What Was Johan Liebert's True Motive, Explained?

Pavas Gagneja
May 31
3 min read

Johan Liebert from Monster is one of the scariest and smartest villains in anime history. Even though he looks calm and kind, Johan is a cold and dangerous man. From the beginning, we know there’s something wrong with him, and his actions later on in the series prove that. But the biggest question fans ask is this: What was Johan’s true motive? Why did he do the things he did?

Johan isn’t like a usual anime villain. He doesn’t want power, money, or revenge. Instead, he creates chaos in a quiet, disturbing way. The deeper you go into Monster, the more confusing and terrifying his actions become. But if we really break it down, we can find the deeper meaning behind everything Johan did.

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Johan’s Childhood And The Origin Of Evil

To understand Johan’s motive, we need to go back to his childhood. Johan and his twin sister, Nina, were part of a terrible experiment at a place called Kinderheim 511, an orphanage that tried to erase emotion and create the perfect soldier. This place broke many kids mentally, and Johan was one of them. He saw horrible things, and some fans believe Johan was already broken before he even arrived there.

But what makes Johan different is that he was smart - so smart, in fact, that he understood how twisted the world around him was. He learned that people are capable of great evil and that identity can be erased, changed, or faked. This shaped his view of life and helped him create his terrifying goal: to show that life is meaningless and fragile.

Johan’s Desire To Be “No One"

Johan looking at a person while standing close to the window

One of the most chilling parts of Johan’s story is that he doesn’t even want to exist. Throughout Monster, he never claims a true identity. He uses fake names, leaves no trace, and even tries to make Nina believe she is Johan. At one point, he says, “There’s nothing special about being born.” It just shows how twisted his psychology has become.

This is part of his ultimate motive. Johan wants to prove that identity means nothing and that anyone can fall into darkness. He manipulates people to destroy themselves, just to show how weak and empty life really is. And when he dies, he wants it to be in a nameless, meaningless way, like he never existed at all.

Johan's True Goal: Spreading Despair As A Message

Johan points to his forehead while the building behind him burns

Johan didn’t kill for fun. He killed to send a message. He believed that people are all monsters deep inside, and he used his charm and intelligence to bring out the worst in them. Many of his victims chose to die or kill others because of the ideas he planted in their heads. This is what makes Johan so terrifying; he didn’t need to kill with his own hands.

Johan wanted the world to see what he saw: a place full of pain, emptiness, and fear. Johan’s true motive wasn’t destruction, but to erase all hope and prove that life itself is a mistake. That’s why he planned to die without a name, without meaning, and without being remembered. It was his way of showing that nothing matters.

Final Verdict: Was Johan Just Pure Evil?

Johan Liebert from Monster looking at Dr Tenma

Johan Liebert is one of the deepest villains ever created. His true motive wasn’t simple. It wasn’t about power or control; it was about nothingness. Johan believed that life is meaningless, and he wanted to show that truth to the world. His plan to erase his own existence and push others to madness was all part of that belief.

But the twist is that at the end of Monster, Johan didn't possibly die - Dr. Tenma saved him. It just shows there’s still some hope left, even for someone like Johan. Or maybe Johan wanted to see if someone would choose to save him, even after all he did.