Villains

Before the Quirk phenomenon occurred, Villains only existed in fiction, such as Captain Hero Comics' Demon Lord. When Quirks seemingly made reality resemble these superpower-filled comics, the public took a second look at the concept of Villains, especially when some people began using their new gifts to benefit themselves instead of helping others. Some, like Yoichi Shigaraki, thought comics' idealist concepts could do good, including using the term "Villain" on real offenders. Meanwhile, others like All For One scoffed at the notion of Villains, saying the real-world wasn't so simple. Early on, who counted as a "Hero" and "Villain" had yet to be defined, blurring the line between the two. The most gray area of debate was where Vigilantes fit on the spectrum.

At first, the countries of Earth were unprepared for this new type of criminal and were overrun. Even organised crime collapsed, with traditional organizations like the Yakuza nearly going extinct. During this chaotic era, several notorious Villains arose, who would be remembered for decades, including: All For One, Oji Harima the Peerless Thief, and Destro. One major source of Villains in this era was the conflict between Quirk users, known back then as Metahumans, and anti-Quirk factions, such as the Meta Liberation Army and the Creature Rejection Clan. Meanwhile, other Villains, like All For One, would profiteer from both sides. As the births of Quirk-users increased, acceptance rose with it, eventually making the conflict lose its prominence.

With the efforts of Vigilantes, the world finally stabilized and hero society emerged from the ashes. An official definition was created for Villains, which, though to a lesser degree, included Vigilantes. The Pro Hero profession was created to combat Villains and the rate of crime became low in the modern day. Villains were forced to adapt to this regulated world. Some accepted their careers were likely short-lived, prioritising the thrill over secrecy, committing crimes in broad daylight. Meanwhile, others retreated to the shadows, waiting and planning for the time to rise again.

All Might alone sewed fear into the hearts of Villains, to the point where Villains like Number 6 had to be purposefully discreet so as to not get on All Might's radar. Civilians felt so well protected, active crimes were watched like spectator sports. Even casual and snide remarks would be made at low-rate Villains. While hero society succeeds in stopping physical crimes, its weakness is in addressing their social roots. Several Villains of the modern generation have their motives tied to the flaws within hero society.