High school girl Yoshida Yuuko wakes up one day to find out she has grown horns and a tail. Yuuko’s mother Seiko finally reveals their family secret: They’re descendants of demons of the Dark Clan who were defeated and become impoverished through a curse by their mortal enemies, the magical girls of the Light Clan. Yuuko is destined to one day slay a magical girl and lift herself and her family from poverty. Yuuko’s target is her classmate Chiyoda Momo, the resident magical girl and is more experienced and more powerful than her. Thankfully though, Momo happily agrees to help Yuuko draw out her latent powers, so Yuuko can beat her.

Machikado Mazoku is essentially a “cute girls doing cute things” show featuring two frenemies getting along, despite their clans’ long history of, uhm, “disagreements.” Momo, the magical girl, finds Yuuko, the demon girl, interesting to talk with, easy to tease, and sees her as a friend. Yuuko is too timid and clumsy to become the next demon girl to slay a magical girl, but you still get to appreciate that Yuuko is trying to live up to her family’s expectations.

Gabriel Tenma White is a top student in heaven and as a graduation requirement to become a full-fledged angel, Gabriel must live amongst humans as a high school girl and help them by spreading kindness, peace, and happiness. Unfortunately, Gabriel wasn’t prepared for the temptations that lie waiting in the human world: video games. Tainted after eating the forbidden fruit, Gabriel becomes a shut-in and her personality changes from a helpful energetic girl to a slob who doesn’t care about anything else other than her video gaming lifestyle. Is this the path Gabriel will go or is there a chance for her to redeem herself and become a true angel?

Gabriel DropOut is a story about angels and demons living together in the human world. The roles of angels and demons in Gabriel DropOut aren’t clear cut because our main heroine Gabriel isn’t a perfect example of how an angel should be. Gabriel’s classmate and fellow angel Raphiel is an ideal angel on the outside, but she’s secretly a sadistic stalker who bullies her classmate Satanichia, a demon. Despite being a demon, Vignette is a responsible, kind, and friendly girl and people mistake her for an angel. And let’s not forget the bumbling and “evil” demon Satanichia who wishes to cause mischief and chaos but whose plans always end up backfiring. Despite her diabolical intentions, she’s not as extreme as Gabriel. Angels causing mischief and demons doing good deeds? That pretty much sums up Gabriel DropOut.

Momonga is a high-level undead spellcaster in a Dive Massively Multiplayer Online RPG called Yggdrasil and he’s one of the most powerful players, possessing powerful spells and commanding powerful NPC servants. His reign will soon come to an end after the popular MMO finally closes its servers. Momonga remains in the server until the expiry date, but instead of getting logged out, he is transported into an unknown world as his undead avatar. Unable to log out, Momonga organizes his now-sentient NPC servants to scour the land for clues and signs of other people stuck in the world like him.

Overlord is like watching an evil villain planning to conquer the world through fear and despair using his demonic magic and with the aid of his army of powerful demonic minions. Instead of telling the story through the lens of the weak humans, Overlord tells the story focusing on the demons themselves. They kill, they consume human flesh, but at the same time, they’re very likable due to their colorful personalities. You just can’t help but cheer them on in their conquest to rule the world.

In the MMORPG Cross Reverie lies the most powerful and undefeated player, Demon Lord Diablo. Possessing the rarest of items, the most powerful of spells, the most exotic of equipment, and an unrivaled player level, Diablo defeats every player he encounters without taking damage. Behind this menacing reputation is Sakamoto Takuma, a socially awkward shut-in who devoted his secluded life to making his avatar Diablo the most powerful in Cross Reverie. As with any Isekai anime, Takumi is summoned to a magical world and takes the form of his avatar, also possessing all of the magic and equipment the Demon Lord Diablo has acquired!

Demons are a race in the fantasy world of Cross Reverie and their striking features among other races are, well, just horns on their heads. It’s not the most creative way to depict demons, but hey, they’re called demons, so they’re demons. But anyway, there are two main demons in Isekai Maou and we get to spend the entire series with the self-proclaimed Demon Lord Diablo. That’s pretty much it, actually. But hey, let’s hope we get a season two for more answers and hopefully more demons.

Urameshi Yusuke is a delinquent who, on one fateful day, throws himself in front of a car to save a young boy and dies. Due to his unexpected good deed, Koenma, the heir to the throne of the spirit realm gives Yusuke another chance in life by making him a spirit detective to fight against evil spirits who are disrupting the balance of the human realm. Yusuke encounters supernatural friends and foes in his adventure as a spirit detective to not only fight for his right to a new life, but to save the human world as well.

Now, we can’t make a list without mentioning the classic Yuu Yuu Hakusho. Dragon Ball, Flame of Recca, Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, My Hero Academia… Yuu Yuu Hakusho is a traditional shounen anime with a focus on action, adventure and insane power levels. Unlike Dragon Ball Z’s androids and aliens, or Naruto’s ninjas and mystical ninjitsu, Yuu Yuu Hakusho is more focused on the supernatural, involving spirits, apparitions, and youkai. If it’s demon-slaying or demon-befriending you want, you can find it here.

Fudou Akira and Asuka Ryou have been friends since childhood and they are complete opposites of each other. Akira cries when someone close to him passes away, and Ryou is more calculating, cunning and cold-hearted, and won’t hesitate to take a life. 10 years later, Ryou asks for Akira’s help in uncovering the truth about demons living among humans by going to where the demons congregate; the Sabbath, an underground party of sex, drugs, sacrifices, and debauchery. Amidst the bloodshed, Akira is possessed by a powerful demon and becomes Devilman—a man with the body of a devil but with the heart of a human.

Devilman is one of the oldest series in Japan and it has been remade for each generation of audiences who are looking for a grim story of gods and demons, and at the same time not as extreme or pornographic as the grandfather of hentai Urotsukidoji. Devilman Crybaby is the series’ current iteration and just like its predecessors, it has violence, sex, demons, a whole lot of blood and gore, and lots of Christian symbolism. Unlike the majority of the titles on this list that feature demons as a class, race, or a type of monster that casts magic, Devilman has actual demons—in the traditional sense—and they’re not pretty.

Yusha, the Hero, Seiran the Priest, Fai the Warrior, and Mei the Magician all face the Demon King in a fierce battle that will determine the fate of the world. And with their combined powers, they banish the Demon King into the void and the world is saved from evil. Roll credits! But wait, there’s more to the story! The Demon King wasn’t banished into the void, but instead, he was sent back through time in the body of a loli demon. Concealing his identity, the Demon King, now known as Mao, infiltrates the Adventurer School as a teacher to stop the girl Yusha from becoming the destined hero.

While half of the story focuses more on Yusha and the gang, the other half of it is more on Mao, the cutest demon king ever. After several failed attempts at stopping Yusha from becoming the new hero destined to defeat the demon king, Mao gives up her plans to rule the world and continues living as a teacher for young adventurers. But Mao can’t avoid her fate as the demon king, so there will be a time when Mao discards her loli form and rises up to fight the hero. Mao is the only demon character in the show, but you can forgive Endro~! for the lack of demons because Mao and her antics are so darned cute!

Kamado Tanjirou returns home to find that his family was brutally murdered and eaten by demons. The only survivor of the massacre is his sister Nezuko who has been cursed and turns into a demon herself. But a part of her humanity still remains, so Nezuko and Tanjirou trek across the Japanese countryside to find a way to lift the curse. In order to achieve his goals, Tanjirou must train hard to be stronger by joining the Demon Slayer Corps, a secret group of warriors who specialize in hunting down demons.

Some of the fans may have been disappointed at the deception—fans expecting a depressing story about finding a way to end the demonic curse instead of a shounen-esque action-adventure story. But it’s a fact that the story revolves around fighting against man-eating demons. The demons in Kimetsu no Yaiba are your typical grotesque humanoid monsters with modern twists like having a wide arsenal of magical or elemental powers at their disposal. Though the real meat of Kimetsu no Yaiba is its multi-layered story and a huge cast of characters with their own motives as to why they joined the Demon Slayer Corps.

Hell, also known as Pandemonium, is where fallen angels go to become demons. Under the new management by the Great Demon Beelzebub—a fallen angel who has fought against Heaven alongside Satan—Pandemonium has drastically been changed to become a peaceful and great place to live in, rivaling Heaven’s high standards of living. Demons live peacefully together in actual towns bustling with life and full of color, gone are pesky things like fire, brimstone, and eternal agony. Just who is this Beelzebub? Oh, Beelzebub is just a cute petite girl who loves fluffy things.

Beelzebub-jou no Okinimesu mama. is simply a slice of life anime about the always-lovely and always surrounded by fluffy things Beelzebub, and a huge cast of interesting demon characters working together to make Pandemonium a great place to live in. If you’re looking for a more comfy demonic experience without the blood, fighting, and eternal damnation, then Beelzebub-jou no Okinimesu mama. is a great way to convince yourself to become a fallen angel.

The war between humans and demons has raged on for 15 years. Many lives on both sides have been lost, chaos has ensued and the once fertile lands have been reduced to ash. A hero has appeared in this time of need and with the help of his companions, they lead the human army into the Demon Realm and strike at the heart—the Demon King. With the slow advancement of the army, the hero grows impatient and recklessly rushes to the Demon King’s castle alone. Upon arriving at the castle, the hero confronts the Demon King—a woman of unparalleled beauty who is seeking the Hero’s help to stop the war… Using economics and agriculture.

Maoyuu Maou Yuusha isn’t your typical fantasy anime because it focuses more on the backbone of every military—industries like agriculture, farming, infrastructure, and the like. Both human and demon races benefit from the war by providing new jobs, improving trading with neighboring nations, and bringing supplies and aid to outlying colonies with little natural resources to exploit. But war isn’t the perfect solution to maintain prosperity so the Demon King convinces the Hero to find better solutions by researching new technologies for food production by introducing potatoes and corn.

As a spirit warrior, it is Mirai Kuriyama’s duty to take down “youmu”, demons that are created by the congregation of negative human emotion. However, one day, she attacks Akihito Kanbara, a youmu half-breed who also happens to be immortal. Thankfully, her attack doesn’t kill the boy and they are able to form a friendship that helps boost Mirai’s confidence.

Though it is not the most unique plot, Kyoukai no Kanata takes the common and makes it beautiful. This is both in the literal sense as well as a more figurative one. As to the literal, one of the strongest aspects of this anime is its wondrous animation, both on and off the field of battle. As we watch spirit warriors battle against demon, we are mesmerized and brought into an incredible fantasy. In regards to the figurative, there are several touches here and there of humor and tenderness throughout the story. The timing and placement of these moments show a certain amount of care and an understanding of how to embellish a narrative.

The Demon Lord Satan had put into action his plans of conquering of Ente Isla. His plans, sadly, are ruined by the hero Emilia as she cuts through his forces. Before she can land the finishing blow though, Satan and his most loyal servant, Alsiel, are transported to a new world, Earth.

The writers behind Hataraku Maou-sama! did a great job flipping the typical demon storyline on its head. Instead of focusing on epic battles and gore, this anime finds relief and enjoyment in the most ordinary aspects life. In this way, the show succeeds tremendously as you truly feel connected to the relationships that grow within its 13-episode run. You feel connected and you realize just how important relationships are vs. money and other facets of society. Admittedly, the animators did a tremendous job on the initial battles and most people might have just been perfectly content watching 13 episodes of that glorious action.

Bakemonogatari follows Koyomi Araragi after he’s been cured of vampirism and by some circumstances of fate, continuously runs into people who have been affected by supernatural events. The first he meets and who holds a major role in both Koyomi’s development, as well as the plot, is Tsubasa Hanekawa.

Many of you are probably wondering why Bakemonogatari isn’t higher up on this list. In terms of production quality, story, and most other components in an anime, this show is one of the best. However, its actual focus on demons is more conceptual. Despite relying heavily on a spirit world, this show isn’t the typical demon anime. Yes, there are demons that must be faced and handled on an episodic basis, but the true demons are inside. The true demons are the thoughts and feelings that live within us after an event and cause us to rescind from normal and healthy interactions.

As mentioned above, this list has some oldies. Now if you haven’t seen or heard about Inuyasha then you have some catching up to do. Following Kagome into a past world full of demons, InuYasha tasks Kagome with the responsibility of gathering the shards of a sacred jewel before they fall into the wrong hands.

Both action/adventure and love story, InuYasha has something for everyone. It deftly handles social constructs, prejudices, and other conflicts as Kagome befriends and works with the half-human, half-demon Inuyasha. The best part of this show though, is that the primary demon antagonists all have massive and intriguing personalities. The early antagonisms of Sesshomaru force a lot of action as well as character development. The reasons behind Kagura’s attacks will break your heart. Overall, it’s the backstories of the demons and their personal struggles that really add a certain flavor to the show.

It’s a morbid world to begin with, and the fact that demons, which feast on human flesh, can easily blend into society doesn’t make things easier on humans. Luckily, there are women who are able to fight off these demons. However, their bravery comes at a cost. These women themselves are half-demon and so are shunned by the very society that they protect.

Claymore, for those who haven’t seen it, is somewhat like an older, gorier, and more adult version of Madoka Magica. Female guardians alone have the power to take out these demons. However, their powers ostracize them and can ultimately turn then into that which they hunt. Specifically, following Clare through this setting, we get a first-hand glimpse of the daily hardships that these women face. We are also asked what power relationships, even the lack of them, have on a person.

Cecil Phantomhive’s parents were murdered when he was still a very young child, leaving him in charge of one of the most prosperous houses in England. In order to achieve revenge and thrive in the cut-throat world he’s been thrust into, the young master makes a contract with a demon. The demon shall be his butler and fulfill Cecil’s each wish in exchange for the boy’s soul when all is said and done.

Sebastian. Sebastian Michealis is all that needs to be said. This demon is one hell of a butler and on an episodic basis proves his incredible. Whether it’s cooking the best dish of curry or dispatching threats to Cecil, he is perfection incarnate. Pulling off the contrasting personas of obedient servant and ultimate bad boy, Sebastian charms just about anyone and everyone who watches the show.

Following Rin Okumura, Ao no Exorcist throws us into a world where demons consistently try to find their way into the human world. In fact, Rin Okumura himself is sort of one of the demons as he has been infused with Satan’s power, which in a way makes him the son of Satan. Well, he’s not only the son of Satan, but also the possible gateway for the demon king into the human world.

In terms of enjoyment and action, few can compare to Ao No Exorcist. Its production qualities are top notch and engage viewers immediately. Its first episode is dramatic and powerful and will hook you in on the spot. From there, it has good character development that is joined by the common ‘power vs. control’ motif. Admittedly, the story does feel a little drawn out over its run, but it’s all worth it when you watch Rin unleash his inner demon.

Similar to Ao No Exorcist, D.Gray-Man is an action shounen that chases after Allen Walker as he and his fellow exorcists try to dispel demons and stop the Millennium Earl from destroying the world.

For those asking why D.Gray-Man is higher up than Ao No Exorcist, the answer is story. D.Gray-Man’s story is a step or two above the normal shounen arc. Yes, it still has a lot of typical elements, but there’s a lot more focus on the emotional and mental viewpoints of the characters. Each character has quite a bit of depth that he/she must wade through and each character has their own motives for fighting. In the end, the show is even able to blur the lines between who is good and who is bad. Would you expect anything less though from a show that has its initial and constant conflict arise from the fact that the deceased are being called back into torture by the suffering and love of their loved ones?

Berserk continues to follow Guts when Guts is more pissed off than you could ever imagine. He’s been betrayed and branded and he’s out for blood with a determination that is akin to the hell-bent forces that chase him. The man’s taken up an iron slab to literally smash his enemies in a rather personal and brutal manner.

Berserk is one of those anime that lives off the presence of demons. Demons in human form control so many aspects of this world’s setting and provide numerous threats and obstacles. However, what truly pushes this show forward is how easily human nature can be molded into that of demons. Political intrigue, corruption, blind faith and so much more depict the uglier side of humanity as humans fight one another as much as they do the forces of the undead.

Let’s be real. Hell, whether acting as simply the after life or the specific destination for eternal damnation, has a lot of souls going its way. Now, one might argue that such a world doesn’t require law, but the truth is that punishment and favors need to be met. As a result, a well-functioning bureaucracy is key to a successful Hell. Go figure.

In terms of demons, you don’t get much better than the setting being the underworld. Yokai fill up every minute of this anime and in a rather unique way, as the show focuses more on discourse than fighting. Showing everyday moments that deal with Hoozuki hustling other spirits and handling grievances, Hoozuki no Reitetsu proves that life isn’t so different on the other side. Helping to push this mold-breaking anime, is it incredible use of sound, especially its awesome intro song, and its beautiful artwork that incorporates a more traditional look. Altogether, these factors mix into a fresh and respectable comedy that will have you laughing each time Hoozuki enacts some form of torture.