Most villains are morally corrupt or evil, but still share many similarities with their hero counterparts. While they may have questionable moral compasses, they also work incredibly hard when it comes to achieving their own ends, even if it means risking their lives or safety.
Anime fans mostly think of heroes when it comes to characters who are self-sacrificing, but heroes aren’t the only ones risking it all for a good fight or victory. Not every villain sees themselves as expendable when it comes to achieving their own ends, but the ones that are self-sacrificing are the most interesting.
10 Kenpachi Loves Fighting
Bleach
Kenpachi Zaraki is a terrifying man when he’s first introduced as a major villain during the Soul Society Arc in Bleach. He’s one of the strongest captains and completely obsessed with fighting. Dying at the hands of a strong opponent is invigorating to him, which is why he completely disregards his own safety during his fight with Ichigo.
Once Ichigo proves to be a worthy opponent who can cut him, Kenpachi becomes so engrossed in the fight he doesn’t even protect himself from Ichigo’s attacks. Luckily, Soul Reapers aren’t easy to kill because he probably wouldn’t have survived otherwise.
9 Nagato Was Willing To Die
Naruto Shippuden
Nagato used corpses to fight his battles for him, but that wasn’t because he cared about his health. In fact, the techniques he used regularly took a huge toll on him, which is why he was barely alive when Naruto met him.
It was very apparent that his health and well-being came second to his goals, whether he was with or against Naruto. The fact that he was willing to die to see his goals realized is probably why he’s the most successful villain in the series.
8 Shigaraki Will Sleep When He’s Dead
My Hero Academia
Shigaraki has evolved significantly since his introduction in My Hero Academia‘s first season. He’s no longer the whiny brat who lets others fight for him, but a real threat to hero society as a whole. His change in personality also reveals his tendency to ignore his health and well-being.
When trying to gain Gigantomachia’s trust, he fights for days without resting or sleeping. It’s a miracle that he’s able to stand up let alone take on the entire Meta Liberation Army. Worst of all, Shigaraki agrees to become Dr. Garaki’s test subject in order to become stronger, which nearly costs him his life. Considering his goal is to destroy hero society, it makes sense he would care so little about his own survival.
7 Lelouch Turns Himself Into A Villain
Code Geass
Lelouch is both the hero and the villain in Code Geass. As Zero he is the savior of Japan as well as the person most suited to protecting his sister, Nunnally. He doesn’t seem like the type to sacrifice himself for the greater good and on many occasions, he’ll do everything he can to avoid death.
However, this changes when he defeats Britannia and his father. Lelouch realized he couldn’t take power after the fall of Britannia, so he planned his own death. Considering how selfish he was for most of the series, it’s incredible that he would sacrifice himself and willingly become the villain for the world to defeat.
6 Magellan Suffers Through Pain To Succeed
One Piece
One Piece’s Magellan isn’t exactly jumping into battle without thinking, but when it comes to protecting the navy’s power he will sacrifice anything or anyone. His Devil Fruit, which allows him to create and control massive amounts of poison, may be useful for controlling prisoners but comes with a nasty set of drawbacks.
The poison he creates causes him a massive amount of intestinal distress, which is mainly played for laughs. However, anyone who’s ever had a terrible stomach ache knows how painful it can be. In order to prevent Luffy’s jailbreak, Magellan overuses his Devil Fruit powers, which had to have caused him a lot of pain after the fact.
5 Shishio Won’t Go Down Without A Fight
Rurouni Kenshin
It’s a bad idea to become a villain who wants to fight one of the greatest swordsmen in the world in the Rurouni Kenshin universe. However, Shishio isn’t the type to let burns get in the way of his goal to achieve ultimate power.
Not only does Shishio ignore his chronic injuries in order to go toe to toe with the Battousai, but he doesn’t even stop when his body completely gives out on him. During the battle, Shishio’s body heats up so much he spontaneously combusts, but even then he still tries to keep fighting, which shows how little he cares for his own survival.
4 Beros Will Do Anything For The Cause
My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission
My Hero Academia World Heroes’ Mission introduces a lot of new villains including an amazing archer named Beros. She may not be the big bad of the movie, but her ability to shoot arrows made of energy nearly takes out Deku, which shows how strong she is.
Even though she is incredibly strong, she’s also a true believer in Flect Turn’s cause. She would rather die than be captured by the heroes, which is why she jumps from a helicopter when Bakugou nearly has her beat.
3 Shou Tucker Only Cares About His Research
Fullmetal Alchemist
Scar kills Shou Tucker in the Fullmetal Alchemist remake but things turn out differently for him in the original series. Ed is told Tucker was killed but in actuality, he’s sent to Laboratory 5 as a researcher.
While there he attempts to bring back Nina, but his research results in him being turned into a Chimera instead. Most would be horrified at the prospect of being turned into a monster but Tucker is so obsessed with his research his own health means nothing to him.
2 Toguro Wants To Suffer
Yu Yu Hakusho
Toguro may not be the strongest villain Yusuke fights in Yu Yu Hakusho, but he certainly leaves the biggest impression. On the surface, he seemed like a man who cared about nothing other than power but after his death, it became clear that his motivations were a lot more complex than that.
His only goal during the Dark Tournament was to die at Yusuke’s hands. Even after his death, he chose ten thousand years of torture in order to atone for his past wrongs. Considering the terrible things other villains, like Sakyo committed, Toguro is the last person who has to atone through suffering.
1 Ouken Can’t Die
Ranking Of Kings
Ouken from Ranking of Kings is one of the few villains who doesn’t have to care about their well-being. He’s immortal – nothing can kill him including being completely crushed or torn apart.
This may be useful, but it also drives him to the point of insanity. He’s died many painful deaths, and he doesn’t care in the slightest. In fact, it’s clear that he’s become obsessed with death and is looking for someone to kill him.
