5 most popular anime villains with tragic backstories that deserve tears, not hate

India Today

21-07-2025

Did you ever watch an anime and suddenly find yourself rooting for the guy who's supposed to be the villain? Whenever the word villain comes up, we're conditioned to think of destruction, malice, and unforgivable crimes. We focus on what they did, not why they did it. But if there's one thing anime consistently does well, it's blurring the lines between good and evil, between hero and antagonist.advertisementAnd truthfully? Sometimes the 'villain' feels far more human than the protagonist.I'm a firm member of the 'Villain Appreciation Society'. Heroes are great or whatever, but villains? They have got trauma. They have got a purpose, swag. They'll burn the world down for someone they love, while heroes will go 'Sorry, can't save your cat or your town or your mother, I have to save everyone else first.' Not for me. I'm with the guy who chooses one over all. So, rooting for the villain because of his pain is the propaganda I will always fall for.
And in the next few minutes, let me convince you why you should do so too. Spoiler alert, of course, because pain needs context.1. Eren Yeager – Attack on Titan You know how you plan a trip and already regret it before it starts? Eren Yeager did that, but with the end of humanity. Eren saw the future. He knew every single thing that was going to happen - knew he'd kill innocent children, civilians, destroy 80 per cent of the world, lose his friends, and still get murdered by his childhood crush. And he still did it.Why? So his friends could live in a world with hot water, Wi-Fi, and peace. He took all that hate, became the devil, and let history remember him as the monster. At just 19, he shouldered the weight of genocide, not out of malice, but out of deep sacrifice.2. Lelouch vi Britannia – Code GeassHe was just a teen trying to protect his sister. That's it. Simple. But when your father's an emperor and your country's colonising half the planet, you have to bite the bullet to protect your little sister. So Lelouch started a revolution, lied to everyone, made himself the villain in front of the whole world, and chose to die by his best friend's hand, so peace could finally be a thing.People still hate him, but let's be serious - he didn't just carry the weight of the crown, he carried the entire guilt, war, rebellion and public hate. He deserved hugs and therapy, not a sword to the chest.3. Light Yagami – Death NoteThe definition of 'he had a point until he didn't,' Light started off like 'I want to cleanse the world of evil." Then six episodes later, he was out there killing FBI agents like it was his 9-to-5.advertisementStill, he dropped global crime rates by 90 per cent in six years. That's literally better than any world leader has ever done. Ever. He just lost the plot halfway. He had God complex with a death journal and that's a dangerous combo, but his intentions were valid at the start. Deep character, insane ideology, definitely not mentally okay.4. Itachi Uchiha – Naruto You want to talk about pain? Itachi literally wins. At 15, this man was forced to murder his entire clan, including his parents, join a terrorist organisation as a spy, and let the world call him a traitor just so his little brother could have a peaceful future.The emotional damage? Unmatched. He cried while killing his own family. He loved a girl and left her behind. He carried guilt like it was part of his outfit. And the saddest bit? He died with only his younger brother Sasuke knowing the truth. If anyone deserved a second chance at life, it was him.5. Johan Liebert – MonsterIf chaos were a person, it would be this man. Johan didn't throw punches, he just talked. And people dropped dead. Literally. He's the ultimate manipulator, raised in a cruel experiment that broke his mind and spirit, and what came out was terrifying.advertisementHe's not your classic 'I want to rule the world' villain. He's more like 'I want to disappear so hard I'll make the entire world question if I ever existed.' But Johan's story isn't just about cruelty. It's about identity, trauma, and the fragility of the human psyche. He's not the villain you sympathise with in a traditional sense, but rather one you understand. His existence forces you to question what happens when a child is raised without warmth, without love, and without a sense of self.Villains aren't always villains. Sometimes they're just victims of circumstances too twisted for a redemption arc. They're written to make you feel conflicted, to question morality and to see that black and white thinking doesn't work in a grey world.They're the ones who take the fall, so others can rise. They do the unforgivable, so others don't have to. And deep down, they're not that different from us, just more broken and more bold.So let's raise our glasses, and maybe a katana or two, to these unforgettable anime antagonists. Because just like not all heroes wear capes, not all villains are heartless!- EndsMust Watch