Highlights
- Demons in isekai anime are not always evil incarnate; they can be charming, endearing, and hilarious characters.
- Powerful demons like Diablo, Sadao Maou, and Albedo have complex duality, adding depth to their characters.
- From former Demon Kings to Primordial Demons, demons in isekai anime showcase a wide range of powers and personalities.
The overwhelming majority of isekai stories take place in a world of high fantasy. This means, apart from magic and monsters, there are also various intelligent races and species living together, such as elves, dwarfs, goblins, orcs, and the one who is often considered to be the master of evil, demons.
Contrary to popular belief, however, demons in the isekai genre are rarely confined to their traditional “Evil Incarnate” role. They can be charming, they can be endearing, and they can be hilarious as well. With that in mind, here are some of the best demons in isekai anime, ranked according to their power and how interesting they are as characters.
7 Takuma Sakamoto/Diablo
A Hikikomori Reborn As His Demonic Virtual Avatar
Takuma Sakamoto is a young man who spends his days holed up in his dainty room playing a popular MMORPG called “Cross Reverie”. He may be a social recluse in real life, but in the game, Takuma is known as the legendary player called Diablo, the powerful and merciless Demon Lord. One day while playing and torturing other players as usual, Takuma is suddenly summoned to a new world by two beautiful adventurers.
What’s even more surprising is the fact that he comes to this fantasy world not as himself, but rather as his character, Demon Lord Diablo. Unfortunately for Takuma, though he may appear to be a brazen and confident Demon Lord on the outside, he is still the same old hikikomori on the inside. In order not to sully his own name, Takuma has to spend the rest of his days pretending to be the larger-than-life Diablo.
6 Sadao Maou
A Fast Food Employee Who Is Secretly A Demon King
The Demon King Sadao Maou used to be the leader of the most fearsome army on the planet. He spread fear and misery as his army marched toward world domination. Unfortunately for him, the heroes managed to not only push his army back but also force him to retreat to a different realm. A relatively peaceful planet called Earth.
Since he used most of his power to come to Earth, the Demon King has no choice but to find work in this new world to survive. And what better job is there for a former Demon King than being a fast food employee? As it turns out, the Demon King Sadao Mao is not only proficient at burning his enemies to the ground, but he is also skilled at grilling ground beef to perfection.
5 Kishirika Kishirisu
A Freeloader from Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
Demons come in all different shapes and forms. Some are cruel and fearsome, while others are adorable and cute. The former Demon Empress Kishirika belongs to the latter group, because ever since her defeat, she not only lost most of her powers, which affected her physical appearance, but also her status and recognition as the Empress of the Demon Realm. Nowadays, Kishirika wanders from one town to the next, begging for food from any passerby. The mighty have truly fallen on hard times.
To make matters worse, Kishirika is an airhead who follows her impulses without ever thinking of the consequences. She won’t hesitate to lower her head for some delicious food, and she will gladly give one of her precious demon eyes to the people that she likes, which is precisely what she does to Rudeus. Make no mistake though, she may not be as powerful and as threatening as she used to be, but her punch can still send her opponent flying.
4 Ram And Rem
Twin Maids Who Come From A Race Of Powerful Oni
Ram and Rem are twin girls who work as maids for Margrave Roswaal L. Mathers. Although they’re practically indistinguishable from regular human girls, Ram and Rem actually come from a demonic race known as Oni. This means underneath their adorable appearance is a strength that can knock people many times their size to the ground.
Out of every demon on this list, Ram and Rem are the most polite and mild-mannered. They never boast about the fact that they come from a race of powerful Oni, nor do they like to flex their power. For the most part, they focus on their jobs as maids, and will only reveal their sharp horns when necessary. That’s why fans of the series consider them as serious candidates for the title of “Best Girls” in Re:Zero.
3 Vanir
A Shopkeeper And Duke Of Hell Who Likes Making Deals
Vanir is by far the most chaotic demon on this list. He likes to meddle in other people’s business, pulling pranks on them and giving unsolicited advice that may or may not be good for the recipient. He talks a lot to Kazuma about everything, from how to be popular with girls, to how to defeat a powerful demon. He may be unassuming, but Vanir is actually a Duke of Hell, and the former General of the Devil King’s Army.
As royalty from Hell, Vanir has the power to destroy a whole army with a single strike. Interestingly enough, Vanir rarely shows his power. He prefers to use contracts and manipulation instead, because he finds joy in people’s embarrassment and desperation. The best example of this is when he offers to purchase Kazuma’s intellectual property at the exact amount of money that Kazuma would need in the future. This way, he manages to fulfill his end of the bargain while still making Kazuma feel desperate at the same time. Vanir’s words are truly his greatest weapon.
2 Albedo
The Guardian Overseer, An Obsessed Lover, And A Succubus
On the one hand, Albedo is the Guardian Overseer for the Great Tomb of Nazarick and the Prime Minister of the Sorcerer Kingdom. On the other hand, she is a young woman who is helplessly in love with her beloved lord Ainz Ooal Gown, and will always try to seduce him at any chance she gets. After all, she is not only a demon, she is a succubus.
In terms of power and intelligence, Albedo is easily in the top three among the Guardians of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. However, in terms of lovesickness and delusions, Albedo is undoubtedly the first in the kingdom. In front of Ainz, she’s like a teenager who is helplessly in love with her first crush. At the same time, she is also a ruthless and merciless demon who won’t hesitate to massacre hundreds of humans without batting an eye. This duality makes Albedo so interesting, charming, and also hilarious to watch.
1 Diablo
A Butler And Primordial Demon
Diablo is one of the seven Primordial Demons, which is a title given to the oldest demons in hell. Since demons get stronger as they get older, this means Diablo is among the most powerful demons in hell. He has the power to destroy an entire nation with a single spell. To summon a being with such immense power, Rimuru has to sacrifice the corpses of 20,000 humans. Not only that, but Rimuru also grants him the name “Diablo”, which allows him to become even more powerful. Nowadays, Diablo is easily one of the most powerful entities in the series.
Despite all of those terrifying stats, Diablo is more than satisfied working as a butler and secretary to Rimuru. In fact, he is that one subordinate who will do everything he can to please his boss. He enjoys spending the entire day tending to Rimuru’s needs and will sulk whenever he is asked to do other tasks. Truth be told, the only reason he agrees to be the man in charge of taking over the Farmus Kingdom is because he wants Rimuru to praise him.
Diablo is the representation of every demon in this list. He has immense powers just like Takuma’s Diablo, he can be hilarious like Sadao Maou, and he can be as clueless as Kishirika. He loves to serve his master just like Rem and Ram, his words are as sweet and venomous as Vanir, and he has an interesting duality just like Albedo, though not as severe as her. He is everything and more. These are the reasons why Diablo is currently the best demon in isekai anime.
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