The Next Top 13 Anime Villains.

Hey everyone. I know the past year was totally bonkers, but I certainly hope I can keep adjusting over this year. Still, as someone who enjoyed doing my Top 13 Anime Villains this time last year, I thought I would do a follow-up list with more candidates I didn't cover before, as well as some choices that may or may not surprise you. So, I present the Next Top 13 Anime Villains!

13. Emperor Charles Vi Britannia (Code Geass R1)

While I still have plenty to say about how badly R2 messed with this character, the R1 characterization of the Emperor is still an ideal combination of traits that can make a solid choice to lead off this list. An ambitious tyrant, an abusive parent and a cruel, power-hungry despot are all qualities that were more than enough to make him a looming threat throughout the first season of Code Geass. I will have much more to say about how R2 undid this over the course of this year, but it's still a good way to lead things off.

12. Beerus (Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods/Dragon Ball Super)

When I heard that Toriyama was going to get directly involved with Dragon Ball again after being hands-off for GT (he made some artwork, but did not personally write or direct any of it), I was ecstatic. As a villain that was made for the Battle of the Gods movie and the first arc of Super, Beerus definitely stood out. While he may not be my favorite villain overall (I am contemplating doing a separate list for Dragon Ball villains later on down the line), he definitely has a sense of playfulness to go with his otherworldly strength. Were it not for his retainer Whis, or the amount of delicious treats that can only be found on certain planets, he could easily reduce everything he sees to dust in the time it takes to blink. His reign in Universe 7 is exceeded only by his brother in Universe 6, Champa. Overall, he was an ideal first threat to revitalize the series after GT and Evolution (even Toriyama hated that movie). [Side note :I still want to recap some of Super soon, and do something to offer a belated tribute to Bulma's Japanese actress, Hiromi Tsuru.]

11. The Witch of the Waste (Howl's Moving Castle)

While Howl's Moving Castle may not be my favorite Miyazaki film, it is on the list. Moreover, while I realize this villain takes some liberties with her counterpart from the book; she still stood out, and she's one of many reasons why the film is a very creative work overall. I also think it's a nice touch that she's taken out of the film before its final act, which you rarely see in any film. Even though the Witch of the Waste is just outside the top 10, it's proof that it was tough for me to do this list, much like it was last year with all the choices I have next.

10. Beelzemon (Digimon Tamers)

I have made no secret about how much I have enjoyed Digimon Tamers, so it's only natural I would include Beelzemon on this list. As the personification of Impmon's desire to grow stronger without bonding with a tamer, the design and weaponry highlight his original persona perfectly. In many ways, when he realizes what he's done later on in the series; his transformation into an ally and anti-hero makes him in my eyes; the anime equivalent of Deadpool. He's not the last villain that takes this path on my list either, so I have some affinity for antagonists like that.

9. Yami Marik (Yu-Gi-Oh)

Last year, I was split on which Yu-Gi-Oh villain I wanted to include; and this was one of the choices I had in mind. The personification of Marik Ishtar's inner darkness posed a very great threat from his introduction in Battle City; I'm once again surprised how little the abridged series had to change with his character. His character provides a wide range of gleeful malice over the course of his tenure in the show, and this sort of villainy will also be a factor in other entries on my list.

8. Accelerator (A Certain Magical Index/A Certain Scientific Railgun)

Now we're getting into some of the juicy stuff. Accelerator is easily one of the most delightfully twisted villains in the universe of A Certain Magical Index and A Certain Scientific Railgun, taking great pleasure in causing the protagonists pain. I am enjoying the seres immensely for how it uses the fantasy, high school and science fiction genres; and with more content on the way, I am eager to see what kind of mayhem and chaos Accelerator will unleash next.

7. Dio Brando (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure)

Dio as he appears in the Phantom Blood manga.

You thought there wasn't going to be any Jojo's Bizarre Adventure coverage, but it was me, Dio! Now that I have that meme out of the way, I can honestly see why many people like Dio even as a relatively new viewer of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. Given how his name for a departed rock star permeates throughout the whole series, I can expect to see much more of his misdeeds even as I continue my viewing of the series. I am still not recapping it, but I can honestly say his reuptation is well-deserved.

6. Vicious (Cowboy Bebop)

I have made no secret of my love for Cowboy Bebop over the years, and one of the many reasons why is how Vicious managed to be easily the best villain that Spike dealt with over the course of the show. He's a character that is the polar opposite of Spike in every way, and the one foe that always managed to make all his appearances some of the most dramatic and involving of the show. With Toonami putting this anime back in rotation again, you can bet I'm going to relive every moment of their as I have since I was 12.

5. Crocodile (One Piece)

Much like Dragon Ball, One Piece has such a wide array of villains that I could make a whole list of just them; without even having to go through all the cells in Impel Down either. Crocodile's classy presentation is exceeded only by how ambitious he is as a villain, and cruel. He not only controls the entirety of the water supply in Alabasta with his Devil Fruit powers, but also wants to overthrow the whole kingdom with the help of Baroque Works and use the backdrop of an already ongoing civil war to further destabilize the kingdom of Alabasta. He also is an individual that has a very strange amount of respect for his adversaries, whether they're Princess Vivi or Luffy. So, he's equal parts dangerous tyrant and respected "legitimate businessman," perfect to round out the top 5 of my list.

4. Ryuk (Death Note)

As I continue to wash my hands of the live-action Netflix remake; I shall continue to include characters from the original source material with the shinigami Ryuk! While many villains on this list were motivated by greed, power, or malice, Ryuk was unique for a simple reason: he was bored, and wanted to treat humanity like his toys; hence what led to the Death Note coming to our world. He is an ideal contrast to Light's desire for an ideal world, and even the liberties that were taken with his character in the Netflix movie couldn't deter his appeal (though Willem Dafoe was at least one of the few people that was actually trying in the movie).

3. The McDougal Brothers (Outlaw Star)

Left: Harry McDougal. Right: Ron McDougal

One of the things I'm enjoying most about rewatching Outlaw Star as of the HD remaster is how distinct the McDougal brothers are as villains, and not just in terms of design (with Ron's scar on his lips and Harry's bluish-green hair). Much like Vicious, the McDougal brothers are the antithesis of Gene Starwind's character; being less motivated by adventure and caring more for pillaging and murdering anyone that crosses them, including others searching for the Galactic Leyline. Ron is generally the more aggressive of the brothers, while Harry is much more depraved for wanting to jump Melfina's bones. I am more than halfway through the remaster's broadcast, and regardless of whether or not they finally air the hot springs episode; I am most likely picking up the complete series DVD and Blu-Ray in the near future. I am considering even doing more in 2018, since in many ways, this anime is actually better than I remember it.

2. Commander Viral (Gurren Lagann)

I know what many of you are thinking: "one of the villains of your favorite anime only makes the second spot, Steven?" Well: that's how things happen sometimes. Still, I knew that I would have to include this Commander Viral, given his arc over the course of the show. All the beast generals had unique personalities and designs, and Viral was no exception. As a noble demon, he is bound by a sense of honor even with his enemies. An early example is after the hot springs episode, he demands that Team Gurren get dressed, stating that "fighting NAKED naked apes will win me no honors." After the time skip, he even becomes an ally in the fight against the Anti-Spirals, and the vocal performance by Sam Riegel is one of the many characters of his nature he's had the honor of voicing. I am also enjoying hearing Nobuyuki Hiyama's performance in the subs, and he has one of my favorite music cues of the whole series. It was honestly another tough call between this entry and my top pick, but here goes.

1. The Puppet Master (Ghost in the Shell)

Courtesy: Screen Junkies

As I put 2017 to bed at the stroke of midnight, I can officially start putting the ill-conceived live-action remake of Ghost in the Shell behind me. Even though the film's critical and commercial failure may have been a big stain on any future live-action adaptations (very skeptical about Battle Angel Alita, for example); it still couldn't deter how influential and wonderful the original source material is. Though the new film attempted to repurpose both Cutter from the manga and Kuze from the Stand Alone Complex TV series to diminishing returns, the villain that has stood out the most at me is the one from the 1995 film: The Puppet Master. In an age where the internet, AI and robotics continue to grow and change with each passing year; the Puppet Master was ideal to personify that change. More than anything, the Puppet Master's motivations were not born from any of the traits that I detailed in the above entries. It had no form of its own: it was data in cyberspace that wanted to know what it meant to be human, at any cost. That's a key reason why I consider this film to be every bit as important an entry in science fiction revolving around what it means to be human in the machine age as Blade Runner and the first two Terminator films, and the main reason why I have chosen this villain to be the top entry on my list.

While there are no honorable mentions this time around, I will most likely do one final list to close out this trilogy; since I don't want to keep milking this. I don't work for Konami, after all. Happy New Year, everyone; and I will be back soon with more content. Later.