Beelzebub

Plot

The story follows Tatsumi Oga, a delinquent student at Ishiyama High, who discovers an infant boy inside a dying man by a river. The child, Beel, is revealed to be the son of the Great Demon Lord, and Tatsumi is forced to raise him alongside the demon maid Hilda. Seeking to rid himself of this responsibility, Tatsumi attempts to transfer Beel to stronger students, targeting the Tōhōshinki—Ishiyama's four most powerful fighters. After defeating their leader, Hajime Kanzaki, Tatsumi inadvertently strengthens Beel's attachment to him. A supernatural seal appears on Tatsumi's hand, marking his contract with Beel. Its complexity grows with Tatsumi's malevolence, though he initially resists fighting to curb its spread. When Himekawa, the second Tōhōshinki member, kidnaps Hilda and Tatsumi's friend Furuichi, Tatsumi intervenes, unleashing the Zebul blast to win. The battle expands the seal, alarming Hilda with its toll.

Tatsumi later meets Aoi Kunieda, a girl who mistakes his bluntness for romantic interest. Unaware she leads the Red Tails and is the Tōhōshinki's third member, he asks her to become Beel's "mother," further confusing her. Their confrontation is interrupted by the MK5 assassins, whom Tatsumi defeats. Beel senses the fourth Tōhōshinki member, Hidetora Tojo, but Tatsumi remains oblivious. Aoi, believing Tatsumi and Hilda are married, is challenged by Hilda to test her strength but is deemed inferior. Meanwhile, Tatsumi is framed for attacking classmates by the MK5, prompting Aoi to fight him. Natsume exposes the deception, but Tatsumi defeats the conspirators.

Seeking to offload Beel, Tatsumi pursues Tojo at the beach, unaware Kanzaki and Himekawa orchestrated the clash. Aoi warns Tatsumi of Tojo's strength, but their duel is delayed when Beel falls ill. Beel's sickness severs Tatsumi's seal, and Hilda departs for the demon world for aid. Tatsumi later finds Tojo carrying Beel and loses their first fight. Returning home, he learns from the demon doctor Furucas that Beel's illness stems from suppressed power. Restored by Furucas's assistant Lamia, Tatsumi, aided by the Tōhōshinki, defeats Tojo in a rematch—but Beel's unleashed energy destroys Ishiyama High.

The students transfer to Saint Ishiyama, where discrimination ends after Tatsumi's team defeats the elite Six Knights in volleyball. The school president, secretly a demon, covers up Tatsumi's supernatural display during the match. A new teacher, Zenjirō Saotome, arrives, effortlessly subduing Tatsumi and Tojo. When demons attack Tatsumi's group, Saotome reveals himself as a Spellmaster and repels them. He trains Tatsumi, who later defeats powerful human-demon contractors. The story concludes with Tatsumi returning from the demon world, carrying another mysterious infant.

Characters

Main characters

Tatsumi Oga (男鹿 辰巳, Oga Tatsumi)

Voiced by: Katsuyuki Konishi

A first-year student at Ishiyama High School and is renowned for his extraordinary strength, which strikes fear into the local delinquents. Alaindelon chooses him to be Beelzebub's father because he appears to possess the qualities of the ideal parent for the future Devil King: he is strong, arrogant, and thinks nothing of his fellow man. Despite his violent and selfish personality, he continues to care for Beelzebub, grumbling about it all the while. Through battles against delinquents and demons, he matures and gradually learns to control Beelzebub's immense magical power.

Kaiser de Emperana Beelzebub IV (カイゼル・デ・エンペラーナ・ベルゼバブ4世, Kaizeru de Enperāna Beruzebabu Yonsei)

Voiced by: Ayumi Fujimura (Vomic), Miyuki Sawashiro (anime)

Known as Beelzebub or Baby Beel (ベル坊, Beru Bō). He is the youngest son of the Devil King. He is very attached to Tatsumi, always clinging onto Tatsumi's back or sitting on Tatsumi's head. When he becomes agitated (and initially when he saw blood), he'll often throw a tantrum that will spontaneously electrocute anyone within his vicinity. Without Tatsumi, he is physically weaker than even the average human child, but contact with Tatsumi allows him to unleash his demonic powers. After fearing for Tatsumi's safety when he contracted a fever (as his power would end up killing Tatsumi), he severed the contract and ran away. He then became somewhat attached to Tojo, who resembles Tatsumi (at least in his own mind). Later, when Tatsumi and Tojo start to fight, Beel snaps out of his fever and goes back to Tatsumi. At that point, their mutual trust becomes so great that Beel even erases the Zebub spell to allow Tatsumi to fight Tojo without using demonic powers.

Hilda (ヒルダ, Hiruda) / Hildegarde (ヒルデガルダ, Hirudegaruda)

Voiced by: Kana Ueda (Vomic), Shizuka Itō (anime)

Hilda is a demon maid who helps Tatsumi take care of Beelzebub IV. She reveres the Great Demon Lord and considers it an honor to be chosen as Beel's caretaker. Although she is usually blunt and cold, she has a kinder side that emerges occasionally, often surprising and disbelieving others.

Ishiyama High

The four leaders of the delinquent forces in Ishiyama High. Tōhōshinki (東邦神姫) is an acronym of their respective last names: Hidetora Tojo (東条 英虎, Tōjō Hidetora), Aoi Kunieda (邦枝 葵, Kunieda Aoi), Hajime Kanzaki (神崎 一, Kanzaki Hajime), and Tatsuya Himekawa (姫川 竜也, Himekawa Tatsuya). Although they were initially introduced as antagonists early in the series, the four later became Tatsumi's most loyal followers. Each gained a King's Emblem, located on a different part of their body, which allows them to tap into Beelzebub's demon powers during fights. This enables them to go toe-to-toe with other demon contract holders.

Hajime Kanzaki (神崎 一, Kanzaki Hajime)

Voiced by: Tomokazu Sugita

The first of the four to be introduced, he was the closest to dominating the school at the time. A sadistic and malignant third year, he was sought out by Tatsumi to be a replacement father for Beel, Tatsumi hoping Kanzaki's purportedly sinister and malicious character would be more appealing to the demon baby than his own. However, after Kanzaki viciously humiliates Shiroyama, his most loyal underling and until then his right-hand man, Tatsumi becomes enraged and punches Kanzaki through a top-story window, sending him to the hospital and further solidifying Beel's attachment to him. After that, Kanzaki loses his retinue, save for Shiroyama and Natsume. He later consorted with Himekawa and Tatsumi in order to pull down the powerful Tojo, but gets caught up with Himekawa in a fight against Tojo's underlings and is sent to the hospital again due to injuries contracted in the explosion that destroyed the school.

Takeshi Shiroyama (城山武, Shiroyama Takeshi)

Voiced by: Kenji Nomura

Takeshi is a strong and tall third-year student. He is easily defeated by Tatsumi with a single shot to the chin. Even after his humiliation by Kanzaki and the dissolution of the latter's gang, he remains attached to Kanzaki. Later, when he is sent to the hospital by St. Ishiyama students, Kanzaki visits upon him. He escapes the hospital to support Ishiyama against the Horsemen in the volleyball match, but is taken back by the staff. He is often seen acting as Kanzaki's voice of reason.

Killer Six Elements

The Killer Six Elements (殺六縁起, Satsuriku Engi) are six first-years who make their appearance at Ishiyama when it is finally rebuilt. Each one leads their own gang. During the period when the students were scattered among different schools, they seem to have grown strong and confident enough to challenge Tatsumi and the Tōhōshinki for the leadership of the school. They are divided in two tiers: the Three Kings and, above them, the Three Beasts.

Kankurō Akahoshi (赤星 貫九郎, Akahoshi Kankurō)

The former leader of Hiaburi High School, his battle name is "Fan that dyes everything blood red", and his coat has the picture of a fan on its backside. Other than the hairstyle, he resembles Tatsumi quite closely in physical appearance. Despite being the lowest-ranked of the Elements, he is quite proud and confident, and has declared that he will beat Tatsumi fair and square to take his place as king of the school. His number two is Ryō Haizawa, a third year; and his number three is Shigeru Shigemori, a second-year. He is the contractor of one of the Seven Deadly Sins, Mammon.

Ringo Hōjō (鳳珹 林檎, Hōjō Ringo)

The only woman in the group. She was a former Red Tail under Aoi's leadership, but now has formed her own group at Majōgari Academy, calling themselves the New World Red Tails. Her class and year are still unclear: she is described as a first year, but also as the second leader of the Red Tails before Kunieda. In their first clash with Aoi, the latter refused to fight back against former comrades and suffered minor injuries. Hōjō is nicknamed "Tabako", since she is often smoking. Her numbers two and three are third-years Maaya Ajari and Yukino Kagemiya, respectively.

Ebian Ichikawa (市川 蝦庵, Ichikawa Ebian)

Formerly the head of Sabatou High, and known as "Blind Swordsman" due to a scar that keeps his left eye permanently shut, he is a bulky, bald man who is constantly scowling and who sports a moustache. He wears a dark suit with a scarf and carries a flower on his mouth, resulting in a slightly outlandish appearance. He is described as temperamental and describes Beel as "cute" on first seeing him. His weapon of choice is a sword and, like Aoi, he can cut through concrete with it. His numbers two and three are third-years Souken Chabou and Tetsuhito Kajiura, respectively.

Saint Ishiyama Academy

Tatsumi and his friends are transferred to Saint Ishiyama Academy, the sister school of Ishiyama High, when the latter is destroyed. The school is unwilling to adopt the delinquents, and the group is constantly harassed by its students. The school also has a force that upholds its rules of conduct: the Six Knights (六騎聖, Rokkisei), six captains of different sports teams and clubs with extraordinary strength and fighting experience. They set out to get rid of Tatsumi and his friends, backed by an unfair rule allowing them to carry out "judgement" on any person or party within the student body. After a huge fight on the rooftops of Saint Ishiyama, the Six Knights challenge Tatsumi and his friends to a sports competition. If Tatsumi and his friends win, they are not expelled. Himekawa also clinches a deal with the teacher in charge of student life, whereby the Six Knights are stripped of their authority and privileges if they lose. Ishiyama ultimately wins.

Hisaya Miki (三木 久也, Miki Hisaya)

Voiced by: Nobuhiko Okamoto

The only first-year student at Saint Ishiyama to join the Six Knights. He captains the karate team and practices Hakkyokuken and Izuma-style martial arts. He knows Tatsumi from middle school, when Tatsumi saves him from delinquents. At Saint Ishiyama, Miki resents Tatsumi and seeks to prove his strength. After Kiriya Reiji scars Miki, Tatsumi intervenes, then later beats and humiliates Miki in front of Kiriya's gang to divert retaliation, as both move to Nara. Miki resents him until Kiriya reveals the truth three years later. The two then reconcile and fight Kiriya together. Miki relies on agility, and his Black Owl Killer can take down Tatsumi in one hit, though Tatsumi deliberately takes the blow. Miki trains with Izuma for a coming confrontation with the 34th Pillar Squad.

Kaname Izuma (出馬 要, Izuma Kaname)

Voiced by: Kenji Fukuda

The leader of the Six Knights, Miki's teacher, master of the Izuma dojo, and the ex-student council. He is a third-year and the strongest among them. He is a descendant of a demon who escaped to the human world, and was taken in by Saint Ishiyama's headmaster after losing his place in society for revealing his powers. He can therefore release a dark aura like full demons, though at lower levels. He oscillates between calm control and a thirst for death, holds authority among students and faculty, and initiates a volleyball match challenge against Ishiyama students, using martial style techniques before being defeated by Kunieda. When Tatsumi uses the Zebub Blast against Kiriya, he recognizes demonic powers and arranges a cover-up. The headmaster later reveals that Tatsumi may be a target for demons. He can feel Saotome using demon power, indicating notable strength for a human, and is implied to have feelings for Shizuka. His fighting ability is superior to the other Knights and on par with Tojo's and Tatsumi's, but he is taken down with ease by a demon and saved by Tojo's intervention, after which he sets out to train.

Demon World

The Demon World (魔界, Makai) is a realm in another dimension inhabited by many fantastic creatures and ruled by the royal dynasty of the Beelzebubs. Its way of life resembles the Middle Ages, yet contemporary devices such as video games are known, though its technology lags slightly behind that of the human world, as evidenced by Lord En's shock at the advanced nature of a PlayStation 2. The Beelzebubs' power is not uncontested, as there are rogues, thieves, and others living outside the royal family's authority. Demons intend to destroy humans, but they are not immortal. They can be killed in ways similar to humans, though they are more powerful. They can take many forms, but those that interact with Tatsumi and other humans tend to be human-like with minor anatomical differences, such as reptilian ears, fangs, or spots on the skin.

The Great Demon Lord (大魔王, Daima Ō)

Voiced by: Hiroki Takahashi

The Devil King and Baby Beel's father. He is a tall figure with long light-colored hair, wearing a helmet with two prominent, cartoonish horns and dressed in a long cape, who is always pictured from behind. His main characteristic, often alluded to in the course of the series, is being "extremely random". He spends his time mostly playing karaoke or video games, and has twice decided to destroy mankind out of pure whim: however, his schedule full of ceremonies and engagements prevents him from going on his own, and thus he whimsically decides to send his children: first Baby Beel, then Lord En.

Lord En (焔王, En Ō; lit. 'Flame King')

Voiced by: Sayaka Kinoshita

The eldest son of the Great Demon Lord and the older brother of Beel. His real name is unknown. He is a spoiled child who is always accompanied by three demon maids. He is obsessed with games from the human world. He is older than Beel, but he acts just as childishly. It is said that when he cries, his magical power turns the entire surrounding area into a sea of fire. He has feelings for Lamia and publicly refers to her as "my bride".

Forkas Rachmaninoff (フォルカス・ラフマニノフ, Forukasu Rafumaninofu)

Media

Manga

Written and illustrated by Ryuhei Tamura, Beelzebub was first published as one-shot pilot chapter in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump on August 11, 2008, subsequently winning the fourth Gold Future Cup. It was later serialized for five years in the same magazine from February 23, 2009, to February 24, 2014. A spin-off series, Beelzebub: Bangai-hen (べるぜバブ 番外編, Beruzebabu: Bangai-hen; lit. 'Beelzebub: Extra Edition'), ran in Jump Next! from May 7, 2014, to March 13, 2015. Shueisha collected the series's overall 246 chapters in 28 tankōbon volumes, released from July 2, 2009, to May 1, 2015.

Anime

An original video animation (OVA), produced by Pierrot+, was screened during the Jump Super Anime Tour between October 23 and November 21, 2010; it was later included in the special edition of the ninth volume of the manga, released in December of the same year. A 60-episode anime television series adaptation, also produced by Pierrot+, was broadcast from January 9, 2011, to March 25, 2012, on Yomiuri TV and other NNS stations.

Crunchyroll simulcasted the series in North America and Europe two hours after airing. However, some episodes were postponed and rescheduled following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The anime aired with English subtitles on Animax Asia in Southeast Asia, although it is edited to cover Baby Beel's nudity with a diaper. Discotek Media licensed the series for home video release in North America in 2015. Muse Communication licensed the series in Asia-Pacific and streamed it on its Muse Asia YouTube channel.