History MagnificentBastard / AnimeAndManga

** The elusive [[MasterOfAll Reaper]], real name Ryushi Korogane, raised himself from an impoverished child to the [[FromNobodyToNightmare most feared and brilliant assassin]] in the world. Raising the son of one victim as his apprentice, the Reaper expanded his business until his apprentice betrayed him to the vile scientist Kotaro Yanagisawa. Falling in love with the abusive Yanagisawa's fiancée, the Reaper eventually breaks free of captivity by slaughtering Yanagisawa's guards when his lover is fatally wounded. Knowing the experiments will cause him to self-destruct along with the earth within a year, the Reaper becomes caring a teacher of [[Characters/AssassinationClassroomClass3E troubled youth]], "[[Characters/AssassinationClassroomKorosensei Koro-sensei]]", grooming their self-confidence while imparting the skills to kill him and save the world.

*** [[DragonWithAnAgenda Prince Zera]] is the son of Panther Zora who seeks to take Sister Jill’s spot as leader of Panther Claw. One of the co-creators of the Airborne Elemental Fixing Device alongside Professor Takeshi Kisaragi, Zera also worked with Zora to raise a girl named Seira Hazuki into hating Cutie Honey by having her branded with the Mark of Hatred. Disguising himself as the mysterious [[MysteriousWatcher Twilight Prince]], Zera manipulates Honey into killing Sister Jill, swooping in to take her place. Setting his sights on Honey's device to make Zora a loving figure and wipe the mark from Seira, after Seira is corrupted by her mark and kills Professor Kisaragi, Zera, blasé of their deaths, [[EvilAllAlong reveals himself to Honey]] and tries to kill her. After losing to Honey thanks to her new love ability, Zera [[HeelFaceTurn joins her side]], doing everything he can to help her take down the resurrected Sister Jill and Zora. Despite sacrificing his life to protect Honey from Zora, Zera's spirit is still able to assist, and ends the show wishing Honey a happy marriage before departing to the afterlife.

* ''Manga/{{Shiki}}'': [[HeWhoFightsMonsters Dr. Toshio Ozaki]] is a brilliant doctor who deduces that the cause of the mysterious deaths of Sotoba village to be linked to the [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Shiki]]. Experimenting on his vampirized wife to learn of their weaknesses, which results in her death, Ozaki schemes to expose the Shiki by [[HoneyTrap seducing one of them]] and revealing her status as a bloodsucking monster to the town, and rallying the villagers to hunt them down. While Ozaki ultimately failed in saving the village, he did succeed in saving the lives of its surviving people.

* ''LightNovel/TheWorldsFinestAssassin'' (2021 anime): Cian Tuatha Dé, Lugh’s loving father, is the head of the House of Tuatha Dé, and an incredible assassin in his own right who made Lugh into the skilled killer he is today. Disguising his hits by posing as the Alvan Kingdom’s medical expert, Cian uses a wide variety of tactics, disguises, and clever traps to kill his targets while not getting caught, all while believing that murder is necessary to protect his kingdom. Raising Lugh to be his heir, Cian has him kill death row inmates so that he won't grow hesitant over killing people, while letting him know that he will be raised not as a weapon, but as a person, who must possess human values to be a better killer. Cian is even able to get the experienced Lugh into the position of aristocrat by having him injure the supposed runner-up as a test of strength. Getting Lugh to pose as a successful merchant to get closer to his targets and privately build a team of assassins, Cian ultimately does what he can to give Lugh the life he thinks he deserves, while doing what he must to assist him in his plan to defeat the Hero.

[[folder:Examples]]

[[/index]]

** ''Manga/HinowaGaCrush'': [[LadyOfWar Yomihime]] is a mysterious woman who joins the [[TheEmpire Tenrou Nation]] in order to train her skills by fighting strong enemies. Introduced in a mission to recover the decapitated head of a fallen general, Yomihime defeats the original Hinowa and kills her while [[WorthyOpponent acknowledging her skills]] in both combat and leadership. Years later, Yomihime confronts Hinowa's daughter and fights Akame, surprised at her strength and is forced to retreat. Ordered to work with the murderous sadist Kyoukotsu, Yomihime ignores his more revolting crimes and manages to [[VillainousFriendship genuinely befriend him]] after discovering his military talents and crafting a dangerous strategy that costs the lives of many soldiers from the Soukai Nation. When the Elder's Class kill Kyokutsu and stop the attack, Yomihime mourns him and keeps his last gift despite her dislike of it. Returning to Tenrou to rethink their invasion plans, it is shown that Yomihime is respected by her fellow Ten Stars generals, having fully earned her title.

* ''Manga/KillerKiller'': The titular "[[SerialKillerKiller Killer Killer]]", Takumi Hijirihara is a suave assassin who uses his skill to protect the world from other killers. After surviving a massacre committed by Mukuro Ikusaba, Takumi joined Future Foundation's 6th branch, partnering with Misaki Asano to investigate and stop prolific killers. With his ability to enter the killer's mindset, Takumi is able to figure them out before grading and killing them with a similar method to the killers' own MO. When his old friend Shuuji Fujigawa returns and takes Misaki and places a detonator on her neck which will activate a massive bomb killing millions unless Misaki is killed, out of jealousy of their budding romance, Takumi outs himself as Killer Killer, willing to become a fugitive to protect Misaki and defeats Fujigawa, deactivating the detonator with his cutting skills before running away taking Misaki with him to be with her in hiding.

** "A Spice Odyssey": [[EvilChef Monsieur Goan]] is a tiny but devilishly cunning SupremeChef who wins all of Cappy Town to his side through his brilliant cooking. Actually a Monster from NME, Goan uses his rival Chef Kawasaki's [[BlazingInfernoHellfireSauce spicy recipes]] to his advantage, brewing up a soothing cold sorbet he's spiced with a chemical that makes anyone who eats it want to eat Kirby. Goan ends up rallying the entire town in the end in an attempt to devour Kirby himself.

** [[TheDon Fujimaki]] is a [[WickedCultured cultured and ruthless]] mob boss that arranges fixed matches that Junk Dog would lose to. When Junk Dog decides to win a match, Fujimaki makes a deal with his coach Gansaku Nanbu where he would clear their debts to him if Junk Dog wins Megalonia, while threatening to kill them if they fail. Creating the fake ID, "Gearless Joe", for Junk Dog to use to enter the tournament and win boxing matches, Fujimaki {{reveal}}s his true plan of having Joe throw the match against Glen "Bloody Lion" Burroughs, exploiting the people placing bets against Burroughs to swindle them of their money. With his plan failing only due to [[SpannerInTheWorks Sachio's intervention]], Fujimaki decides to clear Joe and Nanbu's debt to him after Nanbu [[EyeScream stabs his remaining eye out]] as compensation. Years later, Fujimaki allows Joe to replace Sachio for a match, letting Joe retrieve back the restaurant deed for Sachio's friend if Joe loses the match. Fujimaki would then clear Sachio of his debt after he loses to Joe, while pouring himself a drink to the deceased Nanbu.

* ''Anime/MetalFightBeyblade'': [[{{Determinator}} Kyoya Tategami]] is the leader of the Face Hunters and Gingka's fiercest [[TheRival rival]]. Picking on weaker bladers to steal their Beypoints, he takes an interest in Gingka after witnessing him defeat the entire group and challenges him to a one-on-one fight, stealing Kenta's bey and threatening to have it destroyed to ensure he comes. Upon losing, he realises he must get stronger, and is encountered by Doji, who forces him to partake in [[TrainingFromHell a harsh training program]] to awaken the "[[TookALevelInJerkass fangs of the heart]]", growing stronger and harsher. Disbanding the Face Hunters, he curb-stomps Benkei and Kenta, attempting to destroy their beys afterwards. He challenges Gingka again and shows off the [[ConfusionFu crafty new tricks]] he's picked up, almost defeating him as a result. After losing, Gingka's words reach him, and he realises that Leone doesn't want him to be full of hatred, so he undergoes a change of heart. Always looking for a good fight and showcasing his skill at exploiting the terrain, the [[SmarterThanYouLook surprisingly crafty]] Kyoya proves to be one of Gingka's greatest allies and worthiest opponents.

* ''Manga/KillerKiller'': The titular "[[SerialKillerKiller Killer Killer]]", Takumi Hijihara is a suave assassin who uses his skill to protect the world from other killers. After surviving a massacre committed by Mukuro Ikusaba, Takumi joined Future Foundation's 6th branch, partnering with Misaki Asano to investigate and stop prolific killers. With his ability to enter the killer's mindset, Takumi is able to figure them out before grading and killing them with a similar method to the killers' own MO. When his old friend Shuuji Fujigawa returns and takes Misaki and places a detonator on her neck which will activate a massive bomb killing millions unless Misaki is killed, out of jealousy of their budding romance, Takumi outs himself as Killer Killer, willing to become a fugitive to protect Misaki and defeats Fujigawa, deactivating the detonator with his cutting skills before running away taking Misaki with him to be with her in hiding.

** "A Spice Odyssey": [[EvilChef Monsieur Goan]] is a tiny but devilishly cunning SupremeChef who wins all of Cappy Town to his side through his brilliant cooking. Actually a Monster from NME, Goan uses his rival Chef Kowalski's [[BlazingInfernoHellfireSauce spicy recipes]] to his advantage, brewing up a soothing cold sorbet he's spiced with a chemical that makes anyone who eats it want to eat Kirby. Goan ends up rallying the entire town in the end in an attempt to devour Kirby himself.

* ''Manga/ThouShaltNotDie'': [[EvilPrincipal Principal Rokusho]] of the Special Abilities Private High School is a ruthless woman who sends the [[ChildSoldiers Special Students]] on a mission in France by lying to them about their objective, causing a student to be permanently paralyzed and triggering Mashiro's berserker transformation, something she considers a success. Later revealed to be a [[DeterminedWidow victim]] of Project Shirotae seeking revenge, Rokusho reveals that she's working alongside the murderous Tokiwa to give her students a chance to survive an attempted massacre at the hands of the JDSF and the American Army. Having learned and even bragged about hiding the truth of Project Shirotae from the general public to keep her cover, Rokusho aids in the plan to [[BrokenMasquerade reveal the truth]] and unleashes her trump card, a Special Student and her newborn baby, who Rokusho saved to use their combined power to have a chance of victory. Successfully giving a future to her surviving students, Rokusho works with Kuroi and Tokiwa to find the clones of Miyata and kill all of them--except for the children--being successful at dismantling Miyata's horrible legacy.

* ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'': [[WellIntentionedExtremist Lordgenome]], the [[EvilOverlord Spiral King]] and initial BigBad, is the totalitarian ruler of the Beastman Empire who once challenged the Anti-Spirals as a great leader of mankind with his Spiral Powers. Defeated and faced with his race being wiped out, Lordgenome created the Beastmen to force humanity to live underground, sacrificing their freedom to keep them safe from the Anti-Spirals. Successful for many centuries with his armies, Lordgenome's forces prove a near-match for the heroes at every turn before they manage to fight their way through to his fortress. Seemingly killed by Simon, Lordgenome warns him of the risks of Spiral Power to humanity and when resurrected to help stop the Anti-Spirals, [[HeroicSacrifice gives his life]] to finally end the alien monsters' threat.

* ''Manga/AhMyGoddess'': [[FallenAngel Celestine]], the BigBad of the film is a powerful God and mentor of Belldandy. Becoming dissatisfied with the world as it exists, Celestine tried to rebel against Yggdrasil. After being freed from his imprisonment, Celestine erases Belldandy's memories of Keiichi Morisato with a virus to gain access to Yggdrasil's system, in truth manipulating Belldandy and Keiichi so he may [[GrandTheftMe hijack Keiichi's body]] and destroy the entire system, along with the world so he may force a new one free of suffering to be created.

* ''Manga/{{Beastars}}''' "[[Recap/BeastarsMeteorFestivalArc Meteor Festival Arc]]" & "[[Recap/BeastarsMurderIncidentSolutionArc Murder Solution Arc]]": [[DragonInChief Ibuki]] joined the Shishigumi at the age of 18 after taking care of himself in the back-alley market for six years. Much more restrained than his chief, Ibuki treats the lions [[AFatherToHisMen as a family]] and ensures their loyalty to the gang. When Louis kills the chief, Ibuki suggests making him the new boss to improve the gang reputation and acts like a father figure to the young deer while subtly consolidating the latter's power. When Louis resolves to leave the Shishigumi, which would result in his death, Ibuki [[ThanatosGambit has himself shot by another lion]] so that Louis can escape. [[AffablyEvil As charming as he is ruthless]], Ibuki proves essential in leading both Louis and his own gang towards a path of redemption.

* ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'':
** [[TheDreaded Raoh]] himself, [[Characters/FistOfTheNorthStarKenshiro Kenshiro]]'s eldest brother disciple in the Hokuto Shinken school styles himself as [[TheConqueror Ken-Oh the Conqueror]], the King of the Fist. In a series of brilliant and ruthless campaigns, Raoh carves out his own empire in the wasteland while defeating any martial artists who challenge him and sending them to the prison Cassandra while stealing their scrolls for his own usage and advancement. While sometimes at the disadvantage thanks to Kenshiro or rival forces, Raoh is infamous for pushing back to be stronger than ever through sheer force of will and tenacity. Possessing a strong form of honor, Raoh does not hesitate to execute any in his army who terrorize or violate his citizens and when he faces the warrior Fudoh, Raoh orders his own men to kill him should he take a step back, a request he is furious they ignore. When he finally faces Kenshiro and loses, Raoh embraces his brother with true affection and uses the last of his energy to purge the radioactive toxins from the atmosphere, declaring that he [[IRegretNothing lived his life without regrets]] as he [[DiedStandingUp dies standing proud]].
** 1985 anime's "King" arc to "South Cross" arc: [[DeathDealer Joker]] is Shin's [[UndyingLoyalty most faithful]] and [[TheAce effective servant]]. Working to keep tabs on Kenshiro for his boss, Joker also lures Kenshiro into a series of traps to nearly kill him with Shin's forces. When Kenshiro manages to survive an onslaught from their forces Joker is the only to suspect his survival, returning to fight Kenshiro and [[DefiantToTheEnd dying defiantly]] while sending one final message to Shin, interested in the results of the two great fighters' battle.

* ''Manga/KindaichiCaseFiles'': The "GentlemanThief" is really a cunning woman and MasterOfDisguise with a penchant for stealing precious items and leaving notes to her next targets. Disguising herself as a young journalist, Diago Maki, the Thief targets Gamou Gouzou's residence to steal his painting, "My Beloved Daughter". Although almost outwitted by Kindaichi, the Thief disguises herself as and old woman and ties him to a basket of heavy rocks, leaving him stranded in the middle of a busy street. Later appearances show the Thief uses the same ploy to trick Kindaichi and get away with her stolen goods, saying she hopes to meet her challenging rival again.

* ''Manga/MedakaBox'''s "Kumagawa Incident Arc": Kumagawa Misogi, the ArcVillain, is DissonantSerenity incarnate and the dark-tongued leader of the Minuses. On a quest to bring the elites down to his level, Kumagawa introduces himself thrashing the members of the Flask Plan with an impenetrable smile on his face, revealing himself to be the one person Medaka Kurokami could not save and the one who manipulated Secretary Akune into indulging his former violent impulses. Unusually good at reading people, Kumagawa worms his way into the student body and creates Class -13 in an attempt to usurp the current Student Council. All throughout the subsequent battles, Kumagawa constructs scenarios that end up neutral at worst or outright benefiting him no matter the outcome. Charmingly enigmatic and ever-equipped at bouncing back, Kumagawa leaves little wonder why the fandom enjoyed his character.

** [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Original anime]]: [[Characters/NeonGenesisEvangelionGendoIkari Gendō Ikari]], born Rokubungi, is the driven Commander of [[Characters/NeonGenesisEvangelionNERVStaff NERV]]. Falling in love with his future wife Yui Ikari in college, Gendō used her connections to the secret SEELE organization, learning the truth about the world and how mankind, born of the Fruit of Knowledge, are destined to battle the Angels, born of the Fruit of Life. Learning of SEELE's [[AssimilationPlot Human Instrumentality Project]], Gendō seeks to [[DragonWithAnAgenda retool it for his own ends]] and live out Yui's dream of merging all of humanity's minds before releasing them to their bodies to give them an enlightened perspective on life. Growing distant from his son [[Characters/NeonGenesisEvangelionShinjiIkari Shinji]] after Yui's tragic death, Gendō calls him to Tokyo-3 to pilot an Evangelion to do battle with the Angels and [[CrazyPrepared creates an entire class full of potential Evangelion candidates]] as backups. [[CantKillYouStillNeedYou Keeping himself indispensable]] to the ruling council of SEELE, Gendō performs flawlessly in his job defeating the Angels, at one point even personally overseeing their manual launch when NERV's power supply is cut. A man of endless contingencies, when the government tries to render the Evangelions defunct with their own robot, Gendō sabotages the demonstration and when Shinji refuses to fight an Angel that has taken over the Evangelion his friend was piloting, Gendō uses a remote control system to override him. Coming within [[NearVillainVictory mere moments of completing his goal]], Gendō is only stopped by the betrayal of an eldritch being aiding him and still [[FaceDeathWithDignity dies calmly]], quietly apologizing to his son and showing his true affection for the boy. A renowned example of the ArchnemesisDad archetype, Gendō's cold, calculating nature is matched only by his stoic charm and singleminded focus on completing his goal, cementing himself as one of anime's most compelling villains.

** Fukuma is the dreaded yet effective editor for Ronaldo's books. When Ronaldo forgets to meet his deadline, Fukuma sees through his attempts at trickery and locks him in a hollo iron maiden until Ronaldo finishes his work. Even Ronaldo having to admit his unorthodox methods lead to him writing a brilliant book, Fukuma sticks around to make sure Ronaldo keeps up promotion to ensure good sales.
** The Progenitor, Draluc's grandfather and implied to be {{Dracula}} himself, is a hilariously resilient, easygoing vampire who often forces his family to partake in whatever games or hobbies he's invested in during his off-time. Lately forcing his family to compete in a handmade board game, the Progenitor's game is entirely unfair, with most spaces forcing players into surprise traps or embarrassing situations.
** Mr. Lewd Talk is a perverted but charming vampire who wishes to spread lewdness across the world. Starting trouble with his hypnotizing staff, Mr. Lewd Talk incapacitates all the vampire hunters as they expose their fetishes and even when caught and beaten proudly states his goal to spread lewdness has been immortalized and later returns to cover the district in a barrier making lewd phrases replace power.

** Takao Mishima, born as Ryuusei Takao, [[UsedToBeASweetChild used to be a child]] living on Hatsumi Island, taking care of the local [[HumanoidAbomination Coffin Princess]] Julie. Forced by his family to betray his then-friend Shirou Karasawa, Takao later helps him to bring back his deceased girlfriend as a Coffin Princess. Becoming the only survivor of the destruction of the island at Shirou's hands, Takao is betrayed and framed as a murderer by him. He becomes the feared [[HeroKiller Jinki Hunter]], killing members of F.L.A.G and infected humans before their transformation. Meeting a girl who admires him, Takao starts to care for her, even comforting her after she is lethally hurt by Kanshuus. He allies with his former enemy, protagonist Riku Amami, to avenge her, and they manage to defeat Shirou together. After the Coffin Princess Amane]] endangers the world, Takao works with the spirits of the people from Hatsume Island to convince heroine Rene Arisugawa to become another Princess as a way to counter Amane, succeeding and personally dealing the final blow. Betrayed by the spirits, Takao is willing to be killed to save the world, and in the epilogue, Takao is determined to save Riku from himself, just as Riku did for him.

* ''Manga/ChainsawMan'': [[BrokenAce Kishibe]] is an incredibly intelligent Devil Hunter and the sole intellectual rival of [[BigBad Makima]]. Kishibe introduces himself having been tasked to train Denji and Power in unorthodox methods, proving his skill by repeatedly attacking and terrorizing Denji and Power, each much stronger than him, during their daily lives. Fighting off the allies of the assassin Quanxi, Kishibe deduces that Makima has nefarious plans for mankind, and plots against her, even [[WildCard trying to recruit outright assassins and enemies]] such as Quanxi. Organizing an "Anti-Makima" squad with a number of Devil Hunters and analyzing the powers that give her invulnerability, Kishibe recruits the Hell Devil to send Makima directly to hell and bypass them, even using sacrifice to empower its abilities. While it fails to defeat Makima due to her using exceptional means, Kishibe later helps Denji get back on his feet, eventually leading to Makima's defeat, and prevails in his goals.

* ''LightNovel/AccelWorld'':
** [[BigBad White Cosmos]] is the King of Oscillatory Universe, the secret leader of the Acceleration Research Society and the [[CainAndAbel older sister]] of Black Lotus. Aware that all previous Virtual Worlds were destroyed, Cosmos became determined to finish Brain Burst by all possible means, like leading the brutal murder of Saphron Blosson and lying to her pupils or manipulating her own sister to murder the Red King when he was trying to create a lasting peace, causing Lotus' exile in both real and virtual worlds. Years later, Cosmos summons the virtual ghosts of fallen Burst Linkers, leads experiments on living players and uses the Luminary to control powerful virtual beings to deal with the unbeatable Tezcatlipoca. When Tezcatlipoca is born, Cosmos immediately seizes control of him, thanks her enemies for their unwilling help for her plans and kidnaps Lotus' boyfriend while using the threat of Tezcatlipoca to blackmail him to be her spy, confusing Silver Crow with the contrast between her affable attitude and her atrocities.
** "Black Vise" is the vice-chairman of the [[Characters/AccelWorldAccelerationResearchSociety Acceleration Research Society]]. Actually Ivory Tower, one of the Seven Dwarves of [[Characters/AccelWorldOscillatoryUniverse Oscillatory Universe]] and the right-hand of White Cosmos, Vise uses his ability to change forms to maintain dual identities and run hidden experiments in the Accelerated World. Having participated on the brutal murder of Saphron Blossom in the past, Vise offered mercy to her boyfriend, who became the infamous [[Characters/AccelWorldChromeDisaster Chrome Disaster]] out of grief. Fascinated at such power, Vise used and discarded other Burst Linkers such as Dusk Taker and the unwilling Wolfram Cerberus to create a second Chrome Disaster using the [[ThePowerOfHate Negative Incarnation]] stored on the ISS Kits. When Nega Nebulus discovers links between the Society and the White Legion, Ivory Tower evacuates the Society members and participates on the defense of White Legion Territory, [[WorthyOpponent showing respect towards his enemies]] and being forced to expose his Black Vise form to save himself. When his secret identity is revealed to the other Kings, Vise sacrifices himself to trap them into a death loop after declaring his excitement at seeing that the impulsivity of Nega Nebulus could challenge his careful planning.

* ''LightNovel/AntiMagicAcademyThe35thTestPlatoon'': [[BigBad Sougetsu Ootori]] is the [[BewareTheSillyOnes hammy, silly]] Chairman of the Inquisition, using his seemingly harmless personality and position on the side of good to hide the fact that he is a god seeking the destruction of the planet. Fooling enemies and allies alike with his fake persona, Sougetsu simultaneously serves as the Principal of the Anti-Magic Academy, building it from scratch and training hundreds of youngsters with potential in a variety of skills. Sougetsu manipulates his students to carry out a bevy of plans for him unbeknownst to them, and plays members of Valhalla and the Alchemists alike to his tune, ultimately planning to force Takeru to [[StrikeMeDown strike him dead]] and doom the planet to annihilation thanks to Sougetsu's connection to the life force of the world. Driven by an engineered desire to destroy all things--himself included--Sougetsu nonetheless respects his foes and has a roaring good time carrying out his plans, chuckling even when beaten that he regrets nothing and is pleased with how he lived his life.

* ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}'':
** [[NobleDemon Luck Gandor]] is an unfailingly polite mob boss who runs the Gandor crime family alongside his brothers, Berga and Keith, using his affinity for charisma and manipulations to function as the practical brains and face of the organization. Having slowly brought the Gandor family into more power than it's ever held with his strategies and people skills, Luck instills total respect from those under his control with his cool head and refusal to bring the chaotic force of drugs into his corner of Manhattan. Giving even those who betray his trust the opportunity to redeem themselves yet never hesitating to coldly execute them if they prove undeserving of his friendship, Luck keeps even the likes of [[CloudCuckooLander Claire Stanfield]] and [[PsychoKnifeNut Maria Barcelito]] under control and uses them to further the Gandor's control over Manhattan, taking out rival crime families and turning enemies into allies every step of the way. Upon becoming immortal, Luck pays back fellow immortal scumbag Dallas Genoard for murdering Luck's friends by sinking him in a river to drown unendingly, however later shows mercy to Dallas' younger sister Eve and allows her to save Dallas from his horrible fate, showcasing that Luck's morals and standards are just as notable as his ruthlessness.
** [[BunnyEarsLawyer Claire Stanfield]] is the [[ProfessionalKiller feared hitman]] known as "Vino," functioning as the single most dangerous character in the story while simultaneously being one of the most entertaining. A brutal badass who has pulled off impossible feats for years, Claire's introductory story sees him slaughtering his way through dozens of murderous criminals to protect the passengers aboard the Flying Pussyfoot train, Claire having used the railroads as means of travel by disguising himself as a conductor. Upon setting up in Manhattan under his close friends, the Gandors, Claire immediately brings respect and fear to the small crime family with [[TheDreaded his mere presence]], and goes about utterly decimating rival gangs to secure power for the Gandors, using his affinity for disguises to play the arrogant Gustavo Bagetta right into a trap. As fun as he is deadly, Claire always has a snappy one-liner and a healthy dose of his zany egotistical outlook on the world to make even the most psychotic enemies blanch at his sheer audacity, befriends many characters from all walks of life with his affable personality, and has a genuine love for the silent Chane Laforet, eager to do whatever it takes earn her affection and respect.

* ''LightNovel/DancesWithTheDragons'': [[SinisterMinister Cardinal Moldeen Ogus Gyunei]] is the mastermind behind the series events, seeking to unite the Alshok Territory with the Seven-Cities Alliance and prevent the catastrophic Holy War from occurring. Arranging for the assassination of his own decoy, Moldeen uses this to expose and then kill the traitor in his organization. Hiring two assassins to use as bait to lure out a defector, Moldeen is also revealed to be responsible for the failure of the first treaty, which he did to create favorable conditions for Alshok. Admitting to be willing to deceive, betray, spill blood and even support oppressive regimes in the name of his end goal, Moldeen will stop at nothing to create a world where future generations can [[WellIntentionedExtremist live in happiness]].
* ''LightNovel/DateALive'': [[FromNobodyToNightmare "Nightmare" Kurumi Tokisaki]] was once a normal, human girl. After being turned into a Spirit and lied to by the First Spirit after killing her best friend, Kurumi resolved to undo the First Spirit's existence no matter what it took. Introduced as a mysteriously charming transfer student, Kurumi stays one step ahead of Shido Itsuka and Ratatoskr, ultimately engineering a SadisticChoice where either a spacequake destroys the city or her "City of Devouring Time" consumes Shido's entire school. After being saved from a rampaging "Efreet" by Shido, her next appearance sees her help Shido against Miku and DEM while trying to uncover Nia's location. Helping Origami go back in time to stop her parents' murder, Kurumi learns the horrible truth and uses her time powers to help Shido correct the mistake, including convincing her past self to offer aid. Against the overwhelming might of Mio Takamiya and [[Characters/DateALiveIsaacRayPeramWestcott Isaac Westcott]], Kurumi put a [[CloningGambit clone back in time]] as a contingency to impart critical knowledge to Shido in case she's killed and steals back Nia's Qlipha Crystal from Westcott to even the odds. Brimming with self-confidence to match her enigmatic nature, Kurumi was both a [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor deadly enemy and a pivotal ally]].

* ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}'':
** [[Characters/DurararaIzayaOrihara Izaya Orihara]] is an [[KnowledgeBroker information broker]] and one of the most dangerous men in Ikebukuro wanting to declare his "love" for humans by manipulating them [[ItAmusedMe for his own amusement]]. Introducing Masaomi Kida to his follower Saki Mikajima she would have Saki form a romantic relationship with Masaomi while Izaya instigates a gang war between Masaomi’s gang, The Yellow Scarves, and The Blue Square, leaving Masaomi vulnerable, endangering Saki, and dismantling both gangs in the process. Also a member of The Dollars, Izaya has recruited thousands into the Dollars before turning them against their leader by reveal to them his identity, Mikado Ryuugamine, allowing them to reek havoc throughout Ikebukuro. After being stabbed by "Jinnai Yodogiri", Izaya would allow himself to be capture, tricking his captors into revealing information on "Jinnai Yodogiri" before sending his newly formed group to defeat them afterwards. Also holding immense animosity for [[ArchEnemy Shizuo Heiwajima]] for not being able to manipulate him, Izaya has provoke Shizuo constantly, cost him his job, [[FrameUp frames him for murder]], manipulates a girl to kill Shizuo, and tries to kill Shizuo himself. When Shizuo manages to beat Izaya, he attempt to goad Shizuo to kill him, content that the masses witnessing Shizuo will then view him as a monster.
** [[SexySecretary Kasane Kujiragi]] is a {{Dhampyr}} who uses the name "Jinnai Yodogiri" to [[BigBad orchestrate]] the events of series' final arc. After Izaya Orihara ignores her warning to not interfere with her plans she has him stabbed and later interrogated for information, before allowing him to continue manipulating people to keep them distracted from her own scheming. Also a wielder of Saika, Kasane would hand over Saika to Shingen Kishitani having him spread Saika throughout Ikebukuro creating more Saika wielders and expand Saika influence to almost everyone in Ikebukuro giving Kasane complete control over masses minds and the city. She would also posses Shingen’s son Shinra to make Shinra’s LoveInterest Celty Sturluson more vulnerable allowing Kasane to defeat her and give Celty her head to put her under Kasane’s control. Kasane would later save her half-niece, Ruri Hijiribe, from her stalker while taking full blame for the crimes Ruri committed as the Hollywood SerialKiller, so that Ruri can continue living a normal life.

* ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'': Raoh himself, Kenshiro's eldest brother disciple in Hokuto Shinken styles himself as Ken-Oh TheConqueror. In a series of brilliant and ruthless campaigns, Raoh carves out his own empire in the wasteland while defeating any martial artists who challenge him and sending them to the prison Cassandra while stealing their scrolls for his own usage and advancement. While sometimes at the disadvantage thanks to Kenshiro or rival forces, Raoh is infamous for pushing back to be stronger than ever through sheer force of will and tenacity. Possessing a strong form of honor, Raoh does not hesitate to execute any in his army who terrorize or violate his citizens and when he faces the warrior Fudoh, Raoh orders his own men to kill him should he take a step back, a request he is furious they ignore. When he finally faces Kenshiro and loses, Raoh embraces his brother with true affection and uses the last of his energy to purge the radioactive toxins from the atmosphere, declaring proudly that he [[IRegretNothing lived his life without regrets]] as he [[DiedStandingUp dies standing proud]].

* ''LightNovel/HeavyObject'': Among the people in a world where war is the norm, the following make a devious record with what they have:
** Volume 6: Sogia, formerly White Bears leader Yulenzak, body guarded Princess Staivia, Dimiksy's sister. Years ago, he learned of Dimiksy's plan to assassinate Staivia under and his assassination of Excelsyla to obtain her [[HumongousMecha Object]], however the conspiracy couldn't be thwarted or slowed. Deciding to go into hiding and stop this plan, Sogia and the White Bears were supposedly killed by fake Information Alliance troops from Dimiksy's faction. However Sogia's unit, having anticipated it, faked their deaths and became Unicorn to thwart Dimiksy from the shadows, even willing to shed their morals. They've also used manipulation to get Qwenthur and Havia reassigned so they learn of Dimiksy's plans. They've also interfered with the duo's operation in Athabasca. When Qwenthur and Havia fight Dimiksy and his Object, Broad Sky Saber, Sogia and Unicorn steal the Forest Roller Object in hopes of using it against the Sky Saber. Unfortunately, the Roller gets destroyed by Dimiksy's laser cannon, having anticipated the attack, which revealed the Object's anti-laser beacon. With Sogia's aid, Qwenthur and Havia corrupt it to make the laser kill Dimiksy and save Staivia in the process.
** Volume 10: Nyarlathotep, was formerly from the Capitalist Enterprise spy cabal Outer Gods. As a spy, he had numerous times both gotten plastic surgery and faked his death. Once their leader, Azathoth/Acres Kiss-of-Rose, retired and began leading one of the 7th Cores ruling the Capitalist Enterprise, Nyarlathotep retired and became a family man in Soberania. But when his family gets killed in Soberania's destruction at Azathoth's hands, the vengeful Nyarlathotep resorted to psychological warfare in order to start the Gigant Hustler, an event showcasing Object fights. Nyarlathotep then infiltrated the Hustler and sabotaged a participant to draw Azathoth into the event. Once the event is canceled, with one of his Objects destroyed, Azathoth plans an attack to divert attention away from him... only for Nyarly to [[NotMyDriver kidnap]] and kill him at the remains of Soberania. In order to avert a war between every faction, Nyarlathotep faced a farcical military trial by the Legitimacy Kingdom. He then killed the assassin sent to silence him and faked his death once again, before departing elsewhere.
** Volume 11: Alisa and her sisters, Rica and Orisa, from the Information Alliance's Martini Series, help [[EvilPrince Flag Eggnog]] start wars between the Vanderbilts and the Winchels, and even assisting him with the drug war and the Plasma 177 construction meant to keep him in power. In actuality, they're manipulating Eggnog in order to obtain data on nobles for the Perfect Browsing project, a system that would display how to resolve a worldwide crisis by just typing a text string into a search engine. They start many sample incidents and disasters as possible, preferring to get info from a noble near the top of an enemy world power, using Eggnog who was so dimwitted to believe they're allies. Nearing conclusion of the Celestial Flowers attack, the sisters contact Flag and reveal their true goals and manipulation, noting that they'd now obtained data on the full-speed collapse of a royal's life, planning to upload it entirely for everyone to see, before hanging up on the confused, infuriated prince and leaving him to his ruin.

* ''LightNovel/TheHeroLaughsWhileWalkingThePathOfVengeanceASecondTime'': The brilliant, charming [[VillainProtagonist Ueki Kaito]] ruthlessly takes any means necessary to avenge himself against those who betrayed him after he saved their world. Recruiting a young slave girl, Kaito viciously helps her poison both the slaver and the other slaves, transforming them into goblins and then killing them. Later allowing the Royal Capital to be ravaged by beasts, Kaito uses the destruction of an outer wall to escape. Pained by guilt after an innocent girl is caught in the debris, Kaito henceforth swears to avoid harming the innocent in his quest for vengeance.

* ''LightNovel/TheIsolator'': [[TheDreaded The Liquidizer]] is a [[AlwaysChaoticEvil Ruby Eye]] of ambiguous age who controls her murderous instincts by focusing on her goal of "[[KillAllHumans the extermination of humanity]]" and an administrator in TheSyndicate sheltering Ruby Eyes. Liqudizer keeps control over her superpowered murderers by allowing them to occasionally murder people and tries to get other Ruby Eyes to join. If they decline, she accepts it and warns them about the Jet Eyes of the Specialized Forces Division. Suspecting spies in her apartment, Liquidizer sets a trap that almost kills them and calls her student Ryuu Mikawa--the Trancer--to deal with the reinforcements in battle, only defeated by Minoru's unbreakable barrier. Escaping, Liquidizer deals with the Stinger, a powerful unaligned Ruby Eye, and is forced to ask for help from the SFD to save Trancer. She makes a deal with the Jet Eyes to free her valued student from the custody of the SFD, being successful while dealing with an assailant. An enigmatic woman, Liquidizer also speculates about the nature of Jet and Ruby Eyes, a doubt that she shares with Minoru and Mikawa, making them question their roles in life.

* ''LightNovel/{{Konosuba}}'': [[DemonLordsAndArchDevils Arch-Devil Vanir]], one of the seven Dukes of Hell and retired general of the Demon Lord, renovates a dungeon to battle against adventurers and prank them, letting him feed of their negative emotions and keep himself entertained. Unable to enter the inner-sanctum of a dungeon because of a purifying circle, Vanir attempts to kill the drawer by body-jacking Darkness. Though struggling to take control of her body, Vanir eventually does so and even forms a cordial relationship with her. Accepting his defeat and remaining brave even in the face of seeming death, Vanir is revealed to have survived and now runs a magic item shop to help Kazuma on his future adventures.

* ''LightNovel/MagicalGirlRaisingProject'':
** Kanoe Hitokouji, aka "[[GeniusBruiser Pfle]]", is a brilliant CombatPragmatist who defeated 102 other magical girls in a battle royal. Abusing the mechanics of the virtual world she is trapped in, Pfle manipulates her way to becoming head of the Magical Girl Resources Department and uses her position to reduce the Magical Kingdom's stranglehold on the magical girls. For her goal, Pfle sets up [[PlayingBothSides new magical girls, Magical Kingdom Inspectors and various criminals]] to fight each other and eliminate threats to her plot before [[MemoryGambit erasing her own memories]] to hide her crimes. When Shadow Gale is kidnapped, Pfle works the kidnapper and later makes an alliance to save Shadow Gale. Keeping the powerful Osk from killing Shadow Gale and defeating the dangerous Puk organization even while at a vast disadvantage for resources, Pfle eventually manages to die while securing Shadow Gale's safety and [[LastRequest ensuring her own legacy shall be passed on]].
** Noriko Nonohara, aka "[[TheDogWasTheMastermind Nokko]]", is a ten-year-old veteran magical girl who uses her powers to [[EmotionControl control her emotions]]. Having toyed with other magical girls to have them kill each other for her own profit, Nokko used the money to care for her ailing mother. Trapped in a DeadlyGame, Nokko is assigned the role of "Evil King" and must kill the other participants to escape, a role she plays by subtly manipulating the others into distrusting one-another and whittling down their numbers. Masquerading as another fighting the Evil King, Nokko eventually fakes her own death with only a few others left to easily induce them into killing each other. Discovered at the last minute, Nokko merely [[GracefulLoser accepts defeat]] and requests the survivors send her mother some money to live before killing herself.

* ''LightNovel/OutbreakCompany'': [[PunchClockVillain Jinzaburō Matoba]] is a government worker in charge of subjugating Eldant through {{otaku}} culture via addiction and monopolization. Hiring Shinichi Kanou as a disposable pawn, Matoba endeared him to the Eldant royal family to establish his programs secretly intending to use it to take hold of Eldant. When Kanou learns the truth, Matoba breaks Kanou down by revealing him disposable if he defies the governments and when he does, Matoba sneakily covers Japan's intentions all the while setting up Kanou's many {{assassination attempt}}s. When Kanou offers another way to maintain relations with Eldant without a full invasion, Matoba decides to [[HeelFaceTurn side with Kanou]] believing his methods are far more effective than his superiors, fooling them into an [[EngineeredPublicConfession unintended confession]] about their true motives and using it as blackmail to silence them. While an opportunistic bureaucrat, Matoba does what he believes is best for Japan.

* ''LightNovel/ReZero'': [[TheCorrupter Echidna]], the [[Characters/ReZeroWitchesOfSin Witch of Greed]], once viewed all living things as her children and [[DespairEventHorizon despaired when she was unable to save them]] from death and suffering. Devoting herself to becoming an all-powerful protector, Echidna creates the powerful spirit servants, twists the nobleman Roswaal L. Mathers into devoting himself to her and researches soul transference to achieve immortality. Hundreds of years after her body dies, Echidna meets [[Characters/ReZeroSubaruNatsuki Subaru Natsuki]] in her spirit realm and puts him through a series of trials to confront his past and slowly gains his trust as she explains to him the mysterious nature of his "[[DeathActivatedSuperpower Return by Death]]" ability. Meanwhile having Roswaal attack Subaru and force him into a dire situation in the real world, Echidna nearly lures Subaru into signing a binding contract with her, only stopped by the sudden arrival of the other Witches. Saving her faithful Roswaal after he is injured and fighting on his behalf, Echidna even makes amends with her wayward "daughter" Beatrice, her soul resting in peace after accepting her.

* ''LightNovel/ShakuganNoShana'':
** Bel Peol, known as the "Arbiter of Reverse Reasoning" and "TheStrategist", lead Bel Masque in the first two seasons. In the past, Bel Peol sacrificed her right eye as part of a plan to retrieve her master's body; later convincing a Denizen into going for a dangerous mission, resulting in his death for her cause. Trying to destroy Misaki City, Bel Peol nearly succeeds in all her attempts thanks to her tactical brilliance and pushes the heroes to their limits. Joining her master, the Snake of the Festival upon his revival, Bel Peol acts as his [[TheDragon Dragon]] and together they usher in the creation of Xanadu, a paradise for Denizens and humans alike, fighting fiercely for it. A ruthless, goal-driven woman, Bel Peol nevertheless showed fondness to her underlings and exceedingly intelligence thinking in the field of battle, proving herself a worthy leader of Bel Masque.
** The Snake of the Festival or "The God of Creation", is the original leader of Bel Masque. Summoned in ancient times by the Denizens of the past, the Snake tried to create a paradise for them before being sealed in the Abyss. In present convincing protagonist Yuji Sakai to become his vessel, the Snake retakes leadership of Bel Masque, giving a speech so powerful it gains him the complete loyalty of all the present Denizens. Leading the Denizens in the devastating Second Great War, the Snake oversees the brutal combat to have his body recovered from the Abyss. Returning to Misaki City to create Xanadu, the Snake uses his own body and a member of the Trinity as sacrifices to create his new world. Realizing the Denizen's wish for peaceful coexistence, the Snake completes his mission despite massive opposition and returns to sleep, wishing his vessel success for the future.

** [[TheGrimReaper Lord Death]]/{{Shinigami}} is [[BigGood the leader]] of the [[Characters/SoulEaterDWMA Death Weapon Meister Academy (DWMA)]], founding and running the organization for the purpose of wiping out evil in the world. Recruiting hundreds of humans and Death Weapons alike to his cause, Death puts up the front of a silly goofball while truthfully masking a more vicious--but nonetheless noble--persona as he trains his students in taking on enemy forces. Death teams students in ideal groups to help them grow, sends them on successful missions tailored to their strengths, and keeps the DWMA afloat even amidst assaults by Medusa and Arachne Gorgon. When [[BigBad Kishin Asura]] escapes a prison designed by Death himself, Death instantly begins weeding out the monster's whereabouts, invading cities and forcing witches into assisting, before ultimately making a pact with the witches he's warred against for so long, realizing that Asura is the greater evil. A proud father to Death "the Kid" who willingly gives up his own life to help his son defeat Asura, a great leader to the DWMA, and a true friend to several characters, Lord Death's like-ability is only matched by his intelligent mind.
** [[MadScientist Dr. Franken Stein]] is the DWMA's most successful former student-turned-teacher, a diabolically sadistic scientist who controls his cruel urges by fighting alongside allies he genuinely cares about. Introduced to the story physically and verbally thrashing several DWMA students as part of a "test" of their abilities, Stein personally leads his students on several missions to train them further, and spends his free time deducing the identity of school doctor Medusa Gorgon as a scheming witch and working to end her plans. Destroying Medusa's physical form in combat through both skill and analysis, Stein is later framed for the murder of a fellow DWMA member, but he quickly flees into hiding, tracks down the true culprit, and exposes the attempted frame-up, clearing his name. During the final assault on Asura's moon lair, Stein brilliantly strategizes against and massacres swathes of enemy troops to the shock and awe of everyone around, all while maintaining his friendly disposition and care for his companions, even assisting in the final battle with Asura himself with great success.

* ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'':
** [[Characters/SwordArtOnlineAkihikoKayaba Akihiko Kayaba]] is a brilliant programmer desiring a fully-immersive VirtualReality simulation and creator of ''Sword Art Online'', the world's first VRMMORPG: trapping 10,000 players within and setting it so they die in real life if they do in the game while preventing authorities from stopping his game. Disguised as Heathcliff, a charming leader of a group of players within Aincrad, Kayaba reveals himself when hero [[Characters/SwordArtOnlineKazutoKirigaya Kazuto "Kirito" Kirigaya]] deduces his identity and duels the latter, releasing the players and seemingly killing himself when beaten but in reality sending his [[OurSoulsAreDifferent Fluctlight]] to continue existing on the internet. Reappearing out of disgust for the next season's ArcVillain, Kayaba assists Kirito in defeating the antagonist and entrusts Kirito with his final invention: made to allow others to create their own virtual reality games and have it shared with the world. Returning once more in the ''Alicization'' arc, Kayaba helps save the virtual reality world the heroes are within by taking control of a robot in the setting, proving himself Kirito's most honorable foe.
** Seijirou Kikouka masquerades as Kirito's benefactor but in reality is a JSDF lieutenant leading RATH, the creators of virtual reality world ''Underworld''. Swindling Kirito into work for him, he hopes to use the artificial Fluctlights of ''Underworld'' as soldiers to avoid human casualties in war and when Kirito is hospitalized, Kikouka has him connected to the virtual reality world, hoping to save his mind out of genuine concern. When attacked, he helps fight the sociopathic Gabriel Miller and through the series learns to value the [=AI=]s he once sought to use as CannonFodder to save human soldiers, successfully escaping after showing Japan's potential at the arc's end.

** Sakyo is a charming, charismatic member of the Black Black Club who [[RagsTORiches came up from nothing]]. A born sociopath who despised his honest, loving family, Sakyo graduated from [[BadPeopleAbuseAnimals torturing animals]] into high stakes gambling where he amassed a fortune to join the demon-trafficking and torturing Black Black Club. Deciding to advance even further, Sakyo plays the group's founder Gonzo Tarukane by secretly paying off the Toguro brothers when Tarukane hires them as bodyguards, rigging the gambles he makes with Tarukane by having the Toguro brothers take a dive against Team Urameshi. Setting up his team to fight in the Dark Tournament, Sakyo takes a curious liking to Shizuru Kuwabara and protects her during the events while also manipulating and eventually disposing of the rest of the Black Black Club, before gambling his own life on Toguro's victory in order to insure he can see a portal opened to the Demon World out of sheer morbid curiosity. When Toguro is defeated, Sakyo immediately [[FaceDeathWithDignity offers his life without complaint]], bidding a last fond farewell to Shizuru first.
** The Younger Toguro brother sold his soul 50 years ago to become a powerful demon after winning the Dark Tournament in despair over the deaths of his students and the knowledge of his impending mortality. In present, having grown disillusioned with his life, he manipulates the events with Gonzo Tarukane to see if Yusuke Urameshi is a worthy adversary and forces him and team to join the Dark Tournament. Toguro manipulates Yusuke into becoming stronger while also keeping him from making Toguro's mistakes before the final match. After killing Yusuke's mentor, his former teammate and lover Genkai, Toguro is dissatisfied with Yusuke's strength and seemingly murders his friend Kuwabara to force him to fight all out, only to reveal he faked Kuwabara's death. Unlike his twisted elder brother, Toguro never sold his pride along with his soul and displays a true sense of honor, grateful to give his all against a final worthy adversary.
** Shinobu Sensui, the "Black Angel", was once a brilliant young Spirit Detective whose idealistic view of humans was shattered by the Black Black Club. Years later, Sensui uses the depraved Chapter Black tape to recruit a group of psychics to his side as Team Urameshi goes after him, manipulating all his enemies and allies alike to achieve his goals and weaken Yusuke's team. In one instance, Sensui forces Kurama to duel in a game against a little boy, with the boy not knowing he will die if he loses. Sensui is aware Kurama will do it, but knows it will shake him up too much to be of use in fighting Sensui at his best later, while also knowing a guilt-stricken Koenma will use up too much power restoring the boy to life. Sensui also uses his multiple personalities to bear the burdens of his crimes, revealing his true self in time to defeat and even kill Yusuke before opening a path to the demon world, with his true goal being an elaborate suicide attempt to die at the hands of a powerful demon to atone for taking so many demon lives in the past. Passing as a dark mirror to Yusuke himself, Sensui remains one of his most sympathetic and fascinating enemies.

->''It's not a sense of justice. Figuring out difficult cases is my hobby. If you measured good and evil deeds by current laws, I would be responsible for many crimes. The same way you all like to solve mysteries and riddles, or clear video games more quickly. For me too, it's simply prolonging something I enjoy doing. That's why I only take on cases that pique my interests. It's not justice at all, and if it means being able to clear a case, I don't play fair. I'm a dishonest, cheating human being who hates losing.''

*** [[BigBad Shogo Makishima]] is a SerialKiller obsessed with the inner darkness of human nature. Swaying others into becoming killers themselves to help damage and tear apart the current society, Makishima then eliminates them when they disappoint him or serve their purpose, and begins cultivating inspector Shinya Kogami as his chosen nemesis as he schemes to destroy the oppressive [[BigBrotherIsWatching Sibyl System]]. Forming multiple plans to tear the system down, it is revealed Sibyl in fact wants Makishima to join its HiveMind, which he lethally rejects by murdering their emissary, declaring that his loyalty is to his own individuality and he will keep playing his games by his own will. Even after all his forces are beaten, Makishima sets out on a lone wolf attack, nearly bringing all of Japan to its knees by destroying the centralized food plant. Cultured, charming, manipulative and ruthless beyond measure, Makishima will stop at nothing to impose his vision of freedom upon Japan and revel in the resulting chaos.
*** [[TheDragon Choe Gu-sung]] is a Korean war survivor and Shogo Makishima's best friend and intellectual equal. Acting as liaison between Makishima and their clients, Choe provides them the resources to commit crime in the Sibyl System's "perfect" Japan as part of the revolution the duo seek. Also a genius programmer, Choe uses his abilities to distract the entire nation's security forces while he and Makishima deduce the location of and assault the building housing Sibyl's mainframe. [[TheCracker Hacking through all its defenses]] and using his words to distract the Enforcer tailing him, Choe comes moments to exposing the undetectable criminal brains used to run Sibyl to the world and his death motivates Makishima to carry on their goal.
** Season 2: [[BigBad Kirito Kamui]] was surgically made into a [[MixAndMatchMan collective being]] as a child after he alone survived a plane crash indirectly caused by a precursor to the Sibyl System and now seeks its betterment for humanity. A master psychotherapist, Kamui gets his followers' crime coefficients below judgeable levels, making them all the more threatening. Engineering a series of daring attacks, Kamui surmises the physical location of the Sibyl System and forces it to remove a number of corrupted brains from itself so that it can judge his collective mind, dying satisfied with the impact he made.

** [[NobleDemon Luck Gandor]] is an unfailingly polite mob boss who runs the Gandor crime family alongside his brothers, Berga and Keith, using his affinity for charisma and manipulations to function as the practical brains and face of the organization. Having slowly brought the Gandor family into more power than it's ever held with his strategies and people skills, Luck instills total respect from those under his control with his cool head and refusal to bring the chaotic force of drugs into his corner of Manhattan. Giving even those who betray his trust the opportunity to redeem themselves yet never hesitating to coldly execute them if they prove undeserving of his friendship, Luck keeps even the likes of [[CloudCuckooLander Claire Stanfield]] and [[KnifeNut Maria Barcelito]] under control and uses them to further the Gandor's control over Manhattan, taking out rival crime families and turning enemies into allies every step of the way. Upon becoming immortal, Luck pays back fellow immortal scumbag Dallas Genoard for murdering Luck's friends by sinking him in a river to drown unendingly, however later shows mercy to Dallas' younger sister Eve and allows her to save Dallas from his horrible fate, showcasing that Luck's morals and standards are just as notable as his ruthlessness.

* ''[[Anime/StarDriver Star Driver]]'':

* ''Anime/BakuganBattlePlanet'': [[PsychopathicManchild Haavik]] is a shapeshifting alien who sets his sights on Earth. Witnessing the Awesome Brawlers defeat his thralls, he takes an interest in them and first meets them personally, forcing them to take part in his "games" before being defeated by Dan in a brawl. Later hijacking the Bakugan Battle League, Haavik places the losers in stasis while he steals their Bakugan in a bid to control them in order to destroy Tokyo. Using the data he collected in the League, Haavik creates Sabrus, a Fusion Bakugan he uses to cause large amounts of property damage before setting his sights on Tiko, who he intends to use to increase Sabrus's power. Even though he finds Tiko having undergone a HeelFaceTurn and unwilling to give up without a fight, Haavik is undeterred and instead forcibly fuses a weakened Pyravian to his creation. Although he loses to the Awesome Brawlers, Haavik graciously accepts his loss and simply moves on to invade another planet.

* ''Manga/AkameGaKill'': [[IronLady Najenda]] is the brilliant leader of the [[Characters/AkameGaKillNightRaid Night Raid]] assassination squad and former General of [[Characters/AkameGaKillTheEmpire The Empire]], who charmed her forces into leaving alongside her when she [[DefectorFromDecadence defected out of disgust at their corruption]]. Coldly demanding payment for assassination services from the land's desperate peasants, Najenda proves instrumental in guiding her team and gathering resources for the planned rebellion. Convincing many members of the nobility into joining her cause, Najenda acts as a decoy in a plan of her own design and succeeds in crushing the Empire's armies and overthrowing the vile regime.

* ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'':
** [[Characters/AttackOnTitanErenYeager Eren Yeager]] began as a boy desiring freedom, and vengeance upon the [[Characters/AttackOnTitanTitans Titans]] by destroying them all. After becoming a Titan Shifter, Eren steadily grows to believe peace between the [[Characters/AttackOnTitanEldia Eldians]] and the rest of the world is impossible. Staging an attack on the belligerent nation of [[Characters/AttackOnTitanMarley Marley]] and killing the shadow-rulers, the Tyburs, Eren focuses the hate of the world onto himself while inspiring others to follow in his footsteps. Even outwitting his genius brother Zeke while winning over the first Titan, Ymir Fritz, to his side, Eren proceeds to initiate the Rumbling: awakening millions of massive Titans to eradicate everything but the Eldians. It is finally revealed Eren [[ThanatosGambit always intended to be stopped]], becoming the final villain and scapegoat to all the atrocities and even manipulating events across the timestream, all to give the future a chance at peace, even at the cost of his own life.
** [[CommandingCoolness Erwin Smith]], commander of the [[Characters/AttackOnTitanSurveyCorps Survey Corps]], is a brilliant strategist who formed the infamous formation to use against Titans, cutting down on casualties immensely. From a [[ChildProdigy young age]], Erwin was known as a genius who used and manipulated those around him, sacrificing countless lives for the benefit of humanity. Recruiting humanity's strongest warrior, [[Characters/AttackOnTitanLeviAckerman Levi Ackerman]] and winning his loyalty, Erwin uses his own troops as bait to draw out hypothetical Titan shifters, utilizing other Titans as weapons against them. When arrested, Erwin even helps to come up with a plan to overthrow the corrupt monarchy and install his subordinate Historia on the throne, driven by a desire to prove humanity shall not fall easily in his war against the Titans.
** [[Characters/AttackOnTitanZekeYeager Zeke Yeager]] is Eren's half brother and the holder of the Beast Titan. Selling out his parents, who pressured him into becoming a Warrior, to Marley, Zeke formulates an "Euthanization" plan to peacefully exterminate the Eldian race by using the godlike power of the Founding Titan to sterilize all Eldians. Leading the operation to retrieve the Founder, Zeke turns the citizens of Ragako Village into Titans to do his bidding, and executes a brilliant strategy that [[CurbStompBattle nearly wipes out]] the entire Survey Corps. Betraying Marley to ally himself with Paradis, Zeke fakes his death, and comes within a hair's breadth of succeeding with his Euthanization plan. When Armin Arlert convinces him of the true value of life, Zeke [[HeroicSacrifice sacrifices his life]] to stop the Rumbling.
** [[DragonWithAnAgenda Kenny Ackerman]], once known as "[[BloodKnight Kenny the Ripper]]" for his skillful hunting and slaying of dozens of Military Police, is one of the last scions of the Ackerman line and the man who raised the famed Levi. Having attempted to assassinate King Rod Reiss and his brother Uri, Kenny instead joined Uri as his friend and guard, becoming the leader of the Anti-Personnel Squadron whom he captivated with his charisma and vision. Intending to use Rod to eventually allow him to claim the Founding Titan, Kenny is easily able to see through Levi and Erwin's attempted coup, capturing Eren and Historia before realizing he himself cannot inherit the Founder. [[EvenEvilHasStandards Expressing his disgust at Rod for his cowardice]], Kenny simply frees Eren to fight Historia and when mortally wounded, chooses to die human instead of taking the Titan serum after a final farewell with his nephew Levi.
** [[PosthumousCharacter Eren Kruger]] is the founder of the Eldian Restorationists, a group of patriots dedicated to opposing Marley. To help the Restorationists, Kruger infiltrates Marley's Public Security Authorities and passes information on to his comrades, while also recruiting oppressed Eldians to his cause. To make sure that his cover remains intact, [[IDidWhatIHadToDo he]] tortured many of his own Eldian brethren before turning them into Titans and sending them to Paradis Island: one example being Dina Fritz while having her husband, Grisha Yeager, watch. Afterwards, Kruger arranges Sergeant Major Gross to be eaten by a Titan, before using the powers of the Attack Titan to kill off Gross' men. He then reveals himself as "The Owl" to Grisha before sending him to Paradis Island, while giving him the Attack Titan's powers and instructing Grisha to find an heir to pass it on to.

* ''Manga/{{Jormungand}}'': Koko Hekmatyar is a brilliant young ArmsDealer who runs her organization with [[TheUnfettered ruthless efficiency]]. Constantly making advantageous illegal deals and dictating the course of conflicts, Koko adopts the young former child soldier Jonah as a way to keep herself shackled to her humanity, frequently taking on those who attempt to undermine or kill her while leading them to their own demises in breathtakingly impressive fashion. Koko is revealed to despise the arms trade despite her skill with it, and puts Project Jormungand into play: a plan to use a satellite system to seal the skies from humanity, destroying all aircrafts in the sky at once to force world peace, believing herself to be the one to create a true peace for the world, even successfully pushing Jonah into agreeing with the plan at the end, declaring her personal soldiers will be the final soldiers left.

->''"Now watch closely, everyone. I'm going to show you how to kill a god. A god of life and death. The trick is not to fear him."''
-->-- '''Lady Eboshi''', ''Anime/PrincessMononoke''

* ''{{MagnificentBastard/Naruto}}''
* ''{{MagnificentBastard/Nasuverse}}''

* ''{{MagnificentBastard/Pokemon}}''

** The elusive [[MasterOfAll Reaper]], real name Ryushi Korogane, raised himself from an impoverished child to the [[FromNobodyToNightmare most feared and brilliant assassin]] in the world. Raising the son of one victim as his apprentice, the Reaper expanded his business until his apprentice betrayed him to the vile scientist Kotaro Yanagisawa. Falling in love with the abusive Yanagisawa's fiancée, the Reaper eventually breaks free of captivity by slaughtering Yanagisawa's guards when his lover is fatally wounded. Knowing the experiments will cause him to self-destruct along with the earth within a year, the Reaper becomes caring a teacher of [[Characters/AssassinationClassroomClass3E troubled youth]], "[[Characters/AssassinationClassroomKorosensei Koro-sensei]]", grooming their self-confidence while imparting the skills to kill him and save the world.

* ''Anime/CastleInTheSky'': [[LovableRogue Captain Dola]] is a tough-as-nails, boastful [[SkyPirate pirate]] who pillages the skies for wealth and treasures beyond compare with her own family for crew. Having learned of the existence of a necklace capable of leading one to the lost, floating city of Laputa, Dola stages on attack on a military escort blimp, tearing through the defenses and only losing the necklace when the young girl Sheeta slips away with it. Tracking down Sheeta through use of disguises and allying with her friend Pazu to rescue her from [[BigBad Colonel Muska]], Dola recruits the children to her crew and uses them as guides to find Laputa for herself. Even when caught by Muska's men, Dola escapes with Pazu's help, imparts a useful weapon to him in return, and goes on to loot Laputa for as many riches as her crew can carry, walking away from the adventure immensely rich and having gained the friendship of Sheeta and Pazu for her gruff, yet lovable, maternal nature.

*** [[DragonWithAnAgenda Prince Zera]] is the son of Panther Zora who seeks to take Sister Jill’s spot as leader of Panther Claw. One of the co-creators of the Airborne Elemental Fixing Device alongside Professor Takeshi Kisaragi, Zera also worked with Zora to raise a girl named Seira Hazuki into hating Cutie Honey by having her branded with the Mark of Hatred. Disguising himself as the mysterious [[MysteriousWatcher Twilight Prince]], Zera manipulates Honey into killing Sister Jill, swooping in to take her place. Setting his sights on Honey's device to make Zora a loving figure and wipe the mark from Seira, after Seira is corrupted by her mark and kills Professor Kisaragi, Zera, blasé of their deaths, [[EvilAllAlong reveals himself to Honey]] and tries to kill her. After losing to Honey thanks to her new love ability, Zera [[HeelFaceTurn joins her side]], doing everything he can to help her take down the resurrected Sister Jill and Zora. Despite sacrificing his life to protect Honey from Zora, Zera's spirit is still able to assist, and ends the show wishing Honey a happy marriage before departing to the afterlife.

* ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'':
** Original manga: Raoh himself, Kenshiro's eldest brother disciple in Hokuto Shinken styles himself as Ken-Oh TheConqueror. In a series of brilliant and ruthless campaigns, Raoh carves out his own empire in the wasteland while defeating any martial artists who challenge him and sending them to the prison Cassandra while stealing their scrolls for his own usage and advancement. While sometimes at the disadvantage thanks to Kenshiro or rival forces, Raoh is infamous for pushing back to be stronger than ever through sheer force of will and tenacity. Possessing a strong form of honor, Raoh does not hesitate to execute any in his army who terrorize or violate his citizens and when he faces the warrior Fudoh, Raoh orders his own men to kill him should he take a step back, a request he is furious they ignore. When he finally faces Kenshiro and loses, Raoh embraces his brother with true affection and uses the last of his energy to purge the radioactive toxins from the atmosphere, declaring proudly that he [[IRegretNothing lived his life without regrets]] as he [[DiedStandingUp dies standing proud]].
** 1986 anime film (English dub only): Raoh is the oldest and the strongest of Hokuto Brothers. Declaring himself to be the Fist Of The North Star, after witnessing Kenshiro being easily defeated by Shin, Raoh effortlessly kills his adoptive father Ryuken and begins gathering a massive army to conquer the world ravaged by nuclear war. Calling himself "King Raoh", Raoh quickly and effectively defeated many armies and martial artists, conquering and subjugating most of the world, until Kenshiro is the only one left as who can oppose him. Imprisoning Julia, Kenshiro's bride, to lure Kenshiro out, Raoh immediately realizes that Kenshiro's allies were inside his city when he sees Julia holding a flower in her cell. Forcing Rei to come out, Raoh easily counters his ultimate technique and kills him, then goads Kenshiro into battle and emerges victorious, only stopping himself from killing Kenshiro, out of respect for Lin's bravery, which reminded him of Ryuken's teachings and causes him to leave to visit his old master's grave and pay his respects.

* ''Anime/GodzillaThePlanetEater'': [[TheHeavy Metphies]] is an Exif who serves as the [[SinisterMinister archbishop]] of their religion. Using his status as a colonel of the United Earth Military to convert numerous people on board the Aratum into his religion, he would mold one of them, hero Haruo Sakaki, into his own personal weapon against Godzilla by exploiting Haruo’s hatred for the beast. Leaking Haruo information about Godzilla, he sent him and a squadron down to Earth to kill the beast, before convincing Haruo to turn against Mulu-elu Galu-gu when the latter’s plans to assimilate the Earth with Mechagodzilla’s nanometal interferes with Metphies' own plans for the planet. After saving Earth from Mulu-elu and Mechagodzilla, Metphies persuades many of the survivors into helping his cause, having them summon Ghidorah -- an EldritchAbomination that destroyed the Exif homeworld -- to the planet by telling them it could destroy Godzilla. When Haruo and Miana learn of Metphies' intentions to sacrifice Earth to Ghidorah, Metphies subjects them to [[MindRape mind breaking visions and hallucinations]] to prevent them from stopping him. Only losing to Mothra’s [[DeusExMachina sudden intervention]] and Haruo gaining the determination to resist him, Metphies proves that with his intellect and charisma alone he can become a threat on par with the King of Monsters.

* ''Anime/HowlsMovingCastle'': [[WellIntentionedExtremist Madame Suliman]] is a court wizard and the eccentric Howl's former mentor. Knowing of Howl's cowardly and self-destructive path, Suliman utilizes a war to ensure he comes to her castle to speak to her, using her magic to turn the evil Witch of the Waste to her true age and immediately ending her threat. Upon meeting Sophie, Suliman effortlessly deduces that she and Howl are in love, before showing that she had already prepared for Howl's arrival and nearly trapping him then and there. When Howl escapes, Suliman launches a pursuit upon him. Even after Sophie and Howl's narrow escape, Suliman continues to put plans into action to catch the two, hoping to turn Howl back to a good path. Coercing Sophie's mother into delivering a Peeping Bug to the house, Suliman sends her minions after the group. When Sophie saves Howl and he changes his ways, Suliman decides to end the war, content that Howl's learned his lesson.

* ''Animation/TheLegendOfHei'': [[BigBad Feng Xi]] lead group of Elfins who wanted to live in a world without humans. His previous homes were industrialized, and desiring Godhood to make such a world exist, Feng Xi realizes the power young Luo Xiao Hei has and takes him under his wing, offering him a home with his gang of Elfins. After being forced to leave Hei behind, Hei is adopted by Wuxian, a spirit, forcing Feng Xi to get informants to talk through his sheer charm, then Feng Xi sends his minions after them. During the struggle, Feng Xi decides to kidnap Hei and drains him of his Dimension power, leaving the young cat demon comatose. After a climatic battle with Wuxian in Xiao Hei's Dimension he created, Feng Xi easily defeats Wuxian despite Wuxian being the better fighter. Xiao Hei realizes he was wrong to hate humans and trust Feng Xi, wakes up revealing he has two Dimensional powers. Wuxian and Hei work together to defeat Feng. Offering him a chance to redeem himself by living in a world with humans, Feng Xi [[RedemptionRejection instead]] commits suicide by falling off a tree he created and burying his own body.

** ''Anime/RebuildOfEvangelion'':
*** [[AdaptationalBadass Professor Kozo Fuyutsuki]] is the BeleagueredAssistant to Gendō Ikari, one of the heads of NERV, and one of the most composed and brilliant characters in the entire cast. Before the Second Impact, Fuyutsuki was the professor to Gendō, Yui, and Mari, and after Yui's soul was absorbed by the Entry Plug System she devised, Fuyutsuki joined Gendō in attempting to enact the Human Instrumentality Project in order to see her again. As cunning as Gendō but more principled and far less obsessive, Fuyutsuki calmly shatters young hero Shinji's mind over a game of ''shogi'' with the AwfulTruth of Rei and his mother, thus manipulating the boy into kickstarting the Third Impact for the purpose of his and Gendō's plans. By the finale, Fuyutsuki is singlehandedly manning NERV's mass-produced Eva military, and proves himself a master strategist and combatant by engaging WILLE's entire army on his own and nearly managing to come out on top. Even when beaten, Fuyutsuki comes to terms with his loss, happily leaving Mari with the means to help stop Instrumentality, and surrenders to degeneration with nothing but dignity.
*** [[CuteAndPsycho Mari Makinami Illustrious]] is a confident, flirtatious Evangelion pilot. Introduced tricking NERV into allowing her to pilot the experimental Unit-05, Mari manages to [[AcePilot use the flawed prototype's self-destruct mechanism]] to destroy an Angel. Casually ready to accept death during Near-Third Impact, when she survives Mari joins WILLE to help stop Gendō and NERV, fighting [[PragmaticHero brutally but effectively]] to reclaim land "purified" with L Contamination for humanity to live on once again. Confronting her old mentor Fuyutsuki and having her true name "Mary/Maria (of) Iscariot" revealed, she creates and sacrifices her combined Evangelion to allow Shinji a chance to reset and right the world.

* ''Anime/NinjaScroll'': [[HeWhoFightsMonsters Dakuan]] is an [[OldSoldier elderly trickster]] working for the Tokugawa Shogunate. Dakuan introduces himself to Jubei by helping the ninja overcome an enemy while simultaneously poisoning Jubei, forcing him to help Dakuan in his quest to take down the Eight Devils. Recruiting Kagero as well, Dakuan works with the two to strategize methods on taking down each of the Devils while using their growing affection for each other to further manipulate them to his tune. After using Jubei and Kagero as bait and puppets, resulting in the latter's death, Dakuan succeeds in taking down the Eight Devils and almost pockets a fortune in gold, simply shrugging off Jubei's harsh accusations for his behavior and parting ways with Jubei [[FriendlyEnemy without hard feelings]].

* ''Anime/PrincessMononoke'': Lady Eboshi, the ruler of Irontown is a woman with a [[NervesOfSteel backbone made of steel]]. Forging a mining community with nothing but her own will and strength, Eboshi made it a refuge for lepers, outcasts and the downtrodden, even buying the freedom of many women from brothels and giving them a new home, training them to work and fight. Coming into conflict with the gods of the forest and local warlords, Eboshi leads her people to fend them off and fight back, even luring out the Great Forest Spirit to destroy it, in hopes of reducing the forest animals to just normal beasts, claiming her trick to killing a god is to not fear it. Even after losing an arm to the bite of the decapitated wolf goddess Moro, Eboshi merely grins and reminds herself that a wolf's head still has a bite, being one of the most morally complex and strong-willed antagonists in a Creator/HayaoMiyazaki film.

* ''Anime/RingingBell'': [[NobleWolf The Wolf King]] routinely slaughters other animals to [[PredationIsNatural preserve the laws of nature]]. The Wolf attacks a sheep pasture, targeting the lamb Chirin specifically, but only succeeds in killing two sheep including his mother. When a vengeful Chirin repeatedly pesters the Wolf to train him in a wolf's ways, he sends Chirin through [[TrainingFromHell grueling training]] that hardens the lamb until adulthood, growing attached to him all the while. With the Wolf having molded Chirin into a [[FromNobodyToNightmare monster of a sheep]], he plans an attack on Chirin's old pasture, then fights Chirin to the death when the latter refuses to kill the other sheep. [[FaceDeathWithDignity Graceful even after Chirin lands the killing blow]], the Wolf expresses his pride in his disciple for finally becoming stronger than him and upholding his philosophies.

* ''Film/SpacePirateCaptainHarlock2013'': The titular [[ByronicHero Captain Harlock]] himself was [[WhoWantsToLiveForever cursed with immortality]] as he witnessed the destruction of the planet Earth and in his grief desires to eradicate the universe and allow life to start over. Plotting against the wicked Gaia government, Harlock purloins warheads and deceives all around him to plant the weapons in strategic places, ostensibly allowing him to [[ResetButton rewind time]] and fix the past, swaying hero Yama over with his natural charisma and keeping all in the dark of his true desire to craft a new universe. Only foregoing his plan out of his genuine affection for Yama, Harlock departs after Yama refuses to go through with his destructive plan and allowing the people of Gaia to know the true about their government, also leaving Yama his ship the ''Arcadia'' and [[PassingTheTorch mantle of "Harlock"]] as well.

* ''Anime/{{Steamboy}}'': Edward "Eddie" Steam was injured in a steam accident. Rebuilding himself into a metal {{cyborg}}, Eddie decides to build {{steampunk}} weapons of war, with his MagnumOpus being a giant floating castle, which he proceeds to pilot over London. When his son Ray and father Lloyd try to destroy it, Eddie proclaims that it will still inspire people, given that it has been revealed to the world. Later he ends up helping Lloyd and Ray destroy it over the Thames. While Lloyd tries to cut off his escape, Eddie manages to evade him, and it is shown that his prediction was true, given that the world goes through a steampunk revolution.

** Original series:
*** [[Characters/SwordArtOnlineAkihikoKayaba Akihiko Kayaba]] is a brilliant programmer desiring a fully-immersive VirtualReality simulation and creator of ''Sword Art Online'', the world's first VRMMORPG: trapping 10,000 players within and setting it so they die in real life if they do in the game while preventing authorities from stopping his game. Disguised as Heathcliff, a charming leader of a group of players within Aincrad, Kayaba reveals himself when hero [[Characters/SwordArtOnlineKazutoKirigaya Kazuto "Kirito" Kirigaya]] deduces his identity and duels the latter, releasing the players and seemingly killing himself when beaten but in reality sending his [[OurSoulsAreDifferent Fluctlight]] to continue existing on the internet. Reappearing out of disgust for the next season's ArcVillain, Kayaba assists Kirito in defeating the antagonist and entrusts Kirito with his final invention: made to allow others to create their own virtual reality games and have it shared with the world. Returning once more in the ''Alicization'' arc, Kayaba helps save the virtual reality world the heroes are within by taking control of a robot in the setting, proving himself Kirito's most honorable foe.
*** Seijirou Kikouka masquerades as Kirito's benefactor but in reality is a JSDF lieutenant leading RATH, the creators of virtual reality world ''Underworld''. Swindling Kirito into work for him, he hopes to use the artificial Fluctlights of ''Underworld'' as soldiers to avoid human casualties in war and when Kirito is hospitalized, Kikouka has him connected to the virtual reality world, hoping to save his mind out of genuine concern. When attacked, he helps fight the sociopathic Gabriel Miller and through the series learns to value the [=AI=]s he once sought to use as CannonFodder to save human soldiers, successfully escaping after showing Japan's potential at the arc's end.
** ''[[Anime/SwordArtOnlineTheMovieOrdinalScale Ordinal Scale]]'': [[BigBad Tetsuhiro Shigemura]] is the creator of the AR device Augma and its game, ''Ordinal Scale'', distributing it to all the ''Sword Art Online'' (''SAO'') survivors so he can steal their memories from that game in hopes of resurrecting his deceased daughter, Yuna, who died while playing ''SAO''. Forcing the players to fight bosses of ''SAO'', which makes them relieve their experiences in ''SAO'' Tetsuhiro then has [[TheDragon Eiji Nochizawa]] attack them to ensure their defeat before Tetsuhiro collects their memories. Already collecting memories from countless gamers, Tetsushiro gathers all the remaining ''SAO'' players to a stadium before unleashing numerous ''SAO'' bosses onto them, hoping to gather all their memories in one swoop, risking their deaths in the process. With his plan [[NearVillainVictory nearly complete]], he is only stopped by his revived daughter turning against him and [[GracefulLoser chooses to take his loss with grace]], before being recruited into RATH by Seijirō Kikuoka, due to the latter's respect for Tetsuhiro's genius.
* ''Anime/SwordOfTheStranger'': Luo-Lang is a masterful swordsman who seeks a proper challenge and duel above all else, allying with the Ming group for the opportunity to face opponents of all kinds. Introduced utterly decimating an entire band of raiders with skill and ingenuity, Luo-Lang even disarms himself and defeats their leader with his bare hands to showcase his abilities. Assisting his employer Byakuran in tracking down the young boy Kotaro, Luo-Lang simultaneously deduces supposed allies of Byakuran's are scheming against him, and kidnaps their leader to throw them into disarray. lup-Lang grows impressed with the sights and tales he experiences of the mysterious swordsman "No Name", to such an extent that he betrays and kills Byakuran for dishonorably trying to shoot No Name in the back, before challenging No Name to a final, lethal duel. Though the brilliant fight ends with Luo-Lang mortally wounded, he nonetheless spends his final moments utterly content that he finally found someone worthy to fight against.

* ''Anime/TigerAndBunny'':
** [[AntiVillain Yuri Petrov]], "Lunatic," is a vigilante NEXT who forgoes any attempts at fame or upholding of morality, to instead dish out justice as he sees fit. Raised by an abusive superhero father, Lunatic came to despise all forms of evil in the world, believing the most sure path to safety and peace was [[PayEvilUntoEvil the extermination of those who do wrong]], and goes about executing and assassinating countless rapists and murderers, all while [[VillainWithGoodPublicity keeping up the guise]] of the charming judge of the city of Sternbild. As Lunatic, he gains immense popularity for his effectiveness, and his code of honor leads to him going so far as to save the life of his enemy Kotetsu, noting it wouldn't be just for a hero like him to be killed. Lunatic walks away from the story as dangerous and powerful as ever, showing no signs of being stopped by anyone in his self-perceived righteous crusade.
** ''Beginnings'': [[LovableRogue Robin Baxter]] is an international criminal known for committing robberies from multiple countries while using his NEXT power of switching locations with people, to escape his pursuers. Stealing a statue of Mr. Legend in Sternbild City, Baxter continues to evade the police and heroes alike, eventually luring them at an amusement park where he uses his powers and evasion skills to misdirect and outsmart them. Baxter eventually plans to reach the park's highest point and use his powers to switch locations with citizens of Sternbild to completely escape the authority's grasps, a plan Baxter would have [[NearVillainVictory succeeded in]] if not for the intervention of [[{{Deuteragonist}} Barnaby Brooks]].
** ''The Rising'': [[BigBad Andrew Scott]] is a NEXT seeking revenge on [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Mark Schneider]] for taking his father's company which led to [[DrivenToSuicide his suicide]]. To complete his revenge, Andrew recruits three other [=NEXTs=] who were ruined by Schneider and has them wreak havoc on Sternbild City and attack heroes while Andrew infiltrates Schneider's company using the alias Virgil Dingfelder to get close to the man he plans to kill. He then has his subordinates attack innocent people during Justice Day, distracting the remaining heroes while kidnapping Schneider and preparing to murder him. Stopped only by Kotetsu T. Kaburagi and Barnaby Brooks, Jr., Andrew accepts his [[GracefulLoser defeat with grace]] as Schneider gets arrested.

** ''Badlands Rumble'' (2010 film): Gasback Gallon Getaway is a roguish, boisterous criminal who, despite his brutish appearance, is in truth a calculating thief who views the act of robbery and thievery as "art" forms. After his initial bank heist is foiled by treacherous minions, Gasback spends decades plotting both revenge against the men for "sullying" the art of robbery with their dishonorable betrayal, and the greatest heist he's ever concocted. Laying waste to two of the men's prospering enterprises, Gasback repeats the process on his final betrayer, revealing at the same time that each of his before robberies were all to amass materials needed to steal a Plant, which he pulls off flawlessly before escaping. Giving Vash one of the hardest fought battles of his life through sheer determination to never lose, Gasback gains respect for the hero when beaten, and is revealed to have spent those decades of planning taking care of a woman he loved and even leaving her enough money to sustain her for the rest of her life. Always charming even with his loud personality, Gasback was undoubtedly the most swashbuckling villain Vash ever faced.

* ''LightNovel/TheWorldsFinestAssassin'' (2021 anime): Cian Tuatha Dé, Lugh’s loving father, is the head of the House of Tuatha Dé, and an incredible assassin in his own right who made Lugh into the skilled killer he is today. Disguising his hits by posing as the Alvan Kingdom’s medical expert, Cian uses a wide variety of tactics, disguises, and clever traps to kill his targets while not getting caught, all while believing that murder is necessary to protect his kingdom. Raising Lugh to be his heir, Cian has him kill death row inmates so that he won't grow hesitant over killing people, while letting him know that he will be raised not as a weapon, but as a person, who must possess human values to be a better killer. Cian is even able to get the experienced Lugh into the position of aristocrat by having him injure the supposed runner-up as a test of strength. Getting Lugh to pose as a successful merchant to get closer to his targets and privately build a team of assassins, Cian ultimately does what he can to give Lugh the life he thinks he deserves, while doing what he must to assist him in his plan to defeat the Hero.
* ''[[Anime/WrathOfTheNinja Wrath of the Ninja]]'' (1989): This condensed version of ''Yōtōden'' removes Ranmaru Mori's more rampant sadism, playing him up as a brilliant demon who disguises himself as a young man while manipulating the entire war in Japan. Using UsefulNotes/OdaNobunaga and the Oboro ninja as puppets, Ranmaru uses Nobunaga's excesses to wipe out ninja clans so the survivors seek vengeance while following a prophecy and using sacred weapons Ranmaru himself created, to gain enough negative energy to free his fellow demons. Ranmaru even sneaks a mole into their camp as a demon disguised as a monk who has no idea of his true nature, his plans going off perfectly until almost the very end.

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* ''Anime/OutlawStar'': In the anime, the Anten Seven assassin [[BadassNormal Shimi]], real name Leilong, challenges hero Gene Starwind to a duel, dressing his pupil as himself to draw Gene's fire before he personally attacks. Nearly killing Gene, Leilong then knocks out Gene's entire crew when they come to face him before seemingly dying with his pistol malfunctioning, though in reality using the opportunity to retire and roam the galaxy.

%% The page was decided to stay imageless by Image Pickin' in this thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=db9l4bp6kpbdmshuleppy395
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* ''Manga/BlackClover'': [[EvilGenius Rhya "the Disloyal"]] is the most powerful of the Third Eye, the elite force of the [[Characters/BlackCloverEyeOfTheMidnightSun Eye of the Midnight Sun]]. One of the victims of the genocide of the elves from centuries ago, Rhya was summoned back by the elf [[Characters/BlackCloverPatry Patry]] pretending to be their former leader Licht. The most affable and charming of the group, Rhya is also their chief infiltrator, utilizing his Imitation Magic to impersonate William Vangeance in the [[Characters/BlackCloverCloverKingdom Clover Kingdom]] while Patry is borrowing Vangeance's body. Helping to manipulate the human members of the group to their eventual sacrifice and the revival of the elves, Rhya shows his strategic skill in fighting by ensuring he copies powerful Grimoires to use at opportune moments. After the reveal of the demon Zagred, Rhya is among the first to leap to the side of the humans in an effort to save the world.

** Rokuro "Rock" Okajima himself has [[ProtagonistJourneyToVillain grown steadily darker as the series goes on]]. Proving his tactical acumen in the first few episodes by coming up with a genius plan to wipe out a pursuing anti-tank aircraft, Rock later shows his skilled manipulative side by becoming a flawless negotiator to the point that all the most powerful players in Roanpur [[OneHundredPercentAdorationRating genuinely like and respect him]]. During Roberta's rampage, it is Rock who manipulates Roberta and her master Garcia into a deadly confrontation to end the bloodshed, nearly getting both killed, but ending in Roberta recovering her sanity and leaving in peace. Rock continues to demonstrate his ability to use and manipulate others, even if for [[WellIntentionedExtremist ostensibly desirable ends]], as possibly the single most dangerous and skilled player of the criminal game in the darkness that is Roanpur.

* ''Manga/{{Inuyasha}}'': Amidst the GambitPileup of planners aiming to possess or destroy the [[ArtifactOfDoom Shikon Jewel]], these schemers truly distinguish themselves in the brutal UsefulNotes/SengokuPeriod.
** [[AloofAlly Kikyo]] was once the priestess entrusted to guard the Shikon Jewel and lover of [[Characters/InuyashaInuyasha Inuyasha]] until [[Characters/InuyashaNarakuAndIncarnations Naraku]] tricked them into mistrusting each other and mortally wounded her in the process. Resurrected fifty years later, Kikyo nearly succeeds in convincing Inuyasha to join her in death before learning the truth of their past and sets about seeing the fractured Jewel restored to use its power to eliminate Naraku for good. When mortally wounded, she even manages to [[BatmanGambit predict the emotional reaction]] of her own incarnation, heroine Kagome Higurashi, to manipulate her into rescuing Kikyo; and later persuades a Jewel-corrupted boy into turning on Naraku and joining her in her quest. Only killed when she elects to save the life of another rather than purify Naraku, Kikyo nevertheless leaves the heroes the means to finally destroy their foe for good while she [[GoOutWithASmile dies blissfully]] in her lover's arms.
** [[EvilSorceress Kagura]] is the second incarnation of Naraku and an intelligent wind sorceress who lures the wolf demon tribe into a trap to slaughter them, soon after revealing she is reluctantly forced into Naraku's service by him holding her heart. Seeking to free herself, Kagura [[DragonWithAnAgenda regularly attempts to pit Naraku against his enemies]], including trying to both protect the demon [[Characters/InuyashaSesshomaru Sesshomaru]] and lure him into bringing about Naraku's destruction, forming a subtle romantic bond with him. Kagura also assists Naraku's detachment, the Infant with his schemes before being subordinated to the monstrous Hakudoshi, but is able to [[OutGambitted get the last laugh]] by tearing him apart when she knows Naraku will no longer defend him from Inuyasha's team. Finally poisoned by Naraku, Kagura spends her final moments with Sesshomaru, accepting her end with dignity and even happiness as she notes she is the "[[IDieFree free wind]]" at last.
** [[BloodKnight Bankotsu]], leader of the [[Characters/InuYashaBandOfSeven Band of Seven]], is an affluent young man and brutal mercenary who was executed fifteen years prior to the events of the series. Revived by Naraku with his followers, Bankotsu promptly massacres the lord who betrayed him for revenge and to retrieve his weapon, [[{{BFS}} the Banryu]], christening it by making the lord his thousandth kill. Setting about to his missions, Bankotsu proves that despite his [[BookDumb lack of formal education]], he is an incredibly intelligent fighter and strategist who simply believes in following his own bloody path. Upon the betrayal of his ally Renkotsu, Bankotsu manipulates him into a false sense of security before killing him to remove his Shikon Jewel shards and face Inuyasha in a battle to either win or die on his own terms where he [[FaceDeathWithDignity accepts his defeat and final end]] with his characteristic good humor.
** [[MasterOfIllusion Byakuya "of the Dreams"]] is the [[AffablyEvil friendly]] and [[AgentPeacock playful yet cunning]] final incarnation and right-hand of Naraku. With his abilities Byakuya provides reconnaissance for his father, as well as manipulating an attack on a wolf demon tribe and luring Inuyasha and Sesshomaru into battling each other for Naraku's goals. In his final outing, Byakuya collects a power to enact Naraku's final scheme--pointedly sparing an innocent who has nothing to do with his task along the way--and while playing out his role, calmly leaves himself open to attack, commenting he [[IRegretNothing dies with no regrets]], fading away having played his part perfectly.

* ''Manga/TokyoGhoul'': [[DarkActionGirl Eto Yoshimura]], the "One-Eyed Owl", is the leader of [[AntiHumanAlliance Aogiri Tree]]. A half-ghoul dedicated to destroying the organization V, Eto participates in a series of terrorist attacks, manipulating the [[CreatureHunterOrganization Commission of Counter Ghoul (CCG)]] while killing off their investigators. Centering in on hero Ken Kaneki, Eto guides him to becoming the One-Eyed King and the savior of the ghoul race while manipulating events to her satisfaction. Even after being publicly outed as a ghoul, she uses a press conference to win sympathy for her race and set the events of the end in motion.

** "Droopy": [[CharmPerson Domonjo]] is a sapient flower who forms a bond with [[AllLovingHero Sunny Funny]] after the latter saves his life. Wanting to help Sunny, Domonjo informs her of a plot by Gaster and Groober to plant bronze statues of themselves in [=PaRappa=] Town, and subsequently releases a pollen on the male characters that makes them blindly loyal to Sunny. When this inadvertently leads to Gaster's truck becoming a runaway, Domonjo stops it by having it crash into him, [[HeroicSacrifice taking a fatal blow in the process]]. Realizing at last how much Sunny cares about Dorothy's wilted flowers, Domonjo revives them with the last of his strength, and even in death leaves behind his seeds so Sunny can see him again someday.

** [[{{Troll}} Izaya Orihara]] is an [[KnowledgeBroker information broker]] and one of the most dangerous men in Ikebukuro wanting to declare his "love" for humans by manipulating them [[ItAmusedMe for his own amusement]]. Introducing Masaomi Kida to his follower Saki Mikajima she would have Saki form a romantic relationship with Masaomi while Izaya instigates a gang war between Masaomi’s gang, The Yellow Scarves, and The Blue Square, leaving Masaomi vulnerable, endangering Saki, and dismantling both gangs in the process. Also a member of The Dollars, Izaya has recruited thousands into the Dollars before turning them against their leader by reveal to them his identity, Mikado Ryuugamine, allowing them to reek havoc throughout Ikebukuro. After being stabbed by "Jinnai Yodogiri", Izaya would allow himself to be capture, tricking his captors into revealing information on "Jinnai Yodogiri" before sending his newly formed group to defeat them afterwards. Also holding immense animosity for [[ArchEnemy Shizuo Heiwajima]] for not being able to manipulate him, Izaya has provoke Shizuo constantly, cost him his job, [[FrameUp frames him for murder]], manipulates a girl to kill Shizuo, and tries to kill Shizuo himself. When Shizuo manages to beat Izaya, he attempt to goad Shizuo to kill him, content that the masses witnessing Shizuo will then view him as a monster.

* ''Anime/TigerAndBunny'': [[AntiVillain Yuri Petrov]], "Lunatic," is a vigilante NEXT who forgoes any attempts at fame or upholding of morality, to instead dish out justice as he sees fit. Raised by an abusive superhero father, Lunatic came to despise all forms of evil in the world, believing the most sure path to safety and peace was [[PayEvilUntoEvil the extermination of those who do wrong]], and goes about executing and assassinating countless rapists and murderers, all while [[VillainWithGoodPublicity keeping up the guise]] of the charming judge of the city of Sternbild. As Lunatic, he gains immense popularity for his effectiveness, and his code of honor leads to him going so far as to save the life of his enemy Kotetsu, noting it wouldn't be just for a hero like him to be killed. Lunatic walks away from the story as dangerous and powerful as ever, showing no signs of being stopped by anyone in his self-perceived righteous crusade.

** [[DoubleReverseQuadrupleAgent Zeke Yeager]] is Eren's half brother and the holder of the Beast Titan. Selling out his parents, who pressured him into becoming a Warrior, to Marley, Zeke formulates an "Euthanization" plan to peacefully exterminate the Eldian race by using the godlike power of the Founding Titan to sterilize all Eldians. Leading the operation to retrieve the Founder, Zeke turns the citizens of Ragako Village into Titans to do his bidding, and executes a brilliant strategy that [[CurbStompBattle nearly wipes out]] the entire Survey Corps. Betraying Marley to ally himself with Paradis, Zeke fakes his death, and comes within a hair's breadth of succeeding with his Euthanization plan. When Armin Arlert convinces him of the true value of life, Zeke [[HeroicSacrifice sacrifices his life]] to stop the Rumbling.

* ''LightNovel/DirtyPair'' franchise:
** ''The Great Adventures of the Dirty Pair'''s "The Case of the Backwoods Murder": [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge Madam Isabella Standalf]], real name Isabella von Russel, is the daughter of Professor Peter von Russel and the ruler of the gambling planet La Mer. Having been abandoned by her family and raised as an abused prostitute, Standalf [[FromNobodyToNightmare climbed the criminal ranks]] after killing a rich client, murdering her pimp afterwards to become an independent criminal. Gaining control of La Mer by marrying the current chairman of the planet’s casino association, Standalf also [[TheCharmer charmed]] her way into becoming a member of the crime organization Lucifer, despite being a hereditary syndicate. Killing von Russel after he showed disappointment in her life choices, Standalf bribed the La Mer police to keep the case closed, and even swapped von Russel’s DNA with someone else’s ward off outside suspicion. Seeking revenge on the galaxy for giving von Russel and his Space Smasher a negative reputation, Standalf uses the Smasher to hold La Mer hostage, and despite her siblings Tuono and Lucia shutting the device down, Standalf renders their progress moot immediately afterwards by rebooting it, [[DeathSeeker hoping to die upon the Smasher’s activation]] with hope that she and her father will be remembered well.
** 1985 anime:
*** "Come Out, Come Out, Assassin": [[ProfessionalKiller Sundric]], the "[[TheStoic Cold-Hearted Killing Machine]]", is an ingenious assassin tasked with killing political lawyer Marcus Brannigan and [[KillAndReplace taking his place]]. Having killed a 3WA Agent who was tailing him for 13 years, Sundric poses as illustrator Ralph Rays as he boards the plane carrying Marcus. Setting the plane to autopilot as it heads for a black hole, Sundric sets the passcode to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb", giving the little Jack a flute and teaching him how to play "Mary" as a clue for the Pair, with the passcode instead activating the ship's self-destruct mechanism. Killing Marcus during the commotion and taking his place, Sundric [[FakingTheDead fakes his death]] by putting Marcus’s body in a rigged escape shuttle and announcing his escape, and comes close to killing Kei by getting her nearly sucked into the black hole.
*** "Nostalgic Blues Make a Killer Soundtrack": [[AffablyEvil Blues]] is a ruthless, yet soulful assassin who wants to [[BestServedCold get revenge]] on Melpot for murdering his mother. Apprehended by the Pair with explosive handcuffs, Blues is able to [[UnintentionalBackupPlan take advantage of the situation]] and turn things around by threatening to kill Kei should the Pair not help him kill Melpot. With Melpot making an escape, Blues shoots off the chain connecting him with Kei and makes his way to Melpot, taking advantage of the exploding handcuff to kill both himself and Melpot.
** ''Flash: Mission 2'''s "Steamy Hot Springs Romantic Tour": [[TheSocialExpert Caldy]] is a ConArtist who has been involved in a plethora of scams and shady deals. Caught by the Pair while trying to impersonate a 3WA Trouble Consultant to a date, Caldy gives chase, even tricking a helicopter pilot into thinking his girlfriend's giving birth [[BeyondTheImpossible despite the pilot being single]]. Stuck with the Pair as they escort him back to the city, Caldy humorously [[{{Troll}} pranks the Pair]] any way he can in his attempts to escape, from untying himself from a tree and knitting their clothes shut, to feeding them poisonous animals knowing they'll be so hungry they'll eat anything. Despite being sentenced to jail, Caldy makes an escape and [[KarmaHoudini resumes his usual antics]].

* ''Manga/OnePiece'':
** [[GreaterScopeParagon Gol D. Roger]], better known as "Gold" Roger, was the mightiest of all pirates, known as the Pirate King who left his great treasure "One Piece" to be uncovered by ambitious seekers. Forming his crew with his lifelong friend Silvers Rayleigh, Roger led a number of daring raids and battles, uncovering countless hidden secrets and leaving information to benefit others in the future. Knowing his time was short, Roger turned himself in to the marines for execution, but ensured his unborn son would be saved by his [[EnemyMine old enemy]] Monkey D. Garp of the marines. At an execution designed to destroy pirates forever, Roger instead proclaimed the hunt for One Piece, [[DyingMomentOfAwesome starting the Golden Age of piracy]] and dying with a gleeful grin.
** [[MasterSwordsman Dracule "Hawk Eyes" Mihawk]] is the World's Greatest Swordsman, a laidback yet lethal [[Characters/OnePieceSevenWarlordsOfTheSea Warlord of the Sea]] who serves as [[Characters/OnePieceRoronoaZoro Roronoa Zoro's]] greatest challenge. His sword skills practically unmatched and capable of decimating any opponent he faces, Mihawk introduces himself to the Straw Hats having annihilated Don Krieg's entire fleet singlehandedly before easily beating Zoro and regarding Luffy's attempts to attack him as mere annoyance. Later taking part in [[Recap/OnePieceMarinefordArc the Marineford conflict]], Mihawk casually destroys waves of enemies with ease and puts Luffy on the run, with Mihawk barely breaking a sweat even as he swiftly defeats Buggy and faces Crocodile in combat. Mihawk personally trains Zoro over the course of two years out of respect for the man's tenacity, and Mihawk takes the news that he's been declared wanted by the government with a mere chuckle and [[BringIt an invitation to an army of terrified Marines to face him in combat]].
** [[BadassInANiceSuit Crocodile]], one of the "[[Characters/OnePieceSevenWarlordsOfTheSea Seven Warlords of the Sea]]", is the brilliant master of the [[Characters/OnePieceBaroqueWorks Baroque Works]] syndicate. Playing himself off as a public hero while running the aforementioned criminal organization, Crocodile manufactures a drought and a rebellion to weaken the Nefertari family in Alabasta, while plotting a takeover himself. Showing contingency after contingency, Crocodile manipulates countless people, including his right-hand woman, Nico Robin, with whom he intends to seize the superweapon Pluton in order to cow the [[Characters/OnePieceWorldGovernment World Government]] into recognizing his authority. Even after defeat, Crocodile later returns in Impel Down and helps organize the jailbreak with his enemy [[Characters/OnePieceMonkeyDLuffy Monkey D. Luffy]].
** [[PsychoForHire Rob Lucci]] is the leader of [[Characters/OnePieceCipherPol Cipher Pol's CP9 division]]. A brilliant fighter who infiltrated a hostage situation and killed every hostage to remove the pirates' leverage before killing the pirates themselves as a teenager, Lucci later [[Recap/OnePieceWaterSevenArc goes undercover in Water 7]] with his disguised team to recover the Blueprints of Pluton. Fooling all there by faking their deaths, Lucci later delivers a brutal beating to Luffy and escapes with Nico Robin in tow, later giving Luffy one of the most brutal and difficult fights he has had to that point.
** [[WellIntentionedExtremist Sengoku the Buddha]] is the most brilliant of the [[Characters/OnePieceMarineAdmirals Marine Admirals]]. The top Fleet Admiral of Marineford, Sengoku [[Recap/OnePieceMarinefordArc leads the execution]] of Portgas D. Ace, revealing to the world that Ace is the son of Gol D. Roger, the former Pirate King. With the arrival of Ace's captain, "Whitebeard" Edward Newgate, Sengoku reveals a major trap for Whitebeard, sapping the morale of his forces with a carefully planned lie, trapping the pirates and closing in Marine forces, turning a near loss into a total rout for the strongest man alive with his own cunning.
** [[Characters/OnePieceCharlotteKatakuri Charlotte Katakuri]] is the second son and strongest soldier of [[Characters/OnePieceBigMom Charlotte "Big Mom" Linlin]], one of the [[Characters/OnePieceFourEmperors Four Emperors]] of Grand Line. A keen, analytical fighter, Katakuri is the strongest of his mother's Sweet Commanders who dedicates himself to protecting his family and ruthlessly dispatching threats. Going with the plan to catch and slaughter the Vinsmoke family, Katakuri proves a deadly threat to the Straw Hats, planning an ambush with his family before engaging Luffy himself. When his true nature and unsightly features are revealed, it is shown Katakuri adopted his stoic persona as a way to protect his siblings before he embraces Luffy as a truly [[WorthyOpponent worthy enemy]], even wounding himself after one sister's treachery so their fight will be an even one.
** ''[[Anime/OnePieceFilmGold Gold]]'': Carina is a [[ClassyCatburglar brilliant thief]] and [[Characters/OnePieceNami Nami]]'s former partner in crime. Prior to the series, Carina manipulated a pirate crew that captured the two of them into making a deal for their lives, only to simultaneously steal all of Nami's treasure stash and providing Nami an opportunity to escape. Working on the luxurious cruise liner, the Grand Tesoro, Carina organizes a plan to take down [[BigBad Gild Tesoro]] with the Straw Hats. Faking a heist plan, Carina deceives Gild into thinking she betrayed the Straw Hats before having sea water rain on the ship, severely weakening Gild's powers. After Gild's defeat, Carina successfully manipulates all sides of the conflict to evacuate so that she can obtain her true goal, stealing the Grand Tesoro and all of its riches.

* ''Manga/ZatchBell'': [[BloodKnight Zeno Bell]] is the [[EvilTwin twin brother of Zatch]] who, [[FreudianExcuse thanks to unfortunate circumstances]], comes to resent Zatch and desires both the Mamodo World crown and to make his sibling's life miserable. Learning the existence of the ancient Mamodo weapon Faudo, Zeno strays to the shadows and uses a doll-like emissary to manipulate both Zatch's group of friends as well as Leo and the Faudo {{cult}} against one another. Upon Faudo's awakening, after Leo weakens the heroes, Zeno sneaks into the control room, sends Leo away, and takes over control of Faudo in one fell swoop. Earning the loyalty of the other cult members, Zeno still uses the power of Godafu as a contingency in the event one tries to betray him and shows flexibility as a fighter. Even so, Zeno is ruthless enough to make people submit to his ways through fear and pain. Upon the realization Zatch lived a horrible life himself and that their father hid the whole story from him, Zeno immediately [[HeelFaceTurn changes his ways]] and, in his final moments in the Human World, provides the twin he now loves everything he needs for the tournament.

* ''Manga/MedakaBox'': Kumagawa Misogi, the primary antagonist of the "Kumagawa Incident Arc," is DissonantSerenity incarnate and the dark-tongued leader of the Minuses. On a quest to bring the elites down to his level, Kumagawa introduces himself thrashing the members of the Flask Plan with an impenetrable smile on his face, revealing himself to be the one person Medaka Kurokami could not save and the one who manipulated Secretary Akune into indulging his former violent impulses. Unusually good at reading people, Kumagawa worms his way into the student body and creates Class -13 in an attempt to usurp the current Student Council. All throughout the subsequent battles, Kumagawa constructs scenarios that end up neutral at worst or outright benefiting him no matter the outcome. Charmingly enigmatic and ever-equipped at bouncing back, Kumagawa leaves little wonder why the fandom enjoyed his character.

* ''LightNovel/MyriadColorsPhantomWorld'': Appearing exclusively in the last episodes of the anime, [[PowerParasite Enigma]] is an artificial [[OurSpiritsAreDifferent phantom]] created using human and phantom DNA. Escaping from her abusive creators, Enigma starts to hunt the students of the Hosea high school in order to steal their special abilities by draining their energy. Seemingly defeated by the protagonists, Enigma [[DemonicPossession takes the body]] and identity of protagonist Haruhiko Ichijou's mother and goes to live with him, successfully faking a motherly personality that bonds with him. After Haruhiko's friends manage to realize her identity, Enigma is able to beat them and steal Haruhiko's summoning powers, intending to use them to control all phantoms to take revenge on humanity. When she is later defeated by Team E, Enigma is impressed by the human potential and admits that she enjoyed her time with Haruhiko, to which he agrees before she dies.