
Cover to Kodansha's Shōnen Magazine #25 released on June 11, 1972, featuring the first chapter of Devilman.
Devilman is one of Dynamic Productions most iconic and famous series. The original story was written by Go Nagai in 1972, who considers it his greatest work. Its influence has spread to many famous writers such as Hideaki Anno (Neon Genesis Evangelion) and Kentaro Miura (Berserk), as well as Western artists including musicians Rob Zombie and Glenn Danzig.
Timeline[]
1971
- Demon Lord Dante: (Manga) A precursor to the series, featuring many elements later to feature in Devilman and the various sequels.
1972
- Raijin Thunder: An incredibly early draft for the Devilman anime, little of it is incorporated into the final draft of the show.
- Devilman (Manga): The original series following several aspects from Dante, it follows the young Akira Fudo and the mysterious Ryo Asuka as they battle against the demon race and later humanity itself.
- Devilman (Anime): Following a far lighter tone than the manga does, the monster-of-the-week style anime follows the titular Devilman as he fights against the Demon Tribe.
- Devilman (Hiruta Manga): One of the two manga adaptations of the anime, it was written and drawn by Mitsiru Hiruta, following a similar style battling a new foe each chapter.
- Devilman (Isako Manga): The second of the two anime adaptations, written by Masaru Isako, it follows a similar format to the anime but has several original Demons.
1973
- Mazinger Z vs Devilman (Anime): A crossover film taking elements from both the Devilman and Mazinger Z anime series.
- Violence Jack (Manga): Post apocalypse series set in fallout of the events in Devilman. It follows various characters as they try to survive the hellscape with the mysterious Jack frequently serving as something of a framing device. It serves as one of two possible sequels to the original Devilman, the other being Devilman Lady.
1979
- Shin Devilman (Manga): The first sequel to the original Devilman, it follows Akira Fudo and Ryo Asuka as they travel through time battling the demonic forces.
1981
- True Devilman (Novel): A novelisation series of the original manga, written by Go Nagai's brother Yasataka Nagai, it follows a similar structure to the original manga with some small differences, it also gave name and backstory to some characters like the Makimura parents and Massami Izumi aka Devilman Puffurle.
1986
- Violence Jack: Harlem Bomber (Anime): The first Violence Jack OVA, follows a original story and cast with Jack himself having only a small amount of screen time.
- Violence Jack: Tokyo Metsubo Hen (Novel): Written by Yasutaka Nagai and illustrated by Go Nagai, this was the first of two novels by the duo.
1987
- Devilman: The Birth (Anime): The first of Umanosuke Iida OVA's it was based on the earlier True Devilman novels.
- Deluxe Edition of Devilman (Manga):
- Devilman: One Summer Day: A short story set during the events of Devilman, following Akira as he fights the demon Doelamale, while Ryo has visions of the future.
- Devilman: Fallen Angel: Another short story which has Ryo begin to remember his origins as Satan.
- Violence Jack: Kanto Slum-gai Hen (Novel): The second Violence Jack novel by Yasutaka Nagai.
1988
- Violence Jack: Evil Town (Anime): The second Violence Jack OVA, based on the 'Evil Town' story arc which has Jack help a group of survivors escape a shopping mall that was submerged during the great earthquake.
1989
- Devilman (Famicom): The first videogame based on the Devilman franchise, though similar to the OVA series its seemingly based on the True Devilman novels rather than the manga. It's a plat-former game that follows the story of the manga, featureign many of the characters from the story and multiple playable characters such as Akira Fudo, Miki Makimura, Dosu-Roku, Dr. Yamanobe, Masa Bokuto and Devilman powered Akira, all having different play styles. Bosses were somewhat varied, featuring Dosu-Roku, Sirene, Kaim/Sirene fusion, Satan, Zennon, Agwel, Jinmen, Damasuku and Ghelmer.
1990
- Devilman: The Demon Bird (Anime): The second of Iida's two Devilman OVA's.
- CB Chara Go Nagai World (Anime): A three part OVA series that acted as a super deformed crossover between Devilman, Mazinger Z and Violence Jack.
- CB Chara Go Nagai World (Manga): A short manga set alongside the OVA series.
- Violence Jack: Hell's Wind (Anime): The third and final OVA, Jack assists a small town against a rougeish motorcycle gang.
1992
- CB Chara Wars: Ushinawareta Gag (Super Famicom): A video game based on the CB Chara Go Nagai World anime. You fight many enemies, both original for the game and based on pre-existing characters such as Baron Ashura and Agwel. Bosses were an odd mix, the very first being an enraged Miki Makimura. Other familiar faces include Doublas M2, Kekko Kamen, Zennon and more, though there are a good number of original, and quite bizarre bosses for the game as well.
1995
- Violence Jack: Golden City (Novel): The last Violence Jack novel, written by Tatsuhiko Dan and illustraited by Nagai.
1996
- True Demon Lord Dante (Manga): A remake of the original Demon Lord Dante written by Akira Fuuga.
1997
- Devilman Lady (Manga): The first official sequel to the original Devilman since Shin, it follows a new protagonist Jun Fudo as she battles Devilbeast and Demon alike. It is the longest series to date.
1998
- Toshin Devilman (Manga): A manga written by Yoshihiro Iwamoto, it follows a new protagonist Kei Kamishiro.
- Devilman Lady (Anime): An anime adaptation based on Nagai's manga, taking certain elements from it while following a formula similar to the '72 Devilman anime in a much darker tone.
1999
- Devilman Ghost (Manga): A side story in the Devilman Lady manga that has Akira Fudo fight Devil Beasts in his temporary ghostly form.
- Neo Devilman (Novel): A large compilation of various short stories by different authors.
- Devilman in the Dark (Manga): A short manga that follows the young girl Akemi from Devilman Lady as she follows Akira Fudo through Hell.
- Amon: The Darkside of the Devilman (Manga): A manga set in a new timeline from the original manga, taking twists on the original, and expanding on earlier scenes with the demon Amon taking the center spotlight.
- Click Manga:Dynamic Robot Taisen 2: Kyoufu! Akuma Zoku Fukkatsu (Playstation): A PlayStation game with major focus on Go Nagai characters.
2000
- Amon: The Apocalypse of Devilman (Manga): A loose adaptation of the initial arc of the Darkside manga.
- Devilman (Playstation): A video game loosely following the original manga, it also had a special story-line based on the Toei anime unlockable after beating the game once. Many characters and demons from the manga make appearances here.
2001
- Violence Jack: Demons in a War Torn Land (Manga): A special one-shot manga, fairly short and ended very abruptly, even for Go Nagai standards.
- Devilman - Night Before Armageddon (Mobile): A mobile game developed by Bandai Networks. Little is known about the game, though seemingly Sirene and Ghelmer appear as bosses.
2002
- New Demon Lord Dante (Manga): The second remake of Demon Lord Dante, this time by Nagai himself.
- Demon Lord Dante (Anime): A adaptation of Nagai's Dante remake, however there are still elements that stick closer to the original.
2004
- Dynamic Heroes (Manga): A large scale crossover featuring many of Dynamic Pro more iconic series.
- Devilman (Film): A live action tokusatsu styled Devilman, it was panned by critics, fans and the public alike.
2005
- Devilman: Strange Days (Manga): A short, one volume manga by Yu Kinutani the same author/writer of the Darkside manga. It follows the struggling band The Flyers as the end of humanity looms.
- Shin Violence Jack (Manga): A very surreal series following a amnesiac Jack through the wastes of Japan. Full to the brim of Devilman references.
2007
- Akuma Kishi (Manga): aka Demon Knight, it was published in three parts yearly. Set before the original Devilman in the very first timeline, it follows Sirene, Amon, and Satan in their rebellion against God.
- Sirene: Tanjo Hen (Manga): A short story that follows Sirene as she infiltrates the human world before attacking Akira in the original manga.
2010
- Devilman vs Getter Robo (Manga): A crossover manga that featured the Getter crew and Akira Fudo teaming up to battle the alliance between Emperor Gore and Sirene.
- Gekiman (Manga): An autobiographical manga about Go Nagai's creation with its first arc detailing the creation of the original Devilman manga and the TV series.
2011
- Demon Lord Dante VS Getter Robo G (Manga): A crossover manga in which Ryoma Nagare the pilot of Getter-1 accidentally fuses with the titular Dante.
2012
- Devilman Grimoire (Manga): Written and illustrated by Takato Rui, Devilman Grimoire is a new story, that has callbacks to many previous series, with most characters based on an already existing character in an old Nagai or Devilman work.
- Sirene-Chan (Manga): A very short gag comic series which features Sirene as a young schoolgirl.
- Devilman vs Hades (Manga): A manga by Team Moon that has Akira travel through Hell in search for Miki Makimura, encountering old foes and new ones also, many characters from Mazinger Z and Great Mazinger also appear.
- On March 7, 2012, a Devilman Lady pachinko machine called: CR Devilman Lady FPW (CRデビルマンレディー FPW) was launched, which is inspired by the adaptation of the anime.
2013
- Cutie Honey vs Devilman Lady (Manga): A crossover manga in which Jun Fudo teams up with Honey Kisaragi to fight Devil Beasts and Panther Claw.
2014
- Devilman Saga (Manga): A manga by Go Nagai that is the final chapter of the Devilman series starting from Devilman to Devilman Lady. It features Yuki Fudo as he is employed by a company using ancient but advanced armor used by the demons in the ancient past.
2015
- Cyborg 009 vs. Devilman (Anime): A crossover OVA featuring the main characters from the prolific series of Shotaro Ishinomori and Go Nagai coming from Studio Actas.
- Cyborg 009 vs. Devilman: Treacheries: The Traitors (Novel): Prequel novel to the OVA's.
- Cyborg 009 vs. Devilman: Breakdown (Manga): A manga adaptation released to further promote the OVA's, however it uses a different plot to them.
2018
- Devilman Crybaby (Anime): An anime series that roughly follows the story of the original manga.
Common Elements[]
Characters[]
Akira Fudo: The main protagonist of the Devilman franchise, appearing in nearly every series to date. Most incarnations of the character have him displayed as a kind hearted but weak willed young man before he is merged with the demon Amon where he battles against the forces of the demon army. Some incarnations however have him just as a shell for Amon to use.
Devilman: Devilman not to be confused with the alter-ego of the main character, was originally the protagonist of the TV series and is a similar character to Amon. He has appeared in various other works since then often represented as the combination of Akira and Amon rather than as a separate character.
Dante: A massive and powerful demon lord, who leads the battle against God in the various Demon Lord Dante series along with his incarnation Ryo Utsugi. In other series he is often given a more villainous role, and the Devilman Lady incarnation has shown him to be the main body of Zennon.
Amon: A mighty demon warrior and hero, in the original manga he fused with Akira Fudo after an elaborate trick by his rival Satan. Various manga and anime present him in different ways sometimes being an anti-hero, other times as a straight up psychopath.
Satan: Satan is the main antagonist of the original manga, despite not really wanting to be evil. They are intersex, with several golden-white wings. They were the child of God, and an alien being known as an Angel that watched as their father create humanity. However, after a strain of demons emerged, and their father planned to wipe them out, Satan fought him and rescued the demons from death by putting them in hibernation. Years later, they escaped hibernation and wiped their memories, becoming Ryo Asuka in order to get close to a human they fell in love with, Akira Fudo. In some cases they are redone as Iwao Himura or Koichi Tomoda.
Miki Makimura: Miki Makimura is Akira's childhood friend who often acts as the main female protagonist in any of the Devilman series, several times acting as Akira's love interest in various series. She is often seen as the grounding force for what Akira believes in. Some characters have also filled her role in other media including Kasumi Seta.
Sirene: Sirene is a beautiful demoness with angelic and avian qualities, she was the lover of Amon and after he was taken over by Akira she vowed vengeance upon him attempting to kill him. Sirene does not seem to be inherently evil as she cares about her companions, but was blinded by her emotions that often has terrible consequences.
Zennon: Zennon is Satan's second in command and one of the most powerful demons in existence, most versions have him as a loyal servant to his lord Satan alongside Psycho Jenny, others often have him based on his TV incarnation as the lord of the Demon Tribe.
Psycho Jenny: Psycho Jenny was a large headed demoness of almost unlimited power, she uses her various psychic abilities to manipulate the reality around her including the memory of her master Satan.
Zannin: A demon originally seen in the TV series based on the character Zennon from Demon Lord Dante. In some cases he will often take the place of Zennon in leading the Demon Tribe.
Jinmen: A sadistic turtle-like demon who consumes both human and demon alike and adds them to his hideous shell often as a way to torment his victims and his enemies.
Kaim: A pachyderm-like demon with large horns, unlike most demons he is not evil and does not care about Satan's wish to wipe out humanity, with the only thing he cared about was the happiness of his love Sirene even if his love is unrequited.
Mico: Mico is the nickname of a female Devilman who often goes by the name Mikiko Kawamoto, however there are variations on the name. In all incarnations, she is a girl who dominates over the demon Tollg when it attempts to merge with her.
God: In a large number of the series, God is the main rarely yet seen antagonist especially in the main line of the Devilman series and the Demon Lord Dante series.
Jun Fudo/Devilman Lady: A female counterpart to Akira Fudo, with her alter-ego and powers being genetic in origin. Originally a mild mannered yet unconfident young woman, she becomes Devilman Lady due to a genetic factor that also creates Devil Beasts that she must hunt down while battling with her loss of humanity.
Lan Asuka: An analog to Satan's Ryo Asuka disguise, a cold and calculating young woman with special abilities partnered to Jun. In both the anime and manga, she is revealed to be intersex , first being a boy, but later becoming a woman in different ways, eventually growing feelings for Jun. Their true identity and role is different in the media however.
Aoi Kurosaki: An Olympic level swimmer who was friends with Jun once but they later grew apart by some means. Her original manga counterpart had a severe case of multiple personality disorder which caused her different transformations into a Devilbeast.
Terminology[]
Demons: An offshoot of humans that through some means gained the ability to fuse with matter and take over human bodies with unstable minds. While the Demons in Demon Lord Dante were displayed more as pitiful victims of God's invasion, the Demons of Devilman are displayed as maniacal and believe themselves to be above humanity with very few exceptions.
Devilmen: Humans that due to their pure hearts, gained the ability to not be overtaken by demons and gain their powers and forms. However the effects on a person vary with the weak willed Akira becoming more aggressive after fusing with Amon and the doubtful Mico unable to suppress Tollg's body parts.
Devil Beasts: Humans that through a genetic factor called the Devil Beast Syndrome are able to assume demonic forms that are different depending on the individual.
Black Sabbath: A ritual featured in a couple series that involves awakening demons using ill-willed humans as sacrifices.
Angels: Mysterious alien beings that serve God, many of them blindly following God's will however at least one of them (Satan) is shown to disagree with his rulings, exactly what they are is never explained.
Anti-Demon Corps: The Anti-Demon Corps was a small army dedicated against fighting the demon menace, however many of their victims were either human or Devilman. They had advanced technology and powerful weapons, and caused their victims slow and painful deaths.
Human Alliance (H.A.): A secret government organization tasked with hunting down Devil Beasts whether through equipment built to counter them or their own Devilmen.