It’s good to be a ruler, especially in anime, where the strongest kings often have powers and abilities far beyond anyone in real life. Especially in fantasy anime, it’s common to focus on the story revolving around royalty. Whether they are heroes or villains, it ensures that the outcome of their story will have consequences for the entire world, greatly increasing the stakes.
In most cultures, the ruler of an area is seen as the epitome of their values and is associated with power, glory, and intelligence. The best characters of this type not only follow this rule but also play an integral part in the story through their dynamic qualities. They are found in many genres, including the best isekai anime ever produced, and when it comes to seeing them in action, it is always clear why they are the ones in charge.
10 Bosse – Ranking of Kings
As the name suggests, the Rank of Kings places considerable importance on the abilities of the ruler of an area. King Bosse always holds a high position in the global rankings. His kind nature and great strength have earned him the love and respect of his entire kingdom. Although Bosse dies early in the film, his influence and past actions continue to influence his two sons, Bojji and Daida. Bojji, who grew up small, Deaf and speechless, relies on the memory of his father’s support in his journey to becoming stronger. He was so successful that he defeated the resurrected Bosse in one of the most shocking anime moments of 2022, leaving Daida stunned, who inherited the full power of Bosse and despised his brother long ago.
9 Charles Zi Britannia – Code Geass
Looking at Charles, one quickly realized why his children were the way they were and why the Holy Britannian Empire was so dangerous. In his first seconds on screen, he used the public funeral of his murdered son as a political protest, declaring his survival philosophy the most relevant. The reputation for strength and supremacy he cultivated made the entire army of Britannia willing to die for him.
What he had planned for them was actually worse. Hurt from growing up in one of the most dysfunctional royal families in anime, Charles is determined to create a new world. He uses his Geass to control and manipulate those who threaten his vision, with the intention of melting reality. Keeping his cards close to his chest, Charles’ plan was unclear until the last minute, and a very quick thought from Lelouch disrupted it.
8 Shouryuu – Twelve Kingdoms
Often, the kirin system of appointing the immortal kings and queens of the Twelve Kingdoms can lead to crises when the appointees can’t handle it. Shouryuu, however, is the child that epitomizes how a unicorn can attack gold. He has sat on the throne of En for centuries and has accumulated enough experience to be a mentor to the new queen Youko as she begins to reign.
Once a noble samurai on Earth, Shouryuu was used to commanding and was determined not to lose his people the way he did in his previous life. While he is not afraid to be manipulative when it comes to diplomacy, he never harms in getting what he wants. When it comes to combat, whether against humans or demons, there are few who can match him and Enki, making Shouryuu one of the most powerful kings in anime history.
Dragon Ball – Dragon Ball Z
Throughout Dragon Ball Z, Frieza is a more present and terrifying threat to Earth’s heroes, and Cooler is sometimes… there. But both brothers remained submissive to their father. King Cold did not step back from his throne because of any weakness or inability to rule, but rather to conceal his movements from the family’s enemies until it was time to strike.
Cold is rarely seen, but he is the one who turned the Frieza Force (formerly the Cold Force) into a fearsome galactic empire. He is responsible for resurrecting his eldest son with a cyborg body and leading him back to Earth to avenge Goku. Extremely powerful without training, Cold wastes no time playing with his food: in combat, his goal is to destroy his target as quickly and decisively as possible.
6 Yhwach – Bleach
The final boss to conquer Bleach’s death, Yhwach is the 1,200-year-old king of all the Quincys. The extraordinary son of the Soul King, Yhwach once tried to lead an army of Quincies against the world but was stopped by the Soul Society. His ability, The Almighty, grants him many powers from changing the future to forbidding the sale of any attack that could hurt him. Yhwach is happy to meet strong opponents: if he can touch them or implant a part of his soul inside them, he can absorb their power and longevity for himself. Even if he can’t do it, he still enjoys fighting, with his intense bloodlust and the joy he takes in brutality. Ichigo and his friends defeated many powerful enemies, but they couldn’t even kill Yhwach, only stripping him of his powers long enough to seal him.
5 Meruem – Hunter X Hunter
Humans are not the only ones who fear a cruel and heartless king. Hunter x Hunter’s Chimera Ant hierarchy is based on royalty, with the eggs of the colony being laid by the Queen, who spawns soldiers, a Royal Guard, and eventually a King, who is the strongest. among them. Meruem is a work from the start, forcing himself to be born prematurely at the cost of his mother’s life, and almost instantly killing one of his loyal soldiers on a whim. One of the most feared characters in Hunter x Hunter, Meruem rules with an iron tail, both before and after character development where he might care for others. Incredibly strong, agile and quick to learn everything from gameplay to combat, everyone is terrified of getting close to him let alone fighting. The only way to kill him is radiation poisoning – from the nuclear explosion he skillfully survived.
Technically, Bradley’s title as the Fuhrer in Fullmetal Alcehmist serves as the first big clue that something is very wrong with the Amestrian government. But his given name is King and he certainly acts like it. Installed as the dictator of Amestris, he plays a strict but reasonable authority over his people but uses his power to slaughter the people of neighboring countries to promote Father’s doomsday plans with chaos and bloodshed.
As Homunculus Wrath the Furious, he lives for the battle and is one of the most formidable opponents in anime. He embodies all the violence of Amestris and shows it in his brutal hand-to-hand combat style, enhanced by a lifetime of training and the Philosopher’s Stone he was infused with. . Until he’s finally broken by Ling Yao and Scar, it’s easy to forget that he doesn’t have the ability to reincarnate from his siblings’ core.
3 Jaden Yuki – Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
No one would suspect Yu-Gi-Oh GX’s Jaden harbors a secret evil side, but in the Dimensional World it is revealed that he was a very different guy from his previous life. Jaden is the modern reincarnation of the Sovereign King, a brutal warlord who commands armies and sacrifices duels that have lost to him to fortify his deck. When Jaden is usurped by the personality of the Supreme King, it replaces his cheerfulness and energy with cold stoicism and sets him back on his path of conquest. Dueling with him was terrifying. His opponents are defeated by his suffocating evil aura as well as his ruthless gameplay and powerful monsters.
2 Sinbad – Magi: Magic Labyrinth
The High King of the Seven Seas is feared and respected throughout the Magi world, and is worshiped in his kingdom of Sindria. He is the only one to have ever cleared seven dungeons (second place, Kouen, has cleared three), and he masterfully uses many of his Djinn powers, making him a worthy adversary. afraid to fight. Sinbad has a kind heart, but he has suffered great tragedy and has to make difficult choices to get himself and his people to where they are. As such, his cunning is more dangerous than his strength. Sinbad is ready to use any shady move available to his ends, no matter who gets hurt in the process. In the end of the manga, he effectively conquered the world and commanded its allegiance, but that’s not necessarily a good thing.
1 Gilgamesh – Chain of Fate
Archer may not be the best or the best king—those honors go to his enemies, Saber and Rider—but it’s hard to beat him in a showdown. In life he is Gilgamesh, the legendary king of Babylon, and he still has the right divine complex. He mocks the very idea of equality and very loudly considers everyone who isn’t him a worthless hybrid, including his royal rivals and his equal power in Holy Grail War.
And good luck trying to take him down for that. Holding one of the most powerful swords in the anime among many other Noble Phantasms, Gilgamesh is extremely difficult to defeat in battle. Moreover, he is constantly looking for a challenge, to the point where he gets angry when most of his enemies don’t measure up and sometimes even loses because he throws his punches because pride.
With fantasy being such a popular genre for anime, it’s no surprise that the medium is teeming with famous kings. Each anime king represents a different value system in their own way. For better or worse, the power of these kings reflected the ideals of the people they ruled. For better or worse, kings in anime possess a majestic appearance that demands respect from their subjects. At last, strongest kings in anime is a fascinating case study of the meaning of power.
