Anime villains often have a base of operations from which they plan their various schemes in secret. Villain bases in anime set the scene for some of the most intense character showdowns the genre offers. However, not all anime villains keep practicality in mind when choosing a hideout location. Certain types of bases end up causing multiple problems at the worst times.
Some villain bases place villains in vulnerable situations that eventually lead to their demises. Other structures add too much complexity to their vast layouts. Whatever the reason, these bases ignore common sense in favor of appearing intimidating to trespassers.
10 Dio Brando's Base In Cairo Doesn't Suit Vampires (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure)
Dio Brando from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure calls many locations his base throughout his various appearances. However, his infamous mansion in Cairo offers little protection from Dio's vampiric weaknesses. Dio chooses to reside in the sweltering climate of Cairo despite his weakness to the sun. The building's various windows offer potential hazards for sunlight to stream through.
Though Dio takes precautions to darken his base, he would find more reliable safety in a place that lies primarily in shadow. The fact that one of Dio's closest followers perishes from sunlight in the mansion only highlights the location's flaws.
9 The League Of Villains' Initial Bases Offer Little Splendor (My Hero Academia)
Before the League of Villains' alliance with the Meta Liberation Army, the League of Villains lacked the resources for anything other than simple bases. The League of Villains initially meet and formulate their plans in bars, empty warehouses, and cramped apartments that offer refuge yet provide little training space. The League even spends weeks living in a forest during Shigaraki's battle against Gigantomachia.
Despite the League's low starting funds, they still manage to set plans into motion and hide their movements from Pro-Heroes. However, the organization's newest residence in Deika City offers considerably more usable space for its members.
8 Muzan's Infinity Fortress Is Too Complex To Navigate (Demon Slayer)
Muzan Kibutsuji's fortress in Demon Slayer features an impossible labyrinth of shifting rooms that are controlled by the demon Nakime. Nakime's ability to alter the fortress's layout at will creates a solid defense against enemy invasion. However, the constant movement of rooms during an enemy attack would make it impossible for even demons to move around accurately.
The Infinity Fortress's reliance on a single demon to maintain its existence also creates a weakness for intruders to target. While the building appears intimidating, its chaotic nature affects its inhabitants as much as enemies.
7 The World Tree's Height Makes Travel Difficult (Sword Art Online)
The villainous Fairy King Oberon from Sword Art Online uses the top of ALfheim Online's World Tree as a base. Though King Oberon's administrative privileges grant him unrestricted travel, the tree's colossal height would make it difficult for most players to leave the tree without difficulty. ALfheim Online's player restrictions on flight distance would force any World Tree inhabitant to traverse a considerable distance for supplies.
As the vast majority of players live outside of the tree's boundaries, a World Tree resident also faces loneliness and the inevitable boredom of being confined to a restricted space.
6 The Sea Of Corpses Pushes Humans To Their Limits (Made In Abyss)
The corrupt scientist Bondrewd from Made In The Abyss performs his research in a laboratory within the abyss's fifth layer. Aside from the lab, the fifth layer shows no signs of human life and consists of an icy wasteland. As ascending from each layer of the abyss afflicts humans with increasingly severe ailments, anyone who resides at this depth risks death by returning to the surface.
Reaching this area of the abyss requires people to travel through dangerous environments and evade numerous monsters. Though Bondrewd uses the layer's effects for research, the Sea of Corpses offers little more than death.
5 The Maze Castle Keeps Its Inhabitants Within It (Yu Yu Hakusho)
The Saint Beasts in Yu Yu Hakusho reside within the Maze Castle outside of Demon City. Though the Saint Beasts have considerable influence over demons, their status forces them to remain in the castle indefinitely. Each Maze Castle resident additionally guards a single floor of the structure, which restricts the ability to travel.
The Maze Castle protects Demon City from intruders with its powerful inhabitants, yet it acts as a restraint on the Saint Beasts' power. The base grants its residents the honor of defending Demon City, yet the status comes with costs.
4 Totto Land Uses Food As Building Material (One Piece)
The infamous pirate Big Mom from One Piece rules as the queen of Totto Land and the island network that surrounds it. Each of Totto Land's islands theme themselves around a particular food and construct buildings out of edible materials. While this building method gives Big Mom's territory a unique appearance, certain buildings include perishable food that fails in the long term.
Certain islands under Big Mom's rule allow visitors to eat specific buildings, which only destroys the community's infrastructure and forces residents to periodically dispose of wasted food. Totto Land's buildings frequently come with a time limit.
3 The Bad End Kingdom Exists Within A Wasteland (Smile PreCure!)
The villain King Pierrot and his allies in Smile PreCure! reside within the Bad End Kingdom during their battle against Earth and Märchenland. The Bad End Kingdom exists within a lightless wasteland with a landscape dominated by rocks. The single castle provides a grand yet restrictive space for the realm's inhabitants to move within.
Although the denizens of Bad End Kingdom aren't human, the realm lacks resources for maintaining an army in the immediate environment. Pierrot's forces seek the negative energy within humans outside of their home realm to achieve their goal of reviving Pierrot.
2 The Gravito Rock Zone Provides Little Comfort or Security (Black Clover)
The Eye of the Midnight Sun uses the Gravito Rock Zone's largest rock formation as a base of operations. While the Gravito Rock Zone's mist-covered region helps conceal the base from intruders, the base's multiple entrances provide opportunities for enemies to sneak inside. The area's high mana concentration allows the base to float, which only brings attention to the structure's secrets.
Though the Eye of the Midnight Sun's facilities include a maze of corridors and rooms, a base made of rock provides minimal comfort for a living space. The rocky surroundings make it difficult to expand or alter the base's inner layout.
1 The Keroro Platoon Is Forced To Reside Among Humans (Sgt. Frog)
The frog-like aliens of the Keroro Platoon make their base underneath the Hinata family's home during their invasion of Earth. The platoon's leader Keroro builds his base in close proximity to humans after he accidentally exposes his species' plans. The Keroro Platoon's base also contains far more rooms than is necessary for a headquarters, including a hot spring and a room devoted to Gundam figures.
The underground base's location forces the Keroro Platoon to live alongside and assist the Hinata family alongside their plans for conquest. The platoon members find themselves with no choice but to tolerate their situation.
