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I am Dabura. I am the demon king! I don't care how many kilis of energy they have, there is no one in the universe who can exceed my power! |
"Maou" (JP), also sometimes known as "Daimaou" (JP), is a term for a character who is a demon king. They possess extremely powerful magic and are feared far and wide for their tyrannical rule.
Etymology
Meaning of the Term
Maou (魔王) is a combination of "ma" (魔), meaning "magic; sorcery; devil", and "ou" (王), meaning "king; lord; monarch". In this context, the "ma" (魔) is used to mean "akuma" (悪魔), meaning "demon; devil". While the term "ou" (王) is usually translated as "king", it can also be used to refer to any supreme ruler regardless of gender.[7]
Localization
The word "魔王" has been alternatively romanized as either "maou" or "maoh".[1][2]
There have been several different translations when the term is used in English dubs including:
Characteristics
Title
Maou refers to a character who is the ruler of demons. They are characters who are terrifyingly powerful and feared far and wide because of their evil and tyrannical ways.[4]
Gender
While the title of maou is traditionally held by a male character it can also be held by female characters, though this is much less common.
Personality
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Being the Demon King means being myself. And if my subordinates are threatened, I shall retaliate with destruction. It doesn’t matter if I’m up against fate or providence—that is what it means to be the Demon King. |
Maou characters are quite ruthless and scary, showing no mercy for anyone who stands between themself and conquering the world. They are feared by almost everybody.
However, there are also some maou characters who can be quite respectful and dignified, at least until provoked.
Sub-Types
Daimaou
"Daimou" (JP) is a term for character who is an even higher rank than a maou. In situations in which there are multiple maou present at once, the one true ruler over them all is referred to as the daimaou. Other times maou characters who are are unopposed may refer to themselves as daimou to make themselves sound even more powerful.
This term comes from adding the prefix "dai" (大), meaning "great; supreme".[8]
Differences From Other Archetypes
It is somewhat common for maou characters to be designed with the appearance of a monster musume/danshi and have a beautiful human-like appearance, however, there are also many who look completely like regular humans or are fully demonic in appearance.
Maou characters are also a common character type for the mayadere (Western) trope, where they fall in love with the hero who defeated them.
Similar Archetypes
- Himekishi: A term for a female character who has the status of a noble lady or princess, but fights by arming herself as a knight.
- Onidere: A term for a character with monstrous strength who puts on an act and pretends to hate and be cruel to their love interest around other people to maintain a reputation of being feared, but will be extremely cute, affectionate, and deredere to them when others are not looking.
- Mayadere (Western): A term for a character who started as a villain trying to kill their love interest/the protagonist, but switches sides after falling in love with them and becoming deredere.
- Monster Danshi: A term for a beautiful young male character who shares traits with a monster.
- Monster Musume: A term for a cute young female character who shares traits with a monster.
List of Characters
Gallery
 King Piccolo from Dragon Ball |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sadao Maou. Hataraku Maou-sama!.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Misfit of Demon King Academy. Maoh Gakuin.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride. Crunchyroll. “Zagan might be the most feared evil sorcerer, but when it comes to social interactions, he’s the most inept. All those days studying the dark arts won’t help him when he falls in love at first sight with Nephelia, the beautiful elven slave, and spends his entire fortune to purchase her. With no clue how to talk to each other, the awkward arrangement for a bumbling sorcerer and timid elf begins.”
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 The Misfit of Demon King Academy. Crunchyroll. “Anos Voldigoad was a tyrannical Demon King that eradicated humans, spirits, and even the gods, but became bored of eternal warfare and reincarnated with dreams of a peaceful world. However, what awaited him in reincarnation after 2000 years were descendants who became too weak after being accustomed to peace, and all sorts of magic that deteriorated to the extreme. Anos enters Demon King Academy that gathers and educates those who are viewed as the reincarnation of the Demon King, but the academy could not see through his true powers and ends up branding him as a misfit.”
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Demon Lord, Retry!. Crunchyroll. “On the night of his favorite game’s shutdown, Akira Oono awakens in the body of his online character: Demon Lord Hakuto Kunai.”
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Devil Is a Part-timer!. Palm Beach County Library. “Being soundly thrashed by the hero Emilia, the Devil King and his general beat a hasty retreat to a parallel universe... only to land smack in the middle of bustling, modern-day Tokyo! Lacking the magic necessary to return home, the two are forced to assume human identities and live average human lives until they can find a better solution. And to make ends meet, Satan finds gainful employment at a nearby fast food joint! With his devilish mind set on working his way up the management food chain, what will become of his thirst for conquest?!”
- ↑ What is Maou. Pixiv Encyclopedia. “The king of demons and heavenly devils. Originally a Buddhist term, it refers to the king who rules over the followers of the heavenly god, who hinder Buddhist training and attempts to do good deeds. Since it is frequently used as a translation for religion and mythology, the word "maou" has also come to be used a lot in creative works. Because it is the leader of demons, the embodiment of evil, it often serves as the final boss or mid-boss in fantasy works and RPGs. In recent years, the word has become more common outside of RPGs. If a "daimaou" also exists in the same work, the maou is often his subordinate.”
- ↑ What is Daimou. Pixiv Encyclopedia. “A person of a higher rank who is similar to a maou. Or perhaps a big boss-like figure who leads the maou.”