Demon characters are fairly common in anime. Whether they’re actual demons, devilish characters, or some other sort of demon adjacent supernatural character – there’s loads of them. So, I’ve accumulated a list of 49 demon and devilish characters for you to look through. Some are considerably more over-powered than others.
Muzan – Demon Slayer
A few on this list hold a fancy title that seems to make them more powerful or almost king-like over the other characters in their series. Muzan is one of those characters. The demon that began creating demons, the only one that can make new demons, as well as the only one that can super charge those demons by giving them more of his blood, Muzan is a force to be reckoned with. He can change forms, use his Twelve Kizuki demons to annihilate the Demon Slayer Corps for his own protection, and even kill his creations at will if they so much as consider betraying him.
RELATED: 29 Demon Girl Anime Characters
Milim Nava – That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime
Adorable, pink-haired, and a powerful demon lord – Milim Nava goes from dangerous enemy to an extremely useful ally. She’s spunky, cute, and a bit of a badass. For someone so small and so cute to be called Destroyer is a little terrifying.
Sesshomaru – InuYasha
Lord Sesshomaru, a powerful and full blooded dog demon, unlike his half-demon younger brother, InuYasha, is the cold and quiet type, for the most part. He spends a good portion of the series initially as a full on enemy to InuYasha, but as he grows tired of Naraku, and also comes to protect Rin, his priorities shift away from sibling squabbles.
Sukuna – Jujutsu Kaisen
The King of Curses, and arguably one of the most powerful on this list, Sukuna was split into 20 pieces (specifically his fingers), which became cursed objects. Other curses, wanting to obtain some of his power, seek out his fingers to grow stronger. Young Itadori, the main character, ingests a finger while trying to stop a curse from using it. What should have killed him resulted in the Jujutsu sorcerers finding a suitable vessel to contain Sukuna until his can be dealt with. Itadori is possessed by Sukuna now, but mostly holds control over the body.
Ai Enma – Hell Girl
Nothing qualifies a character more to be considered a demon girl than being a vengeful spirit that catches the attention of the Master of Hell. She becomes Hell Girl, and serves the Master of Hell, making contracts with tormented people and sending their tormentors to hell. She’s fairly creepy, which has landed her on the Creepiest Characters list as well.
RELATED: 55 Cutest Anime Characters
Ryuk – Death Note
I wholeheartedly submit Ryuk for this list. Sure, he’s a Shinigami – but he looks creepy and he’s a mischievous god of death. Those two concepts only qualify him for demon-adjacent supernatural entity. His meddling in the human world leads to chaos and death for years.
Clare – Claymore
A Claymore – a half human, half Yoma hybrid, Clare is the main protagonist of the series. Being half Yoma, a creature that feeds on human flesh and blood. Are they technically demons? I’m not sure. But eating people makes her just supernatural enough to qualify for the demon in my opinion.
Kuruma – Naruto
The Nine Tail Demon Fox possessed Naruto as a baby, since it was the only way the village could contain his power. Because of this, it left Naruto exiled in a lot of ways, without him having any understanding for why he was always the outcast. But because it resides within Naruto, he’s dealing with the gift/curse power situation.
Gaara – Naruto
Gaara, like Naruto, is possessed by a demon. The One-Tailed Shukaku isn’t as strong as Naruto’s, but it does give him otherworldly powers. Because of this, Gaara can manipulate sand at will, and can use the One-Tailed Shukaku for it’s large source of chakra.
InuYasha – InuYasha
InuYasha is a half-demon, that is initially driven by the motivation to obtain the shards of the sacred jewel to become a full-fledged demon. But as time goes on, his motivations become more focused on stopping Naraku and protecting those he cares about, and less about his self-centered quest for power. He’s arrogant but has a good heart.
Rias Gremory – High School DxD
Rias is a pure-blooded devil, the main character, and the heiress of the Gremory Clan. She’s also known as the Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess. She’s a compassionate character, but quick to anger and prone to violence at times.
Denji – Chainsaw Man
Denji is the main character of the upcoming anime, Chainsaw Man. Denji is a devil hunter for the Yakuza that, through a series of unfortunate events, ends up becoming the Chainsaw Devil. He wields some gnarly chainsaw arm pieces, as well as a chainsaw on his head.
Setsuna – Yashahime: Princess Half Demon
Daughter of Sesshomaru and Rin from Inuyasha, and twin sister to Towa Higurashi, Setsuna is a half demon raised by demon slayers. She’s fierce, guarded, and even a little cold at times – taking after her father some in that area.
Towa – Yashahime: Princess Half Demon
We mentioned one twin, so we might as well talk about Towa too! Towa was raised by the Higurashi family after accidentally getting sent forward in time to present day Tokyo. She’s frequently in trouble for fighting and has to change schools often. But she has a good heart, despite her fighting spirit.
Akaza – Demon Slayer
Akaza is a pretty upbeat demon considering he just wants to fight someone he considers a worthy opponent – which leads him to fighting, and killing, members of the Hashira – the strongest members of the Demon Slayer Corps. But with this, he also looks down on anyone he considers weaker than himself. He has one of the most tragic backstories of the members of the Twelve Kizuki, which makes you almost want to forgive him for the horrible things he’s done. Almost.
Sebastion – Black Butler
He’s one hell of a butler. Dashing, charming, and a demon. Yup, a demonic butler. He’s sworn to a pact with Ciel Phantomhive, acting as his bodyguard and butler. He’s completely devoted to his master, and faithfully follows his orders.
Shinra – Fire Force
Shinra is a Third and Forth Generation pyrokinetic and the newest member of Special Fire Force Company 8. Shinra has had a lifelong goal of becoming a hero, which has been a rocky road considering he doesn’t exactly look the most heroic – his face muscles tighten into a sinister grin against his will, not to mention his Devil’s Footprints – flames igniting from his feet and leaving ashy footprints in his wake. So while he may not be a demon, he has devilish qualities that could make onlookers think he’s a more devilish character.
Kurama – Yu Yu Hakusho
A heart throb for many young girls getting into anime (at least, back in the day), Kurama is cunning, which fits him well, since his soul has been embedded by a demon fox. He becomes a gentle character and is very calculating and analytical. He can use his demonic form and powers, though that form is the opposite of his human personality. In his demonic fox form, he has silver hair.
Rimuru – That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
Rimuru can pop up on any list at this point, I think. The most overpowered little slime in all the land does, in fact, end up becoming a demon lord. Slime, Demon Lord. What a transformation.
Dante – Devil May Cry: The Animated Series
Very similar to InuYasha in a lot of ways (the memes are endless), Dante is a silvery-white haired half demon younger brother, with a cranky demon older brother (Virgil), and, well, I think you can see the similarities there. Dante is a mercenary, hunting devils, and helping those that need it.
Sadao Maou/Satan Jacob – The Devil is a Part-Timer!
Once the Devil-King, turned part-time fast food employee, he’s one of the most intelligent demons in the show. He went from demonic power hungry, to fueled with an ambition to climb the fast food corporate ladder.
Albedo – Overlord
Albedo is a succubus, incredibly beautiful, and is absolutely head-over-heels in love with Ainz. She has horns and black angel wings as well, and when in battle wears black armor.
Nezuko – Demon Slayer
She’s adorable, a fan favorite of the series, and one of the most powerful characters in a few ways in the show. Nezuko was a human, until her older brother Tanjiro left home for a night, and when he returned, found his entire family slaughtered: except for Nezuko. Desperate to keep her alive and not lose the only family he had left, Tanjiro puts his own life on the line to prove to the Demon Slayers she won’t harm humans, before dedicating his life to the Demon Slayers to help protect her. Nezuko can change the size of her body at will, use a blood demon art called Exploding Blood, and has quite the kick.
Rin Okumura – Blue Exorcist
One of the twin sons of Satan, and out for revenge. He wants to become an Exorcist to get revenge for Satan murdering his adoptive father. He’s the main protagonist, is protective, but can be violent and prone to fights.
Ram – Re:Zero
The older of the twins in Re:Zero, Ram is much more strong, serious, and indifferent, compared to her sister, Rem. She keeps her emotions withheld and is quite the opposite of her sister in many ways. They’re both oni, classifying them in the category of demon girls.
Rem – Re:Zero
Demon twins seem to be a popular theme. Younger sister to Ram, Rem is polite, quiet, and loyal. She falls for Subaru after he saves her, and she vows to stick with him no matter what.
Beelzebub IV – Beelzebub
Tiny little son of the demon king, Hilda and Tatsumi are chosen to raise him. They often refer to him as Baby Beel, and he’s sent to the human world to deal with a blood contract for his father.
The Nine Tails Guardian – The God of High School
I’ll try to avoid spoilers and only vaguely discuss the character post-transformation. But, hey, look – another fox demon. This one is very similar to Naruto in the concept that it’s a powerful spirit possessing a human. While the spirit is dormant until the big reveal, it’s ridiculously powerful when it decides it’s time to show itself.
Diablo – That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
Handsome, well dressed servant, and a demon. This guy is borderline Sebastian from Black Butler. But Diablo’s goal is to become Rimuru’s favorite servant, while acting as his second secretary. He was summoned by Rimuru, who immediately fascinated him and seemed to be a cure to his boredom, earning his immediate devotion.
Kaneki – Tokyo Ghoul
A rarity – a human turned into a ghoul – somehow both unable to fit into either world while belonging in both. Kaneki goes from sweet and loyal, to formidable and almost scary. The farther he loses himself to being a ghoul, the more of his human side starts to get suppressed.
Moroha – Yashahime: Princess Half Demon
One of the main protagonists of the show, along with the previously mentioned Setsuna and Towa. Moroha is the daughter of InuYasha and Kagome, and not only has some half demon powers of her father, but also the archery and priestess abilities of her mother.
Zatch – Zatch Bell
Demons must pick a master on Earth in order for them to fight one another. Little Zatch chooses the depressed Kiyomaro. Together, they take on other demons, build a friendship, and try to take over the demon world.
Hiei – Yu Yu Hakusho
The unfortunate “cursed child” – a male fire demon born to a female ice demon, Hiei is the second YuYu Hakusho character on this list that’s a demon. He’s an odd looking fire demon, too – green, and covered with eyes.
Rikuo Nura – Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan
Head of the Nura Clan, despite only being ¼ demon himself, Rikuo is a good kid. In his human forms, he seems weak even though he’s manipulative and intelligent. In his demon form, however, he is strong and intimidating.
Naraku – InuYasha
It started when he was a weak, dying thief, and human. He wanted to live, and took in demons to keep his body alive. But to really gain the power he needed to solidify himself as a demon, he needed the sacred jewel. To make things worse, he meddled in things between Kikyo and InuYasha, making them believe they betrayed each other – leading to Kikyo’s death, and InuYasha being pinned to a tree for many, many years.
Calcifer – Howl’s Moving Castle
A fire demon within the heart of the castle, powering it and keeping things warm. Despite being powerful and full of magic, he’s bound to the hearth after his bargain with Howl.
RELATED: 25 Creepy Anime Characters
Mio – Testament of Sister New Devil
The half human daughter of the previous Demon Lord, she inherited her father’s power after his death. She was raised by two adoptive, demon parents as a human, and only after their deaths did she learn the truth behind her real parents.
Enmu – Demon Slayer: Mugen Train
Enmu get’s the biggest chance to shine in Mugen Train, but does appear elsewhere in the series. Enmu is one of the Twelve Kizuki Muzan has sent to kill as many humans as possible – including the Demon Slayers. Enmu’s power involves putting victims to sleep.
Etna – Disgaea
Originally appearing in the Disgaea games, Etna made her way into the anime as well. She serves Laharl, though she has her own sneaky agenda. She wields a hammer that she uses not only against enemies, but also against her servants.
Meliodas – Seven Deadly Sins
Son of a demon king, protagonist, and the Dragon’s Sin of Wrath, Meliodas looks like a child, but is actually thousands of years old. He’s fearless, tries to avoid showing weakness, and stays composed.
RELATED: 41 Blonde Anime Characters
Koga – InuYasha
Leading of his own wolf clan, Koga is a wolf demon. Despite being promised to another, he becomes fixated on Kagome and wanting to marry her. Thanks to the power of sacred jewel shards in his legs, Koga has strong legs that can carry him ridiculously fast and aid him in fights.
Claude Faustus – Black Butler
The demon butler of Alois Trancy (noticing a demonic butler theme?), Claude wants Ciel’s soul, and is an antagonist in the series. He isn’t much different in appearance to Sebastian, aside from having glasses, and being referred to as the Spider Butler.
Yuko – The Demon Girl Next Door
A 15-year-old main protagonist of the series, Yuko just finds herself in a peculiar situation – she wakes up and realizes she has horns and a tail. The only way to break her curse? Defeat a magical girl for her blood, of course.
Diablo – How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord
A gamer is summoned by two girls – an elf and pantherian – into another world. But not as himself, but rather his online character Diablo, aka the True Demon King. While the gamer boy is more introverted, as Diablo his personality is much different.
Kagura – InuYasha
Kagura was one of the first incarnations Naraku made. She’s a demon with wind sorceress powers and travels on a giant feather, doing Naraku’s bidding. As the series progresses, Kagura becomes more and more unhappy with her situation, and plots to break free from Naraku’s grasp.
Akira – Devilman Crybaby
Once human, Akira absorbed the devil Amon’s power thanks to his friend Ryo, and boom! Life turns upside down. Soon, he’s fighting enemies as the Devilman, but keeping his human soul.
Hilda – Beelzebub
What better nanny to have than a demon, right? Hildegard, or Hilda, is the adoptive mother / wet nurse for baby Beelzebub IV, as well as the main female protagonist of the series. Aside from her interactions with Beel, Hilda is cold and manipulative.
Lady Tamayo – Demon Slayer
One of the few demons you encounter in the series that isn’t trying to kill or harm anyone else, and, instead, has devoted her life to trying to save others and research a cure to being a demon. Specifically, she’s motivated to stop Muzan, and aids Tanjiro and the Demon Slayers in their efforts.
Zero Two – Darling in the Franxx
She isn’t technically a demon. But, for the sake of being sort of demon adjacent, we’ll let it slide. Zero Two is an elite parasite also known as “Partner Killer”, that’s used to going it alone. Due to her appearance – horns, for example – she has mostly kept to herself because she was often treated poorly for looking like a monster.
What did you think of these Demon Anime Characters?
Are you of these demon anime characters your favourites? Did we miss anyone?
Let us know in comments.
