First and foremost, I’ve gotta say it—there really aren’t that many bad characters in Food Wars. Shocking, right? But when you take into account the show’s nature—a fun mix of comedy, slice-of-life antics, and a generous sprinkle of fan-service—the bar isn’t exactly sky-high. It’s reasonable, it’s reachable, and most characters clear it just fine.
However… there are always a few bad apples, and you know what they say—a few can spoil the bunch. And spoiled is exactly how I’d describe some of these characters, especially the ones dragged in during the infamous Season 5 era. 😬
It’s no surprise that this list is heavily stacked with characters from that final stretch of the anime, because honestly? That season was rough. Bloated with unnecessary new faces, bizarre concepts, and half-baked villains, it delivered a buffet of disappointment.
So let’s not delay this any longer—it’s time to serve up the Top 10 Absolute Worst Characters in Food Wars, the ones who left a sour taste in my mouth that even the best dishes couldn’t wash away. 🧂
Prepare yourself. Season 5 offenders are coming in hot.
10. Terunori Kuga: Flashy, Fiery… and Flat-Out Redundant
Listen, I genuinely like Kuga. His flashy aesthetic, his bold personality, and his clear culinary mastery—it all makes for an attention-grabbing character. He’s got that smug grin, that relentless energy, and the kind of presence that instantly commands the screen. And yet… despite all that?
He just feels like another Soma Yukihira copy-paste. 😐
And that’s not exactly a compliment.
Think about it: the series itself draws direct comparisons between Soma and characters like Takumi Aldini, then it does the same with Ryou, then Kuga, and finally Asahi. At some point, it becomes painfully clear—Food Wars has a “Soma-type” problem.
Why does every other male chef need to be some variation of “cocky, talented, and high-energy”? Does that formula just guarantee a good character now? Because if it does, Kuga feels like a victim of lazy overlap.
Don’t get me wrong—Kuga isn’t bad. But his best traits? We’ve seen them done better in other characters. Characters who are more developed, more layered, and honestly, more important to the heart of the story. Kuga might be all fireworks, but there’s just no emotional weight behind the spark. 🎆
So yeah, it is what it is. Kuga could’ve been great, but instead he ended up as a flashy rerun in a series full of reruns. Loud, likable, and ultimately forgettable.
9. Shun Ibusaki: All Smoke, No Fire
When we first meet Shun Ibusaki, he gives off that mysterious anime aura™—you know the type. Hair covering his eyes, a voice barely above a whisper, and a demeanor that practically screams, “I’ve got layers you haven’t even begun to peel.” 😶🌫️ Naturally, I expected WAAAAAY more from him. But as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Shun… is just a guy. A friend of Soma Yukihira. And that’s about it.
Sure, he’s dubbed the Prince of Smoke, and yeah, his smoky culinary style is pretty cool to watch. But here’s the kicker: who even is Shun Ibusaki, really? Why wasn’t he ever given anything meaningful to do? Where’s the development? Where’s the substance?
Look, I’m not saying he’s bad—he’s fine. But let’s be honest: Daigo and Shoji outshine him easily, and that says a lot. They’re minor, but they know their roles and play them well. Shun? He’s forgettable. He doesn’t hold a candle to anyone in Polar Star—not in writing, not in presence, not in impact.
What makes it worse is how stacked the dorm is. Everyone brings something fresh and distinct—Yuki’s chaos, Zenji’s brains, Megumi’s quiet strength—and then there’s Shun. Just the quiet guy with smoke. If you’re gonna do the silent loner thing, go all in like Ryo or Akira. Those guys had edge, presence, arcs. Shun? He’s the vibe of a cool character without any depth to back it up.
With real screen time or even a mini arc, he could’ve been something. But as it stands, Shun Ibusaki is just wasted potential, lost in his own smoke. 💨
8. Azami Nakiri: The Villain Who Got Soft and Lost His Bite
Azami Nakiri—oh boy. This guy was a menace at first, and I’ll admit, I loved that about him. He had that evil, over-the-top aura that made him a perfect villain to hate. His motivations, as crazy as they were, at least made some sense… in a twisted, “I’m an insane, controlling jerk” kind of way. 😈 But then came the fifth season, and wow, what happened to him?
I’m gonna be blunt—Azami turned into a total softie. Like, he went from this calculating, menacing figure to a meek, submissive shadow of himself. 🤦♂️ Suddenly, he’s telling Erina that Asahi is his son and just… playing happy family? What?! Like, was this a joke? It’s like they decided, “Let’s take one of the most intense characters and completely deflate him.” The shift in his character didn’t feel earned—it felt rushed and completely out of place.
And don’t even get me started on his whole “I pushed Erina to please Mana” reveal. Like, huh? Is this some kind of twisted family therapy session? Just when I thought they couldn’t make it worse, they hit me with that bombshell. The inconsistency in his character in Season 5 is honestly painful.
Azami Nakiri started off strong, but by the end, he felt like a badly written afterthought. In a season full of missed opportunities, he’s a standout example of wasted potential. So, yeah—Azami may have been a formidable villain once, but by the time the credits roll on Season 5, he’s just another tragic casualty of bad writing. 😩
7. Mana Nakiri: The Last Straw in the “Everyone’s a Villain” Saga
Somewhere along the way, Food Wars stopped being the Soma Yukihira story we signed up for and morphed into an Erina Nakiri story. Not only do the last few seasons focus on Erina’s grandfather, father, cousin and half-brother, but now it also includes her mother, Mana Nakiri. What a Joke.
Let’s be real—Mana Nakiri’s arrival was the final straw in Food Wars’ descent into overcooked drama. She’s Erina’s mother, suddenly dropped into the plot with all the grace of a microwave burrito. Villain for five minutes, redeemed just as fast. 🙄
Oh, and surprise! She’s got the God Tongue too, which totally kills Erina’s uniqueness. Like—wasn’t that her entire identity? Apparently not, it’s just a Nakiri family trait now. Cool. Real original. 🙃
Then they slap her into the role of BLUE’s main judge, searching for a “never-before-seen” dish, despite giving us zero emotional investment in her. And when Erina wins with a mystery meal we never even see, suddenly everyone devotes themselves to pleasing her palate. 😒 What is this writing? So I’m supposed to be happy that Erina got her family of twisted egotistical fools together for a family meal? Is that it? Get real. It’s a joke.
Mana didn’t just fall flat—she helped wreck Season 5’s entire flavor. A bland, unnecessary character wrapped in sparkly nonsense. ✨
6. Don Calma: The Flashiest Forgettable Chef in Food Wars
Aside from Sarge (who, let’s be real, actually brings something to the table), Don Calma is arguably the best that the Noir has to offer. He’s charming, flamboyant, and has this dramatic flair that makes him pop off the screen. Whether he’s pulling up with his crew to cook or passionately raving about flavors like he’s hosting a high-end food opera, Don Calma is undeniably entertaining. 🎭✨
He’s funny and loud. He’s got style and a flamboyant behavior. But here’s the kicker… That’s all he’s got.
Don Calma is the textbook definition of style over substance. While we get tiny sprinkles of insight into his personality—enough to enjoy him in the moment—we’re still left with just a guy. A boss battle in a chef’s coat. Nothing more, nothing less. 🧂
His vibrant persona is so over-the-top that it actually masks how little there is to him. There’s no real backstory, no deeper motivation, no emotional anchor. He’s basically a fun carnival float that parades in, steals a scene, and then disappears forever into the fog of forgettable characters.
The worst part? He doesn’t even spark curiosity. Unlike some other Noir members who leave you wondering about their pasts or psychologies, Don Calma doesn’t make you ask anything. No intrigue. No weight. Just noise.
So yeah—he’s the best of the worst. But at the end of the day, he’s still one of the weakest characters in all of Food Wars. And once the glitter fades, there’s nothing left but a shrug. 🤷♂️
5. Bunnyhair: A Lot of Muscle, Zero Meat on the Story
So this Easter bunny shows up with a sleeper build, the body of a heavyweight champ, and—wait for it—a guillotine to prepare food. Yes, a guillotine. You read that right. And while that sounds wildly interesting on paper, the execution is just so hilariously dumb that even as I type this, my eyebrows are doing Olympic-level gymnastics. 🫣
I mean… what are we doing here?
Why the bunny mask? Why is she built like a tank in a butcher shop? Is it from all that guillotine lifting? Are we supposed to take this seriously or is this a fever dream cooked up by a bored writer with a fetish for absurdity? Because I genuinely can’t tell.
And—like clockwork—we come back to the Noir curse: Who even is she? What’s her name? What’s her story? How did she become a guillotine chef in a bunny suit? I’d love to know! That’s character gold just waiting to be mined… but nah, we get nothing. Just another faceless freak in the Noir lineup, with no personality, no purpose, and no payoff. 😮💨
The only Noir member that breaks this trend is Sarge—and let’s be real, she’s actually pretty damn good. But the rest? Background noise in elaborate costumes.
This guillotine bunny had the potential to be iconic, but instead, she’s just an overdesigned mystery with zero substance. And that’s the story of Noir in a nutshell.
4. Kou Shio: All Hype, No Heat
What a build-up, huh? Kou Shio was supposed to be that guy. The masked enigma with those creepy finger-claws, walking into the kitchen like he was about to shatter Megumi’s world. And don’t get me wrong—Megumi beating him? Totally fine. No complaints there. 👏
But the real issue? Kou Shio’s portrayal had zero payoff. He was hyped up like this unhinged culinary assassin, yet when the time came to deliver… he just didn’t. The cooking battle felt bland, and the focus on his little claw contraptions didn’t help. It was less “intense culinary warfare” and more “look, he’s got pointy fingers.” 🥱
And the biggest letdown? There’s nothing behind the mask. Literally and figuratively. No backstory, no flavor, no intrigue. He looks interesting—but looks can only take you so far when you’re bringing zero pizzazz to the table. Kou Shio is a style-over-substance character, and even the style gets boring fast.
He could’ve been cool. He could’ve been wild. But instead, he ended up as just another name on the ever-growing list of Noir characters with big entrances and tiny impacts. What a waste of sharp fingers and screen time. 😮💨
3. Claude: The Masked Menace With Nothing Behind the Curtain
Do you even remember this guy? Yeah, the one with the syringe, the evil Bane-style gas mask, and the whole mad scientist gone rogue vibe? No? Well, I don’t blame you one bit. Claude is the kind of character who looks like he’s about to shake the foundation of the story—then promptly disappears into the void of forgettable villains. 🕳️
Let’s be real here: Claude is one of the most poorly written Noir members, and that’s saying a lot. His personality? Nonexistent. His behavior? Just your standard “mwahaha, I’m creepy and dangerous” routine. There’s no nuance, no flavor—just a generic, edgy aesthetic slapped onto a body that does nothing but lurk.
And the worst part? That mask. It teases mystery. It screams, “What horrors lie beneath?” But in the end, who even is Claude? What’s his story? What are his motivations? We get nothing. Not even a crumb of character development. Just syringe stabs and spooky breathing.
It’s honestly abysmal. Another Noir character that feels like a cool concept someone doodled in a notebook and then forgot to write into the actual script. 😤
Claude had the look. He had the presence. But he had no soul, no story, and absolutely no staying power. Just a wasted design with no heartbeat behind the mask. 💀
2. Noir’s Biggest Joke? Malcanta, the Menacing Nobody
Yet another member of the Noir… and yet another missed opportunity. This time, I’m talking about Malcanta—yeah, that clown. 🤡
And what can I even say about this guy? For starters, he’s absolutely underutilized. You’ve got this hulking, sumo-sized, nightmare-fueled chef who looks like he walked straight out of a horror-themed circus kitchen… and you do nothing with him? No buildup. No payoff. And no character work. Just vibes. 👀
Seriously—who even is Malcanta? Can we get a backstory? A motive? A monologue? Anything? No? Cool. Then how are we supposed to care about him? Let alone like him?
And that’s what makes it all so frustrating. The potential was right there. With a design that’s straight-up evil clown meets master butcher, Malcanta could’ve been a terrifying, twisted wildcard in the Noir lineup. Instead, he’s relegated to the background noise—just another growling goon in a sea of half-baked villains. 🍞❌
They had the ingredients for something amazing, but all we got was an empty plate with face paint on it. 🎭
1. Asahi Saiba: The Worst Dish Food Wars Ever Served
Let’s not sugarcoat it—Asahi Saiba is the biggest L in all of Food Wars. Not just the worst character of Season 5, but arguably the worst character in the entire series. His inclusion derails everything the show spent four solid seasons building up. And for what? To turn the final season into a messy, overcooked soap opera? 😩
First off, let’s talk about his “special ability.” While every other chef had to grind, train, and push themselves to perfect their craft, Asahi just touches other chefs’ tools and magically becomes a master. Joichiro’s legendary knife? Sarge’s spicy chainsaw? Doesn’t matter. Asahi uses it and, boom—he’s as good, if not better, than the original owner. Um, what? 🤨
That’s not skill. That’s a cheat code. Subaru Mimasaka worked his creepy butt off copying other chefs. Erina was born with the God Tongue, a natural gift. But Asahi? Nah, he just freeloads off others’ hard work and expects us to buy it. I am not saying that it’s unimaginable that his power could exist, but to introduce it to us in the last and final season is just questionable.
And if that wasn’t enough to make you mad, let’s talk about who he beats: Joichiro. Soma. Tsukasa. Three of the strongest characters in Food Wars? Tossed aside just to make Asahi look “strong.” But here’s the thing—he never felt strong. He felt like a discount Soma Yukihira, wrapped in edgy eyeliner and knockoff charisma. If only he was given more time to grow on us, and been a part of the story since season 1 or 2, maybe then it would’ve worked.
The Recipe for Ruining Food Wars
Now, here’s where it gets even worse: his motivation is to marry Erina Nakiri. Yup, that’s his whole deal. And how does he plan on doing it? By beating everyone senseless and forcing his way to the top. So romantic. Nope. Not at all. ❤️💀
And then the twist: Asahi is Erina’s half-brother. Yep. This man wants to marry his own sister. Unknowingly, of course. But still—it’s absurd. It’s like a bad joke that Food Wars tried to play completely straight. 🧬🚩
What makes this even worse is how rushed it all is. No buildup. No foreshadowing. Everything’s dumped into one season like leftovers thrown in a blender. And as you’d expect, it doesn’t turn out well. While he’s introduced as the leader of the Noir, he then beats them up (physically, not in a Food War) and takes their kitchen equipment. Like, why even have the Noir be involved at all if you’re gonna toss them aside like this? In addition, Asahi’s “family drama” just makes him less likable, and storyline breaking. Not only for the Nakiri family but also for the Yukihira family. Asahi’s involvement ruins the final season of the show, because he doesn’t fit in. It’s that simple.
Asahi Saiba isn’t just a bad villain—he’s the death of logic in Food Wars. The final season should’ve been about Soma growing past his father, Erina finding her strength, or exploring legacy and rivalry. But instead, we got Asahi Saiba.
A clown in chef’s clothing, stirring up chaos with zero flavor. 🤡🍲
