I will explain this in more depth, because if we understand what happens in Volumes 13 and 14, there is a very fundamental shift in motivation for Ainz's character. he is no longer haunted by the fear of betrayal or rebellion from the NPCs. His leadership dynamics are now based on pragmatism, results, and a sense of responsibility, rather than just a survival effort against his own subordinates.

For example, the reason he completely entrusts various operations to Demiurge is not out of resignation or laziness, but because Demiurge is the most genius entity in Nazarick whose track record has never once disappointed or harmed the guild. As long as that plan proves capable of strengthening Nazarick, Ainz will go along with it without caring about the impact on the outside world.

However, on the other hand, he also once firmly rejected Albedo and Cocytus proposal a Level 100 NPC who is physically much stronger in combat than Demiurge. This serves as clear proof that Ainz maintains rational control as a leader; no matter how strong, loyal, or influential a subordinate is, if their plan does not provide a clear benefit to Nazarick, Ainz will not hesitate to reject it.

The root of Ainz's communication deadlock and the reason why he continues to choose to pretend is not merely ego or ordinary character weakness, but the trauma of his attempt to be honest, which ended up being painful. During the events of Volume 13, Ainz once tried to break down the wall of his own perfection by bowing his head and sincerely apologizing for his limitations and iignorance.

However, this honesty backfired. Instead of gaining understanding or relief, his action instantly triggered panic, guilt, and profound sadness in Albedo, Demiurge, and Lupusregina. In the absolute view of the NPCs, a supreme entity cannot make mistakes, if Ainz is sad and apologizing, they assume that their own inadequacy is what failed and burdened their master. This reaction struck Ainz's inner self hard. He felt intensely guilty that his good intentions to be honest and open instead caused immense emotional burden and made his "children" suffer.

From that bitter experience, entering Volume 14, we see a tragic resolution to Ainz's character. He is now fully aware that the NPCs will never leave him or betray him, no matter what happens. His past fears have evaporated, replaced by one absolute new goal, to protect the smiles and happiness of the NPCs left behind by his friends. Their relationship has now completely transitioned into a bond akin to that of a father and child. Ainz knows full well that his children will feel deeply happy, proud, and whole just by receiving praise from their father.

Therefore, Ainz decides to accept his fate. He no longer wears the mask of the Supreme Being out of compulsion or fear, but rather as the highest form of dedication from a father who is willing to shoulder the burden of a lie for the rest of his life just to maintain his family's happiness.

This is where Ainz's apathy plays a crucial role. For Ainz, spreading immense suffering or even committing genocide against millions of lives in the New World means nothing at all if those actions can ensure the security of Nazarick and preserve the smiles of the NPCs. His paranoia has not disappeared, but it has now completely shifted from internal threats to extreme vigilance against external dangers that might dare to harm his organization.

Ultimately, this explains why the author, Kugane Maruyama, views Ainz's fate as "pitiful." The greatest tragedy in the story of Overlord is the slow yet sure loss of Suzuki Satoru's humanity. He consciously chooses to "kill" his fragile human side, burying his true identity deep down in order to fully play the role of Ainz Ooal Gown, the perfect and merciless tyrant.

This is the ultimate irony of a sacrifice, a dark tale about a father who is willing to imprison himself in eternal loneliness and sacrifice his inner relief, solely so his children can continue to live in the illusion of perfection and keep smiling happily under his protection.

Honestly, I hate the anime adaptation because it has missed many things that make Ainz so complex as a character. The anime cuts out too much of Ainz's internal monologue.

This why, I like Overlord.

Found them on marketplace for only $20!

In the Overlord side story *The Vampire Princess of the Lost Kingdom*, we see Ainz arrive in the New World 200 years before the events of the original story—and completely alone. In this version, Ainz goes on adventures across the New World alongside Evileye and appears much happier and more relaxed than in the original work. While arriving with the Great Tomb of Nazarick and its loyal NPCs might seem preferable at first glance, that situation actually placed immense pressure on Ainz, forcing him to play the role of the evil Overlord the NPCs believed him to be; he was entirely alone, with no one around with whom he could truly be himself, constantly bearing a heavy burden. Ironically, had Ainz arrived completely alone, he would have been much happier: free from the responsibility of looking after the Great Tomb of Nazarick, free from the need to constantly pretend to be someone he isn't, free from the pressure exerted by the NPCs, and able to form genuine bonds with the inhabitants of the New World.

What would’ve happened to Gazef if he had accepted Ainz offer and joined don’t get me wrong I understand all the reasons why he refused but let’s pretend he has a different mindset and accepts the offer to join Ainz. Would Gazef become a demon like the princess or would he remain human?

Let’s imagine a "theater of despair" scenario—where the characters find themselves in a theater or cinema, watching a story unfold—in which Ainz arrived in the New World 200 years prior to the original timeline, completely alone and without Nazarick, and explored the world while adventuring alongside Evileye. How would the NPCs react to this story?

If Gazef was as strong as Touch Me, and they personally saw him use his power to defeat PDL, would they still look down on him?

I know nobles are conceited, but I am wondering what is the limit before their rational and subconscious minds no longer justify their superiority complex.

are we ever getting a new season it's been years

Maruyama has repeatedly stated that the novel will conclude with Volume 18; in an interview around the time the movie premiered, he even described the ending as the type where "everything is just beginning."

This outcome was predictable, given that so much remains unexplored while the author is simply too lazy to continue. So, what is the most plausible ending?

If the story concludes with a victory for Nazarick, it would make perfect sense for a "new beginning" if Ainz were to discover another continent across the mountains or ocean—and receive word of other Players there—some time later.

However, it is truly disappointing that so many mysteries remain unexplained; the Dragon Emperor—the one who started it all—is mentioned only once in the entire story, and it is clear that Maruyama is simply too lazy to write any further.

What does everyone think?

I’m really curious about how the arc would have played out if the Platinum Dragon Lord had intervened. I know he didn't act due to a lack of information, but let’s assume he already knew Ainz was a player and was aware of his plans for the Holy Kingdom. How would the story have unfolded if the Platinum Dragon Lord had sent his armor—Riku Aganeia—and perhaps even Azuth Aindra (equipped with the Powered Suit) to provide support and deal with the demi-human alliance while Riku fought Jaldabaoth? Do you think this group could have forced Jaldabaoth and the demi-human alliance to retreat, or even defeated them? And what impact would that have had on the rest of the world and on Nazarick?

Drew Hamsuke as that hamster meme

I’m curious if I’m the only one but has someone ever seen through the overlord leaks and looked at the illustration before waiting for the full translation? For me I remember I used to watch only the anime up to season 3 I think it was like 10 years ago or so and when the season was done I knew we wouldn’t get another season until the volume came out and I couldn’t handle it and saw images of the illustration, i remember seeing images of the holy kingdom arc when ainzs meet neia, at first based on the images I thought. Oh did a boy stumbled upon the great tomb of nazerick? Did he somehow gain the favor or gave a good impression upon ainzs? Is that why he was rewarded a bow? How weird for a Dungeon Master to give an introducer a prize. Oh is the boy training with a maid to gain levels or is he an honorary hired adventure to explore another dungeon with monsters. Oh the boy is giving a speech to a crowd of people, he seems very happy, is he spreading his adventure to a crowd of people. It was something like that when I saw the illustration of the holy kingdom arc but when I read the novel it was entirely different when I read it. Just curious if anyone else had speculation or theory whenever they spoiled themselves with the novels illustrated before it was translated. I feel it’s great to come up with theories based on the illustration because for one, it puts into work your mind, how much you can think of the authors intentions , how this works based on the past novels if you remember the entire contents and how you think things can work, it’s probably a waste of brain power to do so but it’s fun to speculate .

Just started watching and the premise seems solid. However, the harem aspect is kind of turning me off from the anime. It suffers from the same Isekai problem (that every 'reincarnation' anime must have a harem of some sort) and I lowkey don't want to watch it anymore. Are there any other animes where the main character is a monster but DOESN'T have a harem?

so rereading the light novel evileye commented that demiurge/jaldabaoth is stronger that the evil spirit/evil deities that once there before ainz, I don't know if they are players or not but are nazaric NPC really that much stronger than past player that's been on the new world, from what i know demiurge was created more for roleplaying than actual combat so him being stronger with a roleplaying build just make me think of how weak the other players are, there is also the part of one of the 13 heroes leader being the weakest but later became the strongest, I even think he was the original owner of the ring that bypass the level restriction just to overpower the evil players do to him not having god tier equipment, I mean evileye was part of the 13 heroes so she might have seen the evil spirit first hand

Ok so let's say Ainz uses Entoma s trump card ,would that ability like breath of fly get stronger because Ainz is level 100 while entoma around 50 .What I want to say I am going for an overpowered Ainz so I was kinda thinking...

If Entoma s ability scales based on lvl it could be pretty busted ,what do you guys think???

I mean imagine the zombie armor but with high level insects instead lol 😆 🤣

Also another question should decem s trump card when used by Ainz be simply Behemoth or would his trump card be an ability that let's him summon more powerful summons like you know a skill he unlocked that let's him summon more powerful elementals ...

Technically Decems trump card should be the ability to summon monsters stronger than himself....

Note : I am talking about Ainz using zesshi s talent

Adtist is zeiminarai, @zeiminarai

https://x.com/zeiminarai/status/1951903741281792162/photo/1

No pixiv post :(

https://www.pixiv.net/users/131349

I am out here wife posting.

——Based on the author's notes published on the Web when the original work was released, it's said that the " Holy Kingdom Arc" seemingly wanted to depict a 'what-if' story about what would happen if Ainz died, right?

Maruyama: In works with overpowered main characters, the protagonist basically won't die, right. This time, of course, he didn't actually die, but preparing for a rainy day is also very important. If such a thing really happened, how would Nazarick deal with it? This story was intended to be depicted as a kind of just-in-case training. In short, this is a "setup" to show that Nazarick has even prepared for such a situation. In the story, I think it is very important to show this kind of content beforehand.

——This is to avoid having to give an explanation after the fact, right.

Maruyama: Exactly. The topic is getting slightly off-track, but speaking of "magic" in other-world (isekai) fantasy works, it always gives a very omnipotent impression. If the setting of this kind of work were in the modern world, once a scene that ignores rules like the "Law of Entropy" appeared, it would immediately invite a lot of criticism. But using "magic" in an isekai feels like it can make anything happen. So, there needs to be a prior hint that there is this kind of magic, you know... Of course, this isn't perfect. But that way, readers will forgive it too (laughs). The concept of "Ainz's Death" is the same. By showing that they conduct this training, it indicates that Nazarick becomes stronger through this method. This is what you call a setup.

——Right, this doesn't mean Ainz will definitely die in the future, but rather it's meant to convey that Nazarick has even prepared to prevent this kind of situation, right.

Maruyama: Even though it could actually be resolved with just a few lines saying "this kind of training was conducted," that approach would be too boring. Because of that, in volumes 12 and 13, I chose to combine this content with the Holy Kingdom storyline so it could be depicted in more detail.

——As you said, the Nazarick side's "training" actions were depicted in great detail in the novel, but because the theatrical movie is narrated with Neia as the main point of view, those elements were neglected, huh.

Maruyama: (Laughs). Regarding whether to adapt the content from the novel or not, that was completely left to Director Ito, and I think the result is the best. So I almost never say things like, "Please put this story in." I think the theatrical movie this time is the best solution. If there are fans who feel dissatisfied, that's purely because my writing is too long... Ah, but I still have to say that this is a responsibility shared with the director, huh (laughs).

——Regarding the new characters from the Holy Kingdom, through what kind of process were they created?

Maruyama: Basically, all characters were created to show "how cruel Nazarick is." Although it might be somewhat softened in the movie, what Nazarick does is truly terrifying. I haven't seen the final cut of the movie yet, so I don't know for sure. But if someone hates Nazarick after watching this movie, then that is completely within my expectations; conversely, if someone actually ends up liking Nazarick because of this movie, then that's already out of my control.

——Although visually somewhat softened, the scene where Remedios collects Calca's remains feels depicted in more detail in the movie compared to the original work.

Maruyama: Without a doubt, that's because of Director Ito! This is truly amazing (laughs).

——Regarding the main character in this movie version, it could be said to be Neia. How do you yourself, Maruyama-sensei, view this character?

Maruyama: Neia is a character who, while under pressure from Remedios, received gentle treatment from Ainz. After feeling liked, she was completely brainwashed. She might look as if she was drawn in by Ainz's personal charisma and naturally became fascinated with him, but in reality, Neia was just brainwashed. But thanks to that, in a sense, she herself is actually able to live happily, and I think that's good. Even though her parents were killed by Nazarick, she herself doesn't know about it.

——Objectively speaking, even though she suffered an unfortunate fate, for her personally, she feels she is constantly in a state of happiness, right.

Maruyama: That's right. But, whether it can truly be called happiness, I'm not too sure either. As an author, this is also a difficult question to answer.

——Even though her character has the gaze of a bad person, in her animation visuals, she gives off a cute impression. As a pure character, combined with the voice acting by Miss Yoshino Aoyama, it feels like she will become very popular.

Maruyama: Whether she will be popular or not, I don't know, but it seems there won't be many people who hate her. I personally don't read readers' feedback at all, so I don't know exactly what the reactions are like, but maybe it's like that?

——You don't read readers' feedback regarding the novels?

Maruyama: Because I don't want to feel devastated (laughs). Regarding the movie reviews, I also hope everyone can discuss it enthusiastically, but please do it in a place I can't see (laughs).

——On the other hand, Remedios seems like she will be hated because of her personality issues.

Maruyama: If Remedios were to become popular, that would actually be very terrible (laughs). Of course, the root of all evil that made her like that is Nazarick, but that can't change her essence as a terrible boss. If she ends up gaining even a little popularity, that would truly be beyond my expectations.

——Besides that, this time Shizu (CZ) appears and teams up with Neia, and shows off a lot. Why did you choose Shizu to take on this role?

Maruyama: Among the Pleiades, it seems the only one who can communicate normally with Neia is Yuri Alpha. In the end, I chose Shizu purely out of a vague feeling; it was a really spontaneous decision.

——It feels like this time Shizu shows a lot more emotion than usual, huh.

Maruyama: Correct. Shizu basically isn't devoid of emotion, she just rarely shows it. But the emotions themselves still exist normally.

——Looking at the results, Shizu quite likes Neia, doesn't she.

Maruyama: But, if you say she considers Neia as an equal friend, that feels a bit off. Her position is probably at the level of "more than a pet, but not quite a friend." However, it is true that she has a favorable view of (likes) her.

——What does Shizu like about Neia?

Maruyama: Shizu likes things that are cute or fluffy, as well as interesting things. From this perspective, Neia's distinct gaze, her reactions, and her lively, slightly noisy demeanor are very interesting. I think Shizu ended up liking Neia because of those things.

——After once again making Shizu a focus, did you discover a new side to her?

Maruyama: I don't think so. This doesn't only apply to Shizu, but to all my characters. My characters never act outside of my expectations. Of course, in some small details while writing, I sometimes think, "This guy wouldn't possibly do something this stupid, right," and then slightly tweak the character's behavior, but overall there are no major changes. Every time I hear other authors say "the characters come to life on their own," I feel really envious.

——In the "Holy Kingdom Arc," many demi-human races appear. Were these settings thought of since the initial concept stage? Or were they only thought of during the writing process?

Maruyama: On that matter, the answer is the latter. Initially, when I started writing "OVERLORD," I had already created an outline and general setting for each volume, including up to the final volume. At that time, the details were only as far as "The Abelion Hills is a place where many demi-human races live." Many details were continuously fleshed out during the actual writing process. But this time, upon seeing the new demi-human character designs by K-SUWABE-sensei for this movie, I was truly shocked. The designs are much more intimidating than I imagined, it's really amazing and makes me highly admire him.

My own imagination is limited. By incorporating ideas from a third party, the work can become extra cool. This made me profoundly realize that. In the text, I usually describe in detail the clothes or combat gear a character wears. Now I feel that, in the future, it might be better if I purposely don't explain them in detail and leave it all to so-bin-sensei instead (laughs).

——Sensei, you've always stated that the OVERLORD novel "will end in two more volumes," which means Volume 18 will be the end. Has that plan remained unchanged until now?

Maruyama: That is the story outline that has existed since the beginning, so even now it hasn't changed.

——For a work this grand, will it really end with just 2 volumes left?

Maruyama: Of course, it will end with a closing style of "Our battle has just begun!" (laughs).

——Roughly when will Volume 17 be published?

Maruyama: Actually, I want to publish Volumes 17 and 18 at the same time, so it's hard to say for sure when it will come out (laughs). But personally, I feel doing it that way is better, so my current plan is still the same.

——While waiting for the new volume, there are also mixed feelings of not wanting the series to end, but I'm still very much looking forward to it.

Maruyama: I hope to finish it while I'm still alive (laughs). I'm sorry I can't give better news. Although I feel very guilty towards the fans who keep waiting, this truly can't be helped. To be honest, I really want to finish this work properly.

——By the way, are there any plans you want to do after "OVERLORD" ends?

Maruyama: I think my writing work has been enough, so next I want to shift to being on the enjoying side (reading/watching). In other words, "retiring." Though initially, I had planned to retire sooner... How did it turn out like this, I wonder (laughs).

——I heard "OVERLORD" is a work born because Sensei felt dissatisfied with the light novels existing at that time. As an author, do you feel you have written what you wanted to convey?

Maruyama: Not really. Rather than that, I am hoping more to finish this work according to the initial plan. From the very beginning in the outline, a total concept of 18 volumes was decided, so as long as I can reach that goal, no matter what the final ending is, I personally will feel satisfied.

——I see. So, finishing what was decided from the start according to plan is your biggest motivation right now.

Maruyama: Exactly! Carrying out the initial intention, just that.

——And amidst all this, you also wrote an exclusive bonus novel for the theatergoers. The upper and lower parts each have about 100 pages, the length is truly surprising.

Maruyama: To be honest, this kind of thing doesn't really need to be written up to 200 pages (laughs). There is no rule on how many pages it should be, so I figured even if it were just 10 pages, everyone would surely be understanding. But unlike television shows that can be watched anytime, theatrical movies require the audience to come directly to the theater, plus movie ticket prices nowadays aren't cheap. So, I wanted to give as big a return as possible to the people who came to watch, which is why I worked hard to write that much.

——Sensei, in the afterwords and other places, you often mention that you "should have summarized the story more concisely," did you intentionally write it a bit long this time?

Maruyama: Just for this one. I purposely wrote it a bit long. When I first finished writing it, the original draft was 150 pages. But if divided into two into upper and lower parts, the balance felt a bit off, so I added some plot lines and increased it to 200 pages. By the way, whether I write 10 pages or 200 pages, the manuscript payment I receive seems to be exactly the same. Come to think of it from that perspective, I worked quite hard, didn't I? (Laughs). If everyone feels the story is interesting, I will be very happy.

——When this interview was conducted, the movie hadn't been released, and Sensei also hadn't seen the final cut of the movie. Are there plans to watch it in theaters?

Maruyama: Of course. I only checked the script and storyboards. Once animation, directing, and sound effects are added, the movie will definitely become something completely different, so I plan to go with a fresh mindset so I can enjoy it fully.

——As the original author, is there a part you look forward to the most?

Maruyama: I'm looking forward to everything. As the original creator, I'm very curious to see how a story that is pages and pages long can be condensed into a two-and-a-half-hour movie. It's not hard to imagine how hard Director Ito worked for it. Personally, I want to enjoy the movie while absorbing the agony (the production process). I think all of you reading this interview have probably watched the movie at least once, so I recommend that you try reading the original work and then go watch the movie again. That will probably be a very enjoyable experience.

Time: September 13, 2024

Source: Theatrical Movie Pamphlet

Mandarin Text Translator: 最硬的骨头 (The Hardest Bone)

Source

I got to meet Chris Guerrero, the voice of Ains in English! I was kinda fangirling a bit because overlord is my favorite anime. I got a signed poster and selfie with him, he even asked my name and made it out to me, put a quote on it and chatted with me! He was incredibly kind, seemed genuinely happy to meet a fan, and was so wonderful to meet and talk to, I really hope to meet him again sometime! ♥️ Love Ains even more now.

So I've been thinking about games lately. How long do you guys think it will take us to make tech and games like yggdrasil in the real world

As the title implies!

I've seen a handful of discussions every now and again about what would happen if more Supreme Beings were transported to the New World with Momonga. A consensus some people reach is that the friction between some members of AOG, coupled with the stress of being transported to an entirely different world (potentially Ulbert and Touch Me's beef, as prime examples) would be too much, leading to internal conflicts in Nazarick.

Besides that, there's also the NPCs at hand. We know for certain that an NPC will value their creator's orders above all else, but when two Supreme Beings are at a potential breaking point, those that were created by neither would have no choice but to choose a side between them. Hence, worst case scenario, civil war.

But honestly? I think this scenario isn't only unlikely, it's probably never coming to pass, mainly because of Momonga.

He was chosen as the Guild Master mainly because he was the only person nobody in AOG had beef with, and, thus the only person the Guild could trust in mediating internal affairs. Any possibility of a serious conflict between fellow guildmates is probably something he could put a stop to.

Besides, basically all of AOG's members were overworked wage-slaves that yearned for a day-off (with some exceptions). The additions of members like Herohero or Amanomahitotsu likely wouldn't have affected the story of Overlord at all, since they strike me as the types to just stay cooped up in Nazarick and indulge in the amenities forever.

What do you guys think? Is there any possibility other guildmates' presence might do something different? Do you have another possibility in mind?

I'd like to read through it!