Lodoss-tou Senki

Alongside new and old allies, Parn saves his village from the ruthless attacks of a goblin tribe. Following their victory, Parn, his priest friend Etoh, the elf Deedlit, the dwarf Ghim, and the magician Slayn set out on a journey together to investigate the evil that has started to haunt the island of Lodoss. The party engages suspicious demonic creatures but gets arrested by the soldiers of a fortified city. Although Parn and his friends are quickly released, they cannot stop Ashram—a powerful warrior tasked by the rogue hero Beld to subjugate Lodoss—from conquering the city and murdering its beloved captain.

Ashamed by his own weakness, Parn swears an oath to surpass Ashram. However, hiding behind Beld's political ambitions, the witch Karla seems to have set darker plans into motion, and Parn will have to enlist additional help to stop a major catastrophe from destroying Lodoss and everything he holds dear.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Deedlit Main

Touma, Yumi Japanese

Parn Main

Kusao, Takeshi Japanese

Pirotess Supporting

Tamagawa, Sakiko Japanese

Ashram Supporting

Kamiya, Akira Japanese

Orson Supporting

Hayami, Show Japanese

Kashue Supporting

Ikeda, Shuuichi Japanese

Karla Supporting

Sakakibara, Yoshiko Japanese

Ghim Supporting

Sakaguchi, Yoshisada Japanese

Slayn Supporting

Tanaka, Hideyuki Japanese

Etoh Supporting

Yamaguchi, Kappei Japanese

Maruyama, Masao Producer

Kawasaki, Hirotsugu Director, Storyboard, Animation Director, Key Animation

Nagaoka, Akinori Director, Storyboard, Chief Animation Director

Yamada, Katsuhisa Director, Storyboard

Reviews

Jul 1, 2025

Based__

Recommended

I just think it's crazy that High Fantasy Anime peaked in 1990 and only in the past decade have we started to get shows that begin to match the quality of Record of Lodoss War. Like don't get me wrong, Dungeon Meshi and Frieren are modern day classics, but there is nowhere near enough fantasy, whimsy, and trope-y cheese in those shows throughout their 25 episodes compared to what Lodoss gives us in a measly 13. Record of Lodoss War has enough material and plot packed into one season that it could easily be 2, maybe even 3 seasons if everything was giving time to ... breath.

Now, Record of Lodoss War isn't perfect by any means. Most of the characters aren't very complex, the storylines are compacted and squeezed into its episodes, and the world doesn't quite present itself in a really thoughtful or deep way.

Parn is a very boneheaded protagonist, not really maturing or developing in a visibly significant direction. We only really see him "mature" when the plot needs him to, and even then it's rather questionable what actually changed about him in the end. Deedlit is a textbook tsundere, and that is all she really brings throughout most of the show. It's only at the end that her character really changes, and even then its a turn for the worse when she becomes the damsel-in-distress that needs saving. However, both of these characters perfectly embody the stereotypes of the Hero and the Love Interest, and that can be seen as a strength when the goal is to be as purely High Fantasy as possible.

While Parn and Deedlit leave some things to be desired, Record of Lodoss War redeems itself through its supporting cast. I can't name them all, but every side character isn't wasted or overstays their welcome. Etoh is a great sidekick, and thankfully weaves in and out when needed to ease the tension. Slayn and Ghim provide the basis for one of the most compelling B-plots for a fantasy story that I've seen, and Ghim's tale especially deeply moved me. The villains aren't to be forgotten either. Ashram is a great villain, and although his story starts off rather dull, it quickly becomes complex and thoughtful once you move into the second half of the show. Wagnard is just a purely evil guy, no redemption or complexity needed (thankfully). Beld's ties with Fahn are extremely interesting, and I'd love to see their history explored further since we don't get a whole lot of info apart from the present day events.

What about the story itself? Too short for the scale of it, and a bit too much going on in my opinion. Like I said at the beginning, there is a lot going on in Record of Lodoss War. Whether it's the forces of good clashing against the forces of evil, slumbering ancient dragons awakening and wreaking havoc, or dark magic rituals to resurrect a slain god, it is somehow all present. Oh, and did I mention that its all packed into 13 episodes?! To say this show has "fast" pacing would be an understatement; this show zooms through its material, often to its detriment. There are many moments where you just want to bask in the fantastical goodness that is on screen, only to either have the episode abruptly end or for the show to immediately move on.

That is really the big point you can take away from watching Record of Lodoss War; its so eager to tell its grand tale and show you all of the awesome moments that nothing really resonates with you after watching it. It's a masterclass in assembling High Fantasy elements (thanks in no small part to the DnD-like campaign its roughly based on), but is there a grand thematic narrative presented to us like in Lord of the Rings, or Game of Thrones, or even modern High Fantasy Anime's like the aforementioned Dungeon Meshi or Frieren? No, not that I could find at least.

Record of Lodoss War is, at its core, a very generic fantasy story that doesn't bring a whole lot new to the table. It's strength lies in its execution, not in its subject matter. So if you're thinking about watching Record of Lodoss War, do not expect grand revelations or thematic complexity. Instead, disengage your critical thinking cap and just sit back to enjoy 13 episodes of (for the time) fairly well animated fight scenes, fantastical world-building, and a good, old-school tale of good prevailing over evil.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by Based__ (4)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Jun 18, 2025

ulisesalvear

Mixed Feelings

It was... ok.
I think that the greatest achievement of this anime series is definitely the art and its designs; they're beautiful to look at, the detail in every frame of celluloid is astounding. Also kudos on being the series that set the tone for the anime elf archetype design that would become famous in the next years. Deedlit was one of the first elves to be designed with not just pointy ears but very long ears in the anime world. A trait that is still very popular today (cough cough, Frieren, Marcille).
The plot is an overly average medieval/magic/dark fantasy story. Nothing that really pops ... out in terms of writing. A bit bland for today standards, tbh.
I recomend this series only if you are a big fan of the genre. If you're a fan of LOTR, Fire Emblem or stuff like that, you'll love it, otherwise I think it will be hard for you to even finish the series.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by ulisesalvear (1)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Jan 29, 2025

immosha

Not Recommended

Funny

An anime adapting a 90's Dungeons and Dragons campaign, and man was it a boring one. Nice art direction but far too many tropes to take the plot seriously.

In the modern day of 2025, we see so much isekai soft-fantasy that a true hard-fantasy setting would be a welcome reprieve from the gimmicky plots plaguing the industry. However, Record of Lodoss War, despite a traditional fantasy, leans /too far/ into the traditional aspect. Based on the author's contribution to a TTRPG settting, it unfortunately combines all the tropes of LOTR races, classes, and setting with the tropes of the most 90's shonen ... anime you've ever seen. It's so predictable, it could basically be considered the model species of the Hero's Journey. Joseph Campbell would downright cream his pants watching this. Damsel-in-distress elves in scanty clothing? Dwarves with axes? Childhood friend priest? Berserker mercenary? Evil goddess resurrection plot? Got them all.

The only saving grace of this show, and what it's known for, is Deedlet, the high elf. Wait sorry, I meant the art and animation. It's got great art direction and looks quite good for something from 1990 - you do feel that you've been dropped into a fantasy island in the middle of a war, even if the world building was more lackluster than the actual LOTR. The animation, on the other hand, yo-yos between quite good to bad. The dragons, for instance, are essentially stills with some animated flames at times. Charizard vs Articuno got better animation in Pokemon. Some of the action gets good movement while others feel clanky and uninspired. But overall, it's a pretty show that will at the very least, satisfy a 90s retro fan.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by immosha (27)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Medieval European Adventure Fantasy Tierlist

by frierenCO2

13 Entries · 9 Restacks

💫 The 𝓐𝓔𝓢𝓣𝓗𝓔𝓣𝓘𝓒 90s 💫 (1990-1994)

by JohnDimension

32 Entries · 47 Restacks

More than 1200 animes that were a good start (1986 - 1990) Part 4

by TedyLazaro

50 Entries · 17 Restacks

North American Anime & Manga Releases for August

Here are the North American anime & manga releases for August Week 1: August 6 - 12 Anime Releases Ansatsu Kyoushitsu 2nd Season Complete Collection Blu-ray (Ani...read more

Aug 5, 2019 3:14 PM by Sakana-san | Discuss (4 comments)

North American Anime & Manga Releases for July

Here are the North American anime & manga releases for July Week 1: July 4 - 10 Anime Releases Bakemono no Ko Blu-ray & DVD Combo Collection's Edition H...read more

Jul 3, 2017 11:26 AM by Sakana-san | Discuss (9 comments)

	Poll: Lodoss-tou Senki Episode 13 Discussion ( 1 2 ) GlennMagusHarvey - Aug 11, 2010	55 replies	by JKam57 »» Oct 25, 2:39 PM
	Poll: Lodoss-tou Senki Episode 12 Discussion Veethorn - Aug 29, 2010	20 replies	by JKam57 »» Oct 25, 2:01 PM
	Poll: Lodoss-tou Senki Episode 11 Discussion Veethorn - Aug 28, 2010	21 replies	by JKam57 »» Oct 25, 1:33 PM
	Poll: Lodoss-tou Senki Episode 10 Discussion Veethorn - Aug 27, 2010	21 replies	by JKam57 »» Oct 25, 1:04 AM
	Poll: Lodoss-tou Senki Episode 9 Discussion Veethorn - Aug 9, 2010	26 replies	by JKam57 »» Oct 25, 12:36 AM

Top 15 Adorable Anime Elf Characters

It doesn't matter where you look, you're bound to bump into a couple of anime elves. Some of them are mischievous, others are kind and a few of them are just magical. They come in all sizes and live in diverse worlds. Come on in, it's time to meet some interesting characters!

by MisterD98

490,984 views

CollectionCute GirlsMagicalSupernaturalGIF

7 Fantasy Anime for Those Sick and Tired of Game Mechanics!

Fed up with game mechanics in your fantasy anime? Then this list is for you!

by Unnamedhero

75,649 views