Everyone knows the classic fantasyanime/mangasetting of a Hero vs the Demon King. The Hero is either born and “blessed” with the Hero job/class or is brought here from another world, and then takes on the arduous task of saving the world from the invading Demons.
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This classic concept is where so many Isekai series spawned from, and it’s influenced tons of other anime over the years. But, what happens after the Hero wins? Does the world really enter an era of everlasting peace? Well, let’s take a look at some prolific manga/anime that actually explore the events after the Hero’s victory.
8Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s Endis probably the most well-written manga that fits into this niche sub-genre. It’s a tale all about Frieren, an elven mage, as she slowly learns that every day is important, which is a hard lesson to learn for an elf with an absurdly long lifespan.
The story starts right after the Demon King has been defeated by the Hero Himmel’s party (of which Frieren was a part). The group of four then return to the capital and then return to their own separate lives, wishing each other the best. From there, Freiren plays spectator as the rest of the party she cared about slowly begins to die of old age while she remains basically the same.
This might sound depressing, but things don’t stay that way and the overall story is insanely well-written. So well-written, in fact,that it’s a wonder this story hasn’t been adapted into an anime yet.
7Helck
Ah, another excuse to promoteHelckas much as possible.Helckis a sort ofOne-Punch ManorMob Psycho 100type of story in which the main character (Helck) is incomprehensibly strong in comparison to just about everyone elseand almost “too” perfect in terms of his personality.
Plus, at the start of this tale, the Demon King has already been defeated by the Hero, and they’re holding a tournament to find the new Demon King, which Helck participates in. Of course, Vamirio, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, is suspicious of Helck’s intentions, since he’s human, and from there the two go on a long and arduous journey, learning to trust each other along the way.
This is just a very sincere manga that’s also hilarious, heartwarming, soul-crushing, and beautiful in just about every way. Plus, it’s always nice to see a male and female lead not forced into a romantic relationship stereotype and are just incredibly good friends. Sure, the story gets a bit convoluted later on, but it’s a story readers won’t find anywhere else.
6The New Gate
Moving on from the fantasy to the Isekai genre,The New Gateis a different type of “Post-Hero Victory” story. The start of the story is actuallywhat would normally be the end of a “trapped in a death MMORPG” story,similar to something like.HackorSword Art Online.
Basically, theclassic way-too-powerful Isekai main character,Shin, had just defeated the final boss of the MMO alone and was ready to finally be free in the real world again. But, just after the boss is defeated, there’s a flash of light and Shin wakes up to find himself in the game-world of “The New Gate” once again, only 500 years in the future.
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This time, however, it seems like the game has become reality as the NPCs have now gained sentience and the rules of the game have changed. Overall,The New Gateis a fascinating story where a lot of the backgrounds and motivations are sprinkled throughout rather than just told upfront. It’s not to most action-packed Isekai, to be sure, but it does have a lot of lovable characters.
5The Faraway Paladin
This next one is pretty relevant consideringit was originally a light novel, then had its own manga series drawn, and was finally adapted into an animelast season.The Faraway Paladinis another Isekai story, though the actual “isekai” aspects of it are pretty subdued in comparison to the fantasy stuff.
So as not to spoil the first big twist of the story, all readers need to know is that the story of William G. Maryblood takes place after the Demon King (known as the High King) was defeated and sealed away by a party of Heroes, and Demons are trying to figure out a way to bring their leader back.
It’s a fantastic story that has a lot to do with making the most of the life one is given, what it means to leave a legacy behind, and especially the importance of religion. This last aspect is what makesThe Faraway Paladinso unique, as it’s one of the only stories that has so much religious focus on it that also doesn’t feel over-the-top or is secretly all about how the church is evil.
4The Hero’s Party On Their Way Back Home
This next one-shot is hard to include without spoiling it, so let’s just keep it simple by saying it’s a story about the Hero’s party journeying back home after defeating the Demon King.
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As it’s a one-shot manga, there’s not much to it as far as length, but there’s just enough to set up the setting, the characters, and the motivations. And, while the art style is a bit more sketch-like, it’s absolutely beautiful, especially in the few colored spreads.
Overall, this manga is a real heartbreaker and even manages to subvert some common tropes associated with magic and doing “the right thing” in some new and inventive ways.
3The Legendary Hero Is Dead!
Out of all the series on here, this next one is likely the darkest, yet it’s also somehow the funniest.The Legendary Hero is Deadis a manga all about a villager named Touka Scott living in a world after the Hero sealed the “Hell Gate” where the Demons would come out of.
Sadly, the seal is weakening, and the Demons are starting to come out of the gate more and more, so the Hero returns to the village he came from before going back out again on a journey. An absurd series of events occurs, and somehow the hero ends up dead at the bottom of a pit trap Touka built. Now, trapped in the undead body of the Hero by the Hero’s trusted Necromancer, Touka is forced into going on an adventure to save the world.
It’s such a hilariously grim dark concept that shouldn’t work, yet there are over 200 chapters of it. And, while it may not be everyone’s cup of tealike some other comedy manga are,The Legendary Hero is Deadis absolutely worth at least a look.
2Archenemy & Hero
Archenemy and Hero"technically" might not count, as it doesn’t really start after the Hero was victorious against the Demon King, but rather, starts as he goes to fight…her?
It’s an interesting anime that covers the socio-economic benefits of war, romance, comedy, the importance of agriculture, and so much more, all confined within the world of a classic fantasy setting. But, above all, it’s just really cute!
The slowly blossoming romance between the Demon King and the Hero is adorable, believable, just a bit over-the-top, and only serves to make the other aspects of the show that much stronger. So, for those who would love to see the Demon King and the Hero working together for a better world, this is a perfect choice.
14 Cut Hero
Last up is actually a South Korean Manwha rather than a manga called4-Cut Hero. LikeThe Legendary Hero is Dead,4-Cut Herois a comedy piece, exploring the life of a hero who defeats the Demon King and then becomes a shut-in anime fanatic afterward.
Turns out the world doesn’t really need someone whose only skill is fighting after peace has been established. In any case,4-Cut Herois all about the jokes, and there are plenty of characters with different interests and motivations to keep the comedy fresh.
The only thing that might be a bit tough for people to keep up with is the overarching narrative, as the plot gets insanely complex after a while, but it is well-written enough to understand. Overall, it’s just a hilarious read for anyone who likes the genre but is tired of the same old stereotypical Heroes.
