The 13 Most Compelling Hero-Villain Dynamics In Anime

In another universe, L and Light could probably have been friends: they're both highly intelligent people who have plenty in common. The problem is that Light Yagami has a self-imposed mission of ridding the world of criminals via destroying them with a magical notebook, and L is the detective charged with taking him down.

Throughout the series, the two constantly try to outwit each other. And despite the fact that L wants Light in prison and Light wants L deceased, the two occasionally wonder about the friendship that could have been. 

Depending on which part of the series you're talking about, Itachi and Sasuke could both be considered either heroes or villains. 

When we first meet Sasuke, he's brooding over his desire to destroy his formerly beloved older brother Itachi. That's because Itachi massacred the entire Uchiha clan, and told Sasuke that he did it 'to test his strength.' 

Itachi left out a ton of information that Sasuke would not discover until after he'd had his revenge. He wasn't malicious at all - rather, he did it because a corrupt government official named Danzo Shimura made it clear that this was the only way to save himself and save Sasuke, while avoiding a potential civil war. He didn't tell Sasuke because he wanted him to eliminate him and gain the Mangekyo Sharingan. 

Once Sasuke learns the truth, he's devastated. His hatred for his brother is gone, and replaced by a hatred for the city of Konoha.

On the surface, Isabella appears to be the kindly caretaker of Grace Field House. All of the child residents, including Emma, adore her, and it seems like she feels the same way. But the reality is far more sinister. Isabella is actually running a farm from which she sells the children as meat to a group of demons. 

You'd think that meant that she hated the kids in her charge, but that's not true. In fact, she was once one of them - becoming a 'mama' was the only way she could find to avoid being fed to demons herself when she was a child. She ended up loving the kids deeply - especially Emma, who she admires, and Raye, who she has a far deeper connection with than most viewers guess.

Hisoka Morow isn't a villain in the strictest sense, but he's definitely an antagonist and he definitely doesn't have anything resembling morals. His relationship with Gon is a totally bizarre one. He sees Gon as someone with serious battle potential, and he wants to help him achieve greatness.

But he doesn't want this for any altruistic reasons - he wants it because he wants the challenge of defeating someone strong. Basically, he's hoping that Gon will one day measure up to his current would-be rival, Chrollo Lucilfer. 

Once upon a time, Guts and Griffith were loyal friends and fellow members of the Band of the Hawk. They were so close that Guts even risked his own life to save Griffith after he was kidnapped. They had some conflicts involving both of them having varying levels of interest in Casca, but overall, they were friends. 

But Griffith betrayed Guts and the rest of the Band of the Hawk in the most dramatic way possible: he sacrificed nearly every member of it in order to join the God Hand and become a deity named Femto. For added measure, he assaulted Casca and made Guts watch. 

Despite the absolute travesty of that event, Guts can't help but feel a connection to Griffith, if only because of their past. But that doesn't mean he'll let him get away with anything, either.

After renowned neurosurgeon, Dr. Kenzou Tenma ruins his career by choosing to operate on an orphan child named Johan Liebert instead of on the mayor. Despite the controversy, he remains convinced that he's done the right thing - that is, until Johan grows up to become a serial killer. 

Tenma feels responsible for Johan's crimes, and makes it his mission to put a stop to him. Meanwhile, Johan visits all kinds of chaos on Tenma's life. Their relationship is a complex one in which two seemingly different people have a surprising amount in common.