Abaddon, Hades, The Antichrist, Apollyon, Satan, and finally the Devil. These are just a few of the names people use to describe the ruler of the underworld himself. But why doesn't this bad boy show up more in media? Sure he shows up in some TV like Lucifer or Supernatural, but what about in anime? Well, the Japanese as well as other Asian countries still mostly practice/believe in Shinto or Buddhism, where it's not "Satan" but Yama, The King of Ogres, and so on. Still, to help clear some things up, here are the five best and worst times the devil or a similar representation has shown up in anime.
10 Best: Asura From Soul Eater
Like we said, a few of these might not literally be the "Satan" from Western religion. Asura from Soul Eater is one of the ones that might as well be Satan but doesn't have the same name. Now, the creator Atsushi Ōkubo is currently working on his new successful series Fire Force, but we still wish we could see the old crew again, like our homeboy Death. For all intents and purposes, the character and headmaster Death in Soul Eater might as well be called God. And, as such, Asura is a child of Death who betrayed him and was subsequently exiled/banished for his evil deeds. Sound sort of familiar?
9 Worst: King Yemma From Dragon Ball Z
King Yemma is the ultimate judge as to whether a soul will either go to Heaven or Hell in the DBZ universe, and he has judged Goku's soul a multitude of times. Yemma is based on the Buddhist deity Yama otherwise known as the King of all Ogres who judges a sinner's deeds. So, it's pretty obvious that this character is functionally the same as the Devil or Satan. We'll be seeing more Yama homages throughout this list but as far as they go Yemma is just too passive. He lets Goku get away with too much, is overpowered by villains later in the series, and doesn't really strut his stuff enough.
8 Best: Sadao Maō Or Lord Satan From The Devil Is A Part-Timer
This is by far the most obvious inclusion in this list. When unique anime are talked about, this is always included. When Isekai comes up in conversation, people recommend this. When people talk about product placement in anime, guess what, this comes up. The Devil is a Part-Timer is a very beloved anime, ranked number 56 on My Anime List (which is pretty dang high).
Usually, in Isekai anime/manga, a normal human is transported to a fantasy world where they're given cheat-like skills to put them above the rest. In this, Satan himself gets taken from his fantasy world and thrown into our human domain, in a very weakened state. And guess what, Satan has taxes and rent to pay, just like everyone else, so he gets a part-time job at "MgRonald's" to make ends meet. It's great, watch it.
7 Worst: Sirzechs Lucifer Or Hades From Highschool DxD
High School DxD is an odd beast. Where one would expect it to be just another high school fanservice anime, it actually surprises us with its odd complexity and berth of varied characters. Underneath that of course, is just another high-school fanservice anime but still. Still, there is a rabid following for this show and while we may not like it, we get why. Because of the insane amount of different Devils and Demons in this show, it's hard to tell which would represent "Satan" the best. If we had to pick, it'd be either Sirzechs Lucifer or Hades himself, sadly both of them aren't very good characters.
6 Best: Ryo Asuka From Devilman: Crybaby
Devilman Crybaby the Netflix series is quite a unique adaptation. It's based on the long-running Devilman series which started all the way back in 1972 thanks to genius creator Go Nagai. In it, Ryo Asuka and Akira Fudo both represent both sides of morality and divinity, with Akira being a Devil yet standing for justice and humanity while Ryo is an angel yet ultimately evil to his core and working with demons. But, as a representation of Satan, Ryo is absurd. And ultimately, his representation is pretty one-note when all is said and done. Still, that finale was a crazy one, especially if you were unfamiliar with the franchise.
5 Worst: Zatch/Gash Bell From Zatch Bell!
This might be the best things we've ever manage to qualify for a list. This article is talking about the best representations of the Devil, otherwise known as the King of Demons, right? Well, in Zatch Bell, Demons are defined as the little puppets Kiyo and other Spellbook holders control. And, the entire series is a tournament held on earth where humans team up with these adorable punks to fight and see who will become the new King of the Demon World.
And, spoilers for a show that came out in the early 2000s, Zatch wins at the end. So we can absolutely say that this Yellowtail-devouring little scamp represents the penultimate ruler of all demons, and thats quite hilarious.
4 Best: Satan, Rin, And Yukio From Blue Exorcist
The Devil and his children actually make up a significant portion of the cast in an amazing series called Blue Exorcist. And if we're talking about Satan himself, he's also an amazing character in this show, debuting by killing the man who raised both Rin and Yukio. Later, when we find out his backstory, Satan is actually more fearsome in both his power and quick growth and the story of not finding a vessel who can contain him is a unique take on the character.
3 Worst: Lucifer Or Satan From Rage Of Bahamut
Shingeki No Bahamut or Rage of Bahamut is an odd sort of anime. It's an adaptation of a mobile card game made by Cygames. It's an awesome setting. In particular, the lore of this world is that Bahamut is the all-encompassing Dragon of Destruction is more powerful than God or Satan. All manner of demons, creatures, heroes, saints, and angels went to war against Bahamut, but none seemed able to defeat it. Finally, Satan and God banded together and sacrificed themselves in order to bind Bahamut away from our world. The only problem is, we rarely see Satan, one of the coolest designs in the show, and his new King of the Demons, Lucifer is a real dweeb.
2 Best: The Demon Queen From Demon King And Hero
Now, you might get the wrong idea and think that we won't like any representation of the Devil that doesn't have a pitchfork and horns. That's wrong. We just like when the devil is a character that stays true to what they're referencing, homaging, or their design intention, just like any other character. And, one amazing version of that is the Demon Queen in Mayuu Maou Yuusha.
This series is beloved by many, and we totally understand why Satan tells the Hero of Humanity that they should work together to make the best scenario for both their people. It's way better than some other series where the Hero hurts humanity more than they help it. It's an odd tale where tons of quirky comedy happens between our main characters Yuusha and Maou. But it just has so much interesting world-building and lore.
1 Worst: Satan In Hoozuki's Coolheadedness
And lastly, Hoozuki's Coolheadedness is actually a pretty good show. In it, Hoozuki is the right-hand man of Lord Enma, King of Hell. Enma is obviously another homage to Yama and seems to have the same patient and calm demeanor that King Yemma does. But, it's actually done a bit better this time since he's a more fleshed-out character and Hoozuki works as a good contrast to his calmness. And, the Satan from Western religion regularly comes by his domain to visit. And while it's funny that both of these satanic overlords are calm and meek personality-wise, this Satan is intentionally poorly represented.