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Maou (魔王): what it means in anime
魔王
まおう · maou · the Devil; the Prince of Darkness Not on JLPT lists
Maou means "Demon King" or "Demon Lord", the final boss of a fantasy world. Defeating the 魔王 is the premise of Frieren's backstory, Konosuba's quest and dozens of isekai.
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.
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KonoSuba · 16 lines in episodes 1–3 · this one from episode 1
俺も魔王軍と戦う冒険者に なりたいんだI want to become an adventurer to fight the Devil King's army, too.
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Frieren · 6 lines in episodes 1–3 · this one from episode 1 · here: Demon King
そういえば 魔王城で拾ったやつ
Usage and nuance
The word comes from Japanese translations of Western fantasy and RPGs, where the Demon King opposes the 勇者 (yuusha, hero). Frieren's story begins after the party has already beaten the 魔王, which is the show's whole point.
It is not the same as 悪魔 (akuma, devil). 魔王 is a title, the ruler of 魔族 (mazoku, the demon race). Some comedies, like The Devil Is a Part-Timer, play on the gap between the grand title and a part-time job.
Pronounce it ma-o-u with two long syllables. English speakers tend to say "mao" like the surname, which drops the final sound.
Hear 魔王 in KonoSuba16 lines in episodes 1–3 · tappable subtitles · free, no account