Random Anime Heroes Who Had Legitimate Reasons To Turn Evil (13 items)

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  (#3) Shoto Todoroki Could Have Learned To Hate Heroes From His Father In 'My Hero Academia'

  Shoto Todoroki was raised to be a professional hero by a man he finds impossible to admire. Enji Todoroki, also known by his pro-hero name Endeavor, used illegal breeding practices to create Shoto's quirk, Hot and Cold. He proceeded to raise Shoto in isolation while abusing all four of his children and his wife. Shoto grew up hating his father, and dedicated himself to becoming a hero on his own terms. However, he could have easily become so disgusted by the concept of heroism - which his abusive father embodied - and pursued a life of villainy.

  Like many of the villains in My Hero Academia, he could have decided that he was better off trying to destroy society than preserve it. 
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  (#8) Kei Nagai From 'Ajin' Could Have Become A Villain After Being Abused

  Kei Nagai is presented as somewhat of an anti-hero. He doesn't like admitting that he actually has a compassionate side, and prefers to think of himself as a logical, utilitarian person. He's also immortal, which makes him an easy target for people hoping to abuse him in order to understand the true nature of Ajin (a super-powered demi-human that suffers widespread discrimination).

  After enduring torment that would kill most people, he could have easily magnified his logical and utilitarian side, while totally squashing the part of him that cares about others. He could dedicate himself to seeking vengeance on those responsible for his suffering or on humankind in general. 
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  (#1) Naruto Uzumaki

  • Naruto, Naruto Shippūden, Naruto the Movie: Blood Prison, Naruto the Movie: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom, Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Lost Tower, Naruto the Movie: Legend of the Stone of Gelel, Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow, Naruto Shippuden the Movie: 7, Naruto Shippuden the Movie: Bonds, Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Will of Fire, Naruto Shippuden the Movie, Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie

  Naruto Uzumaki ended up developing a strong desire to help others, but it's something of a miracle that he turned out that way. His parents both died the day he was born after sealing the powerful Nine-Tails beast into his body. The people of Konoha feared the Nine-Tails, and Naruto grew up orphaned and totally ostracized by his community. While Naruto chooses to dedicate his life to becoming the leader of his ninja village and earning their acceptance, it's not hard to imagine how he might have grown up to resent - or even seek vengeance against - the community that turned their back on him.

  There are actually multiple parallels in the series itself that show how Naruto could have turned out. There's Gaara, who was so isolated by his village because of his tailed beast that his own father started trying to kill him, and he became bloodthirsty and homicidal. Meanwhile, Obito Uchiha had a similar personality to Naruto, but was manipulated by Madara into believing that humanity was so wretched that they needed to be done away with altogether. The idea that Naruto could have become a villain - but didn't - is actually one of the main themes of the show. 
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  (#7) Edward Elric

  • FullMetal Alchemist, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Fullmetal Alchemist, Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa, Chibi Party, Alchemists Vs Homunculi, Fullmetal Alchemist

  Anyone who is capable of using forbidden techniques to try and raise the dead is also capable of villainy. Edward Elric's goal is to reclaim his arm and leg to reunite with his brother with his physical body. That said, he could have easily decided to continue trying to bring his mother back to life, seeing as the grief and trauma of his first attempt might have clouded his judgment. Plenty of anime villains are motivated by the desire to cheat death, and Ed could have been one of them.

  What's more, the organization that ultimately gives him structure is the military. While in Ed's case this provides him with a set of moral guidelines that prevent him from using alchemy in damaging ways, it also forces him into potentially traumatic combat situations more than once. Also, his contact with people who don't acknowledge their complicity in the Ishvalan genocide would have rubbed off on him. He could have used this experience to justify his increasingly dangerous experiments regardless of who got hurt in the process. 
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  (#10) Saitama

  There's an old adage that says that absolute power corrupts absolutely - and there are few anime characters out there as powerful as Saitama, who can defeat anyone with a single punch. Though Saitama seems largely content to act heroically, he also isn't particularly enthusiastic about morality. His life as a hero is also a pretty frustrating one. No one believes he's accomplished the things he's accomplished, which makes moving up in the hero system - and thus making more money - seem perpetually out of his reach.

  Saitama seems chill enough about all this, but this is the same guy who lost all of his hair due to the stress of working out excessively. He may not seem like he has a breaking point, but he totally does. Maybe the next time a villain attacks Z-City, he'll want to see if he'll be treated fairly on their side. 
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  (#12) Yugi Mutou

  • Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters, Yu-Gi-Oh!: Bonds Beyond Time, Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie: Pyramid of Light, Yu-Gi-Oh!

  In the original Yu-Gi-Oh! manga, Yami Yugi killed countless people. Whenever somebody started bullying Yugi - which was often - his darker self would rear its head and challenge them to a torturous game. In one occasion he drove the perpetrator insane with the sound of their own heartbeat, and another time he set someone on fire. While none of this stuff made it into the anime, it's still part of Yami Yugi's history. What if Yugi had appreciated his shadows' attempts to protect him, and had started actively participating in Yami Yugi's vengeful games? 

  Also, when Yami Yugi remembers his former identity as an ancient Egyptian pharaoh, it could have easily amplified his power-hungry nature and made him feel even more entitled to harm others - a feeling that could have easily been transferred to Yugi himself.

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