Buckle up, anime fans! Ever wished you could ditch those boring reality shows and rule a kingdom instead? Yeah, me too. Well, anime’s got your back with a treasure trove of stories where the main characters are smokin’ hot royalty!
We’re talking cunning princes with killer smiles and sassy kings who could make a dragon blush. Get ready to dive into epic battles, heartwarming coming-of-age adventures (with maybe a little wink wink thrown in), and political intrigue that’ll leave you wanting more. This list is basically a buffet for every anime lover – action, feels, juicy drama – it’s all here.
So grab your metaphorical crown, straighten your sash (or maybe loosen it a bit ;)), and prepare to explore fantastical worlds with stories that’ll keep you hooked. Remember, with great power comes great responsibility… and of course, some seriously steamy anime moments! (Just sayin’)
Nobunaga the Fool
Genres: Action, Historical, Mecha, Sci-Fi
- Number of Episodes: 24
- Release Date: January 5, 2014
Conquer the world? Check. Giant robot army threatening everything? Yup. Dude named Nobunaga with a mysterious girl by his side? You got it.
Nobunaga the Fool is an epic anime following a local lord’s son, Nobunaga, on a global conquest. But it’s not all domination – he needs the Holy Grail to protect his world from King Arthur’s robot army. Joining him is Jeanne, a girl with divine visions, and Leonardo da Vinci, history’s ultimate inventor. Oh, and don’t forget Himiko, a powerful queen with a brave clan by her side.
Together, they fight good vs evil, deal with Nobunaga’s recklessness, and overcome crazy obstacles. It’s a wild ride where unlikely heroes gotta band together to survive!
Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy
Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
- Number of Episodes: More than 20
- Release Date: Winter 2024
Makoto from Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy got a rude awakening. Summoned to be a hero, the goddess ditches him for being “unattractive” (harsh!). Now exiled with a language power (except human, figures!), Makoto finds cool demi-human friends on the outskirts. Together, they build a utopia for all races. Super strong and magic-buffed, Makoto just wants to find other humans (goddess forbid!), all while changing this world for the better. Basically, isekai outcast builds a dream society with monster pals.
Arslan Senki
Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Historical, Shounen
- Number of Episodes: 25 for Season 1 and 8 for Season 2
- Release Date: April 5, 2015 for Season 1 and July 3, 2016 for Season 2
This one’s about a prince named Arslan. It’s war time (year 320) and his kingdom, Pars, is getting stomped by the neighboring empire. Arslan tries to be a hero on the battlefield but gets screwed over by a traitor. Now a fugitive, he needs to rally some allies to take back his homeland. Things get even trickier with other countries eyeing Ecbatana (their capital) and a mysterious silver mask dude rolling around with some dark secrets that could mess up Arslan’s claim to the throne. Basically, it’s about a prince on the run, building a team to prove himself worthy of being king someday.
Code Geass
Genres: Action, Military, Sci-Fi, Super Power, Drama, Mecha, School
- Number of Episodes: 50
- Release Date: October 6, 2006
Britannia’s like super strong, taking over countries left and right. Japan got crushed and renamed Area 11, but there’s a rebellion brewing.
Lelouch, a Britannian student, stumbles into a fight and meets a mysterious girl, C.C. She gives him Geass, this kingly power to make anyone obey him. Lelouch becomes Zero, a masked vigilante fighting Britannia for revenge.
Lelouch is super smart and arrogant, a real prince after all. At school, he’s all chill, but Zero’s the real him. People love his charisma and fight for justice.
He’s super stoic, doesn’t care about school (easy for a genius anyway). Lelouch loves challenges, plays chess with snobs, and couldn’t care less about most things, even girls who like him. He hates nobles, thinks they’re all stuck-up leeches.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Demons, Magic, Fantasy
- Number of Episodes: 24 for Season 1
- Release Date: October 2, 2018
So imagine this salaryman named Satoru gets offed by a robber, but instead of RIP, he wakes up as a slime in another world. Talk about a career change! This slime ain’t your average goo monster though. He can absorb stuff and take on its powers, which is pretty darn cool.
One day, he meets a super strong dragon who’s been stuck for ages. Satoru promises to help him out, and the dragon gives him a cool new name, Rimuru, and some awesome magic. That’s when things get interesting. Rimuru decides he doesn’t just want to survive, he wants to build his own kingdom! Who knew a slime could have such big dreams? Watching this squishy dude turn into a monster king is hilarious and awesome, so check out That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime if you want to see an unexpected rise to power.
How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom
Genres: Action, Fantasy, Harem, Magic, Military, Romance
- Number of Episodes: 13 for Season 1
- Release Date: July 4, 2021
Forget saving the world with a sword, this dude’s a paperwork hero! In How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom, Kazuya, a lonely 19-year-old civil service wannabe, gets yanked to another world. But instead of fighting demons, he’s expected to marry the princess and become king…of a bankrupt nation. Kazuya ditches the warrior route and uses his smarts to fix the failing economy. With a team of brainiacs by his side, this “Realist Hero” tackles the kingdom’s problems head-on, one bureaucratic battle at a time.
The 8th son? Are you kidding me?
Genres: Action, Fantasy
- Number of Episodes: 12
- Release Date: Not specified
Eighth son alert! Salaryman Shingo wakes up as Wendelin, a poor noble kid in a fantasy world. No inheritance for him, but hey, he finds a magic orb that lights up like a disco ball! Turns out, he’s a magic prodigy. A cool undead ex-wizard named Alfred takes Wendelin under his wing, teaching him magic and swordsmanship. Wendelin becomes a famous adventurer, super skilled in both magic and combat. But plot twist: his family gets screwed over because of it. Guess being awesome isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.
Snow White with the Red Hair
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Drama, Shoujo
- Number of Episodes: 24
- Release Date: January 5, 2018
Shirayuki’s got flaming red hair that turns heads everywhere she goes in Tanbarun. This herbalist chick is all about independence, so when the not-so-charming prince tries to make her his concubine, she bounces, leaving her old life behind.
Across the border in Clarines, she meets Zen, a prince with a heart of gold (and two awesome friends by his side). When Zen gets poisoned by a (not-so-subtle) gift, Shirayuki whips up the cure and decides to tag along with them back to Clarines. There, she aces a test to become a royal herbalist, makes a new buddy named Ryu, and basically finds a new home.
Meanwhile, the prince from Tanbarun realizes he actually likes Shirayuki and tries to win her over in a better way. Back in Clarines, Zen and Shirayuki catch feelings for each other, but their fancy titles and busy lives make things complicated. Shirayuki promises to wait for him though, so true love might just win the day!
Kingdom
Genres: Action, Historical, Military, Seinen
- Number of Episodes: 12 for Season 5
- Release Date: January 13, 2024 for Season 5
In the kingdom of Qin, Li Xin and Piao are war-orphaned slaves who dream of becoming Great Generals of the Heavens. When Piao is recruited to work in the royal palace, a coup d’état occurs, and he returns to Xin, half dead, with a mission. Xin must meet with the young king, Ying Zheng, and begin his quest to become a great general of the Seven Warring States. “Kingdom” follows Xin as he navigates the bloodshed of China’s history.
Record of Grancrest War
Genres: Action, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
- Number of Episodes: 24
- Release Date: January 5, 2018
Theo, forget royalty, this dude’s a wandering knight with a cool power called a Crest. His village got messed up by a jerk named Viscount Rossini and creepy monsters thanks to Chaos (think demons and disasters, yikes).
Chaos is basically super bad news. Luckily, a super strong dude called a Lord saved the day once, but now other Lords are fighting over his magic stuff (Crests) instead of being bros.
Theo meets Siluca, a mage who’s also trying to fix this whole mess. They team up to stop the bickering Lords and kick Chaos to the curb. Knight, mage, world on the brink of chaos – epic adventure time!
Ousama Ranking
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Drama
- Number of Episodes: 23
- Release Date: October 15, 2021
Bojji, the underdog prince in Ousama Ranking, was born deaf and small. People mock him, but this dude dreams BIG – becoming a king!
He’s not alone though. Kage, a mysterious shadow dude, becomes his BFF and helps Bojji overcome his fears and doubts. Through crazy adventures, Bojji learns what it truly means to be a leader.
This anime is heartwarming and epic, perfect for fans of fantasy, adventure, and a touch of drama. You’ll be cheering for Bojji all the way!
Unnamed Memory
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Adventure
- Number of Episodes: Not specified
- Release Date: April 2024
Unnamed Memory is the story of Oscar, a prince who is cursed and seeks the power of the Witch of the Azure Moon to break it. He wants to take Tinasha, a strong and capable woman, as his wife. Tinasha agrees to live with Oscar in the royal castle for a year while researching the spell placed on the prince. However, the witch’s dark secrets begin to resurface and threaten to tear apart the couple’s relationship.
The anime follows Oscar’s journey to break his curse and his growing feelings for Tinasha. The story is filled with fantasy, romance, and adventure elements that makes it an exciting watch for those who enjoy anime where the main character is royalty and is trying to overcome an obstacle to be with the one he loves.
Kyo Kara Maoh!
- Number of Episodes: 117
- Release Date: April 3, 2004
Kyo Kara Maoh! is a classic anime in which the main character gets crowned king. Set in an universe similar of medieval Europe, viewers follow Yuri Shibuya as he progresses from being bullied on Earth to becoming an unusual ruler in this new magical land.
The story follows him as he discovers his unexpected abilities, navigates politics between humans and demons, and fights to maintain peace between these two separate species. Kyo Kara Maoh! is sure to thrill those who desire adventure in their royalty drama, with fantastic fight scenes, engaging characters, and a meaningful plot.
Tales from Earthsea
- This is a movie, not a series.
- Release Date: August 13, 2010
Tales from Earthsea, the critically acclaimed anime series, takes viewers on a captivating adventure filled with magic and mystery. Control Prince Arren, the fugitive heir to the Kingdom of Enlad, as he navigates dangerous territories ravaged by catastrophes and deadly dragons. Arren is joined on his journey by Sparrowhawk, an experienced Arch Mage determined to uncover the truth behind these strange occurrences. Worse, Lord Cob, a dark magician lured by eternal life, stands in their way.
Working with Tenar, an old friend of Sparrowhawk’s, and Therru, an orphan girl taken under her wing, the three must overcome this strong enemy with the ability to manipulate other people’s emotions. Prepare to enter into a complex and intricate story that transcends the boundaries of traditional good against evil battles and explores inner issues on an emotional level. Enter Ged Senki’s magical universe for a unique experience!
KING’s RAID: Successors of the Will
- Number of Episodes: 26
- Release Date: October 3, 2020
King’s Raid: Successors of the Will is an anime series that follows Kasel, a knight apprentice and King Kyle’s last remaining heir. He defeated the demon king Angmund with the Holy Sword Aea one hundred years ago, bringing peace to his land. Now that demons have been sighted in neighboring forests, Kasel embarks on a quest to unseal the sword and save humanity from annihilation, accompanied by his friend Frey—a priestess who learns about their fate together. Along this path of self-discovery, Riheet—the commander of dark elf mercenaries plotting vengeance against humans for long-ago occurrences. Who will prevail when it comes to determining their fates?