protagonist: 10 anime where the protagonist almost became a villain

A good protagonist is vital to placing an anime in the top-tiers. Heroes who undergo development, are relateable, have a strong reason to act, and ultimately make the sacrifice to save the day.

But what if the champion got swayed by the allure of the dark side. What if always doing the right thing wouldn't lead to the best outcome? What if the dark side offered something more that would take them closer to their goal?

There have been moments where the protagonist allowed themselves to be overcome by the dark side. They may not have become full-fledged villains, but were treading down a path to becoming one.

Tokyo Ghoul, and 9 other anime where the MC nearly becomes a villain

1) Tokyo Ghoul

Kaneki Ken in Tokyo Ghoul (Image via Studio Pierrot)

An anime where the protagonist nearly becomes a villain is Tokyo Ghoul. Kaneki Ken, the MC, undergoes horrific torture by Yamori which leads to him snapping and accepting his Ghoul side. Since then, something twisted resides deep within him and shows itself when he is pushed to the edge. But fortunately, the show ends with him on the good side and saving Tokyo.

Tokyo Ghoul follows the tale of high-schooler Kaneki Ken. His fate takes a drastic turn following a date gone wrong with, unknown to him, a ghoul named Rize Kamishiro. A series of events leads to her "kakuhou" being transplanted in him and thus turning him into the One-Eyed Ghoul.

2) Death Note

Anyone who has ventured into the anime/manga world knows of Light Yagami. High intelligence, academic achievements, and constant praise birthed an innate hubris and arrogance that quickly escalated after he became Kira.

After acquiring the Death Note, he displayed ruthlessness, cruelty, and was extremely cold. However, the anime version's final scene where he flashes back to his childhood before he got the Death Note and starts sobbing has led fans to interpret it as that version of Light feeling remorse.

Death Note is a story of the academically gifted and highly intelligent Light Yagami. One day, he stumbles upon a Death Note. In it, whoever's name is written, dies. Light uses the notebook to play God and cleanse the world of evil. But people strangely passing away attracts the attention of a dectective called L. Thus begins a cat and mouse game between the two.

3) Berserk

Anime fans will undoubtedly be familiar with the name Guts. To put matters into prespective, Guts was already quite damaged before he was betrayed. But the Eclipse changed him as he become ruthless and vindictive.

He is not exactly a hero but doesn't become a villain either, he is more of an anti-hero.

Beserk follows the story of Guts, a mercenary who travelled from company to company. Eventually, he mets Griffith and upon losing to him in battle, joins his company. But Griffith betrays Guts and takes away nearly everything from him. With only one goal in sight, he embarks on a violent journey.

4) Attack on Titan

Eren Yeager needs no introduction. His tale from hero to necessary evil is quite famous and one of the highest rated pieces of story-telling. However, it is more than that. Before knowing the truth, his only goal was titan slaying.

But upon finding out what actually happened in the past, he sought to end his people's suffering for good. It was devastatingly unfair that Eren and his fellow Eldians were continually punished for their ancestors' crimes. He wanted to be freed from this stigma and oppression. While he may be called a villain, he is still a hero in his people's eyes.

Attack on Titan is set in a world where humanity is enclosed behind walls to saveguard themselves from large flesh-eating monsters called Titans. As a countermeasure, the Cadet Corps produces soldiers to combat these beasts.

Joining the corps is Eren Yeager whose fate changes as he finds out more about the Titans.

5) Ajin

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Protagonist of the Ajin anime stands as Kei Nagai. He comes off as extremely cold, serious and emotionally unavailable. His use of solely logic in every situations makes it seem like he cares about nothing but the optimal outcome. He is not a typical Shounen Hero who jumps in and saves the world.

He does display some villainous traits at times but that is because of a troubled past.

Ajin is a story where Kei dies after a car accident, but a government agency quickly revives him. Later, he discovers that he is an Ajin, a demi-human, and meets another one like him, Sato, who turn out to be a terrorist.

6) Naruto

Naruto Uzumaki in Naruto Shippuden (Image via Pierrot)

The tale of the Konoha Shinobi is one of the most popular globally, if not the most popular. At this point, nearly everyone knows or has heard of the anime or manga. Protagonist Naruto Uzumaki nearly gives in to the dark side in his fight against Pain.

Pushed to the edge, watching his village decimated and his friends hurt, he lets the Nine Tails take over. The transformation progresses till the Six-Tailed stage, where he almost transforms into the Fox. But deep within, he fights back and regains control.

Naruto was part of the Big Three anime in its Golden Age in Jump, alongside One Piece and Bleach. It follows the journey of Naruto Uzumaki from village outcast to 7th Hokage of the Leaf.

7) Code Geass

Lelouch Lamperouge in Code Geass (Image via Sunrise)

The name Lelouch Lamperouge is quite famous in the anime world. Serving as series protagonist, he is quite a complex character when looked at closely.

Manipulation, mass murder, and other terrible deeds take him down a villainous path. While his are inexcusable, the ultimate sacrifice does not completely deem him a villain.

Code Geass is a tale of revenge. Harboring a thirst for revenge against the Brittanian Empire for their actions against his family, Lelouch wages war against them.

Using his newfound power and tactical ability, Lelouch goes under the alias Zero in attempts to fulfill his childhood vow - destroy Brittannia.

8) Elfen Lied

Lucy in Elfen Lied (Image via Studio Arms)

Likely an anime which maybe a little less popular but loved nonetheless is Elfen Lied. The protagonist, Kaede, becomes Lucy in her mad form and Nyu in her amnesiac form. She is an anti-villainous serial killer in the series.

Her mad form, Lucy, wanted to exterimate humanity till she met Kouta. She is by no means a saint but has been saved by her friends from joining the dark side.

Elfen Lied centers on Diclonius teenager Lucy, who has a split personality. Rejected by humans, she seeks vengeance upon them and embarks on a silent slaughter. During this time, she creates "Silpelits," to help her with her mission. But a lot changes when she meets Kouta and Yuka.

9) Overlord

Another hugely popular anime on this list is Overlord. The protagonist, Ainz Ooal Gown, is preceeded by his reputation. He is quite selfish, always looking to his own goals and means that benefit him and Nazarick.

Ainz is far from a Hero, but doesn't become the villain. He does go astray but soon returns to his path.

The story of Overlord is simple - When a popular MMORPG is announced for a permanent shut down, veteran player Momonga refuses to log out. With NPCs developing personalities and minds of their own, he decides to put his skills to use as the game's new overlord.

10) Terror in Resonance

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Terror in Resonance has established itself as an anime which can brilliantly handle tough themes. The two main characters, Twelve and Nine, steal an atomic bomb and threaten to blow up Tokyo.

As such, they are branded terrorists and work exceptionally well to avoid the authorities. However, they do not end up straying down a darker path since their motives are different.

The plot of the Terror in Resonance anime is as follows - Two teenagers, under the codenames Nine and Twelve, steal a prototype atomic bomb in an apparent terrorist attack. Calling themselves "Sphinx", they upload a video onto the Internet and threaten to destroy Tokyo unless a cryptic riddle is solved.