Not Naruto or One Piece, but JoJo's Bizarre Adventure has anime’s best villain

The villains are what make JoJo's Bizarre Adventure iconic and rewatchable. From Phantom Blood Arc to Steel Ball Run, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure has had an impressive run of captivating villains. The main reason why a lot of Jojo villains are acclaimed is due to their uniqueness. These villainous characters don’t adhere to any anime trope and are flashy and over-the-top.

Dio, the first villain in the Jojo series, was a textbook sociopath who coveted and hated his adopted family; this hatred led him to bear a grudge against the entire Joestar bloodline. Dio is featured in the Phantom Blood Arc and Stardust Crusaders, and his iconic shouts of “Muda Muda” are noteworthy.

Another villain from the Jojo series that fans adore is Funny Valentine, the villain from Steel Ball Run. However, no villain from the series can be compared to Yoshikage Kira, Diamond is Unbreakable’s villain.

Yoshikage Kira is usually not mentioned when it comes to Jojo villains. Even when it comes to anime villains, the likes of Madara, Blackbeard, and Aizen are mentioned. When it comes to pure villainy, Yoshikage Kira is head and shoulders above any anime villain.

This is due to his objectives that do not involve world domination; Kira is just a serial killer who wants to remain in the background, away from the eyes of many. Here is a deep dive as to why Diamond is Unbreakable’s villain is one of the best.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s views and may contain spoilers.

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Why Yoshikage Kira from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is anime’s number one villain

Kira beating Koichi in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (Image via David Production)

Many anime villains are usually beset with grandiose ambitions, and it mostly revolves around conquering the world. Madara from Naruto, L from Death Note, and Dio from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Phantom Blood Arc are very good examples in anime, as all they want to do is achieve world domination.

The other anime villain types that are shown are those who are dead set on revenge; Lelouch from Code Geass and Scar from Full Metal Alchemist are prominent examples. There is one other archetype of villain that is rarely shown, and those are the villains who are content with just causing harm in their little world.

Yoshikage Kira belongs to the archetype of villains who are content with causing harm; like the villain of Erased, Yoshikage Kira is a serial killer. Most of the time, characters like Kira are treated cartoonishly or are depicted unattractively; however, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure makes a bold move by depicting Kira as an aesthetically pleasing man.

Kira blends well with his surroundings, and that is why he was never caught throughout his killing spree in Morioh.

Yoshikage Kira celebrating his win prematurely (Image via David Production)

Another reason why Yoshikage Kira works so well is his character. Araki laid off the monotone but lovable dialogue that characterized the Pillarmen and Dio, and gave Kira depth. Yoshikage Kira is a character that is fully fleshed out, and once viewers complete JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Diamond is Unbreakable, it is easy to understand how Kira descended into villainy.

Kira is one of the few villains who is a perfect blend of nurture and nature. From a young age, Kira has always had the innate urge to commit crime, in particular, femicide. These urges built up and were never tackled, and this was due to his father, who encouraged Kira’s behaviour.

He further tried to present a front of normalcy and suppress the urges, but the urges eventually won in the end.

This is what leads him down the path as Morioh’s serial killer. Unlike other villains who are crafty because they desire power, Kira’s craftiness comes from the unassuming life he has led. This is another conflict his character has, as two battles wage inside of him.

He makes his presence felt with his unique choice of clothing, but he fights against that presence by trying his best to remain unseen. This is why Jotaro and Okuyasu struggle to find any clues when they visit his house.

There is also a superiority complex that is shown whenever Kira is on-screen. He believes himself to be superior to anyone, this is why he gets more erratic in final episodes of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Diamond is Unbreakable, as his ethos slowly crumbles.

The feeling of superiority that he has built up slowly crumbles, and he can’t deal with that. If Kira could accept that he was not so special, maybe he would have succeeded.

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Final thoughts

Yoshikage Kira’s stand greatly reflects his personality, too. This is someone who wants to live life incognito, but still needs humans. His stand is able to provide that function, by turning humans into nothing and keeping the parts he needs.

The stands add to the feeling of superiority, and that is why he feels impervious throughout JoJo's Bizarre Adventures.

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