I'm the Villainess: Meet the Main Characters of the Hit Isekai Otome Anime (2024)

I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss is a brand-new isekai anime of the Fall 2022 season. It may remind fans of the classic My Next Life as a Villainess, the tale of Katrina Claes' quest for survival in her favorite otome game. I'm the Villainess is roughly similar, including a huge cast of lovable characters.

I'm the Villainess quickly expanded its world and cast of characters to develop the plot at a snappy pace, so it throws a lot of names and ideas at viewers pretty quickly. It's not easy to keep up with so many characters after just five episodes, but the story will be much easier to follow when fans get a refresher on who's who in this otome adventure.

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Aileen D'Autriche Will Rewrite the Whole Story to Survive

Aileen d'Autriche is the protagonist of I'm the Villainess, and like Katarina before her, this reincarnated bad girl knows she has no plot armor to protect her -- so she must make her own. Aileen may be a high-born girl with a supporting father and a powerful family name, but she knows that once the Demon King Claude goes on a rampage, her fate is sealed.

Once her fiancé Cedric broke up with her, the reborn Aileen ran off to cozy up to the kuudere Claude, forming a genuine bond with him far beyond anything she had with Cedric. Aileen may be benignly selfish and self-serving for survival's sake, but she is also generous and gives others a second chance. She also strongly opposes slavery, unlike some isekai antiheroes, and has immense meta-knowledge to guide her.

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Demon King Claude Isn't Who People Think He Is

Prince Cedric's older half-brother Claude is not a token isekai demon lord at all. He may have magical powers and a scarily confident attitude, but he is also a gentle, caring kuudere who deeply loves Aileen for all she has done for him. Claude is simply misunderstood rather than a monster, and is highly protective of the demons living in his realm.

Now Claude has been restored as the crown prince of the Ellmeyer Empire with Aileen as his fiancée, but the battle isn't over yet. He must beware of another misunderstood demon, James Charles -- and Cedric might still be a problem, too.

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Cedric & Lilia Rainworth Are Monsters In Disguise

The dandere protagonist Lilia Rainworth was the original hero of I'm the Villainess' otome game world, and she's supposed to get her happily-ever-after with the popular blond prince Cedric -- but not this time. Lilia and Cedric both proved themselves to be monsters in disguise, abducting Aileen and attempting unspeakable acts until Claude arrived.

Lilia is even supposed to be the heroic Holy Sword Maiden but has since lost that title to Aileen, and her co-conspirator Cedric knows that if he messes with Claude and Aileen, he'll pay for it. That might not stop him, though; Cedric is prideful, stubborn and dishonest. He and Lilia just might find a way to get payback before long.

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James Charles, Selena Gilbert, & Rachel Danis Define Aileen's New School Life

Recent episodes of I'm the Villainess have seen Aileen move on to the otome game's sequel, taking place at Mische Academy. Now disguised as a boy, Aileen may keep her identity secret and meet many exciting new characters, all with their own personal woes and dreams. Most important of all is the silver-haired James Charles, the kuudere student council president and a half-demon. His uncle is trying to have him killed, a stressful situation that may drive James to side with pure-blooded demons and wage war on his native region, Mirchetta. For her own survival's sake, Aileen must not let that happen.

Aileen also met the sequel's original protagonist, Selena Gilbert, who looks up to the Holy Sword Maiden but is otherwise a total unknown thus far. Aileen, the one who defeated the original Holy Sword Maiden, Lilia, and swiped her sword, must be careful around Selena. A second wild card in this school adventure is the would-be villainess, Rachel Danis. Like Lilia before her, Rachel is acting oddly and might even be a secondary isekai protagonist in disguise, waiting to strike.