Ranking of the 8 smartest villains in animation

Anime becomes more interesting to watch when a villain has more to offer than just powers. The brains of those who try to solve the situation on their own add depth to the play, and when their plans are revealed, it adds to the tension that shocks viewers.

The villains on this list have some of the most intelligent quotes and moments from their respective shows. They can easily turn the situation against the protagonist and even create challenges for them to overcome. Their deceitfulness reaches new levels as they shock both the characters and the fans who watch them.

8

Eren Jaeger

attack on titan

This section contains spoilers for Attack on Titan. Don't read if you haven't watched the fourth season of the anime.

Eren Yaeger turns out to be more evil than anyone imagined in the Attack on Titan anime. Apparently he has the ability to see the future and past memories. To begin his plan, he uses its power to brainwash his father and kill the royal family to claim the founding Titan, leading him to inject the Titan serum into young Eren.

Eren wanted to eradicate the Marleyans due to their continued injustice against Paradis, and his plans led to the Rumbling, a massive genocide event that eradicated all life for the Eldians. Although he pretended to do a greater good, his ideas were inherently destructive.

7

Asano Gakushu

assassination classroom

Gakushu, who tried to be an ideal teacher for his students, abandoned his path when his students died. He began running the school with the ideology of 'survival of the fittest', producing excellent students but ignoring weak students.

Asano believed that marginalizing and ridiculing unqualified students motivated geniuses to reach greater heights. They feel superior, which motivates them to do better, especially when they don't want to end up in a bad place. Asano also demonstrated his intelligence by challenging Koro-sensei in a battle of wits.

6

Fridor Dostoevsky

Bungo Stray Dogs

Fryodor Dostoyevsky is the smartest villain in Bungou Stray Dogs, a series filled with some of the most intelligent characters in animation. Fryodor is known for his ability to make plans. He rarely leaves holes in his strategy because he has a fallback plan ready in case something goes wrong.

Fryordor wants to eradicate all power users from this world, and to do this he resorts to the paths of evil he deems necessary. He does not seem to value his companions, treating them as tools needed to make his meticulous plans a success.

5

Shogo Makishima

psychopath

Shogo Makishima disliked the Sibyl system that governs society in Psycho-Pass and the fact that it suppresses human free will. However, the obsession with observing even the evil tendencies of humans seems to end up doing more harm than good.

Shogo Makishima only appears in the first season of the anime.

He wanted people to be true to themselves, even to the point of murder. Makishima died completely satisfied that Kogami killed him, showing him the embodiment of free will he had imagined. Shogo Makishima's philosophical quotes related to human nature are interesting throughout the anime.

4

Crampons

bleach

Aizen is probably the smartest Soul iteration captain ever given to Soul Society. Except he gets to use his wits to commit atrocities. His evil self baffles us as he reveals himself as a gentle captain who is often kind to his lieutenant, Momo, who trusted him so much.

His intelligence led him to question the ways of Soul Society, and he became eager to kill the Soul King to become the most powerful Soul Reaper, as he believed he was the only person fit for the role. Aizen seems to be one step ahead of those who try to thwart him with elaborate plans.

3

griffith

fierce

Griffith is often revered as the most charismatic antagonist in animation, not only for his looks, but also for his intelligence and ability to make plans. He has also been shown to pull people's psychological strings, such as when he harmed Casca to show Guts his helplessness.

Griffith also demonstrated his strategic prowess, winning many battles as the Supreme Commander of the Midlands Regular Army. He has also been shown to remain calm and have a response plan when things don't go as expected.

2

Light Yagami

death note

Light Yagami is an inspiring student. Unfortunately, his intelligence caused him to develop a god complex because he thought he was the only one who could fix this world full of conflict and injustice. He thought he had good intentions in killing those criminals, except the situation escalated and ended up costing the lives of many people who tried to oppose him.

Light appears as a manipulator, building trust with women and getting them to reveal their names. After several fights of wits that showcase Light's brain power, he successfully throws L off his trail and kills the detective.

1

Johann Libert

monster

Johan Liebert was shown to have serious psychological problems as a child, which led him to become the charismatic villain we know. He expresses strong nihilistic views and does not seem to see much value in life. Due to his influential personality, he quickly gets on everyone's good side, but eventually uses this to commit evil.

He has sadistic tendencies and will indirectly try to hurt his victims until they lose their lives. John does not seem to have any special reason for his actions, and the fact that he sees no problem with his actions makes his character as a villain very cool-headed.