History HateSink / SwordArtOnline

* Sugou's subordinate Yanai isn't much better than him. While Yanai has less direct involvement in much of the carnage Sugou causes in ''Fairy Dance'', he [[{{Sadist}} takes an equal amount of perverse pleasure in experimenting on people]]. Ditto when he sexually harasses Asuna with his slug form's NaughtyTentacles. [[spoiler: Additionally, he's an unrepentant smug DirtyCoward who sells out his own allies to save his own skin. All this makes his gruesome death from falling down the shaft in ''Alicization'' well-deserved]].

''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'' has boasted an assortment of villains, some of them sympathetic or tragic, some not so much. Here are the nastiest ones with no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

* Nobuyuki Sugou, the ArcVillain of the Fairy Dance arc. In contrast to Kayaba, it's clear that Sugou is not meant to be liked by ''anyone'', not even in a LoveToHate way. He goes out of his way to be as despicable as possible, being a SmugSnake, DirtyCoward, and CorruptCorporateExecutive who has a long list of heinous deeds such as trapping 300 SAO survivors in ALO to perform inhumane mind control experiments on them, [[KillerGameMaster abusing his admin privileges]] to wipe the floor with Kirito, and going the extra mile to torment him by not only [[YourMindMakesItReal changing the Pain Absorber settings to torture him]], but [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil molesting Asuna, tearing her clothes off, groping her]], and [[LecherousLicking licking her face]] all [[ForcedToWatch right in front of Kirito]]. He definitely loses any audience sympathy when Kirito, with help from the spirit of Kayaba, pulls off his HeroicSecondWind and subjects Sugou to a ''major'' HumiliationConga, stripping him of his admin privileges, turning off the Pain Absorber for Sugou, and proceeding to [[KickTheSonOfABitch torture him]] before brutally killing his in-game avatar to the point where Sugou is [[WoundThatWillNotHeal permanently injured in real-life]]. His HumiliationConga continues into the real world, where he attacks Kirito with a knife in revenge, only to be overpowered, reduced to InelegantBlubbering and [[BringMyBrownPants pissing his pants]], and turned over to the police.

[[quoteright:350:[[Characters/SwordArtOnlineNobuyukiSugou https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sugoubeingabastard.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[BlatantLies He's not so bad once you get to know him.]]]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sugoubeingabastard.png]]

[[AC:Mother's Rosary Arc]]
* The Mother's Rosary arc has NoAntagonist, and while part of the story is the dispute between Asuna and her mother, Kyoko is a sympathetic character who makes legitimate points and eventually changes for the better. Instead, the main HateSink in this arc is the rival guild that seeks to kill the boss. They use a familiar to spy on Asuna and the Sleeping Knights during their first attempt on the boss, and then show up to kill the boss before Yuuki and the others try again, refusing to let them make another attempt despite the fact that the guild isn't fully ready yet. They basically serve as nothing more than an obstacle to be overcome, and receive no sympathy from the narrative.

* Gabriel Miller. Any EvilIsCool cred he would have gets overshadowed by how much of a thorough monster he is. He [[spoiler:murdered his fiancée Alicia Klingerman when he was a child to see what the nature of the soul was like, experimented on animals and even humans for that same reason]], and treats his followers either as tools or his own stress toys. He has zero empathy or remorse, constantly viewing everyone else as beneath him whilst violating the laws of the Underworld to become God. Gabriel has the gall to [[spoiler:[[KickTheDog mock Bercouli for sacrificing his own life to stop him as Vecta]]]], and then [[{{Hypocrite}} mock Kirito, Alice, Asuna and Shino for their supposed arrogance]], and eventually tries to capture Alice and destroy the Underworld. [[spoiler:It's hard not to cheer alongside the characters when Kirito gives him the pummeling he's asked for so long.]]
* Vassago/[=PoH=] is ultimately a vile and cruel man who is unfortunately blessed with a high level of charisma that allows him to corrupt people and rally them behind him with ease, in contrast to the despicable but brilliant Gabriel Miller. He cements his loathsomeness in his raging homicidal sadism, the corruption of most of the members of his guild into becoming killers like him, and his callous mistreatment of his own men, as shown when he [[spoiler:sold out his own guild members and gleefully watched them get slaughtered by the Assault Team in SAO, and when he purposely manipulated the Chinese and Korean players into killing each other in the Underworld, completely lacking in any sympathetic or admirable traits to offset his nature as a SatanicArchetype.]] Any fans he gets like him strictly from a LoveToHate angle.

''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'' has boasted an assortment of villains rotten to the core. Here are the worst of the batch.

''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'' has boasted an assortment of detestable villains made for the sole purpose of being despised. Here are the worst of the batch.

* Atsushi Kanamoto/Johnny Black. Even compared to his fellow Laughing Coffin leaders, Johnny Black really stands out with how despicable he is. Johnny Black is far and far the most AxCrazy member of the trio, lacking the restraint and cunning of [[SoftSpokenSadist XaXa]] and [[DarkMessiah PoH]]. He's gleefully sadistic, as he specifically chose to use paralysis poison for the purpose of torturing and killing his victims, and shamelessly boasts about the [[InvoluntaryBattleToTheDeath sadistic games]] he will play with his would-be victims. Additionally, he's involved in the Death Gun plot, so that he can satiate his desire to kill once more. Upon the Death Gun plot being foiled by Kirito, he attacks him and puts him into a coma, making the ''Alicization'' arc possible to begin with, and becomes indirectly responsible for [[SmallRoleBigImpact all the misfortune that befalls on Kirito]] in the Underworld.

* [[TheCaligula Emperor Cruiga Norlangarth]] appears in ''Moon Cradle'' to remind readers of why exactly the Nobility system is corrupt as hell. A prideful, holier-than-thou man, Cruiga is introduced [[BadBoss mocking the loyal Captain of his Royal Guard]] for losing to Ronye and Tiese while drinking a wine that he effectively forced his people to starve to make, since the vineyard he had it grown in could have been used to grow a years supply of wheat for his people, earning him the instant contempt of the Ronye. He then proceeds to show absolutely no regard for the commoners or lower-Nobles who died in the War of Underworld, claiming it's their duty to die to prolong his life and those of the other high-ranked Nobility. [[spoiler: He gets even ''worse'' after he's revealed to have been brought BackFromTheDead as a Minion; after Ronye and Tiese discover the dungeon in his private estate and he captures them, he recounts how he had multiple commoners tortured to death in the cells, having used his Judicial Authority to outlaw commoners fishing a golden trout from the lake near his estate, knowing that their starvation would force them to take the risk, even saying he enjoyed listening to their screams over a glass of wine. Then he reveals that the torture was for [[ImmortalitySeeker the purpose of researching a way to achieve eternal life]], something he conspired with the other Emperors for, showing that this was another case of his self-entitlement and lust for power. Then there's his role as the BigBad in the arc, having former servants of his killed, framing Dark Territory residents for it, and kidnapping three mountain goblins to turn them into a hybrid minions to attack human empire citizens to incite a war, seemingly out of nothing more than spite.]]

* Atsushi Kanamoto/Johnny Black. Even compared to his fellow Laughing Coffin leaders, Johnny Black really stands out with how despicable he is. Johnny Black is far and far the most AxCrazy member of the trio, lacking the restraint and cunning of [[SoftSpokenSadist XaXa]] and [[DarkMessiah PoH]]. He's gleefully sadistic, as he specifically chose to use paralysis poison for the purpose of torturing and killing his victims, and shamelessly boasts about the [[InvoluntaryBattleToTheDeath sadistic games]] he will play with his would-be victims. Additionally, he's involved in the Death Gun plot, so that he can satiate his desire to kill once more. Upon the Death Gun plot being foiled by Kirito, he attacks him and puts him into a coma, making the ''Alicization'' arc possible to begin with, and becomes indirectly responsible for [[SmallRoleBigImpact all the misfortune that befalls that befalls on Kirito]] in the Underworld.

* Atsushi Kanamoto/Johnny Black. Even compared to his fellow Laughing Coffin leaders, Johnny Black really stands out with how despicable he is. Johnny Black is far and far the most AxCray member of the trio, lacking the restraint and cunning of [[SoftSpokenSadist XaXa]] and [[DarkMessiah PoH]]. He's gleefully sadistic, as he specifically chose to use paralysis poison for the purpose of torturing and killing his victims, and shamelessly boasts about the [[InvoluntaryBattleToTheDeath sadistic games]] he will play with his would-be victims. Additionally, he's involved in the Death Gun plot, so that he can satiate his desire to kill once more. Upon the Death Gun plot being foiled by Kirito, he attacks him and puts him into a coma, making the ''Alicization'' arc possible to begin with, and becomes indirectly responsible for [[SmallRoleBigImpact all the misfortune that befalls that befalls on Kirito]] in the Underworld.

* Gabriel Miller. Any EvilIsCool cred he would have gets overshadowed by how much of a thorough monster he is. He [[spoiler:murdered his fiancée Alicia Klingerman when he was a child to see what the nature of the soul was like, experimented on animals and even humans for that same reason]], and treats his followers either as tools or his own stress toys. He has zero empathy or remorse, constantly viewing everyone else as beneath him whilst violating the laws of the Underworld to become God. Gabriel has the gall to [[KickTheDog mock Bercouli for sacrificing his own life to stop him as Vecta, and then Kirito, Alice, Asuna and Shino for their supposed arrogance]], and eventually tries to capture Alice and destroy the Underworld. [[spoiler:It's hard not to cheer alongside the characters when Kirito gives him the pummeling he's asked for so long.]]

* Atsushi Kanamoto/Johnny Black. Even compared to his fellow Laughing Coffin leaders, he really stands out with how despicable he is. He lacks the restraint and patience of [[SoftSpokenSadist XaXa]], who displays [[EvilGenius great cunning]]. Johnny Black on the other hand is the most AxCrazy member of the leadership trio. He's ​gleefully sadistic, as he specifically chose to use paralysis poison for the purpose of torturing and killing his victims, and shamelessly boasts about the [[InvoluntaryBattleToTheDeath sadistic games]] he will play with his would-be victims. Additionally, he's involved in the Death Gun plot, so that he can satiate his desire to kill once more. Upon the Death Gun plot being foiled by Kirito, he attacks him and puts him into a coma, making the ''Alicization'' arc possible to begin with, and becomes indirectly responsible for [[BreakTheCutie all the misfortune that befalls that befalls on Kirito]] in the Underworld.

* Whilst Shouichi Shinkawa[=/=]XaXa at least is a SoftSpokenSadist and can even have some EvilIsCool moments as Death Gun, Atsushi Kanamoto/Johnny Black lacks such qualities. To start, he's most AxCrazy member of the high-ranking trio of the Laughing Coffin guild. He's also gleefully sadistic, as he specifically chose to use paralysis poison for the purpose of torturing and killing his victims, and shamelessly boasts about the [[InvoluntaryBattleToTheDeath sadistic games]] he will play with his would-be victims. Additionally, he's involved in the Death Gun plot, so that he can satiate his desire to kill once more. Upon the Death Gun plot being foiled by Kirito, he attacks him and puts him into a coma, making the ''Alicization'' arc possible to begin with, and becomes indirectly responsible for [[BreakTheCutie all the misfortune that befalls that befalls on Kirito]] in the Underworld.

* Whilst Shouichi Shinkawa[=/=]XaXa at least is a SoftSpokenSadist and can even have some EvilIsCool moments as Death Gun, Atsushi Kanamoto/Johnny Black lacks such qualities. To start, he's most AxCrazy member of the high-ranking trio of the Laughing Coffin guild. He's also gleefully sadistic, as he specifically chose to use paralysis poison for the purpose of torturing and killing his victims, and shamelessly boasts about the sadistic games he will play with his would-be victims. Additionally, he's involved in the Death Gun plot, so that he can satiate his desire to kill once more. Upon the Death Gun plot being foiled by Kirito, he attacks him and puts him into a coma, making the ''Alicization'' arc possible to begin with, and becomes indirectly responsible for [[BreakTheCutie all the misfortune that befalls that befalls on Kirito]] in the Underworld.

* Johnny Black / Atsushi Kanamoto, a high-ranking member of Laughing Coffin who serves as the [[MasterPoisoner poison expert]]. He shamelessly boasts about the sadistic games he will play with his would-be victims. He is also involved in the Death Gun plot, so that he can satiate his desire to kill once more, and is ultimately the one responsible for attacking Kirito and putting him into a coma, making the ''Alicization'' arc possible to begin with.

* A perfect example comes in the form of Nobuyuki Sugou, the ArcVillain of the Fairy Dance arc. In contrast to Kayaba, it's clear that Sugou is not meant to be liked by ''anyone'', not even in a LoveToHate way. He goes out of his way to be as despicable as possible, being a SmugSnake, DirtyCoward, and CorruptCorporateExecutive who has a long list of heinous deeds such as trapping 300 SAO survivors in ALO to perform inhumane mind control experiments on them, [[KillerGameMaster abusing his admin privileges]] to wipe the floor with Kirito, and going the extra mile to torment him by not only [[YourMindMakesItReal changing the Pain Absorber settings to torture him]], but [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil molesting Asuna, tearing her clothes off, groping her]], and [[LecherousLicking licking her face]] all [[ForcedToWatch right in front of Kirito]]. He definitely loses any audience sympathy when Kirito, with help from the spirit of Kayaba, pulls off his HeroicSecondWind and subjects Sugou to a ''major'' HumiliationConga, stripping him of his admin privileges, turning off the Pain Absorber for Sugou, and proceeding to [[KickTheSonOfABitch torture him]] before brutally killing his in-game avatar to the point where Sugou is [[WoundThatWillNotHeal permanently injured in real-life]]. His HumiliationConga continues into the real world, where he attacks Kirito with a knife in revenge, only to be overpowered, reduced to InelegantBlubbering and [[BringMyBrownPants pissing his pants]], and turned over to the police.

* Gabriel Miller. Any EvilIsCool cred he would have gets overshadowed by how much of a thorough monster he is. He [[spoiler:murdered his fiancée Alicia Klingerman when he was a child to see what the nature of the soul was like, experimented on animals and even humans for that same reason]], and treats his followers either as tools or his own stress toys. He has zero empathy or remorse, constantly viewing everyone else as beneath him whilst violating the laws of the Underworld to become God. Gabriel has the gall to [[KickTheDog mock Bercouli for sacrificing his own life to stop him as Vector, and then Kirito, Alice, Asuna and Shino for their supposed arrogance]], and eventually tries to capture Alice and destroy the Underworld. [[spoiler:It's hard not to cheer alongside the characters when Kirito gives him the pummeling he's asked for so long.]]

* [[TheCaligula Emperor Cruiga Norlangarth]] appears in ''Moon Cradle'' to remind readers of why exactly the Nobility system is corrupt as hell. A prideful, holier-than-thou man, Cruiga is introduced [[BadBoss mocking the loyal Captain of his Royal Guard]] for losing to Ronye and Tiese while drinking a wine that he effectively forced his people to starve to make, since the vineyard he had it grown in could have been used to grow a years supply of wheat for his people, earning him the instant contempt of the Ronye. He then proceeds to show absolutely no regard for the commoners or lower-Nobles who died in the War of Underworld, claiming it's their duty to die to prolong his life and those of the other high-ranked Nobility. [[spoiler: He gets even ''worse'' after he's revealed to have been brought BackFromTheDead as a Minion; after Ronye and Tiese discover the dungeon in his private estate and he captures them, he recounts how he had multiple commoners tortured to death in the cells, having used his Judicial Authority to outlaw commoners fishing a golden trout from the lake near his estate, knowing that their starvation would force them to take the risk, even saying he enjoyed listening to their screams over a glass of wine. Then he reveals that the torture was for [[ImmortalitySeeker the purpose of researching a way to achieve eternal life]], something he conspired with the other Emperors for, showing that this was another case of his self-entitlement and lust for power. Then there's his role as the BigBad in the arc, having former servants of his killed, framing Dark Territory residents for it, and kidnapping three mountain goblins to turn them into a hybrid minions to attack human empire citizens to incite a war, seemingly out of nothing more than spite.]]

* Kuradeel from Aincrad. He's a StalkerWithACrush toward Asuna, but what puts him into "downright loathsome" territory is when he poisons the rest of his party, paralyzing them, and plans on killing them all and claiming that he was the only survivor. When Asuna almost kills him, he [[DirtyCoward cowardly tries to appeal to her conscience]], then tries to kill her, only for Kirito to kill him, resulting in Kuradeel dying a pathetic death.

* Kibaou in [[AdaptationalJerkass the anime]]. The point of his character is to show that even in a life-or-death situation, people can still be jerks. He is responsible for the ostracization of beta players, branding them as selfish cheaters or outright criminals. Forcing Kirito to [[ZeroApprovalGambit shoulder all the blame himself]] as a Beater, while the rest of the Beta players go into hiding. He only gets worse over time when he extorts taxes from lower level players on Floor 1, sends his men on a suicide mission to gain reputation, and tries to trap Thinker at the mercy of an unbeatable boss under the guise of a peace treaty. He pretty much goes from kind of a jerk to a full-blown criminal, being part of the BigBadEnsemble with Kayaba and Laughing Coffin.

* Raios Antonious and Humbert Zisek. The two of them, both high-ranking nobles, look down on Kirito and Eugeo for being commoners, belittle their flashy sword techniques and even [[KickTheDog sever the buds of Kirito's flowers just to get back at him]], but that isn't the worst of it. Humbert gives his page Frenica completely inappropriate orders, such as having her give him a massage while naked, and Raios lets this happen. When Kirito and Eugeo's pages, Ronie and Tiese, confront the two over their actions, they go flying over the MoralEventHorizon by [[spoiler:tying both of them up and [[AttemptedRape trying to rape them]] while [[ForcedToWatch making Eugeo (as well as Kirito) watch]], hoping that their enemies will be driven to break the rules. When Humbert gets more than he bargained for and Eugeo cuts off his arm, Raios has no sympathy for him, gleefully relishing the process of killing Eugeo personally until Kirito intervenes and cuts off both Raios' arms, at which point Raios demands that Humbert risk his own life to save Raios]]. No one feels much sympathy when [[spoiler:Raios' Fluctlight collapses, resulting in his death, although Eugeo has a brief MyGodWhatHaveIDone moment over his first violation of the Taboo Index]].

* Dee Eye Ell, the sadistic and depraved leader of the Dark Mage Guild. After being devastated that her Dark Mage Guild couldn't cast a Sacred Art due to Alice absorbing all the energy, she reports to Vecta who suggests performing a sacrifice of 3000 in place of this. While surprised at first, she gleefully orders the Orcs to offer the sacrifices from their people, not caring for their lives in the slightest due to viewing them as lesser beings. Then when Alice comes after a RoaringRampageOfRevenge she kills her own mage underlings to LifeDrain them and secure her own life. Later she reveals herself as immensely racist towards all non-human sentient beings, calling the Orcs animals as she did to Rirupirin. The anime also portrays her LifeDrain on Leafa as [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil rape]] via NaughtyTentacles.

''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'' has brought about an assortment of detestable villains made to be hated. Here are the worst of the batch.