A New Gen Shonen Has Already Surpassed One Piece’s Best Villains

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This article contains spoilers for Demon Slayer and One Piece.

Currently, *Demon Slayer* is one of the most popular anime series globally. The latest *Demon Slayer* movie, *Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part 1 — Akaza’s Return*, has been a huge commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing anime film of all time. The movie heavily featured Akaza, a powerful demon, and his appearance was a major draw for audiences. While Akaza’s popularity has exceeded that of villains from *One Piece*, this doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a more compelling or well-developed character.

Demon Slayer’s Akaza Has Become a Worldwide Sensation

  • Akaza is Featured in the Two Biggest Anime Movies Ever
  • Akaza’s Simple Presence is Enough to Hype Fans Up

Akaza, a key villain in the anime *Demon Slayer*, first appeared in the 2020 film *Demon Slayer: Mugen Train*. He quickly became a fan favorite – and a source of frustration for many – as he was responsible for the death of the popular character Rengoku. Since then, Akaza’s popularity has continued to grow, especially with the release of *Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part 1 — Akaza’s Return* this year. This latest movie was heavily focused on Akaza, and even named after him. It’s rare for a single villain to be central to two such successful anime films, which really demonstrates how popular Akaza has become. Many fans consider him the most popular anime villain right now. It will be interesting to see how the remaining *Demon Slayer* movies perform without him.

One Piece’s Villains Haven’t Had As Much Chance to Shine in Movies

Oda Still Created Many Interesting Villains

Akaza, the villain from *Demon Slayer*, has generated a remarkable amount of fan interest in theaters – more so than any villain from *One Piece*, even though *One Piece* has plenty of great antagonists. Eiichiro Oda, the creator of *One Piece*, has developed a large and compelling group of villains throughout the manga. Unfortunately, these characters haven’t been featured in the movies because Oda prefers to keep the films separate from the main storyline. Currently, Crocodile, Doflamingo, or Kaido, the primary villain from the Wano arc, would likely be considered *One Piece’s* most iconic villain. Fans are eagerly anticipating future villains Oda creates, particularly Imu and Blackbeard, and expect them to be even more impressive.

You can now see *Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle* in cinemas! If you can’t wait for the film, the story is also available in manga form on Manga Plus. The anime has four completed seasons, all of which you can stream on Crunchyroll. The rest of the *Demon Slayer* story will be released as movies, so you’ll need to see them in theaters when they come out in your country.

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2025-10-13 23:39