The best anime where the MC is a demon lord include That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, The Misfit of Demon King Academy, The Devil Is a Part-Timer!, Overlord and Demon Lord, Retry!. Some are reborn as demon kings, others are dragged into the role. Most stream in India on Crunchyroll.
The demon lord protagonist is one of anime’s favourite twists. Instead of a hero hunting the dark lord, you follow the dark lord, and he often turns out to be the most reasonable person in the story. Here is our refreshed list for 2026, with new seasons and where to watch.
Top anime where the MC is a demon lord
1. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (2018)
Satoru Mikami, a 37-year-old office worker, is stabbed and reborn in a fantasy world as a slime. As Rimuru Tempest, he gathers monsters, builds the nation of Tempest and eventually becomes a true Demon Lord.
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It is the most popular show on this list and still going strong. Season 4 began in April 2026 and is planned to run across five cours. Where to watch: Crunchyroll, with earlier seasons also on Netflix and SonyLIV.
2. The Misfit of Demon King Academy (2020)
Anos Voldigoad, the Demon King of Tyranny, sacrifices himself to bring peace. He is reborn 2,000 years later and finds that the world has forgotten him. At the academy meant for his descendants, he is labelled a misfit.
Anos is absurdly overpowered, and the fun comes from watching everyone underestimate him. A second season aired in two parts in 2023 and 2024. Where to watch: Crunchyroll, SonyLIV.
3. The Devil Is a Part-Timer! (2013)
Satan, the Demon Lord of Ente Isla, loses a war and escapes through a portal to modern Tokyo. Powerless, he takes the name Sadao Maou and works at a fast-food restaurant called MgRonald, aiming to become a manager.
It is a workplace comedy with a fantasy twist. After a nine-year gap, the anime returned with a second season in 2022 that continued in 2023. Where to watch: Crunchyroll, SonyLIV.
4. Overlord (2015)
When the online game YGGDRASIL shuts down, a player stays logged in and is trapped in the game world as his skeletal sorcerer character, Ainz Ooal Gown. He leads a guild of fiercely loyal monsters and slowly builds an empire.
Overlord has four TV seasons, and the film Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom released in 2024. Where to watch: Netflix, Crunchyroll.
5. Demon Lord, Retry! (2019)
Akira Ono, the developer of an online game, is pulled into his own world as its demon lord, Hakuto Kunai, just as the servers shut down. He tries to figure out why he is there while protecting a young girl.
The first season had weak animation, but a sequel, Demon Lord, Retry! R, aired in 2024.
6. The Seven Deadly Sins (2014)
Princess Elizabeth searches for the disbanded knights known as the Seven Deadly Sins to save her kingdom. Their leader, Meliodas, turns out to be the son of the Demon King, and his bloodline drives the later seasons.
Later seasons had weaker animation, but the story stays fun. The sequel series, Four Knights of the Apocalypse, began on Netflix in 2023. Where to watch: Netflix, JioHotstar.
7. Kyo Kara Maoh! (2004)
Japanese high school student Yuri Shibuya is flushed through a toilet into another world, where he learns he is the new Demon King. He would rather solve problems with baseball and kindness than war.
It is an older, gentle show, good for viewers who want comedy over battles.
8. Tears to Tiara (2009)
Based on a visual novel, this fantasy series follows Riannon, a priestess offered as a sacrifice to revive a demon king. The ritual awakens Arawn, who is not the evil figure everyone expected and helps her people resist an empire.
9. Demon King Daimao (2010)
Akuto Sai enrolls at a magic academy hoping to do good, but an aptitude test predicts he will become the Demon King. Everyone starts treating him like a villain, no matter how hard he tries to be nice.
10. Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers (2015)
Strictly speaking, Adlet is not a demon lord. He is one of the chosen heroes sent to stop the Demon God. But when seven heroes show up instead of six, he has to find the impostor. We keep it because fans of the genre usually enjoy its mystery and its demon-centred world.
Newer and related picks
11. Demon Lord 2099 (2024)
Demon Lord Veltol wakes up 500 years after his defeat to find that his world has merged with a futuristic cyberpunk city. The show premiered in October 2024 and mixes fantasy with sci-fi in an unusual way.
12. How Not to Summon a Demon Lord (2018)
A shy gamer is summoned into a fantasy world in the body of his overpowered character, Diablo. To cope, he acts out the role of a cold demon lord. A second season aired in 2021.
Why demon lord MCs work
These shows flip the usual hero story. The demon lord is powerful, so the drama comes from how he uses that power, how others misread him and how he deals with ordinary problems like jobs and school. For more anime and streaming lists, check our series section and listicles.
Frequently asked questions
Which anime has the strongest demon lord MC?
Rimuru from That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime and Anos from The Misfit of Demon King Academy are usually named the most overpowered.
Is there a new season of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime?
Yes. Season 4 began in April 2026 and is planned to run across five cours.
Where can I watch demon lord anime in India?
Crunchyroll has most of these titles. Overlord and The Seven Deadly Sins are also on Netflix.
Is The Devil Is a Part-Timer a comedy?
Yes. It is mainly a workplace comedy about the Demon Lord working at a fast-food restaurant in Tokyo.
Sources: Wikipedia: Slime season 4, AniTrendz on Demon Lord 2099, AniTrendz on Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom, JustWatch India.
