Anime has no shortage of memorable villains, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Powerful, imposing, and often rotten to the core, a lot goes into making a good and memorable villain. One way to do this is to give them an eye-catching costume that makes their design feel unique.
That being said, not every anime villain has a flashy outfit or even needs one to stand out. In fact, the lack of a costume can say a lot about a villain or their personality. In some ways, not having a costume can actually make certain anime villains all the more intimidating.
10 Cell Doesn’t Wear A Costume — That’s Just What He Looks Like (Dragon Ball Z)
Most of the iconic Dragon Ball characters have some sort of unique or memorable outfit that makes them stand out in a crowd, whether it be a uniform or a suit of armor. One of the few exceptions is the Bio-Android Cell from Dragon Ball Z, but he is still recognizable regardless.
Despite Cell’s appearance, he is not wearing a costume — or any clothes at all for that matter — this is just what his body naturally looks like, being half-human, half-insectoid. In short, whether he’s in his perfect form or not, Cell has no need for clothing of any kind.
9 Yuno Gasai Wears Normal Clothes, Masking What A Cold-Blooded Killer She Is (Future Diary)
On the outside, Yuno Gasai from Future Diary appears to be an average high school girl, but underneath she is a cold-blooded killer willing to tear through anyone and everyone for the sake of her beloved Yuki. Yuno’s external averageness hides her violent nature, which can be seen in her fashion sense as well.
While Yuno does have a couple of memorable outfits, they’re not technically costumes. Her wardrobe mainly consists of her school uniform and casual clothes, which are normal-looking until she makes a mess of them in a fight.
8 As A Serial Killer, Gaku Yashiro Hides In Plain Sight (Erased)
A serial killer is often someone who tries to blend in with the public as well as possible, looking like any average citizen — maybe even a trustworthy one, too. Gaku Yashiro from Erased does just that, hiding in plain sight as a normal school teacher all the while concealing his love of killing.
Adding to Yashiro’s persona as a kind and welcoming adult figure is his attire of a suit, a button-down shirt, and tie — the kind of outfit often seen on any teacher. By looking as normal as possible, Yashiro is able to evade capture for many years, only revealing his true nature to his soon-to-be victims.
7 Hiro Shishigami Almost Looks Like He Could’ve Been The Protagonist (Inuyashiki)
At first, Hiro Shishigami of Inuyashiki appears like he’d be an average-looking anime protagonist, but that only adds to the stark contrast between his appearance and the twisted side he keeps hidden from everyone. His violent tendencies only deepen after becoming cybernetic.
Hiro doesn’t wear any kind of special outfit, nor does he need one. He typically only wears his school uniform along with a jacket, though his other outfits are just as normal, too. It almost conveys to the audience how little he cares about the murders he commits or being caught for them.
6 Shogo Makishima’s Casual Attire Conveys His Confidence & Apathy (Psycho-Pass)
Despite all the systems put in place to rate the likelihood someone could commit crimes in Psycho-Pass, Shogo Makishima managed to manipulate his own Crime Coefficient, making him immune to the supposed all-knowing Sibyl System. With this, Makishima has committed many horrible acts without consequence.
Makashima’s personality traits can also be seen in his fashion sense. While his attire isn’t abnormal, it is extremely casual-looking, even loose-fitting at times, almost as though how the world sees Makashima doesn’t matter to him. To the audience, Makashima’s wardrobe displays his level of confidence and how untouchable and unbound by morality he feels, as well as how apathetic he is to the suffering he causes.
5 Despite Claw’s Flashier Members, Toichiro Suzuki Only Wears Business Attire (Mob Psycho 100)
The organization of Claw is a dastardly group within the world of Mob Psycho 100, consisting mainly of espers, that sought to take over the world. Many of its members were on the more dramatic side and even had outfits that made them look like supervillains, but the same didn’t go for its leader, Toichiro Suzuki.
Despite how flashy some espers working under Suzuki were, Suzuki strictly wore business attire. This gave him a professional air, one that matched how he looked down on everyone around him, especially those without psychic powers.
Shou Tucker may be one of the most infamous characters Fullmetal Alchemist ever produced. The man sacrificed his wife and daughter for what he claimed to be contributions to science. Though few could’ve seen it coming just by looking at him, his initial introduction made Shou come off as an average kind-hearted man in both his demeanor and attire.
Shou’s unassuming look hides what he’s really like on the inside. It makes it all the more shocking when he ends up showing the Elrics — and the viewers — just how far he’s willing to go to keep his State Alchemist license.
3 On The Outside, Johan Looks Normal & That’s What Makes Him Terrifying (Monster)
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At the start of Monster, Dr. Kenzo Tenma chose to save Johan Liebert as a boy rather than the mayor, Roedecker. This turned out to be the greatest mistake Dr. Tenma would ever make. Even as a child, Johan was a cold and calculated killer who delivered the worst possible suffering onto his victims for no reason other than his own enjoyment. However, to the everyday person, he’d look normal, which makes him more terrifying.
Johan carefully crafts an average, yet charismatic persona and this extends to his wardrobe as well. He keeps himself looking normal, but well-dressed, concealing his true self and allowing him to manipulate others unwittingly. Johan proves that sometimes the scariest monsters look the most human.
2 Izaya’s Normal Attire Doesn’t Make Him Any Less Threatening (Durarara!!)
A character’s look can be iconic even without it really being a costume and Izaya’s outfit from Durarara!! definitely fits the bill. While Izaya mainly wears casual clothing, the most recognizable part of his attire is his dark fur-lined coat, a standard article of clothing that he’s made into his own.
Izaya’s laid-back and casual look adds to his need to create chaos. He sees the world around him as one big game — one that he doesn’t take all that seriously. Even so, that doesn’t make him any less intimidating.
1 Light’s Anonymity Is Part Of What Made Him Such An Effective Killer (Death Note)
While Death Note’s Light Yagami would see himself as the hero of his story, proclaiming himself to be justice itself and smiting the wicked for the sake of the innocent, his cruel and ruthless actions accentuated by his massive ego say otherwise. As Kira, Light used the Death Note to kill criminals and anyone else who got in his way, unseen by the public eye.
Being a killer in the shadows, Light required no costume and either wore casual clothes, his school uniform, or just business attire. Light’s unassuming look was the disguise he wore while committing these acts, using his anonymity as a regular person to hide his evil machinations.