This seems like an easy question. But the more I think about it, the more I find this to be a fairly difficult question to answer. Anime is home to a bunch of diverse power systems and worlds. So an extremely daunting villain in one series can be an easy target in another. Still, this shouldn’t be an impossible task! So here are my top picks for some seriously OP anime villains.
25. Johan Liebert
Anime: Monster This is the odd entry in a list filled with magic and superpowers. Johan Liebert of the acclaimed Monster series is just a human. But in a show where the world and its characters adhere to the limitations and characteristics of real life, Johan Liebert is a monster — a human monster. This beautiful, charismatic, and highly intelligent man knows his strengths. Unfortunately for everyone else, Johan uses them to manipulate others and commit horrendous, deadly acts. Monster wouldn’t be a classic without an overwhelmingly deceptive villain like him – a man seemingly ten steps ahead of others, serving as proof that evil exists but not necessarily in the form of actual monsters.
24. Satou
Anime: Ajin: Demi-Human Satou is the first entry here who’s not an ordinary human being. Even before discovering he was an ajin, he was already showing signs that he wasn’t thinking like everyone else. To say that he was a thrillseeker would be an understatement. He wanted to taste imminent death and beat the odds. And more often than not, beating the odds for Satou involved killing a bunch of people. As the primary villain in Ajin, Satou was menacing. He wasn’t your ordinary old man with stories to tell about the war. Satou murdered hundreds of people — and he prefers taking multiple lives in each fight.
23. Wrath
Anime: Fullmetal Alchemist Whether you call him King Bradley or Wrath the Furious, this man isn’t someone to fight against — even if he’s severely outnumbered. As Father’s final homunculus, Wrath was a unique creation. For one, he grows old as any other human would. This is a weakness in terms of power, sure. But this allows him to fool others into thinking that he’s just like everyone else – not a homunculus with insane speed, strength, and swordsmanship. A sword fight against Wrath wouldn’t be fair even if you also carry a blade, especially when he can use several of them simultaneously. Lastly, King Bradley has the Ultimate Eye, which makes him extremely perceptive of both movements and his surrounding environment.
22. Kars
Anime: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Setting all the Jojo memes aside, the series is brimming with energy, creativity, and the most appealing characters in anime. Debuting early on in the adaptation, Kars is responsible for Stone Masks and Vampires. He’s at the top of the Pillar Men rankings and he has a clear long-term goal in life — taking control of the Red Stone of Aja. But how can he be such an influential leader and creator? For one, he’s never without a weapon: Kars can create ultra-bright blades out of his arms and legs. He can change his form and attain the characteristics of other lifeforms, too. Kars is also immortal, terrifyingly intelligent, and his ultimate form can cause volcanic eruptions.
21. Asura
Anime: Soul Eater Asura is the show’s No. 1 villain. He’s Death the Kid’s sibling, and is known as the Demon God. This guy loathes humanity and has everything from extreme strength and speed to regeneration and flight. He’s the most prominent member of the Eight Shinigami Legions. Not even the legendary Eibon can beat him. In fact, Asura is stronger than everyone else, except for Death himself. And that’s just insane to think that the only one who can stand against Asura is the Reaper who established the Death Weapon Meister Academy.
20. Chrollo Lucifer
Anime: Hunter x Hunter It doesn’t matter whether it’s the 1999 or the 2011 adaptation of this beloved shounen series. As the founder and leader of the Phantom Troupe, Chrollo Lucifer’s presence alone demands much caution. He’s only seventh in his group when it comes to physical prowess, but this gentle figure can kill armed men with a pen — and his hand is more than enough to remove one’s head from their body. Also, his perception is mind-bogglingly good. Chrollo can evade high-speed attacks and projectiles. And as a leader, make no mistake: He can devise strategies and move sets no one else can fully predict — not even Hisoka.
19. Ragyo Kiryuin
Anime: Kill la Kill As a product of Studio Trigger, it’s no surprise that Kill la Kill oozes adrenaline and carnality. It’s funny how the fanservice here is built into the story — there’s a legitimate reason why Ragyo Kiryuin and the rest look the way they do. And thanks to Life Fibers, Ragyo is far superior compared to other humans: She has superhuman toughness, agility, and strength. Ryuko Matoi and Satsuki Kiryuin need to team up just to have a chance against her. Her bare hands can break the Bakuzan blade. She can use her Life Fibers to control others’ minds. Ragyo can also fly, and decapitation isn’t a big deal since she can just regenerate her body parts — that’s hardcore.
18. All for One
Anime: My Hero Academia All for One was once the leader of the League of Villains. He has been around since the inception of Quirks, and has since snatched a legion of Quirks away from others, rendering them powerless while enhancing his own might. His intelligence experience in combat is nothing to scoff at. This antagonist knows how Quirks can be deadlier on a much larger scale if they’re combined. Plus, opponents have a difficult time guessing his next move, since he has so many Quirks. As the Symbol of Evil, All for One doesn’t need weapons to keep All Might at bay — and that’s saying something, since All Might is known for his extreme physical strength.
17. Diavolo
Anime: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind The pink-haired leader of the Passione Mafia is secretive. He doesn’t want anyone to know his past as it makes him severely anxious. So if you try to uncover his life, you’re in for a bad time. His Stand is called King Crimson, an entity that matches its physical strength with its temporal abilities. Stands without time manipulation skills are no match against it. Diavolo can use King Crimson for its single attacks that are just as deadly as entire beatdowns. Also, his Stand can erase time. During this moment, only Diavolo can perform actions. It’s only limited to a maximum of ten seconds, though. But imagine how crucial ten seconds is in changing the tide of battle — and this ability has instant activation.
16. Aizen
Anime: Bleach Were you there when Bleach first had its big reveal of Aizen being one of the bad guys? Initially, he was this seemingly gentle-natured and intelligent man. Aizen did turn out to be incredibly intelligent, especially in anything and everything about Soul Society. But he used his brain to further his dark ambitions. Due to his incredible physical strength, Aizen is a deadly swordsman. But even without his sword, he’ll be a threat because of his Hakuda fighting style. Then you have to consider his relative immortality and the high amount of Reiryoku. From his shunpo and kido mastery to this Kyoka Suigetsu, Aizen has so many tricks up his sleeve at any point.
15. Gilgamesh
Anime: Fate/stay Night Gilgamesh isn’t an absolute villain. But to say that he didn’t adequately fulfill that role (at least for some time) in the adaptations doesn’t feel true either. As the King of All Heroes, he’s the ultimate boss among all heroic spirits. He’s a frightening presence because the energy within him is greater than perhaps 100,000 souls. If you only consider physical prowess, then Saber and Berserker can take him down. But in terms of sheer overall power, however, Gilgamesh is a god. With his Noble Phantasm known as “Gate of Babylon”, Gilgamesh can call upon the prototypes of the Noble Phantasms of other heroic servants. He can wield them as a weapon, but the King of All Heroes can also just cast them down from the sky with sheer speed and force — an unending barrage of blades of all shapes and sizes.
14. Millennium Earl
Anime: D.Gray-man Millennium Earl has one of the biggest smiles in anime — and it’s certainly not filled with good-natured happiness. He’s the head of the Noah Family, the main group of villains in the entire franchise. Allen Walker grows to be a powerful exorcist, but the Millennium Earl can give him a hard time. Bullets are no trouble — and his telepathy ensures his enemies can’t hide their next move. He has regenerative abilities and can use Dark Matter for both offense and defense. Like Kars, he’s also a creator, responsible for all the akuma (the term literally means “devil”) creatures. These demons follow his every command and are basically an extension of him. So when you’re fighting the Earl, you’re fighting an entire army.
13. Blackbeard
Anime: One Piece Otherwise known as Marshall D. Teach, Blackbeard is one of the Four Emperors of this massive shounen franchise. Wielding a single Devil Fruit turns you into a super-powered being, in exchange for losing your ability to swim. Blackbeard has two of them. Whitebeard can hit him with a slash — and Blackbeard will leave with nothing but a scratch. He’s tough, strong, and intelligent (but he loves talking a lot during battles). Thanks to his Devil Fruits, he can wield both the power of darkness and earthquakes to cause large-scale destruction wherever he goes.
12. Envy
Anime: Fullmetal Alchemist
Envy can change their form (and voice) however they please.
If Soul Eater’s Asura hates humanity, then I’m sure he’ll be pleased to know that Envy exists solely to cause pain and terror to humans.
And it’s not exactly difficult for Envy to ruin live…
They’re faster, stronger, tougher, and more perceptive and flexible than ordinary humans and animals.
Likewise, Envy is blessed by Father with immunity to all forms of poison, disease, venoms, and viruses.
This entity doesn’t need to eat or breathe, is immortal, and doesn’t age.
Unless the wound is fatal, Envy can instantly recover — and they successfully regenerated half their body after Gluttony swallowed it.
11. Zeref Dragneel
Anime: Fairy Tail Don’t let his appearance fool you. Zeref is more than 400 years old, and was once the mightiest mage — and he’s the founder of the Alvarez Empire. Otherwise known as The Black Wizard and Emperor Spriggan, Zeref wields a ton of magic power. It’s so massive that he can’t completely control it. Consider this: Zeref has Ankhseram Black Magic, allowing him to eliminate living creatures with relative ease. His Death Predation can kill anything as long as it’s within range, and his Death Orb is just as dangerous. As if those aren’t enough, Zeref is also adept in Living Magic. He can cast the demon Deliora and use a flute that turns into a massive demon. Lastly, he’s also proficient in fire magic, bullet magic, and time magic — and he’s immortal. Yeah.
10. Madara Uchiha
Anime: Naruto Shippuden The Naruto franchise (including the on-going Boruto series) is home to many overpowered individuals. Madara Uchiha is one of the earliest villains you’ll hear about — and his name should strike at least a little fear. This is a man who murdered several ninjas when he was a mere child. He can beat most other shinobi when it comes to genjutsu, juinjutsu, and basic nature transformations. And if the first iteration of Madara was already overwhelming, his modified self after being resurrected is all the more daunting. At one point, Madara could beat all five Kage, control the Ten-Tails (yes, you read that right), enter Sage Mode, and had access to the Six Paths Technique, Complete Body — Susanoo, and Infinite Tsukuyomi to create a fabricated world of peace and harmony.
9. Griffith
Anime: Berserk It’s okay if you hate Griffith with a passion. Every Berserk fan despises this guy. Seriously, I remember how enraged I was after seeing the first nightmarish things he did to Casca (in front of her lover Guts, to add) when he became Femto. Before he was Femto, Griffith already had impressive sword-fighting and hand-to-hand combat skills. He was an honorable and charismatic leader of the Band of the Falcon. Then he turned into Femto. At this point, he could fly and exist beyond the Physical World. Mortals could no longer bring him down with ease no matter how hard they tried, simply because he transcended. And also, Femto can accurately predict most of what’s about to happen, and he can distort both gravity and space. He has a few weaknesses, sure. But the sheer power he gained as Femto is alarming.
8. Father
Anime: Fullmetal Alchemist Known as the Sun God Leto and The Little One Inside the Flask, Father is the main villain of the FMA and FMA: Brotherhood series. All he wants in the world is to be the perfect entity, and to attain greater power and dominion over the human race. Father is over 400 years old and has all the evil characteristics you can think of. He also created the seven overpowered homunculi named after the seven deadly sins (and two are on this list!) Granted, Father wasn’t always in his top form. But in his fourth form, he attained the so-called power of God, turning him into his desired perfect being. He could shape and control matter and energy, playing with size, force, and form. Father could do anything he wanted, as if he was an omnipotent god.
7. Meruem
Anime: Hunter x Hunter (2011) Madhouse’s reboot of Hunter x Hunter is a modern masterpiece —partly due to the god-tier quality of the Chimera Ant arc, which is where Meruem takes center stage as the primary villain. If other powerful villains are immortal or over a hundred years old, Meruem’s supposed lifespan was more or less 40 days. Still, that amount of time was enough to establish his supremacy. Meruem is for sure the strongest character in Hunter x Hunter (so far). He’s created to be the best biological weapon, so he already had exceptional strength, speed, and intelligence the moment he was born. And he beat Isaac Netero, who was once the most powerful Nen user. Not to mention the amount of aura he has… it’s just unimaginably vast.
6. Boros
Anime: One Punch Man Even if the second season of One Punch Man wasn’t amazing, fans can still look back to Season 1 when Saitama fought the one great Boros in one of the most breathtaking action spectacles in anime history. Boros deserves to be on this list, because he himself is aware of how overpowered he is — to the point where he felt empty because no one was good enough to fight him. Of course, everyone knows that Saitama can beat him. But Boros was the first villain to stay alive after one normal punch. Also, his kick sent the MC to the moon. And his Meteoric Burst form and Collapsing Star Roaring Cannon could’ve spelled victory (and destroyed the entire planet) if he wasn’t against Saitama.
5. Frieza
Anime: Dragon Ball Decades have passed since Dragon Ball first took over the world and became the first anime of many people around the world. Yet even after all this time, Frieza remains to be one of the most powerful foes of the series. He’s been the main antagonist several times in the Dragon Ball franchise, and he’s always been a fine adversary. As the emperor of Universe 7, Frieza loves all-out annihilation and power. Any of his forms are deadly, whether he’s in his 100% Full Power or his Ultimate Evolution form as Golden Frieza. His signature move is the Death Beam – but aggravate him further and he’ll drop the Death Ball, which can obliterate an entire planet.
4. Hagoromo Otsutsuki
Anime: Naruto Shippuden There would be no Ninjutsu in Naruto if it weren’t for Hagoromo. Regarded as the first-ever shinobi, he was also the first individual to excel in all five basic nature transformations. Hagoromo can activate his techniques without hand seals, and his chakra was already made with the Yin-Yang Release. Naruto has a moon because he needed a huge structure to imprison the Ten-Tails. More importantly, he could use the five all-powerful tools known as the Treasured Tools of the Sage of Six Paths. Also, Hagoromo defies death itself — he can still interact with others in the world of the living even though he’s already been dead for a long time.
3. Cell
Anime: Dragon Ball If Meruem was meant to be the perfect biological weapon, Cell was made to be the perfect warrior. A complete assessment of his many abilities would require a new article. To name a few, Cell can use both the Earth-Destroying Kamehameha and Solar Kamehameha. He also has access to the Big Bang Attack and the Super Big Bang Crash because of Vegeta. And what about Frieza? Well, he has his Death Beam as well — and it was the Perfect Death Beam that killed Future Trunks. Finally, while he never actually used it in the anime, Cell can utilize Goku’s Spirit Bomb. Which is not what an evil person should have in their arsenal…
2. Kaguya Otsutsuki
Anime: Naruto Shippuden The strongest entity in Naruto gets the silver medal on my list. To start, Kaguya Otsutsuki can erase memories, hypnotize others, and perform interstellar travel — and these were her skills before she consumed the fruit of the God Tree. After eating the fruit, Kaguya achieved a status of power that its existence alone kept the rest of the world from causing a ruckus. No one wanted to make her mad. Aside from Infinite Tsukuyomi, Yin-Yang Release, she can also deploy her Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack to quickly take down a Complete Body — Susanoo. Lastly, Kaguya also has the Expansive Truth-Seeking Ball, allowing her to destroy every inch of the planet, turning it into complete nothingness and essentially giving the planet a restart.
1. The Anti-Spiral
Anime: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann When I first thought about overpowered enemies in anime, I had Cell and Kaguya possibly taking the No. 1 spot — until I remembered The Anti-Spiral. Simply put, The Anti-Spiral is the collective consciousness and master of the humanoid entities known as Anti-Spirals, which have infinite power. That’s right. This villain has limitless power. It is all-knowing and present everywhere. It can instantly transport to any place and time in the universe. The Anti-Spiral also has the Granzeboma, a mecha that has an attack called the Infinity Big Bang Storm. As its name implies, this technique is as powerful as the forces that led to the creation of the universe. It begins with the mecha squeezing two Super Spiral galaxies (yes, galaxies) into a ball, which is then shot against the enemy. No other villain on the list is big enough to hold two galaxies as mere weapons. The Anti-Spiral generates and obliterates universes, multiverses, and dimensions. In fact, the place where the main battle occurred was made by The Anti-Spiral. And it was larger than a thousand universes combined. My mind simply can’t comprehend the size of this villain (and the Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann). And if being larger than universes and wielding galaxies wasn’t enough to convince you that this is the most overpowered antagonist in anime history, just know that The Anti-Spiral can change the laws of reality, resurrect the dead, and manipulate minds with ease.
