8 Anime Antagonists Who Should Have Been The Final Villain Instead

There are hundreds of anime antagonists with the title of final villain of their respective series. Unfortunately, there are also several characters who had all the makings of a final villain, but were either overshadowed or replaced by another final villain. In some cases, the main antagonists of certain arcs deserved the final villain spot because they were more compelling than the actual final villain.

Several anime villains who should have been the final boss were replaced at the last minute by someone, or something, that was far less threatening. As one might expect, this did not sit well with fans of the series. Some of these villains appeared earlier in the series, but their charisma and character arc were so impressive, that fans wish they had made to the end as the final big bad.

8

Vinland Saga’s Askeladd Was The Source Of The Main Character’s Pain And Anger

Askeladd was one of the main villains of Vinland Saga‘s highly acclaimed first season, and for many fans, he was the core of the series. He agreed to kill Thorfinn’s father, and for the next decade, used Thorfinn’s thirst for vengeance to turn him into a highly effective attack dog. Thorfinn worked for Askeladd’s band of mercenary Vikings and killed many people, all so he could duel and possibly kill Askeladd.

Askeladd was not a cartoonish villain. He had a tragic backstory and a surprisingly noble goal which involved keeping Wales safe. He was the source of Thorfinn’s pain and rage, but they shared a twisted mentor-student relationship, and Thorfinn was left with a huge void after Askeladd died by another person’s hand. Vinland Saga has introduced other villains since, but none of them have been as complex or charismatic as Askeladd. It is true that part of Thorfinn’s journey involved learning that revenge is not worth it, but many fans still wish Askeladd had been Thorfinn’s final obstacle.

7

Bleach’s Sosuke Aizen Was Final Boss Material Until Yhwach Showed Up

When Bleach fans first met Aizen, he was Squad Five’s kind, caring, and polite Captain, but he revealed his true self at the end of the Soul Society Arc. He is actually a power-hungry and sadistic manipulator who willingly sacrificed countless souls for his experiments to awaken the Hogyoku. Aizen’s ultimate goal was to use the Hogyoku to evolve into a transcended being who could overthrow and replace the Soul King, who serves as the god of the Bleach universe.

Aizen was treated like the main villain for much of Bleach‘s story, and it felt like the story was poised to end when Ichigo sacrificed his powers to defeat him. The story kept going though, and he was replaced by Yhwach in the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc. Yhwach and Aizen both wanted to kill the Soul King, so it felt unnecessary to replace Aizen, especially since Aizen could have gathered an army of Hollows and Quincy to fight the Soul Society. Aizen overwhelmed the Soul Society with his immense strength and intelligence, and he is the reason Ichigo exists. Meanwhile, Yhwach swooped in and took Aizen’s prize as if he were part of the story from the beginning.

6

Hunter X Hunter’s Meruem Was Poised To Be The World’s Ultimate Being

The Chimera Ant Arc is one of the darkest Shonen anime arcs, and is widely regarded as Hunter x Hunter‘s best arc. Meruem was the main villain, and he is often considered among the best villains in anime history. When he died, Meruem was arguably the most powerful Nen user in the world, which is not surprising considering he was bred to rule the world as the ultimate lifeform. Meruem deserves all the praise because of his incredible character arc.

When he was born, he was a ruthless monster who viewed humans as nothing more than food, but when he meets a girl named Komugi, he slowly embraces his humanity and falls in love with her. Meruem literally killed a child and ate her, but by the end of the arc, fans were left heartbroken by his tragic death. Hunter x Hunter has introduced new villains since, but none of them have come close to matching Meruem’s aura, personality, and power, and it is a shame that he never fought or even met HxH‘s main protagonists.

5

My Hero Academia’s Kai Chisaki Felt Like More Of A Threat Than Tomura And All For One

Tomura Shigaraki and All For One were the main villains of My Hero Academia, and although Tomura dealt with legitimate trauma as a child, they both felt like weak villains who simply wanted to destroy everything. Kai Chisaki was the main villain of the Shie Hassaikai Arc, and this Yakuza boss is arguably MHA‘s most complete villain. For starters, he possesses one of the strongest Quirks in history, as Overhaul essentially grants him control over matter.

Tomura and All For One were more like anarchists, whereas Kai was an ambitious crime boss who wanted to reshape the underworld and society as a whole. Kai despised Quirks, and dreamed of a world where they no longer existed. As a result, he conducted experiments and created Quirk destroying bullets, and his plan was to establish himself as the new supreme power by controlling both the black market and hero society. Kai represented a more mature and ideological threat to My Hero Academia‘s world, and his raw power and tactical mind made him a more dangerous as a whole.

4

Dragon Ball’s Frieza Should Have Been Goku And Vegeta’s Final Fight

There are now quite a few God-level villains in the Dragon Ball franchise, but Frieza is by far the most beloved of these villains. In fact, he is one of the most iconic villains in anime history. Frieza is a ruthless tyrant who currently rules about 70% of Universe 7. Even his base form has the power to destroy entire planets, but his power has increased to the point he is now on the threshold of becoming a God of Destruction.

Frieza was built up to be the greatest threat in Dragon Ball Z, and he destroyed the Saiyan home world, making him personally responsible for both Goku and Vegeta’s respective arcs. After his initial defeat though, he was replaced by Cell and Majin Buu, who felt more like pointless add-ons. He returned in Dragon Ball Super, but he was pushed to the side for threats like Cell Max, Jiren, and Moro. Frieza’s sadistic and aristocratic persona gives him the kind of menacing charisma that no other Dragon Ball villain has matched, and he naturally feels like an eternal rival to both protagonists.

3

Inuyasha’s Naraku Was Replaced Last Minute By The Very Jewel He Coveted

Naraku was the main villain for over 90% of Inuyasha‘s story, but at the last minute, he was replaced by the very jewel he spent the entire series trying to acquire. He wanted to use the Shikon Jewel to erase his human half, strengthen his demonic half, and make his body invincible. In the end, the Jewel became the final villain because it wished to absorb both Naraku and Kagome, the main female protagonist. It wanted them to be its new power source.

Naraku was a cruel and manipulative half-demon who got sick enjoyment out of destroying other people’s lives. He was responsible for Inuyasha losing the woman he loved, he was the source of Miroku’s curse, and he killed most of Sango’s family and took control of her younger brother. Every power-up and hardship that the heroes faced and overcame was to take Naraku down, and in the end, a jewel that had been nothing more than a power source, supplanted him as the end villain.

2

Demon Slayer’s Kokushibo Was A Far More Compelling Villain Than Muzan

The entire plot of Demon Slayer revolves around Muzan Kibutsuji, the progenitor of the demon race. He personally killed most of Tanjiro’s family and turned his sister into a demon, but he is ultimately responsible for every bad thing that has happened in the series. That said, Muzan is not that interesting of a villain. He might be arrogant and ruthless, but deep down, he was a fearful child. Ironically, he created a demon who would have been a better final villain.

Kokushibo was the strongest demon other than Muzan, and the twin brother of Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the founder of the Demon Slayer Corps. He was always in his brother’s shadow no matter how much he trained, and he willingly became a demon because of this envy. Kokishibo’s drive to surpass his brother and destroy everything he created is a much more compelling story than Muzan trying to overcome the sun. Plus, Kokushibo’s fighting style is more impactful than Muzan’s, and his tragic samurai persona is better than Muzan’s.

1

Naruto’s Madara Uchiha Was Replaced By Kaguya Out Of Nowhere, Despite Being The Bigger Threat

Madara Uchiha is a legendary ninja and the perceived mastermind of Naruto‘s Eye of the Moon plan. Of all the Naruto characters who obtained God-level power during the 4th Great Ninja War, Madara was clearly the strongest, to the point the creator seemingly made him too strong for Naruto and Sasuke to beat. That is why it felt like such a punch to the gut when Kaguya Otsutsuki suddenly appeared and became the final villain.

Madara had a compelling and tragic backstory that made his vision of world peace both understandable and admirable, whereas Kaguya was simply driven by the need to control all the world’s chakra. Kaguya was easily defeated by Team 7, whereas Madara held the upper hand the entire time. Fans got the chance to connect with Madara, who had a long-established history in the series. Kaguya, on the other hand, was mentioned last minute and had no history with any of the characters who were still fighting. Kaguya may have been stronger than Madara, but she could not fight like him, and she certainly did not have his imposing presence.