More often than not, anime heroes are selfless people who value the lives of others and protect the weak, but this isn’t always the case. Some anime have featured the most diabolical heroes who not only destroy their foes, but also backstab their own allies, revealing that their goals are far darker than what had been initially disclosed.
Some anime heroes spend the entire duration of the series lying and manipulating others like chess pawns, regardless of whether they are strangers or friends. However, the more dangerous type are probably those who decide that not just friendship, but entire countries can be sacrificed for the sake of their plan.
Attack on Titan’s “Hero” Ends Up Destroying Most of the World
Attack on Titan’s Eren debuted as a freshly orphaned kid who hungered for revenge, yet by the end of the anime, he becomes the biggest villain the world has seen. In the finale of Attack on Titan, Eren goes rogue and cuts off all ties with his closest friends, Armin and Mikasa, fracturing his friendship.
Eren not only betrayed the Survey Corps, but also every person he ever came in contact with in AOT. In order to pursue his vision of freedom, Eren activated the Rumbling, which trampled 80% of humanity. He betrayed the moral values instilled in him and believed that Eldians could only be accepted if they were able to suppress a common enemy.
Death Note’s Light Became the Very Evil He Wanted to End
Death Note’s infamous protagonist, Light Yagami, begins as a brilliant yet bored student with a genuine desire to rid the world of corruption and crimes. However, his God complex only gets worse, and Light quickly shifts from punishing murderers to killing off anyone who challenges him.
In order to protect himself, Light kills hordes of innocent people, and he even manipulates his own father. At the same time, Light feigns interest in Misa and cruelly uses her as a tool that could be discarded at any moment. Time and again, Light betrays everyone who trusted him in Death Note.
Code Geass’s Lelouch Treated His Allies Like Disposable Pawns
Once Lelouch assumed his masked alter ego, Zero, in Code Geass, the protagonist became framed as a hero and protector of the weak. Using his smarts, he easily establishes his identity as a moral crusader. However, he repeatedly deceives his own allies and betrays them to advance his own goals for the ‘greater good’.
Once Lelouch realized that his identity had been exposed, he turned cold, and decided to make himself into the common enemy that everyone would unite against. Although Lelouch had a grand goal, his execution was nothing less than ruthless, leading to an unending list of betrayals and crimes.
Happy Sugar Life’s Protagonist Deceives and Betrays Her Friends
To her friends, Happy Sugar Life’s Satou appears as a sweet and hard-working girl, but the 12-episode psychological thriller anime soon reveals that she is actually a broken and dangerous person. As Satou experiences what she considers ‘love’ for the first time for Shio, she begins committing severe crimes to secure her happy life with them.
While Satou believes that her love for Shio is pure and beautiful, she doesn’t even bat an eyelid before manipulating and blackmailing others, or even committing murders. Although she never betrays Shio’s trust, she ends up taking a lethal fall, eventually losing her love, relationships, and life.
91 Days Shows a Cold and Calculated Path to Revenge
91 Days is a mafia revenge story set during the Prohibition era, whose protagonist, Angelo Lagusa, returns after years to avenge the murder of his family. In his search for vengeance, Angelo is able to infiltrate the Vanetti family, who are responsible for the crime. Slowly and steadily, Angelo earns the trust of the Vanetti family without letting them know of his actual goals.
Angelo eliminates every person in a key role in the family through his manipulation and schemes. He also befriends Nero Vanetti to rise in position. The supposed hero even kills his own childhood friend in order to prove his loyalty to the Vanettis, and avoid getting himself exposed.
