1.
demon king; devil king; lord of evil
The king or ruler of demons or evil forces. A central concept in Japanese games, anime, manga, and folklore. Also used in Buddhist contexts for Mara, the evil one who tempts people away from enlightenment.
勇者が魔王を倒した。
The hero defeated the demon king.
このゲームでは魔王が世界を支配しようとしている。
In this game, the demon king is trying to dominate the world.
物語の最後に魔王との決戦が待っているが、仲間の力を合わせなければ勝てない。
The final battle against the demon king awaits at the end of the story, but you can't win without combining the strength of your companions.
USAGE: 魔王 is ubiquitous in Japanese pop culture, especially RPG video games (where the hero's quest typically involves defeating the 魔王), anime, manga, and light novels. It also appears in Buddhist texts referring to Mara.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 魔王を倒す (to defeat the demon king)
- 魔王討伐 (subjugation of the demon king)
- 魔王城 (the demon king's castle)
- 魔王軍 (the demon king's army)
In popular culture, 魔王 is also used figuratively for someone overwhelmingly dominant in their field. The historical figure 織田信長 called himself 第六天魔王 (Demon King of the Sixth Heaven).