Being a fantasy anime with a Dungeons and Dragons theme,Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls In a Dungeon?blends together all sorts of subtexts and narratives, with a special emphasis on incorporatingreal-world mythos into the mix. While fantasy anime are all the rage these days, the addition of fascinating mythologies has made the series further stand out, adding another layer of intricacy to the show.
These mythologies are reflected in the form of Orario’s many gods and goddesses, along with their familia members. It’s worth noting thatmost of the series’ godsare not an entirely accurate representation of their real-world counterparts, as the show simply uses these ancient mythologies as a basis for its characters, meaning most references are not applicable to the series (such as Hermes being the son of Zeus in Greek mythos). Although entities from several mythologies have been incorporated into the series, the most common ones are Greek and Norse gods, with a few other prominent ones being Hindu and Japanese deities.
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Greek Mythology
Making a mark as one of the most prominent myths and folklore in human history, Greek mythology has been the source of many stories and legends, even trickling into the modern era with inspiration being drawn from these myths quite vehemently. From the King of gods Zeus to the personification of death Thanatos,DanMachimakes use of ancient Greek references quite earnestly.
Aphrodite
Aphrodite is revered as the Greek goddess of sexual love and beauty, sometimes even associated with war. The series’ version of Aphrodite is a somewhat accurate reflection of this ancient goddess as she constantly puts emphasis onthe significance of love.
Apollo
One of the famed Olympian deities, Apollo is known as the God of art and dance, presiding mostly over music, songs, and poetry. His position as the most beautiful god is given precedence in the series, as evident from his striking appearance.
Ares
Ares is the Greek god of war and courage, and one of the twelve Olympians. Histendency towards starting conflictsis vehemently depicted in the series, as he regularly starts fights everywhere.
Artemis
Being the ancient Greek goddess of the hunt, Artemis embodies nature itself as she presides over the wilderness, animals, and vegetation. Wielding a bow and arrow, Artemis is shown to be a true representation of the hunt.
Astrea
With roots in the Celestia, Astrea is the virgin goddess of justice, innocence, and purity – asentiment upheld by her familiain the series.
Demeter
Demeter is the goddessof harvest and agriculture, symbolizing food and nurture. Synonymous with her role in the ancient mythos, Demeter is a kind and loving goddess inDanMachi, caring for children and ensuring they remain well-fed.
Dionysus
Dionysus is the god of vine-making and grape-harvest, overseeing all festivities related to drinking. InDanMachi, he proved his superior wine-making skills by creating one that was undoubtedly far superior than even Soma’s Wine.
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Hephaestus
The god of blacksmiths, metalworking, and carpenters – renowned for making weapons for the gods in Olympus. She takes on the very same role in the series,smithing powerful weapons for adventurersand gods alike.
Hermes
Hermes is held in high regard among the Olympian deities, regarded as the Herald of the Gods. Similar to the mythologies, Hermes is extremely loyal to Zeus and often runs errands for him, even reporting details of the lower world to him.
Hestia
Hestia is one of ancient Greece’s three virgin goddesses, known as the goddess of hearth, representing warmth, family, and home. Being a virgin goddess, Hestia isimmune to charms and magic, even possessing the ability to undo them with her own power.
Ouranos
Known as Uranus in Greek Mythology, Ouranus is one of the primordial Greek deities and the personification of the sky and heavens above. Ouranus’s position of being a primordial god is duly represented in the series, as he was one of the first gods to descend from the heavens and start a familia.
Penia
Penia is the Greekgoddess of poverty and need, and though despised by many, she served as a humble reminder to mankind to stay kind and productive. The sentiment of disdain for Penia is reflected in the series, as most gods made fun of her, except Hestia.
Thanatos
Thanatos is ancient Greece’s infamous personification of death,carrying humans to the underworldafter their time expired in the mortal realm. In the series, Thanatos purified the souls of the dead, so that they could be reincarnated again.
Zeus
Arguably the most famous god in all of Greek mythos, Zeus is the god of the sky, and is considered as the ruler, protector, and father of all gods. InDanMachi, Zeus plays a central role in the series as he was revealed to be Bell Cranel’s adoptive grandfather, meaning his character could be a crucial one.
Norse Mythology
Norse mythology has its roots in Scandinavian and Northern-Germanic religions and folklore, remaining an integral part of Nordic culture even after the Christianization of Scandinavia. Norse gods and deities are a common sight in modern media, as many forms of art draw inspiration from their tales and stories.Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls In a Dungeon?is no different, as a few gods in the series are based on Norse myths, even taking up their tragic tales.
Freya
Freya is renowned as the goddess of beauty, love, and fertility, a counterpart to the Greek goddess Aphrodite. Freya’s tale is quite tragic as she awaits the return of her husband, Odr,crying tears of red goldas she looks for him. In the series, this tale is accurately depicted by her search for the one with a pure soul that she shall deem as her Odr.
Loki
Loki is one of Norsemythology’s most prominent gods, bearing an ambivalence towards other gods. The series perfectly captures the essence of Loki with the same trickster attitude, although Loki’s gender has been reversed in the show.
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Njord
Associated with the sea, seafaring, and fishing, Njord is a Norse god known for his fondness for the tides. His adaptation in the series follows a similar narrative, as his appearance gives the impression of someone fond of swimming.
Irish Mythology
Anything beyond Norse and Greek mythology is rarely seen in modern media, yet the series has surprisingly adapted many gods fromthe lesser-known Irish legends. Irish deities remain mostly unknown, yet the series has done thorough research in terms of presenting the most accurate reflections of these divine beings.
Brigid
Brigid is one of pre-Christian Ireland’s famed goddesses, commonly associated with poetry, wisdom, and healing. Being a kind and protective god, Brigid’s sentiments were accurately depicted in the series as she sacrified herself for the only member in her familia.
Dian Cecht
Dian Cecht is known as the god of healing in Irish mythology, with many children of his own.Dian killed his own sonMiach out of jealousy, a scorn relationship that is somewhat described in the series as he makes it a point to insult Miach whenever the two cross paths.
Goibniu
Goibniu is a smithing god from the Irish mythology, with some associations with hospitality. In the series, Goibniu takes on the same role, even rivaling the Greek smithing goddess Hephaestus in terms of forging weapons.
Miach
Miach was the fourth son of Dian Cecht, yet he was slain by his own father when he replacedthe Irish King’s silver armwith a real one, an act clearly out of jealousy. The same story has been incorporated into the series as Miach took out a huge loan from the Dian Cecht Familia to have a silver arm made for his familia member, Naaza.
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Hindu Mythology
References from Hindu legends and deities are rarely drawn in anime, yetDanMachioffers an adequate representation of these divine beings. Although the Hindu religion features a massive number of deities, the series has so far only incorporated three gods, yet their accurate depictions make up for the lack of numbers.
Ganesha
Ganesha is the most revered god in all of Hinduism, as the worship of this deity can be found in almost all denominations. In the series, Ganesha wears an elephant mask, a direct reference to the deity’s elephant-like appearance.
Kali
Kali is the Hindu goddess of ultimate power, bestowed with time, change, and destruction. Her appearance, as described in Hindu mythology, is accurately depicted in the series, with garlands of human skulls, fangs protruding from her head, and disheveled hair.
Soma
Soma is the adaptation of the Hindu god Chandra, known as the god of the moon. The word Soma has also been used for an energizing drink made out of a special plant, which the series incorporates by making Soma the god of wine and drinking.
Middle Eastern Mythology
The series makes use of a few Middle Eastern gods as well, with Ishtar playing a prominent role in the series. While this category of mythos comprises gods that have their roots set in entirely different cultures, grouping them under ‘Middle East’ seems appropriate as these legends arose from the same regions.
Ishtar
Ishtar is the famed Mesopotamian goddess of love and sexual war, a sentiment that is duly represented in the series with her forceful attempts at tainting Bell Cranel’s innocence.
Resheph
Belonging to the ancient Egyptian mythos, Resheph has been worshipped as the god of war, plague, and disease. In line with the god’s real-world status, Resheph loves spreading chaos all around Orario, without dignity nor grace.
Japanese Mythology
Most anime are heavily influenced by Japanese religion and folklore, basing many characters, names, and abilities after Japanese deities.DanMachi’susage of Japanese mythos is rather limited, as only one god of Japanese roots has been revealed. There are speculations that the gods Ameaterasu and Tsukuyomi may make an appearance later in the series.
Takemikazuchi
From Japanese legends, Takemikazuchi is the god of thunder, along with being a sword god, wielding many weapons. His famed skills as a swordsman have been incorporated into the series as he taught the art of wielding weapons to every single member of his familia.
