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One of the most common and interesting tropes in all anime is that of characters with a god complex, most of whom fall into the villain category. While this may seem surprising to some, the values, characteristics, and morals woven into a typical anime protagonist are somewhat dichotomous to those of a god complex.
Nevertheless, there are plenty of examples, even if most anime characters who fit this bill are villains. The shonen anime demographic, in particular, has a plethora of examples, even more so within the narrower view of the battle shonen series.
Villains from the Big Three and other classic anime series perfectly fit a god complex diagnosis
1) Enel
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One Piece’s Enel actually finds himself in the position of “God” (the title used for the Skypiean leader) when first introduced in the anime series. Although this is just the title for whoever the leader is, he repeatedly states that he thinks of himself as a god, citing his seemingly invincible Rumble-Rumble Fruit powers and excellent Observation Haki.
In the latter example, he has something of a point, with the combination of his Devil Fruit and Observation Haki granting him omniscience over all conversations on Skypiea. Thankfully, protagonist Monkey D. Luffy gives him a reality check thanks to the benefit of being the perfect counter to his lightning powers.
2) Light Yagami
After finding the Death Note in the eponymous anime series, protagonist Light Yagami begins a crusade to rid the world of all criminals. In the series’ first episode, he even says he desires to become “the God of this new world,” illustrating his god complex to the viewers.
Furthermore, he even has people who exclusively call him “God” by the end of the series, even personally by allies such as Teru Mikami. The general public also refers to him as a god via the name Kira, with the world eventually accepting his presence and almost seeming thankful for his actions.
3) Meruem
Hunter x Hunter’s Meruem is a villain who considers himself to be the evolutionary peak of life in general, and his actions certainly demonstrate such belief. He constantly shows the lives of those around him as expendable, even those of his allies, which is a clear indicator of a severe god complex.
There’s not much depth to his god complex beyond these two main points, but the consistency with which he professes himself to be a god-like figure seals the deal. Despite eventually getting over himself, a majority of his time in the anime series sees him behaving as if he truly feels himself to be a godly figure of evolution.
4) Dio Brando
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’s Dio Brando has several red flags for a god complex throughout the series, starting with his first name, which can be translated as “God” in various languages. He’s even shown to have almost a cult of zealous followers throughout the anime who feverishly follow and support his goals, even years after his death.
He’s often portrayed as a satanic archetype who believes they have the entire world in their hands. Although he never calls himself a god, his behavior throughout the series and his first name's meaning indicate a god complex.
5) Ryo Asuka
Devilman Crybaby’s Ryo both has a god complex and is literally a godly figure, being revealed to be Satan towards the end of the anime series. The entire time up to that point, he’s shown to view humans as playthings for his entertainment, pitting them against each other and toying with them constantly.
His futile victory in the end only further proves this, as he’s seen realizing the price of a god complex as imminent death swiftly reigns down upon him. His philanthropic guise, which he presents himself under throughout the majority of the series, only further highlights the obvious god complex which lies within.
6) Pain
Throughout Naruto: Shippuden, Pain is shown to strongly believe the suffering he’s endured, combined with the power of his Rinnegan, makes him a true god. This is shown very clearly through the way he portrays himself to the people of Amegakure, the village where he primarily resides.
Furthermore, the various names of his techniques all use words that suggest religious imagery, such as “Almighty Push” and “Rinne Rebirth,” the latter of which gives control over life. It’s extremely clear that Nagato, under the guise of his Pain identity, feels himself to be a god, even if he is aware of his own mortality.
7) Donquixote Doflamingo
The second One Piece antagonist on this list, Donquixote Doflamingo has plenty of indicators of a god complex. His origins as a Celestial Dragon give him such a mindset, given that they rule over normal citizens and are literally referred to as gods. They’re allowed to have slaves, kill people as they please, and even directly command the Marine Admirals.
Doflamingo takes this a step further, however, as seen by his constant degradation of those he now lives amongst after his father leaves the ranks of the Celestial Dragons. His epithet of “Heavenly Demon” and clear enjoyment of physically controlling others like a puppet indicate a colossal god complex.
8) Ragyo Kiryuin
Kill la Kill!’s Queen of the Life Fibers is shown to have a god complex throughout the original anime series. Her goal was to destroy the entire planet, citing the inferiority of humankind relative to her life threads - using this disparity as justification for the former’s elimination.
She’s even shown to be so zealous in this pursuit that she attempts to fuse humans and life fibers, using daughter Ryuko Matoi as a test subject. Ironically, like with many god-complex antagonists, Ragyo’s hubris was her undoing, with Ryuko displaying power beyond her wildest dreams and using it to eliminate her once and for all.
9) Father
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’s final villain Father has such a severe god complex that his goal is to pull God down to Earth and fuse with him, becoming a god himself. Along the way to his ultimate goal, he’s shown using humans as pawns in his plan, vocally expressing his belief that they’re mere insects to him.
Ironically, his form throughout the series is achieved via the help of a human, making him part human from a certain point of view. There’s little doubt he has one of the biggest god complexes in all of anime.
10) Sosuke Aizen
Finally, Bleach’s Sosuke Aizen is shown to claim throughout the series that he alone can “stand in Heaven” and become something gods wish they could become. His ultimate plan is even to overthrow the Soul King, the closest thing to a god in the Seireitei, and take his place in the Royal Realm.
The final transformation he makes during the series is emblematic of this goal, showing him to truly possess God-like power which is reinforced by the arc's name being “Deicide.” Although he’s stopped by Ichigo, he’s shown to be immortal thanks to this transformation, truly serving as the prime example of him having a God complex.
