5 anime villains who peaked too early and 5 who peaked too late

Writing a good anime villain will always be a challenging task. It must either be a villain fighting for a good point or one that is actually sinister and evil (in a cool way, of course). Anime has a number of such villains, which can be looked at and applauded for the way they were created.

But then comes the point of villains peaking. Some tend to peak early on and drop off as the story progresses. At the opposite end, others will stick around for a while and peak a little too late to have an actual impact. This list takes a look at such anime villains who either peaked too early or too late.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the opinion of the author.

Anime villains who hit their peak too soon

1) Stain (My Hero Academia)

Anime Villain: Stain (Image via Studio Bones)

Stain from My Hero Academia stands as one of anime's coolest and most sensible villains. His role during the Vs. Hero Killer Arc did wonders for Tenya Iida's character's development and, in some capacity, Deku's too. However, it was short-lived, as it felt like his message got lost in the buzz of the story.

He represented quite a strong criticism of the Hero System but was out down too soon. His standoff with Iida, Todoroki, and Midoriya was timed well, but that was mostly the end of it. Something more was needed about him passing along his ideology. Despite it being stated that Stain influenced many villains, it isn't very well touched upon in the anime and feels like he didn't make much of an impact at all.

2) Spider Family (Kimetsu No Yaiba: Demon Slayer)

Anime Villain/s: Spider Family (Image via Ufotable)

Created by Rui, Kimetsu No Yaiba: Demon Slayer introduced the Spider Family during the Mount Natagumo Arc. Each member was given screentime before being dispatched, ending with Rui himself. While the arc was substantial, there was something lacking in its concept and execution.

The Spider Family had a heartbreaking, tragic tale, which could have done well with some members reappearing later in the story. Not to be mistaken, the arc itself was very well done. However, it is fair to feel that they were done away with before they could really impact the story.

3) Rize Kamishiro (Tokyo Ghoul)

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The first major antagonist of Tokyo Ghoul was the very well-known ghoul Rize Kamishiro. It was interference in Kaneki Ken's life that kicked off a huge chain of events that nearly destroyed Tokyo. Even though she helped create the One-Eyed Ghoul, her potential wasn't fully realized in a way.

With her legacy being so long-lasting despite such a minute amount of screen time, she's the definition of peaking too early. The story refers to how formidable and dangerous she actually was, but it never really showed her in her prime. This was likely one complaint against Sui Ishida's series.

4) Annie Leonhart (Attack on Titan)

Anime Villain: Annie Leonhart (Image via WIT)

Attack on Titan's Annie Leonhart probably has no haters. Mysterious in the beginning and downright cool, she had everyone wondering the reasons behind her deeds. However, as the story progressed and she regained her freedom, it felt as if she had been missing.

She spent a major part of earlier arcs encased in her crystalline shell. Most likely, had she not been captured, she could have done a better job than Reiner and Bertholdt at achieving their target. She is one anime villain who peaked a little too soon and then was relegated to the sidelines.

5) Wretched Egg (Deadman Wonderland)

Anime Villain: Wretched Egg (Image via Jinsei Kataoka, Kazuma Kondou, VIZ)

Wretched Egg is the mysterious antagonist of Deadman Wonderland. He kicked things off by appearing outside Ganta's classroom window. After knocking him out, she slaughtered everyone present there and left Ganta to take the blame.

The anime was later canceled after just one season. Thus, as it stands, the classroom massacre is the Wretched Egg's biggest achievement as a villain.

Anime villains who didn't peak in time

1) Tomura Shigaraki (My Hero Academia)

Anime Villain: Tomura Shigaraki (Image via Studio Bones)

When speaking of an iconic anime villain, it is impossible to miss out on My Hero Academia's Tomura Shigaraki. He had one of the darkest origin stories and an extremely unfortunate fate that led to him becoming the villain we know today. Manipulated by All For One (AFO), he even got his body augmented and enhanced.

However, with the manga's current state, Shigaraki has been overtaken by the devious villain. AFO's masterplan to take over his body has actually seemingly succeeded, and yet another challenge stands before the Heroes.

But all this happened as Shigaraki was reaching the peak of his powers. He is an example of a villain who wasn't able to peak in time.

2) Rob Lucci (One Piece)

Anime Villain: Rob Lucci (Image via Toei Animation)

Rob Lucci is a well-known name from One Piece. Nicknamed "Massacre Weapon," he was the World Government's Cipher Pol Agent and a masked agent of the CPO. He has been around for a while, appearing quite often and posing as the antagonist in a couple of arcs like the Water 7 Arc, Enies Lobby Arc, and others.

He clashed with Luffy during the Water 7 Arc and managed to overwhelm him. However, shortly after, during the Enies Lobby Arc, Luffy beat Lucci and escaped thanks to his CP9 members. He grew stronger with time, and the pair met once more during the Egghead Arc.

Lucci seems to be holding his own in his awakened state against Gear 5, but for how much longer. There is every possibility that he could lose, given that Luffy is now a Yonko. Again, not to be mistaken, the pair's rivalry is top-notch, but it feels like Lucci is hitting his peak too late. He started out as powerful, but it has taken him this long to actually push past his limits, and even now, victory is uncertain.

3) Twice (My Hero Academia)

Anime Villain: Twice (Image via Studio Bones)

Twice is a well-written villain from My Hero Academia. He is quite a complex character, with a few layers to peel back before fully understanding his role and his motives. Nonetheless, some will feel that Twice or Jin Bubaigawara is an instance of an anime villain peaking too late.

Sad Man's Parade was spectacular, to say the least. Not to mention, it was overwhelming too. But Twice suffered a tragic fate and passed away in an unfortunate and heart-wrenching manner. He was a character well done by Horikoshi but seems to have been unable to peak in time.

Also, as demonstrated by Toga, his ultimate move (Sad Man's Parade) proved quite deadly later on when she used it. Imagine if he had been thrown in the mix.

4) Kid Buu (Dragon Ball)

Anime Villain: Buu (Image via Toei Animation)

Dragon Ball's Kid Buu is an iconic anime villain, given his frightening abilities. He proved to be a real handful for the Z Fighters, given how many times he transformed. Nonetheless, Goku and Vegeta were able to best him after an intense bout.

While each of his forms was unique, it felt like the original/final form was lacking the fear factor it was hyped to have. Again, by the time he achieved it, it was seemingly short-lived, as Goku and Vegeta figured out a way to finish him off.

5) Sesshomaru (Inuyasha)

Anime Villain: Sesshomaru (Image via Sunrise)

Sesshomaru from Inuyasha can be looked at as an anime villain due to his flopping between heroism and villainy. He was originally meant to act as a rival for the series' protagonist. Unfortunately, the character was unable to use his time in the spotlight effectively.

He might not be one-dimensional, but his arc felt a bit contrived and left room for more to be desired. His defeat wasn't very impactful, and when he did show signs of peaking, it was already too late.