When it comes to anime villains, it’s not uncommon to see them turn the tables and become one of the hero’s most loyal allies. Whether it’s the strength of friendship or the discovery of a common enemy, these old enemies are ultimately fighting for a cause, and that’s what really matters. These characters are not always fully reformed; sometimes, their methods are still slightly more “evil” than the heroes and that can lead to some conflicts between them. However, no matter how one looks at it, it’s always interesting to see a villain fight alongside the hero.
Villains can turn around at any time, from fairly early on in a series to the final episodes, so there could be some revelation ahead. All of the characters listed below start out at least as mildly antagonistic to the main hero of their series but they eventually realize that they can achieve more working together. After all, former villains and heroes join forces for the sake of burying the ax, as they put the past aside to do what is necessary.
10 Sora – .hack//Sign
In the classic .hack//Sign series, Sora (in the online gaming world) is a frequent player killer who annoys and harasses real heroes who are trying to uncover a great mystery. In reality, Sora is just an obnoxious kid, as one might expect in an online game, and his high level encourages him to spend time toying with those weaker than him. Sora tries to play both sides, befriending the villain AI, only to betray it and help the heroes at the last moment “for fun”. Those who know the lore of the sequel series will recognize that Sora’s player truly becomes a hero, but it’s his self-sacrificing moment at the end of Sign that makes him such a good person.
9 Satsuki Kiryuin – Kill La Kill
Kill La Kill actually creates a rare variation of the villain turned hero, as the series takes a complete twist on who is the hero and who is the main character. Satsuki Kiryuin is introduced as working for her evil mother Ragyo, but in the end it turns out that Satsuki just follows through with all of this until she has the right opportunity to strike back. On the other hand, poor Ryuko was mind controlled by Ragyo and turned into a puppet to fight against Satsuki and her followers. It was only through Satsuki’s push that Ryuko was freed from mind control, and together the two were able to defeat the invasion and save the day.
8 Lady Nagant – My Hero Academia
Lady Nagant was introduced as a villain in My Hero Academia who was freed by All for One and given a special mission to destroy Deku. Lady Nagant initially agrees, but during their battle, her past as a Professional Hero is revealed, and Deku learns what made her a criminal. Deku immediately sympathizes with Lady Nagant’s plight and tries to convince her to join him. He actually begins to subdue her, but not before she is mortally wounded by All for One’s vandalism. Lady Nagant provides Deku and the Hawks with some valuable information, and fans who have read the manga know that her role in the story is far from over.
7 Gaara – Naruto
Gaara was introduced as Naruto’s counterpart as a fellow jinchuriki. Gaara was bound to the One-Tails Shukaku, and was treated badly as a result, similar to Naruto. The bullying and isolation Gaara had to deal with turned him into a villain, but it was only after being defeated by Naruto that Gaara could see another way to live. Gaara went on to become the Fifth Kazekage, protecting those who had tormented him, as well as a way to show how he had changed and became more like Naruto. Gaara’s process of becoming a hero is surprisingly successful, and in the end he’s almost a completely different character.
6 Hiei – Yu Yu Hakusho
Hiei is introduced in Yu Yu Hakusho as a ruthless demon, ready to kill anyone who gets in his way. While he was eventually defeated by Yusuke, Hiei actually took longer than that to turn around. In fact, despite being recruited by Koenma for a mission and forced to work with Yusuke and his friends, Hiei was still willing to let them die in the Labyrinth Castle, but had a change of heart in last minute and save them. Hiei and Yusuke are still rivals, but it develops into a more friendly kind of rival as they learn to respect each other’s strengths, and soon the two become brothers fighting for life.
5 Sesshomaru – Inuyasha
Sesshomaru is Inuyasha’s half-brother, and a complete demon compared to Inuyasha, who is only half. Sesshomaru begins the series coldly and callously, attacking Inuyasha in an attempt to steal the inheritance from him. Sesshomaru was dissatisfied with the weapon given to him, the Tenseiga, as its only use was to bring the dead back to life, not to kill enemies. However, when Sesshomaru used the sword to revive a young girl named Rin, he began to soften. Eventually, Sesshomaru also came into conflict with Naraku, despite an early alliance, and it became clear that his common enemy with Inuyasha was dangerous enough to justify teaming up with his younger brother.
4 Byakuya Kuchiki – Bleach
Byakuya was never really a “bad guy”, but he was one of Ichigo’s most dangerous opponents in the first main part of Bleach. Byakuya is driven by rules and traditions, and is not willing to go beyond the system even to save his sister, Rukia. That puts him in direct conflict with Ichigo, who is determined to save her, and Byakuya is far stronger than Ichigo could have hoped for. After it was revealed that Rukia was innocent and that the whole situation had been staged by the real villain, Ichigo became an ally with the Soul Society, and by extension Byakuya. Although the two are not great friends, they respect each other now and they are fighting on the same side.
3 Speedboats – Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
Speedwagon was nothing more than a street thug in England of the last century, until he met Jonathan Joestar. Inspired by Jonathan’s cause, Speedwagon swore to him right then and there to stand by the Joestar family as long as they needed him. Despite Jonathan’s unfortunate early death, Speedwagon kept his promise, founding the Speedwagon Foundation, which would continue to support Joseph, Jotaro, and Jolyne in their own struggles with Dio and the others. follow him. Speedwagon may have been a criminal, but it seems he was never really the bad guy and his extraordinary loyalty has become one of the Joestars’ greatest assets.
In both the anime and manga versions, Scar is a villain with an amazing face throughout the series. Scar starts off as an unrepentant killer interested only in revenge, but early on, he shows that he has incredible compassion. Scar’s journey varies between the two versions of the story, but in the Brotherhood he slowly uncovers the truth of the massacre at Ishval and redirects his desire for revenge from the Alchemist of the State to the real culprit. . Ultimately, Scar fights alongside those he previously swore as his enemies, and becomes a valuable ally in the story’s climactic moments.
1 Vegeta – Dragon Ball Z
It’s impossible to have a list of the best anime villains turned heroes without mentioning Vegeta. When he was introduced, Vegeta was almost irrevocably evil, but it turned out that Vegeta was working for an even greater evil, Frieza. Later, Dragon Ball revealed that Vegeta had a difficult relationship with Frieza, who was responsible for wiping out nearly the entire Saiyan race. Vegeta begins to rebel against Frieza and against him, forcing him to ally with Gohan and eventually Goku. It takes a while for Vegeta to truly become a good person, making his journey one of the most exciting redemptions in all of anime.
Villain-turned-hero is a common joke in anime, but that’s because everyone loves a good redemption story. After all, if these villains, who have killed people or done other horrible things, can come back and be heroes, anyone can. Usually, being a villain is a matter of selfishness, while being a hero is about being selfless and protective of others, and that maturity is a very compelling element to add to a story. At best, anime thrives on stories of this kind, creating believable villains with logical paths toward the good.