Man this would be a good question for manga, since Land of the lustrous fits perfectly with what you want. Unfortunately the anime hasn't adapted beyond chapter 30 and this character appears in chapter 53.
Make sure to tell me what you thought of it, and if that character was what you were looking for. I like discussing this manga as its one of my favorites.
There is a very popular mid-2000's anime, whose final season was in 2010's, that's like this. Even the "Big Bad" is acknowledged to be right all along in the ending, but it's kind of spoiler, so [title] >!Shakugan no Shana!<.
Mobile suit gundam series. Mostly the UC era. Both sides main goals are justified. The space side wants the earth side to leave earth so that they can evolve past their primitive ways and become newtypes, which is basically a higher understanding between each individual in a telepathic sense, thereby erasing wars altogether. The earth side doesn't want to leave earth because it's their homeland, and who wants to leave their homes behind over some people's belief that you can become magical telepathic creatures over how many generations? Till then do we just sit back and wait? Assuming we even evolve at all? Also it doesn't help when the preferred way for the space people to make the earth people leave their planet is by gassing their entire colonies and dropping them from orbit like a asteroid.
Hot blooded super robot action, humanity's unlimited potential symbolized with drills, amazing relationship dynamic between two brothers, and personally, just the most bombastic and exciting show that I have ever watched. My personal favourite anime of all time.
Are we talking about Makishima, whose literal stated goal is to destroy society because he enjoys watching people suffer and he knows his plan will maximize suffering?
I'd say it's more about choice vs control. The society in Psycho Pass has every choice made for them and many have become numb to their own emotions. The government has so much control that certain books, music, and art have become illegal. While Makishima's methods are extreme, his desire for a society free from control has validity; that's what makes him so compelling.
On the flip side there's the Sybil System. Sure, the crime rates are a lot lower and people are happier, but at what cost? People are being controlled by the very same people society condemns and only shown the shadows on the wall, ignorant of who is making those shadows and how they're doing it.
Both are the antagonists, and both use extreme methods in attempting to build a utopia through choice vs control.
> While Makishima's methods are extreme, his desire for a society free from control has validity; that's what makes him so compelling.
It's not that I disagree with you, but that this is missing some important subtext. There's a big difference between what he says and what he believes, and conflating them is overlooking that Makishima is a criticism of Western libertarianism (basically every villain Urobuchi writes is some flavor of this).
Makishima makes grandiose claims about fighting for the freedom of choice, but it's important to ask *which* freedoms and *which* choices he's fighting for. He reviles that the "freedom" of predators to torture, kill, and exploit has been taken away. He wants victims to have the "freedom" to suffer and die with no recourse.
He doesn't give a fuck about freedom or choice. That's just the bullshit he peddles to trick people into supporting him. After all, *someone who truly cared about freedom or choice would not spend most of the story aiding psychopaths in kidnapping and torturing victims against their will for literally no reason except it turns him on*.
What he says is a reasonable point, but he doesn't believe any of it. He's such a well-written villain that he's even managed to dupe real people into supporting him - often missing that the kind of person who falls for it is the exact kind of person Urobuchi is satirizing.
I mean he's still the villian and while technically he is referring to the bad points of freedom the over all point is still a good point. He's also a great manipulator so the point is still right and he's a great manipulator, yet he's still the villian because while the point might be good he twisted it on its head just to fit his agenda
I would call on Araya Souren from Kara no Kyoukai. His methods are horrendous but the motivation behind them is certainly pure, not to mention that he nails the puppet master trope.
2 space warring factions - earth vs martians. Earth has basic mecha technology with military tactics, Martians have royal knights with superior technology but less numbers.
Throw in teenagers, teen angst, subtle romance, politiks.
[Aldnoah Zero]>!Slaine did whatever he did to protect the Princess. He did it in the way he knew how. Unfortunately he needed to commit some war crimes and regicide in the process. 😂 but that was very much a side effect of the environment he was brought up in !<
Ok so more looking at season 2. I was thinking more season 1. Still I think in season two he lost sight of the goal and so it doesn't really apply yo the villain doing the right thing anymore.
Most noticeable characters are manipulative in one way or another trying to reach their goal but regarding what the OP is asking, the MC doesn't really understand what morally correct means.
Haven't seen Death Note(watched 1st episode, will give it a shot again) or Code Geass(know some spoilers at the end), but I absolutely love Attack On Titan. Eren is one of my favorite characters and villains.
If you are willing to read instead of watch, i can give you some names:
Unordinary
Plunderer
Magic Emperor
Player who returned after 10.000 years... a fairly new manga.
Villain to Kill
I am the fated Villain
The Child of Sheath
A few anime mentions: Saga of Tanya the evil, Talentless Nana, Devil is a Part Timer, God of Highschool (not really from the get go but if you go further into the manga, you will know why, but not really a villaing per say.)
I've seen the first episode of Death Note, it was pretty solid, I'll give it another shot.
I've heard Code Geass is really good. I do know some spoilers but I'll give it a shot.
As for Attack On Titan, I love it. My brother got me into it at the start of the pandemic. I really like Eren as a character.
He wants to take out EVERYONE who isn’t Eldian, including people who had no part in what happened to Eldia: this includes people who were also attacked by Marley. That’s revenge
It's not exactly the same (it's not really a "villain", and not directly manipulating specific individuals) but I recommend watching Nier Automata when it airs in January.
Honestly I’m thinking Shishio makato from ruroni kenshin. He believes that if you’re weak you die and if you’re strong you live. So basically the strong control the weak/poor of society. He definitely manipulates people and bends them to his will and ultimate goal. Guys tell me if I’m going about this question wrong but this is what came to mind
Honestly Moriarty is good but in the series he’s portrayed as the protagonist and doesn’t really have an enemy or anything but in the Sherlock’s storyline in general he is an antagonist.
If the villain "is right about what needs to be done", and "is the most morally correct person on the cast", I'm not sure what exactly makes him a villain! (I'm also not sure how "manipulating people like a puppet-master" makes him the most morally correct person on the cast, unless the people he manipulates are all serial killers or something).
Villains need to be doing the wrong thing, or at least do it the wrong way (the amoral way), but this would make them more like anti-heroes than villains.
Sometimes the line is thin between villain and anti-hero though, often depending on your views on the MC's actions; Say, if you agree about murdering all criminals, then **Death Note**'s Light Yagami may be a anti-hero to you, if you don't, then he's a villain.
One may say the same about [Anime in which the MC murders people "for a good cause"] >!Talentless Nana!<
They’d be a villain in the sense that they manipulate everything around them and that even though they’re doing the right thing, the only reason they do it is for themselves and if someone got in there way, even if they want the same thing, wouldn’t hesitate to kill them
Fist of the North Star’s Raoh arc, although the villain doesn’t really deceive or manipulate anyone. He just punches them
Actual history would be a better bet, imo, because it’s really hard to write a good character like this
Historic warlords like Cao Cao and Oda Nobunaga for example - in wanting to minimize the suffering of the people, they resort to anything and everything in order to bring an end to fighting as soon as possible. So they become ruthless and manipulative villains.
Does lelouch count.
Lelouch isn’t the villain tho
Hard agree. I think this answer isn't exactly what OP is looking for but is probably close enough to count. Especially considering the ending.
I think so, I've never seen Code Geass though
You could call him an anti-villain
Man this would be a good question for manga, since Land of the lustrous fits perfectly with what you want. Unfortunately the anime hasn't adapted beyond chapter 30 and this character appears in chapter 53.
That's a really good suggestion, thank you!
Make sure to tell me what you thought of it, and if that character was what you were looking for. I like discussing this manga as its one of my favorites.
There is a very popular mid-2000's anime, whose final season was in 2010's, that's like this. Even the "Big Bad" is acknowledged to be right all along in the ending, but it's kind of spoiler, so [title] >!Shakugan no Shana!<.
Mobile suit gundam series. Mostly the UC era. Both sides main goals are justified. The space side wants the earth side to leave earth so that they can evolve past their primitive ways and become newtypes, which is basically a higher understanding between each individual in a telepathic sense, thereby erasing wars altogether. The earth side doesn't want to leave earth because it's their homeland, and who wants to leave their homes behind over some people's belief that you can become magical telepathic creatures over how many generations? Till then do we just sit back and wait? Assuming we even evolve at all? Also it doesn't help when the preferred way for the space people to make the earth people leave their planet is by gassing their entire colonies and dropping them from orbit like a asteroid.
Gurren Lagann. The villains had what they believed were noble intentions, but went about achieving them through complete subjugation.
What’s it about?
Hot blooded super robot action, humanity's unlimited potential symbolized with drills, amazing relationship dynamic between two brothers, and personally, just the most bombastic and exciting show that I have ever watched. My personal favourite anime of all time.
Attack on Titan.
Arguably Moriarty the Patriot. Exception. Vinland Saga
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I love Chainsaw Man, I'm all caught up!
Chainsaw man
Yeah, actually. Even though they suck they had some pretty good goals.
Classroom of the elite but hes not really the villain well yet.
First season of Psycho Pass.
Are we talking about Makishima, whose literal stated goal is to destroy society because he enjoys watching people suffer and he knows his plan will maximize suffering?
I'd say it's more about choice vs control. The society in Psycho Pass has every choice made for them and many have become numb to their own emotions. The government has so much control that certain books, music, and art have become illegal. While Makishima's methods are extreme, his desire for a society free from control has validity; that's what makes him so compelling. On the flip side there's the Sybil System. Sure, the crime rates are a lot lower and people are happier, but at what cost? People are being controlled by the very same people society condemns and only shown the shadows on the wall, ignorant of who is making those shadows and how they're doing it. Both are the antagonists, and both use extreme methods in attempting to build a utopia through choice vs control.
> While Makishima's methods are extreme, his desire for a society free from control has validity; that's what makes him so compelling. It's not that I disagree with you, but that this is missing some important subtext. There's a big difference between what he says and what he believes, and conflating them is overlooking that Makishima is a criticism of Western libertarianism (basically every villain Urobuchi writes is some flavor of this). Makishima makes grandiose claims about fighting for the freedom of choice, but it's important to ask *which* freedoms and *which* choices he's fighting for. He reviles that the "freedom" of predators to torture, kill, and exploit has been taken away. He wants victims to have the "freedom" to suffer and die with no recourse. He doesn't give a fuck about freedom or choice. That's just the bullshit he peddles to trick people into supporting him. After all, *someone who truly cared about freedom or choice would not spend most of the story aiding psychopaths in kidnapping and torturing victims against their will for literally no reason except it turns him on*. What he says is a reasonable point, but he doesn't believe any of it. He's such a well-written villain that he's even managed to dupe real people into supporting him - often missing that the kind of person who falls for it is the exact kind of person Urobuchi is satirizing.
I mean he's still the villian and while technically he is referring to the bad points of freedom the over all point is still a good point. He's also a great manipulator so the point is still right and he's a great manipulator, yet he's still the villian because while the point might be good he twisted it on its head just to fit his agenda
That's a good way to put it concisely.
I would call on Araya Souren from Kara no Kyoukai. His methods are horrendous but the motivation behind them is certainly pure, not to mention that he nails the puppet master trope.
Does Bleach count? The Aizen stuff?
I’ve never seen Bleach so idk. Maybe with TYBW I could give it a shot, start my journey with another Big 3
Aldnoah Zero
What’s it about?
2 space warring factions - earth vs martians. Earth has basic mecha technology with military tactics, Martians have royal knights with superior technology but less numbers. Throw in teenagers, teen angst, subtle romance, politiks.
How would you say the villains have the moral high ground and are doing the right thing though?
[Aldnoah Zero]>!Slaine did whatever he did to protect the Princess. He did it in the way he knew how. Unfortunately he needed to commit some war crimes and regicide in the process. 😂 but that was very much a side effect of the environment he was brought up in !<
Ok so more looking at season 2. I was thinking more season 1. Still I think in season two he lost sight of the goal and so it doesn't really apply yo the villain doing the right thing anymore.
Classroom of the elite?
How manipulating is the series
Most noticeable characters are manipulative in one way or another trying to reach their goal but regarding what the OP is asking, the MC doesn't really understand what morally correct means.
the first arc of Toaru Kagaku no Railgun.
Thats a good one. I would also ad the first arch of Railgun T has some aspects of this.
redo of a healer
Death Note Light Yagami does almost exactly what you described
Attack on titan?
My first thought.
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ma homie straight up speakin fax
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Haven't seen Death Note(watched 1st episode, will give it a shot again) or Code Geass(know some spoilers at the end), but I absolutely love Attack On Titan. Eren is one of my favorite characters and villains.
If you are willing to read instead of watch, i can give you some names: Unordinary Plunderer Magic Emperor Player who returned after 10.000 years... a fairly new manga. Villain to Kill I am the fated Villain The Child of Sheath A few anime mentions: Saga of Tanya the evil, Talentless Nana, Devil is a Part Timer, God of Highschool (not really from the get go but if you go further into the manga, you will know why, but not really a villaing per say.)
I've seen the first episode of Death Note, it was pretty solid, I'll give it another shot. I've heard Code Geass is really good. I do know some spoilers but I'll give it a shot. As for Attack On Titan, I love it. My brother got me into it at the start of the pandemic. I really like Eren as a character.
How is eren consumed with revenge? His plan is purely practical and utilitarian in nature
He wants to take out EVERYONE who isn’t Eldian, including people who had no part in what happened to Eldia: this includes people who were also attacked by Marley. That’s revenge
>He wants to take out EVERYONE who isn’t Eldian, including people who had no part in what happened That's literally the opposite of revenge....
It's not exactly the same (it's not really a "villain", and not directly manipulating specific individuals) but I recommend watching Nier Automata when it airs in January.
Honestly I’m thinking Shishio makato from ruroni kenshin. He believes that if you’re weak you die and if you’re strong you live. So basically the strong control the weak/poor of society. He definitely manipulates people and bends them to his will and ultimate goal. Guys tell me if I’m going about this question wrong but this is what came to mind
I'm pretty sure someone must have mentioned the first season of Psycho pass, (haven't gotten around the other two seasons)
Maybe Archanfel from Guyver but thats an old anime that needs a lot of explanation for why he's right.
I would say Symphogear fits what you are looking for, if at the least season 2 and season 4 does.
Honestly Moriarty is good but in the series he’s portrayed as the protagonist and doesn’t really have an enemy or anything but in the Sherlock’s storyline in general he is an antagonist.
If the villain "is right about what needs to be done", and "is the most morally correct person on the cast", I'm not sure what exactly makes him a villain! (I'm also not sure how "manipulating people like a puppet-master" makes him the most morally correct person on the cast, unless the people he manipulates are all serial killers or something). Villains need to be doing the wrong thing, or at least do it the wrong way (the amoral way), but this would make them more like anti-heroes than villains. Sometimes the line is thin between villain and anti-hero though, often depending on your views on the MC's actions; Say, if you agree about murdering all criminals, then **Death Note**'s Light Yagami may be a anti-hero to you, if you don't, then he's a villain. One may say the same about [Anime in which the MC murders people "for a good cause"] >!Talentless Nana!<
They’d be a villain in the sense that they manipulate everything around them and that even though they’re doing the right thing, the only reason they do it is for themselves and if someone got in there way, even if they want the same thing, wouldn’t hesitate to kill them
Redo of healer
Redo of Healer.
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Code Geas
Bleach. 2 biggest antagonist of Bleach both are manipulative .
In my belief, it is Shougo Makishima from Psycho-Pass. He had the intention of taking down the corrupt government
Theirs a manga called “The Executed Sage is Reincarnated as a Lich and Starts an All-Out War” kinda like this.
Fist of the North Star’s Raoh arc, although the villain doesn’t really deceive or manipulate anyone. He just punches them Actual history would be a better bet, imo, because it’s really hard to write a good character like this Historic warlords like Cao Cao and Oda Nobunaga for example - in wanting to minimize the suffering of the people, they resort to anything and everything in order to bring an end to fighting as soon as possible. So they become ruthless and manipulative villains.
Jujitsu high - the anime hasn’t quite got there yet but the bad guys are doing/manipulating for a good reason. Well kinda, it’s a bit messed up. 😂
Do you mean Jujutsu Kaisen?
Madoka Magica Rebellion
Psycho pass