These anime series take a bold step by casting the protagonist as the villain, offering a unique perspective and challenging the traditional hero's journey.

In today's article, we'll delve into a selection of anime where the main character embraces their villainous nature. So, without further ado, let's get started.

10. Gangsta

Gangsta is a dark and gritty anime series set in the city of Ergastulum, where crime is rampant and the police are powerless to stop it. The anime follows two "Handymen" Nicholas Brown and Worick Arcangelo as they tackle any job, no matter how dangerous or dirty.

During one of these jobs, they encounter a prostitute and decide to protect her from a powerful mafia boss. This causes a shift in power and begins a war that could shake the very foundations of Ergastulum.

9. Overlord

Overlord is one of the best anime adaptations of the game world, known for its dark and comedic tone. The series follows Momonga, a powerful wizard who becomes trapped in the world of the popular virtual reality game "Yggdrasil" after the servers shut down.

Trapped in a virtual world, Momonga assumes the role of his villainous in-game avatar, Ainz Ooal Gown, and begins to alienate humanity by committing questionable acts. He soon becomes seen as an evil but "merciful" lord who rules the kingdom of Nazarick.

8. Black Lagoon

Black Lagoon is a crime thriller anime series that follows the Lagoon Company, a four-member crew of pirate mercenaries who smuggle goods in and around the seas of Southeast Asia. Led by Revy, the group takes on a variety of jobs involving criminal organizations and violent shootouts.

Revy certainly seems like a heroic protagonist, but then her sadistic, murderous personality and criminal history kick in. Sometimes, the hero of the story may not necessarily be the "good" person, and this can also apply to Revy's actions and motives.

7. Terror in Resonance

Terror in Resonance is a thought-provoking anime from Studio MAPPA that offers an intriguing glimpse into the diabolical minds of antiheroes. The series follows two individuals who pose a threat to the modern world, defending their ideologies in a society they no longer believe in.

Months after a terrorist attack on a nuclear facility in Japan, a video mysteriously appears online in which two teenagers – identifying themselves as "Sphinx" – take command of the attack and threaten to destroy Tokyo unless a cryptic riddle can be solved.

6. 91 Days

"Revenge is a dish best served cold"—the entire narrative of the story can be understood in this single sentence. 91 Days is a mafia revenge anime story set in a fictional America during Prohibition, when there was no law and illegal mafias and gangs ruled the land.

The anime depicts Angelo Lagusa's retaliation against the powerful Vanetti family after witnessing their brutal murder of his family. After leaving his hometown, Angelo returns seven years later to inflict as much suffering as humanly possible on anyone even remotely connected to his family's death.

5. The Saga Of Tanya The Evil

Tanya the Evil's Saga is Promising anime isekai with op MC featuring an evil protagonist who's a total maniac. Before being reincarnated as a teenager in the midst of a magical war, Tanya Degurechaff was a salaryman with a harsh and self-centered personality.

Due to his poor personality, he was murdered by one of his subordinates and sent to a world by a god Tanya calls "Being X." Determined to challenge, Tanya resolves to rise through the ranks of her country's military, propelling the mighty Empire to become one of the most powerful nations in human history.

4. Hellsing

Classic dark shōnen series, Hellsing is home to one of the most ruthless vampires in anime, Alucard. Alucard didn't become a vampire hunter for moral reasons—he does it because he deeply enjoys ending lives without any sign of remorse or mercy.

In the series, he is part of the Hellsing organization, whose main goal is to control the number of supernatural monsters plaguing England. As a villainous figure within the faction, he engages in an all-out war against a war-crazed SS major who seeks to wage eternal war with his vampire army.

3. Code Geass

Code Geass follows the story of high school student Lelouch Lamperouge, who finds himself in possession of a supernatural power called "Geass." Obsessed with destroying the tyrannical Royal Empire of Britannia, Lelouch vows to liberate Japan and create a new world that would be better for everyone.

Using the power of Geass mind control and high-powered mechs, Lelouch does whatever it takes to overcome his opposition. However, it doesn't take long for his moral compass to shift, and in his quest for absolute power, Lelouch makes countless innocent people collateral damage.

2. Attack On Titan

Attack on Titan is a true masterpiece of storytelling that has evolved dramatically over four seasons. Eren's character development, from an uncertain and emotional child to the Eldian hero, is one of the series' best achievements.

However, his bizarre ideology of freedom put humanity's lives at risk, and as the end approached, he began to justify his method as the only way to repair the world. Even though Eren was doing everything for the good of humanity, the cost was too high.

1. Death Note

Death Note is the most popular anime trope where the MC is the villain. The series features Light Yagami, a young, diabolical genius who accidentally stumbles upon a notebook that grants death and follows his perverse sense of justice with the ultimate goal of cleansing the world of all evildoers.

Aware of the terrifying divine power that had fallen into his hands, Light—under the pseudonym "Kira"—began to imagine himself the "god of the new world." However, he eventually becomes so consumed by ambition that he forgets his own morals and begins killing innocent people just to save his own life.

Which of the following anime where the MC is the villain is your favorite? Feel free to comment and recommend any other anime like the ones listed above. Also, don't forget to share this article with your otaku friends.