Anime Protagonists Who Are Technically The Villain Of The Story

Highlights

Ruthless cunning defines villains in anime, like Yuichi Katagiri in
Tomodachi Game
with his manipulative tactics and moral ambiguity.
Ayanokoji from
Classroom of the Elite
exhibits cold Machiavellian behavior, using others as tools in his pursuit of competition and success.
Lelouch vi Britannia and Light Yagami from
Code Geass
and
Death Note
, respectively, blur the line between hero and villain with their manipulative actions.

As a student of human nature and ethical dilemmas, I find these characters to be fascinating case studies indeed. Each one of them faced unique circumstances that led them down a path of questionable actions for the greater good.

In many great anime series, the writing shines particularly in the creation of formidable villains. These characters often possess extraordinary abilities or intelligence, enabling them to rule mercilessly over others, compelling submission through sheer force.

In some tales, it’s not always straightforward who the real antagonist is. There are numerous stories where the designated hero seems noble on the surface, but their actions turn out to be questionable or even downright evil. Here are five characters who embody this concept of complex protagonists with morally dubious deeds.

5 Yuichi Katagiri

Type Of Villain: Malevolent Schemer

Anime Protagonists Who Are Technically The Villain Of The Story

Other characters have labeled him as a devil and monster, and for good reason. While some may find this positive when they’re engaged in the Tomodachi Game, it’s Yuichi’s role as a devil that contributes to his exceptional performance in the game.

Initially, Yuichi Katagiri appears as an ordinary protagonist in a survival game, a sympathetic high school student who’s down on his luck but just wants to spend time with friends. However, it quickly becomes clear that this is merely Yuichi’s facade. Beneath the guise of a kind and humble adolescent lies a cunning manipulator and trickster. He is ready to discard all moral principles if victory is at stake. His tactics can stoop as low as blackmail, damaging schemes, threats of violence, and in extreme cases, pushing someone off a cliff, risking their life for his own gain.

As a die-hard fan, I’ve got to say there was one authentic aspect of Yuichi’s high school persona that stood out – his genuine care for his friends. He’d go the extra mile to back them up, no questions asked. The catch, though, is that this ‘anything’ he’s willing to do sometimes veers into an unrelenting harshness towards others.

4 Kiyotaka Ayanokoji

Type Of Villain: Machiavellian Student Mastermind

A youth, nurtured to excel since childhood, might have evolved into a seemingly emotionless individual, comparable to an efficient machine in the context of an anime character. This extraordinary intelligent character, capable of anything demanded within his high school’s mental battlefield, consistently maintained a stoic demeanor.

At an exclusive Japanese school reserved for the nation’s brightest pupils, where every task and outing is a cutthroat contest with winners reaping financial benefits and social advancement, Ayanokoji aspires for an ordinary high school experience. Content with minimal competition and satisfied with keeping Class-D, the lowest rank, Ayanokoji finds himself in a situation that doesn’t permit such tranquility. Consequently, he must now strive to raise his class standing and engage in fierce rivalry against other academic powerhouses within the school.

Through the same rigorous childhood upbringing that turned him into a remarkably intelligent and powerful individual, Ayanokoji became emotionally detached, viewing others primarily as means to achieve his objectives. Despite forming numerous friendships, Ayanokoji appears unable to form genuine connections with people, treating them instead like pieces on a chessboard. In the manga, there’s an instance where he manipulates a girl into falling in love with him, dating her without any feelings for her, all as part of an experiment. Often, Ayanokoji seems like one of the coldest and most calculating characters in the series, though he can occasionally be heroic or neutral.

3 Lelouch vi Britannia

Type Of Villain: Vengeful Manipulative Leader

Lelouch Lamperouge, more commonly known as Lelouch of the Rebellion, was a prince from Britannia who was exiled following his public condemnation of his country’s leaders for their role in the death of his mother and the crippling of his sister. Swearing vengeance against the Britannian Empire due to these tragic events, Lelouch sought refuge in Japan. It wasn’t until he gained a unique ability that allowed him to manipulate others into carrying out his commands exactly once in their lifetime, that he was able to fulfill his vendetta. Given his past, it is easy to understand why this complex character might sometimes appear more villainous than heroic.

Lelouch’s preferred methods involve deception and deceit, utilizing his captivating personality, Geass power, and strategic military mind to influence others for his purposes. A masterful chess player, Lelouch views life as an intricate game of chess, in which he often makes sacrifices of many for the sake of his ultimate objective. Driven by a desire to create a better world for his disabled sister, he has no qualms about taking lives on his path to becoming the emperor of Britannia. This journey also led him to strive for ruthless dictatorship, a move intended to eventually unite the world in jubilation upon his death.

While it’s debatable that Lelouch’s questionable actions throughout the series were justified due to his ultimate goal of creating a better world, others might contend that no amount of goodness can erase the wrongdoings committed along the way.

2 Light Yagami

Type Of Villain: Mass Murderer With A God Complex

Potentially the most obvious example of a villain protagonist in anime, the charming, intellectual, and narcissistic Light Yagami went from honorable high school student to righteous megalomaniac much quicker than most people would expect.

In simpler terms, Light Yagami, a prodigious individual, found life’s challenges insufficient due to his boredom and disdain for what he perceived as a corrupt society. This dissatisfaction led him to exploit divine powers in an attempt to create a utopia by eliminating criminals. However, this ambition rapidly escalated, leading him to eliminate anyone who opposed or defied him, whether innocent or guilty. In his mind, these individuals were blasphemers who threatened the rule of Kira, his self-appointed deity. This includes figures such as detective L, police officers, and even spouses of FBI agents.

Eventually, he ponders not only eradicating criminals for a supposedly improved society, but also eliminating those deemed lazy or unproductive. Since Light obtained the Death Note, his ethical decline has been noticeable.

1 Eren Yeager

Type Of Villain: Cataclysmic Warrior

Eren, fueled solely by an intense desire, initially proclaimed he would destroy the Titans – monstrous beings that devoured and harmed his kin. Initially, Eren appeared as a passionate yet volatile individual, but this heroic demeanor did not endure.

It’s important to consider Eren’s situation from a balanced perspective. Given his extraordinary number of passions and consistently evolving Titan-shifting abilities, it’s understandable that in such a world, he might end up being perceived as a villain. His lands have been ravaged by man-eating monsters that took the lives of his family members and numerous allies. As someone who cherishes freedom deeply, Eren was compelled to live in confinement with his fellow humans for years due to these beasts. Consequently, when he acquired the power to exact revenge and discovered that the rest of the world bore responsibility for his people’s suffering, he took decisive action.

In the annals of anime, Eren Yeager is remembered as one of the most ruthless mass murderers ever depicted. He orchestrated an event known as the Rumbling, where Colossal Titans marched across the globe, resulting in the death of approximately 80% of the world’s population. Similar to other entries on this list, Eren carried out a truly heinous act, ostensibly for the sake of securing a better future for those dear to him. However, many question whether such a motive can be considered noble enough to justify the immense destruction and loss of life that ensued.

2024-08-04 21:03