Many anime stories introduce villains that immediately become fan favorites due to their powers, charisma, and character design. Unwilling to let them be defeated or vanquished, writers have often recast them as heroes, justifying their conversion with arbitrary reasons.
Though such transitions make sense in some instances, there are others where the person in question would have been much better off remaining a villain. By identifying characters that should have stayed evil, whether for the sake of plot or consistency, it becomes easier to distinguish proper redemption arcs from poor ones.
10 Satsuki Kiryuin Oppressed Thousands Of People (Kill La Kill)
Satsuki Kiryuin was an antagonist in the early acts of Kill La Kill. Though claiming responsibility for the death of Ryuko’s father, she later confessed otherwise. While Satsuki was an excellent ally against Ragyo, her many crimes cannot be overlooked.
For example, she ruled Honnoji Academy with an iron fist, punishing families whose children performed poorly and exalting the ones who did well. This hierarchy was completely unfair and led to widespread poverty.
9 Mayuri Kurotsuchi Was A Mad Scientist Who Committed Atrocities For The Soul Society (Bleach)
Mayuri Kurotsuchi was a captain of the 13 Guard Squads and easily the most depraved person in the Soul Society. He experimented on Quincies in order to further his own research, delighting from the suffering involved. Despite Mayuri’s atrocities, he has never been held accountable, repented, or even apologized for his actions.
On the contrary, he is more than content with using his Zanpakuto to neutralize enemies and allies alike. As the leader of research and development, his crimes are often overlooked for the sake of his contributions.
8 Kuvira Was The Despotic Leader Of The Earth Empire (Legend Of Korra)
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=750&dpr=1.5)
After Zaheer’s campaign of anarchy, Kuvira stepped up to lead the Earth Kingdom. She converted it to an empire, forcing the divided states to unite under the threat of violence. With her forces amassed, she also intended to conquer Republic City. During the final battle, Korra saved Kuvira from her own weapon in spite of the damage she caused.
Kuvira’s remorse for her actions was sudden, unsolicited, and defied the otherwise strong military leader she presented herself as. It would have been better if she died with her values intact.
7 Sesshomaru Was A Sociopathic Monster That Hated Humans (Inuyasha)
When introduced, Sesshomaru was a violent, sociopathic monster. He attempted to kill Inuyasha multiple times, both on the grounds of his half-demon lineage and to claim his “proper birthright.” Sesshomaru was later humanized after accidentally adopting a small human girl named Rin.
However, he had never demonstrated the sympathetic qualities to raise a child before, much less one of the humans he despised. While Sesshomaru’s efforts against Naraku were admirable, he would have made for a better final antagonist than an antihero.
6 Crocodile Was The Cruel Kingpin Of Baroque Works (One Piece)
Crocodile was one of the most powerful villains Luffy faced at the beginning of his adventures. The ruthless warlord destabilized Alabasta and nearly acquired a poneglyph that he could use as a super weapon.
Although claiming to hate Whitebeard, he was a massive credit against the World Government at the battle for Marineford. He only needed to be rebuked once before committing entirely to Luffy’s cause. Despite the horrible things Crocodile has done, he and Luffy parted on amicable terms.
5 Orochimaru Was One Of Konoha’s Worst Enemies (Naruto)
Orochimaru was a villain who had no regard for the laws of nature, the sanctity of life, or Konoha itself. He used a forbidden jutsu to resurrect the first and second Hokage to assist in his assassination of Hiruzen Sarutobi. He has remained evil ever since, only resurrecting the Hokage of the past a second time under Sasuke’s coercion.
Unfortunately, the Leaf viewed his actions as an attempt at atonement and have mostly pardoned him for his crimes. Although Yamato is supposed to keep Orochimaru in check, his charge is much more crafty than he is. It’s only a matter of time before the Sannin hatches his next scheme.
4 Rohan Kishibe Almost Killed Koichi For Inspiration (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure)
When Koichi arrived at Rohan’s house, he fell victim to the “Heaven’s Door” Stand. Rohan became intrigued by the story of the boy’s life and started ripping pages from him to keep for posterity.
While it provided inspiration for his work, Rohan’s actions took an immediate and profound toll on Koichi’s health. Though he was eventually defeated by Josuke and Okuyasu, his transgressions have gone mostly ignored. Most bizarrely of all, Koichi continued to spend time with him of his own volition.
3 Merlin’s Redemption Ruined The Legitimacy Of Her Betrayal (Seven Deadly Sins)
Easily the most enigmatic of the Sins, Merlin’s betrayal at the end of the series was stunning yet sensible. It was revealed that she’d been serving Chaos the entire time and needed to remove the Demon King as an obstacle for its return.
However, this well-written betrayal was immediately undermined when Meliodas and the Sins redeemed her. It didn’t give Merlin enough time to establish herself as a credible villain, making the entire plot line pointless.
2 Neferpitou Should Have Been The Most Savage Of The Royal Guards (Hunter X Hunter)
Neferpitou had an excellent introduction. They murdered Kite, gave Gon motivation to reenter the NGL, and even proved a relative challenge for Netero. They were also remorseless and brutal, having performed a lobotomy on a conscious hunter.
Sadly, Neferpitou’s viciousness was undermined when protecting Komugi from Gon. If that role had been given to Shaiapouf or Youpi instead, they would have been able to engage him in a satisfying final fight. Instead, Neferpitou gave Gon the time to power up and got throttled for it.
1 Magath Was Supposed To Represent The Worst Of Marley (Attack On Titan)
General Magath was supposed to embody Marley’s dark heart. He sent Eldians to their death, spurned their existence, and even used children as weapons to wage his country’s most bloody campaigns.
In spite of this, Magath was given an undeserved moment of redemption near the end of his life. Before mounting an assault on the Yeagerist docks, he apologized to Paradis, then promptly sacrificed himself. Consequently, Sergeant Gross was the only militant Marleyan to die unredeemed, and his existence was a footnote in the series as a whole.