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Akuma (悪魔): what it means in anime

悪魔

あくま · akuma · devil; demon; fiend JLPT N3

Akuma means "devil" or "demon". Chainsaw Man's monsters are 悪魔, and the word combines 悪 (evil) with 魔 (the same character as in magic and demon king).

Where you hear it 2 of 42 series

Lines from the Japanese subtitles of episodes 1–3 of each show. A translation is shown only when it clearly matches the line; counts are subtitle lines containing the word.

Usage and nuance

Japanese has several demon words. 悪魔 is the Western-style devil, 鬼 (oni) is the Japanese ogre of folklore, and 魔物 (mamono) is a generic monster. Chainsaw Man chooses 悪魔 and makes each one the devil of a fear.

In One Piece, 悪魔の実 (akuma no mi) is the devil fruit that grants powers. As an insult, 悪魔 is what a character calls someone truly cruel.

The adjective 悪魔的 (akumateki) means "devilish", and 悪魔と契約する, "to make a contract with a devil", is a plot device in several series.

Hear 悪魔 in Chainsaw Man78 lines in episodes 1–3 · tappable subtitles · free, no account