From hidden villains to an undercover agent that’s on the brink of being found out, lies can be quite amusing when we’re not the direct victim. So let’s take a look at the deceitful cream of the crop within anime as we count down some of the biggest liars to ever be animated. And heavy spoiler warning ahead. As you know, the liar is usually revealed at the very end of a series.
12. Malty Melromarc
Anime: The Rising of the Shield Hero I hate this character with the fury of a thousand suns. We immediately know that she has a serpent’s tongue, as she’s the reason that our protagonist is basically exiled from the kingdom. I get that there’s a stigma surrounding Shield Heroes in that world. But going so far as to accuse him of assault is a whole different low. And she wasn’t a one hit wonder either, as she kept trying to tarnish the Shield Hero name every chance she got. God I want to punch her in the face.
11. Arataka Reigen
Anime: Mob Psycho 100 Reigen, on the other hand, I completely adore. Even though he spouts lies whenever he opens his mouth. But in his case, it’s kind of a necessity for him to put food on the table. Every customer he gets, he manages to scam in one way or the other; be it just exaggerating the issue or completely making it up, you can be sure that his services will seem necessary. But he’s a good guy at heart who doesn’t lie to those closest to him. So I’m just going to blame capitalism for this one.
10. Kyuubey
Anime: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Kyuubey is a difficult one, as he doesn’t explicitly lie, but he definitely does deceive. He’s like the embodiment of college. I say this because a lot of the good that college advertises can come to you, but all of the negative sides have been conveniently left out. So, Kyuubey never really lied. But do you really think that anyone would choose to become a magical girl had he just been completely honest and transparent from the beginning? Not a chance.
9. Rachel
Anime: Tower of God And we’re right back to the list of people I wish to punch through the screen. Since we only learned about her massive lie at the very end, we still don’t know how everything will pan out. Nor do we know how many other lies she’ll tell. But even as it stands now, she’s a certified backstabber. I mean, it doesn’t get more deceitful than pretending like you are someone’s true friend, only to push them off a cliff seconds before victory is achieved. Bam wasn’t the smartest fellow out there. So it didn’t take too much effort to deceive him. But I think it’s a safe bet to say that she’ll continue playing her little game with the rest of the cast for quite some time to come.
8. Satsuki Kiryuuin
Anime: Kill la Kill Satsuki was such a good liar that she even had the audience fooled. Initially being presented as the end-game villain, Satsuki pulled a complete 180 in the latter part of the story and showcased how virtuous she really is. She had to be so cunning as to fool her own mother and sister, and no one ever even suspected her true motives. We see twist villains quite often in anime. But I can confidently say that twist heroes are just as enjoyable, if not even more so. Definitely deserving a spot on this list.
7. Hisoka Morow
Anime: Hunter x Hunter (2011) Deceit is Hisoka’s middle name. And it’s no secret that he relishes in the chance to fool those around him. Even someone like Chrollo couldn’t see through his disguise and allowed him to join the ranks of the Phantom Troupe. And even while fighting, we can see how much Hisoka loves to lie – and the lengths he’ll go to fool his opponent. I mean, sacrificing your arm just so you can make a fool out of your opponent in front of a large audience is as high risk as you can get. Is it really a surprise that even we as the audience can’t ever fully grasp what this clown is going to do next?
6. Laurent Thierry
Anime: Great Pretender When you’re the world’s best conman, lying is basically second nature to you. And boy is Laurent an excellent example of that. He pulls everyone around him like a grand puppet master, and then even has the nerve to drink coffee with them. He’s so good that he doesn’t even need the element of surprise of anonymity. Even after Makoto lost all of his trust in Laurent, he still kept walking into his grand schemes and dancing on his palm. You have to admit that the man has some serious skills. Although it must be extremely lonely when even those closest to you can’t believe a single word you say.
5. Togame
Anime: Katanagatari This is a tricky one, as Togame is both extremely deceitful and honest at the same time. I say this because she was the one who outed all of her lies as she was dying in Shichika’s arms. And oh boy, did I not see that one coming. She played him, alongside the entire fanbase, like a fiddle. Maybe even more impressive though: she lied to herself every step of the way, allowing her emotions to hold true while her mind had completely ulterior motives. It sounds a bit confusing. But you’ll get what I mean if you watch the show.
4. Squealer
Anime: From the New World This little bastard truly took us all for a wild ride. I’m pretty sure that everything he has ever said on screen (besides the very last episode) was a complete lie. He managed to stage one of the greatest and most detailed plans of revolution that I have ever seen in anime. And he even nearly beat the entirety of the human race. The only reason that I’m not putting him higher on this list is because he was heavily suspected of being a liar pretty early on. It didn’t stop his scheme, but I definitely have to dock him some deceit points for being found out.
3. Nana Hiiragi
Anime: Talentless Nana The following top three all belong to the “undercover villain” category, as that’s the ultimate playground for lies. And you really have to give it to Nana. She not only managed to kill off many of her classmates, but she also managed to deflect the blame each and every time. But most impressing was the fact that she managed to convince everyone there that she had the power to read minds, while being a completely normal human being. The only reason I didn’t put her higher on the list is the fact that her adversaries were arguably a lot stupider than what the other characters higher in this list had to face.
2. Angelo Lagusa
Anime: 91 Days It’s one thing to look someone in the eye and lie to them. But Angelo took this to a whole different extreme. He basically became best friends with his sworn enemy and managed to avoid any suspicion until the very end. And it’s not like he was just sitting there twirling his thumbs. He had other targets, and he managed to take them all out without ever blowing his cover. And unlike in the case of Nana, he wasn’t dealing with some high schoolers – but rather proper mafia members. The only thing that could top this feat would be lying to the world’s best detective or something like that. Speaking of which…
1. Light Yagami
Anime: Death Note When it comes to undercover villains, Light is probably the first one to pop into anyone’s mind. Not only did he have the world’s greatest detective hot on his trail, but he also had to interact with his pursuer on a daily basis. They had to pretend to be friends while also trying to ruin one another. But even when Light was kept under the tightest security, no one could catch him in his lies. It took a completely third party lashing out on their own accord for this deceitful mastermind to be finally caught. And even then it didn’t feel deserved. Truly the one and only king of anime lies.
