8 Best Written Final Villains In Shonen Anime

Shonen anime have only been getting more popular, especially with the medium gaining more traction internationally at an unprecedented scale. Shonen anime feature some of the most exciting battles, and more often than not, this gives rise to compelling final villains. It isn't easy for anime series to weave exciting final villain character arcs, but over the years, some have proven to be incredibly satisfying and well-written characters, even etching their names in history in the process.

8 Yhwach

• Anime: Bleach

The Bleach series has many cool and memorable villains. However, the series' final antagonist, Yhwach, stood out as one of the very best. Yhwach’s story was untold due to the anime having skipped the final arc for a long time, but with Bleach getting a continuation through the Thousand-Year Blood War anime, Yhwach can finally act as the true final antagonist that he is.

Yhwach is a leader of the Quincy, known as the Quincy King, and he is one of the strongest characters around, possessing a multitude of abilities such as his Soul Distribution Power and above all, the Almighty. With his cool abilities and terrifying aura, he stands on equal ground with even the likes of Aizen in terms of writing.

7 Nerona Imu

• Anime: One Piece

One Piece is one of the longest-running manga series of all time. Eiichiro Oda's story has been in serialization for over 28 years now, and clearly, the story still has a long way to go. With the Final Saga having begun, One Piece fans finally know who the final antagonist of the series is, and this incredibly dominant personality is named Saint Imu Nerona, the secret Sovereign of the World.

8 years ago, Eiichiro Oda unveiled Imu in the Reverie arc, and Luffy will have to fight him to topple the World Government. Imu created the World Government 800 years ago, destroying the likes of Joy Boy in the process. He also created the cruel World Government and has inflicted tremendous misery on the world. His role as the ultimate manipulator makes him an incredibly imposing character that is finally paying off in Elbaph.

6 Ryomen Sukuna

• Anime: Jujutsu Kaisen

Among all new-gen anime, Jujutsu Kaisen features one of the best villain casts, and Ryomen Sukuna, the King of Curses, is the epitome of strength in this series. Sukuna is the final enemy of the story, but he was introduced at the very beginning, which did wonders to garner a lot of hype for him.

The Shinjuku Showdown battle is what cemented him as one of the most exciting antagonists of all time. Sukuna took on not only Gojo but most of the capable sorcerers of the Jujutsu Kaisen world. In that sense, Sukuna more than lived up to the hype and his ending was quite satisfying after such a long battle. No other JJK antagonist has gained as much popularity as him. Once Shinjuku Shodown is animated, Sukuna will go down in history as an icon in shonen anime.

5 All For One

• Anime: My Hero Academia

My Hero Academia ended two years ago in the manga, and just a few months ago in the anime. Towards the end of the series, the series delivered brilliant exposition to the character arc of All For One, who was first introduced at the very beginning of the story.

Right from the get-go, All For One, was evil incarnate. But, the depth that Horikoshi added to him with his backstory in the final arc, made him even more exciting as a character. At the end of My Hero Academia, All For One made his return after being defeated by Bakugo and took control of Shigaraki, which made for one of the most hyped final battles of the last few years. His demise was satisfying, and one that was perfectly adapted into the anime.

4 Makima

• Anime: Chainsaw Man

When it comes to new-gen anime series, Chainsaw Man has showcased one of the most interesting final villains. Technically, Chainsaw Man has two final villains, each for its respective part, but it is undeniable that Chainsaw Man Part 1 was by far the superior section of the story. In this part of the story, the final antagonist was none other than Makima.

Makima has quickly risen in fame and become one of the most popular anime antagonists of all time, with her dark aura and manipulative tactics. As the Control Devil, she is a terrifying enemy to face and her ending was iconic — one that fans can't wait to see animated.

3 Dio Brando

• Anime: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is not a new series, and over the years, it has garnered international hype since it was finally properly adapted into an anime in 2012. With that being said, Jojo is not a typical anime series. Every part of Jojo has its own main character and final antagonist.

The best of the bunch and most iconic final antagonist of any Jojo part is undoubtedly Dio Brando. Dio was the final antagonist of two parts, starting with JoJo Part 1, but his role was most memorable in JoJo Part 3, when he unlocked his The World Stand and faced off in Egypt against Jotaro. Even now, Dio remains to be one of the most iconic and recognizable characters from this franchise, and his importance to the overarching plot of the series is immense. No other Jojo villain will be able to beat him in that regard.

2 Sasuke Uchiha

• Anime: Naruto

Many Naruto fans believe the final antagonist of the series was Kaguya Otsutsuki. While she was the major force that stood in the path of the ninjas at the end of the franchise, the true final enemy was technically Sasuke Uchiha. At the end of Naruto Shippuden, Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha faced off for one last time to decide what would happen to the world of shinobi.

At this point, Sasuke had already been with fans for a long time, being a part of Team 7 and a major driving force in the story. That is precisely why his character development made him one of the most compelling final enemies in all anime, even elevating his arc as a deuteragonist in the series. Sasuke is one of the best final enemies in shonen anime and many would agree that, writing-wise, he is far better than Kaguya.

1 Father

• Anime: Fullmetal Alchemist

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is believed to be one of the greatest anime series of all time by many, and what makes the story as amazing as it is, is the incredible writing by mangaka Hiromu Arakawa, but also its amazing cast of villains. The main antagonists of the Fullmetal Alchemist series were the Homunculi, and at their head was Father, the progenitor of these monstrously powerful beings.

Father ended up being the final antagonist of the series, at least in the manga and the Brotherhood series, and he was quite a sensational villain. His power was equivalent to that of a god at the end of the series, and what he represented through his ideals, especially as a leader of the seven deadly sins, made him extremely special.