Plenty of anime villains make use of the secret identity trope to help them commit and execute their crimes without being thwarted by the hero or local authorities. The trick is, they must keep their real identity a secret, or their plans are threatened to come crashing down.
Whether they work under an alias or they remain hidden behind a mask, villains have many creative ways of keeping out of the limelight. Their success teeters on the edge, however, as being revealed is always a likely possibility. Many anime villains have found out the hard way what that can lead to.
10 The Authorities Finally Prove Kira Is Light Yagami In Death Note
Death Note‘s Light Yagami was in the perfect position to hide his serial killer identity. He was young, charismatic, and the son of a policeman, so he could get all of the right details and remain unsuspicious. However, he let his hubris get to him and he made some mistakes along the way.
He was suspected of being Kira, which was the name the authorities gave to the unknown serial killer, but he successfully threw off suspicion on multiple occasions. However, after a plan was pulled off by Mello and Near, Kira’s identity was finally confirmed and Light was defeated.
9 Pain Is One Of Nagato’s Avatars In Naruto: Shippuden
Nagato had a few avatars that he used to launch an assault on the Hidden Leaf Village in Naruto: Shippuden. The seeming leader of the avatars and the face of the Akatsuki, however, was Pain, an avatar made from the body of Nagato’s former teammate and best friend, Yahiko.
After their fight in the Hidden Rain Village, Jiraiya caught on to Pain and Nagato but he was killed in the process. Eventually, Naruto Uzumaki was able to find Nagato and confront him, convincing him to give up his attack on the Leaf.
8 Shiro’s Alternate Personality Is Red Man In Deadman Wonderland
Shiro dealt with a lot of trauma and abuse throughout her life in Deadman Wonderland, and as a result, her mind created another personality that could protect her. That personality was called the Wretched Egg or Red Man, and it took on the appearance of a heroic fictional character from her and her childhood friend Ganta’s youth.
Red Man stormed into Ganta’s classroom one day and killed all Ganta’s classmates. Naturally, Ganta was accused of the crime and sent to the very same prison where Shiro was. Ganta endeavors to find Red Man’s identity. Toward the end of the series, it’s revealed to be Shiro.
7 Amon & Noatak Are The Same Person In The Legend Of Korra
Amon was a masked figure and leader of the Equalists who sought to take away people’s bending powers in The Legend of Korra. He succeeded in unsettling Avatar Korra and becoming a Republic City menace. He was identifiable by his infamous trademark mask that hid his true identity.
However, it was not long before his identity was revealed. He was the brother of an esteemed councilman, Tarrlok, and his real name was Noatak. Once Korra and Tenzin found out Amon’s identity, they were able to track his deeds back to his father, Yakone, a criminal that Avatar Aang took bending from.
6 Yoshikage Kira Pretends To Be A Family Man In Diamond Is Unbreakable
Yoshikage Kira, like Death Note’s Kira, was also a serial killer but his motivations lacked any honor or sense of justice. He targeted women and murdered them before taking their hands and pretending they were his girlfriend until they became too rotten.
Kira took Kosaku Kawajiri’s face in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable and masqueraded as a family man in the Kawajiri household, but he did fool everyone. His undoing came when the ghost of one of his victims asked the Joestar Team to look into him. Eventually, all of Kira’s crimes were uncovered.
5 Diavolo & Vinegar Doppio Are One Person In Golden Wind
Diavolo was the cruel and terrifying leader of the crime gang Passione, a syndicate that Giorno Giovanna wanted to become the leader of. However, Diavolo also had an alter ego. While Diavolo was the leader of Passione, Vinegar Doppio was Diavolo’s second-in-command but he and Diavolo were the same person.
Vinegar Doppio didn’t know he inhabited Diavolo’s body, and he hallucinated being in regular contact with his counterpart in the form of imaginary phone calls. In the end, Doppio died when his and Diavolo’s souls were separated, revealing the truth of Doppio’s identity and separate soul.
4 Tobi Is Obito’s Alias In Naruto: Shippūden
Obito Uchiha became a rogue ninja as a result of the ninja war trauma and all of the shinobi world’s issues in Naruto Shippuden. He devised an attack on the Hidden Leaf Village that included extracting the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit.
This ultimately led to the deaths of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and his wife, Kushina Uzumaki, both of whom had been strong positive forces in Obito’s younger years. During this plot and onward as he became a prominent figure in the Akatsuki, Obito took on the alias, Tobi.
3 Yato’s Father Parades As A High School Student In Noragami
Yato’s father was the source of a lot of Yato’s pain in Noragami. Not only did his father manipulate him into becoming a great and terrible god of destruction, but he also pulled the strings in Yato’s strange relationship with Nora. When Yato created a new identity and met Hiyori Iki and Yukine, he thought he had left all of that behind.
Unfortunately, Yato’s father was hiding just under everyone’s noses. He had taken on the form of a high school student and wormed his way into Hiyori’s life. However, Yato was not about to let him ruin his new friendships.
2 Ryo Asuka Is Actually Satan In Devilman Crybaby
Akira Fudo and his friend, Ryo Asuka, were destined to be adversaries from the start in Devilman Crybaby. Ryo was not just Akira’s friend: Ryo was Satan himself. During one of Ryo’s expeditions in experimenting with demons, Ryo takes Akira to a nightclub where Akira gains his Devilman powers.
After widespread chaos and death following the discovery of demons, Akira and Ryo are finally pitted against one another and Ryo reveals that he is the reincarnated Satan here to destroy humanity. Ryo’s reveal led to Akira’s death and ultimately the destruction of the world.
1 Azula Masquerades As A Kyoshi Warrior In Avatar: The Last Airbender
Azula was a master manipulator in Avatar: The Last Airbender. One of her boldest schemes involved infiltrating Ba Sing Se by impersonating a Kyoshi Warrior, taking over the Dai Li, and then killing the Avatar and taking the city. While her time as a fake Kyoshi Warrior didn’t last long, it led to serious consequences.
Her identity was revealed too late. She followed Team Avatar underneath the city and shot lightning at Aang while he was entering the Avatar State. Without Aang and with the Dai Li in her pocket, Azula was able to take control of Ba Sing Se.
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