Anime heroes turned evil

Important takeaways

• Protagonists turning into villains in anime is rare but engaging because of the complexity.

• Complex backstories drive characters like Lelouch, Vegeta, and Homura down dark paths.

• Tragic hero to villain development is seen in Eren, Griffith, Takizawa and Walter.

It's not rare to see antagonists of a show switch sides, but it's definitely rare to see main characters go down a dark path and end up as villains or even the main antagonists of the show.

Often, such characters are beloved by fans because of their complexity and backstories, which lead them to these actions. We won't just focus on characters who became villains permanently. but also those who walked a dark path for a short while.

Spoilers below for various anime.

8

Lelouch We Britannia

Code Geass

Lelouch, our protagonist in Code Geass at the beginning, is the exiled prince of Britannia who strives to create a better world for his sister Nunnally. Lelouch is shown to be a protagonist who has great ambitions and intellect. When CC grants Lelouch the Geass power, Lelouch takes on the role of Zero and begins working for his rebellion against his father's oppressive regime.

Lelouch takes a darker path here when he inadvertently orders his sister Euphemia to massacre a group of Japanese citizens, triggering mass bloodshed. Although this was originally coincidental, Lelouch fully takes on the role of anti-hero from here on out. Lelouch becomes a cold and calculating villain in everyone's eyes, as he is ready to sacrifice anything necessary for his cause.

7

Akemi Homura

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Homura Akemi in Puella Magi Madoka Magica is perhaps one of the saddest and most heartbreaking cases of heroes turning villains. She starts out as a shy girl who becomes a magical girl to save her friend Madoka from a tragic fate.

As the story progresses, however, she lives through the same timeline and finds herself in a morally gray area of ​​desperation. Her turning point comes in the Rebellion movie when her obsession with protecting Madoka ends up betraying Madoka herself. To prevent Madoka from ascending to godhood and erasing her existence, Homura becomes a self-proclaimed demon by rewriting reality itself and taking control of Madoka's powers.

In the end, Homura's actions were driven more by love and while her actions are quite understandable, it remains that her actions were selfish to say the least.

6

Kai Hiwatari

Beyblade

If you grew up in the 90s, you probably still remember when Kai betrayed the Bladebreakers in the first season of Beyblade. When the Bladebreakers go to Russia for the final battle against the Demolition Boys, Boris subjects the Bladers to intensive training at Balkov Abbey.

However, it seems that Kai is holding on to some secrets as we see him heading into the monastery alone later, with Boris trying to convince him to join them over the speakers. At first, Kai is resistant, but when he finally targets the Black Dranzer, he agrees to become part of the Demolition Boys, driven by the power that the Beyblade possesses.

When Kai shows up to fight the All-Starz from the Demolition Boys, everyone is shocked. Although he later makes his redemption, this is a twist no one expected.

5

Vegeta

Dragon Ball Z

Vegeta's character is arguably one of the most complex in Dragon Ball Z and throughout the series we are constantly reminded not to underestimate the prince of all Saiyans.

After the end of the Cell Saga, it seems that Vegeta has finally taken on the role of an Earthling. But as the threat from Buu approaches, Goku, Gohan and Vegeta, with the help of the Supreme Kai, try to stop Bibidi's plans. It is here that Vegeta learns Bibidi's ability to bring out the power in a person by using the evil they possess.

In a shocking turn of events, Vegeta willingly gives up control of his mind so that Bibidi can restore him to his former self. Vegeta ends up killing a lot of people and fans finally get to see the fight they've been waiting for as Goku and Vegeta go head to head after so long. Although Vegeta makes his redemption later, this is a good reflection of Vegeta's character in a nutshell.

4

Seidou Takizawa

Tokyo Ghoul

Seidou Takizawa's transformation into the owl in Tokyo Ghous is probably the saddest and most disturbing in anime history. Originally, Takizawa was an investigator for the CCG who wanted to eliminate ghouls and bring about a positive change in the world.

But after being captured by the Aogiri Tree, a powerful ghoul organization, Takizawa's shift comes when he is subjected to extreme torture and brutal experiments that turn him into half-ghoul. Continuous psychological and physical torture eventually breaks Takizawa and eventually he succumbs to temptation and is resurrected as the Owl, a ghoul that eats both ghouls and humans.

Takizawa's case is less of a villain and more of a tragic hero who had all his humanity stripped from him.

3

Walter C. Dornez

Hellsing Ultimate

Walter C. Dornez was originally butler to Sir Integra Hellsing; But out of a mixture of obsession and a burning desire for legacy, Walter wanted to kill Alucard to prove his own worth and fight his fear of growing old.

While the story was far from perfect, the fact remains that Walter's desire to surpass Alucard had been there since he was 14. His ambitions were much more complex than meets the eye, as he not only intended to destroy Alucard, but planned to die regardless of the outcome.

In his pursuit of this goal of finding his own meaning, Walter went through a botched vampirization process by the Millennium Doctor, which turned him into a vampire. The process also made him look much younger, but because it was rushed, it caused rapid deterioration. Even as he fought Alucard, the Angel of Death became aware that time was not on his side, but was pushing forward. His desperation led to his tragic transformation into a villain, one driven by a desire for meaning at the expense of his own humanity.

2

Eren Yeager

Attack on Titan

Attack on Titan had already become one of the best anime when its first two seasons aired, but perhaps no one could have predicted the outcome of the show would be this.

Eren Yeager is the definition of a tragic hero turned villain. Originally the main character of the show, Eren is shown to be a young boy who wants to protect humanity so that it can one day flourish against the Titans.

Right from the start, Eren proves to be zealous and ambitious. But the turning point comes in the later seasons when Eren learns about Marley's oppression of the Eldians. This triggers him to end the cycle of violence by using Rumbling.

The massacre of innocents in Marley confirms that Eren has lost the line between right and wrong. As the story unfolds its closing chapters, fans are forced to question what it even means to seek freedom if it comes at the expense of others.

1

Griffith

Berserk

When it comes to heroes turned villains and top betrayals in anime history, we only have to mention Griffith from Berserk. Griffith is originally the leader of the Band of the Hawk who strives to build his kingdom. This inspires unwavering loyalty from his peers, especially Guts.

But as the show progresses and Griffith suffers a series of defeats and captures by the Midland kingdom, Griffith is left broken. With his dream now shattered, he makes a fateful decision during the eclipse to sacrifice his own comrades to gain god-like power. This leads to him becoming Femto. The worst comes when he betrays Guts and Casca and sees them slaughtered in pursuit of his ambitions.