Gliding arc discharge process was used for the treatment of methyl violet wastewater. First, the intermediate products were studied by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, and ultraviolet-visible spectrometer. Second, the effects of inorganic anions including chloride (Cl-), carbonate (CO3 (2-)), sulfate (SO4 (2-)), phosphate (PO4 (3-)), nitrate (NO3 (-)) on the degradation efficiency of methyl violet were examined. The research results indicated that hydroxyl radicals attacked carbon atom that situated in the center of dye molecule, and the conjugating structure of methyl violet was destroyed, and dye was degraded and decolored, so a possible degradation pathway was proposed by the analysis of intermediate products detected. The methyl violet degradation rate decreased with increasing anions concentrations, and their order of sequence according to the inhibition reaction was CO3 (2-) > Cl- > SO4 (2-) > NO3 (-).