Anime as a medium has brought all along so many great qualities to the media industry and even more fond memories for its fans. At a significantly competitive rate to film, television, and even Young Adult novels, anime shows a variety of innovation to a diverse group of viewers, as well as consistently invoke strong emotion and trust in the industry.
However, every now and then, that trust is betrayed, as even just a character can not only spark strong feelings of hate and resentment in the viewers, but also spread a negative reputation to the series and even the anime industry in its entirety. This is no easy feat, as it takes a special kind of terrible for a character alone to do this.
However, the 2010s, in addition to many new favorites, also brought a strong variety of these jerks. This list will be running down the worst of the worst, as it will be looking at some of the worst anime characters of the decade.
10 Fleet Admiral "Akainu" Sakazuki-One Piece
Akainu was one of the three Admirals for One Piece's Marines who, after a destructive battle with his peer Aokiji, would earn his right as the Fleet Admiral and de facto leader of all Marines. From his hyper-conservative world view to his blatant disregard for "criminal" life, Akainu already started in the series as a detestable character.
However, he only piled on the hate when he brutally killed Luffy's brother Ace during a moment when it seemed all hope had been restored. If anything, Akainu is the main instigator behind shifting fan's views of the series as just a fun, fantasy adventure. There are cruel people in it who can make things all too real.
9 Endeavor-My Hero Academia
Next up is an incredibly divisive character for a fast-rising, beloved series. My Hero Academia has already skyrocketed through the ranks of Shonen Jump as not only a major seller but also a very popular anime that even gets mass attention in the West. All this potential and success only makes it more concerning that a certain take on a single character could change that.
When Endeavor was introduced in the series, the series did more than a great job of making him one of the most hated villains, as his past is stockpiled with arrogance and domestic abuse.
With that much bad blood, the community would respond with resounding negativity as the series tried to give Endeavor his own redemption arc, displaying a deep rooted abhorrence that may take quite some to heal.
8 Yakumo Oomori-Tokyo Ghoul
Everything about this guy, from his gangster suit to his sadistic smile, already screams bad guy right in the viewer's face. However, what really sells him as one of the most detestable anime characters in recent memory isn't just who he is but who he's hurt. For most of Tokyo Ghoul's first season, Ken Kaneki played the pure, timid innocent that anime fan immediately wanted to protect.
And how does one reward that love? They reward it by brutally torturing Kaneki in front of everyone's eyes. Oomori, you only have yourself to blame for the edgy cosplay invading anime conventions.
7 Malty S. Melromarc-The Rising of the Shield Hero
Malty is the freshest entry on this list, proving that there are rising stars in the worst anime character category. She is the main antagonist of her series and the living embodiment of distrust and controversy in the fictional and real world. First off, she becomes Naofumi's first partner only to drain him of his income as much as she can.
When he refuses to drink her clearly spiked wine, Malty soon robs him of everything else he has and frames him for rape, a controversial sentiment during that kept some people from watching the series. It only gets worse from there, as Malty becomes the prime source of misery for a guy who just wants to go home.
6 Sugou Nobuyuki-Sword Art Online
Sword Art Online is a divisive series to say the least. Not only are there a variety of plot holes and questionable choices in its first season, its follow up series continue the trend on top of making light of strong, sexual assault issues.
Case in point: Sugou Noboyuki, the Fairy King of Alfheim and the chief of research for RECT, is a bit too cartoonish of a villain for his actions. The clear idea is to make him despicable but giving him silly expressions while he assaults a girl just gives the viewer tonal whiplash, as they try to comprehend what the show is trying to say.
5 Titans-Attack on Titan
Everything about the Titans is an attempt to make them so much more than just a force of nature. From their distorted human form to their seemingly mocking faces, everything about a Titan's being invokes strong feelings of hate and fear than can become much more intimate and personal than some of the world's characters may like to admit.
They are the horrors of the human body and fear personified in violent, monstrous form, responsible for some of the most horrifying and devastating scenes known to anime in recent years.
4 Seryu Ubiquitous-Akame ga Kill
Seryu is the very definition of prejudicial hypocrisy in the justice system. She wears all too sweet and optimistic of a smile, as she dresses herself up as this young, up-and-coming soldier. Yet, that image quickly fades away, as she soon transforms herself into the sadistic killing machine that will go straight after your favorite character.
It's not just the brutality of her actions but the conflicting feelings with her warped sense of justice that makes her easily one of the most unforgettable nightmares from the series.
3 Alois Trancy-Black Butler II
The first season of Black Butler was more than just a supernatural anime series, but the Victorian spy thriller no one knew they even wanted. It asked questions on politics, justice, and the value of sacrifice, as Ciel and Sebastian stole everyone's hearts, leading to one of the most distinct finales in recent memory.
At least, it would've been the finale if it weren't for Alois Trancy, the sexually tormented, sadistic counterpart to Ciel whose entire goal was seemingly just to ruin Ciel and Sebastian's lives.
2 Kyubey-Puella Magi Madoka Magica
To be fair, this one is supposed to directly be a despicable villain, if not at least a terrifying force of nature. However, to be even more fair, it harvested the dreams, aspirations, and even lives of little girls as a power source, literally feeding off misery. So, on the one hand, Madoka Magica does a great job of crafting a villain.
On the other is a stack of tear soaked tissues, as Kyubey takes away another fan favorite. Kyubey is the very definition of unsuspecting, as he teaches everyone that no one can be trusted, not even cute, magical cat things.
1 Squealer-From the New World
Squealer is like the hard fantasy version of Kyubey, except he doesn't have the added benefit of being cute. His distorted face just makes him easier to hate.
Part of a disenfranchised community of mutant rats in a distant, magical future, Squealer tries to liberate his people from humanity's control by planning an entire conspiracy that involves forcing his previous queen to become a birthing factory and murdering two other characters to use their child as a psychic killing machine. What's the point of freedom when you're kind of a despicable monster?