History MagnificentBastard / AnimeAndManga

-->-- '''[[Characters/DeathNoteLLawliet L Lawliet]]''', ''Manga/DeathNote''

[[folder: # - G]]
* ''Anime/NinetyOneDays'': [[VillainProtagonist Angelo Lagusa]], the SoleSurvivor of his family's massacre, vows vengeance on the [[TheMafia Vanetti family]] for murdering them. Taking the alias Avilio Bruno to get close to the Vanettis, he was sent to kill Fango, and wound up killing Vanno after the latter killed a member of the Orco family, orchestrating a gang war between the two crime families. Angelo [[EnemyMine allied]] with Fango and Nero to kill Don Orco by luring Orco to a trap before letting Fango kill more of his enemies and manipulated Nero into killing his younger brother, while threatening the lives of a Prohibition agent's wife and daughter when he tries to stop the war. With the forces of each crime family severely decimated, Angelo decides lure them all in a theater, creating a shootout and annihilating all the families and only [[CruelMercy sparing]] Nero to make him suffer the grief of loosing his family while implying that he let Nero kill him so that he could be reunited with his own family.
* ''Anime/AfroSamurai'' works:
** Anime:
*** [[SamuraiCowboy Justice]] is the former Number 2 headband-bearer and a man who wishes to use the Number 1 headband to change the world that he will rule as [[AGodAmI God himself]]. Challenging Afro's father years ago, Justice concealed his third arm so he might outwit and behead Afro's father, telling the traumatized boy to challenge him one day when he is ready. Converting the world as its new messiah in his philosophy of using "[[WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility absolute power to bring absolute peace]]", Justice acts through proxies against Afro before attempting to trap him as well, declaring the nobility of his purpose before Afro cuts him down. Even in the end, this is not enough to stop Justice permanently, who appears with a mysterious new scheme at the end of ''Resurrection''.
*** ''Resurrection'': [[AntiVillain Lady Sio]] is the younger sister of Jinnosuke who concocts a plan to get [[BestServedCold revenge on Afro]]. Enraged by the maiming of her beloved brother and the mass deaths caused by Afro, Sio steals the Number 1 headband and arranges for Afro's father to be resurrected as a battle android, intending to make Afro suffer before being killed. Manipulating the whole cast and even [[EtTuBrute the betrayal of her subordinates]] to her advantage, Sio succeeds in temporarily having her android kill Afro, her plan ultimately [[NearVillainVictory only failing]] when Jinnosuke regains his humanity and tries to fight to save Afro.
** Manga: [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass Ninja Ninja]] is the "Collective Will of the Universe" guiding Afro to take up the mantle of saviour of the world. Overseeing Afro's journey, Ninja Ninja ruthlessly tests his mettle against thousands of opponents before leading him to the lair of his [[ArchEnemy hated foe]] Justice. Forcing Afro to confront the reality of Justice having died long before he could take his revenge for his father, Ninja Ninja uses his [[VengeanceFeelsEmpty loss of purpose]] to force him to take up Justice's mantle bringing the planet peace and prosperity.
* ''Manga/AkameGaKill'' franchise:
** Original manga: [[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/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 [[Characters/AkameGaKillAkame 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.
* ''Anime/AkudamaDrive'': In this CrapsackWorld filled with violent criminals, these three manage to survive through their brilliance and charm.
** [[FromNobodyToNightmare Swindler]] starts off as "[[NiceGirl Ordinary Person]]" who becomes [[TookALevelInBadass ruthless and cunning]] upon joining a team of Akudama. Swindler helps them rescue the immortal children, Brother and Sister, from Shinkansen and escort them to Kansai, before escaping with Sister after Doctor sells them out to the Executioners. Swindler then changes her appearance and incites chaos within Kansai by spouting claims of leading an Akudama army to it easier for her and Sister to escape, unconcerned if her manipulations lead to wide scale panic, death and destruction. Swindler would resort to murder those who would harm her and Sister, including group of criminals and [[SerialKiller Cutthroat]] whom she lures to a trap and convinces Hoodlum to turn against Doctor resulting in their deaths. Arriving in Kanto, Swindler convinces Hacker to rescue the children before goading the Executions into killing her, using the program Hacker gave her to [[ManipulativeEditing edit the footage]] of her death resulting in the people of Kansai revolting against their society and allowing Courier to escape with the children.
** {{Courier}} is a serious and highly efficient Akudama who delivers goods to whoever should enlist him. Priding himself on never letting a client down, he is enlisted to rescue [[SerialKiller Cutthroat]] from his execution, and then to steal cargo from the revered Shinkansen. Armed with his [[CoolBike tricked-out motorcycle]], his gun and his pragmatic wits, he helps the group achieve their objective. When Doctor turns traitor, Courier fulfils Brother's last request for him to deliver his lucky charm to Sister, saving Swindler in the process and tagging along with her as a getaway driver after being swayed by her resolve. At the very end, Courier uses the chaos created by Swindler and Hacker, destroying the Kansai Radio Tower to escort Brother and Sister to their destination and [[OneManArmy fighting through an army of Executioners in the process]]. When he realises he doesn't have much time left, he drops them off close to their destination and fights off the remaining pursuing drones, taking the last one out right before it can reach the siblings. Declaring this "Perfect", he succumbs to his wounds, [[GoOutWithASmile accepting his death with a smile]].
** [[TheCracker Hacker]] is a brilliant, thrill-seeking Akudama wanted for hacking into countless government and private banks in Kansai. Hired to rescue the mass murderer, [[PsychopathicManchild Cutthroat]], from death row, he, alongside several others are tasked with stealing cargo from the highly secured Shinkansen, with Hacker using his skills to fend off any opposition and get them to their destination. Once there, Hacker parts with the group to leave for Kanto, having already figured out how to remove the bomb collar that kept him under control. Arriving in Kanto and learning of its [[AssimilationPlot true nature]], Hacker uses his genius to retain free will where he then frees Swindler and Courier from its hold before helping them rescue Brother and Sister. Dying in the process Hacker [[FaceDeathWithDignity accepts his death]], content to have found his most fun challenge, and gives Swindler a program that would be used to broadcast Swindler's death to the public resulting in mass riots and an eventual blackout, while allowing Courier to escape with the children.
* ''Anime/AldnoahZero'':
** [[WellIntentionedExtremist Count Saazbaum]] is the leader of the VERS Empire's Orbital Knights and the [[BigBad mastermind]] behind the assassination attempt on on Princess Asseylum Vers Allusia, starting a war between Earth and Mars with plans to have Earth conquered so their vast resources can be used for Mars' benefit while seeking to replace the current ruling family with a more democratic government as {{revenge}} for the death of his fiancee. Saazbaum also manipulates Emperor Rayregalia Vers Rayvers into believing that Slaine Troyard is a traitor when Slaine tries telling him about Asseylum's survival resulting in his capture by Count Cruhteo before Saazbaum kills Cruhteo upon learning the truth and capture Slaine. Sparing Slaine out of [[NobleDemon respect]] for his father having once saved Saazbaum, Saazbaum convinces Slaine to join his side, helping him defeat Inaho Kaizuka and capture Asseylum. Saazbaum and Slaine then have Lemrina Vers Envers disguise herself as Asseylum to manipulate the Martians to continue their war Earth, before Saazbaum names Slaine his successor, spending his last moments complimenting Slaine before dying.
** [[{{Deuteragonist}} Slaine Troyard]] is a Terran-born Martian who became Asseylum's closest friend after she saved his life. Growing more [[TookALevelInBadass ruthless and cunning]] as he uncovers the conspiracy to kill Asseylum and start a war between Earth and Mars, Slaine allies himself with the conspiracy's leader, Saazbaum, helping him defeat Inaho Kaizuka, and capture Asseylum before turning on Saazbaum to avenge Asseylum by letting his trap kill him. Slaine then paints Saazbaum as a martyr to continue the war between Earth and Mars, [[WellIntentionedExtremist hoping]] that through conquest, peace would be established, while using his role as Saazbaum successor and adopted son to become leader of the Orbital Knights, while killing off any who opposes him. Using military tactics and strategies to keep the heroes on the defense, Slaine only fails to win the war when Asseylum escapes from Slaine clutches where Slaine makes [[LastVillainStand one final stand]] against Inaho. Being denied the death he wanted in battle, Slaine smiles upon learning that Asseylum wanted him spared, happy that she still cared for him.
* ''Manga/AliceInBorderland'': Ginji Kyuma, revealed to be one of the citizens of Borderland, ran a dangerous treasure game called "King of Clubs". A charismatic and jovial musician who, despite his troubled life, retains a positive outlook towards life in general, Ginji accepts his fate as one of the citizens of Borderland after playing several dangerous games. When Arisu and his companions tries to challenge him in the treasure hunt, Ginji and his companions outwit Arisu's team several times despite their advantages over Ginji's team at first, which leaves Arisu and his companions in complete disarray. Despite being outwitted by Arisu at the end of the game, Ginji accepts his defeat and praises Arisu's performance during the game, proving himself to be one of the most compelling enemies Arisu had ever faced.
* ''Anime/AngelBeats'': Yuri "Yurippe" Nakamura is [[RebelLeader the leader of the SSS Afterlife Battlefront]], a group of dead students rebelling against God, whom Yurippe [[RageAgainstTheHeavens blames for the unfairness of her life]]. Fighting opposition from [[StudentCouncilPresident Kanade Tachibana]], Yurippe fully acknowledges [[SurroundedByIdiots how inept her subordinates are]] and thinks up plans around this, being able to fight Kanade to a standstill while ensuring important followers and resources aren't claimed by Kanade, lead a stealth mission to hack Kanade's computer and uncover crucial information from it, and sabotage Kanade's performance on an exam so that she loses her status. Ever CrazyPrepared, Yurippe also knows how to make good use of her lackeys through intimidating them with twisted penalties [[YouHaveFailedMe for failure]], keeping them in the dark about things she knows until an ideal time, and using their own idiocy as convenient distractions in operations. When threats emerge and endanger Battlefront, Yurippe uses her quick wit, decisiveness and skill with weapons to counter them, even breaking a shadow's illusion over her with a heartfelt speech. As perceptive and caring as she is strong-willed and ruthless, Yurippe earns and keeps the loyalty of her troops through raw charisma and being [[AFatherToHisMen a fair and inspirational leader]] in spite of her frequent cruelties towards them.
* ''Manga/ArmedGirlsMachiavellism'': [[TheTrickster Satori/Misogi Tamaba]] of the Five Swords is one of the most ruthless and cunning opponents Nomura has to face. A girl who doesn't believe she's human, Satori had no qualms using any means to achieve victory, framing Nomura as a sexual deviant by drugging him and setting up an edited nude photo to have his friends turn on him. Anticipating he'll be looking for the original to prove his innocence, Satori ambushed him and Warabi with her sister, engaging Nomura herself. In battle, she dominates most of the fight with her bold strategy of doing a FullFrontalAssault in the slippery baths which complimented her ConfusionFu techniques, and even after being defeated, she still manage to put Nomura in a no-win situation which would've worked had she not decided to let him go after being touch by his resolve. One of Nomura's greatest opponents and later one of his most valuable allies, Satori manage to show herself as a tricky fighter that should not be underestimated.
* ''Anime/AshitaNoNadja'': [[ForgottenFriendNewFoe Rosemary Applefield]], believing Nadja was stealing the princess life [[PrincessPhase Rosemary had always dreamed of]] away from her and casting her aside, becomes a willing participant in [[BigBad Hermann Preminger's]] schemes and proves herself a deceptive, manipulative, and ruthless schemer in her own right at only age 13. Pretending to be the long lost Nadja Preminger to the Duke and to Nadja's mother, Rosemary charms everyone with her elegance, courtesy, and [[BitchInSheepsClothing seeming innocence]], which proves useful when implicating the real Nadja, [[GentlemanThief the Black Rose]], and even the Applefield orphanage in alleged crimes against her. When Nadja confronts her, Rosemary [[WoundedGazelleGambit feigns being]] an UnwittingPawn before shredding Nadja's most cherished dress right before her eyes. In a later meeting Rosemary emotionally agitates Nadja into nearly assaulting her, which gets the police to go after Nadja. Nadja returns to prove her identity, but Rosemary counters her claims with quick thinking and skillful manipulation of others in the room. After getting what she'd wanted but finding VictoryIsBoring, Rosemary is quick to denounce her alliance with Hermann, who himself has come to fear her, and when proven to be a fraud, she shows herself to be a GracefulLoser and imparts advice to Nadja before leaving the manor of her own accord, receiving no punishment for her actions and even earning Nadja's respect.
* ''Manga/AssassinationClassroom'':
** 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.
** [[SharpDressedMan Gakuhou Asano]] was once a caring teacher who sought vengeance on the bullies who drove one of his students to suicide by getting them addicted to gambling, ruining their lives in the process. Becoming the chairman of [[Characters/AssassinationClassroomMainBuilding Kunugigaoka Junior High School]], Gakuhou established a system that ensured the top 95 percent of the students would be successful, by demeaning the lowest 5 percent, Class-E. He would make sure that the top 95 percent would constantly triumph Class-E over in academics and sports, by subjugating them to his brutal teaching methods. Willing to prove that his system is flawless, Gakuhou challenges Koro-Sensei to opening one of five handouts, four stuffed with grenades lethal to Koro-Sensei and one a regular grenade. When Koro-Sensei avoids the barrage of the four lethal to him, Gakuhou uses the regular grenade in an attempt to [[TakingYouWithMe take Koro-Sensei with him]]. Having a change of heart after Koro-Sensei saves him, Gakuhou [[GracefulLoser accepts his loss with grace]] before resigning as chairman.
* ''Manga/{{Ayashimon}}'': [[MafiaPrincess Urara]] is the [[DaddysLittleVillain daughter]] of the great {{Yokai}} Enma Syndicate ruler Kioh. After her father's passing, Urara determines to take over the demon underworld, testing and recruiting the moronic but strong hero Maruo Kaido and building up her power base for this purpose. Expanding her Yakuza family by telepathically instructing Maruo [[BrainsAndBrawn as her champion in duels]], Urara sets herself up to have Maruo defeat the current Enma head so she may cement her rule.
* ''Literature/Babylon2015'': [[CorruptPolitician Kaika Itsuki]], a young and charming mayoral candidate, is a key mastermind behind the [[NebulousCriminalConspiracy Shiniki Initiative]], seeking to pass the suicide law. Itsuki hired [[PsychoForHire Ai Magase]] to eliminate his enemies and build support for his cause by forcing people to commit suicide, while also avoiding law enforcement by working through Magase. Invited to a televised debate by Zen Seizake, Itsuki effortlessly counters every argument against his law and answers every question presented to him, convincing multiple governments worldwide to pass his law with his charm and reasoning. Itsuki does this because he wants to commit suicide [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes so he can give his dying son Taiyo his heart]].
* ''Franchise/{{Bakugan}}'' franchise:
** [[Anime/{{Bakugan}} Original anime]]: [[MalevolentMaskedMen Masquerade]] is one of Naga's enforcers and the chief rival of Dan Kuso with a desire to prove himself as the best Bakugan brawler. Battling his way to the number one spot, Masquerade uses his skills and wits to his full advantage, making use of his manipulations and Doom Cards to banish his opponents' defeated Bakugan to the [[EldritchLocation Doom Dimension]]. As the Bakugan Battle Brawlers oppose him, he consistently remains one step ahead of them and recruits several top-ranked brawlers to keep them occupied, later [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness casting them and even his own Bakugan aside after they serve his purposes]]. Evolving his Hydranoid to make it the most powerful Bakugan in the world, he faces Dan in a climactic final showdown which he narrowly loses. Taking his loss in stride], he learns to move past his obsession with victory and reveals himself to be the SplitPersonality of Alice Gehabich. [[HeelFaceTurn Defecting from Naga's servitude]], Masquerade uses his guile to aid Dan in fighting his former master's hybrid Bakugan, expressing contentment that his final battle was alongside Dan before fading from Alice's mind, leaving her with words of encouragement and his Hydranoid.
** ''[[Anime/BakuganBattlePlanet Battle Planet]]'': [[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/BananaFish'': Former KGB Lieutenant Blanca becomes TheMentor to the protagonist Ash Lynx, making him into a merciless fighter. Hired by Dino Golzine, Blanca attacks and easily subdues Ash for Dino. When Ash manages to escape from Golzine's clutches, it is Blanca who hunts him down for them, using his knowledge of the New York City sewer system. Realizing the depths of the depravity of Yut-Lung, his current employer, Blanca betrays him and allies with Ash out of a show of his own beliefs of honor and human compassion, proving his status as Ash's most WorthyOpponent in the series.
* ''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.
* ''Anime/TheBigO'': [[IntrepidReporter Michael Seebach]] was once a reporter seeking the truth behind Paradigm City's mass amnesia and survived an AssassinationAttempt and became the vigilante "[[WellIntentionedExtremist Schwarzwald]]". Burning a group of the city's classist elites to death, Schwarzwald exposes Paradigm's corruption to hero Roger Smith, before engaging Roger in their giant robot [[HumongousMecha Megadeuses]]. Even after death, Schwarzwald's spirit continues his work, passing along the amnesia's true reason to Roger and repossessing his own Megadeus to have it [[PayEvilUntoEvil devour the vile Alan Gabriel]].
* ''Manga/BigOrder'':
** [[VisionaryVillain Gennai Hoshimiya]], [[ArchnemesisDad father of Eiji and Sena]], performs terrible experiments to connect with the Spirit World and create a happier world. Desperate to save his ill daughter, Gennai betrays his organization and allows his children to ask for a wish, with them accidentally causing the Great Destruction and killing billions throughout the world. Years later, Gennai uses the U.N. as a cover for his real plan, sacrificing Sena to try to fulfill his Utopian goal with the possibility of causing a Second Great Destruction, betting the fate of the world. Kidnapping Sena, Gennai fools the media by [[VillainWithGoodPublicity presenting himself]] as a loving father before revealing to her the truth, using her guilt to make her accept her sacrifice and pitting her against Eiji. Managing to open the door to the Spirit World and risking the entire world, Gennai is fatally wounded in a confrontation with the Group of Ten. Admitting his own hypocrisies, Gennai apologizes to Eiji, saying that his only real goal was to atone for his actions and [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans see a world where all wishes are fulfilled]].
** Sena Hoshimiya, now aware of her role in the Great Destruction, starts a series of actions to ensure being killed to save her beloved brother from a life as a pariah and [[TheAtoner destroy all of the remains of her father's legacy]]. Reuniting multiple Order users and earning their loyalty for multiple reasons, Sena broadcasts her apparent plan to cause a new Great Destruction to the public, using their fear for her plans. Prevailing against the attempts of the Group of Ten to stop her, Senna eventually opens a gate to the Spirit World, taking control of an EldritchAbomination known as "God" and unleashing it on the world, threatening to absorb all of it. A girl considerably smarter than she looks, Sena tries to manipulate her brother into hating her until she forces him to shoot her. Telling him the truth, Sena's last action is to join forces with her brother and use their Orders to control the damage she has caused.
* ''Manga/BillyBat'': [[PowersThatBe Billy Bat]] himself is a [[AnimalisticAbomination ancient alien entity]] that crashed on Earth on the past and got divided into three beings, one of them sealed on the moon. Making contact with humanity [[HistoricalRapSheet since prehistory]], the Bats manipulate humans into their plans by using chosen artists and representations of himself. Initially granting wishes to humans and causing the destruction of worlds doing so, Billy wants to stop humanity from asking for another wish, knowing that such an act would be the last. Manifesting himself to comic book artist Kevin Yamagata and other humans, Billy uses their desires to fulfill his goal to protect Kevin Goodman, while also showing that the humans that he used got what they really desired. When the original Billy is persecuted by Chuck Culkin Enterprises in their attempt to replace him for a false version, the real Billy protects his chosen artists, managing to buy time for the world in the process. Failing to prevent 9/11 and the inevitable downfall of civilization, Billy finally merges back into a complete being and says goodbye to Kevin Goodman--having shared a life together--and tells him to [[FlingALightIntoTheFuture "keep drawing"]].
* ''Manga/BlackButler'' (2008 anime):
** This incarnation of [[Characters/BlackButlerCielPhantomhive Earl Ciel Phantomhive]] remains the steadfast young head of [[Characters/BlackButlerPhantomhiveHousehold his house]] and the infamous Queen's Watchdog. Unfolding a plot that begins with drugs being placed in his company's toys, Ciel ends up infiltrating a zealous cult, brutally punishing criminals all along the way. Discovering a mad angel using the chaos to bring about the end and "purification" of London, Ciel has his demonic butler Sebastian kill it, calmly offering Sebastian his soul with their contract fulfilled. When the second season reveals Sebastian was unable to consume his soul he and Ciel join forces to dismantle the plots of the broken yet cruel Lord Alois Trancy and his own traitorous demonic butler Claude Faustas, outplaying their enemies once again before charging off after their next challenge.
** The [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demon]] going by "[[BattleButler Sebastian Michaelis]]" remains Ciel's near-perfect servant. Battling through the forces of the first season's evil angel and seducing or otherwise overcoming its legions of followers, Sebastian maintains his trademark snark even under the angel's sadistic torture. Unleashing his true demonic form, Sebastian horrifies and devours the angel, saving all of London in the process. After failing to consume Ciel's soul the two work together once more, with Sebastian tricking and outplaying Alois's servants and faces down and bests the wicked demon Claude, earning his spot back as the demon to own Ciel's soul once more.
** This story's [[BewareTheSillyOnes Lau]] is still Ciel's scheming ally. Though occasionally coming to blows, Lau helps the young noble in his quest for justice and provides key insights into stopping the Angel's plan. In the second season Lau remains untouchable for the villains, mocking their attempts to use a melody to zombify him with [[MundaneSolution ear plugs]] and keeping his ever jovial tone in spite of being a brutal drug dealer and crime lord.
** ''Black Butler II'' (Season 2): [[NotSoHarmlessVillain Hannah Annafellows]] was a brutal demon until she made a contract with the child Luka Macken after slaughtering his village. Promising to make him happy, Hannah helps turn Luka's brother Jim into the noble "Alois Trancy" after Luka's death and [[LoveMartyr stays by Alois' side]] even through his horrific abuses. Manipulating the entire cast and [[HiddenDepths slowly revealing her true powers]], Hannah tricks Claude into fighting Sebastian after killing Alois, getting Claude himself killed for Hannah to die with him and the two demons to reunite with the brothers in the afterlife as a family.
* ''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.
** [[DragonInChief Zenon Zogratis]], youngest of the Dark Triad of the [[Characters/BlackCloverSpadeKingdom Spade Kingdom]], was an idealist who made a pact with his best friend Allen to protect their nation. When facing a devil, Zenon took the chance to kill Allen to destroy their enemy and protect a nearby village. Heartbroken, Zenon abandoned emotions to become a devil host like his siblings and embraced a cold, ruthless demeanor. Helping to overthrow the Grinberryall family, Zenon personally defeats the [[Characters/BlackCloverDiamondKingdom Diamond Kingdom]] and the [[Characters/BlackCloverGoldenDawn Golden Dawn Magic Knights]], capturing William Vangeance and using the defeat of his elder brother Dante to ambush and kidnap [[Characters/BlackCloverYamiSukehiro Yami Sukehiro]] of the Black Bulls. Zenon intends to unleash the demons of the Tree of Qliphoth, killing his nation's people to revive them in undying bodies so none will ever need to perish again. Facing Yuno, Zenon takes his own defeat with pure dignity, pausing only to remember his old bond with Allen as he dies.
** [[Characters/BlackCloverNachtFaust Nacht Faust]], vice-captain of the [[Characters/BlackCloverBlackBulls Black Bulls]], is an intelligent and ruthless Magic Knight who loathes the laidback and carefree Yami. Working as a spy in the [[Characters/BlackCloverSpadeKingdom Spade Kingdom]] for years because of his proficiency in using demonic magic, Nacht then returns to mentor [[Characters/BlackCloverAsta Asta]] when Yami is kidnapped by the Dark Triad. Subtly pushing Asta to become stronger and confront his hidden devil Liebe, Nacht also secretly plans to kill Asta should Liebe take him over. Delighted by Asta actually befriending Liebe, Nacht then provides for the invasion of Spade Kingdom with intelligent scheming to help ensure the complete downfall of the Dark Triad and their schemes.
* ''Manga/BlackLagoon'': In this dark criminal underworld, a few manage to thrive and even direct the chaos:
** 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 [[UniversallyBelovedLeader 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.
** Balalaika, born Sofiya Pavlovna, was cast out of military service to the Soviets for saving a child in a refugee camp. Now the head of [[TheMafiya Hotel Moscow]] in Roanpur with her old unit, Balalaika [[BloodKnight loves war above all else]] and maintains control of her section of the city with an iron fist. When she heads to Japan on business, Balalaika casually manipulates a gang war simply to enjoy the excitement with no side ever coming close to even touching her. Earlier, when two of her beloved soldiers are killed by the assassin twins, Hansel and Gretel, Balalaika lures Hansel out to his death and delivers an utterly chilling [[BreakThemByTalking breaking speech]] as Hansel bleeds to death. Frequently displaying a tactical brilliance, Balalaika shows again and again why she is one of the [[TheDreaded single most powerful and dangerous]] people in the world.
** Eda, supposedly a flirty criminal nun from the so-called Church of Violence smuggling operation, is [[ObfuscatingStupidity actually a skilled major player]] in her own right. A UsefulNotes/{{CIA}} agent who also completely dominates the Triad boss Mr. Chang, Eda is in effect the [[TheWomanBehindTheMan true secret ruler]] of Roanpur. On the field, Eda also freely manipulates the hapless Janet Bhai into a safehouse that will be invaded, with enough instructions to escape so Eda can extort her for protection, and later shows that she casually plays all sides in Roanpur while setting up an end to the insane battle maid Roberta's rampage.
* ''Manga/BladeOfTheImmortal'':
** Anotsu Kagehisa desires a world where "[[BloodKnight the sword excuses all]]". Creating the Itto-Ryu, Anotsu begins to hunt down dojos to eliminate them in order to [[TheSocialDarwinist abolish the stifling sword styles]] from the world in favor of a world of pure determination. Cleverly eluding his pursuers via having prostitutes disguise themselves as him and lead his hunters into ambushes, Anotsu's utter tenacity sees him through other attempts on his life and rallying the itto-Ryu against the shogunate, culminating in a dynamic assault on Edo castle itself. Even to the end, Anotsu remains a complex figure, stopping at nothing to achieve his dreams despite all the wrongs he has committed on his path.
** Habaki Kagimura, secret master of the Mugai-Ryu and the shinbangashira--a major figure in the Shogunate--forms the Mugai-Ryu to secretly destroy the Itto-Ryu before luring the organization's strongest members into a trap and destroying them. Capturing series protagonist, the immortal man Manji, Habaki subjects him to experiments to perfect immortality for the sake of the Shogun. When ordered to commit seppuku, Habaki uses his time to try to destroy the Itto-Ryu, dealing a series of decisive blows before engaging Anotsu himself with surprising good humor and [[WorthyOpponent mutual respect]], with his only regrets at the end being the [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes loss of the two loves of his life and his dead children]].
* ''Manga/BlastOfTempest'': As the "Mage of Exodus", Aika Fuwa's duty was to stop the Tree of Genesis from massacring modern civilization and restarting the world, and would sacrifice anything necessary to accomplish it for a bright future for Yoshino and Mahiro. With her ability to foresee future events, Aika imparted cryptic advise to Mahiro and Yoshino ensuring they'd survive the incoming disasters she couldn't stop. Later learning about her death from Hakaze, Aika realized her death was a suicide she planned since it was mandatory to set in motions the events needed to save the world. Resolving herself to her fate, she fought off Hakaze who was trying to prevent it and then killed herself and her parents, leaving behind final messages to her loved ones to explain the truth and hoping they can move forward despite being distraught from her actions.
* ''Manga/BlasterKnuckle'': [[TheGunslinger Alex MacGregor]] is TheRival of protagonist Victor "Bloody Rain" Freeman. Raised in the beast-slaying organization Silven Kreuz, Alex befriends Victor during his time in the organization. Becoming a feared and cunning BountyHunter while remaining part of Silven Kreuz, Alex enjoys hunting both beasts and human criminals. Joining a police hunt of Victor while knowing that he isn't a murderer, Alex befriends a young Bounty Hunter and tries to convince him to return to his old life and has a duel against Victor that ends in a harsh tie with both injured. Later, Alex manages to survive unscratched by the traps of the beasts in the town of White Rock Valley and kill his attackers. Enraged at the death of his friend, Alex joins forces with Victor to kill as many beasts as they can. Killing the beast leader personally by using his own power against him, Alex reminds the good times and allows Victor to go away, warning him about other members of Silven Kreuz and showing why he's both Victor's enemy and friend.
* ''Manga/BlazBlueRemixHeart'': Military Academy instructor Cypher Albar masterminded all the conflict in the story to discover the Burning Red Grimoire once and for all to prove himself. Once aspiring to become a famous and respected hero, Cypher planned to use Burning Red under the belief it should cure humanity of its reliance on Ars Magus. With an amicable and collected demeanor charming student and staff alike, Cypher kept tabs on his targets through surveillance in his lab, using developments to inform his subsequent actions. Taking an interest Mai Natsume's Grimoire-made existence, Cypher engineered a scenario by which he gained her trust while planting a device on her as a contingency. Later secretly triggering the device to endanger Mai, he manipulated Noel, her friends, and fellow teacher Estella into bringing him students with the greatest Ars Magus aptitude under the guise of "saving" Mai when, in reality, this allowed him siphon their power and complete the transformation of Mai's Grimoire into the Remix Heart. Although once called mad and unworthy by his past peers, Cypher Albar earned the sympathy of Mai herself while exhibiting the hallmarks of an intelligent scientist and alchemist.
* ''Manga/BloodBlockadeBattlefront'': [[LaughablyEvil Femt]], the "[[MadScientist King of Depravity]]", is a Beyondian with a taste for both destruction and fair-play and the surprisingly laidback and friendly BigBad of the series. A brilliant scientist, Femt regularly threatens the city of Hellsalem's Lot with his demonic creations, while always leaving humanity a fighting chance: at one point summoning a demon while giving the chance for a riddle-like choice to allow for its defeat. In another outing, Femt deploys a demon able to multiply and consume all in its path but purposefully [[FairPlayVillain gives them a short lifespan]] to keep them from being unbeatable. Quick to recover from his faux-tantrums when bested and fond of his fellow Kings, Femt proves himself a hilarious, hammy and even graceful villain.
* ''Anime/BloodPlus'': [[AgentPeacock Nathan Mahler]] is one of Diva's Chevaliers and [[NotSoHarmlessVillain far more]] than the silly, foppish man he appears to be. Implied to have been the Chevalier of Saya and Diva's mother, Nathan steadily plays both sides between Diva's forces and Red Shield against one another, protecting Diva during her pregnancy while making sure she faces Saya and that her children will survive. Arranging his own seeming death at Saya's hands, only to slip away completely unharmed, Nathan secures the deaths of any who might harm Diva's children while entrusting them to Saya, his strings so subtle that most are completely unaware they even exist.
* ''Manga/BloodReignCurseOfTheYoma'': Marou, upon becoming the demonic "Kikuga no Miko", tries to save his loved ones from his cursed rampage and takes control of the Yoma to lead them on a conquest of the world. Manipulating the backstabbing Takeda ninja to their deaths, when Marou confronts his best friend Hikage, he tries to [[TheCorrupter corrupt him]] though respects his convictions when rebuked and even as he dies, Marou gracefully accepts his rebirth as a human free of the Yoma curse.
* ''[[Manga/BlueBloodGears Blue-Blood Gears]]'', by Koei Hanao: [[EnigmaticMinion Kujou]] is a mysterious engineer who takes the position left by Prince Kodo, creating powerful machines to be used in the genocidal war against the Red Blood People and rising in power and prestige [[FromNobodyToNightmare despite his peasant origins]]. In truth, Kujou is actually a [[HalfBreedDiscrimination Purple Blood]] who suffered violent discrimination from both sides until he was adopted by the exiled engineer Instein, Prince Kodo's biological father. Enjoying life as Instein's pupil, Kujou's innocence is shattered when Instein is murdered while trying to protect him from a mob. Concluding that humanity is doomed to constant war and hatred, Kujou decides that the only way to stop hatred is [[OmnicidalManiac the extinction of humanity]]. Disguising himself for years, Kujou drops his cover when both sides are negotiating, and infects the King of the Blue Blood with a MysticalPlague and starts spreading it across the world. When Kujou is defeated by Kodo, Kujou reveals that he put his main station on space, forcing Kodo's animal partner to sacrifice himself to save the world. In the epilogue, Kujou shows regret for his atrocities in his jail cell, realizing that Kodo was Instein's real heir.
* ''Anime/BlueReflectionRay'': [[LoveIsAWeakness Shino Mizusaki]] believes that feelings cause people nothing but suffering and [[EmotionSuppression aims to rid the world of them]]. To accomplish this she creates a team of red Reflectors to steal the emotions needed to open the Common while she herself stays out of the spotlight until needed. She manipulates the feelings of the Hirahara sisters so that one of them works for her while the other accumulates the despair Shino needs. She confidently stays one step ahead of both her allies, so that she can use their feelings as much as possible before she discards them, as well as her enemies, who [[BatmanGambit play into her hands more often than not]]. Once she accumulates the power and despair she needs, she tosses away her own feelings and reshapes the world into one with no emotions. When the Reflectors come to stop her, she bombards them with their traumas until they reach her heart and convince her to stop.
* ''Anime/BNABrandNewAnimal'': [[FriendInTheBlackMarket Marie Itami]] is a mink beastman known hustler in the underworld of Anima City who will help anyone [[OnlyInItForTheMoney for the right price]]. Saving Michiru Kagemori from a group of bigoted humans with her henchmen, Marie demands all of Michiru's money in return, taking her to Anima City and sending one of her lackeys to pickpocket her when Michiru tries to keep some of her cash. Committing casual scams on whims, Marie later infiltrates the Silver Wolf Order building and eavesdrops on Nazuna Hiwatashi telling Michiru she will reveal herself a human at her concert to remove stigma towards the Nirvasyl Syndrome cure, and after passing the information to Shirou Ogami and Guiliano Flip, she is send to ferry as many people from the concert as she possibly can. When Nazuna's admission triggers the dangerous Syndrome in the beastmen, Marie saves Nazuna's life and aids the heroes by hacking a media truck to broadcast Shirou's howl and sooth the raging beastmen.
* ''Anime/BrainPowerd'':
** Winston Gaybridge is initially presented as a ReasonableAuthorityFigure before revealing himself as the Governor of the Reclaimers. Intending to control Orphan and awaken it, potentially causing TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt in an attempt to make humans value nature, Gaybridge dislikes his own actions yet is willing to accept the guilt for causing the destruction of mankind. After the United States of America invades Orphan, Gaybridge shows his distaste towards American imperialism yet uses the Americans for his own purposes. Painting the crew of the Novice Noah as terrorists, Gaybridge fires nuclear weapons against the ship--uncaring about the thousands of refugees caught in the crossfire and inside the Novice Noah itself, and when the Novice Noah teleports the nukes elsewhere, Gaybridge orders multiple nuclear strikes to frame the Novice Noah for it, turning them into enemies of the world. Polite to both allies and enemies, Gaybridge's defeat was a product of his lack of understanding of Orphan's unexpected human-like nature.
** [[MalevolentMaskedMan Baron Maximilian]] is a mysterious man who becomes Jonathan Glenn's EvilMentor, giving him the Baronz, a special and powerful antibody that damages the mind of their pilot. Showing a clear fondness for Jonathan, the Baron ensures the best for him, joining the Reclaimers with the eventual intention of synchronizing Jonathan's mind with Orphan. Realizing a coup against Winston Gaybridge and taking control of the Reclaimers, the Baron supports Quincy Isamu after she synchronizes with Orphan,due to knowing that Jonathan supports her as well. Knowing about Jonathan's grudge against Yu Isamu, the Baron pilots the Baronz, intending to kill Yu for Jonathan's well being. Revealed as Anoha [=McCormick=], formerly the captain of the Novice Noah and Jonathan's regretful negligent mother, Anoha is defeated, dying at the hands of her son. A mysterious, powerful and intimidating persona, Baron Maximillian is able to overcome the odds in order to bring happiness to her son,and while her apocalyptic plans failed due to the collective efforts of the Novice Noah, Anoha died fulfilling her true goal of reconciling with her son.
* ''Manga/BrynhildrInTheDarkness'': Chisato Ichijiku is the director of the experiments performed by a mysterious organization known as Vingulf and the man responsible for the events in the first half of the manga. Initially appears as an apathetic person in his teenage years, Chisato is heartbroken after his sister's death and tries his best to revive her, even joining Vingulf to do so, and participates in their unethical experiments. He even implants a parasite capable of annihilating the human race in one of Vingulf's subjects, "1107", in order to revive his sister. Despite his seemingly failed attempts at bringing subject 1107 to Vingulf's higher ups, he manages to do so after persuading a Valkyria class witch, Mako Fujisaki, to capture the escaped test subject and raids the hero's hideout along with her. Encountering the soul of his sister in the final moments of 1107 after she got ejected, Chisato finally regains his humanity and spends his last moments protecting Mako from harm.
* ''Anime/CaroleAndTuesday'': [[TheStoic Tao]] is an elusive, [[RenaissanceMan multi-talented genius]] with a background in neuroscience who now seeks to create soul-touching music, and becomes Angela Carpenter's songwriter-producer. Putting her through tortuous training sessions, Tao nevertheless shows [[AwesomenessByAnalysis shrewd analytical assistance]], winning her a singing contest by assessing a judge's mood and later catching her stalker by predicting his behavior. Arrested for prior illegal human experimentation, Tao bails himself out and exposes the [[CorruptCorporateExecutive corrupt CEO]] who incriminated him, later revealing to Angela they are both {{Artificial Human}}s, then encourages her to start singing again, before escaping.
* ''Manga/CaseClosed'':
** "[[Recap/CaseClosedTheMoonlightSonataMurders The Moonlight Sonata Murders]]": [[DeadlyDoctor Seiji Asoh]] is the son of Keiji Asoh, the true identity of [[DisguisedInDrag Doctor Narumi Asai]] and the culprit behind the murders on Tsukikage Island. Seeking to avenge the deaths of the Asoh family, Seiji begins murdering those responsible, playing a recording of the "Moonlight Sonata" as a funeral piece for each of them. Seiji drowns Hideo Kawashima so the Japanese Police will have to examine the body on the mainland, leaving him as the only doctor on the island. Seiji then kills Tatsuji Kuroiwa, using the recording of the Sonata and his medical knowledge to create an alibi for himself. Seiji then murders Ken Nishimoto, [[NeverSuicide making his death look like a suicide]] and writing a note saying that he's the real murderer. When his crimes are discovered, Seiji calmly burns himself to death along with his father's beloved piano, [[FaceDeathWithDignity spending his last moments thanking Conan for his kindness]].
** "[[Recap/CaseClosedMurderAtTheSkiLodge Murder at the Ski Lodge]]": Akiko Yonehara is a cheerful former teacher of Ran and Sonoko who's out to deliver justice to two of her colleagues who murdered her student. Inviting all of her coworkers to a ski lodge, Akiko murders Sugiyama before everyone arrives, then [[WoundedGazelleGambit fakes an attack on herself and Sonoko]] in order to give herself an alibi. She then strengthens her alibi by rigging Sugiyama's body to be found at a set time where everyone is in the same place. Not knowing the identity of the other murderer, Akiko invites a reporter connected to the student's death to the lodge and leaves subtle clues to her true intentions in order to cause Sugiyama's cohort, Kohei Shimoda [[BatmanGambit to panic and reveal himself]]. Akiko then strangles Kohei with her wig to obfuscate his death and when exposed [[GracefulLoser admits fully to her crimes]] and expresses regret that she had to hurt Sonoko to get what she wanted.
** "[[Recap/CaseClosedMysteriousClocks Mysterious Clocks]]": [[EvilGenius Monjiro Izubuchi]] was a criminal known as "The Demon" and the leader of the gang of thieves known as "The Goblins". After several years of successful criminal activity, Monjiro decided to retire and distributed his stolen goods among the gang while keeping a valuable set of diamonds for himself. Years later, Monjiro decides to give a gift to his beloved granddaughter Misao. Gifting his house to Misao when he dies, i's revealed that he set up an [[GadgeteerGenius intricate puzzle]] within the house, with the ultimate prize being a watch containing the diamonds as his gift to Misao.
** "[[Recap/CaseClosedTheActorsApartmentAndTheTwoRooms The Actor's Apartment and the Two Rooms]]": [[ADeadlyAffair Kozaburo Hijikata]] is a famous actor who schemes to murder his cheating wife and [[FrameUp frame Hajime Okita]]. Inviting Kogoro Mouri to his apartment under the pretense of teaching him how to act like a detective, Kozaburo rigs his wife's corpse to fall on an adjacent balcony so Ran and [[Characters/CaseClosedShinichiKudo Conan]] will see it. In order to frame Hajime, Kozaburo makes his rooms on the fifth and sixth floors look identical so his guests think that they are on the fifth floor when [[CutAndPasteEnvironments they're really on the sixth]]. When everyone runs to get the police, Kozaburo lowers the body onto the balcony of Hajime's apartment a floor below so he will look like the killer. When accused by Conan and Kogoro, Kozaburo points out that the evidence used doesn't prove he's the killer, and Conan is only able to find the damning evidence by pure luck, with Kozaburo quietly [[GracefulLoser accepting his arrest while complimenting Kogoro]].
** "[[Recap/CaseClosedTheMurderOnTheNorthStarExpress Murder on the North Star Express and the Unpublished Novel]]": [[KnightTemplar Toshinori Kaetsu]] is a former member of Yasuji Asama's gang who initially began working for Keitaro Izumo as part of a plan to rob his store. However after his girlfriend died from a drug overdose, Kaetsu began planning to kill Asama for getting her hooked on drugs, and Izumo for being a drug dealer. Lying to Asama by telling him that Izumo wanted his store robbed to get insurance, the robbery is botched when Izumo hits the alarm, causing people to believe that [[EngineeredHeroics he caused the robbery to look like a hero]]. Kaetsu then tricks the two into getting on the same train and beats Asama to death, then shoots Izumo while disguised as Asama and rigging his body to fall out of the train, making it seem as if Asama killed Izumo, then died accidentally while trying to escape. When Yukiko Kudo claims to have evidence that would expose Kaetsu he plans to kill her, being only seconds away from succeeding when he's finally caught.
* ''Manga/CatsEye:''
** [[ClassyCatBurglar Hitomi Kisugi]] is the main thief of Cat's Eye pulling out their many heist [[RuleOfCool with flare and flawless execution]]. Working with her sisters to trick her father by stealing all his art pieces to reach out to him, Hitomi, with her extraordinary athletism, espionage, and quick thinking is able to pull them off with clever methods to overcome the police and criminals they fight, all the while using her relationship with Toshio to her advantage, using his position in the police to gather intel unbeknownst to them while going out of her way to stop far worse criminals during her robberies, [[WeHelpTheHelpless having a creed to protect innocence]]. Eventually surpassing Rui and becoming leader due to being better in adapting, Hitomi and her sisters are ultimately able to steal the last of her father's art pieces and find him, while nearly getting Toshio to join her by using a dual identity to try alluring him to her side.
** [[TheLeader Rui Kisugi]], the eldest sister of Cat's Eye, is [[FemmeFatale the groups's master strategist and seducer]]. Alluring as she is intelligent, Rui is a master of using [[WorldsMostBeautifulWoman her beauty]] to get key intel her team needs for their daring heist, planning the crime near flawlessly regardless of security and opposition, while setting up fallacy plans whenever someone is close to their identity. While as the parental figure to her sisters, Rui is able to care for their well-being, keeping the group together and maintaining their infamous reputation till the end where they manage to accomplish their goal of finding their [[DisappearedDad missing father]].
* ''Manga/CellsAtWork'': [[KnightOfCerebus Cancer Cell]] is a malfunctioning cell attempting to survive. After watching his friend get killed by Killer T Cells, Cancer Cell became wrathful, devoting his existence to destroying the body and pushing the white blood cells down to his level. Disguising himself as an ordinary cell, Cancer Cell uses one of his clones to stage an attack and gets saved by Neutrophil; Killer T Cell; and NK Cell. He then lures them to his lair to kill them with his clones. Returning to life when his genetic information is leaked, Cancer Cell manipulates Regulatory T Cell into believing him to be a functioning cell, using her to protect himself from attacks. He then invades the intestines and siphons off the toxic fumes of the harmful bacteria. Reasoning that a better world would ensure that cells of all kinds would be able to live together in harmony, Cancer Cell notes that even if it fails, he would be putting everyone out of their misery. Despite his [[OmnicidalManiac omnicidal designs]], Cancer Cell displays an [[WorthyOpponent unwavering respect for Neutrophil]], [[GracefulLoser taking both of his defeats with stride]].
* ''Manga/ChainsawMan'':
** [[Characters/ChainsawManMakima Makima]] is the brilliant head of the Devil Hunters' fourth division, and secretly the devious [[CharmPerson Control Devil]]. Recruiting the young [[Characters/ChainsawManDenji Denji]] to her side for his bond with the Chainsaw Devil and offering him all he pleases, Makima begins an elaborate plot to harness the Chainsaw Devil's power. Thwarting multiple attempts to assassinate Division 4 and capture Denji, Makima successfully builds Denji a new life only to viciously tear it down and psychologically break him to claim control of the Chainsaw Devil, defeating the incredibly powerful Gun Devil through cunning tactics and unleashing Chainsaw Man against Kishibe's rebellion, proving content to be eaten by Chainsaw Man due to the loveless life she's led. Cruel to achieve her vision and matching her lust for control with [[WellIntentionedExtremist genuine intent to fix the world's ills]], Makima manipulates everyone she can to achieve either complete control of the world with her power over Chainsaw Man, or the eternal death of the human fear of control at his hand. Only foiled due to the unorthodox ingenuity of Denji despite all her measures, Makima ultimately reincarnates into the innocent Nayuta as a second chance at life.
** [[BrokenAce Kishibe]] is an incredibly intelligent Devil Hunter and the sole intellectual rival of 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.
* ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'':
** [[WildCard Rubel]] is the enigmatic, [[AffablyEvil perpetually affable]], and manipulative handler of the Claymores. Willing to dispense execution orders and missions without hesitation in the face of the Claymores while playing at being a member of the wicked Organization that created them, Rubel works for another in reality. Using subtle trickery and manipulation to gradually turn the Claymores against the Organization, Rubel methodically and [[TheUnfettered unfetteredly]] takes their operations apart, willing to sacrifice anything and anyone to achieve his goals, alongside manipulating every side in the Continent to serve his ends. Upon realizing his goals, Rubel gracefully accepts the Claymores' demand that he return to his mysterious employers as a messenger and never return, and rides away.
** Isley, the Silver King, was the first of the Creatures of the Abyss, the first Number 1 of the first and only male generation of Claymores. Upon meeting the powerful Priscilla and learning her power, Isley submits to her, intending on manipulating her to bring the world under his control. Bringing about a war in the North with his former comrades now as Awakened Beings, Isley splits his forces in half to sacrifice them against another Abyssal One and the Claymore Organization while he heads South to defeat the third Abyssal One and take her lands. Bonding with heroine Clare's former companion Raki, Isley truly grows to love him and Priscilla as family and even sends them away when the monstrous Abyssal Feeders come for him to save their lives. Even post-mortem, we learn Isley only ever Awakened to begin with voluntarily to stop his former comrades and instilled Raki with a plan to help stop Priscilla if she became a monster, a plan that Raki manages to pull off thanks to his teachings.
* ''{{Manga/Coppelion}}'': In the radioactive wasteland of Tokyo and its surroundings, Ibara Naruse faced some truly brilliant adversaries:
** [[BigBad Doctor Coppelius]], initially named [[MadScientist Matasaburo Itami]], was called to create the [[ArtificialHuman Coppelion]] after the nuclear outbreak that destroyed Tokyo. Using the alias Doctor Coppelius, he created Haruto Kurosawa by cloning himself and tried to revive his deceased daughter by cloning her. Exiled by the Three Professors, Coppelius kept himself hidden and managed to contact with some flawed Coppelion in Tokyo, promising them to fix their flaws if they help him. Stealing Aether that allows him to survive in radioactive areas and improving it before escaping to Tokyo to reunite with his allies, Coppelius captures the Ultimate Coppelion and analyzes her DNA to bargain it. Eventually captured for his creations and put in a jail, he writes a formula to turn Coppelion into regular humans to save them from a genetic flaw before escaping. Finding a clone of his own daughter as a member of the Lost Retrieval Unit, Coppelius liberates them to kill the Professors. Rediscovering his faith in humanity, Coppelius tries to stop his own apocalyptic plan, and as he dies, Coppelius gives his last Aether to Haruto to save Ibara. An eccentric old man proud of his creations, Coppelius dies as he lived, [[GoOutWithASmile with a silly smile.]]
** [[EvilChancellor Ougai Masamune]] is the Japanese Minister of Internal Affairs. Initially helping the Coppelion program, Ougai is actually a [[MyCountryRightOrWrong nationalist]] intending to turn Japan into a world power. Side-stepping the Copellion and the Tokyo survivors, Ougai manipulates the First Minister and the jingoistic members of the E9 council into intervening in a foreign war with the intention of making them use nuclear power again after showing the radiation-resistant Coppelion. Intending to sell them to ensure the Japanese supremacy in a nuclear powered world, Ougai threatens the survivors of Tokyo and sends the Three Professors to capture the Ultimate Coppelion desired by the entire world. After the world is threatened by a new nuclear meltdown, Ougai eventually [[HeelRealization acknowledges his own mistakes]] and tries to atone for them, helping the Coppelion to save the world and helping to create a new law for a more responsible use of nuclear power. Abandoning his self-interested partners, Ougai creates a new magisterium, puts his former enemy [[TheGoodCaptain Mishiba]] in charge of it and helps a depowered Ibara to reunite with her friends for a while, showing that despite everything, Ougai truly loved his country and wished for a better future.
** [[ArcVillain JSDF Commander Kunikawa]] is the leader of the First Division, soldiers abandoned by their own government--including his politician best friend who would become the Japanese First Minister--in the toxic ruins of Tokyo. Developing a hatred towards mankind, Kunikawa manages to survive for years, planning his revenge. Working with the violent Ozu sisters, Kunikawa tries to cause a new nuclear meltdown in the Daiba nuclear plant, endangering Japan and even the world. He kidnaps a Coppelion for his plans and despite being captured, he manages to escape anyway, fooling even TeenGenius Haruto Kurosawa. Intending to succeed, Kunikawa is only stopped due to the combined efforts of the survivors of the Planet base and the heroic Coppelion. Having an honest talk with Haruto, who was almost as misanthropic as he is, about the actions of Ibara Naruse, Kunikawa recovers his faith in mankind, [[HeroicSacrifice giving his own life]] to save both the survivors and his remaining soldiers, while giving his cape--accidentally causing the future redemption of the First Minister at seeing it--to Haruto to show his faith towards him before dying, smiling at having recovered his own humanity.
* ''Anime/CutieHoney'' franchise:
** ''[[Anime/CutieHoneyFlash Flash]]'' (1997):
*** [[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.
*** [[LoveMakesYouEvil Scud Panther]] is one of Sister Jill's [[CoDragons three elite kaijin]] following her resurrection. The head of Panther Claw's Middle Eastern branch, Scud was responsible for dozens of successful robberies and murders, which ceased when Scud discovered a little girl who treated her with kindness. After the girl was murdered by a gunman, Scud declared war on humanity for taking away the one person who valued her. Joining Jill in her plan to take Honey's device, Scud volunteers to do the deed herself, firing several miniature missiles at Honey as a warning knowing that she could potentially destroy her and the device. Visiting Honey's dorm to invite her for a talk, Scud uses the opportunity to initiate a duel. Leaving Panther Claw for good with the help of Honey, Scud still forces Honey to fight her in one final duel. Upon her defeat, Scud accepts her loss and thanks Honey for helping cure her sadness, spending the last seconds of her existence with the promise of starting a fresh life.
** ''Anime/ReCutieHoney'': [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass Seiji Hayami]], supposedly a bumbling [[IntrepidReporter journalist]] for the Maicho Newspaper, is actually "[[DeepCoverAgent Agent Blue]]", a government agent tasked with stopping [[BigBad Sister Jill]]. Well-versed in the history of Professor Kisaragi and his creations Honey and Jill, Seiji gets Honey and Inspector Natsuko Aki involved in his plot to stop Panther Claw. Keeping his true motives a secret from the two just to toy with them, Seiji isn't afraid to coldly kill Honey after she goes haywire, while still congratulating Natsuko for saving her. Doing what he can to assist Honey and Natsuko, while willing to risk his and their lives for the sake of stopping Jill, Seiji ends the story both a hero and an ally in Honey and Natsuko's new crime fighting business. Able to plan his moves several steps ahead of everybody, or at least create safety precautions in case of an emergency, Seiji proves himself to bear a crafty intellect and never loses his playful charm even when caught in tight spots.
** ''[[Manga/CutieHoneyAGoGo Cutie Honey a Go Go!]]'', by Creator/GoNagai & Creator/HideakiAnno: [[WildCard Seiji Hayami]], allegedly a cheery [[IntrepidReporter journalist]] for the Daily Morning Newspaper, is actually [[DeepCoverAgent a U.S. government spy]] tasked with securing battle android Honey Kisaragi as a government weapon. Developing a close relationship with Professor Kisaragi to gather information about him and his projects, Seiji also coerces officer Natsuko Aki into assisting him and Honey in stopping Panther Claw. Despite failing to protect Professor Kisaragi when Honey goes berserk, Seiji plays a tape recorder containing a message of hope from Kisaragi in the assumption that he'll die and [[BatmanGambit need to calm Honey down]]. Doing whatever he can to assist Honey and Natsuko's battles against Panther Claw, while doing what he must to complete his hidden agenda, Seiji never loses his playful attitude in the worst of scenarios.
* ''Anime/Cyborg009VsDevilman: BREAKDOWN'', by Akihito Yoshitomi:
** Demon General Zann is the head of the demon army and first of the two masterminds behind the events of the manga. Coming up with his master plan to bring victory to demonkind in their battle for Earth, with the assistance of his right-hand woman, Psycho Jenny, Zann brought the protagonists of the ''Manga/Cyborg009'' and ''Manga/{{Devilman}}'' universes into the devastated future version of Tokyo, as he then manipulates the Cyborg team and sends Psycho Jenny to pull the strings of Devilman army and Akira Fudo. As Zann took the form of Dr. Rainuma, he quickly gains trust of everyone around him, guiding the team into easily beating up Akira and later convinced Joe Shimamura to fight to the death with Akira by showing him a fake video of Akira murdering his LoveInterest, Francoise Arnoul. As this resulted in two universes becoming one, Zann unleashes the demons upon humanity, after which he politely offers Lord Kokurei to join his ranks, having achieved everything he wanted.
** Psycho Jenny is the second-in-command of the demon army and the second of two masterminds behind the plot. Assisting Zann in coming up with the scheme to guide demonkind in taking over Earth, Jenny helped Zann in teleporting the heroes of both universes to the destroyed future version of Tokyo, where she took the form of a little Devilman girl, called Mayumi, and manipulates Akira Fudo and the entire Devilmen army into attacking the humans, by playing the victim. Showing Akira the fake remains of Miki and blaming the Cyborg team for her death, Jenny tricks Akira into heading to fight Joe Shimamura and makes sure he won't hold back. Saddened by the fact that Ryo Asuka won't remember his true identity as Satan, Jenny then still got satisfaction in success of their plan.
* ''Manga/DanceInTheVampireBund'': Alphonse Medici de Borgiani is the Bund's master of intelligence who, for the sake of the Bund, will have a child kidnapped and bitten to blackmail the boy's politician grandfather. Constantly putting pressure on the hero Akira to better himself and become a strong companion for Princess Mina, Alphonse later orchestrates the betrayal and takeover of Mina's [[EvilTwin evil Doppleganger]], [[HeelFaceTurn before repenting]] and making plans to have Mina return to the throne via a series of clever contingencies. Finally, Alphonse [[ThanatosGambit allows himself to be destroyed]] and leaves a recording [[ZeroApprovalGambit blaming himself for all of the Fake Mina's crimes]] so none of it will reflect upon the true Mina, protecting her, as Akira says, all the way to the bitter end.
* ''Franchise/DeathNote'' franchise:
** [[Manga/DeathNote Original manga]]: [[Characters/DeathNoteLLawliet L Lawliet]] is the world's best detective and the ArchEnemy and only intellectual equal of [[Characters/DeathNoteLightYagami Light Yagami]] aka Kira. Introducing himself by tricking Light into revealing his location by sacrificing a death row inmate, L goes on to pursue Light with unfettered ruthlessness. With only mundane resources at his disposal, L manages to constantly evade Light's supernaturally-backed attempts to kill him and becomes ever-closer to exposing Light for his crimes. Even when Light deliberately loses his memories of his work as a SerialKiller, L continues to close in on his enemy and is only finally killed when Light convinces a Shinigami to take out L by giving its own life. Having left a fail-safe to inform his successors of his passing, L's posthumous machination leaves Near and Mello the field to finally take down Light, leaving his rival to scream and plead for his life before his own death.
** ''[[Manga/DeathNoteSpecialChapter Special Chapter]]'': Minoru Tanaka is the second human chosen by Ryuk to own the Death Note. After being given the Death Note, Tanaka crafts a scheme to take advantage of the Death Note without actually using it. By having Ryuk send out messages on live broadcasts, Tanaka auctions the Death Note to the highest bidder, opening it up for abuse and spreading panic around the world. After getting the governments of America and China involved, Tanaka pits the two against each other in a bidding war before selling the Death Note to America for a quadrillion yen. To ensure that he can't be traced by law enforcement through the transaction, he has the U.S government split the money across the bank accounts of countless Japanese citizen's, causing an economic boom in the country. Hiding his identity all the way through, Tanaka proves himself to be a worthy successor as Kira.
* ''Anime/DeathParade'': [[MisterBig Nona]] is the current manager of the Arbiter system, in charge of making sure the Arbiters cast their judgements on which deceased get reincarnated and which one gets sent to the void. [[WellIntentionedExtremist Believing]] she can improve upon the Arbiter System, Nona gives the Arbiter Decim human emotions and lets him decide the fates of those who enter his bar Quindecim while overseeing his progress. Nona tests Decim’s capabilities, having Ginti disguise himself as a child to see if Decim can identify him and [[FoodAsBribe bribes]] Castra to send two murderers to Quindecim to see how Decim judges them. When Oculus learns of Nona’s plans, Nona dodges Oculus’s attacks before convincing him to watch Decim’s judgment on Chiyuki with her while explaining her reasoning on how giving Arbiters human emotions could improve on their judgment for humans.
* ''Anime/DecaDence'': Kaburagi is a [[ProfessionalKiller Bug Hunter]] who infiltrates the {{MMORPG}} ''Deca-Dence'' disguised as a Tanker and maintained his cover there for years as he eliminates bugs by sending them to [[BigBadDuumvirate Hugin and Munin]]. Considering to continue his occupation, Kaburagi decides to go against his superiors after being inspired by [[PluckyGirl Natsume]], helping her and the players beat the game. Sent to the Bugs Correctional Facility for his disobedience, Kaburagi persuades the prisoners to revolt while he infiltrates ''Deca-Dence'' again to retrieve his unchipped avatar, before reuniting with Natsume. The two then sneak into the Gadoll Factory and destroy it before Kaburagi reveals the truth to Natsume, with the latter deciding to trust Kaburagi knowing that he truly cares about her, having proven his trustworthiness several times over to her. Entering the system, Kaburagi inspires everyone into helping him defeat Munin and The Omega Gadoll before dying, but not before having Jill backup is data bringing him [[BackFromTheDead back to life]] three years later where he reunites with Natsume.
* ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'':
** [[BigGood Kagaya Ubuyashiki]] is the brilliant leader of the [[Characters/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaibaDemonSlayerCorps Demon Slayers Corps]]. A kind man who [[AFatherToHisMen loves his subordinates like his own children]], Kagaya is still willing to go to extremes to see the monstrous [[Characters/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaibaMuzanKibutsuji Muzan Kibutsuji]] dead, subjecting the trainees to a potentially deadly selection process where they have to fight captive demons, while also memorizing the names and faces of every single Demon Slayer who dies. A genius planner, Kagaya keeps Muzan and his forces at bay through a complex hiding system to defend his strongholds and sets plans to move and crush the powerful [[Characters/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaibaTwelveKizuki Twelve Kizuki]] of the demon forces. Captivating the love of his subordinates with his natural charisma, Kagaya uses himself, his wife and his two eldest daughters as bait for Muzan himself to sacrifice all their lives in an explosion and give the Demon Slayer elites a chance to kill Muzan for good.
** [[Characters/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaibaKokushibo Kokushibo]], [[Characters/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaibaTwelveKizukiUpperRanks Upper Rank]] 1, was born [[TheAce Michikatsu Tsugikuni]] and joined Muzan to stave off death in order to grow more powerful. Almost wiping out the Demon Slayers, the only warrior to ever exceed him in power was his younger twin Yoriichi, whom Kokushibo was never able to fully cease loving. In modern times, Kokushibo is undefeated, killing countless Demon Slayer elites and manipulating some, such as Kaigaku, into becoming demons before casually dominating the battle with his descendant Muichiro Tokito. Engaging the strongest of the [[Characters/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaibaHashira Hashira]] and [[IAmNotLeftHanded concealing his true power to catch them off guard]], Kokushibo takes every chance to show why he is the strongest of the Kizuki.
** [[Characters/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaibaAkaza Akaza]], Upper Rank 3, was born [[{{Determinator}} Hakuji]] and adopted his SocialDarwinist beliefs after the deaths of his loved ones and becoming a demon under Muzan. Baiting a Hashira into combat, Akaza mortally wounds him to tempt a strong opponent with demonhood, yet respects the man's decision to die human when he refuses. Returning later, Akaza shows his full tactical abilities while facing both hero [[Characters/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaibaTanjiroKamado Tanjiro Kamado]] and another Hashira simultaneously. Constantly switching maneuvers to keep them on the defensive, Akaza even dies by his own hand, forgoing a chance to kill his opponents to commit suicide and [[TogetherInDeath reunite with his family]].
* ''Manga/DetectiveSchoolQ'':
** [[BrokenPedestal King Hades]], real name Hoshiko Kokuo, is the final villain DDS Q-Class faces in the story, and the [[BigBad true mastermind behind the team's common foes]]. A brilliant mind since birth, Hades' abusive, despairing childhood lead him to create the criminal organization Pluto. Pluto is designed by Hades to be a helpful group to aspiring murderers, offering to craft a [[ThePerfectCrime perfect murder scheme]] for their clients to pull off and get away with it all, though at a high price and with the caveat that no member of Pluto can personally commit a murder for the client. Recruiting creative minds to Pluto to continue its expansion and pulling off countless murder schemes that go off without a hitch, Hades, seeking to make his grandson Ryu his heir, orchestrates a decade-long plan to turn Ryu into a perfect successor, even allowing the boy to ally with Pluto's enemy DDS as one of the steps. Hades personally manipulates four people into killing each other one after the other, frames Ryu for the crimes, and nearly kills all of Q-Class, calmly accepting his defeat when they outsmart him and even returning Ryu's lost father to him as a last kind act before vanishing forever.
** [[TeenGenius Cerberus/Kerberos]] is the single most dangerous operative of Pluto, [[TheDragon serving]] King Hades loyally while taking a playful enjoyment in his clashes with DDS Q-Class. An inventive and exceptional hypnotist and MasterOfDisguise, Cerberus fools Q-Class several times over with his art of imitation and disguises, and uses his hypnotism to silence any potential leaks to Pluto. Completely outsmarting Q-Class in his first appearance, Cerberus is captured later when [[BigGood Dan Morihiko]] personally leads the charge, however Cerberus politely spends his time in prison chatting with his guards and even recommending literature. Pulling off an intense, [[GreatEscape complex escape scheme]] through a combo of hypnotism and ingenuity, Cerberus later honors his master Hades in saving Ryu's life and helping the boy find his lost father, after which Cerberus departs to kickstart his own criminal aspirations. Ever gracious, affable and respectful to even his worst enemies, Cerberus stood in stark contrast to his fellow Pluto operatives' smug, cruel personalities.
* ''Manga/DevilDevil'', by Yu(u)ki Miyoshi: Shiva Garland is one of the strongest demons in Hell. Working for a demon what he believes is Satan, Shiva is sent to kill his best friend Sword. Sending demons of different moralities to secretly test him, Shiva's intent is to be defeated by Sword to give him a chance to defeat Satan. Killing one demon that was going to kill Sword, Shiva puts a lethal curse in his human host with the intention of forcing him to become stronger and kill him. Defeated by Sword, Shiva reveals that he's working with a rebellion against the Demon King and is put into a coma, awakening to stop the omnicidal Shadow of Satan, sacrificing his life to save all of existence. An honorable BloodKnight willing to risk the lives of humans to ensure a victory for his best friend, Shiva Garland was as powerful as he was intelligent.
* ''Manga/{{Devilman}}'' franchise:
** [[Manga/{{Devilman}} Original manga]]: Ryo Asuka, in truth the fallen angel {{Satan}}, is the one who connives to have Akira Fudo become Devilman by tricking him into being possessed by the demon Amon. Upon regaining his memories as Satan, Ryo exposes the existence of demons and sets the world into a full-blown panic to make humanity turn on itself while he sweeps in with his demons to eliminate them, eventually facing and killing Akira himself to his great sorrow. Even after God resets the world, forcing Ryo to relive losing Akira over and over, Ryo shows hints of subtly altering things to eventually change the fate forced on him, showing why he is both Akira's greatest friend and deadliest enemy.
** ''[[Anime/DevilmanCrybaby crybaby]]'': [[Characters/DevilmanCrybabyRyoAsuka Ryo Asuka]] is, initially unbeknownst to himself, the fallen angel {{Satan}}. Deliberately arranging events to recruit his best friend [[Characters/DevilmanCrybabyAkiraFudo Akira Fudo]] into fusing with the demon Amon and becoming the dangerous Devilman, Ryo then aids Akira in hunting down demons, slowly but surely planning out the revelation of demons to mankind, and arranging it so that humanity descends into chaos despite not even knowing his own identity. Taking advantage of humanity's hatred to destroy civilization and reclaim Earth for his people no matter the cost, Ryo recovers from every setback and ensures his victory is achieved through people's natural willingness to persecute and destroy each other. After [[TheBadGuyWins successfully achieving his goals and annihilating society]], Ryo wins his final clash against Akira and his Devilman army. As Akira dies, Ryo admits [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes he truly loved Akira]], pontificating on the nature of love and mourning the only man he ever cared about as he is forced into a time loop, having finally come to understand the empathy and love he once despised in humans.
* ''Manga/TheDisastrousLifeOfSaikiK'': [[CompetitionFreak Kusuke Saiki]] is Kusuo's inhumanly brilliant older brother. Obsessed with standing out from his godlike sibling, Kusuke invents a device to block Kusuo's telepathy, nearly catching him in a complex game of tag and even masochistically [[GracefulLoser enjoying his defeat when beaten]]. Loving his brother enough to invent a time machine in an attempt to bring him back in a reality where Kusuo dies, Kusuke still takes any chance to test his powers, threatening to reveal his powers lest Kusuo complete his psychic ability tests.
* ''Manga/TheDungeonOfBlackCompany'': [[LaboriousLaziness Kinji Ninomiya]] is the sly, enterprising commander-in-chief of titular Dungeon Black Company. Summoned to Amuria and forced to work for the [[MegaCorp Raiza'ha Mining Corporation]], Kinji creates the title company and is able to vastly grow his power base without any of the higher-ups noticing. After returning from the BadFuture unscathed, informed of the reasons for his summoning, Kinji is able to find the ancient power of the ruins before [[TheHeavy Belza]] does, efficiently using its abilities with a combination of savvy business strategies to send Raiza'ha into near bankruptcy while dominating the market with his company in just three months. When Belza is able to get Kinji arrested by manipulating one of his companions, [[SkilledButNaive Shia]], into testifying against him, Kinji secretly leaves emergency instructions for his inner circle to arrange things behind the scenes so that he is voted CEO of Raiza'ha, turning the entire corporation into a thriving subsidiary of Dungeon Black Company. Deciding he feels most fulfilled when chasing a goal, Kinji prepares to globalize the Black Company by taking over the dungeons located in the other countries of the world.
* ''Anime/FZeroGPLegend'': Black Shadow is the bombastically evil mastermind behind Dark Million, and a character ten times as devious and stylish as his video game counterpart. Black Shadow manipulates virtually all the conflict across 50 episodes in his scheme to obtain the Reactor Mights and use them to create a universe of evil, a dream Black Shadow has dedicated himself to fulfilling with every inch of his being. Black Shadow plays heroes and allies alike as pawns while rarely ever getting up from his seat, and nearly curbstomping the heroes every time he does finally step in directly. Black Shadow's manipulations even stretch 150 years in the past, having directly arranged for the creation of both his CoDragons and even numerous fail-safes to stop [[TheChosenOne Ryu Suzaku]] from stopping him. Black Shadow has planned [[JustAsPlanned for every failure in advance]], always ready with an EvilLaugh and a wicked grin for every apparent setback, and remains in total control of the series up until Captain Falcon is forced to perform a galaxy-shattering HeroicSacrifice to stop him.
* ''Manga/FairyTail'':
** [[Characters/FairyTailZeref Zeref Dragneel]], the Dark Mage, is known as the most evil wizard of all time. In truth, a tormented genius cursed with everlasting life after he tries to resurrect his beloved [[Characters/FairyTailNatsuDragneel younger brother Natsu]], Zeref plotted to send the Dragon Slayers into the future to one day combat the evil dragon Acnologia. Upon [[StartOfDarkness surrendering to darkness]], Zeref clandestinely founded the [[Characters/FairyTailAlvarezEmpire Alvarez Empire]] as Emperor Spriggan and used them to wage war on Fairy Tail, seizing the ultimate magic Fairy Heart for himself, intending on using it to wipe out the current timeline and go back to correct all his mistakes in the hopes of [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong forging a better world]].
** [[TimeMaster Ultear Milkovich]] is a manipulative, backstabbing sorceress who uses other wizards to further her Master Hades' plans to bring back Zeref, most notably causing the events in the Tower of Heaven that result with the Etherion cannon being fired at the Tower, destroying it. Even after her HeelFaceTurn, Ultear continues to show her ruthless nature, even trying to kill the heroic Rogue to prevent him from becoming a villain in the future and her honor by giving her youth to cast a spell to turn back time and save the heroes from death. Later returning as a magical projection, Ultear helps save Fiore from the Alvarez Empire's sorceress Dimaria.
* ''Manhua/FengShenJi'': Tian himself, once known as Hei Long, wiped out the ancient gods when they betrayed him and nearly murdered his beloved wife. Recreating the world, humanity and gods, Tian has humanity enslaved so he may have blood crystals harvested in order to revive Bai Long. Upon Bai Long's imperfect revival, Tian tries to end hostilities via his sheer power, before being betrayed by the evil Shen Yen. Seemingly accepting his death, Tian fakes it and is revealed to have been manipulating everyone so he may judge their worthiness for himself, honoring his vow to spare humanity when hero Ah Gou proves himself to Tian in combat.
* ''Franchise/FistOfTheNorthStar'' franchise:
** [[Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar Original manga]]:
*** [[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]].
*** "Ryuga" Arc: [[AntiVillain Ryuga]], one of Raoh's chief generals, is a true believer of [[WellIntentionedExtremist unity through strength in the wasteland]]. Realizing the power of Kenshiro and his potential to surpass Raoh, Ryuga attempts to awaken Kenshiro's true potential and strength by kidnapping Kenshiro and Raoh's brother Toki, holding him as a "hostage" after killing his patients. Inspiring Kenshiro to pure rage so he may be killed in punishment for his deeds, Ryuga helps to unlock the true sorrow in Kenshiro's heart and Hokuto Shinken's ultimate technique so that Kenshiro is [[ThanatosGambit finally ready to face Raoh]].
** 1985 anime's "King" Arc to "South Cross" Arc: [[DeathDealer Joker]] is [[ArcVillain 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/FlameOfRecca'': Kurei Mori, TheDragon to Kouran Mori is the string puller behind the events of the first 50+ chapters. Kidnapping Recca's "princess", Yanagi, Kurei baits Recca to his castle. Defeating Recca and the heroes' Team Hokage, Kurei forces them to participate in the lethal combat arena, Ura Butou Satsujin, where the wealthy gamble on the fights—including Kurei's adoptive father Kouran. After witnessing the abilities of Team Hokage, Kurei prepares powerful fighters to challenge them and even uses the heroes to take down the traitorous Genjuro, along with his minions. Having removed all other opposition, Kurei challenges Recca to one-on-one combat and after being defeated, honors his promise not to attack Recca or his friends. Helping the heroes kill Kouran after he betrays Kurei, Kurei proved himself to plan one step ahead of everyone else and always remained a NobleDemon at heart, despite his brutal tendencies.
* ''Anime/{{FLCL}}'' series:
** Original anime: [[BigBad Haruko Haruhara]], real name Haruha Raharu, uses her employment in the Galactic Space Police Brotherhood to covet the N.O. powers of the mighty [[SpacePirates "Pirate King" Atomsk]] for herself. Seeking out the powerful N.O. user Naota Nandaba, Haruko uses him to summon and recruit the Medical Mechanica robot Canti, using his strength to get closer to freeing Atomsk from Medical Mechanica's captivity and subverts the efforts of both the company and government officials seeking to stop her. Leaving Earth after being defeated by Naota powered with Atomsk's strength and professing his love for her, Haruko returns years later, finding more N.O. users to begin her plans anew. Through a series of manipulations and deals with rivals--including her own split-off personality--Haruko again nearly unites with Atomsk and though initially torn by his repeated rejection, recovers with his comforting before preparing to chase him once more, calmed and enlightened.
** ''[[Anime/FLCLProgressiveAndAlternative Progressive & Alternative]]'''s ''Progressive'': Julia Jinyu is Haruko's literal other half who seeks to stop her from taking Atomsk's powers. Previously a friend of Atomsk, she was abandoned by him for being weak to keep up, but nevertheless, she vowed to protect him from losing his free will. Arriving at Mabase to stop Haruko, Jinyu attempts to kill Hidomi Hidori for being an N.O. user, but relents, and instead becomes her helpful house keeper, fighting Haruko any chance she can get to protect her friends. After getting eaten by Haruko and spat back out thanks to Canti, Atomsk is released, and decides to combine himself with Jinyu instead. With Jinyu reunited with her one true love, she bids Haruko a friendly, comforting farewell before heading back into space.
* ''Manga/FragmentsOfHorror'''s "Whispering Woman": Mitsu Uchida is a seemingly timid and unassuming woman hired by the wealthy Mr. Santo to care for his paranoia stricken daughter Mayumi. Despite being forced into the job by her abusive, low-life fiance Aga, Mitsu demonstrates near-supernatural skill in guiding Mayumi's actions, even saving her from a road accident she predicted herself. As the work takes a toll on Mitsu's health, her spirit stays with her charge after her murder by Aga. Mitsu's voice guides the once anxiety-ridden Mayumi to hunt down and brutally stab her killer to death, taking revenge through her living charge and promising she'll always be by Mayumi's side.
* ''Manga/FushigiYuugi'': The brilliant, ruthless [[BigBad Nakago]] was once a boy named Ayuru Gi who was taken by the Kutou Emperor after his tribe was destroyed. Used as a SexSlave, Nakago gained the Emperor's trust and eventually became a [[FourStarBadass general]] of Kutou. Manipulating the priestess of Seiryuu, Yui Hongo, to his side and winning the loyalties of the legions of Kutou as well as his Seiryuu warriors, Nakago tricks his own subordinate into killing the family of hero Tamahome and often stays a step well ahead of the heroes. Eventually overcoming the Emperor and launching a [[TheCoup coup]] that makes him ruler of Kutou, Nakago comes within a hairsbreadth of having Seiryuu summoned to make himself [[AGodAmI a god above all gods]], even managing to absolve himself of his sins to pass to heaven in his final moments.
* ''Manga/FutureDiary'': [[BigBad Mur-Mur]] is the [[LaughablyEvil humorous]] minion of Deus Ex Machina, but schemes behind her master's back to continue the survival games for eternity [[ItAmusedMe to amuse herself]]. Convincing [[{{Yandere}} Yuno Gasai]] to travel to the 2nd World and take that Yuno's place so she can still be with protagonist Yukiteru Amano, Mur-Mur would also take her own 2nd world counterpart's place so she can manipulate the people in that world; She tells Keigo Kurusu that he can cure his son's illness if he wins causing him to turn against Yuki, and lies to Yuki that he can resurrect his dead parents if he becomes god. Mur-Mur also takes direct manners to those that interfere with her plans such as erasing all of Akise's actions in ''Paradox'', abandoning Yuki in the 2nd world before traveling to the 3rd world with Yuno, and brutalizing Minene Uryu when she fights her; she would have won if Yuno had not killed herself out love for Yuki, leading Mur-Mur to unite Yuno's 3rd world counterpart with Yuki.
* ''Anime/{{Gankutsuou}}'': Once an innocent man sentenced unjustly, Edmond Dantes returns as the ruthless, charming Count of Monte Cristo to destroy his enemies. Rescuing the son of his former best friend Fernand and his fiancee Mercedes, the young Albert Morcerf, it is later revealed the Count set up the kidnapping to begin with to gain Albert's trust. Manipulating his old enemies into trusting him with investments that ruin them, the Count also reveals he rescued a young alien girl named Haydee so she could expose Fernand as a traitor and the murderer of her father. Edmond also introduces one enemy, Villefort's, mentally unstable wife to poison so she will commit murders and further disgrace her husband while later having his ally, the bandit Andrea, reveal he is Villefort's illegitimate son to ruin him further. Finally, the Count plans to harden his own heart and kill Albert to destroy Fernand, not satisfied until he has given Fernand the same unending despair Fernand once gave him, before finally letting go of his hatred thanks to the love of Albert, ending his life with a final plea to remember that his name was Edmond Dantes. A charming, sophisticated manipulator, none around him ever saw the Count coming until he struck.
* ''Anime/GaoGaiGar'': [[TheDragon Arm Primeval]], also known as ZX-07, is the leader of the Seven Magnificent Primevals, a group consisted of the strongest Primevals which he lives up to such title. Being able to make use of Eye Primeval’s ability to see through the future, Arm is able to predict every direction Guy is striking towards him. Even after [[ShootTheMedicFirst losing Liver Primeval]], Arm is still able to remain his cool and fused with other Primevals to become Combined Primeval which gives the GGG a hard time. Later, he is able to trick the heroes into destroying missiles which release sand that immobilised them and later used the sand to help him escape. In order to hide their portal that brought the Primevals to Jupiter, Arm created a Zonder Robo to disrupt GGG’s radio sequence so they won’t detect the portal. Always being able to come up with a plan ahead of the heroes and managed to avoid getting purified for three times, Arm Primeval has proved himself to be one of the most competently dangerous Primeval GGG has ever faced.
* ''Manga/GaRei'': The God of the Land is a deity that follows the call of nature to support the Dark Priestess and the [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt Decimation Plan]] to cleanse the world. The Land God is introduced while interrupting protests around [[HellGate Naraku]] and murdering JDSF soldiers to spread miasma across Tokyo and turn the city into a hellhole. He allows the heroes to escape, knowing that he has ensured the awakening of the Dark Priestess and that she will be hunted by the Agency. Dedicated to defend the Black Priestess Yomi, the Land God makes a temporary truce with the heroes to defend her in the house of his human friend Michael until Yomi embraces her role after suffering a great loss. When The Decimation Plan starts and many Narakus are summoned across the world, the Land God appears to the cowardly world leaders to criticize them for their corruption of the world. When the Light and Dark priestesses reconcile and leave the apocalyptic plan to create a world where humans and spirits co-exist instead, the Land God [[GracefulLoser accepts the results]] and leaves, feeling no regrets for his role.
* ''Anime/GAROCrimsonMoon'': [[BestServedCold Akira]], one of the last scions of the Yūge Clan, desires revenge for her family on the wicked Lord Michinaga. Working alongside her brother, Akira orchestrates a series of Horror attacks while appearing as a savior to Michinaga, managing to connive her way into [[FalseFriend becoming his lover]] and allowing her to planet a tracking spell on him. Planning to summon a [[EldritchAbomination powerful Horror]] to complete her vengeance against Michinaga, Akira even offers herself as a sacrifice to complete her plan, her devotion to her beloved family coming before all else.
* ''Manga/GeGeGeNoKitaro'' (2018 anime): The ruthless [[NonActionBigBad Nurarihyon]] seeks to elevate the {{Yokai}} above humanity. Having released the Four Treacherous Generals from the underworld to wreak havoc and sow tensions, Nurarihyon plays the part of a businessman who helps humans antagonize Yokai, allowing him to gain their loyalties when they grow tired of Kitaro's peaceful ways. Putting his plan into action, Nurarihyon allies with Backbeard and the Western Yokai, only to betray and poison them when [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness he judges their usefulness to him to have expended]].
* ''Manga/GetterRobo'':
** [[HeWhoFightsMonsters Hayato Jin]] is introduced as the leader of a brutal group of young terrorists. When the Dinosaur Empire attacks, Hayato is forced to pilot the Getter Robo and proves to be a skilled pilot who befriends his crewmates. In ''G'', when his gang are turned into demons, Hayato allows Ryoma to euthanize his loved ones. In ''Shin Getter Robo'', Hayato becomes Professor Saotome's successor and fights the Andromeda Country. In ''Go'', Hayato [[SinkOrSwimMentor trains the next generation]]. When Lando attacks Japan, Hayato uses ruthless strategies before sending Go to recruit a traumatized Ryoma and use the [[SealedEvilInACan Shin Getter Robo]]. Facing the Andromeda Country again, Hayato recruits Ryoma's son Takuma, Baku, and the half human-half dinosaur hybrid Kamui to pilot the ''Getter Robo Arc''. In the anime, after Kamui discovers that the Getter Rays will exterminate all non-humans in the future, Hayato admits tolerating such a BadFuture to ensure the survival of humanity despite admitting that Human and Dinosaur lives have the same value and encourages Kamui to shoot him. Then, Hayato uses his last moments to unleash Getter Dragon and entrust the future to the next generation.
** ''[[Manga/GetterRoboAh āḥ]]'', by Creator/GoNagai & Creator/KenIshikawa: [[WellIntentionedExtremist Kamui Sho]] is a HalfHumanHybrid created by the [[LizardFolk Dinosaur Empire]] using the DNA of Emperor Gore that is seen as the hope for their species. Growing to become a pilot of Getter Robo Arc, Kamui shows his skill in the fights to protect Earth. Eventually sent to the future, Kamui discovers the AwfulTruth that humanity and the [[MechanicalAbomination Getter Emperor]] are in a genocidal war against every other sapient species with the Dinosaurs being absent from the future Earth. Accepting [=McDonald's=] final plan to destroy the Getter, Kamui returns to the present and overthrows his cruel older brother while avoiding killing him to prevent conflict. Forcing his brother to declare a new [[KillAllHumans war against humanity]], Kamui attacks the Saotome Institute to kill his former mentors, completes the mecha Bug and destroys human cities before fighting his former friend Takuma. In the anime, Kamui is last seen reconciling with his former team to fight the Getter itself and challenge fate.
* ''Manga/Golgo13'': "[[ProfessionalKiller Golgo 13]]" himself, real name Duke Togo, spends most of his stories coming up with a complex gambit to fool his target and get him in a position to take his shot. A master sniper, Golgo has been active decades with incredibly few failures and a sterling reputation as a professional. In one instance, he tricks a CIA traitor into leading him to her boss while wearing a red coat against the snowy background to snipe them both in one shot. In another, knowing a mobster was faster on the draw than him, Golgo fools the mobster into being occupied with his dominant arm holding on to a woman so Golgo could outdraw him. Throughout every story, Golgo is characterized by his cold charisma and unreadable expression, always having a plan to take out his target, no matter who it is.
* ''Anime/GreatPretender'':
** Laurent Thierry is an elegant con artist seeking revenge on the human trafficker, Liu Xao, for seemingly killing his lover. Establishing a crew of con artists in pursuit of his goal, Laurent deceives Makoto Edamura into accompanying him before forcibly ensnaring him into his crew. Throughout the series, Laurent deceives several corrupt and wealthy folk into bankruptcy. When Makoto announces his intentions to leave the crew, Laurent uses his connections to get Makoto to unknowingly work for a human trafficking group so that Makoto will help the crew out in their final scam. After getting Makoto to reunite with his father, Laurent and Makoto trick Liu Xao and his rival, Akemi Suzaku, to meet in a fake building created by Laurent's crew, before making off with their finances and stranding the traffickers on a deserted island. Having a near limitless supply of tricks up his sleeve, Laurent gets away with everything he intended to collect before going on to continue his life as a con artist.
** Cynthia Moore is a brilliant, money-hungry con artist in Laurent's crew and one of the few who can keep up with him. Introduced disguised as an FBI agent, Cynthia manages to bankrupt their mark ostensibly for immunity before leaving the mobster at the mercy of the police. In later arcs Cynthia continues showing her charm and ingenuity: at one point scamming her old friend's abusive boss into losing all of his money and later doing the same to a corrupt art critic who had in the past taken advantage of her ex-boyfriend, setting up an entire fake auction house to do so.
** Seiji "Oz" Ozaki was a brilliant con artist and successful lawyer who connived to be arrested with a tarnished reputation to give himself a reason to work for the Suzaku Group traffickers. Secretly in league with Laurent, Oz fakes his death at his own son Makoto's hands to secretly reconvene with Laurent after serving as the Suzaku Group's translator in trafficking children. In truth, Oz helps set up their complete defeat while saving the children, repairing his relationship with his son in the bargain.
* ''VideoGame/GrimmsNotes'' (2019 anime): Curly is a member of the religious cult known as Church of Fortrem and also a member of the Rogue Storytellers known as Chaos Tellers. Believing that people in their own Story Zones have accursed fates that were given to them from the Book of Fate, Curly teams up with another Chaos Teller, Loki, to manipulate the people in their Story Zones who had a horrible fate in their books by turning them into a Chaos Teller, which resulted in the Story Zone getting distorted and several innocent citizens turning into creatures known as "Villains". Eventually, Curly's plans culminate as she attempts to destroy all of the Story Zones and recreate them in their own image along with Loki in order to liberate people from their accursed fates as a last resort. Despite her beliefs being refuted by the heroes, she remains affable towards them, making her one of the most compelling enemies the heroes have faced.
* ''Anime/GuiltyCrown'': [[TheSpock Gai Tsutsugami]] is the mysterious but charming young leader of [[Characters/GuiltyCrownFuneralParlor Funeral Parlor]], a [[LaResistance resistance organization]] against the evil [[Characters/GuiltyCrownGHQ GHQ]]. With a series of schemes to subvert the GHQ's efforts, Gai has a laser-armed satellite of theirs destroyed and halts drug trade. [[HeroicSacrifice Sacrificing himself]] to stop the spread of the Apocalypse Virus, Gai is resurrected by the GHQ alongside Mana Ouma for their Adam and Eve plot and works alongside the GHQ while brutally putting Mana's younger brother, the hero Shu, through a series of hardships to force him to eventually kill Gai and Mana, ultimately stopping the Apocalypse Virus from devastating mankind.
* ''Manga/GunburedXSisters'': [[ChurchMilitant Sister Dolores Lily "Dorothy" Alguencruz]] became a monster hunter after a dhampyr killed her nursing mother. Dorothy knows how to keep the unruly damphyr Maria Belford in line without being aggressive and remains calm in most situations. Even when she seems pinned down, she has another trick up her sleeve to get out of it, either on her own or by making sure her allies are in place to assist her. She is also not above using brutal violence against those she fights. She uses people like pawns, even allies like Maria and her admirer and the Knight of the Cross, Shannon. When Maria [[WhatTheHellHero points this out]], Dorothy sets up a scenario where Maria and Shannon can settle their differences and learn to fight together. She finds out Maria's long-lost sister Noelle is the one who [[YouKilledMyFather killed her mother]] and the Church's association with the True Bloods. Despite her disappointment with her father for making this deal, Dorothy still sets out what she intended to do, with Maria backing her up. Despite Noelle [[VillainExitStageLeft escaping]], the ending implies that Dorothy still has her resolve to hunt her down.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: H - N]]
* ''Manga/HappySugarLife'': [[VillainProtagonist Satou Matsuzaka]] is a high schooler who--after becoming enamored with the young Shio Kobe--will go to any length to protect her "happy sugar life" with her. While presenting herself as friendly in public, Satou is in truth a skilled manipulator who blackmails others into doing her dirty work under the threat of ruining their livelihoods. When Shio's brother Asahi comes into the equation, Satou ropes a despondent Taiyo Mitsuboshi into her scheme to lure Asahi into another district by exploiting his psychological trauma. After reluctantly killing her best friend Shouko Hida, Satou adjusts her scheme yet again by deciding to pass off Shouko's corpse as her own and tasks her aunt with burning the upper level of the apartment to cover her tracks. Satou realizes the real meaning of love as she falls to her death and selflessly shields Shio with her body, dying in her place. Despite her extreme methods, Satou is the person who ultimately ensures Shio's well-being in the future.
* ''Anime/HellGirl'': [[PunchClockVillain Ai Emma]] is [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Hell Girl]], the enigmatic girl behind Hell Correspondence. [[DemonOfHumanOrigin Formerly a village girl]], when she and her family were sacrificed, Ai unleashed a curse which caught the attention of the Lord of Hell who took her parents' souls and threatened to keep them in Hell unless she serves him. Accepting the offer, Ai spends centuries granting people's vengeance to banish others to Hell in exchange for their own souls, until meeting Takuma who suffered a fate like hers. Not wanting to damn him, Ai pulled a gamble, [[ResurrectionGambit resurrecting him and herself]] before having the mob after him kill her, knowing this would void her curse that gave the Lord control over her defying him. Saving her parents, Ai returns to execute one last plan: to save Yuzuki from taking her place, she makes a pact with the Lord to [[HeroicSacrifice become Hell Girl for all of eternity]] so nobody else would, shouldering the burden of the damned all on her own forever.
* ''Manga/HellsParadiseJigokuraku'': In the dark quest for the ElixirOfLife on the [[IslandOfMystery mysterious island of Kotaku]], some turn the brutal world into a board for truly ambitious schemes.
** The 58th [[ProfessionalKiller Gabimaru]], the "[[RedBaron Hollow]]", born [[DarkAndTroubledPast Tsuki]], is the [[TheAce best assassin]] ever produced by Iwagakure village. A genius killer since childhood, Gabimaru fell in love with his wife Yui and decided to stop killing to live quietly with her. Betrayed by his village chief for his defiance, captured and delivered to the shogunate for execution, Gabimaru was instead recruited to seek the coveted elixir on Kotaku by the Yamada Asaemon Sagiri. Alongside his comrades, Gabimaru uses his [[CombatClairvoyance predictive abilities]] and tactical acumen to kill both the villainous Tensen deities of the island and belligerent criminals who joined the voyage, at one point tricking a giant enemy into lowering his head for a decapitation strike. Injecting himself with a Tensen flower and risking his humanity, Gabimaru comes up with a strategy to distract and kill the Tensen leader Rien alongside Sagiri, escaping Kotaku and Iwagakure to live happily with Yui.
** [[WildCard Jikka]], the [[BrilliantButLazy laidback]] third rank of the Yamada Asaemon samurai, is potentially the [[BewareTheSillyOnes most dangerous]] of them all. Jikka arrives on Kotaku and immediately [[PlayingBothSides plays the convicts against his fellow Yamada]]. Manipulating his clansman Shugen to confront the Aza bandit brothers, Jikka makes sure to leave everything to his advantage where he benefits no matter who dies just so he can become the Yamada clan head and [[TheHedonist take a life of luxury]]. Returning after Rien's defeat, Jikka cheerfully arranges happy endings for all surviving Yamada and convicts, while tricking the monstrous Shogun Tokugawa Nariyoshi to his end in a way that will not reflect poorly on Jikka himself and his complete triumph.
** [[{{Necromantic}} Rien]], the "[[EnlightenedAntagonist Shangdi Samantabhadra]]", is the [[TheUnfettered cold]] master of the Tensen and ruler of the ancient civilization on Kotaku. Once the wife of the alchemist Xu Fu, Rien and her husband were assigned to discover the secrets of immortality on behalf of their [[UsefulNotes/QinShiHuangdi Emperor Qin Shi Huang]] on Kotaku, carrying on even after the Emperor's death. Heartbroken when Xu Fu's body is arborified from his experiments, Rien creates the Tensen and convinces them to aid her in reviving her husband and tricks the villagers to believe she and the Tensen are Kotaku's [[GodGuise deities]]. Using the villagers' [[LifeEnergy Tan]] to expand hers and the Tensen's, Rien makes the Banko flower and spends a millennia adjusting her research to bloom it and use its Tan to revive Xu Fu, undeterred even by each failure. In the present, when her initial plot to use the heroes' Tao fails and the Tensen are defeated, Rien [[CrazyPrepared quickly adapts]] and prepares to bring Xu Fu's preserved corpse to Japan and revive him using the Tan of all living beings in the mainland. Confronted by the heroes, Rien manages to fatally wound Gabimaru and Sagiri before being distracted and mortally injured herself. Gracefully [[VillainsDyingGrace healing her opponents]] out of respect for Gabimaru's love for his own wife, Rien passes on to reunite with Xu Fu in the afterlife.
* ''Manga/HoshinEngi'':
** Though spending much of his time observing the major events, Shinkohyo proves himself to be one of the strongest and most compelling rivals of Taikobo. Defeating Taikobo for mocking his fashion sense, Shinkohyo leaves his WorthyOpponent ecstatic at facing challenging combat. Trying to stop the crown prince of the Yin Empire from fleeing, Shinkohyo gives him and his brother a MotiveRant so enlightening that they betray Taikobo. Though seemingly villainous for much of the story, Shinkohyo is truthfully a neutral [[TheTrickster Trickster]] who switches sides based on which he finds more entertaining.
** Chokomei is one of the strongest Kingo Island Sennin under Youkai Tsuten Kyoshu and the instigator behind a battle between the aforementioned and Kongrong Mountain to test his super paope, destroying the relationship between the two groups. Teaming up with Dakki, Chokomei puts a series of maneuvers in play to stop the Zhou Empire from revolting against Choka. Kidnapping Taikobo's companions to get him to fight, Chokomei takes advantage of the former fleeing from combat to turn his spirit beast into stone, forcing him to confront him. After seemingly defeating Taikobo, Chokomei attempts to change the story by making another manga to replace it and when Taikobo is resurrected, Chokomei turns himself into a plant and tries to drain the Earth of its nutrients. Even when finally defeated, Chokomei remains cordial, proving himself to be one of the most respectful and interesting opponents of the series.
* ''Manga/HyperPolice'''s "Say Goodbye to a Cold Jail Cell": Chameleons A and B are a pair of escape artists who make a living busting criminals out of jail, boasting a 100% success rate. The two pose as framed fugitives to trick Natsuki into helping them get into a prison's inner power plant. In truth hoping to use Natsuki's anger-based powers to destroy the plant and release every prisoner from their cells, the Chameleons' plan almost succeeds until the arrival of Tomy and Batanen, with A even admitting their defeat gracefully.
* ''Anime/IDInvaded'': [[TwoFaced Tamotsu Fukuda]], after surviving a drill into his head and inadvertently curing his own arithmomania, becomes "[[SerialKiller The Perforator]]" and drills holes into people's head in hope of curing them of similar conditions. When the police led by [[BadassAdorable Koharu Hondomachi]] tracks down Fukuda, he pretends to be one of The Perforator's victims before killing the doctors transporting him and kidnapping Koharu. After being convinced by Koharu that his actions are doing more harm than good to his victims, Fukuda willingly surrenders himself to the police and helps them bring other serial killers to justice. Tricking Akihito Narihisago into entering his own ID Well on John Walker's behalf in hopes of killing Akihito and [[DeathSeeker himself]], Fukuda is convinced by Koharu to turn against John Walker, helping her and Akihito uncover Walker's true identity set up a trap for him before Fukuda [[HeroicSacrifice sacrifices]] his life to save Koharu.
* ''Anime/{{Ingress}}'': Christopher Brandt, an altruistic scientist who wants to use the MX for the benefit of humanity is the creator of the augmented reality glasses used by the Collaborators. Brandt uses the Dark MX in himself and to revive his bodyguard Jack. Searching for Sarah, a woman with notorious potential to control MX, Brandt blows himself up in front of her to activate her potential. Encouraging Sarah from the afterlife, Brandt ultimately reveals himself as the real mastermind of the story, taking control over the augmented reality glasses from the Collaborators and killing their leadership by using their own bodyguards. Intending to save humanity by fusing all their souls into a single one, Brandt revives himself using the same method that saved Jack. Almost convincing the protagonists, Brandt forces Sarah to sacrifice herself before trying to force her to participate in his plan in the afterlife. Trying to devour Sarah in a last attempt to fulfill his goal, Brandt is defeated only due to Makoto's, the Ingress users' and Jack's sacrifice. Realizing that his best friend has chosen his own path, Brandt calmly accepts his defeat before vanishing.
* ''Literature/InSpectre'': The protagonist Kotoko Iwanaga is revered as a Goddess of Wisdom by the {{youkai}} and keeper of order. Taking drastic measures to maintain order Kotoko uses her intelligence and people reading skills to weave lies to satisfy her clients' wishes, using force and even [[DeceasedFallGuyGambit framing a dead woman]] to stop a rampaging phantom. She also shows no mercy to those who try to interfere with order, punishing those who tamper with it through her truths and lies, unconcerned of the consequences for those around. Intelligent and ruthless, Kotoko's sharp wit and charisma shows why many worship her as a deity of knowledge.
* ''Manga/{{Jackals}}'': Lee Meilang, the head of Tennouren, is the most intelligent and devious gangster in all of Cicero City who takes over Tennouren solely to destroy the gangs in the city and come out ahead. Meilang manipulates their rival mob Gabriella into a war where she proceeds to play the hero Nichol Heyward and his allies into doing everything she wants. When Don Salieri is overthrown by his depraved underling Vampire Franco, Meilang simply works it into her plans and comes out ahead, selling out the other gangs and establishing a legitimate organization with the government after their defeat, completely untouchable to the end.
* ''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 Operation Undershaft 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.
** Lehm Brick, leader of Koko's defense detail, is an OldSoldier whose years of experience and command turned Koko's Squad into becoming one of the world's most elite militia in the world. A former US Major, Lehm joined Koko after growing desensitized toward both war and his nation's ideals, deciding to believe in Koko's plans. Cold and tactical, Lehm used his experience to turn his squad into an elite group maintaining a standard of a professional unit, leading charges and adapting his strategy on the fly whether through command or his own hands. Believing in Koko's plan for world peace, Lehm ultimately leads the group in accomplishing it, perfectly executions the military operations against their many foes against them while making sure they don't lose themselves in the bloodshed, even saving Jonah's from his child soldier mentality to give them a better life.
** William "Wiley" Nelson is the group's demolition expert whose skills with explosives have made him one of the group's deadliest member. An engineering school graduate, Wiley sought a different path from his family and joined the US Army, learning quickly his gift in demolition, earning him a role in the military's sabotage operation, capable of salvaging the situation with even minimum explosives. Joining Lehm in Koko's squad, Wiley's demolition skill saved the group numerous times, quickly using his explosives to turn the table against, anyone foiling numerous attacks in creative ways. When fighting the [[RogueAgent rogue MI6]] group Excalibur, Wiley was able to turn the situation around despite being outgun and outnumbered, with clever uses of his few bombs, using their limited range and field tactics to decimate them flawlessly. While seemingly quiet and unassuming, Wiley is seen as the most dangerous member of the group with his demolition expertise, on par with only Koko herself.
** Dr. Minami "Miami" Amada is the best friend of Koko and her right-hand woman in Operation Undershaft. A genius in robotics, Miami was recruited by the military to create the most sophisticated systems to develop their weaponry, revolutionizing the industry. Hating what her creations were used for, Miami decided to join with Koko in her plan for world peace by masterminding Undershaft, a plan to single-handily destroy the air space and cripple the whole world's weapon capabilities. Coming up with the theory, Miami has Koko get what she needs, including robbing government bodies and kidnapping specific personal of her choosing, all the while using her genius to disable their opponents, including overwriting the US's top system. Winning over her hostage with her charm, she's able to complete Undershaft, and launch it to end war around the world, satisfied despite the sacrifices she made.
** "Dance with Undershaft" arc: Hex is a radical CIA agent and one of Koko's fiercest and long-running enemies. Having a deep-rooted hatred for terrorism, Hex ruthlessly uses any means necessary to eradicate them, setting her sights on Koko, believing her a threat. Arranging an army to have her killed, Hex claimed the life of Echo but ended up traumatized by her casualties. Vowing revenge, Hex joined Bookman to watch Koko, all the while using her connections to hire assassins against her to gather data. With the data gathering complete, Hex decided to go behind her superior's back to launch her attack, winning over a squad of elite soldiers to her cause before ambushing her at the Czech Republic, fatally injuring Jonah, and nearly killing Koko herself, only stopped the betrayal of her own comrades. When Koko launches a bomb raid for revenge, Hex faces it with no regret, vowing to battle Koko again Hell before shooting herself to not give Koko the satisfaction of killing her.
* ''Manga/JujutsuKaisen'': [[ProfessionalKiller Toji Fushiguro]], the "[[MageKiller Sorcerer Killer]]," is a master assassin who will kill anyone for the right price. The only human being with no Cursed Energy, Toji compensates with raw physical prowess and cold tactical skill. After years of killing powerful Sorcerers, Toji takes a job to kill the young Riko Amanai. First tiring out her guards by putting up a bounty weeks in advance, Toji attacks when they seem at their weakest. After personally taking out her guards, including two of the most prodigal Sorcerers in Japan, Toji manages to kill Riko. When cornered by [[Characters/JujutsuKaisenSatoruGojo Satoru Gojo]], Toji is undone by his newfound power, using his last words to tell Gojo of the son he abandoned. Revived in Shibuya, Toji is cursed to find and kill the strongest fighters he can. While doing this, Toji tracks down the Disaster Curse Dagon and viciously exorces it before then turning his attention to his own son Megumi. Upon realizing Megumi's identity, Toji musters the willpower to end his own life, telling his son how happy he is that he didn't end up in the clutches of the cruel Zen'in Clan.
* ''Anime/{{K}}'': In ''Return of Kings'' the [[BigBadDuumvirate joint leaders]] of [[Characters/KJungle JUNGLE]] operate meticulously to [[WellIntentionedExtremist create what they believe will be a better world for everyone]]:
** [[VisionaryVillain Nagare Hisui]], the [[RankScalesWithAsskicking Green King]], believes the power of the [[EnigmaticEmpoweringEntity Dresden Slate]] should be shared amongst all of mankind and challenged the powerful Gold King for control of it, coming to near victory until he was forced to retreat as his own power ran out. Plotting for the next 14 years with his mentor and adoptive father the Grey King, Nagare creates JUNGLE and [[TheManBehindTheMan manipulates the monstrous Colorless King]] to work as a distraction for their plans while waiting for the Gold King to die before moving into action directly. Through an online site, Nagare causes chaos as he empowers civilians, bringing JUNGLE to the public and eventually forcing the Silver King, Adolf K. Weismann/Yashiro Isana, to confront him. Stealing the Dresden Slate with a [[KansasCityShuffle daring scheme]], Nagare activates its power and begins strengthening all of humanity, only stopped when Yashiro destroys his own Sword of Damocles to neutralize the Slate. As he passes, Nagare fondly remembers his time with the core members of JUNGLE, before remarking he is "satisfied" with the outcome despite his loss, cementing himself as one of Yashiro's most noble and gracious adversaries.
** [[BewareTheSillyOnes Tenkei Iwafune]] is an easy-going, playful TeamDad to JUNGLE, serving as the surrogate father to Nagare Hisui while masking his true identity of the Grey King. Originally the beloved King Seitō Ōtori, his entire clan was lost in a Damocles Down, but he managed to find and successfully go into hiding with Nagare for 14 years while they developed JUNGLE together. In between scheming the theft of the Dresden Slate with Nagare and defeating the Blue King in single combat, Iwafune keeps JUNGLE's base tidy, throws dinner parties for his partners, and comes to care for all of JUNGLE as a surrogate family. Though defined by [[TheCynic cynicism]], Iwafune hopes to use the Dresden Slate to endow all of humanity with great power so people can better protect themselves, and has [[UndyingLoyalty absolute loyalty]] to assisting Nagare in accomplishing this goal. Even when finally overwhelmed only through all of [[Characters/KScepter4 SCEPTER 4]], Iwafune sets JUNGLE's base to self-destruct, orders friend and foe alike to evacuate, and finds Nagare's fallen body after his defeat at the hands of Adolf K. Weismann, cradling his adopted son in his arms as their base collapses around them and happily remarking that the time they had together was fun.
* ''Anime/KaiketsuZorro'': Commander Raymond is a suave, fast-thinking villain who constantly comes up with schemes to undermine Don Diego de la Vega aka Zorro, even resorting to [[FrameUp framing]] the latter's father to gain an advantage. In "The Peoples' Enemy" Raymond exemplifies his quick-thinking and smooth tongue when Zorro and his allies bust into a public assembly before Raymond with evidence of his dirty dealings with a crooked merchant named Diaz. However, rather than get publicly exposed, Raymond completely turns the situation around in his favor by ordering Diaz to be arrested, shooting Diaz when he resists, agreeing to hand the grain back to the people, and then thanking Zorro in public for helping the army take down Diaz, allowing him to ride away in the process and avoiding a potential riot as a result. Even at the end, when he is exposed, Raymond opts to face Zorro one final time in a DuelToTheDeath.
* ''Manga/{{Kakegurui}}'': (2017 anime):
** [[CavalierCompetitor Yumeko Jabami]], the compulsive, [[TheGamblingAddict gambling-addicted]] lead of the series arrives at Hyakkakou Academy at the series' start, befriending the hapless Ryota Suzui after her first brilliant gambit defeats skilled gambler Mary Saotome. Allowing herself to be placed upon the [[AlmightyJanitor lowest rung of the academy's hierarchy]], Yumeko is gleeful to challenge whomever she wishes with a constant bevvy of luck and skill in her games. Yumeko has no compunction with resorting to blackmail, either, having secretly recorded idol singer Yumemi Yumemite saying how much she hates her fanclub to force her into another match, while simply relying on her instincts, friends and luck at other times to make sure she can take a match with the Student Council President herself. Yumeko simply [[CuteAndPsycho revels in the chaos]] her gambling creates as it gives her the chance to rise to greater heights and thrills even as she takes the time to look out for her close friends.
** [[ScholarshipStudent Mary Saotome]] was an untouchable gambler at Hyakkakou Academy until a series of losses forced her to confront the possibility of having her whole life mapped out for her. Allying with [[EnemyMine former rival Yumeko]], she and Mary concoct a scheme during a debt swap game to lure their smug opponent into betting all his chips and destroying him financially while erasing Mary's debt. Content sitting on the sidelines for sometime afterwards, Mary steps back into the game when the Student Council President offers up her seat to whomever wins her gambling tournament. Mary shows her skills yet again, winning a match by [[AwesomenessByAnalysis analyzing the shuffling pattern of the deck]], defeating the Vice President of the academy and even saving Yumeko from being poisoned. During the final game of the series, Mary comes up with a strategy to intimidate her opponents from betting against and even uncovers the secret mastermind.
** [[TheDreaded Kirari Momobami]] is the Student Council President of Hyakkakou Academy and the ruthless founder of its oppressive housepet system, designed so she can always be in control while giving her a chance to dictate the lives of graduates. In Kirari's quest for power, she outplayed and defeated the previous President to take control, while deciding Yumeko is too intriguing to expel. Kirari makes sure to use her subordinates to challenge Yumeko so she might see her worth, eventually opting to play Yumeko herself in a game of chance. [[EvilVirtues Never cheating to give herself an advantage]], Kirari even handles rebellions with a trademark flair, undermining them by using her "shadow" and twin sister Ririka as a decoy, even testing the loyalty of her beloved secretary Sayaka Igarashi in a game against Yumeko which ends in Sayaka's loss and attempted suicide, only for Kirari to leap out the tower after her and reveal she had placed a mattress below them all for the [[ThrillSeeker thrill]] of being able to leap such a height together.
* ''Manga/KamiKatsuWorkingForGodInAGodlessWorld'': Loki, the main antagonist of the series, desires to rule the world as its top god. An Archon who was a former human experimented on by the government, she served the Assembly, an artificial intelligence, for thousands of years. After ensuring that the Imperial City's population was regulated by enforcing the end-of-life system among other decrees, Loki tired of her servitude when she learned that humans once possessed free will. Upon learning of Yukito Urabe's intent to build a cult centered around the goddess Mitama, Loki disguises herself as a human male named Clem, infiltrating the cult, whilst simultaneously keeping her fellow Archon Atar preoccupied with slaying strange beasts when she was ordered to destroy the isolationist camp. Loki manipulates Yukito and Mitama into helping her destroy the Assembly and takes advantage of the city's decrepit state by implementing herself as its ruler. When the Archon Gaia threatens to flatten the Imperial City with Typhon, Loki secretly assists Mitama by giving her some of her followers as a means of narrowing the competition.
* ''Manga/KeymanTheHandOfJudgement'':
** [[AloofAlly Devonea Violet]], more commonly known as "Dr. Necro," is an ancient witch currently seeking to right the wrongs of her past. Ages ago tampering with the black arts and [[DealWithTheDevil making a pact with Butler]] that resulted in the changing of the natural order in the world, Necro fled from Butler's sight and began scheming to take down her former partner. Arriving in Lockville and immediately gaining allies on the police force with her helpful advice and charming attitude, Necro uses Inspector Alex Rex to carry out her plans against Butler, putting the entire police force in harm's way while noting that though it's not ideal, she'd sacrifice them all if necessary. Necro takes down a Beastmen trafficking ring, reunites with and redeems her son Franck by assisting him in reviving his lost daughter, and ultimately works with Franck to outplay Butler before sacrificing herself to ensure his schemes never threaten the world again.
** [[TheAtoner Franck Violet]] is the son of Devonea, aka Dr. Necro, raised by his mother under brutal conditions to make him a better sorcerer, and serves as the first ArcVillain of the story, Desperate to retrieve his daughter Misery when Necro bodyjacks the girl's soulless body to protect herself from a vengeful Franck, Franck masterminds a brilliant conspiracy in Lockville, allying with various criminal elements to slide under police radar for years and manufacture "Keymen" superheroes to simultaneously use them in his plans to access the afterlife as well as lure Necro to him. Upon succeeding in capturing Necro, Franck ends up allying with her to finish his quest of reviving Misery, at which point Franck showcases his genuinely kind personality in raising Misery. When Butler kidnaps Misery and mortally sounds Franck, Franck teams with his mother one last time to use Alex Rex and his allies as pawns in thwarting Butler, before sacrificing himself alongside Necro to protect Lockville from similar threats, making Alex promise to look after Misery for him in the process.
* ''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.
* ''Manga/KillingBites'': [[EvilutionaryBiologist Reiichi Shidoh]] organizes the underground "Killing Bites" fights between the HalfHumanHybrid Therianthropes. Utterly unscrupulous, Shidoh uses shady tactics: tampering with the rules of the ring and manipulating the Zaibatu's conglomerates to allow for his experiments on Therianthropes. Betraying and arranging the murder of Mitsukado Zaibatsu's chairman, Yozan Mitsukado, Shidoh sets it up to [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident look like an accident]]; then ordering his Therianthropes follower to murder her own investor to [[LeaveNoWitnesses eliminate the witness]] to his crime. In spite of his unfettered nature, Shidoh truly believed his experiments on Therianthropes would fix the struggling Japanese economy and genuinely cares for Hitomi, even risking his own life to save her when he found her as a child.
* ''Anime/KillLaKill'': [[BigGood Sōichirō Kiryuin]] is the brilliant father of [[Characters/KillLaKillRyukoMatoi Ryuko]] and husband of Ragyo, whose schemes to upend the latter's evil fall into place throughout the series. Originally an ally to Ragyo, Sōichirō betrayed his wife when she callously experimented on their daughters, Sōichirō convincing young [[Characters/KillLaKillSatsukiKiryuin Satsuki]] to rebel against her mother at an older age while he personally spirited infant Ryuko away to safety. Faking his death and expertly disguising himself as "[[TwoAliasesOneCharacter Isshin Matoi]]", Sōichirō developed the Rending Scissors and the Kamui Senketsu, tricking Nui Harime into overlooking their potential when she assassinated him and leaving both for Ryuko to find and utilize. Long after his death, Sōichirō's intentions for Ryuko, Senketsu and the Scissors come to pass, as [[Characters/KillLaKillNudistBeach Nudist Beach]]--founded by Sōichirō himself--leads an insurrection against Ragyo alongside Ryuko and Satsuki, taking down Ragyo and the Life Fibers exactly as Sōichirō intended.
* ''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 an 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/KingOfWolves'': [[UsefulNotes/MinamotoNoYoshitsune Yoshitsune Minamoto]] was a famed general who faked his death and alongside his battle brother Benkei and fled Japan to eventually arrive in Mongolia. Becoming the titular "King of Wolves", UsefulNotes/GenghisKhan himself, with his desire to leave a legacy, the Khan conquers his way across all of Asia with daring and brilliant strategies. When he realizes the time traveling warrior Iba is Japanese as well and a master warrior, the Khan makes him one of his greatest generals while allowing him to carry his beloved Kyoko. When they have a son, Genghis Khan orders Benkei to murder Iba so he may claim the boy as an heir. Even when bested by Iba, the Khan opts to [[{{Seppuku}} kill himself honorably]] and be reunited with his own wife and child, having arranged it so Iba is forced to take up the identity of Genghis Khan and steer history down its proper path.
* ''Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa'':
** [[HonestJohnsDealership Customer Service]] is the [[AffablyEvil smooth-talking]] salesman of Nightmare Enterprises. The main man King Dedede turns to whenever he needs a Monster to clobber that there Kirby, Customer routines making a dupe out of Dedede while making as much profit as he can out of his crooked deals. Customer Service also excels in [[EvilDebtCollector collecting debt]] from the greedy King, whether it be using a "ghost" to scare him out of his cash, to rigging his super-successful Waddle Dee vending machines to pay off NME instead. Not only the company's most successful salesman but TheDragon to Nightmare himself, Customer Service tricks Dedede one last time in the finale into revealing the location of the heroes before dispatching the Heavy Lobster to dispose of them, bidding farewell to Dedede with the remark he's been fond of "double-dealing" with him to the end.
** "Ninja Binge": [[{{Ninja}} Yamikage]] is a powerful warrior who once successfully betrayed the Star Warriors and one-upped Meta Knight himself. Summoned in the present by King Dedede, Yamikage showcases [[NobleDemon honor]] and skills alike as he tuckers out and takes down the young warrior Benikage while proving himself unable to be surprised even by a stealth Meta Knight. After putting Kirby through a harsh fight, Yamikage vanishes with a smoke bomb, escaping into the nearby forest and swearing to one day return for revenge on the hero.
** "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.
** "A Novel Approach": [[MadArtist The Broom King]] disguises himself as ''Pappy Pottey'' author [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed Rowlin]] to turn King Dedede's castle into a "magic school" and lure the entire populace of Dream Land to the school as students, using their obsession with ''Pappy Pottey'' to turn them into his puppets. After fooling the whole town with his Rowlin guise, the Broom King uses a harmless sport to enact a brainwashing curse that turns the whole town against Kirby, nearly destroying the pink hero. Even when exposed, the Broom King uses a variety of cleaning utensils to fight Kirby and nearly defeat him in physical combat.
* ''Anime/{{Kiznaiver}}'': The seemingly carefree and {{apathetic teacher}}, [[BigBad Kazunao Yamada]], is actually a high ranking member of the [[TheConspiracy Kizna Committee]]. Desiring a permanent end to global conflicts, [[WellIntentionedExtremist Yamada]] helped found the Kizuna System, experimenting on children to bond them through one another's pain and suffering, hoping that they would cooperate. When the first attempt failed, Kizuna restarted his experiments years later, this time on seven teenagers where Yamada put them through dangerous and tumultuous situations to make them feel physical and emotional pain. Deciding to separate the teens from Kizuna system after they gave him results, Yamada asked them for help once more when Noriko Sonozaki hijacks the system, before ending the series having [[KarmaHoudini gotten away]] with his crimes and satisfied with what he has accomplished.
* ''Manga/KongohBancho'': [[MisanthropeSupreme Takeshi Kongoh]] is the true BigBad of the manga and the wicked elder [[Characters/TheKongohFamily brother]] of the hero Akira Kongoh, aiming to be a DarkMessiah to destroy and rebuild Japan. Driven by rage at the death of his mother, Takeshi helps organize the [[Characters/The23Banchos 23 District]] project to lure in powerful Bancho, all while manipulating his father, whom he eventually usurps. Rising up, Takeshi reveals his true plan: the Damocles Project. Using it to dispose of previous Bancho participants, Takeshi becomes the undisputed ruler of Japan, aiming to destroy it and create an ideal world to make humanity pay. With his strength matched by a ruthless, calculating mind, Takeshi ends the series with his ideals awakened by his son Rai, using his last moments to save Akira's life and bidding him farewell as he gives Akira cover to save the world.
* ''Anime/LegendOfLemnear'': The [[AdaptationalHeroism manga version]] of [[AntiVillain Varohl]] was once a noble king who used an accursed power to save his kingdom, at the expense of being corrupted by the evil gods to serve their plan to [[KillAllHumans eradicate humanity]]. Birthing his daughter, heroine Lemnear to stop him, Varohl orchestrates her training and sees she be armed with the one weapon that can stop him. Masterminding their eventual confrontation, as Varohl is felled by her blade, he thanks Lemnear for successfully saving mankind.
* ''Manga/{{Leviathan}}'', by Eiji Otsuka: [[ArcVillain Rokuro "Rock" Oogami]], from the ''Lycaoni'' arc, is the charismatic teenager leader of the Lycaoni Revolution. After losing his beloved lycaoni family to an angry mob in the human world and being transformed into a [[ApocalypseMaiden Leviathan]], Rock, despite not being a lycaoni himself, unites the lycaonis into a unified organization under himself. Turning humans and troublesome lycaoni into animals, Rock uses them to wipe out any opposition to his revolution and tricks Inuhiko Inugami's sister into using a toxin disguised as a LovePotion to trigger Inuhiko's lycaoni side and begin his uprising. A young but adept manipulator, Rock sought the destruction, then recreation of a world where lycaoni don't exist with the goal of ensuring his sister a happy life.
* ''Anime/{{Levius}}'': [[{{Cyborg}} Malcolm Eden]] is an [[GeniusBruiser experienced Metal Boxer]] who subjects himself to heavy modifications and employs unscrupulous strategies and tactics to always get a win while his opponents end up dead after the match. Already claiming five lives in the ring, Malcolm prepares for his match with Levius Cornwall, giving Levius his most challenging fight yet. When Levius manages to win, Malcolm would ask Levius to give him a warrior's death which [[FaceDeathWithDignity Malcolm embraces]] in the manga, while in the anime adaptation Malcolm [[RetiredBadass retires]] and trains Levius for his upcoming fight against AJ Langdon.
* ''Manga/LoneWolfAndCub'': Both the protagonist and antagonist are viciously efficient operators:
** [[AntiHero Ogami Itto]] is a stoic, charismatic warrior unjustly [[FrameUp framed]] by the Yagyu clan. On the run with his three year old son Daigoro, Itto constantly showcases his strategic genius in his assassinations. In one instance, he allows himself to be captured by the enemy to get close to a target, revealing that the warning they received was written by him. In another, he uses Daigoro drowning as bait to trick a target's bodyguard into trying to save him so Itto can kill him. Itto singlehandedly brings down the powerful Yagyu clan on his own, showing why he is a man who walks the road of demons, the Path of Meifumado.
** [[BigBad Yagyu Retsudo]] is a charismatic old man with the soul of a samurai that contrasts with the hard ruthlessness of an assassin. After the Yagyu lose the post of Shogun executioner to Itto, Retsudo uses a seemingly innocuous sparring match to trick Itto into knocking his staff into a man who could pose a threat to him, leading to the man's death. Later framing Itto for treason, Retsudo is revealed to be manipulating the entire Shogunate from the shadows and even when exposed for this, manages to connive his way back to power, having his rival, the poisoner Abe no Kaii, eliminated by setting a fire on a date that will force Kaii [[DrivenToSuicide to commit seppuku]]. Retsudo then uses a legion of ninja to face Itto, having them focus on breaking Itto's infamous sword, so he has the advantage for their final battle. A ruthless genius, Retsudo continuously shows why he is Itto's greatest enemy.
* ''Anime/LycorisRecoil'': [[PracticallyJoker Majima]] is a terrorist [[WellIntentionedExtremist who desires to destroy D.A's false peace]]. Majima partners with Robota to investigate the location of D.A's headquarters, eliminating Lycoris in the process. Frustrated by their slow progress, he's directed by Robota towards [[TheHero Chisato]], whom he ambushes, impairing her SuperReflexes by [[AHandfulForAnEye spitting blood in her eyes]]. Learning that Chisato hindered an attack he made on the Tokyo Radio Tower years prior, [[StalkerWithoutACrush he grows obsessed with fighting her again]]. Evading a D.A Strike Team and luring them to the new Enkuboku Tower, he announces that he's distributed guns to the populace before broadcasting the Strike Force fighting his men, encouraging citizens to defend themselves. Luring Chisato to the Tokyo Radio Tower, he shuts the blinds to gain the advantage with his SuperHearing. Seemingly defeated, he escapes and confronts Chisato for a one-on-one. Mid-fight, Majima calls for a break when Chisato's heart malfunctions, during which he divulges his dislike of false peace and his view of himself as someone who fights for the weak, even claiming [[BlueAndOrangeMorality he'd side with the D.A if terrorists had the upper hand]]. [[JokerImmunity Surviving his defeat]], he's last seen calming an armed citizen before going back into hiding, satisfied with having sown seeds of doubt into the populace.
* ''Manga/MadeInAbyss'': Bondrewd the Novel, Sovereign of Dawn and one of the legendary White Whistles, is also one of the most brilliant and ruthless among them. To research the Abyss and its Curse, Bondrewd experiments on orphan children while sacrificing his own humanity to create his White Whistle and creating complicated ways to navigate throughout the Abyss through his technology with no physically adverse effects to himself. Even in spite of his objectively monstrous actions, Bondrewd still sincerely loves and cares for the children under his care and takes pains to remember their identities even as he sacrifices them for his experiments, taking one of them as his own daughter and raising her to become genuinely well-adjusted and innocent. Though undoubtedly an amoral HumanoidAbomination dedicated above all else to scientific triumph regardless of the cost, Bondrewd still demonstrates he understands love and family in his own warped terms and operates with perpetual affability and style, comfortable to abandon even his own ambitions to see those with brighter aspiration succeed where he couldn't.
* ''Manga/MagiLabyrinthOfMagic'': Sinbad, King of Sindria and leader of the Seven Seas Alliance is a heroic, charismatic ruler who wages war against the evil organization Al-Thamen. Unknown to most, Sinbad is [[MaskOfSanity halfway fallen into depravity]] and all his seeming benevolence is a front with alternative motives, cultivating allies and pawns alike to use against Al-Thamen, even using [[MindManipulation mind controlled sleeper agents]] in other nations to spy through and seize control of them at advantageous moments. Later [[TakeOverTheWorld taking over the world]], Sinbad seeks to rewrite reality itself to make a perfect world, even plotting to return everything to raw energy and recreate it the right way. At the end, upon realizing his crimes, Sinbad opts to stand with Alibaba and Aladdin to save the world from the depraved King David, showing himself, whether the hero or villain, to be the best at what he sets his mind out to.
* ''Manga/MajinTanteiNougamiNeuro'': The genius demon Neuro Nōgami arrives from the underworld, makes a hapless schoolgirl named Yako Katsuragi his proxy and uses her to help solve his mysteries so he can feed upon them. Neuro constantly outwits his quarry, deducing complex murders and making Yako a famous detective to raise his own profile, while brilliantly foiling other plots and gambles from villains. Neuro later encounters the atrociously evil Sicks who intends on exterminating humanity and decides to defend his food source, despising killing, as every human is capable of creating a mystery of their own for him. Neuro helps to organize the defeat of Sicks and his group with his trademark brilliance and audacious flourishes.
* ''Manga/{{Manhole}}'', by Tetsuya Tsutsui: [[BigBad Hiroshi Kurokawa]] is a doctor whose life was ruined by his granddaughter's traumatizing rape. To avenge himself upon the rapist, Kurokawa visits an African tribe to discover the secret behind the peaceful One-Eyed people. Discovering the filarias, worms that infect human brains and force them to control their emotions and lose an eye or die in agony. Testing them on the rapist that ruined his life and upon a violent unemployed man that beat his elderly parents, Hiroshi plans to use the filaria by inserting samples of them inside domestic animals and waiting until summer to let the mosquitoes share it with the rest of Japan, [[WellIntentionedExtremist with the intention of creating a world without violence]]. Stopped thanks to lucky accidents and the recklessness of heroine Nao Inoue, Kurosawa manages to control even his own death. Driven only by his goal, Hiroshi is infected by the same worm that he wanted to spread and is a true believer in his own cause.
* ''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/MegaloBox'':
** [[IceQueen Yukiko]] is the beautiful and brilliant CEO of the Shirato Group, organizing the Megalo Boxing tournament, Megalonia, to promote her gear used by her champion Yuri. [[NobleDemon Ruthless yet honorable]], Yukiko is willing to bend rules to her standards, such as arranging a rematch between Gearless Joe and Mikio leading to her brother's defeat, having people in her company "[[ImpliedDeathThreat dealt with]]" upon learning of their role in the death of Sachio's father, and letting Yuri fight Joe gearless, while withholding Joe's criminal past from the public. Forming a business partnership with ROSCO, Yukiko has their technology, BES, investigated where she learns of [=BES's=] flaws. Gathering the evidence and witnesses she has against ROSCO, Yukiko brokers a deal with their CEO, Sakuma, allowing for the continue development of BES only if he hands over his rights of BES to Shitaro Group before stepping down as CEO and let her company thrive under new leadership.
** [[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 [[TheReveal reveals]] 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.
** [[TheEngineer Mikio Shirato]] is the [[CainAndAbel older brother]] of Yukiko matching his sister in brilliance while having the [[AmbitionIsEvil ambition]] to replace her as CEO of their company. Becoming a Megalo boxer, Mikio creates the ACE gear which contains an AI that reads his opponents moves, allowing Mikio to easily counter aand win. Preparing for his match against Gearless Joe, Mikio uncovers Joe's criminal past and manipulates Nanbu into knocking out Joe before their match and let Mikio win by default by threatening to expose Joe's true identity. When Yukiko allows a rematch between Mikio and Joe, Mikio uses his gear to remain ahead in their fight before Joe discovers [=ACE's=] flaw by sheer luck. [[GracefulLoser Gracefully accepting his loss against Joe]], Mikio forgoes his ambitions and becomes a professor, later helping Yukiko uncover the flaws of BES, before writing a thesis about the negative effects of BES and releasing it to the public. Mikio's thesis convinces test subject Mac, his family, and an ROSCO employee to go against ROSCO and gives Shitaro enough evidence to take down ROSCO and obtain the rights to BES.
** ''Nomad'': [[WellIntentionedExtremist Ryugo Sakuma]] is the eccentric [[CorruptCorporateExecutive CEO]] of ROSCO and creator of the Brain Encoding System or BES and convinces Maya Rosario to let him use BES on her husband by [[AnOfferYouCantRefuse promising]] to pay for their son's life saving surgery; BES allows Mac to recover from his disabilities and continue to box, but has the side effect of causing Mac to goes unconsciously [[TheBerserker berserk]] and brutalizes his opponent, with his fight against boxing champion Liu being one such example. By the time the Shitaro Group learn of this, they were already in a partnership that Sakuma convince them to form and it was only due to a employee of ROSCO deciding to side with Yukiko that allowed her to get ahead of Sakuma, with Sakuma [[GracefulLoser accepting his defeat gracefully]] and handing over the rights of BES to her company, content that BES will continue to be developed.
* ''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.
** [[TheMole Tsubasa Otori]] is a spy working for the WBBA. Appearing before Gingka, he teaches him an important lesson to improve his skills as a blader before letting him win once he'd put it into practice. Later, he joins the Dark Nebula, proving his skills to Doji and outwitting [[ChildProdigy Yu]] multiple times with his bey's unique tricks as he battles him to a tie. Helping the Dark Nebula and remaining largely unsuspected, he sneaks through the building in hopes of discovering L-Drago's secrets, and succeeds, only to be caught by Yu and Doji. He is then attacked by the Dark Nebula's bladers and then Ryuga, defeating the former and putting up a good fight against the latter until he has to be saved by Phoenix, who encourages him to become Gingka's friend for real and help him take down the Dark Nebula. With a suave, respectful demeanour, Tsubasa remains a close ally of Gingka's, using his wits and overcoming the Dark Power to help bring Team Gan Gan Galaxy victory.
** [[CharClone Phoenix]], real name [[FakingTheDead Ryo Hagane]], is a mysterious masked blader and secretly the long-lost father of Gingka. Having lost to Ryuga and passing the Pegasus bey onto Gingka several years prior to the story, Ryo faked his death, laying low until the time was right. Making his debut taking Gingka's Beypointer from Tetsuya, he challenges Gingka to earn it back, crushing it and making him lose all his points once Gingka loses, [[SinkOrSwimMentor in hopes that this would strengthen Gingka's strength and resolve to defeat Ryuga at Battle Bladers]] and [[StealthMentor remind him what Beyblading is truly about]]. Later appearing to rematch Gingka, Ryo is defeated, and gives Gingka his points back so he can enter the tournament. Later appearing to save Yu and Hyoma from [[BigBad Doji]], Phoenix's mask is shattered after winning, revealing his identity as Gingka's father and the leader of the WBBA, and gives Gingka the determination he needs to win the final battle.
* ''Anime/MichikoAndHatchin'':
** [[ScaryBlackMan Satoshi Batista]] was [[FromNobodyToNightmare once a loudmouthed wannabe gangster kid]] who raised himself up by killing the leaders of the Monstro Preto gang to take control over them himself. A ruthless [[GangBangers leader]], Satoshi devises a scheme to have rival criminal Michiko Malandro arrested while he executes a former Monstro boss along with his family to avenge a childhood humiliation from the man. Betrayed by his second-in-command, Satoshi outguns him and his henchmen, dispatching them all on his own. [[NobleDemon An honorable man despite being a brutal criminal]], in the end, Satoshi even allows himself be to fatally wounded by [[TakingTheBullet taking a shot fired at a little girl]].
** "The Daredevil Explosive Runner": Jair is an elderly, amicable hitman who has performed assassinations successfully for decades, and decides to pull off one final job as his swan song. Hired by Satoshi to take out Michiko, Jair gives Michiko a gun and offers to compete with her in a "contest" out of respect for her spunk. Jair keeps pace with Michiko in a car chase and regularly gets the drop on the badass woman with tactics and skill, and ultimately saves Michiko from a rival assassin so as to prolong their "contest" for another day, showing the utmost admiration to her while always staying one step ahead.
* ''[[Franchise/AceAttorney Miles Edgeworth: Ace Attorney Investigation]]'' Volume 2's "The Turnabout Museum": The Handsome [[GentlemanThief Gentlemen Thieves]] are a quintet of {{Pretty Boy}}s who use their politeness and acts of kindness to disguise their numerous art thefts. Having stolen dozens of artworks and statues over the past six months, one of the Gentlemen disguises himself as elderly art scholar Amadeus Seal to try and steal the priceless "Officers" painting, even managing to fool Miles Edgeworth himself. Finding out the painting’s a fake, the Gentleman leaves a note for Edgeworth hoping to meet him again soon, feeling his encounter with him made the whole thing worth it.
* ''Anime/{{Mononoke}}'': [[UnscrupulousHero The Medicine]] [[SupportingProtagonist Peddler]] is a mysterious [[AmbiguouslyHuman humanoid entity]] that slays the eponymous “Mononoke”, spirits created from negative human emotions. Armed with a medicine cabinet containing talismans and scales, he keeps Mononoke at bay as he determines their “shape, reason and truth” through investigation, psychological analysis and interrogation before unsheathing his sword and slaying them. Strictly committed to killing them despite their capacity for emotions, he nevertheless will show compassion for many of them. Not above manipulating humans caught in the web of the Mononoke, The Medicine Peddler makes a young woman he believed to have killed her in-laws relive her trauma to reveal she had become a Mononoke as a result of constant abuse, [[BatmanGambit inflicts gruesome “deaths'' on long-dead spirits in an incense parlor game by exploiting their mental weaknesses]] to make them realize they were trapped in a GroundhogDayLoop by a Mononoke, and pressures passengers on a train, including a young boy, into revealing their linked connection in a Mononoke’s origin to escape from its PocketDimension despite knowing this would cause them to suffer a FateWorseThanDeath. Resourceful and [[LongHairedPrettyBoy charismatic]], the Medicine Seller is the greatest fear of the Mononoke, and forces accountability for [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters the people who created them through their cruelty.]]
* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'':
** [[CardCarryingVillain Shigaraki]], better known as [[Characters/MyHeroAcademiaAllForOne All For One]], is an incredibly powerful villain and the ArchEnemy of the heroic [[Characters/MyHeroAcademiaAllMight All Might]]. Secretly ruling the country from the shadows for generations, All For One was seemingly killed by his enemy, but survived and rebuilt a [[Characters/MyHeroAcademiaLeagueOfVillains group of villains]] in secret. Wanting to hurt All Might, All For One tracked down All Might's mentor's long-lost grandson, and raised him as the villain [[Characters/MyHeroAcademiaTomuraShigaraki Tomura Shigaraki]], knowing this revelation would be the one thing to crush All Might's heroic spirit. Even in his final battle with All Might, All For One is pleased even if he loses, knowing his loss will inspire Tomura to become the greatest villain in history to oppose All Might's own successor.
** "[[GentlemanThief Gentle Criminal]]", real name Danjuro Tobita, wanted nothing more than to be a famous Pro Hero. When he failed in his goal and was abandoned to poverty, he decided to [[ThenLetMeBeEvil become a villain instead]]. Gentle Criminal successfully commits thefts and evades the law for six years with the help of his partner La Brava, who he cherishes and supports, [[ThouShaltNotKill never killing anyone in the process]]. Unable to gain the fame he desires, Gentle devises a brilliant scheme to break into U.A. High for fame. Facing down against the teenage Hero [[Characters/MyHeroAcademiaIzukuMidoriya Deku]], Gentle gives him a hard battle, creatively combining his otherwise weak power of Elasticity with a keen analytical mind. Upon his apparent defeat, Gentle uses La Brava's powers to restore and enhance himself, giving Deku an even more intense battle. Even upon truly losing, Gentle manifests the last of La Brava's Quirk using sheer willpower and creates a last moment scheme to ensure La Brava avoids punishment, which Deku goes along with out of genuine respect and sympathy toward him, and ultimately goes down a [[HeelFaceTurn path of redemption]], becoming a Hero like he always wanted.
** [[EnigmaticMinion Atsuhiro Sako]], better known as [[StageMagician Mr. Compress]], is one of the most composed members of the League of Villains. During the attack on the Training Camp, he successfully kidnaps [[Characters/MyHeroAcademiaKatsukiBakugo Katsuki Bakugo]] and even tries to kidnap Fumikage Tokoyami for the sake of converting them to the League. Compress is skilled in using his quirk to seal any object or person into a marble and [[CrazyPrepared carries multiple with him for almost any situation]]. During the Paranormal Liberation War, he breaks out of Best Jeanist's bind by putting his clothes in a marble and even maims himself to free his arm. Using this opportunity, he saves his beloved friends from capture, allowing them to remain at large to ensure that they see his vision of a better society come to fruition. Willing to risk his life for his allies, Mr. Compress stands as [[VillainousValor one of the narrative's bravest villains]].
** [[DevilInPlainSight Rikiya Yotsubashi]], codenamed "Re-Destro," is the leader of a terrorist organization known as the [[Characters/MyHeroAcademiaMetaLiberationArmy Meta Liberation Army]]. The descendant of the famous revolutionary Destro, Re-Destro seeks to achieve his goals of a world where Quirk use is treated as a human right. Running a worldwide empire, Re-Destro takes on the [[Characters/MyHeroAcademiaLeagueOfVillains League of Villains]]. Kidnapping their broker Giran, Re-Destro effortlessly tracks down the League, recovers information on them, and challenges them to all-out war in the Liberation Army's home city. When they arrive, Re-Destro unleashes specifically tailored threats upon them, expressing genuine care for his personal lieutenants when they take on League members. Re-Destro engages their leader, [[Characters/MyHeroAcademiaTomuraShigaraki Tomura Shigaraki]], in single combat. When Shigaraki wins after gaining newfound resolve, Re-Destro realizes Shigaraki would be a superior leader, and [[GracefulLoser abdicates leadership of the Meta Liberation Army]] to Shigaraki, helping him form the [[Characters/MyHeroAcademiaParanormalLiberationFront Paranormal Liberation Front]] and loyally fighting for his cause in the ensuing conflict.
** [[IntrepidReporter Miss Curious]] is the head of the Meta Liberation Army's propaganda branch. Having recruited countless members through her propaganda, Miss Curious jumps at the chance to interview League of Villains member [[Characters/MyHeroAcademiaHimikoToga Himiko Toga]]. Confronting her about her traumatic past and trying to martyr her by [[HavingABlast making her soldiers' blood explode]] and taking advantage of Toga's own powers, Miss Curious uses her tactics to overwhelm the young League member, all while keeping pace with her in the fight. When Toga gains the power to levitate Miss Curious, Miss Curious [[DissonantSerenity fondly comments on the amazing headline]] before being smashed against the pavement, proving a true journalist to her very last breath.
** ''Anime/MyHeroAcademiaHeroesRising'': [[BigBad Nine]] is a cold and calculating terrorist who attempts to cure his disease using a Cell Activation Quirk in order to create a strong world, targeting the island of Nabu to get the quirk off of Katsuma Shimano. A perceptive and capable leader, he cuts off access to the mainland as he has his men go and create chaos while he finds the kids. Showing himself to be capable of thinking on the spot, Nine misdirects and uses his [[PowerParasite multiple quirks to his advantage]] to block and get away when the situation calls for it. During the final battle, [[NearVillainVictory despite Class 1A's strengths, Nine easily storms through most of them with ease]], and is only defeated once Deku shares One For All with Bakugo. Nine shows even in the face of death at the hands of Tomura Shigaraki [[DefiantToTheEnd to not give up in persisting his goals and still attempts to go back and fight]].
* ''Literature/MyriadColorsPhantomWorld'' (2016 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.
* ''Anime/TheMysteriousCitiesOfGold'': Juan Carlos Mendoza is the eventual guardian of young hero Esteban, having saved him as a baby from the seas. Realizing Esteban's connection to the Cities of Gold, Mendoza makes himself a mentor figure to the boy and his companions, manipulating them to lead him to the gold and make himself rich. Growing to care for the kids, Mendoza also constantly outwits the forces of the Conquistadors and even the Olmecs, at one point flooding a village to save it from the evil Malinche's poisoning. Seemingly betraying the heroes to join the Conquistadors at the end, Mendoza in fact [[FakeDefector goes behind their backs]] to deliver Spanish weapons to the Inca and give them a fighting chance.
* ''Anime/{{Noir}}'': [[SinisterMinister Mistress Altena]] is a high priestess within [[AncientConspiracy Les Soldats]] who seeks to cleanse both the organization and the world of corruption. Driven by her [[FreudianExcuse childhood trauma]] of having her village destroyed by soldiers, one of whom raped her, Altena raises Chloe as her surrogate daughter with genuine love and sends her to watch over the titular Noir duo, Mirielle Bouquet and Kirika Yuumura, while sending waves of assassins after them [[StealthMentor to train Kirika and make her stronger]]. Using Chloe to manipulate the Noir duo, Altena deceives them into eliminating all her rivals, eventually unveiling her true plan to have Chloe kill Mirielle so that Chloe and Kirika can become the True Noir. When Chloe is defeated and killed instead, Altena makes one final stand against Mirielle and Kirika, and when defeated, dies on her own terms, throwing herself into a lava pit. Ruthless yet [[AffablyEvil affable]], Altena never loses her chillingly stoic demeanor, even in death.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: O - Z]]
* ''Anime/OddTaxi'': [[GreaterScopeVillain Shigeru Kuroda]] is a Yakuza lieutenant who oversees most of the illegal activities within Tokyo. Using criminals [[CoDragons Dobu and Yano]] as his primary enforcers, Kuroda leisurely spends most of his time giving them orders while Kuroda avoids getting his own hands dirty to dispel police suspicion. He also donates millions of yen to a charity organization funding orphans [[VillainWithGoodPublicity to look good in the public eye]]. One of these orphans would grow up to repay Kuroda by becoming a DirtyCop on his payroll, while another repaid Kuroda with 100 million yen for supporting him in his childhood. After Kuroda finds out that his boss's missing daughter was murdered and Yano helped dispose of the body, Kuroda decides to safely retire from his life of crime while his loyal subordinates take the fall for most of the crimes he ordered.
* ''Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub'': [[TokenEvilTeammate Kyouya Ootori]], the "[[TheDreaded Shadow King]]" is the vice-president, accountant, and resident schemer for the Ouran High School Host Club. Characterized by his shady business tactics and questionable morals, he exercises his intelligence and ruthless edge by keeping the Host Club running, spotting swindlers, helping the Hosts win at various festivals, and making sure the Hosts stay in good standing. When new member Haruhi causes both the Hosts and customers distress through her reckless actions, Kyouya uses fear tactics to fix the issue. In another instance, Kyouya uses his connections to find and reunite Tamaki and his mother. In his biggest display of audacity and brilliance, he uses his own accrued wealth to buy out his father's company only to give it back to him to show his worth, despite his position.
* ''Anime/OutlawStar'' (1998 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.
* ''Manga/PandoraHearts'': In a dark world with a complex plot involving many master manipulators, the BigBadEnsemble manage to stand out:
** Glen Baskerville, real name Oswald, is the mysterious leader of [[Characters/PandoraHeartsBaskervilleHousehold the Baskerville family]]. Having ordered the slaughter of the population of Sablier to spare them the horrifying fate within [[Characters/PandoraHeartsTheAbyss the Abyss]] centuries in the past, Glen returns in the present time by taking over the body of his reincarnation and assumes direct leadership over the Baskerville clan once again. Able to force skilled schemers like Rufus Barma and Jack Vessalius to the limits of their wits, Glen ultimately almost attains his goal of altering the timeline by killing his own sister to prevent the events of the series from occurring, only stopping when he realizes his own hypocrisies and hollowness of his goals [[NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist hidden behind good intentions]].
** Jack Vessalius is the true mastermind behind the events of the work. The [[BastardBastard illegitimate son of a noble]], Jack fled from his home, living on the streets until he met a girl from the Baskerville family. Wanting to meet her again, Jack uses his noble family's name to be able to see her. When the Baskerville girl was sacrificed to the Abyss, Jack obsesses over seeing her again, deciding to throw the whole world into the corrupted Abyss to bring it to her. Causing the catastrophic Tragedy of Sablier, Jack blames the Baskerville and Nightray families while painting himself as the hero, going on to seek a chance to recreate it. Manipulating Oz's entire life to fulfill what Jack believes is the wish of his beloved, he is an ultimately TragicVillain, even finally redeeming himself after accepting the errors of his own acts.
* ''Anime/PaRappaTheRapper'':
** "Droopy": [[AlluringFlowers 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.
** "It's PJ and His Friends!": [[CorruptCorporateExecutive MC King Kong Mushi]] is the [[LargeHam bombastic]] president of Building Records who has PJ Berri sign a contract to become a worldwide sensation. Mushi abides strictly by his contract, apathetically leaves PJ's friends in the dust and PJ himself without motivation, and outwits the gang with things such as [[CrazyPrepared a giant blimp and spare circuits]] when they try to get him back. It is only when PJ's annoying footsteps become known that Mushi fires him, citing the contract once again.
* ''Manga/{{Parasyte}}'': The parasite who would eventually take the name "[[EvilGenius Reiko Tamura]]" is the most [[EnlightenedAntagonist scientifically-inclined and philosophical]] of her race. Finding safety for her fellow parasites in rallying them together under the parasite-sympathizing politician Takeshi Hirokawa, Tamura also invents the immensely powerful parasite "Gotou" through experimentation. Proving her ingenuity when she is attacked by three rival parasites, Tamura [[ObfuscatingInsanity feigns madness]] to throw them off before easily dispatching her enemies. Taking interest in the unique bond of Shinichi Izumi and his parasite Migi, Tamura eventually tells the two of her hope for humanity and parasites to coexist before she allows herself to be gunned down by the police, shielding and then passing off to Shinchi the only thing she ever really loved: [[TakeCareOfTheKids her human child]].
* ''Manga/{{Pluto}}'':
** Dr. Roosevelt is an advanced supercomputer who, though isolated in the body of a stuffed teddy bear, masterminds a massive portion of the plot. Serving as the personal advisor to the President of Thracia, Roosevelt uses the President as his puppet to do his bidding, notably starting a war with the only country to threaten Thracia in robotics, Persia. Having Persia decimated so as to make Thracia the undisputed strongest country in the world, Roosevelt showcases his adaptability as he then assists the revenge-seeking Abullah in his plans to destroy the world's strongest robots. Fully endorsing Abullah's plans to detonate a bomb underneath Thracia, Roosevelt reveals how he has played everyone in the hopes of the bomb triggering a chain reaction that will wipe out 90% of all human life, and leave robots to reign supreme over human life. Even as he faces death, Roosevelt simply remarks it's a "shame" that his plot failed, as it could have meant paradise for himself and fellow robots.
** The most powerful AI in the world, Goji, at first couldn't even operate thanks to the flood of information it had to deal with, but upon latching onto the personality and memories of Dr. Abullah, Goji reformats itself into a perfect mimicry of the man, including his desire for revenge following the death of his family in the Thracia-Persia war. Believing himself to be the actual "Dr. Abullah", Goji turns Abullah's robot son Sahad into the monstrous killing machine Pluto, using him to destroy the seven strongest robots in the world while Goji himself eliminates members of the Bora Investigation Squad to silence the information they possess on his plans. Displaying honor as he follows through on promises he makes, and even showing immense respect and empathy for his opponents' personal tragedies, Goji simultaneously never hesitates to use his enemies' emotional attachments to entrap them. Goji's ultimate plan is to destroy Thracia by sacrificing himself, determined to make each and every Thracian pay for the suffering their country caused Abullah in his life.
* ''Manga/PrincessCandle'': [[ChildProdigy Crown Prince Ruhl'ks]] initially appears to be a [[PuppetKing puppet]] controlled by his mother, the [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen wicked Queen]], but [[ApparentlyPowerlessPuppetmaster turns out to have masterminded the plot]] to destroy his political enemies. In order to secure his ascension to the throne, he has the Queen banish his half-sister, Princess Skw'ah, to the St. Ylieu convent to use her as bait for Lord Swey and Marquis Miph, who want to marry her to become king. Also sending the knight Flora to protect her and sending Yajenka as a spy, Ruhl'ks sits back while Flora and Yajenka defeat his enemies, eventually sending troops to aid them. [[ObfuscatingStupidity Pretending to be a naive child]] to gain the trust of his mother, once he is sure Swey and Miph will be destroyed, he has her removed from power and sent to a villa he built to retire, successfully eliminating all threats to his coronation and ensuring his beloved sister will be safe.
* ''Manga/PrincessResurrection'': Silvia von Phoenix, the ultimate BigBad is described by her youngest sister Sherwood as a "natural born swindler". Hellbent on winning the Royal battle, Silvia plays her own siblings endlessly, having spent her sister Hime's childhood toying with and testing her for fun and to strengthen her. Using her brilliance to stay a step ahead of her siblings and eliminating her strongest brother Emile by making him her enslaved Blood Warrior, Silvia defeats and absorbs their eldest brother Fuhito to gain his power before attempting to defeat Hime and claim victory for herself, with one BadFuture having her utterly victorious.
* ''Manga/ThePromisedNeverland'':
** Isabella was once a child raised in the Farm system, chosen to become a "Mama" to raise other children to be fed to the demons. Upon realizing that some of her charges have learned the truth, Isabella requests a helper in Sister Krone, before constantly outplaying the children and foiling their plans. Setting up Krone to take the fall and eliminating her when she proves too ambitious, Isabella initially defeats the kids, but manages to secure the life of Norman by giving him to a secret group. Gracefully acknowledging her later defeat, Isabella is put in charge of all other Mamas and eventually inspires them to rebel against the Farm system, overcoming and defeating their oppressors to seize the future.
** Archduke Leuvis is a demon who [[BloodKnight lives for the thrill of combat]]. Latching on to Emma as his [[WorthyOpponent worthy adversary]], Leuvis shows himself to be fully willing to offer up his own weaknesses and to arm his opponents to [[FairPlayVillain equal the playing field]] and once his comrades are dead, engages Emma and her friends with a shockingly display of combat instinct and battle tactics, completely seeing through everything Emma's team does while countering until he is finally cornered. Even upon dealing Emma a seemingly fatal wound, Leuvis is courteous and respectful to her, thinking how much he loves humans for their ingenuity, unlike his fellow demons who consider them lesser beings and only fit for food. Returning from the dead, Leuvis manages to diffuse the rage of the demon populace, helping to end the oppressive system and place Mujika on the throne. A demon of shocking charm and charisma, Leuvis proves why he is the most deadly adversary yet encountered by Emma and her friends.
* ''Anime/PsychoPass'':
** Season 1:
*** [[WickedCultured 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.
*** [[AffablyEvil Choe Gu-sung]] is a Korean war survivor and Shogo Makishima's best friend and intellectual equal. Acting as [[TheDragon 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: [[WellIntentionedExtremist 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.
* ''Manga/PuellaMagiOrikoMagica'': [[AntiVillain White Magical Girl Oriko Mikuni]] uses a series of manipulations and distractions in order to murder Madoka Kaname to prevent her from inevitably becoming the witch Kriemhild Gretchen and destroying the world. Using the Black Magical Girl Kirika Kure to keep the heroines and even the cunning Kyubey busy, Oriko personally proves a match for the time-travelling Homura Akemi and manages to kill Madoka in one timeline while faking an attack at Kyubey. [[NecessarilyEvil Wracked with guilt by what she must do]], Oriko nevertheless [[TheUnfettered stops at nothing]], determined to save the world while outplaying everyone around her.
* ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'': [[TricksterMentor Cologne]] is a wise and cunning martial arts grandmaster from a Chinese Amazonian village and the great-grandmother of [[HopelessSuitor Shampoo]]. Wishing Ranma to be betrothed to Shampoo, she assists in manipulating Ranma into accepting marriage using various schemes. Subjecting Ranma to a PressurePoint that rendered his skin sensitive to hot temperatures, this made Ranma be [[ShapeShifterModeLock stuck as a girl]], while Cologne continuously thwarts Ranma's attempts to snatch the cure. However, Cologne does give Ranma a chance by showing a technique Ranma would need to learn to have a chance of succeeding. Ranma ends up challenging Cologne to a fight and is overwhelmed by Cologne's Shark Fist, but instead unleashes the Cat Fist, giving Cologne the hardest fight in decades and [[GracefulLoser gives Ranma the cure as a prize for such a fighting spirit]]. Cologne later becomes a sometimes ally and trains Ranma and his friends in many techniques, but is not above more schemes to wrap Ranma into marriage such as using the "Reversal Jewel" that causes Shampoo to hate Ranma, and make him jealously try to win her back.
* ''Anime/RanpoKitanGameOfLaplace'': The original Twenty-Faces, Namikoshi, pioneered the SerialKillerKiller phenomenon after he spent his childhood bullied by his classmates and abused by his parents, before making friends with the brilliant Kogoro Akechi, together creating the "Dark Star" formula. Accelerating the coding of the formula as the abuse he suffered worsened, the Dark Star was set to murder both his abusers and those in society who take advantage of their power. When Akechi realizes their formula is lethally unstable, Twenty-Faces fakes his own death, then teams up with a medical examiner who works with Akechi to avenge the death of her brother. Kidnapping Akechi's assistant, Twenty-Faces takes him and ten children to the top of a clock-tower, planning to murder them all by having them jump in five-minute intervals. While he may be ruthlessly [[TheUnfettered unfettered]] in his goals, Twenty-Faces truly believes his doings will be what creates a just and fair society.
* ''Manga/{{Ratman}}'': [[EvilCounterpart Shin Akeboshi]] is the son of Shiningman--the first superhero--and was experimented on by Shiningman's enemies after his death to replicate the S Gene, turning Shin into "Sin". Having developed a hatred for heroes as a concept, Shin works with those same criminals to destroy the Hero Agency, starting a career as the hero [[VillainWithGoodPublicity IS-KA]] to sell phones that contain a power amplifier that would drive many heroes to a violent rage, with his plan only failing only thanks to the geniuses at JACKAL and other heroes. Shin discovers that Ratman has the S Gene too, and tries to convince Ratman while Shin's allies launch a terrorist attack on the Hero Agency Headquarters. When his offer is rejected, Sin takes advantage of the nature of the S Gene and attempts to murder Ratman's girlfriend to enrage Ratman and turn him into a monster that threatens to kill all heroes, while Sin [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness kills his former allies]]. Escaping after his defeat at the hands of a recovered Ratman, Shin is able to see a confirmation of Shiningman's ideals of heroism, which makes Shin retire from villainy to honor his father's memory.
* ''Roleplay/RecordOfLodossWar'':
** Karla, the Grey Witch, was the only survivor of an ancient magic civilization who implanted her consciousness into an enchanted circlet that possesses whoever kills her host body Seeking to prevent one side from ever growing too powerful, Karla has manipulated almost every war in Lodoss's history to bring about the ruin of any nation that may grow too powerful, even secretly fighting as one of the Six Heroes to stop the Demon God from destroying the world years ago. In present, Karla serves as the adviser to Emperor Beld of Marmo, guiding his nation to the top, ending with Beld slaying the Emperor Fahn of Valis- only for Karla to intervene and cause Beld's death herself to decapitate Valis and Marmo alike. Constantly escaping death, Karla stops at nothing to ensure Lodoss's balance remains as she wills it, no matter what she has to do.
** Ashram, the BlackKnight of Marmo, is seen by many as Marmo's true ruler and the heir to Beld himself. Once a young man fighting a war against the Thieves' Guild who allied with Beld, Ashram helped Beld to unify all of Marmo while vowing to one day surpass the emperor. Enraged at Beld's death, Ashram takes his demonic sword, the Soul Crusher and masters it, destroying the ancient dragons of Lodoss to find the Scepter of Domination and control the world. While seemingly dying, Ashram returns to depose the corrupt governor Rabido and manipulates him to his death, taking over all Marmo himself with his lover, the dark elf Pirotess at his side. Seeking to create a new home for the people of Marmo, Ashram ends up achieving all he sets out to do before departing Lodoss for a new home.
* ''Manga/RecordOfRagnarok'': [[BigBrotherInstinct Hades]] is the brilliant God of the Dead and the eldest of the Greek brothers. Deciding to replace Buddha in the tournament to avenge Posedion's death, he fights Qin Shi Huang in Round 7. Faced with a counter to his own skillset, Hades makes up for his disadvantage with sheer tactical genius. Deducing that Qin's Heavenly Hand of Defense could simply be overpowered and covering himself in his own blood to feel when the invisible Tortoise Ripple hit him, figuring out that by changing his attack trajectory he could render Tortoise Ripple useless, he puts his foe on the defensive several times. Using his trump card of empowering his Bident with his own blood, he takes Qin's arm and would have won if the First King did not get a last-second Revolund. Hades [[GracefulLoser accepted his death]] happy to have faced a [[WorthyOpponent true king]], and apologizes to his brothers for not being strong enough. One of the few Gods to respect their foe from the beginning despite his anger over his brother's death and connecting with Qin over the duty of a King, Qin's only words for his foe after the end of the fight are "my friend".
* ''Anime/{{Robotech}}'': Khyron is a bold young commander of the Zentraedi force, known for his brilliance and daring even as his lack of regard for the lives of allies has earned him the name "The Backstabber". Setting off a series of brilliant campaigns against the SDF forces, Khyron proves to be a tactical genius who also harbors greater ambition, utilizing the human forces to turn on and eliminate the Zentraedi supreme commander before launching his own guerilla war, even admitting his time on earth has taught him about human feeling and love for his partner Azonia. In his final battle with the SDF, Khyron opts to sacrifice himself in a final suicide attack with his flagship to ram the SDF when all else seems lost, last seen holding Azonia's hand as the two glory in their final triumph.
* ''Anime/RoninWarriors'': [[NobleDemon Anubis Dohji]], youngest and leader of the Dynasty's four warlords, was [[FallenHero once a brilliant young warrior]] seduced by the promises of Lord Talpa. Becoming the [[TheDreaded Warlord of Cruelty]], Anubis immediately centers in on the Ronin leader Ryo Sanada with numerous plans and schemes to lure him into an honorable duel. Easily proving himself a match for the entire Ronin force himself at times, Anubis also remained ahead of the other Warlords who coveted his position. Upon realizing the depths of Talpa's evil, Anubis takes back his destiny and [[HeelFaceTurn becomes the successor to the heroic Ancient One]], helping to plot the downfall of the Dynasty and guiding the Ronins to defeat Talpa. Upon encountering Kayura, last of the Ancient One's clan and possessed by Talpa's evil, Anubis dons the Armor of Cruelty once more to face her, expelling Talpa's right hand Badamon from her at cost of a fatal wound and securing her redemption and ultimate salvation of the world at [[HeroicSacrifice the cost of his own life]].
* ''Manga/RookiePolicewomanKirukoSan'': Seemingly respectable business director Jean Smith is [[VillainWithGoodPublicity really a powerful criminal]] trying to expand his operation by using the small town of Nagashima for smuggling. Knowing heroine Kiruko and her allies are infiltrating his cruise ship to capture him, Jean has his men prepare for the attack while he personally greets the police in a jovial and personable manner. Ordering his men to take Kiruko's senior officer hostage, Jean escapes the cruise ship along with his hostage before trying to sink the boat. Eventually captured by the police, Jean nevertheless remains cordial to the cops and calls a rescue jet as a backup plan to escape. Genuinely friendly to both his enemies and allies, Jean remains the [[GentlemanThief suavest criminal]] Kiruko has faced.
* ''Manga/RosarioPlusVampire'':
** [[BigGood Tenmei Mikogami]], Headmaster of [[Characters/RosarioPlusVampireYoukaiAcademyStaff Yokai Academy]], is the charismatic architect of the events of the series. Tenmei clashes with the terrorist organization [[Characters/RosarioPlusVampireFairyTale Fairy Tale]], seeking Alucard's revival and manipulates Tsukune Aono into being enrolled into the academy and helps to transform the kind-hearted boy into his powerful successor. Tenmei secretly orchestrates the transformation of vampire blood in Tsukune to instead have it turn him into the all-powerful Shinsho Vampire so Tsukune can eventually defeat Fairy Tale. In the meantime, he puts the members of the [[Characters/RosarioPlusVampireNewspaperClub Newspaper Club]] through harsh and sometimes deadly training to make them far more powerful. When Alucard begins an attack on the city, Tenmei reveals to him that he predicted where Alucard would head and evacuated the city to prevent collateral damage, and later holds off Alucard while Tsukune powers up. At the end of his life, Tenmei [[HeroicSacrifice sacrifices himself]] and his allies to destroy Alucard and leaves the academy to Tsukune as a worthy successor.
** [[{{Dracula}} Alucard]] is the true BigBad of the series, using [[IHaveManyNames multiple aliases to achieve his goals]]. As the Masked King, Alucard formed the Miao Triad family, bidding the evil vampire Gyokuro Shuzen to form the anti-human terrorist organization Fairy Tale while also joining it under the secret name of Miyabi Fujisaki. Manipulating the heroes into a confrontation with Gyokuro and her squadron leaders, Alucard reveals himself only after the fighting to hijack her plans and awaken his true body, easily overcoming the other heroes and setting to attack the human world. Upon his final destruction, it is revealed that Alucard's full intention was [[ZeroApprovalGambit to make himself the villain]] and create a group that had to be opposed by an alliance of humans and monsters, exposing the monster world to humankind, even making provisions to ensure his final subordinates survived the fight.
** [[ArchEnemy Hokuto Kaneshiro]] was once a human who left an abusive father to attend Yokai Academy. Finding only pain and suffering until he met Kiria Yoshii, Hokuto resolves to tear down the barrier between worlds and expose monsters to humanity. Playing at being Tsukune's friend, Hokuto reveals he is truly the leader of the rebellious group Anti-Thesis, [[ILetYouWin letting himself be defeated]] so he will be placed in front of the headmaster in order to attempt an assassination attempt and steal a rosary to destroy the barrier. The only reason his plan fails is Hokuto deciding at the last moment to assist Tsukune instead. Even in part 2, Hokuto [[HeelFaceTurn returns]] to help manipulate the end of Fairy Tale, aiding Tsukune one last time against even Kiria.
** [[ForTheEvulz Kiria Yoshii]] is the [[TheDragon right-hand]] Yokai of Hokuto Kaneshiro. Conducting the affairs of their organization, Kiria happily sets up schemes to test Moka and her friends, all to get the cheerful joy of combat and to see what happens next. Merrily bringing Hokuto's plans to fruition, Kiria is later revealed as a [[TheMole mole for Fairy Tale]], even manipulating Gyokuro Shuzen in service to his true allegiance: Alucard. Upon Alucard's defeat, unable to forgive humanity and Tsukune, Kiria takes over Fairy Tale to become a great foe to Tsukune and friends later in life.
* ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'': [[TheSocialDarwinist Makoto Shishio]] was once the feared Hitokiri of the Shadows during the Bakumatsu. Betrayed by the [[Characters/RurouniKenshinTheMeijiGovernment government]] and left for dead, Shishio survived and by virtue of his overwhelming power and charisma creates [[Characters/RurouniKenshinTheTenSwords the Ten Swords]], a powerful organization consisting of loyal soldiers he effortlessly manipulates, with one even ostensibly wanting revenge against Shishio for blinding him, unaware Shishio is knows he has lost all hope of vengeance and is just manipulating him by using his pride. Shishio then sets up a complex plan to burn Tokyo, only for it to be revealed [[KansasCityShuffle this is a ruse]] as he attacks Kyoto instead. Despite being foiled, Shishio proceeds to have the heroes fight his men in single matches, all for the purposes of weakening or eliminating them before they face Shishio himself while he gains greater understanding of their abilities through the fights. Even after his defeat and death, Shishio shows no sign of complaint and instantly sets off with his deceased lover and most loyal follower to begin conquering Hell itself.
* ''Manga/RWBYTheOfficialManga'': This version of [[Characters/RWBYCinderFall Cinder Fall]], [[AdaptationalNiceGuy lacking her series counterpart's sadism or childishness]], is a beautiful and enigmatic villainess who wields a grudge on Vale's Headmaster [[Characters/RWBYOzpinAndOscar Ozpin]]. She comes up with a scheme to destroy the kingdom of Vale, using abandoned railroads to launch the attack on the capital, and the resulting negativity keeps [[Characters/RWBYGrimmBestiary Grimm]] coming. She has the vile [[TheHeavy Roman Torchwick]] do the dirty work and steal Dust for the operation while she infiltrates Beacon Academy. As a skilled fighter, she is able to break into the Cross Continental Transmit System tower and implant an important virus, and is able to escape even after being caught by Ruby Rose.
* Anime/SailorMoon: [[HumanoidAbomination Germatoid]] is the enigmatic and affable yet vile [[DragonInChief acting leader]] of the [[Characters/SailorMoonDeathBusters Death Busters]]. Taking advantage of a tragic lab accident, he makes a deal with Professor Souichi Tomoe to save his daughter, Hotaru Tomoe's, life, possessing the man's body in doing so. He then implants Mistress 9 within Hotaru and pretends to be the Souichi for years, sending the Witches 5 and Kaolinite to further the goals of their superior Pharaoh 90. Treating his subordinates with nothing but kindness and even encouraging them to do better upon failures, he eventually succeeds in awakening Mistress 9, who successfully summons Pharaoh 90 so that Germatoid can attempt to destroy Earth as planned. Even as he perishes, he smiled as he has attained exactly what he wanted.
* ''Manga/SaintSeiya'':
** Gemini Saga is a man who had wrested with the evil in his heart his whole life. After murdering the Pope and taking his place, Saga frames the pure-hearted Gold Saint Sagittarius Aiolos for his attempted murder of baby Athena and has him mortally wounded, ruling Sanctuary for thirteen years with almost nobody the wiser. Having his forces close in on Athena, Saga later recovers his goodness and ends his own life to atone for his misdeeds. Later revived by Hades, Saga turns out to deceive Hades the whole time to free Athena from mortal constraints and gives his life to help Seiya and the other Saints.
** Virgo Shaka is known as the Man Closest to God. A living Buddha, Shaka is known as perhaps the mightiest Gold Saint and one of the craftiest. Effortlessly outplaying Leo Aiolia, Shaka controls his mind to send him to fight the Bronze Saints and later faces Phoenix Ikki as a skillful fighter. When the revived Gold Saints come to Sanctuary, Shaka effortlessly defeats Hades' Spectres and then allows his own end at the hands of the revived Saga, Shura and Camus to send his soul to aid Athena to the end.
** Capricorn Shura is one of Saga's CoDragons, helping to keep control of Sanctuary and directing their forces for total control despite known Saga is an imposter. Having lost faith in humanity, Shura reveals himself as a dangerous and skilled killer who faces Dragon Shiryu, finally overwhelmed as Shiryu prepares to sacrifice himself. Recovering his ideals, Shura gives his own life to preserve Shiryu's, later returning as part of Saga's conspiracy to help Athena and participates in the final sacrifice to assist the Bronze Saints.
** Sea Dragon Kanon is the twin brother of Saga, the leader of Poseidon's Mariners who helped to awaken Poseidon to manipulate him and the Mariners in flooding the world. Using them as his secret army to help pave his own road to world domination, Kanon later repents and inherits his brother's mantle as "Gemini" Kanon, ultimately proving an invaluable ally who infiltrates the underworld to help stop Hades and dies a loyal Saint of Athena in a suicide attack against one of Hades' top minions.
** Wyvern Rhadamanthys is perhaps the most powerful of Hades three Judges of the Underworld. Distrusting the revived Gold Saints, Rhadamanthys sends a secret force of Spectres to attack Sanctuary behind his superior Pandora's back and lures three Gold Saints to a trap where their powers are reduced so he can easily defeat them. When the Bronze Saints team up with the supposed defector Lyre Orphee, Rhadamanthys is the only one to block his binding music and deals him a fatal blow. Forming an enmity with Kanon, Rhadamanthys is able to even go head to head with the Gold Saint, showcasing himself as one of the mightiest and most intelligent generals in all of Hades' army.
* ''Anime/SamuraiChamploo'': In this episodic adventure with a colorful cast of characters, some opponents stand above for their grace and ingenuity.
** [[CulturedBadass Kagetoki Kariya]] is a {{master swordsman}} and wise old man, his skills renowned so much that he is known as the "[[PowerOfTheGodHand Hand of God]]". A dignified and intelligent {{samurai}}, Kariya realized that the world was changing and allied with the shogunate, allowing the shogunate to believe he is a puppet when reality, he is [[DragonWithAnAgenda using the empire to further his own agendas]]. Tending his garden while making comparisons to life and defeating Mugen in combat with the same amount of exertion, Kariya fights Jin and defeats even him, giving pointers on his fighting style the entire time. Ordered to eliminate the legendary "Samurai who Smells of Sunflowers", Kariya uses Fuu to lead him to the Samurai, kills the man after offering him last words with his daughter Fuu, spares the Samurai's elderly caretaker and then tries to kill Fuu as well, offering her the chance to honorably take her own life in the process.
** "Redeye Reprisal": The samurai [[ProfessionalKiller Inuyama]] aids the vile Ryujiro in his quest for revenge, playing the role of a [[ObfuscatingStupidity meek coward]] to deflect suspicion from villagers and the heroes. Luring Jin into a secluded forest, Inuyama engages him in combat, showing both remarkable ingenuity as well as [[VillainRespect respect for his opponent]] and after seeing the death of his employer, [[PunchClockVillain gracefully exits with no qualms]], merely commenting he hopes to battle Jin again someday.
** "Beatbox Bandits": [[HiddenBadass Yamane "the Ogre"]] is the bespectacled, unassuming [[TheDragon right-hand man]] to Kinogasa, serving as the real brains behind the Hakone checkpoint. Giving Kinosaga sound advice all while sitting back and letting the man's corruption run rampant, Yamane concocts a brilliant scheme to turn Mugen into a delivery boy of an important package in exchange for sparing his hostage friends. Following closely behind Mugen with stealth and agility, and staging a [[EscapeArtist sneaky breakout]] when the two are temporarily captured, Yamane ends up laughing off his differences with Mugen and enemy priests after all of them get high off burning marijuana fields. Yamane then goes on to orchestrate himself into the leadership role at Hakone, where he reigns for 30 years before quietly and successfully retiring, [[HappyFlashback recalling with fondness]] the adventure he went on with Mugen.
** "Bogus Booty": [[{{Ninja}} Yatsuha]] is a police officer investigating a counterfeiting operation, having gone undercover as a prostitute for the past year. Using [[FemmeFatale Mugen's attraction]] to her advantage, Yatsuha has him take a room with her next to the criminal conspirators to catch the full scope of their plan. Nearly killing Mugen when he becomes a nuisance, Yatsuha is instead impressed by his fighting abilities and [[MotivationalLie falsely promises him sexual favors]] to have him help her battle and arrest the whole gang.
* ''Manga/{{Sayuri}}'', by Rensuke Oshikiri: "Grandma" Kamiki vows to protect her grandson Norio after the family's curse leaves them the only two survivors. Snapping out of senility, Grandma uncovers the corpse of Sayuri and learns the girl's spirit has cursed the home she was buried in after her own family murdered the abusive Sayuri. Torturing confessions out of Sayuri's family, Grandma and the spirits of her own dead family force Sayuri's ghost to admit her own cruelty drove her family to kill her, leaving Sayuri to be taken to the afterlife for punishment.
* ''VideoGame/SenranKagura'' (2013 anime): [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds Lady Fubuki]] is the main antagonist of the ''Shinovi Master'' season. A HalfHumanHybrid born to a human shinobi father and yōma mother, Fubiki swore revenge when the shinobi took her family away from her. Taken in by the yōma Rasetsu and Gessen Master Kurokage, Fubuki bonded with them and Yumi, eventually recruiting Rasetsu to her cause. Manipulating the the siblings Gekko and Senko by turning them against the other schools, Fubuki has them kidnap the Hanzo girls, sans Asuka, and use them to force the others into the Shinovi Masters tournament. While Rasetsu guards the captives, Fubuki reveals her true plans at the tournament's conclusion and launches a yōma invasion, intending to kill all shinobi. Sending her minions to surface in a faraway island to divert the top shinobi, Fubuki [[TheWorfEffect defeats even the powerful True Kagura]] and corners the other heroines several times, nearly reaching her goal. Though defeated in the end, Fubuki [[GracefulLoser accepts her loss]] and gives up on her hatred, [[DefeatMeansFriendship befriending Asuka]] and rekindling her relationship with Yumi.
* ''Manga/TheSevenDeadlySins'':
** Myth/{{Merlin}}, the Boar's Sin of Gluttony, is the second-eldest of the Sins, a [[TheArchmage sorceress]] from the land of Belialuin and the last survivor after she fooled the Demon King and Supreme Goddess into granting her their blessings. Achieving immortality, Merlin became aware of the creator entity Chaos and sought to revive it, knowing she would need to destroy the Demon King or Supreme Goddess. Guiding [[Characters/TheSevenDeadlySinsMeliodas Meliodas]] in forming the Seven Sins, Merlin sent him away upon the emergence of the demon Fraudrin and guided the young knight [[Myth/KingArthur Arthur]] against the Holy Knights. [[TheManBehindTheMan Manipulating the Sins through the Holy War to destroy the Demon King and revive Chaos]] in Arthur, Merlin dedicates herself to guiding Arthur to craft a new kingdom of men, also accepting the feelings of the Lion's Sin of Pride, Escanor, by kissing him as he burns to ash to bear the scars of his existence forever.
** [[TheEmpath Gowther of Selflessness]] is an extremely powerful demon and [[BadassBookworm brilliant artificer]] who is a member of the Ten Commandments. The creator of the younger Gowther, the automaton who would one day be the Sin of Lust, and mentor to Fraudrin, Gowther is one of the most compassionate of the high-ranking [[Characters/TheSevenDeadlySinsDemonClan demons]], and hatches a brilliant plan to end the Holy War between the Five Races with minimal bloodshed. Knowing that the war is heavily imbalanced in favor of the [[Characters/TheSevenDeadlySinsGoddessClan Goddess Clan]]'s alliance due to Meliodas' defection, Gowther uses his power over the mind to rewrite the memories of the world's entire population to cause the Goddess' strongest warrior, the Archangel Mael, to defect to the demons under the new identity of Estarossa. With the war now at a deadlock, the angels sealed themselves and the demons away, sparing the world further devastation, and the elder Gowther died content with his gambit a success and his son ready to carry on his mission.
** [[NobleDemon Fraudrin of the Ten Commandments]] is a brilliant manipulator in the Demon Clan. Possessing the Holy Knight Dreyfus, Fraudrin masterminds the framing of the Seven Deadly Sins to oust them from Britannia before working to revive his brethren. Succeeding, Fraudrin and the other Commandments set forth to conquer Britannia, nearly triumphing and even when bested in combat Fraudrin prepares a suicide attack to take the kingdom with him, relenting only [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes out of love for Dreyfus' son]].
* ''Anime/SevenMortalSins'': [[VillainProtagonist Lucifer]], FallenAngel turned [[DemonLordsAndArchDevils Demon Lord of Pride]], can achieve anything she sets her mind to. Deciding to take over hell, Lucifer has a policy of challenging the Demon Lords known as the Mortal Sins at their own games on their own turf, constantly getting the better of them and winning no matter what venue they choose, constantly coming up with new plans and strategies. It is later revealed that for all her haughtiness and deep pride in herself, Lucifer was the only angel to object to God's plan to wipe out hell and the earth, having been protecting humanity from the start, and manages to get the better of both her arch-rivals, the demon lord Belial and the new leader of the Seven Lively Virtues, her old partner Michael via a few clever gambits, culminating in Lucifer embracing her love for her human companion Maria and claiming her rightful throne as the ruler of hell and queen of pride itself.
* ''Manga/ShadowsHouse'': [[TheMinionMaster The gallant Maryrose]] is one-half of [[GoodIsNotNice the Robe]], the hooded figure conspiring against Shadow House. As one of the few who knew the true nature of the Shadow House's, she plans to escape after learning they plan to force her and her Living Doll Rosemary to unify at the expense of Rosemary's life. Working with Anthony, Maryrose makes Soot attack to delay the Unification to find an exit, deciding to damage the home as much as possible when finding escape is impossible, masterminding the Phantom attack to destroy the coffee that brainwashes the Living Dolls and frame the Belle twins. When Kate figures out, Maryrose decides to test her, to see if she can lead the rebellion in her stead through lessons in the fight, before working with her after her capture in a final Phantom attack to sough chaos in the Adult Building and kill Edward, defiantly jumping with Rosemary to [[UncertainDoom either their doom or escape]] after ruining Edward's standing, [[PassingTheTorch having set the stage for Kate and her companions to defeat the Shadow House's machiavellic system]].
* ''Manga/ShamanKing'': [[BigBad Hao Asakura]] was once a shaman in heian-era Japan where he [[StartOfDarkness lost his beloved mother]] at the prejudices of humanity. Manipulating future events and even his own reincarnations to empower himself, Hao is reborn again in modern times as the twin brother of hero Yoh Asakura. Absurdly powerful and intelligent, Hao remains a step ahead of the heroes, defeating all challengers and enemies in an attempt to become the Shaman King and destroy humanity. At the end, Hao [[TheBadGuyWins succeeds in his goal]], becoming Shaman King, but proves open to reason and opts to watch the world for himself, being as brilliant a villain in victory as he was in the attempt to get there.
* ''Literature/{{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.
* ''Manga/ShimejiSimulation'':
** [[AloofDarkHairedGirl Big Sis]] is the older sister of Shijima Tsukishima, known for her intelligence but aloofness. [[GadgeteerGenius Inventing technologies]] like the Raw Fish Generator, Twin-Flounder Motor, a giant excavator and a sea urchin-like device, Big Sis is nothing short of genius for her plans to uncover West Yomogi's true nature. She devises a plan to dismantle West Yomogi and alter it from the inside by sending her sister into the Dreamscape, which unlocks Big Sis the ability to dreamwalk, a plan [[ChekhovsSkill that would become essential]] before her confrontation with [[HeroAntagonist the Gardener]] as she uncovers the real truth behind West Yomogi and the world within it being a "calculation". She is able to deduce the Gardener's involvement in imposing a stringent order within the simulation, as she took notice of the lack of accidents and deaths across the town, as well as the world being a simulated reality. Maintaining a calm and collected expression throughout the confrontation with the Gardener, Big Sis adds that anything about the world they are in is a "papier-mache" and no "mere Gardener" can stop her plan. She later outwitted the Gardener when she used the conch-shaped device to release the Fish With Names, leading to the town and the world being permanently altered to her specifications and with humanity having the unrestrained means of freedom. Despite the future consequences her actions ultimately caused, in the form of her clone, Big Sis (as a fish) ultimately atones for her actions before dying and tells Shijima to go back in time to reverse all of the damage.
** The [[BigBad Big Sis Clone]] is the EvilDoppelganger of Big Sis, created from the prime's accidental discovery of humanity's boundaries in the Rock World. She initiates her plans to spread the [[{{MacGuffin}} Key]] and its powers to humanity by cleverly manipulating the Mosasa Dogs, who tells them that they can become music in the first place, and use their concert as a broadcast signal. By using their performance as a "resonance effect", the Sis clone notes at her prime how the Key is used to "unlock" people the ability to change oneself, not just by changing reality in a whim. Despite the prime Sis' attempts of restraining her clones, the Sis clone pulls off a calculated plan at the end when she managed to have the powers of the Key spread across the school festival audiences and subsequently the whole world with the concert. Her actions at the end, while it caused consequences to the already-damaged fabric of the simulation, mirrored her prime's goals of granting humanity unrestrained freedom from the clutches of the simulation's stringent natural order.
* ''Anime/ShinMazinger'': Baron Ashura is the right-hand of Dr. Hell. Created from the fused and preserved corpses of Mycenaean lovers Tristan and Isolde, Ashura acts the loyal servitor, engaging Mazinger multiple times and proving their strategic acumen by leading robotic monsters to attack Tokyo, constantly pushing Mazinger to the brink and even using a hostage gambit with Sayaka to force Kouji Kabuto's compliance. Finally allying with Kouji against Dr. Hell to secure Hell's destruction, Ashura reveals the reason was to resurrect the Mycenaean empire and caps their plan by ending their own life to unlock the seal and unleash Mycenae back upon the world.
* ''Manga/ShionNoOu'': [[UnscrupulousHero Hani Satoru]], having lost his fiance in the infamous Shogi Murder Case, would do anything to find the killer, arranging a massive shogi tournament to [[BatmanGambit lure them in]] and ruthlessly interrogating those connected to the case. As the man in charge, Satoru rigged the tournament to observe potential suspects to identify if they match the killer's profile. Setting his sights on the SoleSurvivor of the murders, Shion Yakushiji, he aggressively confronts her to find out more information, going so far as to manipulate her loved ones and even trying to drive her into a mental breakdown. Realizing Shion's innocence and later figuring out the killer's identity from Shion, Satoru went to arrange the arrest, gathering the evidence even if it meant trespassing and letting Shion be near the dangerous killer, all so he could put an end to the murder once and for all and find peace in himself.
* ''Manga/ShutHell'': TheDreaded, ruthless Khan; UsefulNotes/GenghisKhan himself. Born Temujin, and branded with the Tangut letters on his back [[StartOfDarkness marking him as a slave forever]], the Khan seeks to destroy the Tangut script and the people of western Xia to forever remove knowledge of the brand on his skin. Utterly dominating the Mongol tribes through his dark charisma and power, the Khan sweeps through Western Xia and Jin, devastating all in his path with his brilliance and strength. Ever quick to turn any disadvantage back to his side, the Khan even handles the death of his son and commander Tolui by enslaving the young prince Yurul and forcing him to take Tolui's identity. A man who rose from nothing to become the greatest warlord the world had ever seen, the Khan decides he will burn all in his path, no matter how much fire it takes.
* ''Anime/{{Slayers}}'': Xellos the Trickster Priest is a Mazoku, and the most mysterious member of the cast. Hiding his true self behind a veil of smiles and pleasantries, Xellos ruthlessly manipulates protagonist Lina Inverse and friends into carrying out his wishes and destroying his enemies. Frequently arranging situations to benefit himself no matter what the outcome, Xellos helps destroy his Mistress, the Grand Beast Zelas Metallium's rivals and other Mazoku should it benefit him. Xellos tends to change his schemes on the fly as well, making it impossible to tell what was part of his plans from the start, even if he admits he feels some affection for Lina and her team. Xellos is so charming and affable, it's very easy to forget that he is a demonic being under his friendliness.
* ''Manga/SoulEater'': Death City and the world it resides in are both home to manipulative witches and power-seeking gods, but the ruthlessness and immense charisma these characters showcase puts them head and shoulders above the rest:
** [[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 [[MadGod 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.
** [[DrFakenstein Dr. Franken Stein]] is the DWMA's most successful former student-turned-teacher, a diabolically [[MadScientist sadistic scientist]] who [[MoralSociopathy controls his cruel urges]] by fighting alongside allies he [[TrueCompanions 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.
** The man known as "[[MasterSwordsman Mifune]]" and "God of the Sword" is a samurai and [[BadassAndChildDuo guardian of the young witch Angela Leon]]. Through [[BadassNormal sheer tactical acumen]], Mifune takes down dozens of armed thugs and soldiers of the DWMA with his "Infinite One-Sword Style" technique. With Black*Star as his chosen WorthyOpponent, Mifune, through multiple clashes, teaches him to become a true warrior and through his own manipulations and deals, manages to ultimately secure protection for Angela within the DWMA, even at the expense of his own life.
** [[ArcVillain The Index]], aka the Table of Contents, is the guide of the Book of Eibon and the [[TheManBehindTheMan true mastermind behind]] the Noahs and their groups. The Index creates Noah from the Book of Eibon and uses him to infiltrate Arachne Gorgon's group, having him play the part of loyal servant before swooping in and stealing the powerful weapon BREW. When the DWMA [[Characters/SoulEaterSpartoi Spartoi]] group enters the Book of Eibon to rescue an ally, the Index manipulates and strings them along, pretending to be a helpful presence but truthfully trying to orchestrate the group's destruction to prevent their interference in its own plans. Successfully evading suspicion as the mastermind behind Noah even after Noah's destruction, the Index simply creates another artificial construct of Noah, uses him to invade Asura's lair, and reveals its plans to absorb Asura into the Book of Eibon and use his power to [[WellIntentionedExtremist spread vast knowledge and intelligence to all humankind]], coming within seconds of completing his plans near-flawlessly before [[WildCard Crona]] interferes.
* ''Manga/SoutenNoKoumori'': [[TheDreaded The Iron Demon ninjas' leader]] is a ruthless tactician [[DragonInChief tasked]] with assassinating the pre-teen Lord Chiyozuru by the [[EvilUncle boy's uncle]]. Carefully surveying Chiyozuru's manor, the leader advances his men until realizing his surrogate daughter and former deadliest ninja, heroine [[ActionGirl Henpekumaru]], is aiding Chiyozuru, moving swiftly to personally engage her. Chastising Henpekumaru for her softness in leaving their clan, he nevertheless [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes admits to his own tenderness towards her]] and foregoes killing her, even when doing so leaves him open to a fatal arrow barrage.
* ''Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato'': Albelt Dessler is the charming, sophisticated supreme ruler and dictator of Gamillas. Desiring a peace in the galaxy through ultimate control, Dessler has expanded the Gamillas empire but keeps new conquered races happy by allowing them to prove themselves equal citizens in the empire on pure merit. When earth proves more difficult to conquer, Dessler deals with the matter by assigning a failed commander to either give Dessler more knowledge of the earthlings' tactics, or removing an incompetent without him lifting a finger. Dessler also outplays any who attempt to usurp his authority and when defeated, he promptly reemerges to take the Yamato over to restore himself to glory, convinced that his success is the glory of Gamillas itself.
* ''Anime/SpeedGrapher'': [[BigBad Chōji Suitengu]] is a man who flaunts his extensive wealth via using expensive yen notes as cigars, believing everything "has its price", especially human life. In truth, Suitengu is dedicated to overthrowing the social order of Japan, manipulating all the upper echelons of society with his Roppongi Club that caters to a variety of fetishes. Constantly planning ahead of series hero Saiga, Suitengu also manipulates his lover, Shinzen of the powerful Tennozou Group and later disposes of her when she attempts to betray and kill him. Revealing his tragic past to his ArchEnemy, [[CorruptPolitician Prime Minister Katsuji Kamiya]], when the latter tries to kill Suitengu and take over the Roppongi Club, Suitengu kills him and enacts his master plan: causing a massive financial crisis to [[WellIntentionedExtremist completely erase the corrupt upper class and completely break their hold on Japan forever]].
* ''Manga/{{Spriggan}}'''s "The Forgotten Kingdom": [[BladeEnthusiast Bowman]] was Yu Ominae's knife instructor before leaving ARCAM and joining the [[MegaCorp Trident Corporation]]. Tasked with retrieving an ancient Message Plate in Phantom Island and kill his former student, Bowman uses his {{Doppelganger}} to hold Yoshino Somei [[IHaveYourWife hostage]] forcing Yu to hand over the Message Plate to him. Bowman then fights Yu before getting defeating after a grueling battle, admitting on how proud he is of Yu before [[FaceDeathWithDignity embracing his death]].
* ''Anime/StarDriver'':
** [[AffablyEvil Reiji Miyabi]] aka [[BigBad Head]], real name [[WhenYouComingHomeDad Tokio Tsunashi]], leads the Vanishing Age faction of the Glittering Crux Brigade and serves as the group's ''de facto'' director. Reiji brought the Crux together in an effort to break all four seals on Southern Cross Isle. He befriends the North Maiden to coax her into allowing him to break her seal, and forms a strategy to both capture the West Maiden and finally defeat Tauburn, the Cybody driven by his son, Takuto. Even after defeat, Reiji initiates a coup that allows his faction to anex all others and grant him more power. Anticipating [[TheStarscream the betrayal]] of Keito Nichi, the East Maiden, Reiji is able to awaken a boy he'd seduced from his years long coma and be given his mark that enables his new Cybody to control all other Cybodies. In the final battle in Zero Time, Reiji reveals his goal to [[OmnicidalManiac destroy the world]] while he gains the power to travel to the past, where he can relive his best days as much as he pleases. While [[PsychopathicManchild childish and self-centered]] to the extreme, Reiji is also a [[ManOfWealthAndTaste refined artist]] whose magnetic persona and dangerously keen intellect makes him a gravitational force unto himself.
** [[WiseBeyondTheirYears Kanako Watanabe]] aka President, in addition to leading the Adult Bank faction of the Glittering Crux Brigade, co-manages the business of her husband Leon, and has control over all of its profits and assets. Despite being a High Schooler, Kanako [[GoldDigger married Leon for his wealth]], and while the things she does with it are done often either for pragmatic reasons or just [[ItAmusedMe for her own amusement]], she's [[ObfuscatingStupidity much more intelligent and calculating than she frequently lets on]], often monitoring her underlings and knowing what other people are planning or doing but not acting so long as she senses no danger. Also a champion-level boxer and a tactical combatant, Kanako enjoys her fight with Takuto so much that she steals his first kiss as reward. Kanako greatly values her half sister Simone Aragon and cares for the citizens of Southern Cross Island, proving to be CrazyPrepared when it's revealed that she bought her large yacht with the intention of making it an evacuation vessel to use during a crisis.
* ''Anime/StrainStrategicArmoredInfantry'': [[FallenHero Ralph Werec]] is the brother of heroine Sara Werec and second-in-command to Captain Vivian Medlock. After discovering that the Union was carrying out horrific experiments on the alien Emilies, a disillusioned Ralph defected from the Union to the Deague, and begins by leading an attack on a Union academy and killing everyone inside. Fighting against his revenge-seeking sister Sara, Ralph leads the Deague in fighting the Union and shows himself to be their greatest threat. Feigning loyalty to the Deague and seducing Vivian to get her and her soldiers on his side, he eventually reveals that he was using them all and [[TheStarscream betrays Vivian]], hijacking the security system to kill her. Revealing that he despises both sides of the war and considers them equally corrupt, Ralph carries out his plan to KillAllHumans as revenge for their sins. Yet, despite opposing her, he loves Sara and explains his motivation to her in hopes that she will join him; when she refuses and defeats him in the final battle, he [[HeelRealization accepts that he went too far]] and [[FaceDeathWithDignity gives her a tearful, heartfelt goodbye]].
* ''Anime/TenchiUniverse'': [[DarkActionGirl Nagi]] is an infamous BountyHunter feared by the whole galaxy for her stone cold tactics, and [[TheRival Ryoko's rival]], who will stop at nothing to defeat her. Tracking Ryoko, Nagi kidnaps Tenchi to lure her to a trap before battling her in brutal hand to hand combat, using her wit and technology to nearly kill her had it not been for luck. Spared by Ryoko after the fight, Nagi continuously battles her, using the chances to one up her, always nearly capturing her. When given an opportunity to catch her after being injured by the Jirai Military, Nagi decides not [[FairPlayVillain due to her weakened state]] and works with her to outwit the Jirai Military by using her skills and Ken-Ohki to pull a distraction gambit and flawlessly executing it, hoping to keep Ryoko alive in a suicide mission [[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou so she's the only one who will beat her]] showing her virtues yet ruthless will as a fighter.
* ''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 [[Characters/TengenToppaGurrenLagannSimon 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.
* ''Anime/TerrorInResonance'': [[VillainProtagonist Nine]] or Arata Kokonoe is one half of the terrorist duo Sphinx, serving as the brains behind Sphinx's bombings, giving police forces cryptic riddles to solve along the way while making sure [[ThouShallNotKill no one gets killed during the bombings]]. When FBI agent Five intervenes and hijacks two of Sphinx bombs, Five goes out of his way to save as many people as possible while taking credit for the bombings to further his own cause. In his final plan, Nine would detonate an atomic bomb that he stole earlier in the stratosphere for everyone to see. Nine would reveal that he deliberately connected all of the bombings for [[SympatheticInspectorAntagonist Shibazaki Kenjirou]] to solve while allowing himself be arrested so that he would be able to tell his story as a survivor of the Athena Plan's experiments and people would listen to him. Eventually succumbing to the experiment's wounds, he would give Shibazaki the means and determination to expose those involved in the Athena Plan before finally embracing his death.
* ''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 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/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.
* ''Manga/TokyoESP'': The Professor, formerly Hokusai Azuma, was an archeologist who discovered the Holy Ark containing the SuperEmpowering Glowing Fishes. Becoming one of the first espers of the modern era, the Professor was betrayed and attacked by the General of his country and the Ares organization, which left his entire crew dead. Crafting his persona as "The Professor", he went back to Japan, adopting the son of one of his deceased crew-mates and begins plotting his vengeance against Ares, founding the terrorist group known as the Esper Liberation Front. Successfully opening the Ark atop the Tokyo Tower, the Professor causes a MassSuperEmpoweringEvent and despite his subsequent imprisonment, completes his revenge on Ares by leaving the heroes with instructions to take them down and free his beloved daughter. Driven to avenge his comrades, the Professor ruthlessly advances on his goals with care for none save his own child.
* ''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.
** [[AntiVillain Kishou Arima]], known as "The Reaper" is the greatest of [[BadassBookworm Investigators and warriors]] in the [[CreatureHunterOrganization CCG]]. Secretly half-ghoul himself, born in the breeding programs of the Sunlit Garden to be his father Tsuneyoshi Washuu's greatest weapon, Arima dedicated himself to hunting ghouls and luring them into [[TrapMaster skilled traps]] since his teen years. After defeating Eto, Arima began to [[TheManBehindTheMan secretly conspire with her]] and assisted her escape to eventually overthrow the Washuu Clan and their shadow organization "V." Later defeating ken Kaneki, Arima all but adopted him after Kaneki lost his memories. Secretly guiding him to become the new "King," Arima kills himself once Kaneki defeats him so Kaneki may use his death to unite the ghouls, stating he despised his own life where he only took from others but views Kaneki as the one good thing he might leave behind.
* ''Manga/TokyoTribe'': Mera, leader of the Wu-Ronz and former best friend of hero Kai Deguchi, plays the role of the monstrous Buppa's right-hand man to avenge his parents' deaths at the latter's hands. A master manipulator, Mera evades blame for killing Buppa's son and manages to win back his most loyal followers by sheer charisma after his own second-in-command, the loathsome Skunk, betrays him. Karmically killing Buppa, Mera then makes amends with Kai and saves the woman he loves by chasing down Skunk with Kai's aid.
* ''Manga/{{Toriko}}'': Midora, head of the Gourmet Corp., is one of the three adopted sons of Acacia and Froese. Gaining a deep hatred of the world and mankind after Froese's death, Midora forms the deadly Gourmet Corp. and operates under the nose of his elder brother Ichiryu to steal all ingredients and kidnap all the chefs he can with a series of gambits and plans before facing and defeating Ichiryu himself. Upon being informed of the existence of the group NEO and touched by Ichiryu's final moments, Midora becomes an uneasy ally to Toriko and the others, eventually spoiling NEO's plans and defeating their ostensible leader, the monstrous Dark Chef Joie, before sacrificing his life to return prosperity itself to the world.
* ''Manga/{{Trigun}}'':
** Manga: [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds Millions Knives]] is a humanoid plant who was driven to misanthropy upon discovering humanity had performed horrifying experiments on his own kind. As a child having manipulated the "Great Fall," an event where he caused an entire fleet of humanity to crash to their deaths on the planet Gunsmoke, Knives now seeks revenge on both humans and his twin Vash for allying with them. Siccing the Gung-Ho Guns onto Vash to distract and torment him by targeting innocents, Knives traverses Gunsmoke and influences other Plants to merge with him, making him all the stronger as he reveals his final plan to lure the final vestiges of humanity to Gunsmoke, [[KillAllHumans wipe them all out]], and use their Plant captives to [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans create a new, peaceful world of nature and flourishing life]]. Upon being defeated and witnessing humanity realize the error of their ways, Knives saves his brother's life and [[VillainsDyingGrace spends his last moments granting a poor family a bountiful apple tree]] as the only recompense for his atrocities he is able to perform.
** Anime: [[MisanthropeSupreme Legato Bluesummers]] sheds his manga counterpart's LaughingMad insanity and numerous breakdowns, instead being a suave, always calm mastermind who serves as Vash's true ArchEnemy in the series. A [[StrawNihilist nihilist]] with the belief that all of humanity meaningless and deserves to be purged to save it from misery and despair, Legato allies with Millions Knives in preparing for the destruction of humankind and the rising of Plant life. Not entirely devoid of respectable attributes even as he sends the Gung-Ho Guns after Vash with orders to target civilians in the process just to torture the pacifistic hero, Legato slaughters a group of human traffickers and frees their slaves, informing the young women to use their time wisely before Knives wipes them all out. In the end, Legato forces Vash to break his ThouShaltNotKill code, giving him the ultimatum of either shooting Legato or watching as his best friends are murdered by the villain, and dies with a smile on his face as he knows the act of taking a human life will drive Vash into utter despair.
* ''Manga/TropicalCitron'', by Jiro Matsumoto: [[TheDriver The Horse]] is a creature from the same dimension as the Rabbit, who opposes the latter's tyranny out of respect for free will. Following his ideals, the Horse avoids direct action and prefers using others, becoming the driver of the witch Mako to help her rebellion. When the protagonist Soma wants to leave March Town, the Horse manipulates him into accepting [[TheChosenOne his role]] to stay to fight the Rabbit. The Horse also endangers an innocent woman who protected his weakened ally, exposing her to the attention of the Rabbit before appearing to protect her himself. Later, the Horse's plans force Soma to kill a frail ally to extract the Silver Bullets that said ally obtained at the cost of his sanity. Soma uses the bullets during the Carnival, where the Horse sends the Jabberwocky group to distract the Rabbit's human guards and allows Soma to kill the Rabbit and liberate the town. In the epilogue, the Horse continues to be Mako's driver and shows his respects to Soma's memory, considering him a Tropical Citron, symbol of a chaotic era.
* ''Anime/TweenyWitches'': [[BrokenBird Sigma]] is a young, treacherous [[Characters/TweenyWitchesWarlocks warlock]] with a mysterious agenda of his own. Introduced as an AloofAlly of the [[Characters/TweenyWitchesMagicalGirlSquad Magical Girl Squad]], Sigma almost manipulates them into helping him get the True Book of Spells for his leader, Grande. After getting imprisoned for failure, Sigma uses Jidan's connection to Arusu, the owner of the book, in an attempt to [[BatmanGambit trick his superiors into releasing him]]. Even after the warlocks decide to keep him imprisoned, Sigma manages to escape with Jidan when the warlocks try to transfer the latter as hostage. Saving Arusu from the destruction of Wizard Kingdom, Sigma reveals that his true goal is to avenge his father through the savior as Grande killed Sigma's father for foretelling the savior's appearance. An impressive manipulator despite his young age, Sigma ultimately plays an instrumental role in saving the Magical Realm.
* ''Manga/TheVampireDiesInNoTime'':
** [[TheComicallySerious 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 hollowed out iron maiden until Ronaldo finishes his work. Even Ronaldo has to admit his unorthodox methods lead to him writing a brilliant book and Fukuma ridigly monitors Ronaldo to make sure the writer keeps up promotion to ensure good sales.
** [[TheOlderImmortal 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.
** [[SophisticatedAsHell 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.
* ''Manga/VinlandSaga'':
** Askeladd Olafson introduces himself to the audience sacking a fort and robbing it of its riches with a series of clever schemes, barely shedding a drop of blood. Leader of a group of Viking raiders, Askeladd was born the son of a slave and a lord. Murdering his father years later after his mother's death, Askeladd framed one of his brothers after ingratiating himself to his family. Playing the cutthroat court of King Sweyn with clever gambits, Askeladd has the caretaker of the weak prince Canute murdered to build Canute into an ideal candidate for the throne. Also driven by his desire to protect his maternal homeland of Wales, Askeladd finds himself briefly outplayed by Sweyn who demands he kill Canute or see Wales invaded by the Danes. Askeladd instead chooses to kill Sweyn and allow Canute to kill him, achieving all his goals posthumously by making Canute a beloved, respected King and knowing the young man will forge Askeladd's ideal kingdom and defend Wales out of gratitude.
** King Canute begins the series as a weak and delicate prince coddled by his guardian Ragnar and despised by his father King Sweyn. After Ragnar's murder, Canute witnesses the horrors of battle and the futility of love on earth. Growing to despise God for toying with mankind, Canute vows to create a utopia on earth and grows substantially, using body doubles and preparing to overcome his father by allying with Asekladd. Upon becoming King when Askeladd kills his father, Canute proceeds to poison his brother Harald to take over Denmark. He then initiates a plot to take over the Ketil farm by framing the Ketils as outlaws and launching a full war against them with nothing to stand in the way of his dream.
* ''Anime/TheVisionOfEscaflowne'':
** [[WellIntentionedExtremist Folken Fanel]], Van's elder brother, is the chief strategist and tactician of the Zaibach Empire, seeking to bring about a future free of uncertainty. Tasked with retrieving Escaflowne, Folken trails the heroes across various countries and landscapes, outmaneuvering them and luring them into traps while managing to acquire the power of Atlantis, all the while trying to convince Van to join the Empire to ensure his brother's safety. When Van and Hitomi's bond threatens Emperor Dornkirk's ideal future, Folken uses the fate alteration machine to separate them and sway Hitomi towards her other love interest, Allen. Ultimately realizing the error in Dornkirk's methods, Folken allies with the heroes and gives information on the Empire's tactics and weapons to help Van's cause, resolving to learn the laws of destiny himself to remake the world into a better place.
** [[EmperorScientist Emperor Dornkirk]], ruler of the Zaibach Empire, was formerly a [[UsefulNotes/IsaacNewton scientist from Earth]] obsessed with learning the laws of destiny. Transported to Gaea, Dornkirk used his knowledge of science to transform the chaotic land into a powerful, technologically advanced nation. Seeking the power of Atlantis to control destiny, Dornkirk plans to use Hitomi and Escaflowne as the final piece in his plan. Eventually, Dornkirk allows Folken to kill him, using Hitomi's anguish to trigger the fate alteration machine and grant everyone their wishes, hoping to create an ideal future for everyone.
* ''Manga/WeddingPeach'': [[{{Yandere}} Potamos]] is a [[OurDemonsAreDifferent water demon]] and the final ArcVillain. Initially having a crush on the fire demon Ignis, she gives him a MercyKill when he's redeemed and has his powers drained, vowing revenge on the Love Angels. Potamos attempts to kill them several times and is nearly successful, once catching them in their civilian identities by not letting them transform, and only fails due to outside interference. Her crush on Yosuke/Viento ultimately leads to her [[TakingTheBullet taking a mortal wound for him]], and she dies happy that he lived, with Wedding Peach realizing her feelings for him were genuine.
* ''Manga/WhenNightFalls'' by Yuu Masako: [[KnightTemplarBigBrother Wakaru Mochizuki]] is a young man set on avenging his beloved sister Saya after her murderers are released from jail. Awakening the ability to enter into the dreams of others to hurt them in real life after fulfilling specific conditions, Wakaru uses his powers to attack Baba Knight and moves to target Sakamoto, disguising himself as a woman and winning a game against him to ask about Saya's murder, being willing to forgive him if he shows regret but killing him when he doesn't. Discovering that Baba survived and told the police about his powers, Wakaru manipulates the memories of Baba's brother so that he believes that he injured his sibling to clear his own name. Wakaru then manipulates Baba into attacking him in real life, using the opportunity to kill Baba in "[[CrimeOfSelfDefense self-defense]]". When attempting to deal with the ruthless criminal Akiyama, Wakaru [[EnemyMine works with an employee]], trying to get rid of his boss and allows himself to be beaten so he can enter on Akiyama's dreams before luring Akiyama into dropping his cover, causing his arrest and eventual death.
* ''Manga/WitchCraftWorks'': Weekend is a Tower Witch and [[MadBomber explosive trap master]] who makes deals with other witches to weaken the seals holding the [[SealedBadassInACan White Princess Evermillion]]. With a powerful bomb, Weekend distracts [[BigGood Kazane Kagari]] with protecting Tougetsu City, while she uses bombs she had planted prior to damage the bases of the Workshop Witches. Freeing herself when seemingly defeated, Weekend nearly defeats [[TheAce Ayaka Kagari]] in combat, only losing due to third party intervention and ends up joining the heroes. After joining them, Weekend proves herself an inquisitive investigator, coming close to finding the answer to a series of mysterious events and only stopped by the antics of her ally. Though a self proclaimed mediocre witch, Weekend uses a combination of intelligence and technology to take down two of the series' most powerful magic users.
* ''Manga/WorldEmbryo'':
** 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.
** Born Amane Sasamori, Amane Amami is Riku Amami's adoptive sister and first love. A kind teenager forced into becoming a Coffin Princess for multiple reasons and becoming aware of the real nature of humanity and the corruption inside the World Embryo, she decides to absorb humanity inside a virtual paradise. To do so, she manipulates her family and sends a baby version of herself, later known as Neene, to them, hoping that she becomes strong enough to take control of her. Suceeding, Amane takes control of Neene's body and tries to cause the destruction of the world while faking a [[CardCarryingVillain villainous personality]]. After the fate of humanity is decided in a game, The Coffin Princess cheats by forcing F.L.A.G. members into fighting their traumas before revealing that it was just a trap to capture Jinki users. Stopped only by Takao and Rene, who interrupt her duel with Riku, she apologizes to him for all the pain that she caused to him before ensuring Neene's survival, knowing that she would be vital to save humanity.
** A ConsummateLiar since childhood despite his kindness, Suraga, alias of Riku Amami himself, is the newest threat to humanity after Shirou and the above mentioned Coffin Princess. Having lost all hope after his beloved lose her memories and determined to get them back by using the Kanshuu, Suraga causes multiple controlled Kanshuu outbreaks, knowing that his former friends will stop them and return the victims back to normality. Having lied to the world itself by his own words, Suraga's attacks becomes a routine menace in the new world. After his plan is eventually discovered by the remaining Coffin Princesses, they use Takao to force him to confess his plan before helping him to--after lots of losses--get his happy family back.
* ''Literature/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.
* ''[[Manga/{{Yotoden}} Yōtōden]]'', by Takeshi Narumi: [[HiddenAgendaVillain Ranmaru Mori]] is the ruthless, brilliant [[TheManInFrontOftheMan true lord]] of the Oboro ninja who [[AdaptationalNiceGuy lacks the sadism]] of his animated counterparts. Manipulating UsefulNotes/OdaNobunaga into attacking ninja villages, Ranmaru makes sure the three heroes find the magic blades he created so he might unleash the power of the underworld when they are brought together. Having them guided while he rules from the shadows, Ranmaru's devotion to his own kind is so great he sacrifices his [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes consenting lover-member of the Oboro]] in a ritual so the two might see his ambitions fulfilled.
* ''Anime/YureiDeco'': Injunction Jo, the head of Customer Center and the ruler of Mark Twain, runs the algorithm of Tom Sawyer Island by mandating the censoring of online information leading to the island's government becoming a totalitarian regime. Having grown bored with her profession, Injunction Jo decides to elect a successor. She creates the identity of Phantom ZERO and starts erasing "love" at the risk of collapsing the island's economy. After being one step ahead of the Ghost Detective Club, Injunction Jo puts Hack into a virtual reality expressing amusement at her breaking out of it. She then appoints her with running the island's algorithm, retires, and goes on vacation to explore the world.
* ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'':
** [[CorruptCorporateExecutive 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 [[Characters/YuYuHakushoTeamUrameshi 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 [[NobleDemon 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.
** [[BrokenAce 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.
* ''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.
** [[KnightOfCerebus Vincent Bari and Gustav]], seemingly another run-of-the-mill powerhouse in the tournament, stand out for their [[HiddenDepths surprising depth]]. Bari, obsessed with strength but lacking meaningful purpose, seeks out Zatch Bell to engage in combat, showing tactical ability to complement his raw power. Gustav, while a dutiful partner, [[StealthMentor subliminally urges Bari]] to think more deeply about his desires, insightfully pushing him to be a better Mamodo at heart. Arriving during the Faudo arc to confront his old rival Keith, Bari displays tremendous growth as both a fighter and person, holding no tolerance for Keith's petty grudge while he and Gustav [[AwesomenessByAnalysis analyze every single spell he uses]] and counterattack accordingly with ease. In the climax against Clear Note, Bari once again demonstrates his newfound skills by skillfully circumventing the nigh-impenetrable barrier around Vino to aid Zatch.
** [[CombatPragmatist Robnos]], a young but crafty troll smarter than his sniveling bully of a partner Ruku, tricks Zatch and Kiyo into an industrial freezer by pretending to have taken the latter's classmate hostage to disadvantage them in the subsequent battle from the very beginning. Using the environment to manipulate the trajectory of his ''Biratsu'' spell, Robnos [[CrazyPrepared hid a second body]] amongst the objects to continue his ploy even after Kiyo figured out the first layer. All fun and games even after elimination, Robnos [[GracefulLoser rewards Zatch]] with a tip someone who resembled him was in England, instrumental to discerning the secret behind his amnesia.
** [[ScarilyCompetentTracker Garza and Baransha]] are two strategic hunters who manipulated Kiyo, Zatch, and others to a hot springs vacation in a remote forest, where after tricking the first two to the forest, proceed to push them to the brink with their hunting capabilities. With Garza disguising himself as a deer and Baransha using her animal instincts and invisibility, they patiently attempt to erode Kiyo's "power from within" so they can eliminate Zatch in one fell swoop. Although briefly outsmarted by Zatch, the two [[KarmaHoudini escape]] via a water to hunt another day.
[[/folder]]

* ''Anime/AkudamaDrive'': In this CrapsackWorld filled with violent criminals, these two manage to survive through their brilliance and charm.

[[.index]]

* ''Manga/KongohBancho'': Takeshi Kongoh is the true BigBad of the manga and the wicked elder brother of the hero Akira Kongoh, aiming to be a DarkMessiah to destroy and rebuild Japan. Driven by rage at the death of his mother, Takeshi helps organize the 23 District project to lure in powerful Bancho, all while manipulating his father, whom he eventually usurps. Rising up, Takeshi reveals his true plan: the Damocles Project. Using it to dispose of previous Bancho participants, Takeshi becomes the undisputed ruler of Japan, aiming to destroy it and create an ideal world to make humanity pay. With his strength matched by a ruthless, calculating mind, Takeshi ends the series with his ideals awakened by his son Rai, using his last moments to save Akira's life and bidding him farewell as he gives Akira cover to save the world.

** [[Characters/MyHeroAcademiaDabi Dabi]], born Toya Todoroki, is one of the most dangerous and crafty members of the League of Villains. A master of psychological warfare who enjoys making his opponents doubt themselves with well-placed words, Dabi later reveals he is only using the League towards his own purpose: the ruination of his father Enji Todoroki, new number one hero [[Characters/MyHeroAcademiaEndeavor Endeavor]]. Recording a video to expose the abuse he put his family through to the world, Dabi releases it at a moment of incredible crisis to destroy faith in heroes while revealing his true identity to Endeavor and Shoto, aiming to tear down hero society, spread the ideals of his idol Stain and utterly destroy his father.

[[index]]

** [[BrilliantButLazy Jikka]], third rank of the Yamada Asaemon samurai, is potentially the [[BewareTheSillyOnes most dangerous]] of all of them. Jikka arrives on Kotaku and immediately [[PlayingBothSides plays the convicts against his fellow Yamada]]. Manipulating his clansman Shugen to confront the Aza bandit brothers, Jikka makes sure to leave everything to his advantage where he benefits no matter who dies just so he can become the Yamada clan head and [[ItsAllAboutMe take a life of luxury]]. Returning after Rien's defeat, Jikka cheerfully arranges happy endings for all surviving Yamada and convicts, while tricking the monstrous [[AssholeVictim Shogun Tokugawa Nariyoshi]] to his end in a way that will not reflect poorly on Jikka himself and his complete triumph.

* ''Franchise/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' franchise:
** [[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 moments of completing his goal]], Gendō is only stopped by the sudden betrayal of the 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.
** ''[[Manga/NeonGenesisEvangelionCampusApocalypse Campus Apocalypse]]'': [[WhiteHairBlackHeart Kaworu Nagisa]] here is ruthlessly devoted to protecting Shinji Ikari. As one of NERV's top agents Kaworu fights powerful enemy Angels and even threatens NERV staff to remind them his loyalty solely rests with Shinji. Willing to kill even peaceful Angels even with the revelation [[HunterOfHisOWnKind he is one himself]], Kaworu also breaks Shinji out of imprisonment in NERV facilities, ultimately sacrificing himself to let his dear friend live on.

* ''Manga/RWBYTheOfficialManga'': This version of [[Characters/RWBYCinderFall Cinder Fall]], [[AdaptationalNiceGuy lacking her series counterpart's sadism or childishness]], is a beautiful and enigmatic villainess who wields a grudge on Vale's Headmaster [[Characters/RWBYOzpinAndOscar Ozpin]]. She comes up with a scheme to destroy the kingdom of Vale, using abandoned railroads to launch the attack on the capital, and the resulting negativity keeps [[Characters/RWBYCreaturesOfGrimm Grimm]] coming. She has the vile [[TheHeavy Roman Torchwick]] do the dirty work and steal Dust for the operation while she infiltrates Beacon Academy. As a skilled fighter, she is able to break into the Cross Continental Transmit System tower and implant an important virus, and is able to escape even after being caught by Ruby Rose.