10 Anime villains with the most iconic introductions of all time

Anime villains' introductions play a big part in their future character development. The more intimidating their introductions, the more anticipation they create in the fandom regarding their appearances in future episodes. Likewise, the less intimidating and lukewarm their introductions, the more chances they will become a flop before the plotline begins.

Leaving the few less-daunting introductions of anime villains, there are many anime villain introductions that create an impression on their first appearance. This article will compile 10 of the best ones in anime. Be it the anime villains from the classic anime series of the 90s or the ones that aired in the modern days and immediately became iconic to the media, this article has it all.

Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed in this article solely belong to the author.

Kaidou, Madara Uchiha, and 8 anime villains with the most iconic introductions in the media

1) All for One (My Hero Academia)

All for One as seen in the anime (Image via Bones)

All for One is the main antagonist of My Hero Academia and also one of the anime villains with one of the most daunting introductions. Despite being the main villain, All for One was not introduced in the first season. However, his glimpses were showcased alongside the rumors that All for One was as strong, if not stronger than All Might.

He was officially introduced or appeared first in the third season after the heroes found out the Villains' hideout. All for One walked out and took care of Best Jeanist, one of the top-rated heroes, pretty casually. Moreover, his presence also created a suffocating sensation in the air that everyone could feel, making his introductions one of the best ones in anime.

2) The God Hand (Berserk)

The God Hand as seen in the anime (Image via OLM)

Introduced in the last part of the anime series, The God Hand is a group of four demonkind sovereigns. They were summoned to Earth after Griffith activated the Eclipse, a rare ceremony activated through the Crimson Beherit.

Their arrival was accompanied by the release of hundreds of demons, who witnessed the birth of the fifth God Hand—Griffith. The introduction of God Hand showcased their power and terror before the world, which was evident from the massacre of the Grifitth's party, except for Guts and Casca.

3) The Statue of God (Solo Leveling)

The Statue of God as seen in the anime (Image via A-1 Pictures)

The Statue of God is one of the most iconic anime villain introductions that got the majority of its fame through its source, a manhwa series. This villain is one of the central antagonists of Solo Leveling and was introduced in the starting episodes of the series.

Leaving the intimidating aspect of this colossal anime villain aside, the trademark feature of this antagonist that made its introduction special was its creepy smirk, which not only scared the protagonist to his soul but also horrified the fandom.

4) Kaido (One Piece)

Kaido as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Kaidou is the main antagonist of the Wano Arc of One Piece and one of the anime villains with the smoothest yet daring introductions. While Eustass Kidd and some other pirates of the Worst Generation planned their next move on land, a creature landed on them from the sky.

This creature was Kaidou, also known as the strongest creature in One Piece. His first appearance was accompanied by him kidnapping some of the most dangerous pirates of the Grand Line, marking his entry as one of the best in anime.

5) Madara Uchiha (Naruto)

Madara as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Madara Uchiha, a member of the Uchiha clan who is more prominently known as the Uchiha Ghost in the first part of Naruto, was one of the strongest Hidden Leaf Shinobi in Naruto. His lore was developed before his official appearance in the series.

Madara was finally introduced in the final part of the series, the Great Ninja War arc. Moreover, his first appearance was accompanied by a display of his strength as the Uchiha clan member took a whole army of shinobi single-handedly.

6) Meruem (Hunter x Hunter)

Meruem as seen in the anime (Image via Madhouse)

Probably one of the gruesome anime villain instructions, Meruem is the central antagonist of Hunter x Hunter's Chimera Ant arc. Meruem was also known as the King because he was the final evolved form of the Chimera ant species and a child born to run over the world.

As the Queen Chimera Ant was in her final hours of giving birth to the King, the child forced his premature birth as he pierced his mother's abdomen. He even killed his mother's doctor on the spot while the doctor was trying to save her from dying, which made Meruem's ruthless nature evident.

7) Goku Black (Dragon Ball Super)

Goku Black as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Goku Black, more commonly referred to as Black, is the main antagonist of the Future Trunks arc of Dragon Ball Super and also one of the anime villains with the most iconic introductions. Despite being part of the series' latest franchise, this villain managed to make it to this list due to his appearance.

After a calamity in the future, Future Trunks travels to the past with his mother, Bulma, to change the future. However, they encounter a mysterious personality who kills Bulma.

After meeting with Goku and the Z fighters, this mysterious personality reveals itself as Goku Black, who has the same appearance as the main protagonist of the franchise. The fact that Black had the same appearance as Goku confused the Z fighters, making Black one of the anime villains with the best introductions in anime.

8) Kaiju No. 9 (Kaiju No. 8)

Kaiju No. 9 as seen in the anime (Image via Production I.G)

Kaiju No. 9 is the central antagonist of Kaiju No. 8 and was introduced in the first couple of episodes of the anime series. Since his introduction, he comes out with a new power buff every time he returns to attack the humans. He was first introduced in his human form in which he disguised himself to stay within the human society.

During the final moments of the aptitude test for the Defense Force, as Shinomiya was delivering her last blows to a Kaiju, a mysterious being popped out of nowhere. To Shinomiya's surprise, this being was extremely strong and it singlehandedly struck the entire facility, causing a panic.

9) Demons (The Promised Neverland)

The introduction of the demons (Image via CloverWorks)

Probably one of the most horrifying anime villain introductions that took the internet by storm, the demons are the central antagonists of The Promised Neverland. These beings were introduced in the first episode of the anime series, establishing them as eerie creatures that the children of Grace Field House never dared to mess with.

After Conny departed from the orphanage, Emma and Norman followed her to return Conny's favorite toy. However, as they reached the exit of the orphanage, they saw Conny's corpse dried up inside a carriage, which was followed by the appearance of giant demons. This was also when the secret of Grace Field House was revealed to the orphans.

10) Kibutsuji Muzan (Demon Slayer)

Kibutsuji Muzan as seen in the anime (Image via ufotable)

The anime villain whose first introduction started as a doting father to a merciless killer, Kibutsuji Muzan is the final antagonist of Demon Slayer. Being the King of Demons, his first appearance lived up to his hype as one of the anime villains with the most daunting introductions.

While walking through a festival, Tanjiro could smell a demon among humans. As he pointed the demon out, it was Muzan, the demon Tanjiro was looking for. Muzan was accompanied by a fake family, and after getting away from Tanjiro, the King of Demons revealed his true colors as he killed several people in an alleyway using his demon blood and brute strength.

Final thoughts

As already explained, the introductions of anime villains affect the characters' future development. The best example in this case would be the Statue of God from Solo Leveling. The villain only made a single appearance in the anime series, but to this day, its aura as a sinister creature still lurks within the fandom and also the protagonist, Sung Jinwoo.

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Edited by Meenakshi Ajith