The 20 Best Anime Where The Main Character Became Villain

The complete guide to the best anime where the main character became a villain

In this list, we will be depicting the top 20 anime where the main character became a villain or evil and switched their lives to the dark path.

We’ve taken a look through all the anime series we could find with protagonists that ended up becoming villain characters and we created a compiled list of those tv shows they’re portrayed in.

So you can be sure to find a mixture of different genres on this list, including romance, drama, school, action, and adventure anime series.

So here’s our list of popular anime where the main character becomes villain persons.

20. Xam’d: Lost Memories

Episodes: 26
Studios: Bones
Genres: Action, Military, Sci-Fi

Kicking off the list of the best anime where the main character becomes a villain with Xam’d. A series set on Sentan Island, a small island surrounded by the Yuden Sea. It exists in a state of dreamlike tranquility, cut off from the war between the Northern Government and the Southern Continent Free Zone. Our hero, Akiyuki Takehara, lives on Sentain Island along with his mother Fusa.

He is currently separated from his father, the town doctor Ryuzo, but the bond between father and son remains. One day, after taking Ryuzo the lunch that Fusa has made for him as usual, Akiyuki arrives at school, where he is caught up in an explosion along with his friends, Haru and Furuichi. The explosion produces a mysterious light, which enters Akiyuki’s arm, causing him excruciating pain. He’s given no time to understand it, however, as the white-haired girl who rode on the bus with him guides him to power, unlike anything he’s ever known.

19. The Flowers of Evil

Episodes: 13
Studios: Zexcs
Genres: Drama, Romance, School, Psychological

Kasuga Takao is a boy who loves reading books, particularly Baudelaire’s Les Fleurs du Mal. A girl at his school, Saeki Nanako, is his muse and his Venus, and he admires her from a distance. One day, he forgets his copy of Les Fleurs du Mal in the classroom and runs back alone to pick it up.

Also, In the classroom, he finds not only his book but Saeki’s gym uniform. On a mad impulse, he steals it. Now everyone knows “some pervert” stole Saeki’s uniform, and Kasuga is dying with shame and guilt. Furthermore, the weird, creepy, and friendless girl in the class, Nakamura, saw him take the uniform. Instead of revealing it was him, she recognizes his kindred deviant spirit and uses her knowledge to take control of his life. Will it be possible for Kasuga to get closer to Saeki, despite Nakamura’s meddling and his dark secret? What exactly does Nakamura intend to do with him?

18. Aldnoah.Zero

Episodes: 24 / Two Seasons
Studios: A-1 Pictures
Genres: Action, Military, Sci-Fi, Mecha

This is a Sci-Fi story set in 1972, when the Apollo 17 mission found a hyper gate to Mars on the surface of the moon. Upon landing, astronauts discovered an enchanted utility later referred to as “Aldnoah,” giving the astronauts a status of superiority. Soon, many humans relocated to Mars, and adapted to the name “Martians.”

After Princess Asseylum, a royal Martian princess descends onto Earth in an attempt to create a treaty between both planets. A war breaks out between Earth and Mars, and Martian soldiers begin to descend from the sky, riding steel giants, intent on exterminating humanity.

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17. Code: Breaker

Episodes: 13
Studios: Kinema Citrus
Genres: Action, Comedy, School, Shounen, Super Power, Supernatural

Code Breaker is among the best anime where the main character became a villain or evil, in order to carry out his goal, and follows his principles.

The story kicks off when Sakurakouji Sakura, riding the bus, looks out the window to see people being burned alive with a blue fire and a boy her age who’s unharmed and standing over the people. She comes back to the site the next day and there are no corpses or evidence of any kind of murder, just a small fire.

She then goes to class to find there’s a new transfer student, Oogami Rei, who looks exactly like the boy she saw before and wears a black glove only on his left hand. Oogami is a Code Breaker, one who “does not exist”. He is a seemingly cold-blooded killer who follows the principle of “an eye for an eye”, to “use evil against evil”. Convinced that killing is not right, Sakurakouji sets out to stop him and penetrate his icy heart.

16. Desert Punk

Episodes: 24
Studios: Gonzo
Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Ecchi, Sci-Fi, Shounen

This is a really good Jpanaese series that you should watch and is also a good anime where the main character became a villain. Set in the future, where Japan is a wasteland, and in the Great Kantou Desert, scattered humans seek out a living in the hot sand.

Among them, a short-statured man they call “Sunabouzu” makes a living as a bounty hunter. Like a demon of the sand, he seems unbeatable. Yet, like all men, he has a particular weakness for the opposite sex…

15. Jormungand

Episodes: 12
Studios: White Fox
Genres: Action, Adventure, Seinen

Here is a good war anime where the main character became a villain, who was brought up in a conflict-ridden environment, child soldier Jonathan “Jonah” Mar hates weapons and those who deal with them. But when Koko Hekmatyar, an international arms dealer, takes on Jonah as one of her bodyguards, he has little choice but to take up arms. Along with Koko’s other bodyguards, composed mostly of former special-ops soldiers, Jonah is now tasked with protecting Koko and her overly idealistic goal of world peace from the countless dangers that come from her line of work.

Jormungand follows Koko, Jonah, and the rest of the crew as they travel the world selling weapons under the international shipping company HCLI. As Koko’s work is illegal under international law, she is forced to constantly sidestep both local and international authorities while doing business with armies, private militaries, and militias. With the CIA always hot on her trail, and assassins around every corner, Jonah and the crew must guard Koko and her dream of world peace with their lives or die trying.

14. Nobeless

Episodes: 12
Studios: Production I.G
Genres: Action, Adventure, OVA, Supernatural

Adapted from a manhwa of the same name, the series depicts that for 820 years he had slumbered with no knowledge of mankind’s advancement and scientific progress. The land which he once knew has become an unfamiliar place with new technology, attitudes, and lifestyles. Upon awakening, Cadis Etrama Di Raizel (aka Rai), seeks to familiarize himself with this era. So, he locates a loyal servant of his, Frankenstein, who is currently the principal of a South Korean High School.

Rai decides that this school is the perfect place to help him learn about the modern world, enrolls, and begins associating with a group of good-natured students in order to ‘blend in.’ But this new world is no safer than the old; and the dignified, bewildered, technologically inept Rai finds himself embroiled in adventures both ridiculous and dangerous.

13. Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom

Episodes: 26
Studios: Bee Train
Genres: Action, Drama, Seinen, Thriller

Coming next, we have Phantom Requiem which is one of the best anime series I have ever watched. This is a series about a time when mafia is rife in America, and where assassinations are a regular occurrence on the streets.

Inferno, a mysterious company, is behind most of these dealings through the use of their near-invincible human weapon, “Phantom.” One day, a Japanese tourist accidentally witnesses Phantom’s latest murder.

Desperate to escape, the tourist hides in a secluded building. However, Phantom is revealed to be a young woman named Ein, and the leader of Inferno “Scythe Master” captures the tourist and brainwashes him. Given the name “Zwei,” this once peaceful tourist is now a puppet of Inferno with no memories.

This is a pretty good and dark anime where the main character became a villain, who was drawn into a world of lies, deceit, and violence. Therefore Zwei must fight to survive, hopefully to one day regain his memories and escape from this world where he is constantly on the brink of death.

12. Ga-Rei: Zero

Episodes: 12
Studios: AIC Spirits
Genres: Action, Super Power, Supernatural, Thriller

“Will you kill someone you love because of love?” The answer to such a deep question is in Garei Zero, which is by far one of the top anime where the main character became a villain.

The Japanese Ministry of Defense has an anti-paranormal special forces group called the Supernatural Disaster Prevention Office. They are the ones responsible to protect Japanese soil and its people from supernatural and paranormal events. However, things didn’t go so well in one of their missions! the story gets complicated from there…

11. Guilty Crown

Episodes: 22
Studios: Production I.G
Genres: Action, Sci-Fi, Super Power, Drama, Romance

Japan, 2039. Ten years after the outbreak of the “Apocalypse Virus,” an event solemnly regarded as “Lost Christmas,” the once proud nation has fallen under the rule of the GHQ, an independent military force dedicated to restoring order. Funeral Parlor, a guerilla group led by the infamous Gai Tsutsugami, acts as freedom fighters, offering the only resistance to GHQ’s cruel despotism.

Inori Yuzuriha, a key member of Funeral Parlor, runs into the weak and unsociable Shuu Ouma during a crucial operation, which results in him obtaining the “Power of Kings”—an ability that allows the wielder to draw out the manifestations of an individual’s personality, or “voids.” Now an unwilling participant in the struggle against GHQ, Shuu must learn to control his newfound power if he is to help take back Japan once and for all.

Guilty Crown is an anime where the main character became a villain, following the action-packed story of a young high school student who is dragged into a war, possessing an ability that will help him uncover the secrets of the GHQ, Funeral Parlor, and Lost Christmas. However, he will soon learn that the truth comes at a far greater price than he could have ever imagined.

10. Deadman Wonderland

Episodes: 12
Studios: Manglobe
Genres: Action, Sci-Fi, Horror, Shounen

Here is a good anime series about a good main character, who turns dark and evil. At first, it looked like it would be a normal day for Ganta Igarashi and his classmates—They were preparing to go on a class field trip to a certain prison amusement park called Deadman Wonderland. However, Ganta’s life is quickly turned upside down when his whole class gets massacred by a mysterious man in red. Framed for the incident and sentenced to death, Ganta is sent to the very jail he was supposed to visit.

But Ganta’s nightmare is only just beginning. The young protagonist is thrown into a world of sadistic inmates and enigmatic powers, to live in constant fear of the lethal collar placed around his neck that is slowed only by winning in the prison’s deathly games. Ganta must bet his life to survive in a ruthless place where it isn’t always easy to tell friends from foe, all while trying to find the mysterious “Red Man” and clear his name, in Deadman Wonderland.

9. Code Geass

Episodes: 50 / Two Seasons
Studios: Sunrise
Genres: Action, Military, Sci-Fi, Super Power, Drama, Mecha, School

In the year 2010, the Holy Empire of Britannia is establishing itself as a dominant military nation, starting with the conquest of Japan. Renamed Area 11 after its swift defeat, Japan has seen significant resistance against these tyrants in an attempt to regain independence.

Lelouch Lamperouge, the exiled prince of Britannia, unfortunately, finds himself caught in a crossfire between the two nations’ armed forces. He was able to escape, however, thanks to the timely appearance of a mysterious girl named C.C., who bestows upon him Geass, the “Power of Kings.”

Realizing the vast potential of his newfound “power of absolute obedience,”. Lelouch embarks upon a perilous journey as the masked vigilante known as Zero, leading a merciless onslaught against Britannia in order to get revenge once and for all.

8. Tokyo Ghoul

Episodes: 30 /Three Seasons
Studios: Studio Pierrot
Genres: Action, Mystery, Horror, Psychological, Supernatural, Drama, Seinen

This is the best anime that highlights an epic story of the main character becoming a villain. Yeah; here we have Kaneki, who was a good innocent boy but he will become an evil being a.k.a ghoul.

Set in Tokyo, which has become a cruel and merciless city—a place where vicious creatures called “ghouls” exist alongside humans. The citizens of this once great metropolis live in constant fear of these bloodthirsty savages and their thirst for human flesh. However, the greatest threat these ghouls pose is their dangerous ability to masquerade as humans and blend in with society.

Based on the best-selling supernatural horror manga by Sui Ishida. Tokyo Ghoul follows Ken Kaneki, a shy college student, who is instantly drawn to Rize Kamishiro, an avid reader like himself. However, Rize is not exactly who she seems, and this unfortunate meeting pushes Kaneki into the dark depths of the ghouls’ inhuman world. In a twist of fate, Kaneki is saved by the enigmatic waitress Touka Kirishima. Thus, begins his new, secret life as a half-ghoul/half-human who must find a way to integrate into both societies.

7. Black Butler

Episodes: 36 / Two Seasons
Studios: A-1 Pictures
Genres: Action, Comedy, Demons, Fantasy, Historical, Shounen, Supernatural

Young Ciel Phantomhive is known as “the Queen’s Guard Dog,” taking care of the many unsettling events that occur in Victorian England for Her Majesty. Aided by Sebastian Michaelis, his loyal butler with seemingly inhuman abilities, Ciel uses whatever means necessary to get the job done. But is there more to this black-clad butler than meets the eye?

In Ciel’s past lies a secret tragedy that enveloped him in perennial darkness—during one of his bleakest moments, he formed a contract with Sebastian, a demon, bargaining his soul in exchange for vengeance upon those who wronged him.

Today, not only is Sebastian one hell of a butler, but he is also the perfect servant to carry out his master’s orders—all the while anticipating the delicious meal he will eventually make of Ciel’s soul. As the two work to unravel the mystery behind Ciel’s chain of misfortunes, a bond forms between them that neither heaven nor hell can tear apart.

6. Mirai Nikki

Episodes: 26
Studios: Asread
Genres: Action, Psychological, Supernatural, Thriller, Mystery, Shounen

Future Diary is a masterpiece horror thriller anime where the main character became a villain, his name is Yukiteru Amano, who used to spend his days writing a diary on his cellphone. While conversing with his two seemingly imaginary friends Deus Ex Machina, who is the master of time and space, and Murmur, the master’s servant. Revealing himself to be an actual entity, Deus grants Yukiteru a “Random Diary,”.

Seems like this diary shows highly descriptive entries based on the future and forces him into a bloody battle royale with 11 other holders of similarly powerful future diaries. With the last person standing designated as the new god of time and space, Yukiteru must find and kill the other 11 in order to survive. He reluctantly teams up with his obsessive stalker Yuno Gasai, and she takes it upon herself to ensure his safety. But there’s more to the girl than meets the eye, as she might have other plans for her unrequited love…

5. Berserk

Episodes: 49 / Three Seasons
Studios: Millepensee
Genres: Action, Adventure, Demons, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Military, Romance

Berserk is anime where the main character Guts became a villain or somehow an evil character, who from the moment he was branded for death and destined to be hunted by demons until the day he dies, he embarks on a journey to defy such a gruesome fate, as waves of beasts relentlessly pursue him. Steeling his resolve, he takes up the monstrous blade Dragonslayer and vows to exact vengeance on the one responsible, hunting down the very man he once looked up to and considered a friend.

Along the way, he encounters some unlikely allies, such as a small elf named Puck, and Isidro, a young thief looking to learn swordsmanship from the former mercenary. Hence, As the ragtag group slowly comes together after having decided to join Guts in his quest, they will face incredible danger, unlike anything they have ever experienced before.

4. Densetsu no Yuusha no Densetsu

Episodes: 24
Studios: Zexcs
Genres: Action, Adventure, Magic, Fantasy, Shounen

Ryner Lute is a lazy student of the Roland Empire Royal Magician’s Academy. One day, the Roland Empire goes to war against their neighboring country Estabul, and Ryner loses his classmates in the war. After the war, Ryner sets out on a journey to search for the relics of a “Legendary Hero” at King Sion Astal’s command and finds out that a deadly curse is spreading throughout the continent.

3. Shiki

Episodes: 22
Studios: Daume
Genres: Mystery, Horror, Supernatural, Thriller, Vampire

Fifteen-year-old Megumi Shimizu dreamed of a glamorous life in the big city; However, her unexpected death marks the beginning of what appears to be a ferocious epidemic that turns the hot summer into a season of blood and terror. A young doctor named Toshio Ozaki begins to doubt the nature of the disease and comes to understand that to discover the truth, he must abandon his humanity.

Meanwhile, Natsuno Yuuki, an antisocial youth from the city, is haunted by the sudden death of Megumi and must realize the pain of friendship in the face of his own tragedy. Toshio and Natsuno form an unlikely pair as they work together to save Sotoba before it transforms into a ghost town of vampires.

Shiki, adapted from the horror novel written by Fuyumi Ono, goes beyond the average vampire story. It tells the tragic tale of survival in a world where one cannot easily distinguish between good and evil. Abandoned by God, the Shiki, as the vampires call themselves, have only their will to live as they clash with the fear of the paranoid/unbelieving villagers. Shiki explores the boundary that separates man from a monster.

2. Death Note

Episodes: 37
Studios: Madhouse
Genres: Mystery, Police, Psychological, Supernatural, Thriller, Shounen

A shinigami, can kill any person—provided they see their victim’s face and write their victim’s name in a notebook called a Death Note. One day, Ryuk, bored by the shinigami lifestyle and interested in seeing how a human would use a Death Note, drops one into the human realm.

High school student and prodigy Light Yagami stumbles upon the Death Note and—since he deplores the state of the world—tests the deadly notebook by writing a criminal’s name in it. When the criminal dies immediately following his experiment with the Death Note. Light is greatly surprised and quickly recognizes how devastating the power that has fallen into his hands could be.

Death note is among the best anime where the main character became a villain, who with this divine power, decides to extinguish all criminals in order to build a new world where crime does not exist and people worship him as a ruler. Police, however, quickly discover that a serial killer is targeting criminals and, consequently, try to apprehend the culprit. So, to do this, the Japanese investigators count on the assistance of the best detective in the world: a young and eccentric man known only by the name of L.

1. Gankutsuou

Episodes: 24
Studios: Gonzo
Genres: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Supernatural, Thriller

First of all, Gankutsuou is an anime loosely based on the novel The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. It tells the story of Albert Morcerf, who happens to befriend a wealthy nobleman, The Count of Monte Cristo, through a series of bizarre events.

Fascinated by the Count’s charm, Albert invites him to meet his friends and family, all of whom happen to be part of the upper-class society of Paris, France. Unfortunately, little does Albert realize that the Count has ulterior motives in mind.

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