Top Anime with An “Anti-Hero” Main Character

The most compelling protagonists are not always the ones who fight for justice with a shining smile. Sometimes, the most fascinating stories belong to the anti-heroes—flawed, morally grey individuals whose motives are personal, methods are questionable, and alignment often rests in a shadowy middle ground. They challenge our notions of right and wrong, making for complex and unforgettable narratives.

Here are 10 example of anime series where an anti-hero takes center stage.

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1. Vinland Saga

The Anti-Hero: Thorfinn
Thorfinn’s journey begins not as a noble warrior, but as a vessel for pure, singular vengeance. Consumed by hatred and driven by a personal oath, he exists in a brutal Viking world where survival and killing are synonymous. His path is one of incredible violence and spiritual desolation, raising profound questions about the cycle of revenge and what it truly means to be a warrior.

2. Hellsing Ultimate

The Anti-Hero: Alucard
The ultimate power fantasy wrapped in a gothic horror package, Alucard is a centuries-old vampire who serves the Hellsing Organization. While he fights against other supernatural threats, he is no savior. He is a monstrous, sadistic force of nature who relishes carnage and views his missions as a form of brutal play. His allegiance is less to humanity and more to a specific contract and his own enigmatic boredom.

3. Code Geass

The Anti-Hero: Lelouch vi Britannia
In Code Geass, a exiled prince granted the absolute power of mind control, Lelouch dons a mask and declares war on the very empire that cast him aside. His goal may be to create a gentler world for his sister, but his methods are Machiavellian masterstrokes involving manipulation, sacrifice, and terrorism. He willingly becomes a demon in the eyes of the world to achieve his ends, constantly wrestling with the cost of his own genius.

4. Attack on Titan

The Anti-Hero: Eren Yeager
Eren’s evolution is one of anime’s most staggering character arcs. Beginning with a straightforward rage against the monsters that took his home, his drive for “freedom” gradually warps into something far more complex, terrifying, and absolute. He transforms from a passionate hero into a figure whose vision for the future justifies unimaginable actions, forcing viewers to constantly reassess their allegiance.

5. Black Lagoon

The Anti-Hero: Revvy “Two Hands”
A former salaryman thrown into the criminal haven of Roanapur, Rokurou “Rock” adapts by embracing moral flexibility. However, the quintessential anti-hero of the series is Revvy, the gunslinger. She is a profoundly damaged individual who finds solace in violence, chaos, and the lawless code of the mercenary. She is fiercely loyal to her crew but operates without a traditional moral compass, living only for the thrill of the Lagoon.

6. Overlord

The Anti-Hero: Ainz Ooal Gown (Momonga)
Trapped in a virtual world that has become his reality, the skeletal overlord Ainz is a being of immense power with no human morality to constrain him. His primary drive is the protection and proliferation of his guild’s legacy, the Great Tomb of Nazarick. This leads him to enact plans with cold, logical calculus, viewing the new world’s inhabitants as either pawns, experiments, or obstacles—rarely as people.

7. The Rising of the Shield Hero

The Anti-Hero: Naofumi Iwatani
Betrayed, scorned, and forged in the fires of profound injustice, Naofumi starts as a classic hero and is broken into an anti-hero. He is cynical, distrustful, and motivated primarily by transactional need and a desire to prove his tormentors wrong. His kindness is a limited resource, and he often chooses the pragmatically ruthless option, making his slow road to any form of redemption a compelling, gritty watch.

8. Dororo

The Anti-Hero: Hyakkimaru
A samurai-era figure born without skin, eyes, ears, and limbs due to a demonic pact, Hyakkimaru regains his body piece by piece by killing the demons that took them. He is less a person and more a blade given purpose: a silent, relentless force of retribution. His journey with the young thief Dororo forces him to confront the humanity he is regaining and the bloody cost of his quest.

9. Goblin Slayer

The Anti-Hero: Goblin Slayer
His name is his mission. Consumed by a traumatic past, this adventurer has dedicated his life solely to the extermination of goblins with ruthless, pragmatic efficiency. He has no interest in glory, treasure, or other threats. His methods are brutal, preventative, and often unsettling to traditional heroes, but born from the grim understanding that in his world, goblins are a pervasive and existential evil that demands absolute eradication.

10. Death Note

The Anti-Hero: Light Yagami
Death Note featured the archetypal example of a charismatic anti-hero. A genius high school student who obtains a notebook that can kill anyone whose name is written in it, Light begins with a grand, if arrogant, ideal: to cleanse the world of evil and become its “god.” His intellect is mesmerizing, but his god-complex, willingness to kill anyone in his way—including the innocent—and his descent into megalomania make him a villainous protagonist of the highest order.

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These characters remind us that the line between hero and villain is often blurry. Their stories are compelling not despite their flaws, but because of them. They operate in the grey areas, forcing us to ask: What would we do with their power? And at what point does the end truly justify the means? In the world of anime, the anti-hero’s journey is often the most human one of all.