8 Iconic Anime Villains Who Never Lost, Not Even Once

Villains winning in the end is something you don't see very often in anime. It's natural that most viewers find it thrilling to follow the heroes and support them until they emerge victorious; there's a certain guilty pleasure in a villain who has overcome all odds. The good guys don't always manage to subdue the villains, and the bad guys can also achieve their plans or remain on the top, without this negatively affecting the quality of the anime.

While villains can also be the protagonists, which makes it unsurprising that no one stops them, others are so iconic that making them lose would be a waste. Whether it's due to their enormous powers, their immense intelligence in developing all sorts of plans, or showing a different outcome where everyone's goals align in the end, some of the most iconic villains in anime were never officially defeated by the heroes.

8 Ainz Ooal Gown from Overlord

Although he's actually an anti-hero, Overlord's protagonist, Ainz Ooal Gown, certainly fits the role of villain both in the eyes of the world and because of his evil acts. Overlord isn't your typical isekai that rewards good and punishes evil. Instead, it's about the strong taking advantage of the weak, which is why Ainz adopted a stance of fighting back at all costs. But beyond his ambiguous morality, Ainz is undeniably powerful.

Despite being level 100 and surpassing the current limit by memorizing over seven hundred spells, Ainz's strength doesn't rely exclusively on his power as a mage caster but on his skill as a strategist. Ainz gathers intel, devises tactics, and exploits his opponents' weaknesses like a true villain, and viewers are delighted to see him win every time.

7 Altair from Re:Creators

Altair possessed a great desire for destruction in Re:Creators and is perhaps one of the most overpowered antagonists in modern anime. Her unique ability, the Holopsicon, allows her to empower herself with any story created about her. This means that as long as fan creations about her exist, she gains new strength and abilities, granting her infinite power.

With abilities such as reverse causality and reality manipulation, Altair is impossible to erase as a concept, making her virtually near-omnipotent and immortal. Altair manifested the Created, seeking revenge after the death of her creator, planning to cause a distortion in the real world and trigger a massive reality collapse.

Not only did Altair defeat everyone who tried to oppose her, but the master plan against her was futile. Setsuna's appearance was the only way to stop her. It could be argued that Altair was defeated with a mental attack, but even so, she couldn't be killed directly. Although they managed to change her mind, Altair got everything she wanted as she got to live with Setsuna in another world.

6 Yujiro Hanma from Baki the Grappler

Violent, self-centered, sadistic, and driven by a fighting instinct more akin to a savage monster than a human being, Yujiro Hanma is not only one of the worst fathers in anime but also a figure of what invincible strength is. Known as "Ogre," Yujiro holds the title of the strongest fighter in Baki the Grappler, with his son's whole purpose being to defeat him.

Yujiro is on a whole other level, eager to find strong opponents, merciless to those he considers unworthy, and destroying anyone he wants, even if they are from his family. Although he acknowledged Baki as the strongest during their fight, and he was once restrained with a net and a tranquilizer powerful enough to knock out a whale, Yujiro has yet to be directly defeated.

5 Kazutaka Hyodo from Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor

Considered the main antagonist of Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor, Kazutaka Hyodo, the president of the Teiai Corporation, is backed by immense wealth and power. He is a ruthless, greedy, and dishonest old man who enjoys engaging in deranged underground gambling and inflicting suffering on those who lose, even driving debtors to their deaths.

However, Kazutaka Hyodo possesses a keen understanding of gambling and finds ways to cheat to win, managing to defeat Kaiji and force him to cut off his fingers. It could be said that Kaiji got his revenge with his son, Kazuya, but he hasn't faced Hyodo again, leaving open whether he will ever receive what he deserves.

4 Hao Asakura from Shaman King

Hao Asakura was always the absolute strongest in Shaman King, possessing an overwhelming aura whenever he appeared with his Spirit of Fire. Besides his goal of creating a world of shamans, Hao was always quite cruel, discarding his subordinates and even massacring those who refused to join his cause, such as Lyserg's parents.

How Hao Asakura became such a dominant final boss is something only those who followed the Shaman King remake have witnessed. Contrary to most shōnen anime where the heroes join forces and ultimately win, the Five Elemental Warriors couldn't beat Hao, and he is proclaimed the winner of the Shaman Fight.

Although some might consider his redemption a defeat, what prevented Hao from carrying out his plan, and instead giving humanity another chance, was solely his mother's influence (but who can resist mother's love?). Even so, Hao managed to become the Shaman King and remains an unbeatable force in the series.

3 Ryo Asuka from Devilman Crybaby

Ryo Asuka is one of the protagonists of Devilman Crybaby, but in one of the best twists in anime history, he is revealed as the story's villain, Satan, who was reincarnated with no memories. His deep bond with Akira Fudo didn't prevent Ryo from committing horrific acts as his evil nature emerged, controlling people, including his own friend, and unleashing chaos all over the world.

Satan's endgame is to eradicate the human race and rule the world for demons, which he eventually achieves. But after witnessing Akira's death, Satan comes to understand love, and an unbearable sadness wells up within him, rendering his victory meaningless. While still technically an ending where the villain wins, the complexity of Ryo's character is what made Devilman Crybaby one of the darkest anime series.

2 Rustal Elion from Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans

Rustal Elion is a fascinating character who demonstrated the depth of Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans. He isn't a comically evil villain, as, being a politician and leader, he can't be judged as simply good or bad. Some of his actions were beneficial to society, but he also had the guts to employ shady and deceitful tactics, riding the wave of power conflicts to exploit the members of Tekkadan.

However, once Rustal started to make his move, the heroes were cornered and caught in the crossfire. By the end of the series, Rustal was seen as a hero to the world; he reformed Gjallarhorn into a democratic organization and rose to the top, essentially becoming the biggest winner.

1 Griffith from Berserk

The main antagonist of Berserk is undoubtedly both one of the most detestable characters in existence and one of the best villains in anime and manga. Griffith's character arc, from someone with the charisma, strength, and leadership qualities that made him feel like the chosen one to someone consumed by darkness who prioritized his dream above all others, is as painful as it is engrossing to watch.

Despite the apparent friendship he shared with Guts, Griffith couldn't care less about sacrificing him in order to reach his ultimate goal. Griffith becomes a general within the Kingdom of Midland during the Golden Age, emotionally breaking both Guts and Casca in the process. Griffith is arguably the cruelest villain in anime history, but he's one who completely overwhelmed the protagonist and gradually continued to achieve his ambitions.