This Month Villains Are Taking Over Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is celebrating anime’s most iconic villains, anti-heroes and morally complicated characters with its “Release the Villains” campaign, officially kicking off this week. From Rize Kamishiro in Tokyo Ghoul, Tomura Shigaraki in My Hero Academia, and Askeladd in VINLAND SAGA, anime has given audiences some of entertainment’s most memorable characters; characters we love to hate, hate to love, and can’t stop talking about. During Villain Week, Crunchyroll is putting these unforgettable characters in the spotlight and inviting fans around the world to celebrate the dark side. As part of the celebration, your favorites are claiming their place in the spotlight with a social coup, curated carousels spotlighting iconic antagonists and their most compelling stories, and dedicated collections that make it easier than ever to discover and stream your next favorite villain.
Throughout November, villains are hitting the streets of Berlin, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Toronto, Sao Paulo and Mexico City as Crunchyroll brings its most iconic anime antagonists into the real world. Through bold out-of-home takeover, larger-than-life digital displays, and immersive fan experiences, the campaign brings anime’s most unforgettable villains into the spotlight.
This month’s “Release the Villains” campaign spotlights iconic antagonists from across Crunchyroll’s anime catalog* including:
- PSYCHO-PASS – Shogo Makishima
- My Hero Academia – Tomura Shigaraki
- Attack on Titan – Zeke Jaeger
- VINLAND SAGA – Askeladd
- OVERLORD – Ains Ooal Gown
- Tokyo Ghoul – Rize Kamishiro
Anime’s greatest villains are rarely defined by evil alone. They challenge heroes, expose uncomfortable truths, and blur the lines between right and wrong. More than obstacles to overcome, they’re complicated, compelling characters who reflect something undeniably human. Their ambition, defiance, chaos, and occasional disregard for the rules speak to a little something in all of us. And maybe that’s why we don’t just love to hate them. Sometimes, we just love them. This November, it’s time to “Love the Ones You Hate.”
About Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is the global anime brand that fuels fans’ love of anime. With the ambition to make anime an even bigger part of pop culture, Crunchyroll offers fans the ultimate anime experience and destination centered around a premium streaming service. Crunchyroll has the largest dedicated anime library, an immersive world of events, exciting theatrical releases, unique games, must-have merchandise, timely news, and more. Anime is for everyone and is accessible to stream across territories through Crunchyroll—whether on the go on mobile, through gaming consoles and big-screen devices at home, or on desktops anywhere.
Crunchyroll, LLC is an independently operated joint venture between U.S.-based Sony Pictures Entertainment and Japan’s Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., both subsidiaries of Tokyo-based Sony Group.
