The dark allure of Anime villains: The psychology of Pain, Aizen, Sukuna and more

Time of India

23-05-2025

Credits: Sportskeeda
Anime has a rich tradition of complex villains whose personal stories go beyond simple evil. Characters like Pain (Nagato) from
Naruto Shippuden
, Aizen from
Bleach
, and Sukuna from
Jujutsu Kaisen
each carry deep backstories – from trauma and loss to grand ambitions.
Fans often find these anime villains as compelling as the heroes, sometimes more so. Psychology helps explain why.
Research suggests that villains with tragic pasts or human motives can evoke empathy, making them relatable. In fact, when a villain faces defeat, our brain's 'pain matrix' can kick in – we worry about their fate and even root for them. One fan blog notes that viewers may think 'I hate you, but I understand where you're coming from' and may secretly want the villain to win.
This empathic response to villains helps explain their popularity: by seeing 'the humanity and underlying struggles' in a foe like Pain or Madara, audiences can feel sympathy and admiration.
Complex villains and Anime morality
Unlike one-dimensional bad guys, many popular antagonists blur moral lines. For example, Pain Naruto's arc is fueled by real loss: he endured war, witnessed the death of loved ones, and concluded that shared suffering is the only path to peace. His philosophy ('If one does not experience the same pain, they will never truly understand') forces hero and audience alike to question what 'justice' really means. In
Bleach
, Aizen presents a friendly facade but is actually a manipulative mastermind who wants godlike power. His calm, condescending style (dropping polite pronouns only after revealing his true self) exemplifies narcissistic ambition. In
Jujutsu Kaisen
, Sukuna is unabashedly evil – he 'lives only to fulfill his own whims and pleasures'.
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Yet fans are enthralled by his charisma and sheer power. Sportskeeda describes Sukuna as 'shrewd and strategic' with an 'extremely charismatic personality' that is 'both awe-inspiring and terrifying'. This mix of brutal power and confidence makes even a cruel character like Sukuna a fan favorite in the psychological anime community.
Credits: CBR
Trauma, power and redemption
Many anime villains begin as victims of their world. Naruto's Pain grew up under war and was orphaned; his turn to villainy is steeped in that trauma. Similarly, One Piece's Doflamingo suffered childhood abuse as a former Celestial Dragon, feeding an extreme worldview. Fans often sympathize once they learn these backstories. As one analysis notes, anime series frequently reveal villains' humanity over time: Pain, Madara, Obito (also from
Naruto
) 'initially appeared as detestable foes.
However, as their backstories unfold, their humanity and underlying struggles become evident, earning them sympathy and admiration from fans'. Hunter x Hunter's Meruem illustrates this deeply. Born as the ruthless Chimera Ant King, he is utterly heartless at first. But through his bond with Komugi, a blind girl, Meruem begins to understand kindness and mortality. His transformation 'from a cold antagonist to an empathetic being is a storytelling masterclass' that challenges viewers' notions of evil and redemption.
Such redemption arcs – often absent in Western villains – are key to
anime morality
: they show that even the darkest characters can reveal light, and that justice is complicated.
Why fans love the villains
Credits: CBR
So why do complex villains sometimes outshine the heroes? Part of it is sheer charisma. Doflamingo's flamboyant cruelty and Aizen's cold genius make them endlessly entertaining. Part is relatability: many fans see a bit of their own struggles in these characters.
Studies even suggest people pay more attention to villains than heroes, wondering if they'll ever get redemption. When Pain narrates the cycle of hatred or Meruem reflects on life, viewers get profound philosophy rarely seen in action shows.
The result is a deep connection. Social media and surveys back this up: Sukuna topped many recent character popularity polls, and Meruem remains a fan favorite long after
Hunter x Hunter
ended.
As Sportskeeda notes, fans tend to 'encounter villains whose actions, while unjustifiable, are rooted in circumstances that offer an understanding of their motivations'. This shift from disdain to empathy often makes villains more memorable and beloved. Indeed, timesofindia and other outlets list many anime bad guys (from Team Rocket to Dio Brando to Griffith) among fans' top favorites. These cult followings show that well-written antagonists have a real cultural impact: they spawn memes, inspire fan art, and even spark debates about justice.
Conclusion
In the end, the psychology of anime villains combines trauma, narcissism, power, and moral ambiguity. Pain Naruto's sorrow, Aizen Bleach's intellect, Sukuna Jujutsu Kaisen's brutality, and others show that villains in anime are rarely 'pure evil.' Instead, they often mirror the heroes' values in twisted ways – revealing deeper questions about empathy and morality. Fans are drawn to them because they are fully human (or superhuman) – flawed, deep, and at times sympathetic.
As one analysis puts it, these characters 'transcend the label of 'absolute evil,' becoming more memorable and popular among audiences' who can't help but feel for their causes. By exploring their psychology, anime invites us to reflect on the gray areas of good and bad – and why sometimes the villains' stories leave as strong an impression as the heroes'.
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