If you’ve spent any time in the anime community, you’ve likely heard the whispers: "High School DxD’s dub is basically an official abridged series." And honestly? That’s not even a slight. While some series strive for a word-for-word translation, the FUNimation Entertainment
Here is a breakdown of why the High School DxD dub is consistently placed at the top.
Watch the sub for tradition, the dub for laughs and heart.
Kiba is the handsome swordsman, a boring archetype in most anime. Joel McDonald makes him hilarious by playing him as the "straight man" trapped in a circus. When Kiba sighs, "I’m surrounded by perverts," you can hear the actor’s actual exhaustion. It’s a subtle, brilliant performance.
, 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 high school dxd dub top
Issei is a notoriously difficult character to pull off. He is unashamedly perverted, yet he possesses a fiercely loyal heart. Josh Grelle took over the role later in the series and perfectly captured Issei’s chaotic, high-energy screaming matches, desperate inner monologues, and sudden shifts into serious battle mode.
: Supporting characters are often given more distinct "voices" and quirks in the dub than in the original, adding layers of entertainment during non-action scenes. Balancing Fanservice and Plot
For English-speaking audiences, High School DxD is widely available. Fans can stream all four dubbed seasons on and Hulu . Historically, the series was a flagship title for Funimation , and its English dub remains exclusive to their platform (now integrated with Crunchyroll). The series is also available for digital purchase on platforms like Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV .
The dub's popularity is largely tied to the performance of its lead actors: Issei Hyoudou If you’ve spent any time in the anime
You can find the official English dub on major streaming platforms and through retail editions:
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.
The High School DxD English dub is top-tier because it understands the assignment: it’s an ecchi action-comedy, and the dub leans into that with fearless voice acting and a sharp, irreverent script. If you usually avoid dubs, this one might change your mind—at least for comedy.
(replacing Scott Freeman), who is praised for bringing a high-energy, relatable perversion to the character. : Voiced by Jamie Marchi Watch the sub for tradition, the dub for laughs and heart
From Riser’s arrogant, frat-boy energy to Freed Sellzen’s completely psychotic, over-the-top screaming, the villains in the dub are given distinct, memorable personalities that make beating them all the more satisfying. Final Thoughts: A Dub That Defined an Era
The localization team isn't afraid to inject Western humor or idioms where appropriate, ensuring the jokes land. The banter between Issei and his friends, Matsuda and Motohama, feels authentically like a group of teenage guys ribbing each other, which helps ground the supernatural setting.
Huh, I just realized her VA was Akeno Himejima (High School DxD) and Akiha Tohno. Akeno Himejima Rias Gremory I share the same BD with Rias Gremory from High school DxD. Rias Gremory Vali Lucifer
High School DxD is a Japanese light novel series adapted into an anime. The English dub covers the main TV seasons and follows Issei Hyoudou, a perverted high schooler resurrected as a devil who serves Rias Gremory.