Let's get this out of the way: Overlord was probably never meant for me. I generally don’t enjoy shows where the main character is a villain, and Ainz, the protagonist of this anime, certainly fits that mold. However, I have found enjoyment in other villain-centric works like Death Note, Code Geass, or most recently, Go Go Loser Ranger, although at least the first two would probably rather describe themselves as antihero. To properly discuss Overlord, I will touch on some minor plot points, so consider this your spoiler warning.
To understand Overlord, we need to talk about Ainz Ooal Gown—the man, the myth, the supreme ruler of Nazarick—and why, in my opinion, he fails as a compelling main character. Ainz, or Momonga, as he was previously called, is the last remaining player in an MMORPG, and the leader of one of the most powerful guilds in the game. When the game’s servers shut down, he finds himself not only trapped in his character’s body but also transported to another world. Fortunately, he’s not alone—his entire guild hall, Nazarick, and its NPC guardians, who have now come to life, are at his disposal.
I don't remember if whether due to his role-playing or simply due to the fact that his character is a Lich, but Ainz’s subordinates believe he is a mastermind of evil. With no other players around to correct them, Ainz feels compelled to play along. Driven by an unexplained magic that manipulates his emotions—a rather weak plot device, in my opinion—Ainz develops severe impostor syndrome, leading him to commit countless atrocities.
What makes Ainz unappealing to me is his lack of agency. He doesn’t have any personal ambition or clear motivation; instead, he simply goes along with the cruel and evil plans of his subordinates, fearing they might turn on him if they discover he’s just an ordinary guy who created them as a way to pass time in a game. This idea could have been interesting if there were any power struggles or internal conflicts, but Ainz mostly just plays his role, even embracing it at times, making him feel like a typical shallow villain—only with even less agency.
Another major issue is the overwhelming power imbalance. Every character in Nazarick is absurdly overpowered. The only way the anime can create tension is by withholding information from either the viewer or Ainz. There might be a powerful foe or a dangerous artifact that could threaten even the greatest Lich, but these threats are few and far between. Most of the enemies Nazarick faces are just regular fantasy kingdoms, completely outmatched by this dungeon filled with power-grinded items from a guild that played until the servers shut down. There’s no real satisfaction in watching humans being slaughtered like pigs, especially when they neither deserve it (for the most part) nor have any chance to fight back.
Surprisingly, one of the better aspects of Overlord is its side characters. While most of the cast in Nazarick are either completely in awe of Ainz or outright infatuated with him, some characters have more interesting development. Demiurge, for instance, always seems to be scheming. Does he actually understand Ainz’s situation, or is this frighteningly intelligent devil as loyal as he appears? Then there’s Sebas, the butler, who has his own side story that adds depth to the narrative.
The show also dedicates time to characters from the new fantasy world, showcasing their struggles against the overwhelming forces of Nazarick, as well as their own politics and agendas. I might have enjoyed Overlord more if the story were told entirely from their perspective. Many of these minor characters are depicted as good people, struggling to support their families or protect their loved ones from the horrors of Nazarick. They have compelling backstories, desires, and motivations, yet many are ruthlessly slaughtered by Ainz and his companions in their quest for world domination—because that’s what an evil Lich would do, right? …right?
I typically don’t mind the visual style of an anime, but Overlord is critically underfunded. The CGI is so poor that it looks like it was rendered on computers from the Toy Story era in 1995. Every crowd, large monster, and magical effect relies on CGI, which, rather than improving, seems to get worse over the course of the three seasons I have watched.
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