One of the most iconic aspects of anime is a villain organization. They are not usually the antagonist or the final villain of an anime but are more of a side cast. It is the villainous organizations that often cast the darkest shadows, challenging our protagonists and elevating the narratives to new heights. These malevolent groups, driven by ambitions and ideologies captivate our imaginations and fuel our discussions. In this post, we will be explaining some of the iconic anime villain organizations.
Red Ribbon Army – One of the Earliest Anime Villain Organizations
Starting with Red Ribbon Army, we have a classic villain organization that operates in Dragon Ball anime. Led by the ambitious Commander Red, this military organization is determined to find the mystical Dragon Balls to achieve its goals of world domination. With their vast army of soldiers, they are like the misfits of the villain world, each one quirkier than the last.
With powerful Androids, sinister schemes, and a piece of comic relief, the Red Ribbon Army is one of the most iconic anime villain organizations. The Red Ribbon Army might not have succeeded in their grand ambitions, but they’ve secured their place in anime history as memorable antagonists.
Phantom Troupe: Dance of Shadows
In the shadowy world of anime villains, one group reigns supreme, leaving a trail of intrigue and chaos in their wake – the enigmatic Phantom Troupe. They have a spider as their symbol, therefore they are also known as “Spiders”. They are thieves, killers, and much more. Phantom Troupe is arguably the most detailly written group of villains whose true goal remains unknown.
The Objective of the Group
As a villainous group, at first sight, they seem to be just normal thieves stealing valuable items and selling them to make money. However, as characters that are explored deeply in the manga and anime, it would be too naive to believe that they are just a bunch of strong thieves. So, what is their goal? What do they want to achieve?
Origin of the Phantom Troupe
To answer this question, we must go back to 15 years ago when the Troupe first formed. At that time, they were a bunch of kids living in Meteor City and having fun. They were doing live voiceovers for movies found in landfills. With such a composition of people, they decided to name the group “Troupe”, but they could not find a name for the second part of it.
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One day, one of the members of the group, Sarasa, does not show up. When Chrollo and others go to find her, they encounter a bag inside which they find Sarasa’s destroyed body. After Sarasa’s funeral, Chrollo decides to create a website that lures criminals to Meteor City. That way he could find the killers of Sarasa and avenge her. With that idea in mind, about three years later, Phantom Troupe was officially formed with Chrollo being the leader.
Years later, Phantom Troupe made their first terror act by massacring all 128 villages of the Kurta clan. The purpose of this massacre was to get the unique Scarlet eyes that members of the Kurta clan have. This is, at least, what many believe. However, a note left by Phantom Troupe, implicitly tells us the main motive behind the massacre:
“We’ll accept anything you leave here, but don’t ever take anything away from us.“
So, there you have it—the Phantom Troupe, a bunch of intriguing baddies in the anime universe. They show us that even anime villain organizations can be super interesting. Keep watching and reading, because in the world of anime, bad guys often steal the show! Read more about them.
Akatsuki: Shadows of the Shinobi World
Imagine a gang of rogue ninjas, each with their own dark goals, teaming up as the Akatsuki – the mysterious bad guys of the anime world. With their iconic red cloud cloaks and a shared symbol that sends shivers down spines, they are more than just a group of rogue ninjas. They’re the embodiment of chaos and ambition. The Akatsuki members possess diverse abilities, distinct personalities, and a collective secret mission. They’re not your average villains; they’re a league of extraordinary individuals set on a path that shakes the very foundations of the anime world.
The Objective of The Group
While the Akatsuki may seem like your normal anime thieves, their story runs deeper than simple criminal pursuits. As we peel back the layers in this ninja world, their true motivations emerge. What do these rogue ninjas truly seek? What is their ultimate goal? Join us as we unravel the mysteries behind the Akatsuki and their impact on the anime landscape
Origin of The Villain Organization
The origin of Akatsuki is a little controversial. Therefore, to better understand how they originated, we should divide them into two groups: Yahiko’s Akatsuki and Nagato’s Akatsuki.
During the Third Shinobi War, Yahiko, alongside his friends Nagato and Konan, formed Akatsuki. Their village, Amegakure, was the center of these Shinobi wars putting them on the crossfire of Five Great Shinobi Countries. Since they became orphans during the Second Shinobi War, they wanted to bring peace to their homeland. After a while, Tobi approached these three introducing himself as Uchiha Madara. In order to succeed in his plan, Tobi claimed Nagato was the reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths and offered to teach him to control his Rinnegan powers. However, his offer was declined by Yahiko.
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Since their mission was to end the wars and bring peace, Akatsuki attracted many Ninjas and their fame increased. Yahiko’s leadership and charisma was the main key element in this. However, as they grew, people like Hanzo, perceived them as a threat. Later on, Hanzo tricked Yahiko and ambushed their group causing Yahiko to die.
Enraged by Yahiko’s death, Nagato came to the conclusion that the way to bring peace to the world is through catastrophic death and destruction. That is the origin of the iconic anime line: “The world shall know pain”. After his decision, Nagato accepted Tobi’s offer and began to recruit members. Later on, Orochimaru and Itachi joined for their own reasons, while Kisame and Zetsu joined to secretly ensure the Eye of the Moon Plan. Once they recruited ten members, they started their plan.
Akatsuki’s Plan
In order to execute their plan, they had three main objectives to be fulfilled. The first one was to earn money to support Akatsuki. The second one was to offer mercenary services at a relatively lower rate. By doing this, they managed to put other shinobi villages out of business and make countries dependent on Akatsuki. With the use of Tailed Beasts, Akatsuki could quickly start and end quell wars. Their third objective begins to escalate after this point. Once they manage to dissolve all major shinobi forces, Akatsuki will easily conquer the world.
Other than that, another reason why they were capturing tailed beasts was to use them to create a powerful “kinjutsu”. They planned to use this power to destroy one side in a war and frighten the other side.
Overall, we can clearly see a distinct difference between Akatsuki and Phantom Troupe. Their main objective, direction, and cause of action differ. However, they still have one thing in common: Being the victims of a tragedy. Then, let’s move on to another anime villain organization, one that is not a victim of a tragedy. Among all, it is the one that aims for pure chaos in the world. Read more about them.
Espada: Lords of Hueco Mundo
When writing about anime villain organizations, we should also not forget to add the formidable group of elite Arrancars in the world of Bleach. The Espada are comprised of ten Arrancar with exemplary strength. Members of the Espada are given a number from 0-9 which is also a similar trait in Phantom Troupe. One thing that makes Espada stand out is their character design. Even among all the series, Bleach hosts a large number of charismatic characters all thanks to Tite Kubo.
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Unfortunately, Espada does not have a great history or origin like Akatsuki. This villain group was led by Sosuke Aizen. To this day, they remain to be a formidable and memorable villain group. Read more about them.
Modern Anime Villain Organizations: Forged by the Past
Let’s conclude this article with the influence of these anime villain organizations on modern Shounen anime. They are the bad guys that people love to watch. They surely made anime more interesting to watch. On top of that, they have cool powers and abilities making our heroes work harder. Without a doubt, they had a great impact on modern-day anime like My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer, and Jujutsu Kaisen. Because of them, anime shows now have awesome bad guys and stories that keep us hooked!
