The world of anime has some truly memorable vigilantes who bravely risked their lives to face cruel governments and fight against oppression, crime, inequality, and unfairness by taking justice into their own hands. Many of these vigilantes were anime heroes fueled by hatred, and some of them eventually went down dark and questionable paths. Their stories are some of the twistiest and most thought-provoking ones in anime that made fans question their own morals.
These brilliant anime vigilantes were often the leaders of some of the most powerful anime secret societies and inspired others to stand up to what they thought was right. Thanks to these iconic characters and shows, anime fans could meet unforgettable anime vigilante groups and get immersed in action-filled and mind-bending stories with some of the hardest philosophical questions about ethics and morality.
7 Naofumi Iwatani - The Rising of the Shield Hero
Naofumi Iwatani, AKA the Shield Hero, was the brave warrior vigilante in The Rising of the Shield Hero who was never afraid to take unconventional roads in order to achieve his goals. Even though Naofumi was a kind man, he eventually became hateful after he was framed by Malty and hated by his whole country.
Naofumi decided to run away with the crown princess and stand up to the leaders of a corrupt kingdom. However, even after what happened to him, Naofumi still worked on becoming an honest hero who helped those in need. The Rising of the Shield Hero also featured some of the most powerful demi-humans, and it followed the adventures of a gamer who was magically transported into fantasy-inspired land.
6 Saitama - One Punch Man
Saitama was probably the most bored anime vigilante who could easily defeat any and all of his enemies with a single punch. For a long time, he worked alone as a vigilante before he decided to join the Hero Association, a government-approved crime-fighting organization, to finally gain some respect.
Z-City's heroic vigilante is among the most popular warriors in anime, thanks to his unmatched strength and mostly laid-back personality. One Punch Man's story follows his adventures, and over the years, fans could witness some of Saitama's biggest victories against all kinds of powerful beings from around the universe.
5 Hero Killer: Stain - My Hero Academia
The Hero Killer: Stain is MHA's scariest and most powerful vigilante who murdered many brave and kind heroes. Stain believed that most heroes who were idolized by the public were false heroes who only cared about fame and money and not about saving innocents.
In his head, The Hero Killer: Stain was doing a favor to the blind public who couldn't tell fake heroes and real ones apart. While there were a couple of forgettable quirks in My Hero Academia The Hero Killer had one of the most terrifying ones called Blood Curdle that allowed him to paralyze his victims. My Hero Academia is one of the most motivational action animes of all time, with mighty heroes, scary villains, and fascinating quirks.
4 Ren Amamiya - Persona 5: The Animation
Ren Amamiya, AKA Joker, is not only one of the most iconic anime vigilantes, but he's also a popular vigilante in the world of gaming since the Persona 5 franchise produced some of the greatest urban fantasy games.
Ren was the fun and mischievous vigilante thief in Persona 5: The Animation and was the leader of the iconic vigilante group called Phantom Thieves of Heart. They performed heists, and their goal was to change society by touching people's hearts. Persona 5: The Animation's story followed Ren and his group's adventures in Tokyo as they fought against corruption and slavery in society.
3 Najenda - Akame Ga Kill!
Najenda was the brave and surprisingly kind leader of Akame Ga Kill!'s most successful vigilante group called Night Raid. Even though Najenda was once a general of the Empire and was a close colleague of Esdeath, she eventually realized just how corrupt the regime was and decided to defect.
She became the beloved leader of Night Raid, a rebellious group whose members were committing assassinations in the capital of the Empire and fighting against its corrupt leaders who tried to keep them down. Akame Ga Kill!'s story followed Tatsumi's adventures, who eventually joined the Night Raid and the fight against the evil and corrupt Empire.
2 Lelouch - Code Geass
Lelouch is one of the most intelligent anime vigilantes of all time who used his intelligence and the power of Geass to destroy the Holy Britannian Empire. He became the secret leader of the infamous The Black Knights vigilante group using his alter ego, Zero.
While originally he had good reasons to go against the Empire during his adventure, fans could witness some truly evil acts by Lelouch in Code Geass that turned him into a villain in many fans' eyes. Code Geass followed Lelouch's adventures as he tried to defeat the Holy Britannian Empire.
1 Light Yagami - Death Note
Light Yagami was Death Note's devious vigilante with a genius-level intellect and questionable ethics. Light is easily the most popular anime vigilante of all time, who inspired many debates among Death Note fans.
Thanks to Light and Death Note's thrilling and thought-provoking story, anime lovers could go on a dark and mind-bending adventure filled with unforgettable twists. Death Note's story follows Light's adventures after the young boy finds a mysterious notebook and figures out that he can kill anyone, including criminals, as long as he writes down their names in the notebook while thinking about their faces.