Anime has had some of the greatest villains ever to grace the screen with their evil presence, and they come in all guises and types. There are goofy villains, anti-heroes, and some of the vilest, most reprehensible evil-doers that would make a tyrant look like a boy scout.
But what about the antagonists who aren't as bad as they seem? What of the villains who have more noble qualities that the heroes of the story don't always see? Some anime also feature bad guys who start off being malicious but then see the error of their ways and make a drastic change. Let's delve into the motives and lives of five anime villains who are, in reality, not so bad after all.
Lady Eboshi (Princess Mononoke)
Lady Eboshi is the main antagonist of Hayao Miyazaki's anime masterpiece, Princess Mononoke. Living in a man's world, Lady Eboshi must do everything she can to maintain her power as the matriarch of Iron Town. Not only does she have to fight against other feudal lords, she also must contend against the gods and spirits of the forest. She is ambitious, dangerously pragmatic, calculating, and will stop at nothing to see her small empire grow -- even if she has to destroy the natural world around her.
On the surface it sounds like Lady Eboshi is highly malicious, but in reality she is quite a humanitarian and does everything for her people. Lady Eboshi is the picture-perfect example of a benevolent dictator, and her people love her with all their hearts. She is also a firm believer in gender equality, placing men and women in important roles in her small empire. Considering Princess Mononoke's setting is in the Muromachi Era, this is no small task. But her concern does not stop at just gender equality. She also takes the types of people cast aside by society at large -- lepers, prostitutes and slaves -- and gives them a purpose in her community. So although Lady Eboshi is ruthless in her goals, everything she does is to better the lives of her people.
Emperor Dornkirk (The Vision of Escaflowne)
In The Vision of Escaflowne, Emperor Dornkirk -- the supreme leader of the Zaibach Empire -- performed dubious actions for which he is accountable. He waged war against three major kingdoms, wiped one of them out, performed experiments on humans, and toyed with forbidden science so he could live for centuries. Emperor Dornkirk is a single-minded and obsessive man who will stop at nothing to obtain his ultimate goal. He sounds like a mad tyrant at first, but his vision is of permanent, unending peace on the planet of Gaea. And unlike other villains -- who have weak means to achieve such a goal -- Dornkirk has the essential tools to do so.
Before becoming an Emperor, Dornkirk was a human scientist on Earth named Issac. Due to a strange twist of fate, he was whisked away to the planet Gaea. When he arrived, the part of the planet he found himself on was a barren hell-hole where the people were constantly afraid of starvation and invasion by neighboring warlords. Moved by a great sense of compassion, Issac gave them scientific knowledge that enabled them to industrialize and learn to defend themselves. Soon, this once third-world nation became the most powerful and most prosperous empire on Gaea. Dornkirk wanted this same prosperity for everyone and so, through years of research, he discovered a way to control destiny itself. But such power comes at a high cost, and he was willing to pay it -- no matter who had to suffer in the short term. Dornkirk's utilitarian moral view is that some may suffer now, but everyone will benefit in the long run.
Majin Buu (Dragon Ball Z)
Majin Buu, one of the strongest villains in Dragon Ball Z, is an impulsive and powerful monster with an insatiable appetite for sweets. He has destroyed entire cities with ease, only to turn surviving citizens into candy so he can eat them. The worst part about Buu is that he does all of this with a big smile, laughing and giggling like a little kid along the way.
That's the thing about Buu -- he is a child. It's not his fault that the only 'parental figure' he had in the beginning stages of life, Babidi, took advantage of his childish nature and made him do vile things. Buu quickly learns the error of his ways when he befriends Hercule, who gives him the simple moral lesson that killing people is wrong. When Buu joins Goku's crew, he still maintains his naughty and playful nature but takes the lessons he learns about not using his powers to harm.
It's also funny to see Buu live with humans and learn about them, eating ice cream and candy with a perpetual grin. He even learns how to control his temper by remembering that his friends taught him not to get angry when he doesn't get his way. Buu's former criminal actions were not based on evil desires, but childish ignorance.
Scar (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
Scar, one of the primary antagonists of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, is a member of the Ishvalan people, an ethnoreligious group who worships the one supreme god, Ishvala. In a tragic turn of events, the Ishvalan people were nearly wiped out in a genocide by the army of Amestris. Scar, a survivor of the Ishvalan massacre, swears revenge against all State Alchemists and uses alchemy, a science he hates for what he thinks is an evil perversion of god's creation. Scar is brooding, seldom smiles, and kills his enemies in some of the most brutal means.
Considering the horrific things that happen to his people, all of his actions are understandable. Unlike most antagonists in anime, Scar never relishes his actions, and there is no joy in what he does -- he simply believes he has a duty to his fallen people. He also does his best not to involve innocents or anyone who cannot defend themselves, and has a strong sense of discipline and honor. Scar is not out to destroy the Amestrian people as a group -- only the corrupt government that's brought so much suffering.
Later in Brotherhood, Scar's beliefs about the evil of the Amestrian government turn out to be correct. He takes pity on those he believes are victims of alchemy, mercy-killing them when their lives become filled with agony. Scar learns later on that while his anger against the government was warranted, his actions were not, and in time he changes his views and becomes an ally.
Shogo Makishima (Psycho-Pass)
Shogo Makishima, the main villain of Psycho-Pass Season 1, is a hateful and violent young man who wishes to take down the totalitarian Sybil System. He has no qualms toying with his victims or killing if it gets what he wants, and is fascinated with the darker side of humanity. Very manipulative and charismatic, his combination of looks, cunning and violent tendencies is very dangerous.
Despite his charm and good looks, Shogo is an isolated young man who hates the world he resides in. The Sybil System is an Orwellian society where people are controlled to the highest degree, and anyone who dares to speak against it conveniently disappears. Someone like Shogo would inevitably rise to the occasion to take down such an oppressive regime. And unlike other anime villains, Shogo does not want to topple the Sybil System so he can reign -- he simply wants everyone to have free will and be self-reliant. His methods may be extreme, but in a world where only extremism gets results, such violence is used as a tool to bring freedom.
