10 Anime characters who became what they hated

Noah
Zoro wearing his bandana (Image via Toei Animation)
Zoro wearing his bandana (Image via Toei Animation)

Anime and manga feature many interesting characters and stories. A favorite topic of many is the development of anime characters throughout the story. There's no way to know how someone will evolve as the plot thickens, and as anime fans we are often surprised.

One intriguing outcome is the shifting of a character's morals and objectives. This article will list 10 anime characters who slowly became the embodiment of the very thing they used to hate.

Note: This article contains spoilers.


10 Anime characters who become what they hated

1) Hiei

Hiei wielding fire (Image via Pierrot)
Hiei wielding fire (Image via Pierrot)

In the Yu Yu Hakusho anime, Hiei is introduced as a malicious cold-blooded demon who will go to any length to achieve his goals. He hates humans, but is forced to team up with Yusuke. Later in the story, Hiei dismisses comments from other demons about his human associates and always remains distant from them.

However, Hiei eventually develops compassion for his friends and comes to their aid unprovoked. He started out with a hatred for humans and their emotions, but slowly became integrated with his human friends.


2) Rorona Zoro

Everyone's favorite One Piece anime sword-slinger first declared that he hated pirates when he met Luffy. Zoro is known as the "Pirate-Hunter", and asserted that he would never join a pirate crew.

However, Luffy saved Zoro and recruited the reluctant swordsman as the second member of the Straw Hat Pirates. As the events of the anime unfold, Zoro becomes an integral member of the Straw Hats. Although he still can hunt pirates, Zoro has himself become one.


3) Light Yagami

Light and his death note (Image via YouTube)
Light and his death note (Image via YouTube)

Death Note protagonist Light Yagami took justice into his own hands upon finding the Death Note. At the beginning of the anime, he despises murderers and other criminals, condemning many such to death. Whether viewers felt that Light was right or wrong, his sense of justice warped as he indoctrinated himself with increasingly radical beliefs.

By the end of the anime, Light was willing to kill innocent people just to stay alive. He became one of those criminals that he once looked down upon.


4) Sasuke

Sasuke is a special case because his stance is very dynamic throughout Naruto. He begins as a Konoha shinobi who has a burning desire to kill his older brother, Itachi. Sasuke allows himself to fall into Orochimaru's hands to gain power, and he begins to hate Konoha.

Eventually, he discovers the truth about his older brother and why he had to slaughter the Uchiha clan. Enraged, Sasuke forgives Itachi and instead blames Konoha, vowing to destroy the village elders and rule over it himself.

By the end of Naruto and the beginning of Boruto, Sasuke has been convinced by Naruto to accept the past and forge a brighter future together. Sasuke becomes Konoha's "shadow Hokage", protecting the village he once despised from behind the scenes.


5) Eren Yager

Eren Yager (Image via Funimation)
Eren Yager (Image via Funimation)

Eren grew up living in fear of titans. He watched as his family and friends were torn to shreds and eaten alive by the grotesque monsters. Eren joined the Survey Corps to join the fight against titans, but couldn't possibly imagine where this path would take him.

Eren learned the truth about the history of titans and turned into a terror that was even greater than the titans that he used to despise.


6) Vegeta

Vegeta powering up (Image via Toei Animation)
Vegeta powering up (Image via Toei Animation)

Vegeta is one of the best examples of an anime villain turned hero. Although his morals are often questionable, this Dragon Ball character was introduced as a man who sought nothing but power and quality battles. He intended to wipe out the population of Earth before being defeated by Goku.

After the battle with Frieza, Vegeta is unwillingly revived and transported to Earth by the Dragon Balls. Vegeta looks down on humans for being weak and rejects the culture of Earth. As the anime progresses, Vegeta has a child with Bulma and becomes increasingly assimilated with life on Earth.

He helped finish off Cell, effectively playing a part in protecting the entire planet. As the events of Dragon Ball Super unfold, we see Vegeta evolve from being Goku's sworn rival to his friend (although he would never admit that).


7) Pain (Nagato)

Pain/Nagato (Image via SpaceBattles)
Pain/Nagato (Image via SpaceBattles)

Growing up in a war-stricken nation, Nagato knew nothing but suffering until he met Jiraiya. The Konoha shinobi took Nagato and his friends under his wing and promoted ideas of peace and understanding in the anime. Nagato was deeply inspired by Jiraiya and helped form the Akatsuki to promote peace.

This hopeful shinobi's view of the world was corrupted by suffering horrific losses and betrayals. He even adopted the pseudonym "Pain", the thing that he hated most in the world.

Although his intent was to create peace, his controversial methods turned him into one of the monsters that he feared and rejected in his youth.


8) Garou

Garou is the main antagonist of the One-Punch Man season two anime. As a child, Garou was bullied for rooting for monsters. He hated his bullies and didn't understand why his opinion was so wrong. Garou eventually became a bully himself, thrashing his fellow pupils as well as every hero he could find.

Garou's hypocriticism is two-fold - in the most recent chapters of One-Punch Man, the "Hero Hunter" neutralizes multiple monsters in order to protect some of the fallen heroes. Although he continued down his path as a monster after these events, he contradicted his beliefs at that moment.


9) Obito

Obito (Image via Pierrot)
Obito (Image via Pierrot)

Obito grew up with dreams of becoming Hokage. He cherished Konoha shinobi and loved his village. Following a series of tragic events in the anime, Obito was indoctrinated by Madara and became his most valuable tool. Obito played a massive part in the war near the end of the anime, taking lives of shinobis he once considered as comrades.

Before he died, Obito saw through his faults and did what he could to assist Naruto in preventing the Eternal Tsukuyomi. However, Obito had long since crossed the line and become a threat to Konoha, a path he could never have imagined when he was a kid.


10) Kaneki

Ken Kaneki (Image via Pierrot)
Ken Kaneki (Image via Pierrot)

The Tokyo Ghoul anime protagonist Kaneki originally wanted to reach common ground between humans and ghouls. After bearing witness to bloody confrontations between humans and ghouls, his ideals crumbled away.

In the wake of his torture at Jason's hands, Kaneki ended his path as a good guy. He finally gave in to his ghoul instincts and abandoned his humanity as well as his loyal friends.

Note: The article reflects the writer's own views.

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Edited by R. Elahi
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