Overlord

GREAT
98%
OF 80 SCOUTSRECOMMEND

In a virtual reality game's final moments, a player becomes an all-powerful skeleton, leading him to conquer the transformed game world and its sentient inhabitants.

📖 SYNOPSIS

As the last remaining player in a dying MMORPG called Yggdrasil, Momonga sits alone in his guild's massive hall — his guildmates all quit ages ago — waiting for the servers to shut down, which is honestly kind of sad. But when midnight hits and the game should be gone, he's still there. Trapped inside his max-level skeleton wizard body, in a world that used to be a game but now feels very real. The NPCs he and his friends created? They're alive now, with full personalities, and they worship him like a god. The thing that makes this 13-episode TV series from Madhouse stand out is that Momonga — who renames himself Ainz Ooal Gown after his old guild — isn't a hero. He's an undead overlord surrounded by fanatically loyal servants, and the show leans into that. He's figuring out the rules of this new world while trying not to let anyone realize he's basically a confused salaryman playing pretend as an all-powerful dark lord. The tone is action-packed but there's a dry humor running underneath everything. If you liked Sword Art Online's trapped-in-a-game setup but wanted something darker and more morally gray, or if Log Horizon's strategic worldbuilding appealed to you, Overlord scratches a similar itch from the villain's side of the table. The world-building here is genuinely dense, with political structures and factions that keep things interesting beyond just combat.

✨ MUST WATCH IF...

You want an isekai protagonist who's a villain — not a hero — running a dark guild
MMORPG mechanics like guild bases, NPC servants, and skill tiers sound fun to explore
Morally gray power fantasies appeal to you — Ainz doesn't pretend to be noble
You enjoy detailed world-building with political intrigue across multiple factions in 13 episodes

❌ SKIP IF...

An overpowered protagonist with no real threat of losing kills all tension for you
You expect traditional heroic arcs — Ainz's goals are self-serving and often ruthless
Madhouse's CGI in large-scale battle scenes feels jarring compared to the 2D work

🎬 EPISODE GUIDE

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MANGA BRIDGE

This season covers Chapters 1-null of the manga. Continue reading from Chapter 1.

Manga cover

🎭 CHARACTERS

Momonga

Ainz Ooal Gown, formerly Momonga, is the powerful Sorcerer King of Nazarick, a cold, calculating leader loyal to his creations.

Portrayed by Hino Satoshi

Overlord Series

Overlord: The Maid Tea Party

ONA · 2014

Overlord: The Maid Tea Party

The Pleiades maids of Nazarick convene for a tea party, discussing their missions and unwavering loyalty to Ainz Ooal Gown in this promotional drama.

Overlord: Ple Ple Pleiades

Special · 2015 · Studio PuYUKAI

Overlord: Ple Ple Pleiades

Super-deformed characters from Overlord star in these special episodes, released alongside the Blu-ray and DVD volumes after the fifth episode of the main series.

Overlord: Ple Ple Pleiades - Nazarick's Greatest Crisis

OVA · 2016 · Studio PuYUKAI

Overlord: Ple Ple Pleiades - Nazarick's Greatest Crisis

This new anime installment, bundled with the novel's 11th volume, showcases the Pleiades combat maids and the Floor Guardians in a Nazarick-centric adventure.

Overlord: The Undead King

Movie · 2017 · Madhouse

Overlord: The Undead King

In the aftermath of the MMORPG YGGDRASIL's shutdown, Ainz Ooal Gown, the only player left in his guild base, finds himself trapped in a new world, where NPCs have gained sentience, and must adapt to his new reality as a powerful undead being.

Overlord: The Dark Hero

Movie · 2017 · Madhouse

Overlord: The Dark Hero

In this compilation film, the powerful overlord Ains Ooal Gown continues his conquest of a new world, seeking to establish Nazarick's dominance.

Overlord: Ple Ple Pleiades 2

ONA · 2018 · Studio PuYUKAI

Overlord: Ple Ple Pleiades 2

Overlord: Ple Ple Pleiades 2 presents comedic, super-deformed parody shorts based on the second season of the dark fantasy anime, Overlord.

Overlord II

TV · 2018 · Madhouse

Overlord II

The undead overlord Ains Ooal Gown continues his machinations to conquer the new world, juggling adventurer duties and political maneuvering with the aid of his loyal subordinates.

Great100%Great
Overlord: Ple Ple Pleiades 3

ONA · 2018 · Studio PuYUKAI

Overlord: Ple Ple Pleiades 3

Overlord: Ple Ple Pleiades 3 is a comedic, action-packed, fantasy-Isekai ONA series featuring super-deformed versions of the characters from Overlord III.

Overlord III

TV · 2018 · Madhouse

Overlord III

In Overlord III, the undead Ains Ooal Gown continues his calculated rise to power, navigating political landscapes and solidifying his dominion over a world unaware of his true intentions.

Great100%Great
Overlord: Ple Ple Pleiades - Fugitive Clementine

ONA · 2018 · Studio PuYUKAI

Overlord: Ple Ple Pleiades - Fugitive Clementine

Clementine flees from Ainz's sight, prompting Albedo, Aura, Mare, and a horde of CG goblins to hunt her down and eliminate any obstacle.

Overlord: Ple Ple Pleiades 4

ONA · 2022 · Studio PuYUKAI

Overlord: Ple Ple Pleiades 4

"Overlord: Ple Ple Pleiades 4" is a series of parody shorts accompanying the main broadcast of Overlord IV, offering a comedic take on the established world and characters.

Overlord IV

TV · 2022 · Madhouse

Overlord IV

In the Sorcerer Kingdom, Ainz navigates political tensions and economic hardship while facing the machinations of the Slane Theocracy and the Baharuth Empire.

Great100%Great
Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom

Movie · 2024 · Madhouse

Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom

After being transported into his favorite game, the Sorcerer King Ains Ooal Gown must unite the Sacred Kingdom, Slane Theocracy, and his undead army to defeat the Demon Emperor Jaldabaoth.

Great100%Great
Great
Great
100%(10 Reviews)
Overlord

Studio

Madhouse

Season

Summer 2015

Start Date

2015-07-07

End Date

2015-09-29

Episodes

13

Type

TV

©丸山くがね・KADOKAWA刊/オーバーロード製作委員会

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