History YMMV / HighSchoolDXD

** Akeno gets frustrated whenever her relationship with Baraqiel is mentioned. But by volume 7, we learn ''why'' she's upset with him... It was that Baraqiel actually failed to save Shuri Himejima, her mother, from being murdered by her own relatives due to Akeno's Fallen Angel blood.

** One of the short stories of the series was about the Issei clones that Azazel had played a prank on Issei. It was mostly funny until the part where they had to use the memory-erasing machine Azazel had invented (at best, they could only erase the memory of the clones running around but didn't erase the fact that an Issei clone did it, leaving the victims thinking the real Issei had done it to them because it would damage their brain memory). At that point in time, it was hilarious, albeit a bit unfair to Issei who didn't really deserve all that. Fast forward to volume fourteen, and that memory-erasing machine incident suddenly doesn't become funny anymore thanks to the student council group using it to [[LaserGuidedAmnesia wipe off the memories of the students were the victim of a rouge wizard terrorist attack at the school]], which leaves students traumatized of something but not ''what''. This left a bitter taste to the student council and the protagonists.

** In the series, Asia can get assertive towards Issei at various points in the story, sometimes for comical effect. Her real-life namesake was accused of sexually assaulting Jimmy Bennett, whom she met when he was seven and paying him off $380k of hush money. Not funny at all now.
** During the dodgeball game in Volume 3, Issei ends up taking a blow [[GroinAttack to the crotch]] to [[TakingTheBullet protect Kiba]] while the latter's attention is elsewhere, with Rias swearing vengeance as if Issei had just been killed. Fast forward to Volume 12, where Issei's temporary death leaves the Club stuck between [[HeroicBSOD depression]] and a [[ItsPersonal lust for revenge]].

** Asia being exiled from the church as TheHeretic becomes more disturbing when Xenovia gets exiled for learning the truth about God and Diodora, the devil whom Asia healed, raped quite a few nuns and got them exiled.

*** And speaking of Asia. Any scene of her being assertive towards Issei could be seen as this due to the accusations of Asia Aregnto sexually assaulting a 17-year old actor whom she met when he was seven and paying him off $380k of hush money.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeArt: The quality that Miyama Zero puts into the Illustrations of the Novel are great, and are gorgeous to look at.

** It's commonly believed that Rias let Issei die so that she could reincarnate him as a devil in her peerage, and that she and the ORC had been watching Issei as he was scouted by Raynare. This however is a result of an AdaptationInducedPlothole.[[note]]The anime depicts Rias and the ORC watching over Issei and having them not approach him despite the danger Raynare possesses. However, the only reason Issei is revived at all is because of the summoning circle he received from Rias' familiar summoning her to him, something not needed if Rias was truly watching him and expecting him to die. In addition, someone doesn't have to ''die'' to become a devil, as several characters in Sona's peerage were ordinary humans until she either asked them, or they requested themselves, to join the peerage. Meaning, Rias could have easily just asked Issei to join her peerage if she was already scouting him, much like she did for Xenovia and Rossweisse later on.[[/note]]

** The actions of Raynare in regards to Issei are often believed to be a result of her disobeying Azazel's orders to monitor Issei and outright killing him instead than risk the potential threat. In truth, Azazel himself ordered Issei's death due to seeing him too great a risk. This is understandable due to Azazel undergoing CharacterizationMarchesOn, as most of Azazel's appearances depict him as a Sacred Gear loving nut. Combined with the fact he willingly adopted Vali, the wielder of Divine Dividing and a half-devil, it makes his decision to have Issei killed come across as odd, hence the confusion.
** Riser Phenex is often seen as an misogynistic ArrogantKungFuGuy willing to kill Issei for interfering with his wedding with Rias. This however is a result of an AdaptationPersonalityChange, as the Anime depicts him this way, while the original LightNovel depicts him as still arrogant, but not without honor, respect, and decency.
** A rather common misconception is that Reincarnated Devils are essentially slaves to their masters. This however is entirely dependent on the master. While some devils like Diodora Astaroth do treat their servants like slaves, other Devils like Rias, Sona, and Sairaorg treat their peerages like family.[[note]]The Gremory family as a whole is known to be very kind to their servants, Sona Sitri cherishes her peerage immensely, and Sairaorg's peerage consists entirely of others that were shunned like himself that he could give a place to belong. Case in point, when Kiba goes rogue in order to hunt and destroy the Excaliburs, Rias would be within her rights to label him a stray and have him executed, however she insteads tries to find and help him, and only punishes him with some spanking.[[/note]] Even Riser's peerage is shown to have UndyingLoyalty towards him rather than need to be ordered by him. Reincarnated Devils are able to gather Peerages of their own as well, lessening the slave analogy further.

** The first ending credits of the anime. [[{{Understatement}} Probably]] has to do with Koneko-chan shaking that.

** Did Rias let Issei die so he can become her pawn and fall in love with him later, or was she really there at the right time to save him?

** The Old Satan Faction. Katerea Leviathan is quickly ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice by Azazel with only a self-sacrificed (and easily replaced) arm to show for her efforts, Creuserey Asmodeus gets obliterated into dust by Sirzechs a few minutes after his introduction, and Shalba Beelzebub is [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomped]] by Issei twice, the first as a result of Juggernaut Drive and the second resulted in Issei's first kill (even Issei himself commented on how underwhelmingly weak he was), though Shalba manages a MutualKill through underhanded means.

* EscapistCharacter: '''Issei''' to an [[UpToEleven absurd degree]]. He starts the series off as an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent, who's considered an unpopular, perverted loser by pretty much everyone along with his [[ThoseTwoGuys two friends]]. Then after joining the Occult Research Club, he spends all of his time with the [[TheBeautifulPeople most popular people in school]], wins the undying love of no less than ''seven'' absolutely gorgeous women, all of whom have [[{{Polyamory}} no problem sharing him]], and [[OfficialCouple starts a relationship]] with the most beautiful girl in school, who also happens to be a noble. He learns that he essentially shares his body with one of the most powerful beings in existence, [[TookALevelInBadass takes level after level in badass]] in record time, gains the admiration of his peers, becomes insanely rich after his new brother-in-law makes an incredibly popular TV show based on him, and said brother-in-law orders his house to be renovated into a mansion with the explicit intent of promoting intimacy by having all the Club's girls move in. The guy goes from being TheEveryman to becoming the fantasy of hormonal teenage boys everywhere before he's even reached his third year of high school.

** Creator/JadSaxton voicing Koneko Toujou became amusing once you realize that she also voiced Carla, who resembles a cat like Koneko, in ''Manga/FairyTail''. The fifth Blu-ray/DVD release of ''Fairy Tail'' was released one month before the Blu-ray/DVD release of ''High School [=DxD=]''. What's more, Saxton has a cat named Granger.

** Volume 10 ahas a lot of controversy from a few fans. There's one side who sympathize with Issei and are on his side. And think that Rias is selfish, self-centred and a spoiled brat for not understanding his feeling. Some people think that the Occult Research Club were harsh against him and come off as insensitive jerks and ungrateful bastards after Issei help all of them with their problems, and traumas. While another one sides with Rias and the Occult Research Club. Others think that Issei was a complete dense idiot for not realizing that Rias and the other girls love him and come across as an insensitive jerk for hurting Rias feeling.

** Volume 10 ahas a lot of controversy from a few fans. There's one side who sympathize with Issei and are on his side. And think that Rias is selfish, self-centred and a spoiled brat for not understanding his feeling. Some people think that the Occult Research Club were harsh against him and come off as insensitive jerks and ungrateful bastards after Issei help all of them with their problems, and traumas. While another one sides with Rias and the Occult Research Club. Others think that Issei was a complete dense idiot for not realizing that Rias and the other girls love him and come across as an insensitive jerk for hurting Rias feeling.

*** Since volume 10, Rias and the Occult Research Club are portrayed out to be cold-hearted jerkass with no remorse for their actions and give over top berating to Issei for not understanding Rias feeling. Its happen in most betrayal fics. Even those that the Occult Research Club did put Issei down for being dense but in canon, they never actually turn on Issei like the fandom tries to portray them out to be.

** Raynare, [[UpToEleven to an absurd degree]]. She killed Issei with no remorse, mocked him and told him that the date was so boring that she couldn't wait to kill him as he lay dying, killed Asia with no remorse solely to get her sacred gear, and had the gall to try and beg Issei to save her after she was left to Rias' mercy. Yet that doesn't stop people from whitewashing her and making her out to be a good person deep down despite having [[HateSink no redeeming qualities at all]]. Some go even further by subjecting Rias and Asia to RonTheDeathEater solely to justify Raynare.

** Raynare, [[UpToEleven to an absurd degree]]. She killed Issei with no remorse, mocked him and telled him that the date was so boring that she couldn't wait to kill him as he lay dying, killed Asia with no remorse solely to get her sacred gear, and had the gall to try and beg Issei to save her after she was left to Rias' mercy. Yet that doesn't stop people from whitewashing her and making her out to be a good person deep down despite having [[HateSink no redeeming qualities at all]]. Some go even further by subjecting Rias and Asia to RonTheDeathEater solely to justify Raynare.

** Seriously,there is no limit to Issei's ability pull off all the crazy stuff he is able to do. To wit, he has: done a rescue mission to Asia by ''punching out a Fallen Angel so hard she bursts through the wall'' (out the window in the anime), barged in an engagement party full of devils to take back Rias, ''invented Dress Break and Bilingual out of pure lust'', defeats Riser, ''an immortal phoenix'', not with the use of his newly-found dragon powers, but by using a holy cross and holy water which he can't even use because he's a devil, but is capable to do so because his arm is a dragon's, powers up with lust and by using Rias' breasts, accidentally ''summons the Breast God'' (well Breast Fairy but still definitely counts), is capable of ''breathing fire'' to a shadow-using opponent, and was able to make the past users of Boosted Gear come back to the light and make them stop relying on Juggernaut Drive ''with breasts''. If there's one thing Rias recruited to her group, it's the fact that she recruited ''the'' craziest character of the series. ''No one'' out-crazies Issei at all in this series. And yet somehow, he's also the OnlySaneMan in the group (when he's not doing his lecherous ways).

** Raynare. She killed Issei with no remorse, mock him and telling him that the date was so boring that she couldn't wait to kill him. She killed the nun Asia with no remorse. Yet that doesn't stop people from whitewashing her and making her out to be a good person deep down. But she has no redeeming qualities at all.
** Kuroka is one as well. While she does undergo a HeelFaceTurn and was later revealed to have a FreudianExcuse for turning on her former master, she debuts attempting to kill Koneko and her friends.

* EvilIsSexy: [[FemmeFatale Raynare]].

* HolyShitQuotient: Among the highest in the history of light novels.

* MemeticMolester: Good lord, Riser. Freed and Diodora have it even worse.

** Rias also gets this, due to people exaggerating her selfishness from early on in the series, completely missing the point that as a devil, regardless of how kindhearted they could be, are still inherently selfish to a fault, with Rias not being the only devil that's portrayed as this despite good intentions.[[note]]This is mostly because of the anime showing off all of the main characters early, making it seem that she let Issei die deliberately so that she could recruit him, which has steadily crept into {{Fanon}} over time.[[/note]]
** Not just Rias, but the Gremory family like Sirzechs, Venelana, Zeoticus and some members of the Occult Research Club get this as well.
* OneSceneWonder: The ''Breast'' God when she appeared before Issei to help him defeat the evil God, Loki.
* OneTrueThreesome: Issei/Rias/Akeno is probably the most popular out of all of the show's [=OT3s=].
* PeripheryDemographic: To the surprise of Ishibumi, there are a lot of female fans of the series despite the numerous amounts of {{Fanservice}}. Heck, one bookstore had [[http://i.imgur.com/Xl1AWkz.jpg?1 the series volumes]] in the women section.

** No one expected Ophis to join the Occult Research Club.

** Given that Elmenhilde Karlstein was a minor character who was PutOnABus after volume 16, her appearance in volume 21 to become Issei's lover and eventually, [[spoiler:his pawn in his peerage]], is surprising.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: After the ''[=BorN=]'' fiasco, Ichiei Ishibumi and Kadokawa wisely chose to play damage control. Ishibumi wrote ''EX'' and Kadokawa announced in late 2017 that ''Hero'' will adapt volumes 9 to 10; the animation production studio was switched to Passione.

* InternetBackdraft: The third anime season, ''[=BorN=]'', created a huge backlash among the fandom, given how Tetsuya Yanagisawa went against the recommendations Takao Yoshioka and Ichiei Ishibumi regarding the distillation of volumes five through seven. TNK and Ishibumi have since admitted that due to the debacle, they decided remain faithful to the light novels for the next season.

* WinBackTheCrowd: ''[=BorN=]'' left a bad taste in fans' mouths because of Tetsuya Yanagisawa and TNK making several changes and adding an anime-original arc. Fortunately, they didn't dwell on it too long once the ''EX'' spin-off was written and the fourth season, ''Hero'', was produced. It was further helped when Life 0 of ''Hero'' premiered on April 10, 2018. Many fans were concerned about the switch to Passione and the resulting art shift, but most of those were won over when the first episode turned out to be a (mostly) beautifully-animated retcon of ''[=BorN=]'''s Juggernaut Drive scene, complete with the long-awaited Gropin' Dragon Song and other important details that TNK left out of their version.

'''This page contains unmarked spoilers for the first twelve volumes. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned!'''

** For some, the vampire civil war, due to what appears to be Ichiei Ishibumi using it as a side-story just to introduce [[spoiler:Rizevim Livan Lucifer]] as one of the Khaos Brigade's new leaders.

** The [[spoiler:''Breast'' God]] appearing to help defeat Loki. To be fair though, [[TropesAreNotBad it's even treated as one in-universe]].

** [[spoiler: Kiba achieving Blade Blacksmith's Balance Breaker]] even though it was never hinted until Volume 10 he had another Sacred Gear. It isn't possible to actually DEVELOP a second Sacred Gear you aren't born with.

** Among the girls of the harem, Asia and Koneko have the most naysayers. Both have relatively child-like proportions ([[spoiler:though Koneko later gains the ability to age herself up]]), which can {{Squick}} some people out of the fanservice they provide or simply make it much less appealing than with the other girls.

%%** Volume 10 and Highschool DxD Hero Episode 8 had a lot of controversy from a few fans. There are one side who sympathy with Issei and are on his side. And think that Rias is selfish, self-centred and a spoiled brat for not understanding his feeling. Some people think that Rias, Asia, Kiba, Akeno, Xenovia, Irina, Koneko, and Gasper all were harsh against him and come off as insensitive jerks and ungrateful bastards after Issei help all of them with their problems, and traumas. While another side with Rias and the Occult Research Club. Others think that Issei was a complete dense idiot for not realizing that Rias and the other girls love him and come across as an insensitive jerk for hurting Rias feeling.

** In volume 6, [[BigBad Diodora Astaroth]] mentioned how he would enjoy to rape Asia while she screams for Issei's help. Along with TheReveal that [[spoiler:Diehauser Belial and Roygun Belphegor were actually in on the Rating Game corruption]] in Volume 20, Diodora's planed sexual assault is a lot harder to swallow after film executive Harvey Weinstein was dismissed from The Weinstein Company in 2017 following reports of his history of sexual misconduct and mistreatment of female employees and actresses, including Asia's RealLife namesake, Asia Argento. It occurred ''two years'' after volumes 6 and 20 were released! And not just Weinstein. Volumes 6 and 20 came out before a period of accusations of sexual assault and harrassment by much respected and famous actors and other film/television industry big shots destroyed fans' passion for them and their work, much how [[spoiler:Diehauser and Roygun's actions revealed to the public instantly caused the devils to turn against them]].
** At first, Rias and Sairaorg are lectured for using their king pieces to fight in addition to commanding their pieces. But then, we learn that Bedeze Abaddon and Roygun Belphegor have [[spoiler:used their King pieces for not-so-legal reasons in the Rating Games]].

** Vali notes back in the fourth volume that the current red-white dragon rivalry was a bit unfair because Vali's the descendant of the old Lucifer and Issei's the son of a common {{Muggle}}. Vali wishes that Issei's parents were a bit special so they can have a more interesting match. [[spoiler:Now that Great Red and Ophis are both Issei's parents by proxy by creating a body for him from Great Red's flesh and Ophis' powers, let's just say [[TemptingFate Vali's wish came true.]] Though seeing as Vali's a BloodKnight, he's probably pleased with the development.]]

** The volume one afterword has the supposedly final battle will be between a guy who can breath flames and Issei supposedly shooting out a blaster. [[spoiler: Now read how the final clash between Issei and Jabberwocky went in volume 12.]]

** Rias is rumored to be from Europe according to Motohama. [[spoiler:Come several volumes later, Rias and her friends travel to Romania, a country located in Europe]].

* OneSceneWonder: The [[spoiler:''Breast'' God]] when she appeared before Issei to help him defeat the evil God, Loki.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: The vampire civil war that takes place in volumes 14 and 16. The only reasons why the vampires got involved in the plot was just so the writer could introduce [[spoiler:Rizevim Lucifer]], and to give a bit of much needed CharacterDevelopment for Gasper. Some fans thought that the vampire civil war needed more time to take in and develop than what was given.

** No one expected [[spoiler:Ophis]] to join the Occult Research Club.

** The real crown goes, though, to [[spoiler: the Two Heavenly Dragons (Ddraig and Albion), who decided during the great war to fight God, Satan and the leader of the Fallen Angels. They were quickly dismembered and the Sacred Gears - Boosted Gear and Divine Dividing - are what's left of them stored.]] It should be noted that in the last example [[spoiler:it was implied that the process of sealing the two dragons took everything the Three Factions had, may have contributed to the death of God, and left the warring sides too exhausted and spent to continue their war.]]
* WinBackTheCrowd: ''[=BorN=]'' left a bad taste in fans' mouths due to Tetsuya Yanagisawa making several changes and adding an anime-original arc. Fortunately, they didn't dwell on it too long once the ''EX'' spin-off was written and the fourth season, ''Hero'', was produced. It was further helped when Life 0 of ''Hero'' premiered on April 10, 2018. Many fans were concerned about the switch to Passione and the resulting art shift, but most of those were won over when the first episode turned out to be a (mostly) beautifully-animated retcon of ''[=BorN=]'''s Juggernaut Drive scene, complete with the long-awaited Gropin' Dragon Song and other important details that TNK left out of their version.

* EscapistCharacter: '''Issei''' to an [[UpToEleven absurd degree]]. He starts the series off as an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent, who's considered an unpopular, perverted loser by pretty much everyone along with his [[ThoseTwoGuys two friends]]. Then after joining the Occult Research Club, he spends all of his time with the [[TheBeautifulPeople most popular people in school]], wins the undying love of no less than ''seven'' absolutely gorgeous women, all of whom have [[{{Polyamory}} no problem sharing him]], and [[OfficialCouple starts a relationship]] with the most beautiful girl in school, who also happens to be a noble. He learns that he essentially shares his body with one of the most powerful beings in existence, [[TookALevelInBadass takes level after level in badass]] in record time, gains the admiration of his peers, and becomes insanely rich after his new brother-in-law makes an incredibly popular TV show based on him. The guy goes from being TheEveryman to becoming the fantasy of hormonal teenage boys everywhere before he's even reached his third year of high school.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: After the ''[=BorN=]'' fiasco, Ichiei Ishibumi and Kadokawa wisely chose to play damage control. Ishibumi wrote ''EX'' and Kadokawa announced in late 2017 that ''Hero'' will adapt volumes 9 to 10; they switched the animation production studio to Passione.

** [[AxCrazy Freed Sellzen]] is an atheist exorcist who joined the Holy Church merely to [[BloodKnight hunt down and kill monsters]]. Upon being excommunicated, Freed [[PsychoForHire loaned out his services]] to multiple villains to quench his blood thirst. [[EstablishingCharacterMoment First seen]] murdering one of Issei Hyodou's clients, Freed attempts to murder Issei himself, and when Asia Argento stops him, he [[AttemptedRape tries to rape her]], fleeing with her when Rias Gremory and her peerage overpower him. Working under the warmonger Kokabiel, Freed nearly beats Irina to death and taunts Kiba with the fact his swords were made from experiments that resulting in the deaths of Kiba's childhood friends. Finally willingly becoming a chimera for one last chance to kill the heroes, Freed even devours two of his own knights to further boost his strength.