Villains serves not only as the catalyst for a hero’s journey, pushing them to the peak of their potential by way of their own devious ambitions, but often represent the core thematic message at the heart of a series or film by way of their ideological opposition to the protagonist. With so much of anime being heavily focused on coming-of-age stories centered within action-adventure premises, it’s no wonder that villains are often some of the most widely recognized and, curiously enough, celebrated characters in anime fandom.
This is as true for anime as for any other form of entertainment, but especially in the case of anime.
