Campione!
is a Japanese light novel series written by and illustrated by. 21 volumes were published by Shueisha from May 2008 to November 2017, first under their Super Dash Bunko imprint and then under their Dash X Bunko imprint since.
It has been adapted into a manga series published in Shueisha's Super Dash & Go!. A 13-episode anime television series, produced by Diomedéa aired on AT-X and Tokyo MX from July to September 2012. Sentai Filmworks released an English dub of the TV series in North America. The novel's story focuses on Godou Kusanagi, a former middle school baseball player who was forced to retire due to injury, as he becomes a Campione after killing the god of war, Verethragna. Hanabee Entertainment later licensed the series in 2014. There is a sequel titled Campione! Lord of Realms, and a spin-off based on it, ''Shiniki no Campiones''
Plot
Godou Kusanagi, a former middle school baseball player who had to retire due to injury, is asked by his grandfather to return a stone tablet to a friend in Sardinia named Lucrezia Zora. After meeting the demonically manipulative sword-mistress Erica Blandelli, he encounters the god of war, Verethragna. After killing the god, Godou becomes a Campione, or god slayer. His duty is to fight heretical gods who start changing things to suit themselves, usually at the expense of the people in the area. One of the problems associated with being a Campione, is that his status keeps attracting attention and difficult girls. Erica, who strongly professes her love for him, usually creates awkward and misunderstood situations for him in particular. Every time he fights a god, he kisses one of the girls he has brought with him.
Characters
Campiones
Campione, or God Slayers, are humans who have obtain the abilities of the first slain god called Authorities. They have enhanced bodies that can heal from even mortal wounds much faster and magic abilities which exceed that of the most powerful mages. They also have very high magic immunity which protects them from mortal enemy magic, but also prevents them from receiving beneficial magic such as teaching or healing. Thus, a caster has to deliver the spells internally through methods such as kissing or ingestion. The number of the Campiones are in chronological from when they first appeared, not a reference to power level or actual age.
Heretic Gods
Heretic Gods, or Rogue Gods, are gods that come to exist in real world, rather than staying as myths. A human who weakens and killed a Heretic God single-handedly will gain their abilities and become a Campione, while Campiones can also kill other Heretic Gods single-handedly to gain more abilities. Killing a Heretic God who is already weakened by someone else or cooperating with other people during the fight to kill them will not receive any ability. Note that even if killed, Heretic Gods will resurrect later as long as the myth is still known among humans.
Secondary characters
;Karen Jankulovski
Media
Light novel
The first volume of Campione! was published on May 28, 2008. The series ended with the release of the 21st volume on November 22, 2017.
Manga
A manga adaptation illustrated by Jirō Sakamoto was serialized from the inaugural October 2011 issue of Shueisha's Super Dash & Go! to the magazine's final April 2013 issue, and was compiled into three volumes.
Anime
A 13-episode anime adaptation produced by Diomedéa and directed by Keizo Kusakawa aired in Japan on AT-X from July 6 to September 28, 2012 and has been licensed in North America by Sentai Filmworks. The anime adapts the first five volumes of the light novels, with the final episode being a self-contained story. The opening theme song is "BRAVE BLADE!" by Megu Sakuragawa and the closing theme song is "Raise" by Yui Ogura.