The rich high fantasy world of Kanehito Yamada’sFrieren: Beyond Journey’s End, is filled with a wide variety of locations and species, each with their own set of unique attributes and abilities. However, there is one race of beings that has perpetually been in conflict with all the others — demons. As the only race with a natural affinity towards magic,demons are among the strongest beingsin the series. For much of history, humanity, elves, and dwarves have been at war with them.
Described as articulate monsters who are well-versed in the mimicry of human behavior, demons use deception to prey upon other races, with the aid of the specialized forms of magic that they devote their lives to. Demons are among the longest-lived races inFrieren: Beyond Journey’s End,with their lifespans comparable to those of elves. As such, demons spend centuries cultivating their mana and magical abilities, which is why they were able to significantly reduce humanity’s sphere of influence under the leadership of the Demon King. Considering the fearsome power many of them wield, here is alist of the strongest demons in the series.
Anime Debut
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While little is known about the actual extent of her abilities, Tot was a Greater Demon enlistedby Solitar to take on the Hero Party, but she chose to withdraw from the conflict. Tot had been working on a special form of curse magic, capable of engulfing the entire planet — a feat that could be truly terrifying if actually pulled off. Not willing to give up on her work, Tot backed out of the battle as she believed that combat was not her specialty and she wanted to live in peace until her work was complete.
Perhaps the strongest warrior among demonkind, Rivale relished battle and commanded power on the level of a Demon General. An extremely powerful combatantwhose strength rivaled that of Eisen, Rivale’s special ability involved creating solid weapons out of his mana, which he then wielded with expert proficiency. He was also the one who attacked Stark’s hometown in the Klee Region and laid waste to it, killing his brother Stoltz in the process. Despite his seemingly laid-back demeanor, Rivale respects those who can keep up with him in combat, as seen in how highly he views Eisen.
Episode 3
Credited with developing the first form of piercing magic — the Killing Spell, Zoltraak — that was able to overcome all of humanity’s defensive spells during his time, Qual was a powerful demon mage known as the Elder Sage of Corruption. Feared by all at the time of Demon King’s reign, Qual was responsible for killing most of the adventurers and sorcerers who wandered into the Größe Forest, and even fought the Hero Party to a standstill. Unable to defeat him, Frieren was forced to seal Qual as a last resort, and it took years forFrieren and a host of other human magesto rework their magic system and account for Zoltraak’s power, as a means of developing countermeasures against it.
Episode 8
Leading an army of puppet soldiers that she enslaved with her personal brand of magic Auserlese, Aura was one of the Demon King’s Seven Sages of Destruction. Having lived for over 500 years, Aura possesses immense reserves of mana and was one of the demon mages who survived the fight against the Hero of the South. Her signature ability, Auserlese, manifests in the Scales of Obedience, which weigh the souls of her opponents and compare their mana to her own. Those who have less mana than her are condemned to serve her forever, althoughpeople with a strong will are able toresist her magic. In such cases, Aura tends to behead them, which is the source of her moniker of “The Guillotine.”
Little is known about Bose’s true persona, but he was one of the Seven Sages of Destruction during the Demon King’s reign, and earned the epithet of “The Immortal.” Among those who fought the Hero of the South, Bose survived the encounter but met his end at the hands of the Hero Party during their decade-long adventure.Bose specialized in barrier magic, producingdefensive barriers which enclosed spaces in grid-like patterns and were almost impossible to dispel. That being said, they were vulnerable to physical attacks, and it took the combined efforts of everyone in the Hero Party to overcome his incredible power.
Another member of the Seven Sages of Destruction who served under the Demon King, Grausam was a talented mage who specialized increating illusions that were virtually unbreakablefor those who fell prey to them. Although he had no real knack for offensive spells, his spell, Ansehelschella, traps targets within a pleasant dream they had already given up on, which is indistinguishable from reality and capable of deceiving even the Great Demons. Besides this, Grausam can steal or remove people’s memories if he desires, with even Macht stating that he is a terrible match for him in a fight.
Wielding power on a level similar to that of the Seven Sages of Destruction, Solitar is a Greater Demon who held a peculiar interest in humankind, and was the one who taught Macht about human magic. She owned a massive collection of grimoires, and held a great deal of respect for humanity’s potential. Conversely, sheis also an extremely dangerous demon, described as a “nameless greater demon” by Frieren, since no records exist about her. In combat, she primarily summons triangular swords used either as projectiles or melee weapons. She also employs a pure form of magic known as the Mana Strike, which can break through even Frieren’s defenses. Other assets in her arsenal are her mana control for defense and her proficiency in human magic, allowing her to decipher barriers.
The most powerful of the Seven Sages of Destruction, Macht is veryknowledgeable about human magic, and is a proficient user of Zoltraak. Macht is also an exceptionally powerful physical combatant, and fought with a great sword. His signature spell, Diagoldze, is regarded as the strongest curse in existence, and can turn virtually anything he desires into gold, with no special conditions such as physical contact required for the spell’s activation. The spell can be activated remotely without much limit in terms of range or scale, to where it can engulf an entire city. As a result, he disliked using it in combat as it made battles dull. It was also impossible to dispel Diagoldze, and the gold formed by it is different from naturally occuring gold.
Demonkind’s most powerful seer, who was said to be able to see a thousand years into the future, Schlacht the Omniscient, was the closest confidant of the Demon King, and supervised the activities of his armies as well as the Seven Sages of Destruction. His power was such that he could even command Macht, the strongest of the Seven Sages, using his ability to manipulate others to great effect. Schlacht was present during the Seven Sages' battle against the Hero of the South, and it is said that he and his adversary killed one another during the confrontation, although the true outcome of the fight is still not known. Nevertheless, Schlacht’s ability to see innumerable futures and guide events to his desired outcome was almost impossible to defend against, which is why he ranks so high.
Having served as the finalobstacle of the Hero Party’s journey, the Demon King was likely a being of incomparable power, as he was the one who created and maintained order among demonkind, despite the species' solitary nature. Since all demon social hierarchies are based on strength, it is almost certain that he was the most powerful of his kind, but there is little mention of what his actual abilities were. During his reign, he waged war against other races for centuries, leading his army and the Seven Sages of Destruction from his castle in Ende. Even after his defeat by the Hero Party, his armies still pose a considerable threat to humanity, which attests to the power he commanded in his lifetime.
