’s safe to say Luffy does know how to punch, after all.

#6: Gary Oak

“Pokémon” (1997-)

By the time Gary strolled into the Viridian City Gym, he already had a stacked team and ten badges to his name. It didn’t seem like any trainer could stop him anymore. Let alone a single Pokémon. But when that Pokémon is a newly-awakened Mewtwo, it’s a different story. For the first time on screen, Gary got the taste of bitter defeat. And it wasn’t even close. Despite fighting two on one, none of Gary’s partners so much as scratched the Legendary Pokémon. No matter how you cut it, that’s the kind of loss that not even Nurse Joy can fully fix.

#5: Erya Uzruth

“Overlord” (2015-)

There’s those who graciously accept defeat, and then there’s Uzruth. His pride blinded him into a fight he couldn’t win. But, instead of going out with honor, he hilariously dies at the hands of a giant, sentient hamster. It’s a whole new level of humiliation, especially because Uzruth wasn’t holding back. He had a whole posse of magical elves healing him and casting buffs. And yet, even with all that, he still couldn’t stop the mammal from clawing him to pieces. First the arms, and then the head. The cruelest part of the whole thing is that this was the hamster being nice.

#4: Roto

“Yu Yu Hakusho” (1992-94)

All’s fair in love, war, and the Dark Tournament. That even includes blackmail. Roto’s plot to hold Kurama’s mother ransom only buys him a few minutes, though. Roto spends it all toying with his prey, and by the time he realizes something’s afoot, it’s already too late. Kurama gets his vengeance via the nasty death plant, and let’s just say it really makes Roto smell the flowers. No, it’s not as pleasant as it sounds. It’s almost sad; Roto really thought he could manipulate his way to a win. But, instead, he had to learn firsthand that Kurama doesn’t believe in mercy.

#3: Oberon

“Sword Art Online” (2012-)

This fairy king was so universally hated, one beatdown just wasn’t enough. After spending his days making nonconsensual advances on Asuna, it’s all-too-satisfying when Kirito finally shows him the meaning of pain. But, Oberon’s fate doesn’t end in Alfheim Online. Back in the real world, he tries ambushing Kirito outside of a hospital. Sadly for him, this rematch doesn’t go much better than their first round did. By the time Kirito kicks his ass the second time, Oberon’s left as a pitiful, groveling husk. But, considering all the horrible things he put Asuna through, his fate elicits more cheers than sympathy.

#2: Cheetu

“Hunter x Hunter” (2011-14)

In this scene, Silva comes to fetch his Dad. Oh, and Cheetu’s there, too. For some inexplicable reason, he thinks he can take on Zeno Zoldyck in a fight. As expected, Cheetu isn’t even worth a glance from the Zoldyck patriarch. To say nothing of an actual fight. Then, as if to prove Zeno’s point, Cheetu doesn’t realize there’s another Zoldyck incoming until his fate is already sealed. Silva crash-lands right on the Chimera Ant, splattering him like the bug he is. Then, the two Zoldycks continue on like nothing happened. For how much Cheetu hyped himself up to Zeno, he wasn’t even worth getting his hands dirty.

#1: Light Yagami

“Death Note” (2006-07)

Being the judge, jury, and executioner of the New World is bound to give you one hell of a God complex. Although, in Light’s defense, he truly seemed unbeatable - that is, until he faced Near. The kid executed a brilliant plan to force out a confession, and just like that, the so-called God of the New World was riddled with bullets. The alter-ego Kira died there, but Light himself managed to crawl away. He didn’t get very far, though. In a poetic turn of events, Light died from the same Death Note he’d used to take over the world. If that’s not karma, we don’t know what is.