Summary
In most other media,Demon Kingsare meant to be feared and revered, with little wiggle room in terms of amicability. Unsurprisingly, the anime industry has carved its own path with “demonic” storytelling, painting many of these dark lords in a more favorable light. And the few who remain in a life of depravity become truly horrific, ruthless nightmare-fuel, enhanced by their coldhearted, spine-chilling character designs.
For the sake of authenticity to the title, not just any devilish fiend with some authority over the dark side will be considered; fans are looking for the real regal stuff here (so sorry,Chainsaw Man!) Therefore, only those who rightfully boast a Demon King/Lord title qualify for this list.
Updated on January 19th, 2025, by C.M Edwards :A recurring trope in many modern anime is the existence of a Demon King.The anime world is filled with dark andtormenting villains and antagonistswho possess evil powers and rule over legions of demons. These characters sit on their thrones to be worshiped by all who know their power and fear them without question as they rule with an iron fist and a merciless attitude. Every story must have a villain, and while most are monsters, not all demon kings are antagonists. Demon Kings possess great strength and are often placed in the hero’s story as a looming threat, reluctant ally, or something the hero is in debt to. When a demon king appears, it is cause for great caution, as a single transgression could prove fatal. Sometimes, multiple Demon Kings appear at once to bestow a warning, wisdom, or both. Here are more of the best demon kings in anime.
Jobless Reincarnationis one of the most bountiful anime worlds ever created, filled with numerous races, monster subtypes, and deities that operate in everyday life. In season 2 ofJobless Incarnation, Rudeus encountersBadaigadiduring his stay at Ranoa Magic Academy.
Badigadi is the Demon King of Immortality and the fiancé of Kishirika. Badigadi presents himself as a very sociable entity that may look down on mortals but sees a fair amount of value in their existence. Badigadi loves to fight and holds the utmost respect for the strong. His loud and intrepid attitude matches his massive physique and direct nature.
Dragon Ball Daimais the newly released series in theDragon Ballfranchise, and it introduces a smorgasbord of new facts and lore that expand and rewrite some of the current canon of the universe. One of the new characters introduced isGomah, the King of the Demon Realm.
Gomah is a small, impish-bodied creature with green skin and fangs. He claimed the title of demon king after Gohan slayed Dobura during the Buu Saga. Gomah’s abilities fall in line with characters such as Garlic Jr. and Babidi, as he can use magic and has a tricky disposition.
Klemis one of the rulers of demon kind inHow Not to Summon a Demon Lord. Summoned during the demon king revival ceremony, Klem arose from her former seal, a massive horned humanoid demon, but chose a different form, resembling a young girl instead.
Once a piece of the main body, which all demon lords were a part of after losing a battle, Klem now exists in the mortal plane as a member of the Diablo’s party. Klem is a very kind and sweet person, but has a ruthless mentality when provoked. Klem can be as sweet as sunshine, but she can go berserk when treated poorly and unleashes unspeakable power on anyone seeking to harm her or her friends.
Sukuna’sname alone is enough to strike fear in all Jujutsu Sorcerers except Satoro Gojo. With a history spanning thousands of years with gallons of bloodshed, Sukuna is known to be a heartless andunbelievably cruel curse userwho takes pleasure in causing as much dismay and hardship as possible.
While he is not in his strongest form currently in theJujutsu Kaisenanime, he has still been an adequate threat that remains on the periphery of all Jujutsu Sorcerers.
The world ofSeven Deadly Sinsis filled with characters of cataclysmic power that can turn entire kingdoms into dust. Meliodas alone is known to be one of the strongest forces of nature in the world, but still comes second to the ruler of the demon clan, theDemon King.
The Demon King is the father of Meliodas and Zeldris, and also the source of their powers, having created the Ten Commandments and, in the process, granted them their strength. The demon king towers over mortals with no remorse in his presence and commands the utmost respect and terror from all his kin.
Arielsits upon her throne of gluttony and rules over all demonsand spider-folk alike; she is the oldest device among the races of demons and is the source or origin of all arachnid creatures that reside in the other world or “demon world.” Ariel seeks to destroy Kumoko with deadly prejudice for her mere existence and for inadvertently attacking her soul.
Ariel possesses great magical abilities along with two devastatingly powerful techniques: Gluttony, which allows her to devour all before her, and Humility, which grants her pseudo-godhood.
While adventuring with Eris and Ruijerd, Rudeuscame across what he thought was a weird little girl; However, it turned out to beKishirika, the demon king.
On the outside, Kishirika comes off as a ditsy young child who has no clew about her surroundings, having been on the verge of starving to death until saved by Rudeus. But Kishirika possesses the power of a demon king and grants Rudeus an eye that can see the future.
Suzuki Satoru didn’t plan on being a Demon Lord for all eternity, but sometimes nostalgia rewards people in weird ways. This Yggdrasil fan gets more than he bargains for as he unknowingly embarks on his Isekai adventure through the familiar scenery of New World. Claiming the title ofOverlord,Ainz Ooal Gownmust maintain the appearance of a fearful leader, even when Albedo and Shalltear are shamelessly throwing themselves at him!
Ainz is well-versed in the magical system of theRPGuniverse and has accumulated substantial arcane spellcasting skills over the years, even if he is adapting a bit too well to the whole evil persona. Nevertheless, the Great Tomb of Nazarick and its quirky, sadistic NPCs have known no better leader than the great Ainz Ooal Gown!
Anos Voldigoadtakes the term “overpowered” and hits it right out of the park, as he has yet to meet a foe that poses any challenge, besides being a time-consuming inconvenience.The Demon King of Tyrannydidn’t expect any praise for sacrificing his life to save the world; however, he didn’t anticipate a false idol taking Anos' place before his reincarnation, either.
Those with common sense quickly follow the true Demon King’s lead as he seeks to irradicate the unjust discrimination that poses as peace in Delzogade and beyond. The confident and charming Anos has his own Fan Union, arguably the Best Parents in anime history, and a loyal army of Demon Elders.
This trendy Demon King is front-and-center in the third season ofDemon Slayer,after allowing his minions to do the brunt of the work and deciding to take a more hands-on approach. According to law, he is the first of his kind, the Count Dracula of Demons and instigator of evil, the relentless thorn in The Demon Slayer Corps' side.Muzan’smain goal is to propagate the population with his bloodthirsty minions by either luring unsuspecting victims to the dark side or simply ending their existence entirely.
This tyrant is a potent nemesis on the battlefield, equipped with a vast selection of power-ups that improve the efficiency of his killing sprees.Muzan remains in controlof his creations through the telepathic link he shared with all demons while flexing his remarkable transformative abilities.
