10 strongest anime devils of all time, ranked

The fastest way to characterize an anime character as cruel and depraved is by making them a devil straight from the underworld. Demons and devils, often used interchangeably, are abundant in the anime world. The reason is obvious — portraying hell on-screen is often used as a way to depict the cruelties found in real life, holding a mirror up to humanity.

Because anime is so chock-full of devil characters, they come in all shapes and sizes. Some are typical red-horned devils, some come in disguise, and some are literally named Satan, so there's no room for confusion. While a devil character is usually powerful by nature, there are some anime devils that are so strong they could literally destroy the world if they ever existed in real life.

Sadao Maou Goes From Dark Lord to Part-Timer

Sadao Maou, The Devil Is a Part-Timer!'s protagonist, used to be the king of hell in this comedy reverse isekai. After attempting to conquer the world of Ente Isla, Sadao is transported to modern-day Tokyo and subsequently loses his demonic powers. To survive, he begins working part-time at MgRonald's and uses his interest in power and order to serve burgers and climb the ranks at the fast-food chain.

Sadao might not actually be a devil for most of The Devil Is a Part-Timer!'s story, but sometimes he does gain his powers back momentarily by absorbing the fear and despair of others. When in his full, satanic form, Sadao can perform dark magic, flight, and regeneration, with towering strength and formidable intellect. Considering he isn't able to take advantage of those powers very much, he's not as strong as other devils in anime.

Akuto Sai is a Devil-in-the-Making in Demon King Daimao

Demon King Daimao's Akuto Sai starts off as an idealistic high school student, but when his school aptitude test predicts his future career to be "Demon King," the entire student body becomes terrified of him. Poor Akuto wanted to better society by being a high priest, but his noble worldview is challenged by his sudden immense powers, and he struggles to prove his goodness despite his predetermined fate.

Akuto is a strong Demon Lord, despite how desperately he wants to be a good person. He has command over all mana, allowing him to create and destroy matter at will, and can control demonic entities and create mass destruction. Most of the time in Demon King Daimao's story, Akuto doesn't have great control over his powers, although as the series progresses, he reaches cosmic levels and literally transcends physical existence.

Femto Commits Berserk's Deadliest Betrayal

At the beginning of the seinen animeBerserk, Griffith starts with at least a few redeeming qualities. He's ruthlessly ambitious in his goal to rule a kingdom, but he also trusts and values the Band of the Hawk, especially his right-hand man, Guts. Even when he climbs the social hierarchy in the royal court through underhanded means, he isn't outwardly evil, but his Crimson Behelit is a ticking time bomb waiting to go off.

On the brink of death, Griffith makes the unforgivable decision to sacrifice his soldiers to become Femto, a demonic member of the God Hand. With his newfound god-like powers, Femto can perform spatial manipulation, which he uses to merge the physical and astral plains. While his new strength is powerful, it's the betrayal and emotional evils Femto commits that make him stand out.

Rimuru Tempest Ascends to Godliness in That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime's Rimuru Tempest was once an ordinary man, but when he gets reincarnated in a fantasy world, he gradually gains powerful abilities that allow him to unite a nation of monsters under his control. Although he starts out as a gelatinous blue slime, he eventually evolves into a True Demon Lord, granting him the title of leader of all beings.

Rimuru's powers stem from his "Predator" ability to absorb, analyze, and replicate any material or skill. He commands space-time manipulation, soul consumption, and elemental magic, even accessing power over nothingness itself in his most advanced form, Void God Azathoth. Despite the ruthless nature of his power, Rimuru manages to remain kind and pragmatic as a leader, so he's certainly not as evil as some other devils in anime.

Sirzechs Lucifer Could Cause Mass Destruction in High School DxD

It's easy to write off High School DxD as just another raunchy harem anime, but the plot is actually surprisingly compelling. In a world where devils live among humans, Sirzechs Lucifer is one of the deadliest of them all. He is Rias Gremory's older brother and one of the Four Great Satans that rule the underworld, which gives him untold powers despite his usual carefree and teasing personality.

As a pure-blood devil, Sirzechs has unmatched demonic powers. His signature ability is his Power of Destruction, which lets him erase matter at will, and he also uses a technique called Ruin the Extinct, which forms precise annihilation spheres that can bypass any defenses. Even though he has the power of mass destruction, Sirzechs actually uses it to wage peace among the devils, angels, and fallen angels in High School DxD.

Akira Fudo Is the Most Tragic Devil in Devilman Crybaby

Akira Fudo may be incomprehensibly strong in Devilman Crybaby, but the events that led him to become the Devilman are heartbreakingly tragic. He was convinced by his childhood friend, Ryo Asuka, to absorb demonic powers in the hopes of defeating the horde of devils that had come to destroy humanity, but in reality, it was all for Ryo's selfish experiments.

As the anime progresses, Akira becomes increasingly disgusted with himself for being a devil, as humanity becomes panicked and paranoid about the existence of demons. He is powerful, able to commit mass violence and destruction in what he thinks is an effort to save humanity, but Akira is no match for Satan himself in the end.

Denji's Strength Causes Gruesome Violence in Chainsaw Man

Chainsaw Man is famed for its violent, bloody fight scenes, and most of the gore comes from Chainsaw Man himself. When he pulls the cord in his chest, Denji grows chainsaws from his arms, legs, and head, allowing him to hack and slash at his enemies. He also possesses regenerative abilities, meaning that even if he loses a limb here and there, he's able to put himself back together eventually.

Although Denji is technically a devil-human hybrid, his powers come from Pochita the Chainsaw Devil, who is believed to be the most feared devil in the Chainsaw Man universe, making his strength truly formidable. When combining with Denji in his true devil form, Pochita is even stronger, towering above humans in an armored, humanoid body covered in chainsaws.

Lucifero Is a Gravity-Defying Devil in Black Clover

Lucifero from Black Clover is considered one of the strongest villains in anime as he stands at the very top of the underworld hierarchy. As the supreme devil, he has authority and dominance over all other devils. Lucifero's powers naturally surpass all other beings, even only in partial manifestation, and it took the combined forces of elite fighters like Asta, Yuno, and Yami Sukehiro to finally take him down.

Lucifero's gravity magic is not only terrifying in the world of Black Clover, but it would also be Earth-destroying if it existed in real life. He can use gravity to crush, immobilize, and dominate entire battlefields effortlessly, often preventing his opponents from even moving. What tops off Lucifero's sinister powers is his passive presence, which alone can warp the environment without even using direct combat.

Satan is the King of Devils in Blue Exorcist

It's only fitting for the ruler of Gehenna and the most powerful demon in all of Blue Exorcist to be literally called Satan. He can warp blue flames to destroy almost anything and possess any human or object, often with catastrophic consequences. Not only does he rule over all the other demons in Gehenna, but his powers also live on in Assiah through his sons Rin and Yukio Okumura.

One of the biggest indicators of Satan's strength is that he cannot fully exist in the human world. In order to manifest, he needs to possess a suitable vessel, otherwise his sheer power will destroy the host. Satan's threat is at an existential level, representing the entire underworld and the concept of devils, making him more than just a fearsome fighter but easily one of the strongest villains in fantasy anime.

Makima's Unassuming Charm Makes Her a Terrifying Devil in Chainsaw Man

Compared to devils that engage in combat, Makima seems very unassuming, but her power over everyone around her makes her one of the strongest devils in Chainsaw Man. As the Control Devil, Makima is part of the Four Horsemen, the most powerful and influential devils in the world of Chainsaw Man. Her ability to manipulate humans and devils alike makes her a threat to just about everyone.

Makima was able to control the Japanese government, and then went on to control Aki, Power, Denji, and many other devils to work under her in Public Safety. Aside from the U.S., all other countries in the world had given up trying to fight her supreme manipulation abilities, and her ruthlessly cruel pursuit of Pochita through manipulating Denji makes her both powerful and easy to hate.