One of the most interesting options in the adaptation process Overlord IV The problem is that the series skips over an entire storyline – the story of two light novels. This leaves a strange gap between the seventh and eighth episodes of the series – we go from Ainz dealing with dwarves and dragons to the final battle with the Kingdom of Estiz. Meanwhile, various characters are discussing off-screen events in the Holy Kingdom of Roble. This movie fills that gap.
Overlord: Holy Kingdom Told almost entirely through the perspective of new character Neia Baraja. In stark contrast to the series, we never hear Ainz’s inner thoughts (except for a few moments midway through the film). This allows us to see Ainz better through Neia’s eyes. We don’t know why Ainz is doing what he’s doing, and Neia’s explanation seems logical – even if we know there must be more going on. It’s a new twist in the storytelling – and we don’t learn the truth until the final credits.
It helps that Neia is a great character. She starts off as a misfit paladin, and we watch as she radicalizes and becomes Ainz’s most fervent human follower. In the process, she becomes a hero—not the paladin of old, but one suited to the dark times her kingdom faces.
This leads to the film’s main thematic exploration: the nature of justice. If you were to use one word to describe the Holy Kingdom of Roble, it would be “chivalry.” They are all about facing evil and protecting the weak and helpless.
The leader of the Paladins, Remedios Custodio, fully believes in the idea of justice – if she is kind and pure enough, she can find the perfect solution. While this proved to be true for most of her life, Jaldabaoth’s invasion revealed that it was just a naive dream. Almost immediately, the demihuman invaders took advantage of the Paladins’ moral code and began using human children as hostages – knowing that the upright knights could not do what was needed to win.
While Remedios refuses to succumb to the cold mathematics of war—sometimes you have to sacrifice some so that the most can survive—Neia is constantly searching for a new, more pragmatic explanation of justice. In Ainz, she found a new ideal.
The Sorcerer King is a living oxymoron – the natural enemy of mankind, who spares no effort to help the troubled human kingdom. Time and again, he steps in to help Neia and her regular allies, even though doing so leaves him weaker in the looming battle with Jaldabaoth. Through him, she begins to believe that justice cannot exist without the support of strength. However, power itself is not justice. The use of power for the benefit of others is true justice. Therefore, in her mind, Ainz is the embodiment of this ideal—the immortal god of justice who walks among humans. The film is simply a battle between an ideal form of justice (albeit powerless) and Neia, who Ainz represents. This makes the conflict between Ainz and Jaldabaoth equally exciting.
Luckily, this story isn’t all doom, gloom, and thematic exploration. In the second half of the film, Neia is separated from Ainz and forced to fight for her people without him. However, she is not alone. This part of the movie pairs Neia with the demon maid CZ2128, and they form an unlikely friendship. This brings some levity to an otherwise horrific, depressing film. Furthermore, it shows that former NPC residents of Nazarak can develop personal connections and even friendships with the humans of this world – rather than just using them as pawns in a game of world domination. Of course, this requires the adulation of Ainz to lay the groundwork, but at least humanity has some hope of moving forward.
Visually, while some scenes stand out for their extremely graphic content, no scene seems to stand out in a technical sense. Instead, the film’s animation quality is consistently above average. Whether it’s action-packed scenes or just a pair of talking heads, there’s no drop in quality. It’s well directed and animated – it’s a highlight of the series and makes us feel like it’s well deserved to be on the big screen. As for the music, it’s exactly what you’d expect – a gothic orchestra with a theme tune by show regular Tom Harker.
However, while the film is solid throughout, there are some elephants in the room. Those familiar with the novel will notice some deletions and changes. Some of these work well, such as the aforementioned restriction on Neia’s perspective, while others, such as the time compression of certain events and the complete cutting of others, oversimplify the political situation and leave Neia with a low level of development to the level she should be. As much as I love the final product, I wish this arc had gotten the TV treatment, just for the added flexibility of running time. But who knows, maybe it will get demon slayer: infinite train treatment and receive an expanded television version in the future.
in the end, Overlord: Holy Kingdom It’s a great watch. It has an interesting plot, memorable characters, and enjoyable thematic exploration. Definitely worth watching for those who like it Overlord— and its nature as a one-off story set in a new location makes it perfect for even lapsed fans. It’s one of the series’ most beloved storylines, and there’s a reason the film captures the essence of the story masterfully, even if it leaves too much on the cutting room floor.
