10 Anime Villains Who Were Ruined by Their Final Arc

A great villain can make or break a story, and in anime, villains are often the most memorable characters. They give fans someone to talk about, and someone to hate. Particularly great villains toe the line between being sympathetic and downright evil. These are villains that leave an impact due to their cunning or sheer presence. Their ambitions shape the worlds they live in, and they pull fans in. Unfortunately, not every villain finishes their story as well as they started. There are many cases of villains who started out strong but were ruined by their final arcs. In some cases, real world situations like rushed timelines lead to their stories being shortened. In other cases, they are undermined by abrupt twists and poor writing.

A powerful introduction is important for a villain, but a great sendoff is even more crucial. Whether they are defeated or redeemed, the way a villain leaves the story cements their legacy. Their final moments are often their most memorable. So, when these final moments are full of out-of-character moments or plot conveniences, this can ruin their entire story. Characters like Zeref and Naraku were built up to be everything and more. To see them ruined by the end of their stories is not just frustrating but disappointing.

Griffith’s Menace Falters in Later Berserk Adaptations

Berserk is one of the titans of the dark fantasy anime genre. The medieval-inspired epic follows a swordsman named Guts who joins a mercenary band headed by a man named Griffith. Though Griffith and Guts begin as friends, Griffith eventually becomes one of the most iconic anime villains ever. Griffith is greedy and powerful, which makes him extremely dangerous. The manga and '90s anime adaptation explored his personality perfectly.

While the Golden Age trilogy of films is often praised, they might have done more harm than good for Griffith’s character. By the end of the final movie, he triggers the Eclipse and becomes a member of the God Hand. He is unquestionably evil and vile, no longer the complex and tragic character he was presented as. While this made him a memorable and powerful villain, he also became very one-dimensional.

Zeref’s Tragic Backstory Could Not Save His Weak Final Arc

Zeref was the big bad of Fairy Tail — a major villainthat was teased from the beginning of the anime. The immortal black wizard was shrouded in mystery for the majority of the anime. Every appearance he made answered one question about him, but raised three more. He was mysterious, but had an air of sorrow that had fans wanting to learn more about him. The initial revelation of his backstory made him even more compelling.

Despite being so interesting, Zeref’s role was weighed down by increasingly convoluted lore. His brotherly rivalry with Natsu became more exhausting than engaging. His motives shifted from nihilism to a desire to dominate, and even to redemption. Each confusing change weakened his character and the impact of his defeat.

Madara Uchiha’s Build-Up Collapsed With a Last-Minute Twist

Madara Uchiha was introduced as the ultimate challenge for Naruto. The legendary Uchiha was among the most powerful characters in the Naruto: Shippudenuniverse, and is one of the most hyped villains in shōnen history. His presence marked total devastation for the shinobi world during the Fourth Great Ninja War. For the majority of the series he lived up to that hype, embodying fear and unshakable power. That is, until he was suddenly replaced by Kaguya Otsusuki as the main villain.

This twist destroyed years of build-up for his character. Instead of allowing him to conclude the story as the legendary threat he was, the story sidelined him. Fans were robbed of the chance to see him properly go all out and be defeated.

Naraku Overstays His Welcome With Endless Schemes

At the start of Inuyasha, Naraku is the invisible mastermind. He is dangerous and ancient, with a skill for manipulation and deceit. Whenever he showed up, the stakes were raised. Glimpses of his past showcased his true power and motivations. Unfortunately, his end was not as iconic as his many appearances prior.

The ending of Inuyasha missed the mark in many ways. A combination of bad writing and poor pacing led to a disappointing end for many fans. The story in the final arc felt rushed and poorly planned. This led to the final battle being underwhelming, and Naraku’s defeat happening too quickly. At the same time, Naraku had become a very one-note character to many viewers, so his defeat also felt long overdue.

Ragyo Kiryuin’s Shock Value Turned Into Over-the-Top Absurdity

Kill la Kill reveled in absurdity from the very first episode. The anime’s main villain, Ragyo kiryuin, embodied the twisted charisma a villain in this type of show deserved. She was cruel and cold-hearted, with the ultimate goal of enslaving the entire world. She was built up with an intoxicating blend of elegance and sadism, which perfectly captured the themes of the anime.

Unfortunately, as the story went on, her menacing aura gave way to an abundance of excess. Her character started to lean too heavily on shock value, rather than clearly thought-out plans. There was no longer a balance between chilling horror and theatrics. Her conclusion felt mismatched with her earlier characterization, and took away from her ultimate impact.

Donquixote Doflamingo Lost His Edge With a Drawn-Out Fight

In One Piece, Doflamingo was the Straw Hat’s first big fight after entering the New World. The ruthless warlord had so many crimes under his name that the list would be endless. He was first introduced during the Summit War, but took center stage in the Dressrosa Arc. He thrived on manipulation and sadism, but ruled with charisma and power.

The Dressrosa Arc is infamous for having some of the worst pacing in One Piece, and Doflamingo suffered from this. The final battle between Luffy and Doflamingo spanned over a dozen episodes, not counting all the other battles taking place. Ultimately, the pacing made Doflamingo’s defeat a chore to get through. By the time Luffy delivered the final blow, fans were just happy it was over.

Light Yagami’s Brilliant Mind Crumbles in a Rushed Ending

Light was a master tactician and strategist for the majority of Death Note. The anime spent several episodes exploring how his mind worked. He would come up with complex and elaborate solutions to simple problems and execute them flawlessly. His over-the-top nature was essential to the perpetual game of catch between him and L. But once L died, everything fell apart.

Light’s final arc lacked all the genius that made him iconic. His overconfidence led to mistakes that ultimately led to his death. Some fans feel like the story had no other way to conclude than to nerf Light. At his peak, he would never have made the mistakes that led to getting caught by Near and Mello.

Esdeath’s Fearsome Edge Is Blunted by an Abrupt Conclusion

Esdeath from Akame ga Kill is one of the most compelling antagonists of modern anime. She is cruel and cold, but also incredibly loyal to the Empire. She doesn’t pursue any selfish goals except for her obsessive love for Tatsumi. This would have added an interesting layer to her character if her love wasn't framed as her only trait besides the sadism.

While she died at the end of the anime, many found her death more peaceful than she deserved. Her duel with Akame was visually satisfying, and Akame got some satisfying hits in, but everything felt rushed. And despite everything, Esdeath was allowed to die, holding on to Tatsumi. While other good characters suffered brutal deaths, she died holding on to the person she loved.

Annie Leonhart’s Return Fizzled After Years of Anticipation

Annie had a huge impact on the early arcs of Attack on Titan. She was the first enemy titan to be revealed among the Survey Corps. Her identity as the female titan raised a lot of questions for the series and set up many of the future arcs. Once she was discovered, she crystallized herself and remained that way for the majority of the story.

After such a long wait, her return in the final arc was underwhelming. Instead of providing any closure, she was immediately sidelined. The final arc was so busy with all the new elements involved that there was no time to properly close off Annie’s story. She woke up from her crystallization with a complete personality change and was shipped off after a rushed redemption.

Dio Brando’s Grand Finale Failed to Match His Iconic Build-Up

There are very few villains that are as iconic as Dio from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. His rivalry with the Joestar family spanned generations, and over many years, the sadistic vampire accumulated wealth and power just to destroy their lineage. He is the embodiment of hatred and crazed ambition in every way. In Phantom Blood, his backstory perfectly established who he was and why he was evil, and his return in Stardust Crusaders should have been the ultimate payoff.

Instead, Dio was more of a cartoonish villain than the master manipulator he was introduced as. His Stand, The World, became a crutch, and the story bent over backwards to have Jotaro defeat him. The final straw was Star Platinum somehow being able to stop time as well.