"Dungeon Meshi," an anime scheduled to air in January 2024, combines the fantasy elements of exploring dungeons like those found in classic RPGs with the gourmet element of cooking and eating the monsters that appear within. The story features a host of tricky monsters that torment the protagonists. Some of them even evoke traumatic memories from classic RPGs, making it interesting! Here, we've ranked the most powerful and dangerous enemies that appear in the series!
Enemy Strength Ranking: 1st Place: The Mad Magician, Sissle
The ruler of the dungeon that the protagonists challenge. She is a small, brown-skinned elf. She shows strong resentment towards Raios and his companions after they defeat the Red Dragon. Later, she encounters Raios and his companions at Sisyl's hideout and a battle ensues. As the battle begins, she summons extremely powerful dragons (Green Dragon, Red Dragon, White Dragon, Leviathan, Oriental Dragon, Worm, and Wyvern) and instantly kills all party members except for Raios. However, because she is not fully in command and they can be neutralized if Sisyl herself is subdued, Raios uses his knowledge and quick wits to capture and neutralize them. If you end up fighting something like this in a game, it's either a losing event or a crappy game.
Enemy Strength Ranking 2nd Place: Phoenix
No matter how many times you kill it, the Phoenix resurrects, shrouded in flames. Because it resurrects shrouded in scorching flames, it's a dangerous foe. And, more than anything, it's virtually invincible, making it impossible to defeat with conventional methods. Laios and his companions manage to defeat it by taking advantage of the labyrinth's unique rules: "Monsters in the Labyrinth cannot harm the people of the Golden Land" and "if they're digested as food, they can't resurrect." Conversely, without these rules, there would have been no way to deal with it. Since it seemed likely to resurrect if cooked, they cooked it using a cooking method called confit, which involves simmering it in low-temperature oil.
Enemy Strength Ranking: 3rd Place: Dullahan
A headless knight monster. Because its true form is a spirit, attacks are ineffective. As a result, the party members were forced to flee, leaving the injured Laios behind. Although a dangerous enemy that attacks without question upon first encounter, it is quite easy to communicate with, and Laios is spared by offering the corpse of the Bicorn. Apparently, the monster was in a bad mood because a certain person had used teleportation magic to throw its horse off a cliff, causing it to lose its horse, and Laios had desperately climbed back up the cliff.
Enemy Strength Ranking: 4th Place: Chimera (Farin)
Farin was digested by a red dragon and resurrected by Marsil's dark magic. However, the soul of the red dragon he used as flesh and blood was mixed into his body, causing him to blindly obey the mad magician, Sissle. This is the form he takes after being transformed into a chimera by Sissle. With intelligence on par with Farin's, a massive physique, and six limbs, this monster boasts overwhelming fighting power. However, despite its energy-hungry body, Farin's small mouth can only take in so much nutrition, leaving it constantly hungry. Laios has analyzed that he will not survive long in this body.
Enemy Strength Ranking #5: Succubus
This monster appears as a vision of a person of the opposite sex so perfectly suited to the victim that they are unable to move, and while they are distracted, it sucks away their vitality. It can only be dealt with in pairs, and is virtually impossible to deal with if isolated. Caught in the succubus's charm, Laios and his companions are killed by the succubus, leaving Izutsumi behind. However, Izutsumi, with his two minds mixed in one body, was not fooled by its appearance. Its true form is a mosquito known as a Succubus Mosquito. However, it seems that the demonic succubus everyone imagines actually exists. It's the type of enemy that will trap and annihilate your enemies with status ailments.
Enemy Strength Ranking #6: Red Dragon
In episode 1, this dragon annihilated Laios's party and devoured Farin. Its enormous body possesses the ability to breathe fire. Laios's party had previously defeated dragons, but they were defeated due to their hunger and lack of energy. Later, they defeated the same Red Dragon and retrieved Farin's bones from its body, successfully reviving it. However, due to the dark magic used during the revival, the Red Dragon's soul became entangled with Farin. While a formidable foe, it's not impossible to defeat, and it seems possible if you take proper precautions and are in top condition.
Enemy Strength Ranking: #7 - Head-Hunting Rabbit
Looking like a cute rabbit, this foe will attempt to instantly kill adventurers by decapitating them with the sharp blades attached to its heels. These extremely dangerous Labyrinth Rabbits attack in groups, killing adventurers instantly with their swift movements. In classic RPGs, they appear under the name of Vorpal Bunny and have been known to instantly kill adventurers. Their name is likely inspired by the film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." In the film, they instantly kill all party members except Marsil, who then uses dark magic to control the corpses and somehow resolve the situation.
Enemy Strength Ranking #8: Griffin
This monster has the body of an eagle and the lower body of a lion. It can fly at high speeds and has keen senses. If you're abducted in a sudden sky attack, you'll be taken away in an instant. In this world, death doesn't mean the end; as long as you have a body, you can be resurrected. However, if the body isn't found, resurrection is impossible. It flies through the air and has sharp senses, making it a formidable foe that's difficult to hit. However, the griffin the party fought wasn't a real griffin, but a hippogriff transformed by a changeling, so actual griffins may have a slightly different biology.
Enemy Strength Ranking #9: Kraken
A giant octopus-like monster that lives in the water. Its large size allows it to prey on other medium-sized fishmen and other creatures with its giant tentacles, making it immune to casual attacks and allowing it to be grabbed by its tentacles even if it tries to get close. Additionally, given that it is underwater, if you're not careful, it could be pulled underwater and killed instantly. Its weak point is between the eyebrows, just like regular squid and octopuses. A poke between the eyebrows will kill it in an instant. While this may depend on how it's cooked, it tasted so bad it was inedible, and the giant parasite that was infesting the Kraken was apparently more delicious. However, when Raios ate the parasite raw, he was attacked by anisakis and nearly died.
Enemy Strength Ranking #10: Dryad
A human-shaped plant monster. If you approach it thinking it's human, it will attack. However, its tricky feature is the tiny particles it blows away when stimulated. If inhaled or in the eyes, it will cause an extremely intense itch, resulting in uncontrollable tears and a runny nose. This monster can also cause severe hay fever, making it difficult to breathe. While not particularly strong, they are extremely troublesome monsters, as their human camouflage makes them difficult to identify at a glance. Furthermore, their hay fever causes constant tears and runny noses, leaving lingering after-effects. Dryad berries are edible and taste good, but they look awful.
[Dungeon Food] Enemy Strength Ranking Summary
We've compiled a ranking of the enemies featured in Dungeon Food! If you're a regular RPG player, you may have had some difficult times with these monsters. It's enjoyable even without understanding their mechanics, but it's even more fun if you do. The dungeons in this game are quite tricky, Wizardry-style (as they seem to be), so keeping that in mind will make it even more enjoyable! The anime will begin airing in January 2024, so be sure to tune in!
