Manipulative Villains are Terrifying (Chainsaw Man, Madoka, inuyasha, Arcane) - How To Write Anime

[@AxelBeats]

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[@konran-k1l]

How can you forget Johan Liebert of all people

[@AxelBeats]

@@konran-k1l well i hadn't watched monster until after this video was posted. so that's a good starting point to that i think.

[@konran-k1l]

@@AxelBeats watch it 100% recommend it, it’s one of the greatest animes if you get what the story is trying to tell you

[@awildtoni8437]

@@AxelBeats also take a look at "made in abyss", it has some of the best manipulative antagonists imo

[@AxelBeats]

@@awildtoni8437 For sure, i've talked about Bondrewd in my Villain Introduction episode

[@siddhantchauhan1975]

Another key thing about light is that he didn’t start killing criminals because he wanted to do good but because as he states he was bored. So when L found him, he wasn’t just scared and cornered, he was humiliated, his pride hurt. He never wanted to do good things for the world as is reason to kill criminals were out of boredom and a battle of pride against l.

[@Dinoslay]

Light definitely didn’t give two darns about the rest of the populace that he was ”trying to save”. It was only an excuse to justify his cold killing spree with the convenient ability granted to him by an equally bored Ryuk who chose him for that very reason.

[@Hierophant_Bean]

the whole “justice” persona is just light’s coping mechanism for killing two people.

[@orrorsaness5942]

@@Hierophant_Bean lol 😆

[@RoseKoneko]

Thank you! I see so many people saying that he started out with good intentions. He did not. Power didn’t corrupt him, it just revealed how cruel and manipulative he could be. You don’t look at a grieving woman and tell her you’re the one who murdered her fiancé so she had enough time to fear before the effects took her and be a “misunderstood antihero”. He’s a monster. He absolutely enjoyed her fear and mocked her.

[@Randomtiger007]

Nope

[@tobecontinued5757]

Always liked makima as a villain because she is a realistic manipulator, her tactics to manipulate Denji are very realistic

[@ayeon5609]

I had so much expectation for Makima based on the spoilers, but they really made her Chainsawman simp which really made me respect her less.

[@gsgaming6976]

@@ayeon5609 But she fuckin hates Chainsaw Man (Denji).

[@bacontheuber2499]

@@ayeon5609 SPOILERS . . . Just read the manga, bruh. She had a reason for idolizing Chainsaw Man and the manga makes an important distinction that she did not care at all about Denji even up to her death, only seeing The Hero of Hell (AKA Chainsaw Man AKA pochita as far as we know). It's really off-putting to reduce her character to "Chainsaw Man simp" when it's obvious that she was more fascinated by Chainsaw Man's abilities to wipe the entire existences of Devils rather than Chainsaw Man himself. She wanted that power herself.

[@ayeon5609]

@@bacontheuber2499 You are right but the manga could've done a better job showcasing that. Personally, I was excited for Makima as I have read the spoilers of how she was doing evil things to exterminate the great evils, but it wasn't properly shown in the manga. That is one of the critises I have for the manga. The manga feels like a documentary ( just showing important events) instead of a story. We didn't even get a proper chapter/ chapter from the perspective of Makima to flesh out her goals.

[@trash0175]

@@ayeon5609 This is also my only critique of the manga. We dont rlly get a proper backstory for makima and her reasoning (for world domination, how she first knows of chainsawman etc) Its a shame because her character is amazing

[@hyphenq]

Thing with Makima is that in Episode 5, when she let him touch her, Denji was slowly realizing that maybe the chase for a dream wasn't worth it, which would've caused him to never break his contract with Makima, so when he said that, Makima IMMEDIATELY gave him what he wanted and promised more, to keep him chasing

[@daydreamdirty]

And Chase he did…. Because who wouldn’t want to sleep with a “good looking” girl like her?

[@Erikard-iw4zv]

Carrot on a stick

[@Joker74312]

Like a dog :(

[@peen2804]

wow no way another "grass is green" comment thats so crazy brother on god for real for real. i cant not even not cant not even believe it brother

[@ShonenOuji]

The Light one is great. You think of a manipulator as someone who controls people, but someone who manipulates are perspectives is just as much a manipulator.

[@AxelBeats]

I think it's a really interesting position to take for sure!

[@sunflower8227]

our*

[@BrokenHedgehog]

Not just that. Rationalization of things you know to be wrong is self-manipulation. Light was manipulating himself just as much as anyone else.

[@user-unknown3998]

Ya true there is this one manipulation in which a person makes fun of another persons accent looks behaviour etc either because they want to project there insecurities on them or because they enjoy other people suffering this kind of pain manipulators do not know that they're manipulating but it is true that they are manipulating these people are mentally unhealthy and should be given treatment just like that there are a lot of manipulators who don't know that they're manipulating even though they are.

[@peen2804]

whoah youre saying someone who manipulates...basically anything is a manipulator? 2 crazy 5 me. i love how mfs basically say grass is green and people act like its the most mindblowing revelation one could conceive

[@blegh2697]

also found it super interesting and heartbreaking how reze actually pointed out that denji isnt rlly getting That much of a good life, if anything its the bare minimum, but because of his life of poverty its easier to take advantage of him and he thought makima actually cared about him

[@joelsasmad]

Yup. It was always a theme of chainsaw man that Denji just traded one cage for another.

[@TheWorldPillow]

@@joelsasmad And also a theme that pretty much everyone is in that kind of cage... Denji wanting to get out of it was, in some sense, an impossible dream. We are all tied to something, we can just get greedy for more and more. The scared girl put that really well after the whole incident ended, and when Denji was talking about, hey, how he actually wanted steak every day, not just jam and butter... It makes it a very insightful story. But it's also true that what one person views as a cage, another may view as refuge, or as comfortable trappings, or as a home. Depends on what you make of it, largely, and the circumstances around your trappings and connections.

[@peen2804]

why are all these top comments literally just mfs saying grass is green lmao

[@IISheireenII]

The very first time I watched Death Note, I was on Lights side at first and it shifted as his actions shifted until I definetly wasn't on his side anymore. The second time I watched Death Note, I realized he was like that from the start and was disgusted with myself for ever liking him. Truly an amazing character.

[@kathhqq7]

He’s way more likable and entertaining when you watch it subsequent times imo

[@KingOpenReview]

The thing that makes Kyubey hatable to me isn't even really the way he manipulates and deceives the girls. It's the fact that he refuses to admit that's what he did. If he was just like "yeah, I got you good. Sorry, but it had to be that way" I might have respected him in a weird way. Like when you get the sense that a person is cool even though you've been pitted against them. But instead, what he does is insist that the dynamic was fair and balanced. The way he talks about his interactions with the magical girls makes me think that even if it weren't for the pressure of entropy, he would still be a massive piece of shit to deal with in general.

[@PrincessLioness]

Omg, that how I feel about him too. He refuses to admit that he manipulates the girls to get them to do what he wants.

[@orrorsaness5942]

Pensuke: Facts! He has prevented me from bringing the kind utopic Litch System! (The system of The Litches and Daemons)

[@vegetacultkokushibo4392]

I think he has emotions but not in a human way or conpehendable to us and he wasn't innately evil just had to do some evil thing's

[@thethinkinggamer1864]

@@vegetacultkokushibo4392 The way I see it, he can't comprehend human emotions, he only may use words that may convey emotions to us and utilizes logic as fair reasoning

[@shina7418]

he literally lives on logic therefore as long as the system continues, he doesn't care

[@laieilienwill2048]

What I love about manipulative villains is that they usually never going down easy. Manipulation being their weapon means u can't just go outsmart them or force them cs they'll generally find a way around. Because of this, more often than not they and up destroying themselves, which is quite ironic.

[@phantom-ri2tg]

Manipulative villains do not get taken down easily typically because they are in a position of power. I am not saying this makes them bad characters but it remains that most of them would have been wiped out if they were in a position equal to the protagonist.

[@beyondviolet]

@@phantom-ri2tg depends on how they got that position of power tbh

[@phantom-ri2tg]

@@beyondviolet Earned or not is besides the point. I don't see many manipulative villains going around that are weaker than the protagonist's party.

[@beyondviolet]

@@phantom-ri2tg it’s almost like they use their position of power to their advantage

[@phantom-ri2tg]

@@beyondviolet I remember in a story I read a person criticizing complicated plans as dumb. He told his own story once there was a guy who had made this genius plan to defeat his enemy. after all the work on the day his plan was meant to go up his enemy walked up and stabbed him. He died and his enemy lived for decades later. That many of these same villains down is arrogance or messing up their plans says my thought about how much their manipulations add to their difficulty to defeat. Lets take Light for example. Pretty much every step of the way the things that went wrong from him were the result of some convoluted plan going wrong. All because he insisted on playing a game that he did not need to play. the stupid of which shows that they knew it was him and he did not die because they played the game too trying to prove it. and L himself lost not purely because of Light's efforts but because another person with a Deathnote that was more simple minded aided him.

[@Broomer52]

It always blows my mind that some people don’t understand why Light was wrong or that he was even the Villain. It tells me a lot about where their mind is at.

[@HopeRele]

They terrify me.

[@DellikkilleD]

light wasnt wrong, until he got hung up on getting caught, which he never would have had he kept doing what he was doing. L's mere existence sent him into a self destructive spiral. Until L entered the picture, light was fighting the good fight.

[@Broomer52]

@@DellikkilleD no he was wrong long before that. He’s not omniscient, he kills people based on his bias and public opinion. They might have not actually done anything wrong and he still killed them. He’s not Justice, at best he’s a killer with an excuse and at worst he’s just a psychopath.

[@DellikkilleD]

@@Broomer52 your wrong, but entitled to your opinion. a lot of folk put an inordinate value on life. it has no intrinsic value, only what you make with it.

[@Broomer52]

@@DellikkilleD yeah that tracks for someone who supports Light “Human life has no value so who cares if the people he kills were actually innocent or not” you people scare me because the suffering and death of others means almost nothing to you outside of how it personally effects you. You all act like you have some semblance of moral superiority when you have no sense of morality and would gladly support mindless slaughter so long as it was supported by flimsy moral platitudes.

[@sachamarzullo]

One type of villain that is extremely underrated but really well written is the emotionless one. Those who were born with no emotions but they're guided by logic and natural manipulation. They're the most conflicted when it comes when people can't find a way to understand their construction. Kyubei is a good example of that.

[@orrorsaness5942]

Obey: Agreed 🎉❤😊

[@sweepyspud]

so flowey or doma from demon slayer

[@joniboi3699]

@@sweepyspud Both of those guys have emotions

[@sweepyspud]

@@joniboi3699 no lol

[@joniboi3699]

@@sweepyspud Yes lol

[@saverna1]

What I love about Madoka is that the show adds some dark themes but stays true to the Magical Girl theme, Kyubey is attracted to the energy that Magical Girls create because they know that they'll fight on the side of (what they see as) good. Kyubey is eventually undone by this dedication to love and altruism, they don't understand it as love is not in its nature and so couldn't guard against it. with their infinite power.

[@giovannajooj]

and thats what the newer magical girl shows get it wrong,they want to make an edgy grim magical girl show but forget the magical girl part

[@buttercupghost]

I think Kyuubey is even too effective as a manipulative villain. People genuinely believe some of the stuff he says, even when other things in the series disprove him. Which, you know, does just go to show how good at being manipulative he is. Definitely a really well done character, but very chilling. There's even moments of manipulation that the show doesn't even point out-like Kyuubey going to Madoka when Kyouko and Sayaka were about to fight, instead of Homura. He did this because he was hoping Madoka would contract to stop them. As for other manipulative villains, spoilers for DR3, but I found Chisa to be a really interesting one. You met her in Side:Future, and a lot of what she does there gets recontextulized with the knowledge that she's been in despair this whole time. We also see what she was like outside of despair in Side:Despair, and with all this knowledge we learn, we can look back at how she acted before she died and realize she was manipulating Kyosuke into being his worse self this whole time. I don't like a lot about DR3, but Chisa was masterfully done.

[@Mermain123]

a moment i remmeber is when kyoko asks if there's a way to save sayaka he responds "if there is i've never heard of it" but then later on outright confirms it was impossible. his wording before left it open enough. but no it was straight up impossible. he jusst wanted kyoko gone so homura would fight Walpurgis alone ad madoka's guilt would force her to make that contract

[@PrincessLioness]

@@Mermain123 Honestly it things like that that make him a villain for me. He purposely words things or does things to get people to do what he wants.

[@Mermain123]

@@PrincessLioness usually his response is something like "you didn't ask" But here, she DID outright ask and he STILL gave a purposefully misleading answer

[@PrincessLioness]

@@Mermain123 Right, he gives the outright truth on purpose, because he knows they wouldn’t do the things he wants them to do if he did.

[@Mermain123]

@@PrincessLioness kyubey says he doesn't feel emotions But I don't believe that. I think their emotions are more muted and easily ignored But kyubey show's confusion and curiosity at many points And if they truly had NO emotion then why would they care about entropy at all?

[@sspadens]

One of my favorite quotes from Inyuasha, death note and even a very popular quote is “The most dangerous monster is the one that poses as a human” This can be physical or even just how they’re all supposed to be referred to is how the most dangerous person is someone who knows they’re dangerous and still pretends to be harmless

[@naomithornhill2079]

That is so true on every level

[@msk-qp6fn]

There is a saying in east asia based on that common sentiment and it generally loosely translates to or mean "just because you wear the skin/face of a human, doesn't make you a person."

[@nightmarishcompositions4536]

The king of manipulative anime villains is Johan Liebert from Monster. I'm surprised you didn't bring him up. Great video though!

[@AxelBeats]

Currently watching monster for the first time now actually aha he will be in a future video for sure!

[@Fragmentsinfractals488]

"Now,... would you like a drink?"

[@seanandre4432]

Bit sad that his greatest success was offscreen tho but man is he omnicient

[@AxelBeats]

@@seanandre4432 that is kind of an issue with the series i had too, at least in the anime. He felt like this kind of force of nature that knew and could do anything, but we never see him ACTUALLY do much, it's always just done

[@yaboiplank6764]

@@AxelBeats Walter white Gus Fring Gendo Ikari Kenjaku

[@DakotaBroskie]

Been lovin Kyubey since the beginning and this video breathed new life into that adorable fuk

[@makiroll218]

Lol

[@remnants9974]

he was my favorite in madoka magica for sure

[@nonameprivate4689]

He Sure was great

[@olianims]

That adorable piece of shit

[@dzdni]

@@makiroll218 Maki? You watch anime?

[@mindbuster2255]

I’m so happy Naraku got to be in the video, sometimes i think he’s a underated vilain.

[@orangeslash1667]

Fun Fact: the Japanese VA who plays Naraku also plays Sephiroth from the FF series.

[@bunnychu15]

Kyubey has to be one of my favorite examples of a manipulative villain. Not only does he play the protagonists like fools, but you start out thinking he's this cute, cuddly companion you often see in magical girl shows so it comes as a surprise when he completely deconstructs what you think you're going to get. Kyubey shares many similar traits with Akio Ohtori (a character you're supposed to think is princely when he turns out not to be what he seems) from Revolutionary Girl Utena which is fitting because both Madoka Magica and Utena are meant to deconstruct popular tropes (magical girl ones in Madoka Magica's case and fairy tale ones in Utena's case.)

[@safiwafi05]

I love hearing how in depth you described all of these characters, including whether they had a moral compass and the reasoning for what they did what they did. Especially with Naraku, who I agree, is an outstanding villian who was himself manipulated. It truly shows how our own emotions, if under supported or nourished, can be the cause of our own downfall.

[@annaairahala9462]

Naraku really deserves more recognition as a well written villain. It's quite surprising too since Rumiko Takahashi doesn't usually write things with villains either

[@orangeslash1667]

@@annaairahala9462 Fun Fact: the Japanese VA who plays Naraku also plays Sephiroth from the FF series.

[@Sparkle8205]

Aye. He’s one of the main reasons I ADORE inyuasha as a series. I still need to finish the sequel series, as it was still coming out when I had finished the original series.

[@sesshowmarumonoke]

@@orangeslash1667 In Brazil, the same guy that plays Naraku, plays meowt from Pokémon. Check them out, if your curious. That guy has serious voice magical powers.

[@orangeslash1667]

@@sesshowmarumonoke No thanks

[@abigailaceves9230]

Great job with this video essay on manipulative villains, both anime and western animation. Though in my opinion, Silco from Arcane did indeed cared for Jinx even if it is toxic, and that’s one of the things I like about that Netflix animated show; giving that characters more depth than anticipated that makes have more than one feeling about them. Other than that, Axellent!

[@AxelBeats]

I think silco DID absolutely and genuinely care for her - however I think that this care stems from a selfish place and grew into something selfless if that makes sense.

[@hannahmetzger6622]

@@AxelBeats I think that the majority of us Arcane fandomites would agree with you. Silco IS a manipulative piece of shit, but yet he's somehow a "good" piece of shit? If that makes any sense? I don't know if it does, though, LOL. :P.

[@AxelBeats]

@@hannahmetzger6622 he's a monster, but a monster with integrity that values family. And honestly i can respect that lol

[@hannahmetzger6622]

@@AxelBeats And that's why he's my favorite character (in that series) 😁. Aside from, ya know, being an animated man of pure hotness in my eyes. (YES, I simp for the Rat Man;don't judge meh :P).

[@AzzyReal]

Unfortunately they're both products of their environment

[@tesreso5448]

This is like a list of 'dangerous personalities' to look out for... Kyubei- sociopath - no concept of morality, just doing logic Nuraky- dark empath- knows how ppl feel and how to manipulate ppl through it Light - narcissist - he egrandises himself and feeds his own ego with logical manipulations justifying his actions Makashima - psychopath- logical justification for violence with no concept of remorse Etc. Etc. All villains are some extension or example of the dark personalities, having such blunt examples is neat to have. Good analysis, enjoyed this alot :3

[@ToxicRamenAnimations]

I think that Emperor Belos (From The Owl House) is also a good manipulative villain because he spent over hundreds of years lying to a race of witches & demons about how he was able speak to the Titan (Their version of God/Creator of the Boiling Isles) & how using magic freely (Aka wild magic) was offensive to the Titan and formed a new system of magic that was (spoilers) secretly designed to kill them all via a complex draining spell. Plus he makes promises to those who follow him but immediately breaks them once he gets what he wants from them.

[@lnsflare1]

An interesting thing about Naraku is that a huge chunk of the story is dedicated to him trying various methods to get rid of Onigumo's heart, or at least his attachment to Kikyo, and he eventually succeeds at that goal... and then he son after goes and takes it back because not only was it Onigumo's desires that held him together, it also was what gave him the drive and power to do exceed his limitations, allowing himself to reach new depths of depravity. And even then, his final goal once he stopped fighting within himself and wallowing in causing misery, was too much himself in when combat with Kikyo's reimbursing, since there was no way that she would willingly choose to be with him and no chance that they would go to the same afterlife if he died (to say nothing of the fact that reincarnation exists in that world), so the only way he could be with her was for the two of them to become the new core of the Shikon Jewel.

[@lnsflare1]

That should be "...to lock himself in eternal combat with Kikyo's reincarnation..."

[@Sparkle8205]

Mhm

[@sjappiyah4071]

I'm so glad Naraku is getting recognition, he's such an underrated villain, he made Inuyasha so much more interesting and darker! Great Analysis

[@Killixn_]

I read the entire series of Chainsaw Man just so I could watch this video and not be spoiled lol. This was my first video of yours and I loved it! Binging CSM was worth it and as much as Makima sucked - I loved her! She was horrible, but great at being horrible 😭💀

[@AxelBeats]

What a huge compliment! Thank you so much

[@Killixn_]

@@AxelBeats Of course and thank you for the reply! I love your videos so far and I can't wait to see what content you make next 😤❤️

[@cardinaljake6167]

Something to note about kyubey, is that his description of entropy isn't even close to how it works. The amount of energy in the universe can never get lower. He's lying to madoka when he says this. He also tells her that what he's doing is for humanity's benefit, so that they can eventually join other races out in space when their technology advances. But we see from the other timelines that he doesn't mind if earth gets destroyed so long as his quoatas are met. I think of kyubey not as someone making a hard decision to ultimately help humanity, but as someone who views people as cattle to be harvested. Surely the entropy bit could just be how it works in their fictional universe, but it's worth noting that most of the magic in madoka magica is centered around an idea of balance. The good of a magical girl and her wish are balanced by the bad of her transformation into a witch. There isn't any loss present in that system.

[@apinkchameleon]

Honestly, I just thought that the show tried to oversimplify entropy too much and that's why it was wrong. But you bring up good points!

[@esbeng.s.a9761]

13:13 Light had already tryied to kill an innocen namely who he thought was L. This happented in ep 2. What makes Light a great manipuler is that he himself deeply believe that he is justices even though he abanded it long ago

[@hithere911]

Well, he wasn't really innocent, the man was a prisoner on death row. However, Light certainly didn't know that, and, honestly, it doesn't make that much of a difference. Either way, it goes to show how much of a hypocrite Light is.

[@Malroth00Returns]

It wasn't a slow decent into villany it was a dead sprint.

[@cameronhayes5393]

@@hithere911 this comment added nothing. He thought it was L it makes no difference who it ended up being.

[@hithere911]

@@cameronhayes5393 It was already established that he thought it was L. I also pointed out in my comment that it didn't matter either way.

[@Grigeral]

Who on earth watches death note and actually thinks "Yes. This man is the good guy." He's clearly a villainous protagonist and this is made clear even before Naomi Misora, when he slaughters the fake L right at the start. It showed that he was willing to kill over what, at the time, was nothing more than a threat. Regarding Silco... I absolutely loved his character. They nailed all of them tbh, but he was one of the best written antagonists I have seen in a very long time!

[@Dragoncurse4]

A distressingly large amount of people unfortunately.

[@sapphiresplash]

I absolutely love madoka magika, it's one of my favorite anime to date, and I'm so glad to hear you talk about it Edit: I need to listen to the soundtrack again bc it fucks

[@AxelBeats]

I rewatched it for this and it held up much better than I remembered

[@navinavi1062]

All other Manipulative Villains: *conducts an entire series of psychological manipulation* Illumi: You get a needle! You get a needle! Everyone gets a needle! 📍📍🧠😐💅

[@lucygirl1111]

i have trust issues courtesy of kyubey especially whenever i hear the word contract

[@devonmmi]

same

[@riakun]

When I saw the first episode of Psychopass, I saw what the machine did and thought, "Oh, so people who are literally psycho and sociopaths could beat the system. And if someone was killed by those types of criminals Infront of someone, even a police officer, then that bystander would also be taken away or killed on site. Got it." There was a bunch of other stuff that I predicted in the show, so I don't remember everything because it's been many years since I've watched the series. I found that quite amusing.

[@AxelBeats]

I think one of the strengths of psycho pass IS its predictability. Having a story path that is easy to understand makes it more tangible and realistic feeling.

[@riakun]

@@AxelBeats I totally get that. There's definitely a reason that people enjoyed the series and still talk about it to this day

[@moondrip2163]

@@riakun Only season 1, that is. Everything went downhill after they killed off Makishima.

[@plugshirt1762]

@@moondrip2163 eh season 3 was pretty good and while season 2 was a pretty mixed bag it still had some pretty great concepts and a great villain

[@kuraraShotai9]

I feel like the soup "protests" was a bad example to use since the JustStopOil group is funded by one of the museum's benefactors who is an oil heiress, the point of that action was to discredit protests by making them look ridiculous since said art is always under a glass case, therefore perfectly safe from canned soup

[@AxelBeats]

The idea I was getting at was more doing something dramatic to draw people's attention, but I'm sure many better examples could have been used. Recency bias and all that lol

[@Spacehog1981]

100% agree. By the same logic I could burn down your house. Are you saying your 1 house is worth more than the entire planet? No? Ok, so you agree that me destroying your stuff is a small price to pay for the planet. On the other hand, maybe we could ask whether or not me burning someone's house actually does any good? Maybe it undermines the idea I'm fighting for because of the selfish, destructive methods used.

[@AxelBeats]

@@Spacehog1981 absolutely - that said these weren't exactly authentic presentations and the paintings were completely undamaged. I think the bigger point I was trying to get at is that some people feel as though drastic actions NEED to be taken and that awareness of conversations around a topic are more important than the validity of their argument. I'm not saying they are right at all, i'm just saying that in more dire circumstances, some will feel more dire actions are required - for better or worse. And i think that is an interesting idea to play with in writing.

[@Spacehog1981]

@@AxelBeats do you suppose the perpetrators knew for a fact that their actions would yield no damage when they did what they did? I doubt it. Do you suppose in general they convinced people disengaged with global climate change to start caring and taking more active steps? I doubt that too. Do you suppose it upset people and they associate their anger to climate change activists? I think probably yes. So there's intention, and then there's actual result.

[@AxelBeats]

@@Spacehog1981 i completely agree with you fam. I'm not trying to excuse or justify their actions at all, and i agree there will likely be some negative association with activism as a whole. I'm just saying the action doesn't come from no where ya know?

[@nitzan3782]

I'd like to add on Naraku, is that there's one episode where he creates an incarnation specifically to expel the Onigumo part of him, his human half, and then reabsorbs him when he realizes he needs his humanity to stay on top of his game, no matter how annoying it might be.

[@pumkin610]

"If things seem too good to be true; they probably are" sums up a lot of things on this list. There's wishes and deals and greed and idealism and grappling with the uncomfortable truth/reality

[@AxelBeats]

For sure! But I think everyone falls for that kind of thing at least a few times in life which is why it's so easy to get value from these stories

[@chongwillson972]

34:15 actually in the manga ging had NO intention of leaving gon , he was going to raise him as his son ,but aunt mito out of form of spite demanded that ging give gon to her ,and she will not let ging see gon either , aunt mito even lied to gon about gon's patents and said they died in an car accident. she took gon away out spite for ging leaving her and thinks she can raise gon better.

[@takumidoutou4412]

I haven’t read the manga yet and that’s surprising kinda disappointing to me feels a bit of a cop out I liked Ging bc he was a shitty person and showed Gon’s optimism despite that. But this is Togashi so I’m sure he writes it well

[@kymo6343]

@@takumidoutou4412 It might be canon but it kinda doesn't make any sense...

[@annaairahala9462]

@@takumidoutou4412 I mean, it's probably because it's Togashi that it feels like a cop out. He writes good stories, but he jumps all over the place and a number of things don't make much sense when you sit down and think about it for a bit

[@uhohmykokoro1616]

@@takumidoutou4412 agreed 👍

[@Mitsusurin]

I havent read the manga but bro aunt mito💀💀

[@FranciscoJG]

FINALLY Naraku getting some recognition for his masterful manipulative ways. Just a correction: not only he shapeshifted into Inuyasha to attack Kikyou, but after that he returned the jewel and shapeshifted into Kikyou and shot arrows at Inuyasha - missing those but that was enough to make Inuyasha forget about the plans and go steal the jewel, which is why Kikyou got to recover it right after sealing Inuyasha and right before dying. Naraku wanted to corrupt the jewel that way, but failed. Also, it was Kohaku (under Naraku's control) who killed all the slayers - an important detail for the issue with Sango.

[@msk-qp6fn]

I am just surprised to see someone remembers Naraku. He's the first mastermind type villain I saw in anime or cartoons in general that made me feel really intimidated by.

[@blueqion9488]

I think another great manipulative villain is Izaya Orihara from Durarara. If you haven't watched that Anime you should do that

[@dudewhatthewhat8983]

33:44 what i Think makes silco stand out, other then all your great points, is how his manipulation of powder isn’t some great evil plan. Instead it’s him doing what he thinks is best for her. No matter how twisted his reasons is, he does love jinx. I think that is a really good thing to play with, because a lot of manipulative people don’t realize what they are doing. Or at least don’t see it as wrong. Silco has both the evil genius side, with how he controls the undercity, and also the side that is a loving dad. However, because of his screwed mentality and world view, the way he shows his love, ends up effecting jinx’s mental state for the worst. The worst part being how he can’t even see how bad of an effect he has on her.

[@marocat4749]

There is also medusa from soul eater that aso is manipuating around and th worst, is their chil, use as weapon, chrona

[@Internetcockroach1]

Thanks for mentioning Neraku since I think he’s pretty underrated as a manipulative villan

[@sesshowmarumonoke]

I always thought Naraku was the top most evil villain in the anime. Yes, there are others, more powerful, their goals are more high stakes, but Naraku's plots feel much more personal. Half of the time, he is not even fighting the heroes, but manipulating them to desperately fight each other, whilst making them suffer deeply.

[@SamTheGumMan117]

Makishima is one I'd knew would be here one of the first that comes to ny mind that controls and plays people like a fiddle also Sinbad from magi feels very manipulative and deceiving even if for the greater good

[@RiRyn27]

Reminds me of Charles Manson but a slightly different flavor.

[@thethinkinggamer1864]

The analysis is very thoroughly done and very concise, and massive appreciation for shedding some light on non-mainstream animes like Madoka Magica, one of my personal favorites and basically every single character is very well crafted!

[@AxelBeats]

I appreciate you saying this 🙏 I really do try my best with these

[@Malkior]

Great in-depth analysis on each of these villains! Got my creative juices going too and made me wonder what some good examples of manipulative heroes would be, you mentioned Gon, and that makes a lot of sense there! It made me wonder if I could think of others, though the only one that comes to mind imediately is Joseph Joestar, though I'm sure there are others.

[@grandadmiralzaarin4962]

I would very much enjoy seeing more in depth analysis of the great anime villains. Your videos are always insightful and enjoyable.

[@hannahmetzger6622]

I would very much love for him to talk more about Silco. :3. And the rest of Arcane and it's characters too, of course. :3.

[@PanikManga]

Fantastic video as always! Manipulative villains are some of my favorite types of villains as well!!

[@AxelBeats]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@gaygoddessnamedmadoka2252]

great take on kyubey man can't wait for the next movie since it probably did get an emotion which is fear due to homura

[@anerrorhasoccurred8727]

I hope we find out what Kyubey’s true form looks like (bc there’s no way that cutesy animal look isn’t a disguise)

[@RedDogKeys]

I was really excited to see you released another installment in How to Write Anime. Though personally I've always found that manipulative villains are normally better when they are made to feel human and fallible like Azula from ATLA or Doflamingo as opposed to inhuman creatures like Bill Cipher.

[@AxelBeats]

I absolutely agree that human manipulators tend to be more interesting. However the idea of a greater power or greater evil manipulating things is kind of a tale as old as history. I don't think it's usually better, but I do think it has its place. Glad you enjoyed the video friend 🤙

[@TaigaXsenpai]

We saw in Madoka Magica Magia Record that Kyubey is not really that intelligent as in the end, he is truly machine. For him, its simply gathering of information from witnessing cause and effect. However, he cannot truly think beyond that as he simply repeats same actions, over and over. Only when he witness major flaws like in Madoka magica rebellion he reprograms himself.

[@danielpayne7140]

I think a lot of the confusion with Light is the thought/usage of "villain" and "antagonist" as synonyms rather than seperate things and since he isn't the antagonist of Death Note it's communicated as "he isn't the/a villain"

[@Dinoslay]

There is a distinct connective tissue around all of these characters. While each one one of them fulfills it in different ways they are all *predatory.*

[@RenaDeles]

I'm just going to say this up front ;people who say madoka was such a game changer for magical girls, don't watch magical girls. It's a great example of the darker side of the genre but it's not a subversion and it's doing nothing new, It's just doing it very very well, and it got seen by a lot of people who rode off medical girls about ever actually giving it a try.

[@anerrorhasoccurred8727]

Speaking as someone who is a HUGE fan of the series, you’re 100% right. It’s also not a deconstruction, it’s just a very dark take on the genre. That’s a totally different thing. (Deconstruction and subversion are probably the most overused words ever and it annoys me more than it should 😭)

[@LoliPeeSlurper]

Madoka Magica is legit the best medical girl anime I've ever seen! 😍 I totally love the state of medical girl animes right now~ 🥰

[@genera1013]

Even Sailor Moon, probably the best known magical girl, is incredibly dark if you actually pay attention to the story. I mean, the entire story's prologue is about an entire civilization being destroyed and its teenage royals being reincarnated to fight evil forever. It's never said in the original anime but in the manga they become immortal in the future and because of that are essentially doomed to fight forever. They can only die if they're killed, and we only ever see the far future version of Sailor Moon, no mention of her friends or family. It suggests that they've all perished and she's alone now. She's eternal, a god like Madoka, fighting for eternity. And that's without going into detail. I could keep going about the darkness of Sailor Moon.

[@stefanjamel5735]

I love these long analysis 🧐 your break downs are so thought out 🫶🏾

[@howdydobuckeroo1204]

When I first read chainsaw man a year ago, Makima seriously made me actually scared. I don’t feel fear from most villains, only very few, like DoFlamingo, Frieza, Bill Cipher, and that moon guy from owl house. I fear them because of their seeming insurmountability. Either they have extreme intelligence and knowledge, or just seem unstoppable due to pure strength. In the manga, it looked as though Makima had both. You don’t know how powerful she is, what she is thinking, and every time she is faced with an obstacle, she is able to somehow overcome it. Every. Time. People like Bill and Moon were scary because of how much they changed the status quo. We like things to stay the way they are most of the time. It’s a human thing. So a sudden change to something I had grown accustomed to, really takes me for a spin. Bill and Moon both deformed the lands both series took place in. Places where we had spent most of our time in, getting used to it. Frieza is scary because of his potential. His most recent feat completely destroys what we believed in to be Goku’s trump card. Before Frieza’s latest feat, I did not fear him, but now, I do quite a bit more. I’m done talking here, but I think the best villains, are the ones who target the audience the most. Who actively makes the audience hate them, and never buckles to them. A character you keep wishing would just lose or show some sort of emotion to anything thrown at them. But never do. In wrestling we call them Heels. I am now picturing Makima in a boxing ring with everyone raving at her, while she suplexes Kobeni’s car and Kobeni screaming in the stands.

[@nataliapanfichi9933]

Belos/Philip is a good example of a manipulative villain.

[@non-green]

Great vedio, I specifically search manipulative village characters 😅, and Ur video came , thank U for making this video.

[@missseaweed2462]

43:11 I love that one of the first plants we see is a pitcher plant, which lures insects into its chambers with the sweet fragrance of nectar, then digests them alive. We have a sarracenia hybrid and a nepenthes (I think) at home so I think that's why it caught my attention. In just the next scene, the Other Mother feeds the flowers (couldn't identify them though) on the table, and I think these scenes are brilliant in illustrating and as foreshadowing to the situation Coraline is in.

[@TheGAzettENILDeformi]

Absolutely loved how in depth you went with this I’ve also loved the more manipulative characters/themes in a story and you truly hit the mail on the head as to why ❤

[@JurassicGodzillaFan]

Great job on another video. Great hearing you again. Love Naraku and been enjoying Makima.

[@takumidoutou4412]

Amazing video made me think of two characters from the Hatoful boyfriend games (yeah really if you know you know) and it’s kinda chilling how both fit so well into these manipulator tropes. I wont say anymore bc not only is it spoilers but it will take a million years to explain. But it made me think of the cycle of manipulation too it’s rlly shown well in the Bungo stray dogs manga with Mori, Dazai and Akutagawa. How these manipulation methods spread to the victims who end up using these methods themselves later on. I can’t think of more examples rn but this topic is cool as fuck

[@KizuiVT]

Madoka Magica appreciation time!! Thank you for an amazing video as always!! ❤

[@AxelBeats]

Thanks so much for taking the time to watch it

[@nodatastored684]

My favorite Villains are Naraku, (Sesshonaru was training Inuyasha, not a Villain) Soul Society, The Rebellion in Star Wars in General, House Hightower and Sansa and Skeletor, Hordak, Venger, Cobra Commander, the Baroness, MumRa, Predicons & Deceptions G1, Diana From V, The Valeyard, The Rani, Master and the Doctor in Dr Who, and many others

[@harukihiko908]

I think Johan from monster is also a great example of a manipulative villain. Great video!

[@EvilAliceWonderland]

Makima doesn't want Deni to break the contract, she does however want him to make a contract with her and become basically a souless dog that'll kill any devil she wants them to so that she can create the perfect world.

[@AxelBeats]

Yes. Which means he needs to break his contract with pochita. So makima wants that. She literally says it

[@EvilAliceWonderland]

@@AxelBeats Technically you can have as many contracts with devils as you want. I did read all of the manga.

[@AxelBeats]

@@EvilAliceWonderland that is great, but she still literally says she actively worked to destroy the contract in chapter 82.

[@znichka2713]

First time seeing a video from you, I really like your manner of speech and the way you present details on the topic! I find manipulation a truly fascinating part of human nature, and it's very interesting to see how differently it's portrayed in all kinds of media. Thank you so much for the great analysis, will definitely be tuning in for more! Love love

[@AxelBeats]

Thanks so much for all the kind words! I'm glad you enjoyed :)

[@mistingwolf]

I really liked this vid, and I hope it continues as a series as there are so many cool manipulative villains out there. Also low-key hoping you'll also cover David Xanatos and/or Demona.

[@TheTenzen12]

I think one of most interesting manipulators is Izaya from Durarara

[@mama_iri]

Well done video 👏👏 there was just the right amount of context, and the contrasting characters made it an enjoyable watch. I shouldve been sleeping but I couldn't look away from the video until it ended.

[@AxelBeats]

Huge compliment. Thanks so much friend!

[@Abraxas1212]

Speaking of Manipulative... Sosuke Aizen, the ultimate manipulator. Such a good character, and his very power is the most haxxed out version of manipulation.

[@SpinSurgery]

This was awesome! So many intelligent insights touching on so many perspectives like philosophical, sociological, psychological, etc and compared to similar video essays, it didn’t feel like any of your ideas were weak speculations or naive generalizations. It took some real world understanding of humanity and the ability to look under the hood as objectively as possible, which for as many others try, it’s where most fall very short. This would make a great chapter in a media analysis text book. Keep up the great work!

[@DJMichaelMcClain]

Truly unique video. I honestly like the wisdom and stories to be told in it. honestly villain characters are an interesting concept and if you do them right they can be amazing characters.

[@shaifs5072]

Are all your videos like this? I mean taking anime stories, themes, philosophy and speaking abstractly about them? I really liked this video

[@AxelBeats]

Through 2022 and going into 2023 this is the kind of video I plan to make :) glad you enjoy them

[@makikeys9627]

This video is great. It was a broad overview of so many storries I've heard countless takes of, and still I heard new perspectives. cheers

[@AxelBeats]

Thank you for the kind words! Glad you enjoyed :)

[@sukanasuke88]

I was so surprised but also so happy to hear you talk about Makishima, he's literally my favorite character out of everything I've read or watched

[@raymondluca7779]

what kind of smooth brain thinks its bad for light to kill actual people who murdered and rape while you say this scum bag at 20:00 is a good guy for letting others smashing a womans head with a hammer?? you morlocks really showed your IQ and its over 9000...NEGATIVE 9000

[@sukanasuke88]

@@raymondluca7779 who said he's a good guy though

[@ems91fun]

Awesome video! Respect for the amount of effort you put into this!

[@kukki6976]

great video!! loved the way you categorized all these characters. as someone whose favorite manga (pandora hearts) also has a manipulative villain, this has been very insightful in regards to how that specific characters works in the story and on the audience

[@danielloosjr396]

This is extremely helpful it helped me think of just how some things would be in the universe in my stories because I'm planning on a major character being a master manipulator

[@kgregorius8550]

I think the main reason for it because they are the realistic, most because that how people are by nature, we do it all the time just some put more effort to it then other's. In this video it shows that in a extreme way is all.

[@AxelBeats]

For sure. I think as a result the more 'realistic' this type of villain is the more it affects you

[@kaiblast]

Love the video and the full character analysis but I do wish you had included david xanatos. Although he doesn't stay a villan, he's manipulation in his show of origin is so strong that he has a trope named after him : the xanatos gambit

[@AxelBeats]

Unfortunately I can't include someone I've never heard of

[@kymo6343]

@@AxelBeats Get good taste and go watch "Gargoyles" then. XP

[@0ptera]

I would love to experience a retelling of Psycho Pass from Makishima's perspective.

[@dragoncross42]

Another video gives me a look into a type of character that being manipulative villains. I got to say videos like this really help me to learn something new and better understand some characters. Villians like these are always fun to watch and see how they control events in their favor. Awesome video~!!!

[@dixcn]

Awesome vid! I'm currently on my first watch through of Monster, and Johan is a great villain too

[@AxelBeats]

I'm watching it right now as well! 10 episodes left and I guarantee Johan will be in a future video. So much to say

[@SamTheGumMan117]

Monster is such a great watch/read and both dub and sub are really good also Johan is a extraordinary

[@OokamiTsu]

I love Naraku as a character, thanks for mentioning him!

[@amlovesu2195]

the thing I love about beldam is that she preys on children who are said to be neglected cause she knows theyre the easiest beings to manipulate, and it's just so interesting just to see Caroline accept that her parents aren't as bad as she sees them to be. The scene of her crying and snuggling up to pillow versions of her parents just gets me, and it's just so nice to see her be happy with what she had (even thought she might've not escaped that dream world).

[@akirachiyoko2134]

One of my favourite manipulative villains is Leloche from Code Geass. He reminds me of Light in that he genuinely believes he is doing the right thing. Even though he killed millions of his own people he justifies his actions. Like Griffith, Aizen and Ryo Asuka from Beserk, Bleach and Devilman Crybaby. I think they genuinely believed that they were right. I don't know if makes sense but these kind of "Righteous" manipulative villains are my favourite. Oh and Kenjaku(JJK), Johan Libert, Mother Gothel, Gendo Ikari, Walter White and Gus Fring are some of my other favourite manipulative villains.

[@kamikazelemming1552]

Light and Lelouch are very interesting, because for how similar they are, they are also quite different. For example, Light couldn't care less about how many innocent people he has to kill, so long as it gets him one step closer to attaining his perfect world. Lelouch, meanwhile, is clearly affected by the innocent deaths that his actions cause. The death of Shirley's father, the Princess Massacre, the activation of the first Fleija warhead; the aftermath of these events show Lelouch both angry and disgusted with himself for being the key factor that caused them all to happen. He clearly doesn't want to get innocent people to get caught up in his crusade. This also extends to how they treat their friends and families. Light was fully committed to murdering his father, mother, and sister, and admitted as much to Ryuk during the earliest chapters of the manga, while Lelouch was determined to make sure that his own sister and closest friends were safe and sound. The only exception I can think of was when Suzaku confronted him at the Geass Gate and they both attempted to shoot the other, but considering that came immediately after the Princess Massacre, the war in the Tokyo settlement, and Kallen's betrayal, it's obvious Lelouch's mind had been pushed to the breaking point. Did Lelouch kill a lot of people over the course of Code Geass? Yes, but unlike Light, who murdered so many because he deluded himself into thinking he was God, Lelouch never lost sight of his humanity or what he was fighting for.

[@alittleofsomething]

The thing with kyubey isn't that he's a manipulator, he is acting very logically and he's willing to volunteer information, it's just that the girls don't have enough experience to ask the right questions or understand that it sounds way too good to be true.

[@plugshirt1762]

bruh he even admits he is manipulating them. He tells Madoka that he purposefully leaves out information because it would upset the girls he told it to and he brags about how he lied to kyoko to manipulate her into getting killed by Sayaka

[@anerrorhasoccurred8727]

He lies by omission, which he _definitely_ does on purpose. People would be much less likely to wish their souls away if they realised that’s what was happening.

[@bbew2914]

it is manipulating, he just doesn't understand why this is wrong, he doesn't understand why the girls kept crying when he put the souls in the stones, he doesn't understand human emotions, that's why he's hard to sympathize with and is a good villain

[@kawansiesquad6659]

What you described literally *is* manipulation. It’s especially easy to manipulate young children/teens BECAUSE they’re inexperienced, they don’t know everything and will trust anyone who seems “good”. This blind trust typically goes away as one gets older because of life experience and common sense, it’s why grooming is so widespread. Many adults know that children can be naive, and lull them into a false sense of security and trust that makes them susceptible to any suggestion the adult makes.

[@iamsomething6151]

He even lies to Kyoko and Madoka, hinting sayaka could probably be saved (as he basically says, “it’s never been done before”)which leads to kyoko’s demise. Then tells Homura that he was lying. He twisted his words to give them hope instead of outright telling them.

[@AkaiAzul]

Kyubey was a character I used to fear, but come to understand. Ultimately, he deceives to spare the girls from the truth. However, he is still using them. One could argue that giving them the truth would be moral as it would be their decision to participate, they would also have to be girls, not yet mature enough to make such life altering decisions. And to Kyubey, will ultimately save fewer lives this way. He's aware of the dilemma, but without the ability to feel emotions, becomes difficult for us humans to relate to him. He does these actions without remorse, only acknowledgement.

[@Real_Genji]

Yeah Silco is definitely up there. Top tier character for sure

[@FunWithColeen]

makima gave me off vibes from the beginning making it especially off puting and creepy when i realized that she was essentially an adult and denji still in his mid teens

[@noasachs8603]

Yes to everything said above about Light. Also I think beyond the way we're made to view the world through his eyes there is also still a lot of conflation between hero and protagonist as well as villain and antagonist. Light is the protagonist (the main character/character whose perspective we're viewing the story through) but he is also the villain. L would be the antagonist; but even if he's opposing the villain I wouldn't call him a hero.

[@WhiteCavendish]

Thank you so much for recognizing that Light is the villain. It was perhaps the first story I saw where the protagonist is also the villain, and I really enjoyed it, but I was really surprised that SO many people would not realize he's the bad guy.

[@yazargx7]

Aizen being not here was a part of his plan

[@Cruznick06]

I would be absolutely screwed in the Psychopass universe. Anyone neurodivergent would be.

[@indi1omccoln565]

Hello again all my internet cousins Glad to meet up with y’all again for Axel

[@tocallopr]

I’m surprised you didn’t mention Orochimaru...dude checks aaall the boxes.

[@noemivitale4889]

Please tell me someone else likes inuyasha as much as I do 😭😭😭 I'M OBSESSED IT WAS MY FIRST ANIME AND I STILL LOVE IT 💗💗💗

[@devonmmi]

SAME

[@KatsudonArt]

May I add, HIM from Powerpuff Girls is an underated master of manipulation ❤ He played with the girl's reality, time and space without being there physically just because he wants it. He allows his monsters to die just because he wants to give the girls false hope. Mojojojo's got nothing on HIM

[@exoticcats6119]

Even in episode 2 or 3 (if I remember correctly) Light killed someone who he thought was L. He didn’t even know that they were a death row inmate. I think Light as the villain only becomes even more obvious as the series goes on, and I kinda find it hard not to give someone the side eye if they don’t realize by the end of the series.