Top 20 Totally Insane Anime Characters

“The Big O” (2001-03)
What’s scarier than an obsessive maniac who looks like something out of your nightmares? One that also has a giant robot under his command, that’s what. Originally nothing more than an average journalist, the constant censorship of his work by the Paradigm Corporation and his growing hunger for ‘the truth’ caused him to go off the deep end. His speeches, distorted appearance and, again, the fact he has a giant freaking robot like Big Duo under his control makes Schwarzwald someone you don’t want to mess with.

“Is This a Zombie?” (2011-12)
Oh sure, she may seem sweet and gentle on the outside, but drop your guard and the next thing you know you’ll find yourself getting cut to pieces. While originally believed to be a traumatised victim, it’s later revealed that Kyoko is actually a serial killer herself; something she takes great pleasure in. With sadistic love of murder combined with her powers as a Masou-Shoujo, not only is she likely to scare the crap out of you when her true personality rises to the surface, but you’ll also have to worry about whether she’s going to impale or use magic to incinerate you.

“Akame ga Kill!” (2014)
She’s armed to the teeth, twisted to the core and one of the vilest characters you’re ever going to come across should you decide to pay the Empire a visit. As a member of the Jaegers, Seryu puts up a kind front all the while preaching about how justice must prevail against evil, when in reality she’s motivated by her bloodlust alone, to the point where she’ll abandon all principles and even undermine her team to get what she wants. She’s also the one responsible for the death of Night Raid member Sheele, something we still haven’t forgiven her for!

“Deadman Wonderland” (2011)
Despite the fact she was held within the confines of Deadman Wonderland, surely a girl with such an innocent expression couldn’t be a murderer. Even though we knew she was a Deadman who probably had some kind of supernatural ability made for killing, how could a girl who loved flowers also be a psychopath? Well she is. With her shy persona acting as a masquerade, when it came time to kill or be killed in the Carnival Corpse, this little lady held nothing back, including the fact that killing wasn’t just enjoyable, but downright arousing.

“Fate/Zero” (2011-12)
What kind of madman would it take to summon the likes of an unholy fiend like Caster as their servant? Your answer would be this young serial killer, who loves nothing more than finding new ways to kill and torture his victims. As such, these two are a hellishly perfect duo, who use the Fourth Holy Grail War as an excuse to maim and kill everyone they come across, with the ultimate desire to turn the whole world into a one big massacre. Luckily Ryuunosuke’s plans come undone with a well-timed bullet to the face, but his gruesome legacy won’t soon be forgotten.

“Btooom!” (2012)
In his early teens he killed three women and did horrible things to their remains. That’s pretty much all you need to know. Due to the horrific abuse he suffered at the hands of his father, when he finds himself taking part in the real-life version of a violent online video game, this murderous little bastard takes every opportunity to let his inner freak loose. Having no trouble when it comes to manipulating others due to his unassuming appearance, Kosuke may well be a victim to some degree due to such an awful upbringing, but there’s no denying how much he enjoys the cruelty he inflicts on others.

“Black Butler” (2008-09)
We know Grim Reapers are all about taking souls but this is a little excessive. Initially assumed to be a cowardly butler in service to Ciel Phantomhive’s aunt, Madam Red, it was revealed that Grell’s talents lay not in serving tea but in harvesting lives. Under the guise of Jack the Ripper, Grell assisted Madam Red in her killing sprees, armed with an unconventional death scythe in the form of a chainsaw. Flamboyant but ever so deadly, his violent tendencies are only matched by the infatuation he has for Sebastian. We’re…not sure which is more unsettling.

“Assassination Classroom” (2015-16)
Drill instructors are meant to be hard as nails, but this guy takes it a step too far. With little regard for the students of Class E, he only desires to gain the fame that would come from killing Korosensei with his methods, as well make Nagisa’s life miserable. From abusing the students to going as far as threatening to kill them all when his plans go awry, this former soldier is as despicable as they come. As you might imagine, seeing Nagisa humiliate him twice over was an absolute treat.

“Cowboy Bebop” (1998-99)
With the temperament of a child, the skills of an assassin and the nasty habit of slaying anyone who has even caught a glimpse at his real face, the man known as Mad Pierrot has built up quite the reputation for himself. Due to suffering under severe and agonising experiments, his psyche wasn’t only shattered but also granted him superior strength and endurance, something that our favourite bounty hunter finds out the hard way. He may not have managed to take out Spike, but he definitely came within a breath of doing so, only to find himself bested by that most classic of fears; cats.

“JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable” (2016)
All he wanted was to be left alone! While the Joestar family has had to face off against some impressive villains, not since Dio Brando has there come such a sociopathic yet equally captivating villain like this Stand User. With a desire to live out a peaceful life, one that he is willing to kill for, Kira makes an enemy of practically every member of the Joestar bloodline. Ruthless yet charming, his suave demeanor may make him seem like the perfect gentleman at first, up until he busts out that Killer Queen of his.

“Code Geass” (2006-08)


Honestly C.C, your choice in candidates for the Geass seems to be more miss than hit. Unable to control the power bestowed to him, Mao was slowly driven insane by his inability to stop hearing people’s thoughts all throughout his childhood, and over the years had grown into an immature yet sadistic individual. He tried to use these abilities to manipulate and kill our protagonists, but up against the likes of Lelouch Vi Britannia, all that madness unfortunately counts for nothing.

“Soul Eater” (2008-09)


The clue is kind of in the name. A lecturer and powerful meister in his own right, Stein serves as a mentor figure to Maka and the others, and while he’s shown to deeply care for his students, his teaching methods do tend to drift towards the extreme side of things. However, there’s also a darkness to him. After being driven over the edge by the witch Medusa, Stein does go through a spell of sheer insanity that’s unsettling to behold.

“Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Sayain” (1993)


Of course, we’re referring to the original incarnation of the Legendary Super Saiyan before his origins were rewritten. By far one of the most imposing villains in the entire DBZverse, Broly lives for only one thing; killing Goku. Oh sorry, we meant Kakarot. As an infant, Broly was subjected to Goku’s non-stop crying, and went slightly mad as a result. His anger caused him to transform into the Legendary Super Sayain, a being strong enough to knock both Goku and Vegeta down to size. As far as world-destroying rage machines go, Broly is definitely the craziest.

“Hunter x Hunter” (2011-14)


All types can apply to become Hunters, just as long as they have the ability to overcome obstacles no regular mortal could. This includes psychotic magicians dressed as jesters who get aroused by strong opponents. With a lethal set of tricks up his sleeves, Hisoka is obsessed with fighting and killing those he deems worthy, going as far as sparing Gon and Killua in the hope they would mature into powerful adversaries, even infiltrating the Phantom Troupe just to have a shot at squaring off against their boss. He’s a skilled Nen user whose bloodlust and creepy attraction to combat will make your skill crawl.

“Death Note” (2006-07)


Light Yagami sure knows how to pick ‘em. In order to maintain his secrecy as Kira, Light hands possession of the Death Note to Mikami, a devoted follower more than capable of dispensing what he believes to be justice. Fiercely loyal to the man he believes to be God, not only does he eliminate those unfit to call themselves followers with some of the most awesome penmanship skills in all of anime, but is also something of a lunatic. When Light is finally exposed and reveals he’s the furthest thing from a God, Mikami is so distraught that he ended his own life by impaling himself with his own pen.

“Naruto: Shippuden” (2007-17)


The members of the Akatsuki are some of the most dangerous criminals in the shinobi world, but by far the most downright crazy of them all is this zealot. Aside from having one hell of an affinity for swearing, Hidan is essentially immortal due to his faith to the deity known as Jashin. Through bloody rituals, Hidan can literally lose his head and still keep on fighting. With his signature three-bladed sickle, arsenal of curse-type jutsu, this fanatic quite literally spits in the face of death on a daily basis.

“Baccano!” (2007)


Nicknamed Vino due to the blood-soaked remains of his victims, Claire is a freelance assassin who happens to have a rather twisted philosophy. He believes himself to be the one constant in the universe, that he can’t be killed despite being just a mortal man, he has no qualms about butchering people yet goes out of his way to protect innocents and insists mercy is a quality that only the strong possess. Considering his performance aboard the Flying Pussyfoot, we’re kind of inclined to believe him.

“Danganronpa: The Animation” (2013)


Now we’re getting into the real lunatics. Despite being revered as a fashion model and having everything she could ever want, boredom and psychosis led to Junko falling off the deep end and setting up the Mutual Killing Game, trapping herself and fellow students in a school where grizzly executions become commonplace. While also posing as the mascot Monokuma, she gets her kicks by spreading death and despair among her peers.

“Tokyo Ghoul” (2014-18)


Unlike many of the other entries on our list, this is a character we just feel sorry for, and whose madness is a result of physical and mental agony. After being brutally tortured by his adoptive ghoul mother, Juuzou’s grasp on right and wrong became incredibly warped. As such, he translates his frustrations into blind ugly violence against any ghoul who comes in his way. Sure he’s a total nutcase, but Juuzou’s budding friendship with his partner, Yukinori Shinohara, leads us to believe there’s hope for this little fella.

“Higurashi When The Cry” (2006)


In a community where a sacrificial deity, curses and multiple, rewinding timelines run rampant, the scariest thing just might be this adorable would-be serial killer. Rendered unstable by the Hinamizawa syndrome coupled with her strong belief of the curse, Rena is known to have bouts of violent insanity, which more often than not end with someone getting killed. What’s most unsettling is how she can be as sweet as can be in one timeline, only for her to hack someone to pieces with a giant cleaver in the next.


Which of these psychos do you find the most compelling? Let us know in the comments!