They're way too good at being bad. Join Ashley as we count down the anime protagonists who commit heinous acts
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00:00 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the anime with protagonists
00:09 who regularly perform villainous actions.
00:18 Number 10 – The Saga of Tanya the Evil
00:21 I mean, it's kind of right there in the name, right?
00:25 When a ruthless Japanese businessman is reincarnated into a magical version of World War I, he
00:32 becomes determined to advance through whatever means necessary, even if he's a little girl
00:37 now.
00:40 Tanya's cold-hearted attitude and vicious tactics in battle certainly earn her a vile
00:50 reputation, and her ambitions extend to killing the godlike being that dropped her into her
00:57 war-torn new life.
01:04 The series is full of incredible and brutal aerial fight scenes, plus Tanya's charismatic,
01:11 if devilish personality makes for some effective comedy as well.
01:15 Not only the studio would hurry up with season two.
01:22 Number 9 – Talentless Nana
01:25 This series is set in a school where kids with special abilities, known as "talents",
01:30 hone their powers to battle against the mysterious enemies of humanity.
01:35 Nana Hiragi is a transfer student with the ability to read minds.
01:40 Except, not only is Nana not actually talented, she's been sent to the school to murder
01:46 the real enemies of humanity – her classmates.
01:53 It's a psychological thriller anime with a supernatural twist, as Nana has to eliminate
02:01 her peers, while also avoiding suspicion and grappling with the morality – or lack thereof
02:07 – of her mission.
02:16 Forgive me for saying this, but Talentless Nana is essentially a manga's the anime,
02:22 and Nana's the imposter.
02:27 Number 8 – Bastard!
02:29 Heavy Metal Dark Fantasy
02:31 When evil's knocking at your door, sometimes the only option is to fight with an even greater
02:37 evil.
02:38 The kingdom of Metallicana unseals Dark Schneider, the powerful, immortal wizard sealed inside
02:44 their head priest's adopted teenage son, Lucian Renlin.
02:56 The only problem is that old DS is not only a selfish, womanising jerk, he's also the
03:03 former leader of the villains now threatening the world with their plans.
03:08 Thankfully, Lucian's personality affects Dark Schneider's for the better… sometimes.
03:19 An unabashed power fantasy with a heavy metal twist, Bastard follows Dark Schneider's
03:24 journey to save – and/or conquer – the world again, using his incredible magic and
03:31 even more incredible wits to defeat everyone he faces in battle.
03:41 Number 7 – Black Lagoon
03:44 Salaryman Rokuro "Rock" Okajima's life is turned upside down after he's taken hostage
03:51 by the pirate crew of the eponymous Black Lagoon.
04:03 Rock joins up with the pirates, and while he's undoubtedly one of the less villainous
04:07 crew members at first, he and the rest of the gang are no heroes.
04:12 Out for themselves in an unforgiving world full of crooks, pirates and gangs, the Lagoon
04:18 company don't really care for who gets hit in their quest for profit – especially
04:24 Revy.
04:30 The series is loaded with exciting action and tons of criminal activity, so if a darker,
04:36 more realistic series is your bag, Black Lagoon is a great anime to get mired in.
04:47 Number 6 – Overlord
04:49 When most isekai protagonists go to another world, they're heroes out to save the world.
04:55 Ainz Algon is the other guy.
05:02 After suddenly finding himself in the body of his undead video game avatar, in command
05:07 of legions of loyal – and far more competent – followers, and lacking his previous human
05:13 morality, Ainz sets out to conquer his new world.
05:17 Mostly by accident.
05:26 Overlord features a well-realised fantasy world that's fun to get lost in, as well
05:31 as entertainingly villainous and comedic protagonists.
05:35 It's as much about Ainz's effect on his new world as it is the world's effect on
05:40 him, with plenty of political manoeuvring – as expected of Ainz.
05:54 Number 5 – Fate/Zero
05:57 How far would you go to see your greatest wish come true?
06:01 Well, if you want something as insane as the Fourth Holy Grail War to go your way, then
06:06 you're gonna have to play dirty.
06:13 While we can somewhat understand the motivations behind why Kiritsugu played the game the way
06:18 he did, it's easy to see why Saber was so pissed off at him for how he did so.
06:30 Setting his wife as bait, trying to cheat the rules, assassinating other masters and
06:35 servants with incredibly underhanded means, this so-called "Champion of Justice" cut
06:41 way too many corners while trying to save the world.
06:44 Shame that the price turned out to be a tad too high in the end.
06:54 Number 4 – Hellsing Ultimate
06:57 Sometimes the best way to fight monsters is with another monster.
07:02 That's the philosophy of the Hellsing organisation, which employs the magically-bound vampire Alucard
07:09 as their heavy hitter.
07:22 As an ancient bloodsucker, Alucard has done plenty of evil in his day, and continues to
07:27 do so throughout the series.
07:30 Even if he becomes more of an anti-hero over time.
07:42 But when he's pitted against literal Nazis and homicidal priests, it's not hard to
07:47 root for him instead.
07:49 Hellsing Ultimate delivers bloody thrills and action galore.
07:53 Even after it's over, you'll be hungry for more.
08:01 Number 3 – Code Geass – Lelouch of the Rebellion
08:04 We were on the fence about including this one, but if we're honest with ourselves,
08:10 Lelouch V. Britannia is no typical hero.
08:20 The disgraced Prince in Hiding not only uses cunning strategies and his Geass ability to
08:25 command others in his campaign against his homeland of Britannia, but he also treats
08:30 everyone around him like chess pieces.
08:33 And he's willing to sacrifice most of them.
08:40 Lelouch's goal may be to create a better world for his sister, but the ends don't
08:48 always justify his means.
08:50 Whether you agree with the protagonist or not, Code Geass delivers an addictive combination
08:55 of mecha action, intricate strategy, and character development that makes for a phenomenal show.
09:07 Number 2 – Death Note
09:09 When teenager Light Yagami acquires a notebook that lets him kill anyone anywhere, provided
09:15 he knows their name and face, he was basically fated to become a villain.
09:26 Light may claim to want to create a world without crime, with only the righteous living
09:31 in it, but his petty, vindictive behaviour is fairly evident throughout.
09:36 It's arguably his greatest downfall in his battle of wills against L, the genius detective.
09:45 Death Note remains an endlessly fascinating and gripping thriller, and sure, Light's
09:58 a mass murderer and clearly evil, but we'd be lying if we said that we didn't enjoy
10:03 seeing him outsmart and outmanoeuvre his enemies.
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10:30 Number 1 – Attack on Titan
10:39 Eren Yeager's quest for revenge against the giant beings lurking outside his walled
10:44 homeland puts us firmly in his corner from the start.
10:49 However, over time, Eren's darker impulses develop to the point where he's the unquestioned
10:55 villain of his story.
10:57 Eren aside, Attack on Titan revels in showing that even the most heroic characters have
11:02 shades of grey.
11:06 Packed from beginning to end with epic action scenes, mind-blowing twists and unforgettable
11:12 characters, Attack on Titan is among the most popular villain's journey anime ever made.
11:25 Is there a villain-led anime we're oh-so-bad for forgetting?
11:29 Let us know in the comments below.
11:31 Thanks for watching!
11:43 [MUSIC PLAYING]