Tokyo Ghoul is a dark and twisted fantasy anime where humans live in fear of super-powered humanoids called ghouls that feed on humans to survive. When series protagonist Kaneki Ken survives an attack, he becomes a half-ghoul and finds that he must now consume flesh to survive like the wicked ghouls that humanity has grown to hate.
With such a morbid premise, it's no surprise that Tokyo Ghoul is a controversial anime that's been banned in several countries, and its dark story often comments on and criticizes the nature of humanity. This allows Tokyo Ghoul's villains to go beyond mere mindless flesh-eating monsters, and the darkest villains are some of the series' most complex, adding valuable layers and intricacy to the story when it needs it most.
10 Kanae von Rosewald's Name Comes From Her Tragic Backstory
Born Karren von Rosewald, Kanae is one of Tokyo Ghoul's many characters with a tragic backstory, and she is the last survivor of her family after they were exterminated by Matsuri Washuu. Karen was then forced into servitude by the Tsukiyama family, where she pretended to be a boy and used the name Kanae. She derived the name Kanae by combining the initials of her family members as a beautiful and tragic homage to her fallen family.
Later in the series, Kanae falls victim to Eto, one of Tokyo Ghoul's many Owls, and she endured terrible torture as a result. Kanae may have been one of the series' cannibalistic ghouls, but her sad and complex backstory makes it hard not to feel pity for her.
9 Noro was Eto's Guardian and Subordinate
Tokyo Ghoul remains one of the scariest shonen anime, and characters like Noro are part of the reason why. Noro was a subordinate of the One-Eyed King and was previously a ghoul known as Noroi who raised Eto and eventually became her subordinate. As Eto's foster father, Noro was a surprisingly loving parent and cared greatly for her well-being.
Noro is known for being silent and deadly and was often unpredictably aggressive. Under his mask, it is revealed that Noro's decapitated head has no eyes or nose and takes on a truly terrifying mummified appearance, making him one of the series' creepiest villains.
8 Kishou Arima was a Twisted Double Agent
Kishou Arima was actually one of Tokyo Ghoul's Ghoul Investigators charged with eliminating ghouls and protecting Japan's citizens. He was known as the "Reaper" and revered as the undefeated ghoul investigator thanks to his impressive skills, but underneath it all, he was actually siding with the ghouls in a dark twist of events.
Despite often being depicted as a good guy, Arima was the One-Eyed King working with Eto Yoshimura, and he was a master manipulator throughout the series, bending both ghouls and humans to his will. Tokyo Ghoul regularly blends the line between hero and villain, and Arima playing a hero on both sides of the conflict between humans and ghouls is a prime example.
7 Roma Hoito was a Powerful Ghoul with a Split Personality
Roma Hoito may have an innocent-looking appearance in Tokyo Ghoul, but she's by far one of the most terrifying and strong characters in the entire series, especially when she takes on her terrifying Dodgy Mother form. At first glance, she may appear to be a ditzy waitress, but she can very easily switch off her innocent facade and turn into a sadistic and powerful ghoul.
Roma was the founder of Tokyo Ghoul's Clown gang, and she was also the Dodgy Mother, an SSS-ranked ghoul that fought the famed Tsuneyoshi Washuu in battle. When assuming her mighty Dodgy Mother form, Roma's evil cannibalistic nature is revealed — the polar opposite of her innocent appearance as a waitress in Anteiku.
6 Seidou Takizawa is a Lost Soul
Seidou Takizawa is one of Tokyo Ghoul's characters who went through a complicated journey that started with him as one of the admirable Ghoul Investigators. In a tragic turn of events, Takizawa became one of the anime's many villains who used to be good, with him turning into a one-eyed ghoul and member of the Aogiri Tree.
The ghoulification experiments Takizawa endured saw him transform into a villain and go after the good guys in the series, despite formerly being one himself. Eventually, he joined Ken Kaneki's Goat organization, which aims for coexistence between humans and ghouls — but Takizawa can never escape his dark past.
5 Yakumo Oomori References a Horror Movie Icon
Yakumo Oomori was one of the Aogiri Tree's executives and the founding leader of Tokyo Ghoul's White Suits gang. He went by the alias Yamori, but his dark and brutal love of violence earned him the nickname Jason after the iconic masked horror villain from Friday the 13th.
Yamori's mask pays homage to the legendary slasher film, and the dark and sadistic Tokyo Ghoul character lives up to the name of Jason. Yamori took advantage of Kaneki's regeneration and tortured him for his own pleasure, ironically becoming the reason Kaneki accepted himself as a Ghoul and embraced his transformation.
4 Tatara was One of Aogiri's Top Leaders
Tatara was one of the Aogiri Tree's leaders, working closely with the One-Eyed King and killing any and all of his enemies in cold blood. He consistently shows a lack of respect for the low-ranking members of the Aogiri Tree, considering them as disposable and referring to them as stray dogs, proving that even his own allies aren't safe from his villainous ways.
Tatara is an SS- ranked Ghoul, making him one of the highest rated Ghouls in the series and capable of unspeakable power. His evil deeds include mass murder, attempted genocide, cannibalism, and other acts of terrorism.
3 Eto Yoshimura is a Deadly One-Eyed Ghoul
Eto Yoshimura was the founding leader of Tokyo Ghoul's terror organization Aogiri Tree, the natural enemies of the CCG Ghoul Investigators. She is the One-Eyed Owl, being a half-human and half-ghoul, and she often hides her appearance in bandages that give her an eerie appearance coupled with her right eye kakugan.
Eto often finds joy in the suffering of others, especially the ghoul investigators who try to bring an end to her terror. She also possesses a sharp wit and incredible empathy — something she uses to her advantage for her malicious deeds, manipulating her victims and ensuring their suffering is never-ending.
2 Rize Kamishiro was a Gluttonous Femme Fatale
Rize may not have been a villainous character in Tokyo Ghoul from the start, but her evil deeds launched many of the series' most terrifying plot points, including her being the reason Ken Kaneki turned into a one-eyed ghoul. Her nickname was "Binge Eater," due to her gluttonous ways and the terrifying threat she posed to other ghouls, using her beauty to lure and charm her victims.
Later in the series, Rize would become the host for the Dragon, who was responsible for the ghoulification of Tokyo. This resulted in a confrontation between Kaneki and Rize that saw the former have to kill her to end the Dragon's mighty rampage, giving Rize one of the darkest and saddest deaths in Tokyo Ghoul.
1 Nimura Furuta's Aliases Hid His Villainous Deeds
Nimura Furuta was the Rank 1 Ghoul Investigator and former Bureau Director of the CCG in Tokyo Ghoul, but as the series went on, it was revealed he was actually the primary antagonist of the entire series. His real name was Kichimura Washuu, and Furuta used many aliases to hide his devilish deeds and keep them hidden until the end of the series, making it a thrilling ride.
Furuta ended up being a master manipulator, and he frequently used his high-ranking status to further his evil agenda. He was a sadistic genius whose crimes included genocide, torture, treason, and killing his own father, Tsuneyoshi Washuu. As the evil mastermind behind much of Tokyo Ghoul's story, Furuta is not just a wicked sadist, but also the darkest character in the entire series, but fans had to wait until the very end to see just how dark and wicked he truly was.
