Spring 1969

Warlord Daigo Kagemitsu bargains with forty-eight demons for the power to fulfill his ambitions, offering them parts of his unborn son's body in return. The child is born without many limbs and senses and is cast into a river, but survives and grows up using prosthetics and weapons concealed within his artificial body.Years later, Hyakkimaru wanders the country killing demons, recovering a stolen body part from each one he defeats. During his travels he rescues Dororo, a stubborn young thief who decides to follow him. They cross a Japan torn by war and exploitation, where every victory gives Hyakkimaru another piece of himself while bringing him closer to the truth about the father who traded his body for power.

After their tiny home planet Umeboshi is destroyed, its royal family escapes to Earth and ends up living with an ordinary human household. The king, queen, and young prince bring royal pride but very little practical sense, so attempts to adapt to Earth life repeatedly turn into strange misunderstandings, inventions, and cheerful disasters.