InJapanese mythology and fantasy,mazoku (魔族) are supernatural beings, normally evil ones such as devils or demons.[1] Amaō (魔王) ormaou is a ruler of mazoku, or in fiction more generically adark lord or powerful monster.[2]
The namema (魔 –devil) suggests that they are meant to threaten human existence or defy the gods, while -zoku (族 – tribe, clan, family) indicates that they are a family.[3]
Maō (魔王) is a term derived from mazoku, suggesting a king (王Ō – king, ruler) that rules the mazoku.[2]
The term "mazoku" was used to describe theasura andyaksha inHindu mythology, as well asZoroastrianism'sdaeva. It is a general term for devils, demons and evil beings. In Japanesepolytheism, it is an antonym of神族 (shinzoku), "the tribe of gods".
A maō is a king or ruler over mazoku. For instance, in Bible translations,Satan is a maō. In polytheism, the counterpart of maō is神王 (shin'ō), "theking of gods".
The Japanese feudal lordOda Nobunaga also called himself a maō in a letter toTakeda Shingen, signing it with第六天魔王 ("the demon king of the sixth heaven").
In Japanese fantasy, the meaning of "mazoku" differs from work to work. Some works use the term for all evil beings that are enemies of humans or good beings, while others use it to specify a certain group of beings (not necessarily evil). The term悪魔族 (akumazoku) may be used to designate evil mazoku specifically (the word悪, aku, means "evil").[citation needed]
A maō may be a king of the mazoku, or more generally a king of demons, overlord,dark lord, archenemy of the hero orvideo game boss. The term is not gender-specific.[2] For instance, "Erlkönig", byJohann Wolfgang von Goethe, widely translated as "Elf King" in English, was translated as "maō" in Japanese. The term daimaō or daimaou (大魔王 – great demon king) is sometimes used to describe a very high-ranking or powerful maō.[2] An example isPiccolo Daimaō, a villain from theDragon Ball manga.