Top 20 Most Evil Moments in Anime

“The Rising of the Shield Hero” (2019)
One sure fire way to make a character hateable is to toss an innocent soul to the wolves, and that’s exactly what Myne did, in the most despicable way imaginable. Due to her vanity and compulsion to lie, the princess befriended Naofumi to lull him into a false sense of security…only to then accuse him of assaulting her the next day. In one fell swoop she turned the entire kingdom against him, driving the Shield Hero to the very depths of despair. Her comeuppance eventually arrived, but by then the damage had been done.

“Tower of God” (2020-)
As the only companion he had ever known, it makes sense that Bam would be so reliant on Rachel, that she would be his entire world. Unfortunately, his devotion didn’t allow him to see just how embittered she truly was. Immensely jealous of Bam being chosen by the tower over her, Rachel eventually steals her chance at making it to the top of the tower…by removing Bam from the equation. The reveal that not only is she not paralyzed, but was willing to push her faithful companion to his demise in such a cold fashion made her instantly infamous.

“Fate/Zero” (2011-12)
The Holy Grail war, despite featuring the mightiest heroes across history and mythology alike, is rarely conducted with honor. In order to ensure the odds are stacked in his favor and that the Holy Grail falls into his hands, Kiritsugu plays 5D chess with Masters and Servants alike. His most sinister move, however, involves removing Lancer and his Master from the board. By threatening his wife Sola-ui, he forces Kayneth to use his Command Seal, and have Lancer unalive himself. While this would normally be enough, Kiritsugu doesn’t want to take the risk…and has the two assassinated immediately afterward. Very much an ends justifies the means kind of guy.

“Death Note” (2006-07)
Light’s intellect has constantly proven itself to be a weapon more fearsome than even the Death Note, and nowhere is that more evident than during his encounter with Naomi Misora. After her husband is killed by Kira, Noami goes on the hunt. Initially suspicious of Light, her detective mentality nearly spells his doom, just as his career as God of the New World is out of the starting gate. And yet, with nothing but wits and wordplay alone, Light is able to deceive, write her name in the Death Note, and stage it to look like she took her own life. And just to rub salt in the wound, he even confesses his identity as Kira just before the notebook does its work.

“Eureka Seven” (2005-06)
You can always trust the military in the wake of some manner of alien occupation to resort to the cruelest means to help turn the tide of the fight. Investigating the Novak Foundation as a means to save the deranged and dying Anemone, Dominic witnesses the horrific way that girls with desperation disease are experimented on, all in the hope of turning them into Humanoid Coralians. It’s an upsetting sight, especially if you’re picturing what would happen to Eureka if these guys got their hands on her.

“JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable” (2016)
Yoshikage Kira just wants to be left alone, and he’ll kill anyone to ensure his continued tranquility. Made all the easier given that his Stand can turn anything it touches into a bomb. But when the JoJos start impeding his happy murder time, both Kira and his Killer Queen resort to drastic measures. After stealing another man’s face and identity, Kira turns his victim’s son into a living bomb, set to detonate whenever he attempts to inform Josuke of the truth. It’s a time loop of death, and if not for some of that Joestar luck, Kira would have a perfect victory on his hands.

“My Hero Academia” (2016-)
Even in a world filled with supervillains as heinous as All for One, you have to be a special kind of scumbag to mutilate a child, purely for the purpose of using her Quirk as a means to undo Quirks themselves. But that’s just the kind of guy Overhaul is, so focused on his so-called big picture that he was willing to do whatever possible to ensure his vision for society’s future. Given her ability to rewind things to a previous state, Eri’s wounds may have healed, but that just meant Overhaul could continue his sadistic treatment of her continuously.

“Devilman: The Demon Bird” (1990)
It’s not easy being Akira Fudo. Sure, going from wimp to a testosterone-laced-super-bro who can turn into a devil might seem like an upgrade, but every step of the way he’s met with one tragedy after enough. One of which was his encounter with the turtle Jinmen, who had a nasty habit of layering his shell with the souls of those he had slaughtered, all taking the form of anguished faces. This included Akira’s neighbor and friend Sachiko. The sight of seeing so many faces bound to such a hellish existence remains a truly haunting image. Just one of many in Devilman’s catalog.

“Overlord” (2015-22)
While trying to loot a stronghold belonging to a supremely powerful undead being is certainly an error in judgment on behalf of these adventurers, we can’t pretend that Ainz Ooal Gown didn’t go overboard with his punishment. Luring them in with the promise of treasure, each member of the group meets a heinous end via Ainz’s loyal monster troupe. If they’re not being devoured in a sea of roaches, they’re getting mauled to death by a giant hamster, or in the worst-case scenario, tortured via genitalia. We know Ainz is all about that neutral evil route but jeez, have a little sympathy!

“The Promised Neverland” (2019-21)
An orphanage atop a beautiful grassy plain. A place filled with love and laughter. The children living there a single, happy family, tended to by the caretakers affectionately known as mothers. Life is good. That is until Emma and her friends discover it's all a lie. Their caretakers are actually their jailers, and when it's time, they’re to be shipped off to be devoured by demons. The reveal is heart-wrenching, pitting a group of children against a world that only sees them as cattle.

“Mobile Suit Gundam SEED” (2002-03)
ZAFT may technically be the villains, but even then, no-one deserves to go out like this. Tipped off to a looming invasion by ZAFT forces, certain members of the Earth Alliance decided to set up a nasty surprise for them in Alaska. Overloading the Cyclops System, the resulting microwaves cause anyone within radius to literally explode. Meaning a lot of ZAFT soldiers, Eurasian soldiers and civilians popped into red mist one after another in one of Gundam’s most gruesome death montages. Just another reason not to head to Alaska.

“Inuyashiki” (2017)
Just because someone is inadvertently given great power, doesn’t always mean they’ll have the responsibility to go with it. Case and point, Shishigami – a seemingly average student who gets turned into a cyborg by aliens. So, what does he do now that he can do practically anything? He starts killing people. A lot of people. Just because he can. The apathetic way he just guns down civilians and causes a plane to crash down is utterly chilling. He has no great cause, he doesn’t revel in the slaughter, he just does it because he felt like it. And that’s why he’s terrifying.

“Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood” (2009-10)
How does a dwarf in a flash go about becoming the most powerful entity in the world? A lot of luck and deception, that’s how. After finding a naive ally in the likes of Van Hohenheim, the creature known as Homonculus incentivises him with the promise of freedom and knowledge. Together, they create an alchemic ritual that acts just as intended – wiping out the country of Xerxes in a single stroke, and in turn granting the Homunculus a humanoid body of unparalleled power, while all Hohenheim can do is grieve for the millions he inadvertently massacred. Hell and good intentions, you know how it goes.

“Dragon Ball Z” (1989-96)
In spite of their pride and incredible potential for combat, the Saiyan race is a fraction of what it once was. And that’s all down to the antics of a single space tyrant with an itchy trigger finger. Seemingly on a whim after being confronted by Bardock, Frieza decides its time to burn all the monkeys to cinders. With but a flick of his wrist, he summons a supernova, which in turn incinerates Planet Vegeta and all its inhabitants, all the while laughing like a loon at his handiwork. You can see why Vegeta held a grudge.

“Hellsing Ultimate” (2006-12)
What is a city compared to a planet? Well, let’s just say that instead of things being over in a blinding flash of light, the innocents here were met with a far more gruesomely intimate fate. Waging his beloved war, the Major has his thousand vampires give into their desires and go buck wild. If they aren’t bombing and burning everything in sight, they’re feasting on the locals, turning them into the undead, who in turn start devouring their neighbors. It’s a cycle of death only made more sickening by the Major’s cavalier attitude towards the whole thing.

“Jujutsu Kaisen” (2020-23)
The King of Curses is a being of absolute swag and zero f’s given, which is demonstrated to its fullest through his destruction of Shibuya. In a bid to contend with the seemingly indestructible Mahoraga, Sukuna unleashes the vastness of his Domain Expansion. The endless barrage of slashes and cuts certainly do their job at whittling the pale beast down…but it also slices everything in a wide radius to pieces. This includes a whole bunch of civilians desperate to escape the devastation. And just because he can, Sukuna lets Itadori witness the horrific aftermath up close. What a dick.

“Attack on Titan” (2013-23)
Turns out everyone underestimated what Eren was willing to do in order to protect those he loves. While initially believing that he simply wished to use the threat of the Rumbling as a means to guarantee the safety of all Eldians…Eren had a far more practical use in mind. Unleashing millions of Colossal Titans, Eren makes it clear he intends to stop the outside world until nothing is left. And you know what? He succeeds. By the time things come to a close, the Rumbling has crushed eighty percent of all life on the planet. Dude.

“Kemono Jihen” (2021)
This one is horrendous on so many levels. While initially thought to be a decent guy, Shiki’s uncle reveals himself to be single-minded in his pursuit of the golden thread – something that can only be formed from spider kemono such as Shiki’s mother. This crazed goal leads him to have monsters of all kinds forcibly breed with her, in hopes that their union will create what he needs. The sight of so many mutated offspring paints a loathsome picture, one we were happy to see Kabane smash to pieces.

“Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul” (2020)
Bondrewd is a terrible, terrible father. No way around it. His scientific brilliance and aptitude for exploring the Abyss may have made him a legend, but it also seems to have come with the caveat of draining him of all empathy and decency. Otherwise he would have never entertained the idea of using his daughter in his experiments…let alone dissecting her and using her fleshy remains as a battery to stave off the Abyss’ infectious curse. Bondrewd already quite the list of disgusting acts to his name, but this one easily takes the cake.

“Berserk” (1997-98)
The ultimate betrayal. The ultimate act of evil in anime. Who else could it come from but Griffith? Given the chance to achieve his long-sought dream of a kingdom to call his own, the White Hawk accepts the offer laid out to him by the God Hand. And all he had to do was willingly offer up his comrades as a sacrifice. This leads to the Band of the Hawk being eradicated by a horde of apostles, and if that wasn’t traumatizing enough, upon his rebirth, Griffith showcases his true vile nature by assaulting his devoted lieutenant Casca before the eyes of Guts. There’s no redemption to be found here. Only suffering, and the promise of bloody vengeance.
Which display of anime depravity made you shudder the most? Let us know in the comments!
Trivia –
Griffith manipulated which princess in his moment of grief?
Nobara
Charlotte (Correct)
Mikasa
Chi Chi
Alucard works for the Iscariot Organisation.
False