Sections
Taosu (倒す): what it means in anime
倒す
たおす · taosu · to throw down; to bring down; to blow down JLPT N3
Taosu means "to knock down" and, in anime, "to defeat". When a hero vows to 魔王を倒す, they are promising to take down the Demon King.
Where you hear it 3 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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Sword Art Online · 6 lines in episodes 1–3 · this one from episode 1
第100層にいる 最終ボスを倒せばクリアだDefeat the final boss on Floor 100, and you will clear the game.
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KonoSuba · 6 lines in episodes 1–3 · this one from episode 1
あなたが魔王を討ち倒すことを 祈っていますyou will be the one to defeat the Devil King.
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Naruto · 7 lines in episodes 1–3 · this one from episode 2
この俺を ぶっ倒してからにしろ！
Usage and nuance
The literal sense is physical: to topple a tree or a chair. The anime sense is to beat an opponent, and it stops short of killing, which makes it the hero-friendly choice next to 殺す.
Konosuba's premise is a quest to 倒す the Demon King, and in Sword Art Online players 倒す bosses on each floor. Game-influenced shows use it as the standard verb for clearing an enemy.
The intransitive partner is 倒れる (taoreru, to fall over or collapse), which is what a character does after being hit.
Hear 倒す in Sword Art Online6 lines in episodes 1–3 · tappable subtitles · free, no account