Villainess Level 99

Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I'm Not the Demon Lord (悪役令嬢レベル99　～私は裏ボスですが魔王ではありません～) is a Japanese light novel series written by Satori Tanabata with illustrations by Tea. It initially began serialization as a web novel published on the user-generated novel publishing site Shōsetsuka ni Narō in June 2018. It was then acquired by Fujimi Shobo who began to publish it as a light novel under their Kadokawa Books imprint in May 2019. A manga adaptation illustrated by Nokomi began serialization in Enterbrain's B's Log Comic magazine in February 2020. An anime television series adaptation produced by Jumondou aired from January to March 2024.

Premise
Yumiella Dolkness was a college student who reincarnated into another world after dying in an accident. Unfortunately for her, she is now in a world where her dark hair and dark magic are reviled and feared by the country. Yumiella recognizes her new self as the secret boss of an otome RPG Light Magic and the Hero that she played before she died. Hoping for a peaceful life away from her absent family, she decides to level grind in order to survive, spending her childhood doing so. However, upon entering the country's academy at age fifteen, Yumiella discovers that she went overboard; Level 10 was the highest expected from students, but she maxed out at Level 99, making her the most powerful person in the country. With her plans turned upside-down, Yumiella must navigate everyone's wariness and the country's politics to find her place in the world and join the original game's heroes in defeating the Demon Lord, all while attempting to dispel the negative preconceptions regarding her dark hair and magic.

Main characters

 * Yumiella Dolkness (ユミエラ・ドルクネス)
 * The main character. She was a Japanese college student who died in an accident and reincarnated as the secret boss of the otome game following the Demon Lord's defeat, possessing extremely powerful dark magic. She planned to live a peaceful life; however, her "gamer soul" became fired up after practicing using her powers in a dungeon and spent the remainder of her childhood level-grinding, becoming level 99 in the process. Yumiella attempts to befriend the game's original protagonist Alicia, but the capture targets keep interfering on most occasions, as they consider her a threat. She's intensely dedicated to her method of leveling up, and has trouble expressing herself or her feelings, but she means well and is quite kind-hearted. Yumeilla holds no loyalty to the kingdom (having no interest in politics) nor her family (who shunned and ignored her); only having a bond with Patrick, which later develops into romantic feelings.
 * The main character. She was a Japanese college student who died in an accident and reincarnated as the secret boss of the otome game following the Demon Lord's defeat, possessing extremely powerful dark magic. She planned to live a peaceful life; however, her "gamer soul" became fired up after practicing using her powers in a dungeon and spent the remainder of her childhood level-grinding, becoming level 99 in the process. Yumiella attempts to befriend the game's original protagonist Alicia, but the capture targets keep interfering on most occasions, as they consider her a threat. She's intensely dedicated to her method of leveling up, and has trouble expressing herself or her feelings, but she means well and is quite kind-hearted. Yumeilla holds no loyalty to the kingdom (having no interest in politics) nor her family (who shunned and ignored her); only having a bond with Patrick, which later develops into romantic feelings.


 * Patrick Ashbatten (パトリック・アッシュバトン)
 * The son of a lord on the frontier, who is quite good at wind magic. He is one of the only students who didn't fear Yumiella. At first, he approached her after realizing her peculiar method of doing things is going to get herself or others killed. He soon develops feelings for her, but isn't able to get them across for the longest time. He does later become Level 99 like her, meeting her (fake) standard for a marriage partner.
 * The son of a lord on the frontier, who is quite good at wind magic. He is one of the only students who didn't fear Yumiella. At first, he approached her after realizing her peculiar method of doing things is going to get herself or others killed. He soon develops feelings for her, but isn't able to get them across for the longest time. He does later become Level 99 like her, meeting her (fake) standard for a marriage partner.


 * Ryu
 * Yumiella's pet dragon. Originally meant to found by Alicia during an event. Yumiella nurtured Ryu's egg with her dark magic, resulting in a full grown black dragon hatching within days. He's quite tamed and affectionate, acting more like a dog than a ferocious beast, but he's still feared by mostly everyone, except Yumiella and Eleonora.


 * Alicia Ehnleit (アリシア・エンライト)
 * The heroine of the game. She is fearful of Yumiella, due to her light magic making her perceive the latter as a dark smoke with glowing eyes; however, she soon began to warm up to her. Alicia attempts to meet Yumiella halfway in order to befriend her, but at some points, the capture targets block her due to their distrustfulness of Yumiella, even hindering Alicia from leveling up, leaving her weak and unprepared to face the Demon Lord.
 * The heroine of the game. She is fearful of Yumiella, due to her light magic making her perceive the latter as a dark smoke with glowing eyes; however, she soon began to warm up to her. Alicia attempts to meet Yumiella halfway in order to befriend her, but at some points, the capture targets block her due to their distrustfulness of Yumiella, even hindering Alicia from leveling up, leaving her weak and unprepared to face the Demon Lord.


 * Eleonora Hillrose (エレノーラ・ヒルローズ)
 * The daughter of Duke Hillrose, the leader of the radical nobles. She initially approached Yumiella to have her join her faction, but ends up revealing herself to be a lovestruck, naïve girl hopelessly in love with Prince Edwin. Her "friends" use Eleonora as a scapegoat to pick on Alicia, though she is unaware that their actions are making her look bad in Prince Edwin's eyes. Eleonora befriends Yumiella over their shared love of dragons and the fact that Yumiella isn't taking advantage of her, being able to be honest and open with her alone. Like Patrick, she does not fear Yumiella and may possibly have feelings for her.
 * The daughter of Duke Hillrose, the leader of the radical nobles. She initially approached Yumiella to have her join her faction, but ends up revealing herself to be a lovestruck, naïve girl hopelessly in love with Prince Edwin. Her "friends" use Eleonora as a scapegoat to pick on Alicia, though she is unaware that their actions are making her look bad in Prince Edwin's eyes. Eleonora befriends Yumiella over their shared love of dragons and the fact that Yumiella isn't taking advantage of her, being able to be honest and open with her alone. Like Patrick, she does not fear Yumiella and may possibly have feelings for her.

Capture targets
The original love interests of the otome game. Unlike the original Light Magic and the Hero, they are very stuck up and immediately flock to Alicia, thinking Yumiella cheated on the level test and constantly antagonize her and even prevent her from interacting with Alicia (there are some occasions where they are unable to interfere); however, they soon begin to warm up to her. While harassing her over her level, the boys inadvertently revealed the state secret about the Demon Lord's revival to the public. Because of their quick, but coddling relationship with Alicia, she is falling behind and unprepared to face the Demon Lord, which is partly why Yumiella is chosen to join them as a party to defeat the Demon Lord.
 * Edwin Valschein (エドウィン・バルシャイン)
 * The second prince of the kingdom. He is a magic swordsman able to wield the four classical elements (fire, wind, earth, and water). At the start, he attempts to get Yumiella expelled for lying about her level 99, unaware that she curbstomped the other two love interests beforehand. Once she demonstrated her ultimate black hole spell, he gave up and focused exclusively on wooing Alicia, but still bears a degree of resentment towards Yumiella. Unlike the others, he eventually sees that mistreating and distrusting Yumiella was foolish after learning of her true character from Patrick, but is unable to sway the others from not harassing her; however, they soon begin to change their perspective of her.
 * The second prince of the kingdom. He is a magic swordsman able to wield the four classical elements (fire, wind, earth, and water). At the start, he attempts to get Yumiella expelled for lying about her level 99, unaware that she curbstomped the other two love interests beforehand. Once she demonstrated her ultimate black hole spell, he gave up and focused exclusively on wooing Alicia, but still bears a degree of resentment towards Yumiella. Unlike the others, he eventually sees that mistreating and distrusting Yumiella was foolish after learning of her true character from Patrick, but is unable to sway the others from not harassing her; however, they soon begin to change their perspective of her.


 * Oswald Grimsarde (オズワルド・グリムザード)
 * A magic prodigy, able to wield the four classical elements even better than Edwin can. Yumiella gave him an inferiority complex by destroying a target dummy Oswald could only put a dent in, leading him to swear revenge. However, his resentment of Yumiella begins to fade as the story progresses.
 * A magic prodigy, able to wield the four classical elements even better than Edwin can. Yumiella gave him an inferiority complex by destroying a target dummy Oswald could only put a dent in, leading him to swear revenge. However, his resentment of Yumiella begins to fade as the story progresses.


 * William Ares (ウィリアム・アレス)
 * A master swordsman who also doesn't believe that Yumiella is level 99. He constantly challenged Yumiella to fights despite being outclassed. He even believed she was the Demon Lord at first, thinking she would commit wicked deeds in the future, despite the fact that it was confirmed that she definitely wasn't due to the Demon Lord being a man. As the story progresses, he slowly loses his dislike of Yumiella.
 * A master swordsman who also doesn't believe that Yumiella is level 99. He constantly challenged Yumiella to fights despite being outclassed. He even believed she was the Demon Lord at first, thinking she would commit wicked deeds in the future, despite the fact that it was confirmed that she definitely wasn't due to the Demon Lord being a man. As the story progresses, he slowly loses his dislike of Yumiella.

Other characters

 * Duke Hillrose
 * The leader of a group of radical nobles who oppose the King. He is Eleonora's father.


 * Rita
 * A maid who works for Yumiella at her house. She doesn't hold much distance towards her mistress, but is annoyed with her hairbrained thinking.


 * Sara
 * Rita's younger sister, who is held hostage by Count Dolkness to force Rita to poison his daughter. Yumiella soon rescues her.


 * Ronald
 * The school principal, who took over on the King's orders after the Headmaster resigned. Unlike the Headmaster, he is supportive of Yumiella.


 * Jessica Monford
 * A student who once requested Yumiella for her help in saving her town from a dragon.


 * Baron Monford
 * Jessica's father.


 * Linus
 * A spy from the Kingdom of Remlest who once tried to get Yumiella to move to his kingdom.


 * Captain Adolf
 * A general who works for the King.


 * Count Dolkness
 * Yumiella's father, who despises his daughter along with his wife.


 * Headmaster
 * The former unnamed school principal who, like Edwin, is doubtful of Yumiella and threatens to expel her unless she proves that she's at level 99. After she does so, he eventually decided to resign and his role is taken over by Ronald.


 * King
 * The Kingdom's ruler and Edwin's father. Unlike his son, he is more supportive of Yumiella and intends to use her to help in their fight against the Demon Lord. Yumiella pretends to agree as she really isn't interested in serving him.


 * Queen
 * The King's wife and Edwin's mother. Like her husband, she is more respectful to Yumiella.


 * Demon Lord
 * The game's final boss, whom Alicia will later fight in the future; however, Yumiella is ultimately the one to defeat him. He also uses dark magic and was once a human.

Light novel
Written by Satori Tanabata, the series began serialization as a web novel on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō on June 15, 2018. It was later acquired by Fujimi Shobo, which began publishing it as a light novel with illustrations by Tea under their Kadokawa Books imprint on May 10, 2019. It has been collected in six volumes as of January 2024. The series is licensed in English by J-Novel Club.

Manga
A manga adaptation illustrated by Nokomi began serialization in Enterbrain's B's Log Comic magazine on February 5, 2020. It has been collected in three volumes as of February 2023. The manga series is licensed in English by One Peace Books.

Anime
An anime television series adaptation was announced on March 24, 2023. It is produced by Jumondou and directed by Minoru Yamaoka, with scripts written by Fumihiko Shimo, character designs handled by Hitomi Kaiho and Lo Ho Kim, and music composed by Kana Utatane. The series aired from January 9 to March 26, 2024, on AT-X and other networks. The opening theme song is "Love or Hate?", performed by Mayu Maeshima, while the ending theme song is "Love on a Different Level" (好きがレベチ), performed by Fairouz Ai and Rina Hidaka as their respective characters. The first episode features an insert song titled "Ray of Light" performed by Hanatan, which serves as opening of Light Magic and the Hero. Crunchyroll licensed the series. Plus Media Networks Asia licensed the series in Southeast Asia.