Helck

6.4

A familiar fantasy action anime with an unlikely hero at the helm of a war between humans and demons

TV Show

Japan

Japanese

Action & Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

2023

Akira Ishida, Haruka Shiraishi, Katsuyuki Konishi

23 min

TLDR

Is he a blue-haired bimbo, a master manipulator, or both?

What it's about

A muscular and high-level human named Helck joins a contest to become the successor to the Demon King, but he has his own plans for the world.

The take

After the fall of the Demon Lord, the Demon realm hosts a tournament to find a successor. Strangely, the contestant predicted to win (stronger than other contestants in every way) is Helck, a human with a disdain for humankind. With the tournament underway, fantasy and action are abundant in the first episode alone. The mystery of Helck's participation and the constant loom of a race war set the trajectory of the series but humor and gimmicks are never far behind. Whether it's a ridiculous card-building game, twins with coffee-triggered telepathy, or the sudden onslaught of winged creatures, Helck has something to offer.

What stands out

If there's one thing anime does well, it's making their strongest characters eerily mysterious and charmingly goofy. This characterization shrouds Helck's intentions and motivations in the tournament (especially when his brother is revealed to have murdered the Demon Lord). And although the tone and plot aren't unique in their parts, the familiarity will work for most casual anime fans.