An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal composition, which can form an optically anisotropic layer in which cissing and wind marks are suppressed in formation of a liquid crystal cured layer having reverse dispersibility, without using a compound having a polyfluoro group; and an optically anisotropic layer, an optical film, a polarizing plate, and an image display device. The optically anisotropic layer of the present invention is an optically anisotropic layer consisting of a liquid crystal cured layer obtained by fixing an alignment state of a liquid crystal composition which contains a reverse dispersion compound (I) represented by Formula (1), at least one liquid crystal compound, and a surfactant (II) having a structure represented by Formula (2) in a molecule, in which the optically anisotropic layer satisfies a relationship of Expression (3).