Anyone who’s watched a lot of actionanimewill know that they’re often nothing without their villains. As the driving force of a plot more often than not, the villains are typically the characters who get the most screen time and development after the heroes, and that leads to them being just as fun to watch as the heroes, if not more.
More than their likability, of course, what often sells a great anime villain is their power. A good villain will always be one that can challenge the heroes physically, mentally, or some combination of the two, and more often than not,the best anime villains will be the ones that make the heroes work as hard as possible before finally achieving victory in their hard-fought battles. That’s the biggest characteristic to expect out of a “final boss” in an anime, and there are a few villains who do an especially great job of embodying that idea.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
Cast
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is an action-adventure anime series based on the manga of the same name. The story spans multiple generations of the Joestar family, each member confronting supernatural foes through the power of “Stands,” spiritual manifestations of their fighting spirits. The series begins with Jonathan Joestar’s struggle against the villainous Dio Brando and evolves through the exploits of his descendants.
Dio Brando, often shortened to just DIO, is the main villain of the first and third parts of David Production’sJoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. After discovering a mystical stone mask, DIO abandons his humanity to become a vampire with the goal of world domination, a quest that spans a century and is only impeded by the efforts of the Joestar family and their allies.
Whether it’s in his debut appearance inPhantom Bloodor his return inStardust Crusadersafter gaining the powerful Stand The World,DIO is probably the villain inJoJo’s Bizarre Adventurewho forces the most effort out of the heroes to defeat him, with most of the characters who fight him and his minions dying before DIO ever goes down. Even after death, DIO’s presence has a lasting impact on the entire franchise, and that’s a perfect testament to how powerful a threat he had become.
Hunter x Hunter
In Hunter x Hunter, young Gon Freecss discovers his long-lost father is a legendary Hunter, an elite class of adventurer with the license to go anywhere or do almost anything. Determined to find him, Gon sets out to pass the Hunter Examination, a life-threatening challenge that draws hundreds of hopefuls seeking fortune, fame, and adventure. Along the way, Gon becomes friends with other candidates, including the vengeful Kurapika, the ambitious Leorio, and the enigmatic Killua. Together, they face a world filled with bizarre creatures, sinister criminals, and unpredictable adventures.
Meruem is the king of the Chimera Ants and, naturally, the main villain of the Chimera Ant arc of Madhouse’sHunter x Hunter. Meruem leads the Chimera Ants in an attempted conquest of the world that was only stopped by Gon, Killua, and the Hunter Association, all of which was contrasted with Meruem’s growing understanding of sympathy and general humanity.
Meruem didn’t do a lot of fighting in the Chimera Ant arc, but not only was he far above Gon in power, butMeruem outright defeated Netero, the strongest Hunter inHunter x Hunter, and was arguably only defeated because he allowed himself to be defeated.Meruem’s death inHunter x Hunteronly came about through a combination of the efforts of some of the strongest characters in the story and human empathy, and he remains one of the anime’s most iconic villains because of that.
One Piece
The One Piece anime began in 1999 and follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a boy with rubber-like abilities, as he embarks on a journey to find the legendary treasure “One Piece.” Inspired by the pirate Shanks, Luffy aims to become the King of the Pirates, accompanied by a diverse crew.
Kaido is a former Emperor and the leader of the Beast Pirates, one of the most infamous pirate crews in Toei Animation’sOne Piece. Kaido is regarded as the “World’s Strongest Creature” and is famed for being nigh-invincible, and in the wake of Whitebeard’s death in the Paramount War, he was often regarded as the strongest pirate in the world and the person with the best chance of finding the One Piece.
The saga of Luffy and his friends’ fight against Kaido spanned a decade of real-time, and when it finally came time to fight Kaido,it took a massive alliance of thousands of fighters, plus Luffy fully mastering Haki and awakening the true power of the Gum-Gum Fruit, for Kaido to just barely be defeated. There was incredible build-up to the fight with Kaido, andOne Piecehad him more than live up to the hype.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood follows brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric who use alchemy in a quest to restore their bodies after a failed transmutation. The series explores themes of sacrifice, the consequences of ambition, and the quest for truth in a richly developed world.
Father, also known as the Dwarf in the Flask, is the main antagonist of Bones’Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. As part of his master plan, Father spent centuries developing a massive conspiracy within the country of Amestris to enact human transmutation on a massive scale and attain godhood, with Edward Elric and his friends being the only ones who could stop him and his Homunculi.
Not only did Edward and his friends need to put together a massive military coup to try and defeat Father, but when it came down to just Father,Father’s powers remained a massive threat to everyone inFullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhoodeven as his life was slowly whittled away, and it took Alphonse sacrificing himself to give Edward his arm back for them to win. Father was a big enough threat to force an entire army against him, and overall, it was plenty warranted.
Bleach
Bleach follows Ichigo Kurosaki, a teenager with the ability to see ghosts, whose life changes after meeting Rukia, a Soul Reaper. As he gains spiritual energy, Ichigo embarks on a journey to protect humans and spirits from malevolent entities known as Hollows.
Sosuke Aizen is the main antagonist of the first part of Studio Pierrot’sBleach. A former Soul Reaper captain, Aizen spent centuries secretly assembling an army of humanoid Hollows called Arrancar so he could invade the Royal Palace and kill the Soul King, a goal he narrowly succeeded at if not for Ichigo and his friends.
With the illusionary abilities of Kyoka Suigetsu, the limitless power of the Hogyoku, and his constant planning for nearly every possibility, Aizen nearly destroyed the Thirteen Court Guard Companies singlehandedly, and it was to the point thatIchigo only defeated Aizen by unlocking the power of the Final Getsuga Tensho, and he still would have lost without help from Urahara.Yhwach, the villain ofBleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, is proving to be an even bigger threat than Aizen, but with that battle still ongoing, Aizen remains the toughest final boss inBleach, by far.
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion is a Japanese animated television series created by Hideaki Anno. The show follows teenagers piloting giant mechs called Evangelions, tasked with defending Earth from mysterious beings known as Angels. As they confront these threats, they also grapple with personal and psychological issues.
Gendo Ikari is a major antagonist in Studio Khara’sNeon Genesis Evangelion. While the original anime had him fighting for control of things with SEELE, theRebuild of Evangeliontetralogy gradually has him become the sole antagonist and the one everyone needs to defeat to prevent the Human Instrumentality Project.
On a metatextual level, Gendo gradually evolves from someone who’s largely just a threat to Shinji to someone who requires an entire army to defeat, and when it comes down to just Gendo and Shinji,Shinji can only defeat Gendo inRebuild of Evangelionby finally making an honest effort to appeal to Gendo’s humanity. The way Gendo evolved as a threat on a meta level was great to see, and his ultimate defeat was the perfect capstone to the entireNeon Genesis Evangelionfranchise.
Character From Gallop’s Yu-Gi-Oh!; First Appearance In Episode 12
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters follows Yûgi Muto, a frail youth targeted by bullies, who discovers his alter ego, Yami Yûgi, after completing the ancient Millennium Puzzle. This new persona, embodying the “King of Games,” emerges to challenge opponents through mystical “Shadow Games,” when Yûgi faces injustice.
Yami Bakura is the main antagonist of the originalYu-Gi-Oh!anime by Gallop. While Yami Bakura spent most of the series in the background, he was secretly biding his time until he could force Yugi and his friends into the Dark RPG, a reenactment of Atem’s life as the Pharaoh, and regain his true form as Zorc Necrophades, the nigh-invincible God of Darkness, thus giving him the power to destroy the world.
While Yami Bakura wasn’t a major threat in his first few appearances, all of his scheming finally elevates him toYu-Gi-Oh!’s strongest villain in the final arc, and it’s to the point thatAtem could only defeat Yami Bakura after his transformation into Zorc Necrophades by summoning the similarly powerful God of Light, Horakthy. The progression of Yami Bakura’s threat level was great to see, and it made for an incredible climax at the end ofYu-Gi-Oh!
Character From Toei Animation’s Dragon Ball Z; First Appearance In Episode 44
Dragon Ball
From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku’s never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
Frieza is one of the main villains of Toei Animation’sDragon Ball Z. Frieza first came into conflict with the Z-Fighters in the Namek saga when both parties were in pursuit of the Namekian Dragon Balls, and when the Z-Fighters finally stopped Frieza from wishing for immortality, a fight between them and the strongest person in the universe became inevitable.
The fight with Frieza is infamously long, but with how much the power escalated on both sides of the fight to the point that Namek, itself, was destroyed,the incredible length of the fight against Frieza perfectly illustrated how powerful he was and how much effort it took for him to go down. Frieza has returned toDragon Ballin recent years, and with the power ofFrieza’s new Black Frieza form, the next fight with him is bound to be even bigger in scale.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Puella Magi Madoka Magica follows the story of middle school student Madoka Kaname and her transformation into a magical girl after encountering a mystical creature named Kyubey. Set in a seemingly ordinary world, the series delves into the psychological and moral implications of the magical girl contract, challenging the traditional norms of the genre. This anime is known for its dark themes and complex narrative structure.
Walpurgisnacht is the main villain of Shaft’sPuella Magi Madoka Magica. A witch so powerful that its very existence is treated as a natural disaster, Homura has spent countless time loops trying to find a way to destroy it that doesn’t end in Madoka’s death, but no matter how hard she tries, she’s never able to find a solution.
It’s one thing for Walpurgisnacht to be strong enough to force Homura to travel back in time countless times over to try and defeat it, but when it finally came time for Walpurgisnacht to be defeated,it took Madoka using her wish to becoming the physical embodiment of a universal concept for Walpurgisnacht to finally go down for good. Walpurgisnacht was the perfect embodiment of how horrifyingPuella Magi Madoka Magica’s world is, and it will be a wonder to see how that’s followed up.
Character From Studio Trigger’s Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann; First Appearance In Episode 24
Gurren Lagann
Gurren Lagann is an anime series set in a future where humans live in underground villages. The story follows Simon and Kamina, who break free to the surface and pilot the titular mecha to fight against oppressive forces.
The Anti-Spiral is the main antagonist of Studio Trigger’sTengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. The Anti-Spiral has made it his mission to destroy any worlds with an overabundance of Spiral Power to prevent their Spiral Power from growing out of control and destroying the universe, and when Earth becomes his latest target, it falls on Simon and Team Dai-Gurren to defeat the Anti-Spiral and free the universe from his tyranny.
Not only did everyone have to overcome one statistical impossibility after another just to see the Anti-Spiral, but in the final battle,it took Team Dai-Gurren harnessing power that eclipsed the universe in size and scale just to match the Anti-Spiral before Simon finally defeated him in a bare-knuckle brawl. The constant escalation in the fight with the Anti-Spiral was incredible to watch, and it’s why he stands out as thefinal anime boss who pushed the heroes the hardest.
