Top 15 Manhwa Where MC Is a Badass Villain Beating Heroes
If you’re looking for the best manhwa with evil, ruthless villainous MCs, look no further.
Most stories tend to focus on good people overcoming bad odds and seeing heroes thrive under pressure or unsurmountable conflicts. But it’s sometimes more exciting and refreshing to see what’s happening on the other side of the moral fence.
Manhwas with Evil MC portray ruthless characters whose wickedness might stem from past life experiences or deranged political and social views on the state of the world. Some are born evil, some become evil, and some do not care for the label and switch between the white, grey, and black shades of human morality based on what is more convenient for them at a specific time.
Through this recommendation list and its 15 manhwas, you’ll become acquainted with villain MCs that are cunning, manipulative, and ruthless - each for their own specific reasons.
+Manhwa Where MC is an Overpowered Transfer Student+
+Manga With Evil and Villain Mc+
Hero Killer (Kkulbeol)
히어로 킬러
Unlike most superheroes portrayed in stories, the ones in this manhwa abuse their power and status to their benefit. While they still end up saving the day, they walk in the grey areas of life, some within darker shades than others. As she grows up in this world of corruption and turmoil, Ihwa becomes consumed by revenge and swears to hunt down and kill every hero that stands in her way until injustice is paid. But as she pursues her plan, she starts to fall into the same immoral conduct of the people she's hunting down, not paying attention to who stands in her way as she tries to quench her thirst for revenge.
+Chapters: +92
+Published: 2021 to Present
+Genres: Action - Drama - Supernatural
+Authors: Kkulbeol [Story] Beolkkul [Art]
+Serialization/Other work: Naver Webtoon
2. How to live as a villain
악당이 살아가는 법
This story is a branch of multiple genres that fuse together. The world-building centers around an "RPG" themed system where "players" have been selected to compete in a series of contests that will choose the next 'God.' The setting itself is quite dark due to the tension that is constantly generated throughout the plot and the nature of its characters: Seonghoon, in particular, is the epitome of a villain MC, with no redemption ark or warm qualities to his persona. He is cunning and manipulative and does not hesitate to use or betray anyone who no longer serves him - no matter the depth of his relationship with them.
+Chapters: +65
+Published: 2021 to Present
+Genres: Action - Drama - Fantasy - Psychological - Survival
+Authors: Rundgreen [Story] + Lee Masik [Art]
+Serialization/Other work: Naver Webtoon
3. The Earth's Chosen Savior
지구식 구원자 전형 - Earth Savior Selection
The world is set to end in 42 days with an apocalypse brought about by monsters. As the counter starts, humanity becomes entangled in a game with individuals forced to take a quiz that will determine and rank their abilities to save the planet. After his evaluation, office worker Jeong-u Park is labeled as a ‘savior,’ but to his surprise, his powers can only grow by killing other living beings and absorbing their ‘essence orbs.’ As Park starts to see the bigger picture of his abilities and duty towards the earth, his personality adapts to the brutal, cold, and calculating world he must navigate: to save humanity, he must shed his own.
+Chapters: 60
+Published: 2021 to 2022
+Genres: Action - Fantasy - Psychological
+Authors: Oetu[Story] Ha Jungsoo [Art]
+Serialization/Other work: Naver Webtoon
4. Villains
빌런즈
Since graduating from the prestigious Hero Academy, Ron has been unable to activate his superpowers, so he struggles to land a job as a superhero. One day, he accepts a mysterious job interview and gets scouted by Darren. The job? Be Darren's personal assistant - who just happens to be the world's most notorious villain. But Darren turns out to be a great boss who cares deeply about his employees' work-life balance, going so far as to brew morning coffee for them. The more involved Ron gets with the life of being a villain, the more he begins to question the conventional definitions of good and evil.
+Chapters: 60
+Published: 2018 to 2020
+Genres: Action - Comedy - Drama
+Authors: Kim Spark [Story & Art]
+Serialization/Other work: Daum Webtoon
5. End and Save
엔드와 세이브
Don’t be fooled by the cute character design and artistic depiction of this manhwa, as this is a story that centers around death and murders. The plot first begins as a sort of humoristic satire but quickly turns and twists into deeper themes and explorations while maintaining a fresh perception thanks to its dark humor. End and Save are the two main protagonists of the story, one displaying deep insanity and malice with sociopathic traits while the other is more laid-back and warm. As they embark on an intricate and mysterious journey, you'll grow to love and understand their interesting dynamic.
+Chapters: 224
+Published: 2016 to 2021
+Genres: Action - Comedy - Fantasy - Supernatural
+Authors: Silyeong [Story & Art]
+Serialization/Other works: Toomics
6.I grow stronger by eating
먹을수록 강해짐
On Earth, Mr.Kim is known as 'Pet Shop,' a nickname he earned due to his purchasing of various exotic, diverse, and wild animals. This is an MC who is evil to the core and does every illegal thing under the sun, from poaching to assassinations and drug smuggling. Although he is wanted by many law-inforcing agencies, they all fail to understand the true nature of his power: Kim is an 'OP psychopath' who possesses the special ability to be able to absorb the skills of creatures he eats. One day, as he is finally on the verge of being caught, the universe decides to come to his rescue and sends him to another world inhabited by animals and humans with new properties he hasn't seen (or eaten, lol) before.
+Chapters: +77
+Published: 2021 to Present
+Genres: Action - Adventure - Fantasy - Isekai
+Authors: Kitaeon [Art] Ttosok-eun Naengjuk [Story]
+Serialization/Other work: KakaoPage
7.Hoarding in hell
지옥에서 독식
Although dungeon manhwas have garnered a bad reputation over the years, this one is an entertaining short read for fans of the ‘Villain MC’ trait. The story follows Hyunmoo Kang, a sewage cleaner belonging to the lowest denomination of the Hunter class of his world. One day, as he was cleaning the sewer system of mana (I’m not making this up), he inherited a mysterious stone that transported him into a place akin to Hell. There, he dies multiple times, experiencing agony and rebirth until he gains the ability to go back and forth in different time dimensions. With his new ability comes a new goal: to rule over his old world with infinite power.
+Chapters: +40
+Published: 2021 to Present
+Genres: Romance - Supernatural - Ecchi
+Creator: Corgibear [Story]Kim Dong-Hoon [Art]
+Serialization/Other works: KakaoPage
8. Tomb Raider King
도굴왕
One day, mysterious tombs started appearing worldwide, containing relics that would grant their users legendary supernatural abilities. As people began hunting them down, overcoming the challenges to wield these powers, humanity’s hierarchy established itself anew, with the wielder of these relics enslaving those who did not possess them. Within this world, Jooheon Suh is a ‘Tomb Raider’ whose aim is to steal every relic under the sun and use them to his sole advantage. While the plot centers around the MC’s lack of remorse and mad wickedness, a dimension of it also explains the history and culture surrounding the relics, which mirror ones in the real world. So if you like history and you’re looking for a manhua where the MC is a villain, this one should be right up your alley.
+Chapters: +368
+Published: 2019 to Present
+Genres: Action - Adventure - Fantasy
+Authors: Sanji Jiksong [Story] 3B2S [Art]
+Serialization/Other work: KakaoPage
9. I’m Really Not the Devil’s Lackey
我真不是邪神走狗 - I'm Really Not The Demon God's Lackey
This is an Isekai with a refreshing twist: the protagonist willingly decides to transmigrate to a world with the sole aim of discovering more books to read. In this new world, he becomes a bookshop owner, recommending novels to 'heal the souls of his customers'. As he helps his bookshop's visitors through thought times in their lives, they take a particular liking to him and bring him souvenirs from their adventures, some of which possess particularly demonic powers. But, unbeknownst to both the MC and his customers, the nature of the dialogue and books exchanged between them are the subject of wide misunderstandings. These misunderstandings will slowly lead the MC to become a villain, although he will remain unaware of this new attribute.
+Chapters: +65
+Published: 2021 to Present
+Genres: Action - Adventure - Comedy - Fantasy - Mystery
+Authors: 万劫火 & 刺猬猫阅读 & 我梦动漫 [Story&Art]
+Serialization/Other work: Bilibili
10. How to Use a Returner
회귀자 사용설명서 - Regressor instruction manual
As he is casually living his life, Giyoung is suddenly thrown into a game of life and death that resembles an RPG. While people around him discover the powers bestowed upon them, his one ability seems to be reading other players' statuses. While testing it out, he comes across Hyunsung, a man who has already played the game but died and came back. Although he has no special or physical powers of his own, Giyoung is savagely manipulative, deceitful, and a bit of a con man. Using his brain and devious personality, he artfully designs a plan to become Hyunsung's friend in the hopes that he'll do all the work for him throughout the game.
+Chapters: +64
+Published: 2021 to Present
+Genres: Action - Adventure - Fantasy - Isekai
+Authors: Midnight Studio[Art] Heuksujeo [Story]
+Serialization/Other works: KakaoPage
11. Return of the Mad Demon
광마회귀 - The return of the crazy demon
Jaha Lee is known as the Mad Demon, and although he’s not an actual demon, he is quite mad. His dreams of becoming the strongest martial artist alive lead him to steal the ‘Jade of Heaven’ from the Demonic Cult, a choice that ultimately brings him to his death as he falls off a cliff running away from his pursuers. To his surprise (but probably not yours), he re-awakens in the past, finding himself back in his 20s with all knowledge of his future life intact. Armed with immense knowledge and the muscle memory of his martial art skills, Lee sets out to fulfill his dream once again with renewed vigor and the conviction that no moral line is too high to cross.
+Chapters: +62
+Published: 2021 to Present
+Genres: Action - Martial Arts - Time Travel
+Authors: Yu Jinsung [Story] Ihy [Art]
+Serialization/Other works: Naver Webtoon
12. Hero has returned
영웅, 회귀하다 - The Hero Returns
After saving one world with the promise of going back to his own, warrior Minsu Kim returns to Earth only to find that he's lost everything. Seized by grief, he channels his feeling into a rage, deciding to destroy the world he used to call home. In his rampage, he kills teenager Jeongsu Park and his family. But instead of dying normally, Jeongsu is transported to another world, where he finds that he's now a warrior himself. After killing the demon king of this alternate world and honing his skills as a warrior, Jeongsu returns to Earth, hell-bent on revenge against Minsu. As the two warriors fight for the fate of their country, who will emerge victorious?
+Chapters: +79
+Published: 2021 to Present
+Genres: Action - Fantasy
+Authors: Fungback [Art] Narack [Story]
+Serialization/Other work: Naver Webtoon
13. Hero of His Own Opinion
有自我想法的英雄
Most of us who like reading manhwas with psychopath MCs are used to a specific personality type: protagonists tend to lack emotions of all kinds, they are cold-blooded, rarely surprised, and if they display any reaction or sentiment, it is usually deranged madness. But if you’re tired of this portrayal and you’re looking for something different, look no further than this manhua. Here, although the MC is very much a villain (he lacks remorse, manipulates others, disregards morality or the law, …), he has a refreshing personality: he oozes sarcasm and an unimpressed attitude that gets mixed in with hilarious situations that will make you laugh out loud.
+Volumes: +16
+Published: 2020 to Present
+Genres: Action - Adventure - Comedy - Drama - Fantasy
+Authors: Оро Призывающий [Story] RafMilk [Art]
+Serialization/Other work: Nevermore Studios
14. Worn and torn newbie
닳고닳은 뉴비
This is another Regressor story where the protagonist dies and relives his life at a specific point in time. For some reason, this genre is particularly popular in portraying evil MCs, and here, the protagonist is as disturbed, wicked, and exploitative as they get. After spending 15 years of his life as a failed gamer, Lee Eojin is transported back to the initial days of the game’s creation, where everyone starts out as a newbie. Immediately, he embarks on a journey to completely destroy all the game’s quests, side quests, and future strong characters, whether heroes or villains - all this in the pursuit of fame and money.
+Chapters: +114
+Published: 2020 to Present
+Genres: Action - Adventure - Fantasy
+Authors: Lego Babasseo [Story] Boniee [Art]
+Serialization/Other work: KakaoPage
15. I am the fated villain
我！天命大反派
Fans of Cultivation stories will greatly enjoy this manhua that follows the typical dimensions you would expect while introducing original twists to keep it fresh (as fresh as cultivation manhuas with evil MC can be, lol). The story follows Gu Changge, reborn in a fantasy world where he plays the role of a powerful and wealthy villain. While stories like these usually end in heroes triumphing over their enemies, Gu Changge is determined to change his character’s fate. As he decides to take advantage of the power system that centers on a peculiar cultivation method, he starts to get stronger by the day, and with great power comes a slightly disturbed mind.
+Chapters: +54
+Published: 2021 to Present
+Genres: Action - Adventure - Drama - Fantasy - Historical - Martial Arts - Psychological
+Authors: 天命反派 [Story] 绘术动漫 [Art]
+Serialization/Other work: KuaiKan
