There are many brilliantanime about kingsand queens. However, there are only a few great leaders who truly became unforgettable among the anime royalty. Anime fans can meet some of the mosticonic royal families in anime, but not all great kings have royal blood. Some of the most powerful fought hard and used their unmatched intellect and supernatural abilities to achieve their goals.
While some kings in anime are traditional kings, there are also all sorts of royal leaders that anime lovers can get to know while watching fantasy, isekai, and thebest historical anime. From thebest anime kingsto the worst, viewers can meet mighty, cute yet powerful kings. Among them are even demon kings, who decided that instead of protecting others, they’ll use their might to cause pain and mayhem.
Updated June 30, 2025, by Ritwik Mitra:Royalty are an interesting topic of discussion, and it’s easy to see why many anime dabble in royal hierarchy. The mere knowledge that a particular character is a prince or a king makes for a major revelation, adding more context to the actions these characters take. There are many iconic kings in the realm of anime. Some most well-known characters who have this honor are intimidating, endearing, or a combination of both.
TheFateseries revolves around the Holy Grail War. The visual novel’s branching storylines are adapted in a wealth of anime titles that are a blast to watch. Shirou’s tryst with the three major female characters in the series as he goes through the trials and tribulations of the War makes for a great time that fans can’t get enough of.
At the end of these stories, the protagonists must face off against Gilgamesh, who is easily the most powerful Servant. Everyone struggles against this tough foe. This half-God King is so powerful that he wields one of the most powerful blades in the series, which is completely original and not something that has appeared in history. This makes it different from most of the powerful weapons featured in theFateseries.
Code Geassis one of the most compelling mind-benders fans can get into, with a few touches of mecha and sci-fi accentuating this thrilling tale. In it, the rightful heir to the throne attains the power of Geass and must unseat his own father from the throne before assuming control. However, in trying to attain this power, he loses his way at moments and becomes a villain to the very people he was meant to save.
Thankfully, Lelouch knew that the cycle was starting once again, so he decided to make the ultimate sacrifice. He faked his death to give the people of Britannia hope once again in one of the most shocking endings in the series. His best friend and rival dishes the ‘killing’ blow, to ensure that a symbol of hope and perseverance in the form of Zero lives on.
The fact that Aizen brought down the King of Hueco Mundo is a testament to the sheer power he wielded. Baraggan Louisenbairn ruled in Hueco Mundo for the longest time before joining the Arrancar. His power was so devastating that the shinigami of Soul Society were at their wit’s end, trying to figure out how to deal with this imposing character.
Surprisingly enough, the best solution to take out this Arrancar once and for all was to turn his own power against him. Baraggan’s Respira was so powerful that his own body couldn’t resist the decay it caused, leading to the God-King dying by his own attack. He throws his axe in a last-ditch attempt to kill Aizen after the diabolical villain forced him to yield, but the weapon fades away before it can even reach its intended target.
Frieza was one of the toughest antagonists that the Z Warriors had to deal with. Goku had to unlock a whole new level of power to attain victory, which is why the saviors of Earth were horrified to find out that Frieza was landing on the planet with a power level that was comparable to his own.
King Cold’s appearance inDragon Ball Zwas brief but memorable, with many people remembering Frieza’s father and how fearsome he looked. However, with the advent of Future Trunks, both Frieza and his father were made to look like absolute chumps when faced with the might of a Super Saiyan.
Code Geass is a mind-bending thriller with mecha elements that fans absolutely love. After getting the power of Geass, Lelouch decided to try and usurp the throne from his father, only for the emperor to show him just how out of his depth he really was.
With a single use of his Geass, Charles zi Britannia rewrote his son’s memories and sent him back to square one. Lelouch had to rise from the ashes once again, acutely aware of just how powerful his tyrannical father was.
After the horrible Fullbring arc, it was clear that Kubo needed to bring out the big guns for the next arc, and that’s exactly what he did. Yhwach was a powerful antagonist who wasted no time in establishing himself as a threat to all of Soul Society.
The effortless manner in which he cut Captain-Commander Yamamoto down was a harrowing moment that served as a wake-up call to the other Shinigami. They needed to hone their skills to even stand a chance against the son of the Soul King, with Ichigo pushing himself to the next level to even stand a chance against this imposing threat.
Fans meet all kinds of powerful characters while watching thebestDragon Ballmoviesand shows, but very few leaders were as memorable as King Vegeta. He is the mighty king of the Saiyan race, who ruled Planet Vegeta and created a militaristic culture and strength-driven society.
King Vegeta isn’t just a figurehead, but an impressive and powerful warrior himself. He was blessed with the iconic Saiyan combat prowess, that made him one of the most feared rulers who ever lived. However, beneath his battle-hardened exterior, he was a caring father who truly loved his son and had a genuine concern for his people’s future. King Vegeta’s legacy goes beyond his royal lineage, and thanks to his resilience and power he was able to create a powerful kingdom in the face of overwhelming odds.
The Seven Deadly Sins' mighty King Bartra Liones is the ruler of the Kingdom of Liones. Bartra is known for his deep sense of justice, wisdom, and his uncanny ability to foresee the future through visions, a trait that deeply influences his decisions as a king. While he was considered controversial due to his prophecies, he always tried to make sure that his people lived peacefully and happily.
King Bartra Liones had a gentle demeanor, and he always held immense faith in the Seven Deadly Sins, especially when many others doubted them, since thanks to a prophecy he knew they would be the kingdom’s salvation. He’s much more than a traditional stoic king, since he’s a perfect blend of a caring father, a wise leader, and a prophetic sage.
Attack on Titannot only had one of the mosticonic anime guilds, but also the anime world’s most mysterious king, Karl Fritz, who was a fascinating but troubled character. He was the 145th king of Eldia and played a crucial role in the series' history. Thanks to the constant war and bloodshed caused by the Titans, King Fritz became disillusioned, and decided that it was best to retreat to the island of Paradis.
In the possession of the immense power of the Founding Titan, he erected the now iconic massive walls, Maria, Rose, and Sheena. Meanwhile, he used countless Colossal Titans to then wipe the memories of the Eldians within the walls to give them a semblance of peace, free from the knowledge of the world outside. King Fritz was a pacifist by nature, and his story shows the complexities of peace, sacrifice, and the moral dilemmas leaders must face in times of war.
King Cobra was one of the fairest and most patient kings in anime. He cared not only about his own family, but all the people in the Kingdom of Arabasta. He was of royal blood and took his royal duties seriously, so much so that he would even sacrifice his life to protect the throne and the kingdom.
While he didn’t have superhuman powers, he was still a strong king who managed to find his inner strength during dire circumstances. He was one of the kindest characters inOne Piece,and he even went on a few fun adventures with the Straw Hat pirates.
