Like Sword Art Online and similar anime, some interpretation is necessary here. With a title like that, the anime doesn't really need much of an apology when it comes to its brutal ending. RELATED:5 Ways Haikyuu!! When this trope is parodied, it is the happy ending stuck on for the villain instead which is despairingly from the hero's perspective. Although he was taken down in the end, winning the intellectual death match with his rival L is a significant win for Light. By the end of it, Fate and Nanoha are battling for the final time, and Precia's lack of care toward Fate is revealed as she takes the shards and attempts to dimensional jump away. The hero rescues the kidnapped prince. You can connect with him on The Bad Guy Wins - TV Tropes The system uses the dehumanizing Psycho-Pass programto predetermine a persons worth and social value while denying freedom, which even Makishima found detestable. With a name like Devilman Crybaby, you'd expect something that was more of a comedy than what's offered. It was one of the risks that wasn't as well-received by everyone, the finale being highly derisive. Near-Villain Victory is a typical subversion of the trope in which the bad guy does win for a time, only for the good guys to rebound and take that victory away. Stain, also known as the Hero Killer, committed many dirty deeds in My Hero Academia. 10 Most Manipulative Anime Villains As many consider L to be the hero of the story, that only leaves Light to be the villain. Love is often a theme in shojo, both in traditional slice-of-life shows and the more magical girl ones. The survivors are left in a hollow world with nothing they can do to fix it. RELATED:10 Anime Worlds We'd Love To Live In. He seems to want to understand better love and why Tomoe would choose a human over him. It's a bleak anime that doesn't hold back, never even giving you a hint that it's going to end happily. He won, technically. RELATED: 10 Shojo Anime That Have Nothing To Do With Romance. Join Ashley as he counts down anime series like Black Clover, Dragon . If that isn't enough, Rustal eliminates Tekkadan and obliterates McGillis's fleet. Rejection turned Takkao into the Princess of Disaster. Its ending continues that trend as Kyubey got what he always wantedMadoka made a contract with him to be a magical girl. In the end, however, the Holy Grain is a hollow prize. He's also a wrestling fanatic, who can't wait for shows to be filled with fans again. Read the topic about Anime where the bad guy wins in the end on MyAnimeList, and join in the discussion on the largest online anime and manga database in the world! The way she goes about it is poor, especially helping her false father, but in the end, she manages to gain the love of her prince. Whenan anime centers around a villain protagonist, they are bound to be the one that comes out on top, and that's exactly what happens in Magical Witch Punie-Chan. When not writing or making art, Patrick can be found playing video games, entertaining cats, and arguing with strangers about Batman. A Last Stand commonly features them. Escaping the life of retail, he's able to express his passion to others through CBR. NEXT:Berserk: 10 Human Villains Even Worse Than The Apostles. Watching a show like this gives us a sense of what might happen if the heroes actually went rogue? He even purposely hides the fact that Yona is still alive from his followers, so they don't look for her. The real question is not when villians win, but when antagonists win. Here are 10 anime where the villain actually won. Note: This is a Spoilered Rotten trope, that means that EVERY SINGLE EXAMPLE on this list is a spoiler by default and most of them will be unmarked. It can hit the final note of what was a bleak story up to that point or give a bittersweet style ending where the villain gets what he wants, even as the hero is victorious. In these anime, the villain ultimately emerges. Other times, good may win, but at such tremendous cost that may as well have lost. Through most of the series, the aliens were at odds with the Tokyo Mew Mews. For more information, please see our Nevertheless, Adachi has his day. The battle might be hard-fought, and there may be casualties, but in the end, good stands victorious. The best example of a villain winning in a shojo anime is Puella MagiMadoka Magica with Kyubey. As the series ended, the Mew Mews granted them a Mew Aqua, allowing them to make their home planet as beautiful as earth. In some endings, the heroes are dissected or even sterilized. Many villains have clear-cut victories. He's quite literally the emperor of the world while the protagonist (Guts) is still licking his wounds both physical and psychological for far too long now. Let's kick off our top list of anime with villain protagonists with this magnificent yet underrated anime series called Togainu no Chi. While she does a few villainous things, she's always been driven by love, and by the end, that's exactly what she receives by way of Sasame's feelings for her. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are." Mewtwo is one of the more sympathetic villains in anime, and this quote best summarizes it. Admittedly, this is one of the least conventional moments of a villain winning, but that's because Zeref wasn't necessarily the villain he was made out to be at the start of the series. GX) Jaden isn't exactly evil, but he was possessed by an evil spirit that caused a lot of trouble. NEXT: 10 Unskippable Anime Openings In Shojo Anime, Ranked, Anthony Mazzuca is an avid gamer, anime watcher, and all-around nerd for nearly his entire life. Kaname released her from prison so she'd kill Zero's family. Light passed judgment upon countless people, condemning them to death. Berserk is so bleak and violent that it's emotionally exhausting just to talk about, never mind watch. Worse, he assaulted Casca in front of a mutilated Guts the couple being his most faithful comrades for the longest time. Treize is one of the better villains in Gundam, a series that's chock full of them. Anime Where The Villain Wins Most of the anime in this article concluded after the villain achieved their goals. It can be argued that what happened inIron-Blooded Orphansis a bit of a grey area but it's clear enough that Rustal Elion and the faction Gjallarhorn are the antagonists of the series. More generally, Villain Protagonists will benefit from this trope, particularly in video games where the player takes on the role of a bad guy. 15 Times We Were Rooting For The Villain To Win Lists 10 Seinen Anime Where The Villain Wins In The End By Angelo Delos Trinos Published Mar 24, 2021 While shonen anime often sees the heroes prevailing, the seinen genre is more prone to seeing the bad guys win in the end. Doomed by Canon often requires this trope. The collection of jewel shards is the focal point of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, and for most of it, a fellow magical girl named Fate is the primary antagonist. Additionally, the plans for Berserk are still being hashed out, so there may be more to come before the end of Griffith's story. His luck fails him, costing him not only his 20 million winnings but also his fingers. Otonashi wants to stay behind as a guardian to those that arrive and wants Kanade to stay behind since he loves her. While it's easy to fall in love with the strength and idealism of anime heroes, one should never ignore the greater . For this, Altair is rewarded by being reunited with Setsuna and even saving her in a rewritten version of what actually happened. Although villains tend not to win in most forms of entertainment, there are some exceptions. Related: Most Iconic Anime Teachers, Ranked. When done right, a dark ending where overpowered villains are successful can be incredible. Kaneki may have survived, but it came at the cost of his memories, morals, and individuality. It's a pure and total victory for Suitengu. Most anime, and stories in general, follow a trend of good defeating evil and claiming victory in the end. She's trying to collect them for her mother, the true villain of the series. NEXT: 10 Shonen Anime That Are Too Dark For Their Own Good, Anthony Mazzuca is an avid gamer, anime watcher, and all-around nerd for nearly his entire life. If the villain wants to burn down an enchanted forest, and they do, they win. History has plenty of examples of this trope, especially in stories of failed rebellions against a powerful empire or recountings of real life tragedies. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. It's for that reason that the Mew Mews spare them, even giving them the final Mew Aqua to help them make their planet as beautiful as earth. A baseball anime about a pitcher named Eijun Sawamura. Top 8 Anime Villains - Japan Powered Most instances where the villain wins aren't even downers in terms of the story either, as their goals either weren't evil to begin with or they were the protagonist of the story. However, just because Millennium was eradicated doesnt mean they lost. As his closest friends suffer horrifying deaths all around him, Griffith gives into evil and becomes the fifth member of the Godhand. Though best known for its epic mech fights, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing is, like the rest of the Gundam franchise, about far more than laser swords clashing and missile barrages slamming down on bases. He still holds feelings for Yona and Hak, not wanting either of them to be harmed. In cases when the hero was particularly well-liked and/or the villain particularly hated, the audience may call for a sequel in which the villain gets a proper comeuppance. It's not even enough that the heroes die. However, in most anime, the villains usually never win because how can they against the power of friendship and believing in someone in the loudest way possible? 10 Best Quotes By Anime Villains - Screen Rant Mobile Suit Gundamhas always had this tradition of having a complex political plot involving several globally powerful factions. But surprise surprise! PLEASE HELP! Need a show where the Villain wins. : r/television - Reddit Kyoko is deadset on getting her revenge on childhood friend Sho, who saw her as nothing more than a servant rather than a friend. 7. The Fourth Holy Grail War could've ended in so many ways, but its actual ending is bleak and uncompromising. For more information, please see our In the end, Makishima is executed and the Sibyl System remains intact. If not for such stories, the end of every series would feel fated. It's a rare case of both sides winning. In these anime, though, that's not how it goes. Additionally, this ending remains one of the most confusing in anime history. The villains obtain both Relics, Penny is forced to sacrifice her life to protect the Maiden power, and the heroes rescue the kingdom's citizens only by destroying both cities and losing Team RWBY and Jaune to the. The good guys inHellsingare not exactly the most peaceful nor diplomatic. Vash will do anything to protect the people he loves, and Legato makes it clear that if Vash does not shoot him, Milly and Meryl will pay, leaving the gunslinger no choice. You can connect with him on r/anime on Reddit: Shows where the villain wins? Are there any like this worth watching? Legato dies triumphant. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. It might look like it could've been a slice-of-life anime, but it doesn't play out like one. Here, the term "villain" is subjective. Griffith brutally betrays everyone close to him and offers them as tributes to the Godhand. The 10 Anime Series Where The Main Character is a Villain In most cases, the villain winning would bring about a better ending, but that wouldn't be the case with Sailor Galaxia's victory. 3. Is this twist necessary? His vigilante ideology may make Stain an anti-hero in the eyes of some anime fans. Mecha fans are used to their heroes winning. Rain begins to fall, and hope for a new path forward is born, but for the moment there is no question that the home the heroes fought for is gone. From his departure from the Foundation to the formation of the Treize Faction to his eventual death in battle, Treize got what he wanted. We're all used to heroes winning out over the bad guys. and our Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. The 1997 anime adaptation ends with Griffith achieving complete and total victory. Neon Genesis Evangelion, though, spits in the face of that tradition when the puppeteers of Seele trigger the Human Instrumentality Project. One of the few genres willing to take the risk is the shonen genre, especially when the series has a charismatic lead villain. While not the usual hero-versus-villain narratives, Itos horror stories always follow a general formula: the eldritch horrors inevitably overwhelm the hapless characters. The best example of a villain winning in a shojo anime is Puella MagiMadoka Magica with Kyubey. However, there are exceptions to that. and our Some interpreted this as Kei escaping Gantz, but Gantz escaped accountability and explanation. Related: Death Note: Every Version Of L, Ranked. 10 Open-World Games Where The Villain Wins In The End By Nima Dabirian Tehrani Published Jun 12, 2021 Sometimes, things don't end with a happily-ever-after moment. It's good to be bad especially if all you care about is winning and in anime, it just so happens that that's all the villain cares about. Does that work out? But in Fictionland, when this kind of ending shows up, it's often used either as a hook for a sequel that will give the hero (or a new hero) the chance to succeed where they failed in the first one, or as a way of showing how much of an utter, hopeless Crapsack World that the characters live in particularly in the case of Dystopias, where it serves as a warning to those living in the here and now not to let this kind of thing happen for real. He gathers all of the yen in Japan into one building, a building that also holds the Ropongi club. While the mask eluded them and they were re-imprisoned, they were all later, In the pilot episodes, Lord Garmadon manipulates the Skulkin king Samukai into bringing all the Golden Weapons to the Underworld; when Samukai. is bittersweet and sad, leaving the viewer feeling bad for Otonashi. RELATED:10 Anime Plotholes That Were Never Resolved. He wants the Roppongi Club dead, Saiga to suffer, and the economy to collapse. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Updated Jul 12, 2022. The death of almost everyone around him. 15 Anime Heroes Who Became Villains Anime Villainous is a strategic tabletop game where you take the role of a classic Anime Villain. Compare Pyrrhic Victory when the villain's victory came at a great cost. Related: Great Anime Like Tokyo Revengers. The sixth form of You Are Too Late is one technique to bring this about. When the male protagonist, Keiichi starts questioning things and linking the murders to the village festival, things start going wrong for him and his friends. RELATED: 10 Basic Mistakes Shojo Anime Keep Making. The criminal collects all the Yen in Japan and plants a bomb. Your login session has expired. In doing so, Altair gets people killed and endangers reality itself. Underverse 0.3 really gives the cast a beating. It's about gambling. What to Watch? Even Yusuke admits that Sensui got what he wanted in the end. It was only until Legato steps in and risks his head to make Vash relapse back into murder. The 1997 anime adaptation ends with Griffith becoming the fifth member of the Godhand, sacrificing all of his friends and his humanity in exchange for power. While the manga is continuing on past that point, the anime ends there, and most adaptations conclude with him winning in some way. The spy deactivates the bomb before it destroys the city. While Shihigami dying to atone makes sense, this can still feel like an easy out for a remorseless mass murderer. Compare Pyrrhic Victory when the villain's victory came at a great cost. Is The Best Sports Anime (& 5 Times It Fell Short). The Navy is an arm of justice for the World Government, but the general consensus is that the World Government is comprised of grossly wealthy crooks. By the end of the series, The Major had started his great war and managed to defeat Alucard in the most convoluted fashion. The problem is, when you know the villain wins before watching it doesn't have that impact you're looking for. NEXT:Yu-Gi-Oh! Arguably not, which is why it was fated to become an alternate ending instead of the canonical good one. One of those risks was having Seele, the mysterious cabal that pulled the strings behind the scenes, still achieve their goal by triggering the Human Instrumentality Project. Much of his work might be undone later, but that doesn't do much for those that died on the way. Some anime have delved into this daring and dark territory, risking the anger and sadness of its fanbase. By the end of the OVAs, she's more than proved herself capable of handling the crown, dispatching her sisters and anyone elsewho tried to defeat her in combat. His growing feelings for Nanami are the main plot point and make his eventual sacrifice to save a human rather touching. As that declaration gets made, she starts to pass on as she's finally at peace, ending the anime in a very bittersweet fashion. Related: Best Reverse Harem Anime Of All Time. It's a villain victory that surprisingly feels good, leading to a heartwarming ending. It isn't the most absolute villainous victory in anime history, but it's a crushing one. 10 Sports Anime That Are Underrated - Game Rant Trigunrevolves (no pun intended) around a protagonist named Vash the Stampeded and his adamant adherence to technical pacifism. 18 Times Anime Villains Beat Good Guys In A Big Way Not every story gets a happy ending, since even the designated bad guys are prone to winning in the end. That's why it can be rather blindsiding if the villains actually do get away with their victory. Related: The Most Iconic Anime Tomboys, Ranked. For that matter, all anime versions ofBerserk,including the anime movies for the Golden Age arc, all end in the villain still in power and pretty much victorious. RELATED:10 Coolest Anime Schools, Ranked. Some have morally grey goals while others are just flat out evil or insane. Its singular focus is the depiction of hopeless characters in a hopeless world; thus, it should come as no surprise that it ends badly. Tari and MD-5 share one more hopeful exchange before being taken away, and a device containing a backup of the incriminating data ends up in the hands of Belle, who keeps it for herself. He's recruited into a prestigious high school because of his unusual pitching style and the recruiter sees potential in him. In Underverse 0.0, half of Sans' soul is taken by X-Event Chara and they escape. Either way, it's still a satisfying ending. Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans maintains the Mobile Suit tradition of a complicated political plot that serves as the backdrop for its awesome mecha action. His goal was to create a massive death toll, and that he did achieve. The characters in Wolf's Rain are searching for a sanctuary where they can finally settle down and have peace, which is one of the purest goals a lycanthrope could have. Knives kept forcing Vash into situations where he is forced to kill but never actually succeeds. Some stories may attempt to use this trope, yet still try to soften the blow. Here are 8 anime where the villain achieves their goal 1) Hellsing Ultimate The Major (Image via Hellsing Wiki) Despite losing the war, The Major in the anime Hellsing Ultimate certainly won. Unfortunately, Knives and Legato have made it their mission to force Vash back onto the path of violence. It's what makes the ending so surprising as Rustal Elion, the primary antagonist, gets everything he wanted by the end of season 2. What's the point of working hard for something good and pure when it will only be destroyed in the end? There are darker, grimmer anime out there, but there's something especially heartbreaking about seeing a series like Fate/Zeroend this way. The full quote is "I see now that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant. While that would be great, it's consumed her life, and failing at it would allow her to realize her feelings for Ren, giving everyone a good ending. The 20 Hottest Anime Villains of All Time (Male and Female) The 20 Hottest Anime Villains of All Time Anna Lindwasser Updated August 26, 2022 91.6k votes 17.1k voters 340.2k views Voting Rules Vote up the anime villains who you love for more than just their personalities. Privacy Policy. To achieve this, he gathers all of the Yen in Japan into a building containing himself and the Roppongi Club, then detonates a bomb, destroying all of the money and killing everyone. There's just no restoring the Earth back to what it was after such a mess. Ultimately, the Third Impact was initiated and turned the whole world into a depressed Edvard Munch painting. Sometimes the story isn't about defeating the big bad; it's about the heroism and brilliance that went into the fights along the way, even if in the end darkness prevails. He's also a wrestling fanatic, who can't wait for shows to be filled with fans again. Written by Alex Crilly-Mckean, Huh, guess it does pay to be evil. Here are 10 anime where the villain actually won. Pretear is an example of how well it can be used as a plot device for a villain, making them sympathetic even as they do terrible things. For this list, we'll be looking at anime that features an antagonist who at one point or another manages . This can be seen as Akane turning a new leaf, but the fact that she never receives comeuppance for what she did beforehand irritates some viewers. Askeladd becomes a strange yet sincere surrogate father, who motivated Thorfinn by promising him vengeance when hes ready. Join the online community, create your anime and manga list, read reviews, explore the forums, follow news, and so much more! By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Another technique to invoke this is to form a Xanatos Gambit: the villain wins something regardless of whether the heroes foil their Evil Plan or not. With a snap of his Infinity Stone-powered fingers, Thanos accomplishes what he set out to do and erases half the life in the universe.