With the growing demand for isekai and fantasy romance within anime and manga, some titles are turning to overlord protagonists with ironically soft dispositions. While the villainess stereotype has been popular for some time, the not-so-evil overlord is becoming anime's adorable male answer to these villainesses.
As dark and powerful overlords with secret hearts of gold, these male leads steal hearts and offer comedic relief to audiences everywhere. Here's what makes the evil-overlord-turned-nice-guy so favorable among anime fans.
While the isekai genre often features supernatural powers, it's now introducing powerful yet quirky villains that are hard not to root for. Despite being feared and ruthless beings in their own worlds, these overlords are suddenly humbled by a new situation or loss of their powers. When they're forced to adapt to their new circumstances, they meet people who show them kindness and encourage them to change their worldview. This concept is further emphasized whenever the trope forces the overlord to become poor and rely on human currency to survive, making their livelihood and ambitions dependent upon average human beings.
Not only are these not-so-evil overlords financially broke, but some are simply down on their luck and struggle to get by in the mortal world. In The Devil Is a Part-Timer!, Maou is the Demon King who wages war across his world until a hero forces him to escape to Earth and he is transported to modern-day Japan alongside his top general, Shirō Ashiya. Despite being bloodthirsty and all-powerful beings, they lose the majority of their powers upon arrival to Earth and are forced to take up humble and quiet lives. Maou works his way up to shift manager at MgRonald's to pay the bills while Ashiya takes on the domestic roles of cooking and cleaning. As they comically maintain a low profile to avoid heroes and develop ironically happy and close relationships with humans, fans nearly forget about their devilish and violent past until their epic powers are forced out of them.
Anime starring not-so-evil overlords often become romantic comedies when they unexpectedly and reluctantly fall in love despite their wicked façades. In Noragami, Yato is the god of calamity and depression and is known for wiping out entire armies single-handedly. Despite his infamous reputation, Yato is a broke and forgotten god without a shrine of his own, so he spends his days running errands in exchange for coins. His violent and merciless reputation is soon overshadowed when he meets Hiyori Iki, a schoolgirl who dies after trying to save his life. While the pair grow closer and share romantic moments, fans nearly forget that Yato is a dangerous and powerful god, given his carefree personality and hilariously desperate antics.
This comical overlord trope isn't limited to powerful beings caught in modern society; viewers are sometimes transported to another world entirely to face kind-hearted villains. As a recently released reverse-harem anime based on a popular otome game, Obey Me! brings fans to the Devildom to observe the daily lives of seven powerful demon brothers. Despite being named after different versions of the Devil and representing the seven deadly sins, these devilishly handsome brothers are hopeless romantics who are overcome by their love for the main character. As these not-so-evil overlords continue to reveal their soft spots and hidden vulnerabilities, the more relatable and well-received they are to audiences.
As the not-so-evil overlord trope continues to cross into the fantasy romance and isekai genres, more viewers are becoming infatuated by the hilariously ironic and overdramatized villains who are actually amazing guys. While the female-driven villainess subgenre has seen mass success and popularity in previous years, the 'nice guy' overlord trope is gradually taking center stage with new releases. With humor, romance and irony perfectly intertwined throughout each series, it's safe to say these adorable and not-so-evil overlords are here to stay.
