Though there are a lot of action scenes in shonen anime where the bad guy gets defeated in brutal showdowns, we don’t often get to see the protagonist kill them. It’s rare to also see villains killing innocent people directly. And this is perhaps why we don’t see many serial killers in anime.
However, serial killers have actually made some memorable appearances in anime. Here’s our list of anime serial killers, it should make for an interesting read!
Madam Red (Black Butler)
Angelina (Madam Red) cannot give birth to children and this makes her feel immensely resentful when she performs abortions on prostitutes who wish to get rid of their unwanted children. She starts killing these women due to her rage and jealousy.
The shinigami Grell Sutcliff grows eerily interested in her activities and assists her in her murders.The two of them was dubbed as Jack The Ripper by the Victorian press in the fictional world of Black Butler.
Shion Sonozaki (When They Cry)
Shion, who was once a sweet girl, lost her mind after Satoshi disappeared. She switched from her cheerful nature to vengeance and rage, as she began murdering people she suspected were responsible for Satoshi’s “death.”
She kills not only Rika and Mion, but also her own grandmother, and Satoko. After this, she commits suicide in the hospital she was admitted to. But unlike the other serial killers in the list, her character is portrayed to feel remorse over her heinous actions and she begs for forgiveness right before she dies.
Barry The Chopper (FullMetal Alchemist)
This character was featured in one of anime’s most massively popular shonen shows, yet Barry is not that remembered by viewers. Barry was a guard named Number 66, whose job was to protect the Fifth Central Alchemical Laboratory from intruders.
When he had a physical body, Barry was a serial killer who earned his title because he took morbid fascination with chopping up his victims into tiny pieces. He was a sadistic man who took pleasure in killing people, easily becoming exmere sight of blood.
Hollywood (Durarara!!)
Ruri was once a girl with a very normal appearance. After she began working in the industry as a make-up artist for movie stars, she eventually became a model and an idol herself.
But at night, her dhampyr blood makes her commit crimes impossible to be executed by ordinary human beings. Termed the infamous name Hollywood, she became known for mangling victims’ bodies while leaving their limbs and heads intact.
Killer B (B: The Beginning)
It is revealed later on in the series that the quiet and reserved Koku was actually the black-winged killer, who was otherwise called Killer B.
Koku becomes an entirely different person when he shifts into his alter persona. Extremely aggressive, and merciless, he would kill whoever he thought deserved to die. His victims are usually small-time delinquents who would have barely spent a few days in jail for their crimes.
