English Dub Review: The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody “The Story of a Lonely King”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Elzard is planning to use Ireena as a sacrifice to revive the evil gods and destroy the world. Yet why was Ireena chosen as a sacrifice? Ard appears before Elzard with new weapons in hand to rescue Ireena as Demons stand in his way. When Ireena’s hidden secret is revealed, how will Ard react…?

Our Take:
Last week’s episode ended on a shocking note, with Ireena being captured by the Dragon King Elzard during the duel event. Honestly, that ending is what the show needed to provide something more exciting than the two girls fighting for Ard’s affection. It’s not without a couple of hilarious moments, but still. Today, we see Ard in action once again as he sets out on a rescue mission to save his childhood friend.
The first thing to know about this episode is that Olhyde is still alive after being injured by Elzard, thanks to Ard’s healing spell. So, if you’re worried that he’d bite the dust early in the season, worry no more. But that doesn’t mean Ard would easily let Elzard off the hook. With the royal weapons and his magic at his disposal, Ard arrives in time to save Ireena from being sacrificed to the Orphan of Chaos to summon an Evil God. Additionally, Ard managed to slay Elzard with the help of Lydia’s spirit, but not before learning Ireena’s true identity.
“The Story of a Lonely King” is a flashy and well-paced episode that delivers an enticing showdown between Ard and Elzard. However, the battle didn’t overshadow some character development for Ard and Ireena, which makes the episode even better in my eyes. During the fight with Elzard, Ard learns that Ireena’s family is the true royal family and the Evil Gods’ descendants, which would explain Ireena’s isolation. Fortunately, Ard doesn’t give a crap because he likes her for who she is regardless of where she came from. But, of course, Ireena appears to have seen Ard’s true form when he reverts to his Varvatos form during an aerial battle.
This episode offered a couple of surprising revelations during its action-packed plot, mainly from Ireena. Still, the fact that she and Ard are still friends despite their secrets effectively emphasizes the show’s theme of friendship without some of its conventional narrative tropes. Its mixture of vibrant fantasy action and character development helps make “The Story of a Lonely King” one of the better episodes of the series so far.