The culture of ancient Egypt includes a pantheon of gods recognized by their distinctive posture and animal head. The gods who adorned temple walls and guarded the doors of tombs are alive again in anime, which has plenty to choose from when it comes to shows and movies depicting Egyptian mythology.
Some of the following anime are based entirely on Egyptian mythology, using parts of the legends, the plot along the banks of the Nile, or featuring the gods themselves. Others integrate certain characters or characteristics unique to ancient Egypt as part of a larger story.
6 Dragon Ball Super (2013-2018)
Beerus is the God of destruction, so when he wakes up, there will be trouble. He has already appeared as the antagonist in two of the films in the franchise, Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods and Dragon Ball Z: Resurrectionand this time his motive was to maintain the balance of the universe by destroying planets.
The Egyptian clothing and large ears remind the viewer of Anubis, the Egyptian god of the dead, who is often depicted with the head of a jackal. The truth is that this character’s design was inspired by a Cornish Rex who lived with series creator Akira Toriyama while he was creating the series.
5 Oh Suddenly Egyptian God (2020-2021)
A comedy featuring the Egyptian gods and their mundane struggles, this unique anime also uses details such as stone interiors and a hieroglyphic animation style. The title is literal and describes the main characters in a simple but accurate way.
All the great gods are represented, including Thoth, Anubis, and even Ra himself. They seem to live in an ancient environment, but encounter modern problems, such as their day job and pizza. The character designs are drawn by yuka and appear on various merchandise and artwork outside of the show.
4 Kamigami No Asobi (2014)
Kamigami No Asobic is also known as Ludere Deorum, which is a combination of Japanese and Latin and means ‘game of gods’. It started out as a visual novel for the Playstation Portable before turning into an anime series and belongs in the romance, fantasy, and reverse harem genres, meaning the main character is a woman surrounded by a “harem” of men.
The story begins with references to Greek mythology in the form of Zeus, but evolves into mythological references from various times, including Egypt. Anubis and Thoth are part of the supporting cast that also includes Hades and Loki.
3 JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders (2014-2015)
not all The bizarre adventure of Jo Jo is based on Egyptian mythology, but every fantasy anime with a long history like this is bound to have references somewhere. The second part of stardust crusaders, a two-part episode or movie, depending on where you watch it, sees our heroes narrowly escape the High Priestess, and the Egyptian Nine Glory Gods are summoned to find and fight our heroes who have appeared on the banks of the Nile.
This group acts as the main antagonists in the rest of Stardust Crusaders, trying to stop our protagonists as they get closer and closer to Dio’s headquarters in Cairo. Not all are gods, with just Anubis with his usual name and snarling jackal face, but each represents an Egyptian deity. Pet Shop, with the falcon head, is Horus, and Mariah, with her cat-ear hatred, represents Bastet.
2 Yu-Gi-Oh! (1988–present)
There are plenty of references to ancient mythology in the extended Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise, including anime, movies, video games, and various portable merch, in addition to a ton of toys and cards. Egyptian mythology is one of the most prominent types of ancient legends in the series, which includes a character named Pharoh Atem. As the title implies, he was the son of the king of Egypt, the heir to the throne, and probably named after an obscure Egyptian deity named Atum.
The main character of Yu-Gi-Oh! is Yugi Mutou, and to reveal how these two characters are connected would require a whole host of spoilers. Let’s say Atem was locked in the Millenium Puzzle, an object owned by Yugi Mutou. Once Yugi solved the puzzle, he was able to communicate with the ghost of the young pharaoh, who was also known as Yami Yugi.
1 Kamigami no Ki (2016–2017)
Viewers who enjoyed Oh Suddenly Egyptian God with its comedic premise and avant-garde animation style will also appreciate Kamigami no Ki. In English this can be translated as Chronicles of the Gods, and while it sounds like a serious title, the show is a comedy about the mindless plans of the god Bastet, her fellow gods and her caretakers.
The show is set 3,000 years ago on the verdant banks of the Nile, and the Egyptian gods and their favorite humans live in relative harmony. The episodes are short and sweet, lasting just two minutes, and poking fun at the interactions between the Egyptian gods and their mortal counterparts.
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