Who are the Main Villains Bell Cranel Faces in DanMachi?

As a passionate gamer and DanMachi expert, the two chief villains protagonist Bell Cranel contends with are the Goddess Ishtar and the Goddess Freya. While other foes like Apollo and Thanatos make trouble, Ishtar and Freya drive much of the conflict.

Ishtar – The Malicious Goddess of Love

Introduced in Volume 7 and Season 2, Ishtar serves as the primary villain who engages in open confrontation with Bell. As the Goddess of Love and Beauty, she initially seems charming but quickly reveals a selfish and cruel nature.

Ishtar first sets her sights on Bell when she spots him visiting the pleasure district. Enchanted by his innocent looks, she tries seducing him to make him her servant. When he refuses, her obsession turns to vengeance, putting his friends in danger.

According to DanMachi lore, Ishtar was banished from heaven for causing calamity with her whimsical nature. This background highlights why she feels little empathy or remorse while pursuing her desires. Her history gives context for why she relentlessly tries capturing Bell – adding depth beyond a one-note villain.

Overall, Ishtar‘s motivations stem from vanity and an entitlement mentality. She‘s used to getting her way as a goddess. But Bell surprising rejects her advances, wounding her ego. Like a petulant child denied something they want, her response is retaliation through harming Bell‘s companions.

Freya – The Secret Mastermind Villain

While not as openly combative as Ishtar, the Goddess Freya presents an even greater adversarial threat to Bell Cranel. As the most powerful deity in Orario, she has immense influence she leverages to manipulate events and characters from the shadows without them realizing.

Freya takes an interest in Bell after his heroics passing through her pleasure district. She notices his rare and coveted skill "Realis Phrase" which exponentially boosts his growth. Obsessed with unlocking his full potential, Freya begins pulling strings guiding Bell into dangerous situations – such as pitting him against the minotaur on level 18.

additionally, in volume 8, she even uses her divine powers to attract a demi-spirit to orchestrate Bell kissing the sword princess Aiz Wallenstein. Through these schemes, she intends to put Bell in peril to force him to rapidly develop his abilities.

Freya‘s motivations stem from a mix of boredom and love-sickness. As an all-powerful goddess reigning over the realm for eons, Bell offers excitement and novelty value as she meddles to shape his hero‘s journey from fledging rookie to potential god-slaying legend.

Additionally, with her peerless status, she is unaccustomed to normal romantic pursuit. So Bell, untouchable due to belonging to Hestia‘s familia, presents a tantalizing and refreshing challenge – stoking her forbidden passion.

As shown in this comparison, while both are motivated by arrogance and desire, Freya is the superior villain due to her sly and calculated approach pursuing Bell Cranel. Where Ishtar bluntly issues threats, Freya intricately pulls strings undetected to spur Bell into adversity – making her the more interesting antagonist.

Other Villains

While Ishtar and Freya drive most of the conflict, other enemies like the God Apollo, God Thanatos and the Minotaur Asterius have skirmishes with Bell:

• Apollo tries forcing Bell into his Familia to exploit his growth skill
• Thanatos, as head of Evilus, unleashes monsters on Orario
• Asterius forms a rivalry with Bell during their many battles

However, these foes play more minor or situational roles as antagonists. They lack the depth, complexity and threat level posed by Ishtar‘s vengeance and Freya forcing Bell into escalating danger during his adventures.

Passionate Expert Commentary: Freya is DanMachi‘s Superior Villain

As a passionate gamer who has analyzed DanMachi extensively, Freya clearly stands out as the series‘ best villain in my expert opinion. Her sly blend of beauty, power and cunning makes her far more compelling than standard baddies like Ishtar or Thanatos.

While Ishtar has her moments directly threatening Bell, her simplistic motivations and actions render her a weak villain. Meanwhile, Freya‘s subtle string-pulling channels the best antagonists like Palpatine from Star Wars. She masks her villainy behind a facade of helping Bell grow.

And its through manipulation, rather than brute force, she induces growth faster than Hestia‘s nurturing care. This elevates the stakes and conflict. For Bell to reach his heroic potential faster means facing escalating threats – intriguingly IDA manipulation of a loving mentor figure.

Finally, as an all-powerful goddess with mysterious intentions, Freya leaves fans constantly guessing and worried for Bell‘s safety. We wonder just how far she‘ll go to satiate her obsession and what chaos she‘ll unleash along the way. This enduring tension sustains her quality as the series‘ premier villain.