10 Best Kings in DC Comics (Some Will Surprise You)

From underwater cities to higher planes of existence, the DC Universe is teeming with incredible places, many with equally incredible rulers. Not only do many of these kings hold incredible physical power, but they must also govern over the lives of countless people, for better or for worse. The status of royalty is one shared by both heroes and villains. The types of kings range from wise and generous monarchs to sadistic and cruel despots. Some of these kings act as their homelands’ benevolent protectors. In contrast, other kings merely use their political status to acquire even more territory and power. No matter where they fall on the moral spectrum, however, these kings are still some of the most engaging characters in DC Comics.

From rulers of aliens to gods, these are the most powerful, cunning, and memorable kings across the infinite DC Multiverse.

10) General Zod

Before Krypton’s destruction, General Dru-Zod was a military leader who sought to take over the planet. After his failed conquest, Zod and his followers were imprisoned in the dimension known as the Phantom Zone. However, this imprisonment meant that Zod and his followers were spared from Krypton’s destruction. Decades later, these evil Kryptonians managed to break free of their prison and with their Kyptonian powers became some of Superman’s deadliest adversaries. Eventually, desperate to establish a new Kryptonian civilization, Zod conquered the far-off planet of Jekuul and renamed it “New Kandor”. However, when his wife, Ursa, died fighting alien invaders called the Khund, his grief led him to abandon the planet and his throne.

9) Mongul

Mongul is a brutal alien tyrant who lives for warfare. Fittingly, he is the ruler of the planet-sized battle station known as Warworld. Mongul uses the massive mobile battle station to bombard planets into submission and add them to his ever-expanding galactic empire. A cruel and sadistic king, Mongul takes pleasure in forcing his newly enslaved subjects to fight in gladiatorial death games. Even without the countless weapons that Warworld provides him, Mongul is incredibly strong. He has routinely fought and bested Superman in combat and is one of the Man of Steel’s most powerful recurring villains.

8) Geo-Force

Brion Markov, aka Geo-Force, is the crown prince and eventual king of the Eastern European country of Markovia. He gained his geokinetic powers after undergoing a procedure by the scientist Dr. Helga Jace. This was necessary to give him the power to  oppose the villain Baron Bedlam who had led an insurrection against Markovia. . With his new earth-manipulating abilities and the aid of the superhero team, the Outsiders, Brion managed to foil Bedlam’s invasion. Following this triumph, Brian became an official member of the Outsiders and moved to America. He felt that this was necessary in order to learn how to control his powers. However, after the death of his older brother, King Gregor, Brion moved back to his native land and became its new monarch. Brion did his best to govern the people of Markovia responsibly. However, despite his best intentions and efforts, he couldn’t save Markovia from destruction at the hands of Talia al Ghul and the League of Assassins.

7) Gorilla Grodd

A telepathic and hyper-intelligent ape, Gorilla Grodd is one of the Flash’s deadliest enemies. He is from Gorilla City, which is, of course, populated by sapient gorillas. Grodd’s position in Gorilla City has varied in various retcons. Sometimes he’s a violent usurper, and other times he’s the City’s rightful ruler. No matter the continuity, when Grodd does assume the throne, he is one of the most vicious monarchs in DC Comics. With his strategic mind and animalistic savagery, Grodd is a cruel king and warmonger. He uses Gorilla City’s vast armies and resources in his never-ending quest to take over the world and wipe out humanity.

6) Highfather

Izaya, aka Highfather, is the immortal ruler of the benevolent New Gods on the extra-dimensional planet of New Genesis. A kind and wise king, Highfather has ruled justly over New Genesis for billions of years. He draws his power from the Source, the primordial and limitless energy from which all life originates. With this power and his armies of all-powerful New Gods, Highfather protects his people and the greater Multiverse from their greatest adversary: Darkseid, the lord of the planet Apokolips. With his connection to the Source, Highfather is one of the few beings in existence capable of hurting Darkseid. While he may not be as well-known as Darkseid, Highfather is a necessary foil to that dark lord and represents all that is good and hopeful in the DC Multiverse.

5) Lucifer Morningstar

The second most powerful entity in the DC Multiverse is none other than Lucifer Morningstar, the original fallen angel and the King of Hell. Lucifer led a rebellion against God but was cast into the fiery pits for his revolt. In revenge, Lucifer turned into a serpent and convinced the first woman, Eve, to eat from the Tree of Knowledge, thus upending God’s plan by introducing free will. For billions of years, Lucifer ruled over Hell, until eventually, he became bored with his position and saw that his damnation was just another part of God’s plan. To exercise his free will, Lucifer did the most unexpected thing possible: he quit. He left Hell and went to Earth to open a nightclub. And while he may have retired, his time as the King of Hell will never be forgotten.

4) Dream

Dream of the Endless isn’t just a king; he embodies the concepts of fantasy and reality. This abstract deity watches over the balance between what is real and what isn’t. Every idea and wish that has ever been thought is under Dream’s control. Even the various pantheons of gods in the DC Multiverse are no more than Dream’s children. Dream cares for and protects all manner of fantastical concepts from his domain, known as The Dreaming. This higher plane of existence is a place where anything and everything is possible. Dream takes his role as keeper of cosmic balance very seriously, and humanity can rest well knowing that he is there to protect their fantasies. 

3) Black Adam

Thousands of years ago, Teth-Adam, aka Black Adam, and his tribe, the Khandaqi people, were enslaved by the Ancient Egyptians. When his nephew, Aman, became the champion of the wizard Shazam, Teth-Adam murdered Aman and stole the godly power for himself. By harnessing the power of the Egyptian Gods, Teth-Adam slaughtered the Egyptians and made himself the king. Disgusted by Teth-Adam’s cruel nature and corruption, the wizard Shazam imprisoned him for centuries until he was freed by a desperate people. In the modern day, the people of the nation of Khandaq were ruled over by an oppressive dictator. Needing  a savior, some Khandaqi people discovered and freed Teth-Adam from his prison. Upon his release, he easily overthrew Khandaq’s dictator and made himself the country’s new ruler. But Teth-Adam was not the same cruel and selfish king as before. Now, Teth-Adam puts the safety and prosperity of his people above all else and has fought on the sides of good and evil to accomplish these goals. While the rest of the world may fear him, the people of Khandaq adore their savior.

2) Darkseid

As the physical embodiment of evil, Darkseid is quite literally tyranny incarnate. This immortal New God rules the hellish, ever-burning extra-dimensional planet of Apokolips. From his throne, he rules with an iron fist through fear and power. Even his own children are treated as nothing more than useful tools in this New God’s never-ending quest to conquer and dominate all life in the Multiverse. With legions of planet-destroying armadas, near-unstoppable New God generals, and vicious Parademon foot soldiers, Darkseid exercises his domain over one of the most powerful planets in existence. However, the planet’s weapons are nothing compared to Darkseid’s own raw power. He has easily defeated Superman in multiple instances and has wiped out the Justice League in a single strike. Of course, none of his armies or powers are comparable to what Darkseid has dedicated his immortal life to finding: the Anti-Life Equation. If Darkseid were ever to obtain it, he could literally remove the free will of all life in the Multiverse and have them bow to his will. For a tyrant who seeks nothing less than Multiversal domination, there is no greater prize.

1) Aquaman

Arthur Curry, aka Aquaman, is not just the greatest king in DC Comics, but he is also one of its greatest superheroes. Arthur is the son of an Atlantean queen and a human lighthouse keeper. He was raised on the surface world by his father. However, as Arthur grew up and his powers emerged, he learned of his Atlantean heritage and in time took his rightful place on the throne. Not only does Arthur now rule one of the most powerful nations on the planet, but he also has dominion over the world’s oceans. With his telepathic powers and weather-manipulating trident, the oceans and all life within them are his to command. He is Atlantis’s greatest protector, as he battles the likes of the terrorist Black Manta and his evil half-brother Ocean Master. And with his mixed heritage, Aquaman governs Atlantis as a progressive leader who seeks to bridge the gap between the surface world and the world beneath the waves. A selfless leader who fights for the betterment of the world, Arthur is the ideal king.

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