There is something alluring about anime characters who are forces of chaos. They dramatically alter the narrative of the story with minimal repercussions. Sometimes, these characters are benign people who are just completely unaware of the implications of their actions. But, most of the time, these characters are selfish and villainous; they revel in the destruction their machinations create.
These characters are rarely checked for their actions; even if they are, they take no personal accountability. There is no reflection or regret on their part. They do what they feel without concerning themselves with the world around them. With that said, they still make for some of the most intriguing and engaging characters within the medium.
10/10 Isaac & Miria Are Happy-Go-Lucky Thieves (Baccano!)
The beating heart of Baccano! lies with its comedic duo, Isaac and Miria. They carry out eccentric plans that work off the flimsiest logic, but are endlessly entertaining. For example, one of their heists involves stealing a museum, but they take the museum’s doors as a compromise. Its antics like these that endear the viewers to the duo.
However, they also inadvertently made two different mobster families into immortals, leading to the Genoard family’s collapse. Within the anime, none of these actions impact the duo. They continue their merry escapades with no repercussions.
9/10 Shinobu Morita Is The Most Carefree College Student In Anime (Honey & Clover)
Shinobu Morita is the most absurd character within the main group of Honey & Clover. He is the most senior college student in the group, but acts like a child. He subjects his friends to his silly whims against all better judgment. He always speaks his mind, regardless if that is the socially correct thing to do. His immovable personality eventually scares Hagu away from him.
None of these factors change who Morita is. He is an incredibly impulsive yet talented person. Whenever he is not asleep, he gets his friends to drink and play ridiculous versions of Twister. While he shows some emotional maturity towards others, he does not extend the same courtesy to himself.
8/10 Mamimi Samejima Allows Her Anger To Fester (FLCL)
Mamimi is a lonely girl who projects her unhappiness on her ex-boyfriend’s brother, Naota. Her actions are tolerated to an extent, but it eventually comes to a point when Naota stands up for himself. Unfortunately, instead of reflecting on her actions, she spirals into a state of self-destruction. The rejection and bullying she experiences get her to use the Terminal Core to eat the mechanical possessions of her wrongdoers.
This is one of the factors that led to the destruction of the city of Mabase, as well as endangering the world from being flattened by an alien iron. However, at the end of FLCL, she still manages to leave the city to become a photographer.
7/10 Izaya Orihara Constantly Plays With The People Around Him (Durarara!!)
In a show full of mystery and intrigue, no one is as enigmatic as Izaya Orihara. He is the closest thing to a central antagonist in Durarara!!, constantly meddling in others’ business and causing tension within groups. He lurks within the city’s underbelly, creating gambling rings and new drugs, but all of that is just to amuse himself. When he gets bored with a venture, he drops it and moves on.
There appears to be little rhyme or reason for his actions. He enjoys watching people squirm because of the chaos he creates. Even when Simon throws him across a street, he does not change his ways. He lives for the thrill of being a menace.
6/10 Akio Ohtori Is The Grimiest Slime In The Most Fabulous Outfit (Revolutionary Girl Utena)
Akio Ohtori represents the false ideal of a prince. A once noble and regal man becomes the most corruptive and abusive force within Revolutionary Girl Utena. He wears the veneer of respectability but is devoid of it. He forces Anthy to play her role as the Rose Bride, and subjects her to disgusting acts in order to keep her in line. All of it is to further his goals.
The anime’s climax shows that Utena can bring revolution by freeing Anthy from the cycle of abuse she is in. They break away from the cycle rather than perpetuate it. Akio never regrets his actions, but he loses control over his sister.
5/10 Kotomine Kirei Is Rewarded For Almost Ending Humanity (Fate/Zero)
Kirei is a traitor who kills Tokiomi in a mad pursuit to figure out his drive and values. He tosses away his Servant in a plan to establish a new link with Gilgamesh. He deceives an impressionable Rin into believing he is her rightful caretaker rather than her father’s assailant. Everything he does is for his selfish interests.
By the end of Fate/Zero, he unleashes all of his bitterness on the Holy Grail by wishing for humanity’s end. Saber mitigates the damage through Excalibur, but Kirei still manages to level a whole town and return from the dead because of his actions.
4/10 Ryou Asuka Ends All Life Without Realizing His Mistake (Devilman: Crybaby)
From the first episode of Devilman: Crybaby, Ryou was an extremely violent force. He instigated a massacre in a nightclub to have Amon possess Akira. He exposed the existence of devilmen, causing mass hysteria across the world. Once he regained his memories, he falsified information that led humans to murder each other and create more demons. He even went as far as using Akira as a scapegoat.
The show ended after he led an army of demons into a war which caused the end of life. He reminisced about his life with Akira before realizing he was the last entity alive. Even then, he did not come to terms with how it was all his fault.
3/10 Hyakunosuke Ogata Does Not Value Human Life (Golden Kamuy)
The wildcard of Golden Kamuy, no faction in the show can fully trust Ogata. His background as an unwanted child molded his belief that human life has no value. All his actions prove that. He betrays Tsurumi’s Division, works behind Hijikata’s group, and has nothing in common with Kiroranke. He will play any side as long as it furthers his end goal.
His presence constantly destabilizes any sense of order within the show. His elite marksmanship also makes him one of the biggest threats in the show. Everyone wants him dead, but no one can help him find redemption.
2/10 Johan Liebert Wants To Watch The World Burn (Monster)
Johan is one of the most respected and beloved villains in anime. He terrorizes every character in Monster by just existing. His ability to instigate mental anguish and chaos with a few actions or words makes him dangerous. A product of the experiments near the end of the Iron Curtain, Johan wants to strike fear into the hearts of everyone around him.
Even by the end, after orchestrating mass murder in a quiet village, he does not flinch. He realizes the truth about his trauma and takes his villainy further rather than scaling back. There is not a single character who is not devastated after meeting Johan.
1/10 Job Trunicht Is The Worst Kind Of Politician (Legend Of The Galactic Heroes)
Legend of the Galactic Heroes has a lot of slimy characters, and Trunicht leads the pack. He is a selfish head of state whose rule over the Alliance leads to its downfall. His government is incompetent and rotten, only serving to further their ends. This goes all the way to the top with Trunicht. He uses force to maintain his power. He has a private militia that silences his opposition.
It is thanks to his poor governance that Yang Wen-li is repeatedly put in a bad position against the Empire. The one time he feigns to take responsibility for his actions is when the Alliance surrenders to the Empire, and he only does it in the hopes of gaining some favor with Reinhard. There is no genuine moment of accountability on his end.