Summary
Anime villains with moral ambiguity are more relatable and humane than cartoon villains. They challenge our ideas of right and wrong. Anime is willing to explore the uncomfortable and ambiguous aspects of its characters, allowing audiences to overcome their own inner demons. The morally gray villains in these anime are complex, well-rounded characters with unique personalities and motivations.
The best moral gray anime villains are some of the most complex characters in fiction. It’s fun to watch an evil cartoon villain cause mayhem, but they’re often not as realistic as more questionable characters. Audiences are attracted to anime characters with ambiguous morals because, after all, they are the most human.
Compared to mainstream Western media, anime has historically been more willing to tackle unpleasant and ambiguous aspects of a character. These villains challenge viewers’ notions of right and wrong, while allowing audiences to deal with their inner demons in a healthy way. For well-rounded characters with unique personalities and motivations, don’t miss this cast.
10 Moriarty helps commoners take revenge on the aristocracy
Moriarty The Patriot (2020)
Criminal consultant William James Moriarty uses his remarkable intelligence to turn England’s class system upside down. He helps the lower classes take revenge on the aristocracy, and often flies under the radar thanks to his sophistication and charisma. Having suffered abuse in the past, he is gentle and sympathetic to those who have suffered similarly. In keeping with the Sherlock Holmes tradition, Moriarty also plays a cat-and-mouse game with a certain legendary consulting detective. As one of the best anime adaptations of classic literature and with its own nuances of the main villain, Moriarty the Patriot is worth watching.
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9 Ugetsu is moody and unstable around those he loves
Bring Out (2019)
Ugetsu is a villain who doesn’t realize himself as such. A violin prodigy and quite sensitive to other people’s emotions, he often appears sleepy and cheerful. Alarming, Ugetsu can become unstable under pressure; he often throws and breaks things around him and even physically abuses his boyfriend, Akihiko. Although Ugetsu was more of a supporting character in the first 11-episode series, the Given film offers an in-depth exploration of his relationship with Akihiko. While Given is more about interpersonal relationships and overcoming one’s pain, Ugetsu is as close to a morally gray villain as the series gets.
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8 Lunatic’s sense of justice was shaped by his father
Tiger and Rabbit (2011, 2022)
For someone who manages a group of heroes, Yuri Petrov’s morals are decidedly murky. Operating under the alias Lunatic, he frequently clashed with Stern Bild’s heroes, including Tiger and Bunny. Lunatic believes that true evil must be eliminated at all costs, which led him to make some extreme decisions, including burning to death those he deemed villains. His twisted morals stem from his upbringing, when he saw his father beating his mother and vowed from now on to never turn a blind eye to evil.
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7 Su-Won seeks revenge for an understandable reason
Yona Dawn (2014)
Many viewers reacted with shock in episode #1 of Yona of the Dawn when Su-Won gently murdered Emperor II, the father of his childhood friend, Yona. This action was prompted by the murder of his father at the hands of the Emperor himself, further complicating the situation. In spite of Su-Won’s actions set the entire series in motion, he appears to still have feelings for the former Crown Prince. Yona also seems to understand Su-Won’s motives and finds herself struggling with whether to forgive him or not.
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6 Shigure is devious and motivated by personal gain
Fruit Basket (2001, 2019)
Although not exactly an anime villain, Shigure is the most morally questionable member of the Sohma family. His relationship with the series’ villain, Akito, was dictated by fate, but many believe it also stemmed from his own desires and motivations. Shigure always puts himself first and considers what he will gain from any interaction. Even when he teases Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo, he has a purpose behind it, whether it’s to relieve tension or to entertain. Since he’s the only Sohma member without a full backstory, it’s difficult to tell how much of his actions stem from the family’s generational trauma.
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5 Yut-Lung isn’t just a clever mastermind, he’s also a traumatized child
Banana Fish (2018)
Banana Fish has been praised for his portrayal of trauma survivors, not only in his portrayal of protagonist Ash Lynx, but also as his foil, Yut-Lung Lee. Although Yut-Lung initially seems more quietly devious, it is revealed that he is prone to violent jealousy, especially regarding Ash’s relationship with Eiji Okumura. However, viewers will soon learn that Yut-Lung experienced similar trauma to Ash, but never had his own Eiji to help him through it. For this reason, even when Yut-Lung was at his most tender age, fans still supported him in finding happiness and healing.
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4 Ryo discovered who he was through his friendship with Akira
The Crying Man (2018)
Ryo’s journey is one of antihero to villain to sympathetic character. Immediately, viewers are drawn into Ryo’s gray morality – he tricks a demon into merging with his childhood friend Akira so that Akira’s demon form can destroy other demons. However, when Ryo is revealed to be Satan, he makes a 180° turn and tries to call on demons to destroy humanity. Watch Ryo struggle with both sides of himself and see the way he changed for the better thanks to his friendship with Akirais one of the most appealing aspects of Devilman Crybaby.
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3 Lelouch’s motives are sympathetic, but he is cocky and cruel
Code Geass (2006)
There is an equal split among Code Geass fans as to whether Lelouch is an anti-hero or a villain. As an exiled prince with a dead mother and blind sister, it’s easy to see why Lelouch fights for a better world as the masked revolutionary, Zero. However, he is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals, including killing people and making others obey him through his Geass powers. Despite this (or perhaps because of these very reasons), the fun and cocky Lelouch remains one of the most popular anime characters of all time.
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2 Griffith’s terrible actions stemmed from his humanity
Crazy War (1997, 2012, 2016)
Berserk’s Griffith is one of the most misunderstood characters in anime and manga history. There’s no denying that his actions at the end of the Golden Age arc of the series were horrific and forever changed the trajectory of Guts’ life. However, his decisions do not come from being a murderer. Griffith puts his ambitions first, but cannot reconcile his dreams with who he is. Ultimately, he cut off his human side – and all the guilt, empathy, and friendship that came with it – to become the demonic creature, Femto. Griffith is one of the most hated and fascinating anime heroes turned villain, and that’s precisely because he’s so complicated.
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1 Light uses justice and altruism as an excuse to kill people
Death Note (2006)
Even though Light Yagami is one of the smartest shounen anime protagonists, he is also a master of cognitive dissonance. He claims that he uses the Death Note to create a world free of injustice, but viewers soon realize that his talk about morality is just an excuse for mass murder. The more names he writes in the Death Note, the more likely he is to be discovered, and of course, Light convinces himself that he has to kill more people to cover his tracks. Interestingly, his opponent, L, is on the side of justice but also has a morally gray side.
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