Anime where the Antagonist wins

Key things

• Antagonists such as Griffith, Eren, and Asakura achieve their dark goals unexpectedly.

• Characters like Lelouch and SEELE use manipulation and sacrifice to get the results they want.

• Characters like Giovanni, Major, and Satan may not fully succeed, but their legacy remains.

For a long time, storytellers have explored the classic trope of hero versus villain, where the archetypal hero goes through a rough patch until they gain enough strength to defeat their wrongdoer. There are countless examples of such characters in cinema, and anime is no exception, as evil is always defeated. However, when some creators try to deviate from this formula, it often results in a completely wasted plot or a complete shocker.

When Berserk first aired, no one expected it to have such a harsh ending where Griffith completely succumbs to the darkness and even sacrifices those who once worshiped him. Or take Eren, who started out as an innocent boy but ended up becoming a villainous character who planned things the way he always wanted.

10

Cyberpunk Edgerunners – Arasaka and Militech

They've lost the war, but they're still firing their guns

Cyberpunk Edgerunners takes place in a dystopian future filled with a dark and terrifying atmosphere in the same world as the game Cyberpunk 2077, where crime is rampant and body modification technology is a part of everyday life.

In the middle of it all, a street kid named David Martinez tries to survive by becoming an Edgerunner, a mercenary technological outlaw. However, he feels small in front of the powerful Arasaka and Militech groups, both vying for control of the global arms market. Even after losing hundreds of men in this altercation, both groups kept their operations going until the end of the show, suggesting that evil had finally won.

9

Neon Genesis Evangelion – SEELE

The SEELEs had almost succeeded in their plans

The plot of Neon Genesis Evangelion revolves around a secret plan called the Instrumentality, which is carried throughout the show by NERV and SEELE, who almost succeed in their plans. Although the two organizations had different goals, both wanted to force humanity into a new evolution by merging their consciousness into one entity with the goal of making them something greater.

To achieve this, the SEELEs hit the world twice with Angelic Impacts only to succeed with a third until Shinji's emotions triggered the Instrumentalities. However, it all came crashing down when Shinji was given a choice and ended up rejecting her in favor of individualism.

8

Code Geass – Lelouch

Lelouch achieved a noble victory through his somewhat evil plans

Code Geass introduces Lelouch Vi Britannia as someone who can change the world not through power or force, but through his genius mind. In doing so, he became a puppeteer in the world's most dangerous political game.

Throughout the series, you witness Lelouch commit horrific acts, but eventually it is revealed that his true goal was to unite the world against the Britannia Empire by taking down his own father. To achieve his motives, Lelouch even created a malevolent identity for himself and eventually sacrificed that persona to establish peace forever.

7

Asakura Hao – Shaman King

The Shaman King almost destroyed humanity

Asakura Hao was a villain with god-like powers of reincarnation that allowed him to return to Earth and live three lives, each filled with a deep grudge against humanity that never seemed to fade.

Hoping to become the Shaman King, Asakura dreamed of exterminating humanity to create a world where only shamans existed. In the last episode, he had the strength to make his dream come true, but his twin brother, Yao, convinced him not to. And so, despite winning everything, he chose not to destroy humanity.

6

Devilman Crybaby – Satan

Satan won by losing everything

Devilman Crybaby, first published in 1972 in Weekly Shōnen, is the story of the exiled angel Ryo Asuka, later revealed to be Satan who finds value in demons, and the demon Akira, who turned into a human who finds value in humanity.

To date, the series is considered one of the best works in the dark fantasy genre. In 2018, the creators adapted it again into a ten-part miniseries, depicting the same ultra-violent content from the manga. It was something that was considered taboo at the time, especially because of its dark conclusion where Satan was left alone and everyone he ever loved was killed.

5

Giovanni – Pokemon

Team Rocket is still running underground

For many people, Pokémon was their first exposure to anime. It was a show that became a beloved part of many childhoods and achieved a level of success that only a handful of other franchises have ever matched.

One of the most exciting parts of Pokémon was the battles, and it's hard to forget how formidable Giovanni and Team Rocket were. At the end of the show, Giovanni never succeeded in taking over the world economy. However, we shouldn't forget that Ash never really defeated Team Rocket, which suggests that this crime syndicate still exists and is working on their evil plans.

4

Demon Slayer: Mugen Train – Akaza

Akaza Killed The Flame Hashira, Rengoku

When Demon Slayer: Mugen Train hit US theaters in 2020, it became a huge success and perfectly capitalized on the hype that the show had previously created.

The Mugen Train picks up right after the Mount Natagumo arc, where Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu fight spider demons. They board the Infinity Train with Flame Hashira Rengoku on a mission to investigate demon activity in a nearby village. However, the train is attacked by Enmu and then finally by Akaza, who manages to kill Rengoku himself.

3

Hellsing Ultimate – Major

The Major died a happy man

Set in the post-apocalyptic city of Transylvania, Hellsing Ultimate is a series where monsters lurk in the night in search of their next victim, yet Major stands out as a truly despicable human whose sinister deeds outshine every other monster.

As the Supreme Leader of the Millennium, the Major was obsessed with his plan to carry out Hitler's order to create an army of vampire Nazis after killing Alucard. Even though the Major failed and was shot in the head by Integra, he died smiling knowing he had finally created the chaos he had always desired.

2

Berserk – Griffith

Griffith turned into Femto by sacrificing his friends

In 1997, when the Berserk manga was adapted, viewers unfamiliar with the source material were left in disbelief when they witnessed utter carnage in the final episode.

While the signs were always there, no one saw it coming when Griffith made such a complete turn to evil, sacrificing the entire gang to the Hawk and transforming into his demonic self, Femto. Everyone's jaws dropped to the floor when Griffith scarred Casca in front of Guts, creating one of the most uncomfortable scenes in television history.

1

Attack on Titan – Eren Yeager

Eren destroys most of the world

For some Eren's actions were justified, for others he was simply a manipulative villain who murdered countless people and there can be no justification for that. Regardless of what you think, Eren Yeager is undoubtedly one of the most polarizing characters of all time.

With the revelation that Eren triggered nearly every event in the AOT, including nearly destroying the entire world outside of Paradis Island, it's clear that no one really won but him. Everything was predetermined, including Eren's fate after he started Rumbling as he saw it all through the powers of the Founding Titan.