Top 10 Greatest Anime Demon Lords of All Time

Hey Anime Fans

It's been a while hasn't it. It seems Movies and TVshows have been popping up a lot in the recent months, and being a pop culture fan I've been diving into to them voraciously as my previous posts show.

But now let's get back to the Anime World shall we?, Today I'm gonna be talking about one of the most prominent and tantalising features of power fantasy anime; Demon Lords.

Demon Lords or Demon Kings have become one of the most recurring elements in Modern Fantasy Anime, and if you've seen even a significant number of magical or supernatural fantasy, you've probably encountered a few of them.

In every good fantasy story, there's a clear division between Good and Evil or Light and Darkness as the case may be, and standing at the helm of the Dark side are beings widely known for their overwhelming power and absolute authority over the race of Evil, most times being significantly foreshadowed by myths and intimidating stories spread about them.

In Animes recently, Demon Lords are a bit more nuanced in characterization than ancient times as you'll see in the characters being mentioned in this list. In fact, many of the most notable Demon Lords in Anime don't fit the 'Evil' or 'Authoritative' tags one would expect a typical Ruler of Darkness. Some of the characters here are just fun main characters given the title and have actually admirable ideals. However the title accompanies some top tier devastating shows of power and authority which we've seen from the lot of them which makes them what they are.

So let's get into it.

I'll be basing this ranking on not only displays of power, but writing as well, and keeping it short and sweet in describing the Ten characters I see as 

The Top 10 Demon Lords in Anime.

10) AKUTO SAI

(Demon King Daimao)

Light Novel Readers would probably not be satisfied with the position I've put this Demon Lord, given the amount of twisted and overpowered abilities he gained in the novel.

In fact just checking the powerscale of this guy, there needs to be no controversy as to the fact that he's one of the most powerful fantasy characters adapted into modern anime.

But judging from the anime, he was more of a harem MC in a magical world and nowhere near his light novel power scale. After being proclaimed as the Demon Lord at his magic school, the usual tropes from the setting were fulfilled. He got swarmed by a pretty harem of girls with different intentions towards him, and although he showed an unusual aptitude towards magic, he only activated his powerful forms and abilities when needed or pushed to do so emotionally.

A basic fantasy-harem main character in writing bestowed the title of Demon Lord, a really fun character to be honest. 

9) DIABLO

(How Not To Summon A Demon Lord)

Following up with another Ecchi-harem main character, Diablo has certainly proven himself to be quite a notable Demon Lord in the Anime World.

If I were to judge from just Power displays alone, he should probably be one of the top characters on this list. Only being withheld by his basic harem fantasy hero writing and blandness in character, former gamer turned Isekai Demon Lord, Diablo certainly has a lot of overpowered displays. In fact, the plot of the anime could be described accurately as a powerful heroic man who could pretty much do anything, flexing his powers and getting a lot of sexy girls fall for him.

 With his wide range of powerful magic abilities and the way he performs heroic gestures while maintaining a sense of authority and arrogance as he brutally destroys his enemies, he certainly satisfies the requree criteria to make it to any demon lords list.

8) SIRZECHS LUCIFER

(High School DXD)

Here's a guy who most weebs making a list like this would probably forget to add.

The Rightful Heir to the esteemed House of Gremory, Older brother to Rias Gremory and Great Devil King of the Demon World in Highschool Dxd, Sirzechs Lucifer Gremory takes the 8th spot on this list.

I'd first like to note that he's only this low on the list due to his very limited screen time. He basically only appeared in the anime a handful of times, but the few times he did appear, he was nothing less than a badass authoritative and powerful figure that commands respect.

Even while being so important in the underworld he's a bit more diplomatic than Evil, he tries to resolve things sensibly rather than with violence. 

Given all the powerful figures shown in Dxd, he has a limited amount of feats due to his short screen time, but the few times he did show his power, it was absolutely devastating.

7) MUZAN KIBUTSUJI

(Demon Slayer)

Talking about beings with limited screentime who demonstrated absolute power and authority in the times they were shown, the main antagonist of the Demon Slayer Series, Muzan Kibutsuji should certainly not be forgotten.

I do admit that Demon Slayer is a Supernatural anime and not a magical fantasy, and that Muzan hasn't exactly been given the title of a 'Demon Lord', but given his position as not only the absolute ruler of the demons in the show, but the one who created and empowered them, I think he's earned his spot among the Demon Kings on this list.

Muzan in just the few times he's been screened has shown his devastating power and authority over the demon race in the world of Demon Slayer. Enforcing his authority and will through his closest and most powerful demons known as the '12 Kizuki'. We've mostly seen more of his hold over demons through his authority than his power, but by seeing how diversely powerful the demons are in this world and knowing the fact that he's superior to them, the picture of an Overpowered demon king antagonist has been successfully painted.

6) STAZ CHARLIE BLOOD

(Blood Lad)

Here's a Demon Lord character who the myths and stories about him didn't do justice at all.

The ruler of the eastern part of the Demon World, Staz C. Blood who was believed to be a viscous powerful Vampire known to kill and suck blood, actually turned out to be a cool lazy guy who wanted nothing more than to enjoy his life watching anime, reading mangas and playing games.

Well he is still a powerful vampire ruler afterall and he's forced to show that to whomever antagonizes him in a fun and brutal manner, even though he sees his powers as more of a burden than a blessing.

I'm a big fan of Blood Lad, and a big part of that is owed to Staz. He's a cool character that gets crazy when he needs to, and even though he wants nothing more than to be a weeb locked indoors all day, when his heroic ideals are challenged, he does the needful in taking care of the opposing force in a stylish manner using his awesome powers.

In a list filled with bloody, murderous and authoritative demon kings, he might just be the most fun and easy going on this list.

5) AINZ OOAL GOWN

(Overlord)

A character who needs no introduction at all, the one and only Overpowered Isekai Skeleton/Demon Lord that's shown waves and waves of his overwhelming power and authority in the Overlord Series, Momonga, publicly known as Ainz Ooal Gown.

I'm not a fan of the Overlord Series given its bland storytelling and horrible CGI, but one thing I can give it credit for its giving us one of the greatest Demon Lords in Anime.

I mean, the title of this anime is literally 'Overlord' and the main character couldn't be described in a better way. Is it even possible to calculate the range of Ainz's magical abilities?. With every passing season of Overlord, Ainz kept on adding to his repertoire of over-the-top powerful magic flexes and the authority he commands through the power of his significantly powerful guards from different races. 

Ainz is a bit lacking in writing but his power not only surpresses most of the powerful beings in the Overlordverse but the world of Fantasy anime as a whole.

4) SADAO MAOU

(The Devil is a Part Timer!)

Here we got a character who got Isekai'd, but not in a good way. Demon Lord Satan of Ente Isla in the middle of an intense Battle suddenly got transported to another world where he lost his powers and demonic form and decides to work part time at a fast food restaurant in order to make money and keep living as 'Sadao Maou'.

We got a demon lord who lost all his power and authority and gets humbled by human living conditions and actually gets accostomed to it. He still retained some of his powers though, as when push comes to shove and things go crazy in the human world, he shows off his devastating powers and uses it to crush whomever's in his way and solve his other problems. He only really showed his power a few times in the anime, but those few times were really memorable and awesome, and he pretty much stands as the most powerful being in both worlds. Despite being so Overpowered and vicious when pushed, in his base human-like form which he assumes for most of the series he's actually an amazingly gentle and lovable character.

3) ANOS VOLDIGOAD

(The Misfit of The Demon King Academy)

2020 was a pretty slow year in anime, but to fans of power fantasy, it wasn't so bad and one of the main causes is the first season of Misfit of The Demon King and the weekly hype of the almighty Anos Voldigoad.

One thing to note here is that in terms of powerful flexes and audacious displays, no character on this list can stand above Anos Voldigoad. The great Demon King who ruled over the world 2000 years ago and died after a great war, only to get reborn in a new generation that's exponentially weaker in terms of magic capacity.

Imagine a character so over-the-top that he literally kills a man and resurrects him, only to kill him multiple times more. An undoubtedly supreme being that's unaffected by even the most deadly attacks, from time manipulation to being crushed in the heart, and he degrades his opponents by flaunting his own supremacy in their faces with his remarks.The entire anime was a joyride and Anos gave us top quality entertainment and overpowered flexes every week during its run, and with his level of power and seemingly unrivalled magical prowess, it's safe to call Anos one of the best demon lords in anime. Rest in Peace to Kayaharuka, the creator of the manga this amazing adaptation erupted from.

2) ZEREF DRAGNEEL

(Fairy Tail)

I know right? It feels weird to even consider Zeref a demon lord because well, firstly, he's human and secondly, he's from fairy tail.

Well kill that thought right now, because I'll have you know that Dark Lord Zeref is one of the best Demon Lords in anime when you actually put him in the picture.

Similar but more deeply rooted than Muzan Kibutsuji, Zeref not only ruled over the Demon race in the Fairy Tail Verse but actually created them. If you witnessed the Tartaros arc of Fairy Tail, you'd feel the full weight of his demonic works through his creations. Devastatingly powerful Demons such as Mardgeer and the Nine Demon Gates that troubled even the most powerful Wizards in the kingdom, all created from the Books of Zeref and with their unwavering loyalty, performed horrific deeds in his name. And it's not just that arc, right from the start, Zeref Dragneel has been the legendary being that influenced most of the greatest antagonisms the main characters faced in the series. Villains rising up with goals concerning Zeref, getting powered up by his books and wreaking havoc. In terms of writing, the later arcs of fairy tail where he became Emperor Spriggan and his entire 400 year tragic backstory was shown pretty much solidifies him as not only a masterfully written Demon Lord but Antagonist as well.

1) RIMURU TEMPEST

(That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime)

In my opinion, the one who stands at the top of all Demon Kings in Anime, The newly crowned Demon Lord and our beloved Isekai Slime, Rimuru Tempest.

I know it might feel to early to give him this title, given he only became a Demon Lord very recently, but I'm sure with my reasons, you'll get a clear picture of why he's worthy to take the top spot.

I think there should be no controversy that among all Demon Lords listed here, none come close to having the level of writing and development Rimuru has. A Demon Lord with actual character development is a feat that  TenSura managed to pull off excellently.

The anime is named 'That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime' and as it sounds from the title it's a narrative Isekai and it's no surprise it's main character, Rimuru didn't start out as an overpowered demon lord. 

For once, we not only get to hear or see shades of the demon lord's conquest stories, but actually be a part of it. We've witnessed Rimuru's evolution as a character right from when he got killed in the human world and became a Slime to when he became a Demon Lord, watching him gain his abilities, his comrades and watching him build his kingdom and rise above every adversity he encounters along the way.

It's not just a myth or legend, but a tale that unfolded before our very eyes in the seasons that passed, seeing a lowly creature making its way in the world and becoming a Demon Lord and one of the most loved Isekai main characters ever. 

We got to see various shades of his character along the way; a fun guy, a charismatic leader, a loving comrade, a great teacher, a heroic warrior and he still maintains these traits while taking up the mantle of Demon Lord.

He does show off his overwhelming powers but not before trying to solve things amicably and diplomatically as a friendly character and great leader should and his comrades follow him out of not only respect, but actual Love. 

Him becoming a Demon Lord wasn't a spur of the moment decision born out of desire of power or authority, but rather caused by a series of unfortunate events that lead to his gathered resolve to become one in order to solve his problems.

I personally love the fact that the entire season 2 was dedicated to his ascention to demon lord. The sequence in the final episodes of the first cour which showed him physically evolving to demon lord was just beautiful, and watching him become one officially at the end of the 2nd cour was even more amazing.

This article was pretty much written in honour of the season which just capped off with a climactic finale, Rimuru finally battling his long standing antagonist, Demon Lord Clayman and demonstrating his improved powers, earning his seat among Demon Lords. I'm really hyped to see more of him in action in the newly announced upcoming movie set to air in Fall 2022.

Being honest I could even stretch out this list further in TenSura's favour as there's an entire Council of awesome overpowered Demon Lords with unique character traits in the show.

Basically if it were all dependent on badass displays of power, Ainz or Anos would've been at the top, but considering writing and characterization, I think Rimuru Tempest should be crowned the best Demon Lord character in anime.

These are my picks for the 10 Greatest Demon Lords in anime, and I stand by them strongly, at least until Solo Leveling gets an anime adaptation and we get to see the phenomenal Shadow Monarch that is Sung Jin Woo.

Dark influencial beings like Aizen from Bleach and Dio from JoJo's Bizarre Adventures would've also been considered, only that beings in bleach are more spiritual than demonic and Dio leads just vampires and evil human stand users. 

I know an article like this is bound to come with controversy, don't feel shy to let me know what you think of this list and as well name any Demon Lord you feel should be here but isn't.

Share to your friends who need a dose of Power Fantasy action to try any of these shows and meet these characters

See you all Next Time.