Anime series featuring dragons have always been beloved by audiences. These magnificent creatures captivate our minds with their incredible abilities, serpent-like forms, and ability to fly. Numerous unforgettable anime showcase dragons as pivotal characters or integral parts of the storyline, resulting in spectacular anime series with dragons.
In anime, there is a wide range of dragon designs. While some are depicted as ferocious beasts with sharp claws, teeth, and armored scales, others have a more elegant and serpentine appearance. Below are 10 spectacular anime series featuring these legendary creatures.
10 Legendary Anime Series with Dragons
Dragon Ball
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Dragon Ball became a worldwide sensation, largely due to its inclusion of Shenron, a dragon that grants wishes. This renowned anime, which prominently features dragons, follows the journey of Goku, a powerful hero, and his expanding group of martial arts comrades as they protect the Earth and search for the wish-granting Dragon Balls.
Goku embarks on a grand journey to collect the seven orange balls, each containing a star. When united, they have the power to summon the Eternal Dragon Shenron, capable of granting any desire. However, finding the scattered balls across the globe requires the assistance of the Dragon Radar. This marks the start of Goku’s epic quest.
As they progress, the protagonists face off against malevolent beings and skilled warriors, steadily increasing their strength through rigorous training regimens that incorporate Eastern philosophy. As the saga progresses, the adventure reaches cosmic levels, but the anime series retains its focus on dragons, with Shenron and the Dragon Balls remaining integral components of the lore.
2. Blue Dragon
Inspired by the Xbox 360 video game, this animated series chronicles the journey of Shu and his companions in a world where individuals possess the ability to summon a powerful shadow alter-ego with distinct powers. Shu, who has been orphaned, yearns to venture beyond his humble village and explore the vast unknown.
Fate quickly leads him on an adventure alongside his classmates Jiro and Kluke when the world is suddenly overrun by strange, artificially created creatures. Along the way, they are accompanied by Zola, a mysterious warrior who possesses a hidden history and wields the ancient and mysterious power of the Blue Dragon shadow.
After Shu discovers his ability to manifest a glowing blue dragon shadow, the group also learns to control their own dragon shadows. They must then face off against Nene, the tyrannical leader of the Grank Kingdom who plans to take over the world with an army of artificial killing machines. Their journey culminates in a final showdown with Nene, where their teamwork and strategic thinking will ultimately determine the fate of the world in this dragon-filled anime series.
3. Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World
This anime series, set in a dark fantasy world with dragons, tells the story of Subaru, a protagonist who is suddenly transported from modern-day Japan into a mysterious video game-like realm. As he navigates this enchanting land, Subaru discovers tales of the legendary Dragon Volcanica, a powerful figure believed to be the protector of the kingdom.
Although Volcanica is not directly introduced in the early parts of the story, their presence is strongly felt through the lore and myths of the world. As the story progresses, Subaru becomes entangled in a complex plot involving the kingdom’s royal selection, witch cults, and battles against demon beasts.
Volcanica continues to be a mysterious and powerful background figure as Subaru battles supernatural threats and searches for his purpose in the new world. The second season follows his arduous journey, marked by repeated cycles of pain and loss.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
After being stabbed by a robber, corporate worker Satoru Mikami is inexplicably reborn as a formidable slime monster in a fantastical world. As a nearly indestructible blue blob exploring the underground caves, “Rimuru”slowly builds relationships with dragons and forms alliances with other creatures to establish his own sovereign nation of monsters.
Rimuru’s initial and most important ally is the Storm Dragon Veldora, who was sealed inside the cave where Rimuru first emerged. After giving the dragon a name and forming a friendship with him, Rimuru’s abilities become even stronger. Despite Veldora’s initial state of being sealed, Rimuru strives to eventually release him from his confinement.
In the anime series That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, the thankful dragon swears allegiance to Rimuru, who steadily increases in power and authority as a “Demon Lord”while maneuvering through challenges such as monster politics, demon attacks, and the establishment of a prospering nation where various species coexist harmoniously, including dragons.
5. Anime series: Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid
One evening, while intoxicated, office employee Miss Kobayashi stumbles into the mountains and comes across the wounded dragon Tohru. Tohru displays her shapeshifting powers by turning into a maid and fulfilling Kobayashi’s household duties in this charming anime series featuring dragons.
As time passes, additional dragons and mythical creatures become a part of the unique makeshift family, resulting in a heartwarming mix of comedy and fantasy. The dragons hilariously attempt to conceal their true identities while learning valuable lessons from the compassionate Kobayashi.
6. Dragon Goes House-Hunting
Despite her simple desire for a cozy cave, Letty, a green dragon, finds herself constantly losing out on suitable options to stronger magical creatures and bothersome heroes. Tired of the frustrating housing situation, Letty takes matters into her own hands and decides to approach the demon lord Dearia for some high-quality real estate.
As a result, a lively discussion ensues between the well-dressed demon lord and choosy dragon who are both vying for Dearia’s eerie (yet updated!) former castle hideout.
Despite the magical setting, the amusing debate between the characters sheds light on the daily modern struggles of securing affordable housing. With its low-stakes comedy, the story offers a refreshing and relatable perspective, setting it apart from the typical epic anime series filled with dragons.
The Seven Deadly Sins
Despite facing a tyrannical group of knights that has taken control of the kingdom of Liones, Princess Elizabeth refuses to give up. She turns to the legendary Seven Deadly Sins, a disbanded group of powerful knights who have been wrongly labeled as villains by the usurpers, for aid in reclaiming her kingdom.
Despite his youthful appearance, Meliodas, the Dragon’s Sin of Wrath, possesses immense power and fury passed down from his demonic bloodline. She manages to locate each member of the Seven Sins, including Meliodas, gradually over time.
In addition, he possesses the ability to activate his Assault Mode, a temporary demonic power-up that surrounds him in dark energy. Alongside a unique group of formidable knights – including demons, fairies, giants, humans, and others – they embark on a quest to free the Liones kingdom from corruption and uncover the hidden truths of a 3000-year-old holy war between various races in this dragon-filled anime series.
Fairy Tail
The wizard guild Fairy Tail welcomes individuals with magical abilities of all kinds. Natsu, a fire mage, was raised and trained by the dragon Igneel and possesses dragon-like fire combat and fire-eating abilities. He embarks on quests with Lucy, a celestial spirit mage, and other members, forming strong bonds and creating a sense of family among the wizards.
Numerous wizards who have been trained by dragons in the art of dragon-based magic play important roles as dragon slayers. Natsu joins forces with other dragons as they search for clues to the mysterious disappearance of Igneel, who vanished under strange circumstances one day.
Similarly, the Second Generation Dragon Slayers acquire their powers by utilizing dragon lacrima crystals rather than receiving direct teachings from dragons. Throughout numerous arcs and sagas, Natsu and his fellow wizards battle against various dangers posed by wicked groups of mages, demons, undying dark sorcerers, and renegade dragons who have assimilated into human society in this anime featuring dragons.
9. Yu-Gi-Oh!
The highly acclaimed anime series centered around card battles and dragons highlights the dragons as crucial monster cards within the dominant Duel Monsters game. These powerful dragon cards possess unique abilities that make them highly sought after and difficult to obtain.
The protagonist of the anime, Yugi, makes use of well-known cards such as the Dark Magician and Buster Blader. However, the iconic Blue-Eyes White Dragon is most commonly associated with his rival, Seto Kaiba. Other notable dragon cards include the Red-Eyes Black Dragon and Five-Headed Dragon.
In their climactic battles, hard-won dragons are frequently pitted against each other in strategic card duels full of magical effects and trap cards, which can shift the balance of the fight. These special dragons also play a crucial role in the magical shadow games, influencing major plot developments. As the series progresses, the world of Yu-Gi-Oh! is further explored, with an abundance of mystical dragons and monsters to collect and command in the vibrant gaming world.
10. Notable Works – Sword Art Online
In the anime series Sword Art Online, set in a virtual fantasy world, Kirito and his guild face off against a variety of formidable boss monsters, including creatures resembling dragons, as they advance through the game’s levels.
The Gleam Eyes is a formidable adversary, a high-level boss that can only be defeated through perfect coordination among frontier guilds. These intense fights against mighty creatures serve as crucial moments in the narrative, frequently pushing characters to their utmost capabilities and unveiling significant plot developments.
In this anime series with dragons, Kirito and his allies must confront not only the game’s creatures but also the schemes of other players with malicious intentions as they are faced with increasingly daunting obstacles.
Conclusion
From eternal dragons that grant wishes to formidable dragon slayers and monster allies, numerous iconic dragons are showcased in thrilling ways in great anime series. These dragons serve as either powerful allies or fearsome adversaries guarding treasures within dungeons.
Dragons are known to either pose a threat to villages or develop meaningful relationships with human protagonists. Their extraordinary power and mystical abilities make them essential elements of fantasy anime, featuring thrilling adventures and thought-provoking themes of loyalty and belonging.
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