Flavius Odoacer (433–493), also known as Flavius Odovacer (German: Odoaker), is a Germanic soldier, who in 476 becomes the first King of Italy (476-493).

His reign is commonly seen as marking the end of the Western Roman Empire.

Though the real power in Italy is in his hands, he represents himself as the client of Julius Nepos and, after Nepos' death in 480, of the Emperor in Constantinople.

Odoacer generally uses the Roman honorific patrician, granted by the Emperor Zeno, but is referred to as a king (Latin rex) in many documents and he himself uses it at least once and on another occasion it is used by the consul Basilius.

Odoacer introduces few important changes into the administrative system of Italy.

He has the support of the Senate at Rome and is able to distribute land to his followers without much opposition.

Unrest among his warriors leads to violence in 477–478, but no such disturbances occur during the later period of his reign.

Although Odoacer is an Arian Christian, he rarely intervenes in the affairs of the orthodox and trinitarian state church of the Roman Empire.

Probably of Scirian descent, Odoacer is a military leader in Italy who leads the revolt of Herulians, Rugians, and Scirians soldiers that deposes Romulus Augustulus on September 4, 476.

Augustulus had been declared Western Emperor by his father, the rebellious general of the army in Italy, less than a year before, but had been unable to gain allegiance or recognition beyond central Italy.

With the backing of the Roman Senate, Odoacer thenceforth rules Italy autonomously, paying lip service to the authority of Julius Nepos, the last Western emperor and Zeno the emperor of the East.

Upon Nepos' murder in 480, Odoacer invades Dalmatia, to punish the murderers.

He does so, executing the conspirators, but within two years also conquers the region and incorporates it into his domain.

When Illus, master of soldiers of the Eastern Empire, asks for Odoacer’s help in 484 in his struggle to depose Zeno, Odoacer invades Zeno’s westernmost provinces.

The emperor responds first by inciting the Rugi of present Austria to attack Italy.

During the winter of 487–488 Odoacer crosses the Danube and defeats the Rugi in their own territory.

Zeno also appoints the Ostrogoth Theoderic, who is menacing the borders of the Eastern Empire, to be king of Italy, turning one troublesome, nominal vassal against another.

Theoderic invades Italy in 489 and by August 490 has captured almost the entire peninsula, forcing Odoacer to take refuge in Ravenna.

The city surrenders on March 5, 493; Theoderic invites Odoacer to a banquet of reconciliation and there kills him.

Odoacer is the earliest ruler of Italy for whom an autograph of any of his legal acts has survived to the current day.

The larger portion of a record of Odoacer granting properties in Sicily and the island of Melita on the Adriatic coast to Pierius and issued in 488, is written in his reign.