We all know how common it is for an anime to have the most potent protagonist who defeats the inhuman antagonist. But there are very few anime that have protagonists who themselves are inhuman and antagonistic. An average Shonen Anime has a ‘just’ hero and a misunderstood villain with a touching backstory. However, imagine if there was a show that had a ‘just’ hero but their way was unjust, which resulted in them becoming the anti-hero themselves. Well, no need to imagine because we have prepared a list of the Top 10 Anime with Anti-heroes for you!
1. Code Geass
Being the protagonist, Lelouch is also the anti-hero in the story. He is intelligent and cunning and shows this while leading a rebellion against the Britannian Empire. Despite being the heir to the Britannian Empire, he wished to free Japan from its rule and acquire power. Simply put, he wanted to create a safe place for his sister. However, his ways were unjust and unfair. Many of his friends and family met their death because of him as he was unhesitant in killing them for the sake of his goal.
2. Death Note
Extremely popular among fans, Death Note did not fail to deliver what anime watchers had asked for. Light, the protagonist, is portrayed as an intelligent yet bored high school student. He stumbled upon the Death Note one day. He learned that by writing the names of criminals on the Death Note, he could kill them. He decided to make the world a peaceful place to live by killing all the evil people. However, as the show proceeded, he started thinking of himself as the god of life and death and lost total humanity. He soon started killing anyone that got in his way.
3. Attack On Titan
When Eren Jaeger was younger, he decided to slay every titan there was to avenge his dead mother. He joined the survey corps to fulfill his desire to free the world from the terror of the Titans. However, after learning the truth about the world, his perception changed completely. The person who had once wished to annihilate only the evil commits mass genocide and becomes a war criminal that kills humans as well.
4. Cowboy Bebop
Spike Spiegel, a space bounty hunter, takes many adventurous excursions and survives in a dangerous world. Spike’s personality is quite unclear and he can be challenging to understand, but he also has an affectionate side to himself. He may have sheltered a Welsh Corgi that was about to be sold off, but he does not hesitate to cheat people, put their lives in danger, or steal from them.
5. 91 Days
Angelo Lagusa's family included his parents and brother, who fell victim to the Vanetti family’s crimes. However, Angelo survived. His survivor guilt crept in, and he was determined to avenge his family. For that, he decided to gain the Vanetti family’s trust. However, to avenge his family, Angelo became a slaughter machine that killed people ruthlessly and enjoyed torturing anyone who went against him and his family. He, therefore, became the antagonist of his own life.
6. Akame Ga Kill
Akame is the second protagonist after Tatsumi, however, she is more prevalent among fans. Akame and her sister were sold off at a young age. The two were taught to become assassins and also became soldiers despite being so young. The two sisters later became part of an assassin group called ‘Night Raid’ that aimed at ending corruption. Their cause may have been justified, but their ways were sickening.
7. Moriarty The Patriot
William James Moriarty was an orphan who was adopted by the Moriarty family to carry out a publicity stunt. William decided to take justice into his own hands and helped people get revenge. He planned and carried out numerous crimes that included theft, murder, and much more. He built himself such a negative image in society that he had to fake his death to satisfy people.
8. Black Lagoon
Rebecca Revy Lee was part of an accomplished group of assassins who are fatal killers. She was considered one of the most lethal assassins who valued weapons over human lives. Her mood is quite unpredictable and she is the kind of person who worked according to her own rules, that made her even more deadly.
9. Tokyo Ghoul
Kaneki is somewhat of a mix between a hero and an anti-hero. He did not kill any CCG investigator; however, he did have the intention to. He wished to bring peace between ghouls and humans after he became a ghoul himself. One impressive thing about the Tokyo Ghoul manga was that none of the characters were labeled as ‘heroes,’ ‘villains,’ or ‘anti-heroes.’ They all were separate individuals trying to survive in an unfair world.
10. Berserk
Berserk has always been famous for leading its viewers in the wrong direction. Its characters aren’t necessarily good or bad. Gut had a heart-breaking back story that turned him into a ruthless killer. He later joined a money-oriented group led by Griffith. Griffith, at first, was shown to be a good and warm person. However, not everything indeed looks like what it is. In the beginning, the way Guts seemed to be the bad guy and Griffith seemed to be good turned out to be the complete opposite of the actual truth.
