Highlights
- Unique anime heroes can be monstrous creatures fighting against true evil in the story.
- Vampire Knight, Blue Exorcist, Tokyo Ghoul showcase heroes with gruesome powers.
- Monsters like Alucard use terrifying abilities to fight against supernatural evil in Hellsing Ultimate.
The weird, wonderful, and wide world of anime is chock-full of heroes, villains, princesses, monsters, and everything else. The creativity of many animators and artists has brought viewers unique and interesting characters to root for, or to pray for their demise. In most cases, the latter is for the monsters, who are usually the story’s villains.
But this is not true of every single anime. For studios looking to give fans something a little different, they flip the script and make the hero of the story a monstrous creature, giving them a gruesome appearance and destructive powers they can throw against the true evil of the story.
1 Vampire Knight
A Vampire In The Skin Of An Ordinary School Girl
Vampire stories are common in the world of anime, breathing new life into the ever-evolving mythos of the fanged, bloodthirsty creatures. In the world of Vampire Knight, vampires and humans coexist in peace at Cross Academy. Mortal students attend their classes during the day, while the vampires attend night classes. There is a time when the two classes cross paths, and it is up to students like Yuki to ensure peace is kept.
For most of the anime, Yuki is assumed to be an ordinary human girl and is stuck between her affection for childhood friend Zero and the mysterious vampire Kaname. It wouldn’t be until the second season that she realizes she is part of the Kuran family of pureblood vampires, and is one herself. All along, the blood of a vampire has been pumping through her veins, even as she tries to protect the day class from the thirst of the night students.
2 Rin Okumura (Blue Exorcist)
As The Son Of Satan, Rin Is Part Demon
The world of Blue Exorcist is divided into two different dimensions, one where humans live, and the other is home to demons. Though it is thought to be impossible to cross between either plane, the truth of the matter is that demons walk among humans often unnoticed by posing as normal human beings. This has caused the need for exorcists to arise, those who can destroy the demons among them.
The main character Rin is not just a normal aspiring exorcist, however. He and his brother Yukio are the sons of Satan himself, and as such have latent demonic powers. After witnessing the death of his guardian, Rin draws a special weapon that causes his demonic power to awaken. Not only does he gain powers, but he also sports physical demon attributes such as sharp fangs and a tail, making him look every bit like the son of a devil, all the while working on the side of the good guys.
3 Ken Kaneki (Tokyo Ghoul)
After A Brush With Death, Ken Is Transformed Into A Half-Ghoul Creature
Tokyo Ghoul became a very popular anime even among the most casual viewers. The story, aesthetics, and the excellent opening tune all entered and enthralled the human consciousness. Despite having only two seasons, it became a fantastic and much-loved show, featuring a rather monstrous main character.
In the world of Tokyo Ghoul, there are creatures known as ghouls that must feast on human flesh to survive, and have access to strength beyond any human. There are also half-ghouls, born from a ghoul and human parents, or through an operation. Ken Kaneki is the latter, who is turned into one after a disastrous date with a ghoul. He is taken in by other half-ghouls who show him how to exist in secret among humans and ghouls. Despite this tenuous half-existence, Kaneki goes on to be a hero, especially in the second season where he uses his strength to fight ghouls.
4 Denji (Chainsaw Man)
After Forging A Contract Denji Sports Chainsaws Where His Limbs Should Be
In an alternate world where devils roam the land, forging contracts with people and possessing their bodies, an official government body aptly called Devil Hunters works to take down the devils threatening the land.
Impoverished teenager Denji starts his career as a Devil Hunter independently alongside his adorable fiendish companion Pochita. On one particularly treacherous mission, Denji is on death’s door when he makes a deal with Pochita, causing the two of them to fuse. This fusion transforms Denji into a terrifying devil-human hybrid, sprouting chainsaws where his head and arms should be. Denji looks every bit like a monster while staying on the path of a hero.
5 Parasyte: The Maxim
Shinichi Fights Off Parasitic Alien Creatures With The Aid Of One
Life for high school student Shinichi Izumi is normal until a species of alien parasites invade the Earth and infect every human by entering through their nose or ear, taking control of their body. Lucky for Shinichi, he wakes up in time to stop his would-be host, who instead burrows into his arm and assumes control of that part of his body, leaving his brain intact.
Other parasites can sense he is not fully possessed and attempt to kill him, forcing Shinichi and his passenger Migi to work together, using his now possessed but more powerful arm to kill the other parasites and survive along with the others who have not succumbed to the creatures. The anime also explores questions regarding humanity, philosophy, and morality, and Shinchi’s altered existence gives him some new perspective on these topics.
6 Eren Yeager (Attack On Titan)
Gained The Power To Transform Into A Titan
Attack on Titan took the world by storm upon its release, enrapturing existing anime fans and bringing some new ones into the fold. The storyline and monster design are almost second to none, and everyone was always waiting with bated breath for what the next season might bring, and what fates might befall their favorite characters, such as Mikasa, Levi, and Eren, the main character of the show.
For the first few seasons, Eren was the main hero acting as part of the Survey Corp who valiantly faced the Titans head-on to try and protect what is left of humanity. In what was one of the most shocking moments in TV history, Eren gained the ability to become a Titan, using his newfound strength and stature to face off against the others. Though his character arc would eventually take him down a darker path, Eren still spent the majority of the show as a heroic monster fans cheered for.
7 Alucard (Hellsing)
A Vampire Who Fights Other Vampires
The Dracula mythos has been used and given fresh coats of paint by countless creators since it became part of the public domain. Countless shows, movies, and games have added new spins to the classic gothic novel penned by Bram Stoker back in the late 1800s. Of course, anime creators weren’t going to pass up the chance to tell their own version of events.
In the show Hellsing, the story follows the main character Alucard in his fight against vampires and all other supernatural forces of evil. Alucard himself isn’t a typical hero by any standard, but he uses his terrifying abilities and brutal strength against the true monsters of the world, all the while being one himself.
Leave a Reply