Protagonists of anime series are most of the time depicted as righteous people with good morals and values. Audiences love these characters for their nature and sense of justice. However, other than a heroic protagonist, some series have a dark counterpart of this character called Anti-Heroes in anime.
A handful of series have highlighted a main character who is morally inclined, lacks values, and resorts to unconventional methods to get their job done. These characters have contrasting personalities compared to ordinary heroes. Their absurd nature pushes them to popularity in the community, similar to some characters mentioned in this list.
Eren Yeager
If the discussion is about Anti-Heroes in anime, Eren Yeager from Attack on Titan is the character that comes up. He was a short-tempered kid with intense hatred towards Titans for killing his mother. However, his character development was significant, and Eren became arrogant and unlikeable by his peers.
After the significant four-year time skips, Eren turned out extremely cynical and cold. He wasn’t the jovial and hot-headed kid everyone remembered. He walked on a morally grey path with a single motive: to make this world a better place by wiping the majority of the population off the face of the earth.
Light Yagami
Death Note was released in 2006, and even after so many years, it is still one of the most popular animes out there. The series boasted an impressive array of characters who portrayed intriguing perspectives, and it was up to the audiences to perceive them as good or bad. Filled with a god complex and a sense of justice, Light Yagami was the protagonist of this popular series.
He eventually walked on the path of an Anti-Hero because of his actions. He started by killing criminals with the help of the Death Note. However, he soon lost his vision of a bad guy and started eliminating anyone whom he perceived as a threat.
Spike Spiegel
The notorious space bounty hunter Spike Spiegel is the protagonist of the popular anime Cowboy Bebop. The plot revolves around his adventures with Jet Black, Faye Valentine, and others. Spike is a morally grey character with a handful of questionable traits.
His actions are meant to conflict with audiences about his personality. While he provides shelter to a Welsh Corgi who is about to be sold off, he doesn’t think twice before pick-pocketing elderly people. He collects bounties without thinking about the consequences and wreaks havoc, putting others in danger.
William James Moriarty
The protagonist of Moriarty is William James Moriarty, the Patriot and sworn enemy of Sherlock Holmes. He was adopted into the Moriarty family after a fire broke out at his orphanage. However, behind the veil of this generous action was a greedy publicity stunt. As he grew old, he started helping people seek revenge. He helped people with many things, including crimes such as murder and robbery. His actions painted him as a devil in front of society, and he received a fair share of hatred.
Guts
The main character of Berserk is one of the few characters in anime with an unbelievably traumatic past. Due to these terrible experiences, Guts’ entire personality changes. He becomes a man with no morals and does not value other people’s lives. What kept him going over the years were his skills. Guts became powerful after the Eclipse and fought against apostles with his Dragon Slayer.
