The Misfit of Demon King Academy: History's Strongest Demon King Reincarnates and Goes to School with His Descendants, also known simply as The Misfit of Demon King Academy or Demon King Academy, is a Japanese light novel series written by Shu and illustrated by Yoshinori Shizuma. The series originally began as a web novel in April 2017 on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō when it was later acquired by ASCII Media Works, which published it from March 2018 to August 2025. A manga adaptation by Kayaharuka was serialized online from July 2018 to July 2021, when it ended due to the author's death. An anime television series adaptation produced by Silver Link aired from July to September 2020. A second season aired from January 2023 to July 2024.
Contents
Plot
After years of countless wars and strife, the demon king Anos Voldigoad made a deal with the human hero, Kanon, to sacrifice his own life to ensure peace could flourish. Reincarnating 2,000 years later, Anos finds that royal demons now harshly rule over lower class hybrid demons in a society that values Anos's pureblood descendants over the demons who interbred with other species, such as humans and spirits. He runs into several issues such as demons and their magic being extremely weak due to the peace he created, and a false demon king known as Avos Dilhevia ruling, with his own name forgotten. He seeks to unravel the mysteries behind this false king, dealing with foes, old friends, and the biggest problem: graduating from the Demon King Academy, where he is labeled a total misfit.
Characters
Anos Voldigoad (アノス・ヴォルディゴード, Anosu Vorudigōdo)
Voiced by: Tatsuhisa Suzuki (season 1), Yūichirō Umehara (season 2) (Japanese); Aleks Le (English)
The reincarnated demon king who existed 2,000 years prior to the start of the series. He is absurdly powerful and extremely intelligent, but also a kind and wise ruler. Anos was the one who wanted peace the most, and sacrificed himself to create walls between the four races so that their rage and conflict would die out. He values his subordinates and friends greatly. He also has a very close and comical relationship with his mother and father.
Misha Necron (ミーシャ・ネクロン, Mīsha Nekuron)
Voiced by: Tomori Kusunoki (Japanese); Brianna Knickerbocker (English)
A girl who had met Anos on the day of Demon King Academy's entrance exam, then made friends with him. She is the younger twin sister of Sasha, who is a descendant of Ivis Necron, but Misha is not considered a pureblood like her sister. She loves Anos since he saved her and "destroyed" her fate.
Sasha Necron (サーシャ・ネクロン, Sāsha Nekuron)
Voiced by: Yūko Natsuyoshi (Japanese); Kayli Mills (English)
Misha's elder twin sister. She is the original descendant of Ivis Necron (one of the seven Elder Demon Emperors) and is known as the Witch of Destruction due to her Demon Eyes of Destruction. She also loves Anos due to him saving Misha. However, she tends to be a tsundere about her feelings. She gets extremely flustered when Anos gets close or compliments her demon eyes of destruction.
Lay Glanzudlii (レイ・グランズドリィ, Rei Guranzudori)
Voiced by: Takuma Terashima (Japanese); Griffin Puatu (English)
Media
Light novel
The series was first published online as a web novel in April 2017 on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō by Shu. It was later acquired by ASCII Media Works, who published seventeen volumes of it as a light novel under their Dengeki Bunko imprint from March 2018 to August 2025. The light novel is licensed in North America by J-Novel Club. At Anime NYC 2022, J-Novel Club announced that the light novel would be released in print by Yen Press.
Manga
A manga adaptation with art by Kayaharuka was serialized online via Square Enix's Manga Up! website from July 2018 to July 2021 and was collected in four tankōbon volumes. Square Enix published the manga in English. On July 10, 2021, it was announced that the manga adaptation was cancelled due to Kayaharuka's illness as it was previously claimed they were undergoing treatment. It was later announced on July 13 that Kayaharuka died on July 6 from pancreatic cancer.
Anime
An anime television series adaptation was announced at the "Dengeki Bunko Aki no Namahōsō Festival" event on October 6, 2019. The anime was originally set to premiere in April 2020, but it was delayed until July 2020 due to production complications resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The series was animated by Silver Link and directed by Masafumi Tamura, with Shin Oonuma serving as chief director. Jin Tanaka handled the series composition, while Kazuyuki Yamayoshi designed the characters, and Keiji Inai composed the music. The 13-episode anime aired from July 4 to September 26, 2020. Civilian performed the opening theme "Seikai Fuseikai" (正解不正解; "Correct Incorrect"), while Tomori Kusunoki performed the ending theme "Hamidashimono" (ハミダシモノ; "The Misfit"). Crunchyroll streamed the series.
On September 4, 2020, Aniplex of America announced that the series would receive an English dub, which premiered the following day.
On March 6, 2021, it was announced that the series would receive a second split-cour season with the staff and cast reprising their respective roles. Yūichirō Umehara replaced Tatsuhisa Suzuki as the voice of Anos Voldigoad for the second season. The first cour aired from January 8 to September 24, 2023. The opening theme is "Seien" by Lenny code fiction, while the ending theme is "Esoa" (エソア) by Momosumomosu. On February 11, 2023, it was announced that the seventh episode of the season and beyond would be postponed due to COVID-19. The season restarted broadcasting from the first episode on July 9, 2023. The second cour aired from April 13 to July 25, 2024. The second opening theme is "Maō" (魔王; "Demon King") by Burnout Syndromes and Nao Tōyama, while the second ending theme is "Shingetsu" (シンゲツ; "New Moon") by Tomori Kusunoki.
Reception
Sales
According to the official English anime website, the light novels has over 2.2 million copies published by 2023.