Top 20 Most Powerful Anime Demon Lords

Top 20 Most Powerful Anime Demon Lords

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Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 most powerful demon lords. For this list, we’ll be looking at the strongest anime characters classified as demon lords or their equivalents. It’s a loose term, so not all of these will be literal demons. Also, there may be some spoilers ahead. If there’s a demonic ruler from anime you’re ready to overrule us on, share your decrees in the comments!

“Rage of Bahamut: Genesis” (2014) An ambitious demon lord seeking to overtake Satan as demonkind’s ruler, Belzebuth may not be the strongest demon in his world, but he’s a good contender. Concocting an elaborate scheme to take control of the titular draconic disaster known as Bahamut, Belzebuth may be undone by his aspiration, but not before showing off some incredible powers. A master of dark magic, Belzebuth creates a half-angel, half-demon child through magic alone. He also can imprison victims in transparent torture prisons and take down other powerful demons. While Bahamut does end up wrecking him, Belzebuth does survive a direct hit, which is more than most can claim.

“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” (2019-) The progenitor of all demons in this fictional Japan, Kibutsuji Muzan may not be powerful compared to other demon lords, but he’s still a monster of incredible strength. Immortal and nearly unkillable (though with a vampiric aversion to sunlight), Muzan’s blood can transform others into demons or liquify someone if he wants it to. His speed and physical strength are leagues above even his own demonic underlings, letting him cut through them with ease. Oh, and if they so much as speak his name out of turn, Muzan can kill them from afar. His name is a killing word! He hasn’t even gone all out yet! It’s too bad we’re not ranking these demons by drip though - because Muzan would easily take the crown!

“Beelzebub” (2011-12) Demon lords come in all shapes and sizes - and ages, for that matter. The infant prince of the demon world, Beel is the adorable baby for whom the series is named. Because of his strong bond with his adoptive father Tatsumi Oga, Beel is able to lend some of his power to his teenage papa, as well as switch consciousness with him. Beel is incredibly strong for a baby or even a fully grown human. Along with various one-off abilities, like that time he grew to kaiju size, Beel’s most frequently seen powers involve electricity, which can shock indiscriminately or with purpose. While he’s still young, if his powers are anything to go by, he’ll be truly terrifying as an adult.

“The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody” (2022) After Varvatos, the most powerful demon lord, becomes tired of being unable to relate to anyone because of his strength, he decides to reincarnate in the future. Unfortunately for him, when he’s reborn as Ard Meteor, he’s still overpowered! As Varvatos, he could effortlessly deal with whole armies and powerful monsters, and as Ard, he’s not far behind! Even when he’s trying to hold back or keep a low profile, Ard defeats an enemy general and sends his own teacher blasting off like Team Rocket! Sometimes you’re just too strong.

“Demon Lord, Retry!” (2019) A chain-smoking, mafioso lookalike with a fondness for lolita-types and a mullet so long it might as well measure his power-level. Yep, sounds like a king of hell to me. After finding himself inhabiting the body of his gaming avatar, the once shy Akira now roams the land taking down knights and monsters alike, dropping them quicker than he can finish a cigarette. With his impressive stats, there’s no real challenge that can hope to stand up to Kunai’s trench coat of death, leaving him free to continue to…I dunno, commit fantasy tax-evasion?

“So I'm a Spider, So What?” (2021) So this demon lord is a spider, so what? The mother of all monstrous spiders in this series, Ariel has the title of Demon Lord, and rules all demons too. While she has a demonic army at her beck and call, Ariel is no slouch herself! In addition to being able to control all her descendants, Ariel can puppeteer even strong demons using her threads. But her most sinister abilities are Gluttony, which lets her consume anything and everything and convert it into power, and Abyss magic, which can kill even immortal beings. While a sort of mind-meld with the heroine Kumoko gets the better of her, we’d argue that it only made her cuter - which is another level of power entirely!

“High School DxD” (2012-18) There are a lot of hot roaming around the underworld, but only one holds the title of Crimson Satan. Pretty much everything Issei wishes he could be, Rias’ older brother is a devil of unmatched capabilities, mainly due to his mastery over the Power of Destruction. Not only can he shape it into weaponry at will, but its intensity is so potent that even higher beings like Creuserey Asmodeus were easily decimated. Other than that, dude is pretty chill, perfectly content to watch Issei try and climb the ladder and make moves on his sister.

“Blood Lad” (2013) Vampire, demon, it's all the same to Staz, who despite having the majority of his power sealed away when he was young, still knows how to rampage in style. Aside from your standard superior strength and speed, Staz’s real talent comes in draining the energy from his foes to replenish his own, which can then be manipulated in all manner of creative, crushing ways. Forging a magical handprint that can smash other demons to pieces, an imitation Kamehameha, if he had gotten another season Staz would be right up there with the strongest of bloodsuckers!

“The Devil Is a Part-Timer!” (2013-) The Lord of the Fries may excel with customer service and stand as McRonald’s greatest Assistant Shift Manager to date, but that doesn’t mean he can’t slug it out in a hell-fest-fist-fight! After getting himself ejected from Ente Isla and starting up again in the human world, Sadou finds peace in his new mundane life…at least until troublemakers from both sides of the ethereal pond show up to cause trouble. Hey, if you want to ruin his day and make him late for his shift, that’s on you. Just be prepared to be blasted to pieces by any one of his numerous demonic magics.

“Inuyasha” (2000-10) The big bad of “Inuyasha,” Naraku is a demon of many talents - and many demons. Able to absorb the bodies and abilities of other demons and humans, Naraku has a seemingly bottomless well of powers and abilities. While he prefers to engage his foes indirectly or from afar, Naraku is inhumanly strong, fast, can shapeshift, and he has plenty of curses and magic at his disposal. His signature move tends to be a barrier, which he can use to both protect himself from harm and from discovery. As he obtains more pieces of the Shikon Jewel, Naraku becomes even more powerful. It’s a wonder Inuyasha and company ever defeat him!

“Blue Exorcist” (2011-17) The god of the underworld, or Gehenna, Satan is the strongest demon in his world. His most distinct ability is centered on the blue flames that are also inherited by some of his children, including the series’ protagonist, Rin. Like other demons, Satan can possess humans for a short time and has physical capabilities beyond any mortal. However, thanks to his sons driving him back to Gehenna through the massive portal he creates, we have yet to see his true strength. But if it’s enough to dominate every other demon in the series, the details in the devil’s power may not be important.

“How Not to Summon a Demon Lord” (2018-) Out of all the video game anime avatars that have the moniker of demon, none pack more of a punch than Diablo. Why? Because the man is top tier in everything! A variety of spells that can wipe out every boss that tries to start shit with him. Weapons, items and other adornments that automatically deflect and disable any enemy spell. Even his starting harem is adorably awesome, at least as far as Shera is concerned. Combine that with a somewhat dorky yet endearing persona as he desperately tries to stay in character, and you have a Demon Lord truly worthy of worship.

“Overlord” (2015-) Ainz may not technically be a demon lord, but to the residents of his new world, and those of you who suggested him, the titular overlord may as well be! Ainz Ooal Gown not only rules over legions of absurdly powerful monsters, including some demon lords, but he’s also a magic caster of incredible skill. His vast number of spells are downright ridiculous, both in number and in effectiveness. Ainz can revive the dead and turn armies into corpses. Even in close combat, his durability and untrained blade skills are formidable. To his underlings and the world at large, he can do anything and everything perfectly. It’s a good thing he’s so overpowered, because otherwise, Ainz has no idea what he’s doing.

“That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime” (2018-) You could do worse than having someone like Milim for a self-titled bestie. Sure, she’s a hyper-ball of energy that can be a little too clingy and obnoxious for her own good, but on the other hand she’s the demon equivalent of a nuke that can wipe out monsters that even Rimuru struggled against! While we have yet to see what she looks like when she really puts her all into a fight, it’s clear that beneath her carefree attitude there’s a true monster waiting to get out, one that not even all of the Jura Tempest Federation could hope to stop! Demon lords like Guy Crimson are stronger, though still mysterious, and Rimuru will surpass her soon, but for now Milim is “Slime”’s peak demon lord.

“Demon King Daimao” (2010) Paving the way for many of the overpowered harem lords that would follow in his wake, Akuto didn’t so much strive to become a demon king as he sort of…fell into it. After his hellish potential is revealed to everyone at his local magic academy, he not only becomes the target of unseen forces, but just about everyone in a skirt, for better or worse. Not like he can’t defend himself, on account that his manipulation of mana allows him to twist bodies with just a thought. Throw in instant regeneration and a pet dragon, and Akuto’s got it made!

“Dragon Ball Z” (1989-96) While his threat level paled in comparison to that of Majin Buu, this ruler of the Demon Realm still made for a decent threat. Serving as Babidi’s right hand man, Dabura has all the tricks you could expect from a fighter who looks like he wandered out of Tartarus, including a sword forged out of darkness. By himself, he could have easily served as a standout villain if he had appeared earlier in the series…as opposed to getting turned into a cookie, eaten by Buu, shipped off to heaven, and turned into a flower-loving ray of sunshine.

“Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai” (2020-22) Don’t let his initial decrepit appearance fool you - the god of the underworld lives up to his title! Vearn rules the underworld through overwhelming might. Wielding unfathomable magic power, even Vearn’s simple spells can wreak devastating damage, while his best spells are nigh unstoppable! And in his true form, he can combine magic and martial arts to incredible effect. His Demonic Guard of Heaven and Earth is enough to send some of the world’s strongest fighters flying in an instant. Vearn may fall to a hero, but his meticulous planning and immense power made Dai’s victory a slim one.

“Yu Yu Hakusho” (1992-94) Yusuke’s demon daddy is not one to be trifled with. Even after spending years refusing to eat humans, this Mazoku might just be the strongest being out there, evident from the way he smashed apart the seemingly invincible Shinobu Sensui by possessing his ancestral son’s body and going to town! His strength and savagery by themselves were enough to crush the last of the Sensui Seven with ease, and that was all through a third party while on a deadly diet. Back in his prime, it’s likely he could have laid waste to all the realms, and look damn cool while doing it.

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“The Seven Deadly Sins” (2014-21) Head of the Demon Clan, the nameless Demon King is incredibly ancient and monstrously powerful. Granting his top lieutenants mere fractions of his power gave them the ridiculously overpowered 10 Commandment abilities. The Demon King’s own special ability, the Ruler, can reflect or reverse any ability directed against him. His true form trapped in Purgatory is gigantic and effortlessly fought off 3 of the heroes for decades. The demonic monarch even possesses both his sons, combatting the eponymous Seven Deadly Sins several times before finally being defeated. But perhaps most impressive of all - the Demon King survived a fight with Escanor himself! Not for long, but you get the point.

“The Misfit of Demon King Academy” (2020-) There’s no contest. This man cannot be bested. After reincarnating himself thousands of years into the future, Anos discovers the world has become stagnant and forgotten who its true ruler is, so he decides to remind them, one absurd display of power after another. He can kill a person with his heartbeat, resurrect them on loop with a snap of his fingers, spin an entire castle on his finger, slay the literal manifestation of time itself, and perhaps most damning of all, say without a shred of irony that death isn’t enough to kill him. Anos is the ultimate demon chad.