Let's be honest for a second. Most people who haven't seen the show think it's just about "the plot." You know the one. But for anyone who has actually sat through four seasons of light novel adaptations, it’s pretty clear that the main characters of High School DxD are doing some heavy lifting that most generic harem protagonists can’t touch. It’s not just the fanservice—it’s the weirdly deep power scaling and the fact that the protagonist actually has a personality beyond "clueless nice guy."
High School DxD centers on a supernatural war between Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels. But it’s really a story about Issei Hyoudou, a guy who gets murdered on his first date and ends up as a low-ranking devil. He’s the heart of the show. If he were boring, the whole thing would fall apart. Thankfully, he’s a chaotic mess.
Issei Hyoudou: The Pervert with a Hero Complex
Issei is polarizing. No doubt about it. He’s loud, he’s lecherous, and he’s obsessed with becoming a "Harem King." But here’s the thing: he’s also incredibly loyal. Unlike your average anime lead who trips into a girls' lap and apologizes for twenty minutes, Issei owns his desires. It’s refreshing, in a weird way.
He’s the host of the Boosted Gear, one of the thirteen Longinus. This isn’t just some fancy glove. Inside is Ddraig, the Welsh Dragon, one of the Two Heavenly Dragons. The dynamic between Issei and Ddraig is actually one of the highlights of the series. You have this ancient, terrifying dragon whose reputation is being ruined because his host is... well, Issei.
His growth isn't just about getting stronger; it’s about his rank. He starts as a Low-Class Devil, a mere Pawn in Rias Gremory’s peerage. But because he’s a "Mutated Pawn," he takes up all eight pawn pieces. That’s a massive deal in the DxD universe. It means he has the potential to match the power of a High-Class Devil through sheer effort and his "Balance Breaker," the Scale Mail. It’s a red suit of armor that makes him look like a literal dragon knight. Honestly, the action scenes where he uses "Boost" every ten seconds to multiply his power are some of the most hype moments in early 2010s anime.
Rias Gremory: More Than Just the "Main Girl"
If Issei is the engine, Rias Gremory is the steering wheel. She’s the daughter of the Gremory House, one of the most prestigious families in the Underworld. She’s a "King" in the Rating Game system, and her title "Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess" isn't just for show. She wields the Power of Destruction.
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What makes Rias interesting among the main characters of High School DxD is her burden. She’s under immense pressure to uphold her family’s name. In the first season, her entire character arc is about escaping an arranged marriage to Riser Phoenix. It’s a classic trope, sure, but Rias isn't a damsel. She fights. Even when she loses, she looks for ways to empower her "servants"—who are more like her chosen family.
Rias is the one who reincarnated Issei. She saw potential in him when he was just a dying kid in a park. Her relationship with him evolves from a master-servant dynamic into something genuinely romantic, though it takes a long time for Issei to realize she actually loves him and isn't just being nice.
Akeno Himejima and the Peerage Dynamic
You can’t talk about the main cast without mentioning Akeno Himejima. She’s the "Queen" of Rias’s peerage and, for a long time, was the most popular character in the fandom next to Rias. On the surface, she’s the "onee-san" archetype—elegant, sadistic in battle, and very flirtatious.
But Akeno has one of the darkest backstories in the series. She’s a Fallen Angel-Devil hybrid. She spent years hating her father, Baraqiel, who is one of the leaders of the Fallen Angels (Grigori). She hated her own lightning powers because they reminded her of him. Issei is actually the one who helps her reconcile with that side of herself. It’s one of those moments where the show stops being a comedy and gets surprisingly heavy.
The rest of the peerage rounds out the tactical side of the story:
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- Kiba Yuuto: The "Knight." He’s the resident "pretty boy" but carries deep trauma from the Holy Sword Project. His "Sword Birth" ability is incredibly versatile.
- Koneko Toujou: The "Rook." A petite powerhouse who is actually a Nekomata. She provides the "straight man" comedy to Issei’s antics but has her own fears regarding her sister, Kuroka.
- Asia Argento: The "Bishop." A former nun who was exiled for her "Twilight Healing" ability. She’s the moral compass of the group and the reason Issei pushes himself to the limit so often.
The Power Systems That Keep Us Watching
Why does this show still matter years later? It’s the Rating Game.
The Rating Games are essentially supernatural chess matches. Each character’s role—Pawn, Knight, Rook, Bishop, Queen, King—actually dictates how they fight. It’s a brilliant way to structure a battle shonen. Pawns can "Promote" if they reach the enemy’s territory, which Issei uses to gain the strength of a Queen or the speed of a Knight. This strategic layer makes the fights more than just "who can scream the loudest."
Then you have the Sacred Gears. These are items granted by God to humans with potential. They range from simple mirrors to world-ending dragons. The lore goes deep. You have the Three Great Factions—Angels, Fallen Angels, and Devils—who signed a peace treaty because they were all tired of dying. This political backdrop gives the characters a reason to interact with people like Azazel (the leader of the Fallen Angels) or Michael (the Archangel).
What People Get Wrong About High School DxD
A lot of critics dismiss it as "trash." And yeah, the fanservice is dialed up to eleven. But if you look at the writing by Ichiei Ishibumi, the light novel author, there’s a real sense of world-building here. He took Judeo-Christian mythology, mixed it with Norse and Greek myths, and created a cohesive universe where Issei can fight a dragon one day and take a math test the next.
The main characters of High School DxD aren't static. Issei goes from a pervert who wants a harem to a warrior who understands the weight of protecting his friends. Rias goes from an icy princess to a vulnerable woman trying to balance her duty with her heart. Even the "side" characters like Xenovia Quarta or Rossweisse (who joins later as a Valkyrie) bring distinct flavors to the group.
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Navigating the Series Today
If you’re looking to dive into the story of these characters, you have to decide between the anime and the light novels. The anime is great for the visuals and the voice acting—Yuki Kaji’s performance as Issei is legendary—but the light novels contain much more detail regarding the political machinations of the Underworld.
Season 4 (High School DxD Hero) actually changed the art style to be more faithful to the light novel illustrations. It was a bit jarring for fans of the first three seasons, but it covered the "Heroic Oppressor of the Rating Game" arc, which is arguably Issei’s best development.
Actionable Steps for New and Returning Fans
If you're looking to catch up or dive deeper into the lore of Issei and the Gremory peerage, here is how you should approach it to get the most out of the experience:
- Watch in Order: Start with Season 1, then New, then BorN, and finally Hero. Note that the end of BorN (Season 3) is anime-original and deviates from the books, which Hero (Season 4) mostly ignores to get back on track with the source material.
- Read the Light Novels: If you want the full story, start from Volume 1. The anime cuts out a lot of the internal monologues and the technical details of the Rating Games.
- Check the Spin-offs: High School DxD DX features short stories that flesh out the daily lives of the characters, providing context that doesn't always make it into the high-stakes battle arcs.
- Follow the Mythology: Part of the fun is seeing how the show interprets real-world myths. Looking up the legends of the Longinus or the Vanish Dragon (Albion) adds a layer of appreciation for the creative liberties the author takes.
The story of the main characters of High School DxD is far from over in the written world, even if the anime has been quiet lately. It remains a blueprint for how to blend action, comedy, and romance in a way that actually gives the characters room to breathe and grow. High School DxD isn't just a harem; it's a supernatural epic that happens to have a very honest, very loud protagonist at the center of it.