This article was originally published on 8 October 2024.

Anime is a storytelling medium heralded for the strength of its characters. When we think of Dragon Ball Z, our minds will evoke memories of the almighty Goku facing off against Frieza or Cell. Their battles are legendary, and overcoming these titans typically marks the ending point of an extended story arc.

But there are lots of underlings dotted throughout these arcs who make things interesting in their own way. Never quite rising to the level of their competition, these are the minions who stand in the path of our heroes, challenging them and strengthening their resolve en route to the big bad lying in wait.

And sometimes, they’re even more memorable than said major antagonists, so why not give them their due, at long last? Let’s reel off some of the best minor villains in anime. Come on, it’ll be fun, and just a little bit naughty.

As major plot points will be revealed, please be advised that a spoiler warning is in effect!

Ginyu Force

Dragon Ball Z

Speaking of Dragon Ball Z, where better to start than with the Namek Saga’s most fabulous hurdle? Noticing that Vegeta, Krillin and Gohan are capably scooping up Dragon Balls even without Goku by their side, Frieza enlists the services of the dreaded Ginyu Force to level the playing field. They are made up of the leader, Ginyu, his second-in-command, Jeice, the towering duo of Recoome and Burter, and Guldo, who is also there.

These brutish mercenaries are each equipped with special techniques that theoretically make them threatening individually, but once assembled, their true power is unleashed as they unveil the most iconic pose in anime history. It’s so impressive, Frieza’s initial response is to blush. That’s right, the planet destroying maniac fucking blushes. That’s just how spectacular this pose is.

Once they have to back up their splendour on the battlefield, they’re actually handled without too much fuss. About the only one to make an impact is Ginyu himself, whose gimmick allows him to swap bodies with his target. Basically, his best power is being someone else, which is kinda sad when you reflect on it.

“Bazooka” Bill Watkins

Spy x Family

2022 was a competitive year for top honours in anime, and right from the get-go, Spy x Family proved to be a serious contender. The dynamic of the adoptive family members’ secret identities is delightful, and of course, Anya Forger became an instant hit with her bevy of facial expressions.

The moment the series hit its pinnacle for me, however, was in episode 10, when Anya’s class faces off with rival first graders in a game of dodgeball. There, we meet the absolute unit that is Bill Watkins. Despite the fact that he’s only six years old, Bill is portrayed as a beefy lad who towers over his classmates.

He has a serious, militaristic attitude befitting of his father’s place in the Ostanian Army, strong of body and mind and possessing a menacing killer instinct. Better still, he sounds just as old as he looks — I rewatched the scene where he eagerly said “daddy” about twenty times in a row.

Needless to say, the contest between himself and the diminutive Anya is an absolute mismatch, but even Bill can’t help but get caught up in the moment where she tries to unleash her special technique.

Hironobu Makita

Oblivion Battery

Sports anime are fantastic templates for an addictive shonen experience, because each team member has their own distinctive backgrounds and challenges to overcome. In the case of Oblivion Battery’s Shunpei Chihaya, his advanced baseball intellect is limited by his own modest physical attributes. His former teammate turned rival, Hironobu Makita, represents everything Chihaya is not, for better and for worse.

Makita makes for a tremendous minor antagonist, because he is just such a smug blowhard. He was gifted with all of the god-given tools that Chihaya could only dream of, and yet the only way he is able to leverage this is with pure pitching power — graceless and sloppy, but undeniably effective.

Not only does this make him an effective narrative wall to overcome in the early stages, but his portrayal is simply magnetic. MAPPA and voice actor Mark Ishii completely knocked it out of the park (obligatory baseball metaphor) with how dynamic, sneering, and obnoxious he is. Even though he’s just some meathead punk, you still can’t ignore the sense of unwarranted presence he exudes; a big fish in a little pond that you can’t wait to see get taken down a few pegs.

The Wanima Twins

Blue Lock

Technically, anyone in Blue Lock could be considered a villain, the main character included. The nature of this establishment is such that allegiances come and go regularly, and the ultimate goal is to create the biggest asshole on the field (aka the Johnny Manziel school of sporting education).

So there’s plenty of great minor antagonists who step into the spotlight. In the case of the Wanima Twins, their threat is revealed in such a way that it’s actually borderline frightening. These siblings are a pair of soccer savants, with the prattling younger brother Keisuke frequently narrating the intentions of the elder, brother, Junichi, who remains eerily silent.

They are the standouts on an otherwise mediocre Team W, grinning and guffawing throughout the match. But then, once you get an insight into their twisted brilliance, the tone changes, and a sense of menace grips the air. Keisuke’s once goofy demeanour becomes downright unhinged, Junichi nods and smirks, and Team Z’s chances for survival all but disappear. It’s the point where everything really falls apart for the boys in blue, and my goodness, is it chilling.

Shou Tucker

Fullmetal Alchemist

You had to be wondering whether this prick would show his face sooner or later, and here he is: anime’s worst dad ever, ready to dish out some fresh trauma and reopen those old wounds.

Shou Tucker, the vaunted Sewing-Life Alchemist, is introduced alongside his daughter Nina in the most unassuming manner. They present as friendly acquaintances in the early stages of the Elrics’ journey, appearing only in one or two episodes (depending on which version you are currently watching). Shou has garnered fame for his construction of chimeras, but unfortunately his work has hit a roadblock.

A man of great determination, he simply utilises the resources he has before him to overcome any difficulty, and successfully produces a new creation. All it cost him was the family dog and his daughter, which he forcibly merged together. It is so messed up, even 20 years later.

Hol Horse

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

Considering that the bulk of the narrative for JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure focuses on a revolving door of minor antagonists to be disposed of, there is an absolute wealth of options to select from for this list.

In the end, I elected to go with Hol Horse, wielder of the Emperor Stand, and a man whose survivability belies his utter incompetence. The Stardust Crusaders often find themselves up against the ropes throughout their travels, with each new foe attacking them in strange, unexpected ways. When Hol Horse rocks up alongside J. Geil, he figures that the isolated Polnareff should make for an easy mark. Once his partner is felled, however, Hol Horse nopes out of the situation without any hesitation.

Yes, Hol Horse is amongst the biggest shitkickers in JJBA’s history, acting more as comic relief than any kind of tangible threat. He allies himself with whoever is available and willing to take the lead, running off his mouth with smug satisfaction as he supports from afar. The fact that one of his partners, Boingo — a child whose power is an evil comic book — is somehow less bumbling than Hol Horse should reveal all you need to know.

Cheetu

Hunter x Hunter

Hol Horse may be a dope, but our beautiful boy Cheetu here? He’s a fucking moron.

Debuting in the high stakes Chimera Ant arc of Hunter x Hunter, Cheetu is a Squadron Leader for the nefarious army of ants. He isn’t the only one with feline traits, sharing this quality with the blustrous lion Leol and callous kitty Neferpitou. Where they have managed to leverage Nen to their benefit, however, Cheetu cannot seem to get out of his own way with his idiocy.

He’s an arrogant, immature battler who boasts unrivalled speed, and yet whenever he attempts to conjure up techniques, he overcomplicates things and loses his advantages. Case in point: one of his bright ideas is a crossbow that is slower than his usual foot speed. Nice work, Cheetu. Top marks for creativity.

It’s not uncommon for minor antagonists to overestimate their own abilities, and in fact it has been a near-universal trait shared by the other entries on this list. What makes Cheetu so special is the fact that he could have actually been a worthy adversary, had it not been for his complete absence of intellect. His death is as inglorious as he deserves, and once again, it came as a result of his own lack of better judgement.

Choso

Jujutsu Kaisen

Stepping away from laughable losers for a moment, we now pay homage to a certified badass; the Death Painting Womb, Choso. If you haven’t watched, you probably won’t know what that means. If you have watched, you might not know either, and that’s okay.

Along with his brothers, Choso is a half-human, half-curse abomination. He is a quiet, reserved man whose obsession with his family drives his every action. Once he learns that his beloved siblings have been slain by Yuji Itadori, he resolves to take revenge directly. And oh good lord, does he do so, absolutely thumping Itadori in one of 2023’s most beautifully animated battles.

Through some curse-related tomfoolery, he then decides that Yuji is also one of his brothers, causing him to pull a 180 and side with the jujutsu sorcerers instead. For this reason, he is more of an antihero in the same vein as Vegeta or Hiei, and prior to that, his prominence made him a borderline major antagonist, anyway. But I just had to have at least one credible enemy on this list (with all due respect to the six year old).

Acrobatic Silky

Dandadan

From the get-go, it’s clear that Dandadan will be a lot of spooky, rip-snorting fun. It finesses the “monster of the week” formula to great effect, presenting our heroes with all kinds of fearsome yokai.

At about the halfway point of the first season, they encounter Acrobatic Silky, a ghoulish-looking lady wearing a crimson dress. She takes Aira Shiratori in her clutches, proclaiming the bewildered girl to be her beloved daughter, then gobbles up anyone who tries to break up their reunion.

When she is bested at last, we learn of her past life as a normal woman whose life was defined by hardship. Following her daughter’s kidnapping, she took her own life in anguish, roaming the streets as a lost spirit until a young Aira mistook her for her own mother.

Just like that, our perspective is changed. Not just of Acro-Silky, who turns out to be a tragic figure, but of Dandadan as a whole, and its unexpected capability to tug at our heartstrings.

Rapko Velocci

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You

I have made no shortage of references to The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You on EZIYODA, but in case you’re new, let me give you the abridged version: there’s a young man named Rentaro Aijo, and he’s destined to meet 100 girlfriends. As such, any time a remotely attractive character is introduced that he doesn’t immediately share a spark with, you’re more than a little bit shaken.

Case in point: Rapko Velocci, the opposing catcher facing off against Rentaro’s baseball team. As her name suggests, she and her Jurassic High School Baseball teammates share dinosaur-like traits, and like a velociraptor, she is exceedingly cunning and cruel.

She employs psychological attacks to get under her adversaries’ skin, going so far as to even bully tiny little Shizuka (a mistake that few, if any, ever make twice). She makes for a handy battery with the towering pitcher, Sauruko Terano, which would also make her amusingly well suited to a partnership with the aforementioned meathead, Hironobu Makita.

Even though she’s little more than a pesky foil for a single episode, Rapko’s appealing character design and charismatic bitchiness quickly caught my attention. Treat me fucking mean, Rapko, it keeps me honest.

Shogo Haizaki

Kuroko’s Basketball

Someone I think about semi-regularly is Pete Best. As the original drummer for The Beatles, Best was on a collision course with destiny that would have made him one of history’s most recognised musicians. But of course, fate had other ideas, and he would have to watch on as Ringo Starr took his spot, and all of the accompanying fame.

Shogo Haizaki is the Pete Best of Kuroko’s Basketball. As a talented forward on Teikou’s nigh-unstoppable junior high squad, his star was on the rise until his thuggery got him booted from the team. Because of this, he was absent when the Generation of Miracles were thrust into the spotlight, bitterly seething in the shadows ever since.

When he resurfaces in the Winter Cup high school tournament, we see that he has grown to become an inferior facsimile of the man who replaced him, Ryota Kise. He too repurposes opponents’ abilities for his own gain, albeit in a manner that is warped and disruptive. When his team loses against Kise’s, we close the chapter on their rivalry once and for all, bidding farewell to the player who was no miracle at all.

Yuka Sasaki

Talentless Nana

I’m hesitant to deem many of the unfortunate students in Talentless Nana as villains. No matter what Nana Hiiragi’s agenda is against the Talented, they are for the most part just innocent kids completely oblivious to her treachery. They’re antagonists to the plot, but not in the greater scheme of things.

In the case of the depraved Yuka Sasaki, however, I’m willing to make an exception. Introduced initially as a sweet, hopeless romantic in love with her necromancer classmate, Shinji Kazama, there is a fabulous bait-and-switch when it’s revealed that she was in fact the necromancer, and her lover is a reanimated corpse.

As she banters back and forth with the deceased remains of her boyfriend, it becomes clear that things are not at all right with Yuka. She puts up one of the stronger fights against the indomitable Nana, and to rub salt in the wound, she is hiding one last secret: she never was in a relationship with Shinji to begin with, instead turning out to be an obsessed stalker responsible for his death.

Once again, most of the students in Talentless Nana were undeserving of their fate. But Yuka was definitely in line for some form of retribution for her crimes.

Carpaccio Luo-Yang

Mashle: Magic and Muscles

We continue this rogue’s gallery with perhaps the most unforgiving prospect of all; Carpaccio Luo-Yang of Easton Magic Academy’s Orca dorm.

While it is commonplace for the students to possess their own unique signature magic style, Carpaccio’s is especially cruel. Any damage he withstands is reflected back at his opponent, making him a nigh unstoppable force incapable of feeling pain himself. As such, he can usually score a victory by just stabbing himself in the chest a few times, which is rather unbecoming of such a prodigious wizard.

Best of all, he’s voiced by Koki Uchiyama, the definitive go-to for sinister characters with ominous auras. If you’re looking for a non-anime equivalent, I suppose you could turn to Vincent Price, whose general involvement implies a macabre tone. I legitimately think he and Carpaccio would get on, as I can’t imagine Vincent being too perturbed about being stabbed, either.

Amo

Gachiakuta

The quintessential “I can fix her” femme fatale. Over the course of several episodes, Amo Empool goes from menacing threat to misunderstood loner to the proud(?) owner of one of the most fucked up backstories in anime.

Like several of the entrants before, she does make a turn towards benevolence following her antagonistic introduction, so her stake as a minor villain is perhaps token, at best. Thanks to her impression, however, she warrants discussion, because I feel as though her brief arc elevates Gachiakuta’s first season as a whole.

The Cleaners first encounter her in one of several dead zones notorious for their toxic atmosphere and rampaging beasts before being led to her abode, where she quizzes them on their preferred dating habits. When they rebuff this topic, she goes on the offensive, putting them under a trance with her hypnotic techniques.

The skirmish is amplified due to what we subsequently learn about her (the aforementioned fucked up-edness), as well as a breathtaking performance by her VO, Kana Hanazawa. You might think she’s just some kind of weird fan service archetype owing to her design alongside one of the most egregiously eroi shots in modern mainstream anime, up until you learn just who she is, and how she became like this. So won’t you hang out with her, just for a little while?