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The High School DxD English dub is widely considered "iconic" and unique within the anime community because it functions almost like an official gag dub. While the core story of Issei Hyoudou becoming a devil servant to Rias Gremory remains intact, the dub significantly alters the dialogue to lean into raunchy, improvised-style humor. Dub Highlights and Features
Creative Scripting: The dub writers took massive liberties with the translation, adding jokes, fourth-wall breaks, and modern slang that weren't in the original Japanese script. Fans often cite lines like "Deodora the Explorer" or "Kentucky Fried Princess" as legendary comedic additions.
Voice Acting Synergy: Many viewers feel the voice actors—particularly Jamie Marchi (Rias) and Scott Freeman/Josh Grelle (Issei)—delivered performances that elevated the material through perfect comedic timing.
The "It Factor": Unlike the Ghost Stories dub, which was changed because the original show was considered poor, the DxD dub enhances a show that was already popular, creating a balance between serious action and over-the-top comedy. Cast Changes and Context
You should be aware of a few significant shifts in the English production over the series' four seasons:
Issei Hyoudou: Originally voiced by Scott Freeman (Seasons 1-2). He was replaced by Josh Grelle for later seasons following Freeman's legal issues. high school dxd dub top
Akeno Himejima: Originally voiced by Teri Rogers (Seasons 1-2), who left voice acting and was replaced by Kelly Angel.
Series Tone Shift: Season 4 (High School DxD Hero) saw a change in animation studio and a slight shift toward a script that was more faithful to the original Japanese dialogue, which some dub-only fans found less "wild" than previous seasons. Watchability Report The High School DxD Dub Is Iconic
High School DxD English dub is famous in the anime community for being "unhinged" and taking massive liberties with the script to lean into its perverted humor Story Overview The story follows Issei Hyodo
, a perverted high schooler who is killed by his first date, who turns out to be a fallen angel . He is revived as a by the high-ranking demon princess Rias Gremory
to serve as her pawn in her occult research club. Issei must now navigate a dangerous world of angels, devils, and fallen angels while pursuing his ultimate dream: becoming a Harem King Why the Dub is "Top" Tier While many anime fans prefer subtitles for accuracy, the High School DxD The High School DxD English dub is widely
dub is often cited as a rare case where the English version is arguably more entertaining. Creative Liberties
: The dub writers frequently replaced standard dialogue with pop culture references
, meta-jokes, and "trash talk" that wasn't in the original Japanese script. Comedy over Seriousness : It turns the show into more of a raunchy comedy
, using improvised-feeling lines and fourth-wall breaks to keep the tone light even during serious battles. Memorable Performance Josh Grelle (Issei) and Jamie Marchi
(Rias) are highly praised for their comedic timing and energy. Where to Watch If you prefer consistent voice acting, watch seasons
If you search for High School DxD dub top performances, every list begins and ends with Josh Grelle. Casting Grelle as the perverted protagonist was a stroke of genius. Grelle is usually typecast as charismatic leads (Armin in Attack on Titan, Shido in Date A Live), so hearing him scream about breasts with the same intensity as a shonen hero yelling a power-up is hilarious.
Signature Moment: Issei’s "Dress Break" chant. Grelle goes from a trembling, nervous teenager to a commanding king mid-chant. His delivery of "I don't care if I go to Hell... because I'm taking you with me!" during the Riser Phenex fight is genuinely chilling. He balances pathetic simp and heroic demon lord perfectly.
Why they are #1: Grelle makes the monologues about oppai feel spiritually profound. He treats the absurd premise with absolute sincerity, which is the secret sauce of the entire series.
Watch OVAs after the season they belong to (S2/S3).
While Issei carries the comedic weight, the female cast brings the heart—and the fan service—to life in a way that feels surprisingly professional. The "Harem" genre often relies on high-pitched, overly cutesy archetypes in Japanese. The English cast, however, opts for a more mature and nuanced approach.
No High School DxD dub top list is complete without recognizing the chaos agents:
