Dragons are an integral part of East Asian lore and mythology. Dragon Ball in particular is known to have been heavily influenced by ancient Chinese myths and ideas. The series' main character, Goku, was based on the 16th-century myth of the Monkey King Son Goku.
Tracing from this traditional Chinese influence, many other anime series have followed suit in keeping the mythical idea of dragons alive and well in the collective consciousness. While the depiction and usage of dragons may vary from show to show, the function they serve as powerful, mysterious entities that demand respect and reverence remains uniform.
10 Tomoe May Be A Servant But She Demands Respect
Moonlit Fantasy
Moonlit Fantasy is a basic isekai story that derives its sense of humor from the fact that it knows it's a basic isekai story. An interesting way that the show sets up the overpowered nature of its protagonist early on is through his interaction with one of the Greater Dragons.
While she is one of the most powerful beings in her world, the dragon Tomoe is easily tamed by the overpowered protagonist and becomes his servant. While this is a new situation for her, Tomoe doesn't mind, as she recognizes the incredible power of her master. Still, Tomoe is a prideful dragon that demands respect from all that cross her and her master's path on their journey.
9 Chihiro Befriends A Spirit Dragon
Spirited Away
Spirited Away is the legendary Studio Ghibli's most famous masterpiece. It follows a young girl named Chihiro who gets transported to the spirit world. There, she encounters all kinds of strange and interesting characters, making friends with many of them along the way.
The creature that becomes closest with Chihiro during her adventure is none other than a powerful dragon by the name of Haku. He is also the river spirit and can take various forms, including that of a boy around Chihiro's age. Though Chihiro is terrified at first of the new world, Haku and the others give her the courage to take on whatever obstacles she faces.
8 Dai Draws His Power From The Strength Of Dragons
Dragon Quest: The Adventure Of Dai
While seeing an actual Dragon in Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai is rarer than one might expect, nevertheless, the very premise of the show revolves almost entirely around dragons. The main character, Dai, is a Dragon Knight descended from his father who was himself the commander of the Dragon Legion.
Dragon Knights are humans who have the strength of dragons, and Dai certainly shows this characteristic throughout his fight to defeat the Dark King Vearn. Dai's father even takes on the form of a dragon at one point as he fights his son, demonstrating how interwoven the power of the Dragon Knights is with that of their namesake.
7 The Blue-Eyes White Dragon Is A Legendary Engine Of Destruction
Yu-Gi-Oh!
Though it started as a manga and an anime series, Yu-Gi-Oh! has transformed into one of the most popular trading card games out there. Due in large part to the popularity of the anime, its monsters have transcended the status of trading cards to be widely recognized as popular characters in their own right.
One of the most iconic monsters in all of Yu-Gi-Oh! is none other than the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Blue-Eyes is Seto Kaiba's go-to monster, and a very strong card in its own right that has only gotten better as the card game has progressed and added more support cards for its archetype.
6 Dragons Are One Of The Rarest & Most Powerful Types In Pokémon
Pokémon
The Pokémon series is full of Dragon-types, some of which are the strongest Pokémon in the show. One such Pokémon, Dragonite, was even in Ash's party when he finally became World Champion in the 25th season of the Pokémon anime.
While dragon Pokémon tend to be one of the rarest types for trainers to find, they are also one of the most powerful with the least amount of type weaknesses. There are even some trainers in the series such as the former Elite Four Leader, Lance, who opt to solely train Dragon-type Pokémon.
5 The Dragon God Orsted Is Not To Be Messed With
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation follows the rebirth of Rudeus as a newborn baby who still retains all the memories from his previous life. Rudeus inevitably becomes a prodigy in this new world full of magic, kings, monsters, and, of course, dragons.
The isekai that Rudeus is sent to has been torn by a war of great gods from time immemorial. One such god, the Dragon God Orsted, walks among men as the strongest member of the dragon tribe. His power is immeasurable, as proven by Rudeus' sole interaction with him thus far in the anime, which does not end well.
4 Dragons Are The Leading Cause Of Death In London
Burn The Witch
In Burn The Witch, 72% of deaths in London are caused by dragons. Unfortunately, dragons aren't visible by the naked eye. Instead, they have to be seen from the parallel world reverse London, where witches reside, and keep a close watch on the dragons in order to keep them in check.
Among those tasked with hunting the dragons are Noel and Ninny, two powerful witches who utilize pipes that fire spells like guns to subdue the majestic winged creatures. While the dark dragons of Burn The Witch are certainly powerful, the creatures take on more of a villainous, animalistic role than in many other anime series.
3 It's All Fun & Games Until Dragons Are Real
GATE
In Gate, Yoji becomes Japan's unlikely hero when an interdimensional gate shows up in the middle of Tokyo. Out of that gate emerge an army of sword-wielding warriors riding dragons and wreaking havoc on the city's civilians.
Gate's hero is an otaku who reads manga about dragons and knights, so this whole ordeal is not new to him. Nevertheless, Yoji is much more inclined to read his favorite isekai adventures than to actually participate in them. Still, his knowledge of the dragons and magic in manga pay off in a big way when he has to deal with them in real life.
2 Dragons Aren't Meant For A Life Of Servitude
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid
Following a blurry, drunken night, Kobayashi ends up with a dragon who agrees to live with her due to the fact that she has fallen madly in love with her new master. Dragons are ordinarily depicted as incredibly powerful predators who demand respect, so having one as a personal maid is quite a unique circumstance.
As Kobayashi soon discovers, dragons aren't really made for a life of servitude. This leads to some hilarious situations in which the dragon maid, Tohru, is doing her absolute best but unfortunately does more harm than good.
1 Rimuru Becomes Besties With The Storm Dragon
That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime
While slimes are typically considered the weakest of monsters, Rimuru is an exception to the rule. The main reason he becomes powerful is the fact that he absorbs a mighty dragon named Veldora. From that point on, Rimuru is the classic overpowered isekai protagonist, and he only grows stronger from there.
Rimuru actually becomes such good friends with Veldora at the start of the show that he accepts his last name, Tempest, as his own. From then on, the two are quite literally inseparable. Even if Veldora is killed in battle, Rimuru can bring him back to life because his memories are stored within Rimuru's body.