Isekai isone of the most popular genres of animefor a good reason. It’s a category filled with powerful characters, great friendships, and some of the most interesting worlds just waiting to be explored. Isekai as a whole has a lot of subgenres within it as well, giving even casual viewers a chance to check out their favorite tropes across a myriad of fun worlds. The best isekai series aren’t about one thing in particular, other than a character heading to a new world with new rules and new adventures to be had.
Some isekai series treat their plots seriously. These shows feature a character withhigh stakes at every corner, forcing them to get stronger to protect the people closest to them. Other shows are much less serious, featuring a character who is already incredibly powerful coming to a new world to just have a good time.
BOFURI: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, So I’ll Max Out My Defense
Cast
Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, So I’ll Max Out My Defense follows Kaede Honjou as she navigates a virtual reality MMO game. Seeking to avoid pain, she invests heavily in her character’s defense, surprisingly unlocking powerful abilities that enable her to embark on various in-game adventures with unique challenges.
Bofuriis one of the most adorable series in all anime. It features a spectacular cast of characters as they look to build a guild worthy of the top rank in a new video game that everybody is playing. While it’s not a traditional isekai in that Maple and her friends aren’t transported to a new world, it does qualify as an isekai because the entire plot of the show takes place in another world. To say that Maple and her clan dominate the game that they’re in would be a massive understatement.
10 Isekai Anime Every New Fan Should Watch If They Need a New Addiction
Isekai is a unique sub-genre within anime that tells the story of a normal person transported to a new world. Here are some of the best.
Instead of distributing her stats evenly like most video game players would, Maple puts them all in defense. She becomes so strong defensively that no other character or enemy can harm her. It’s a wonderfully simple premisethat never gets old, allowing Maple and the rest of Maple Tree to cruise around their game without a care in the world.
I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince so I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability
I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince So I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability follows Prince Lloyd, who retains memories of being a sorcerer in a past life. Now reincarnated, he navigates the challenges of royal life as a 10-year-old while pursuing mastery of his magical skills.
I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Princeis one of thebest isekai seriesfor anyone who loves an obscenely overpowered main character. Prince Lloyd wasn’t reincarnated into a different world like most isekai characters. Instead, he was reincarnated back into the world he just came from. This time, however, he was reincarnated asthe Kingdom’s 7th Prince, giving him access to a huge pool of mana and even more resources to draw upon.
There aren’t many other characters within Lloyd’s worldthat can stand up to him, and he’s still a child. When he’s fighting, he’s a walking one-man-army, taking down everyone in his way and making even the strongest demons around loyal to him out of pure fear.7th Prince’sanimation is fantastic, the story is simple, and there are plenty of great fights to keep everyone entertained throughout the series.
Ascendance of a Bookworm
Ascendance of a Bookworm is an anime comedy series based on the manga of the same name. Motosu Urano, a book-loving college student, is reincarnated in a medieval world as a frail girl with a voracious appetite for reading named Myrne. In a world where books are scarce and only available to the elite, Myne decides to create her own publishing group and create books to once again bring reading to the masses.
Some of the best isekai series have the most simple premises, andThe Ascendance of a Bookwormis no exception. Urano Motosu loves books more than anything. When she’s reincarnated as Main, she finds herself in a world devoid of books. Even though she’s been reborn as a sickly girl in a medieval-era town where books are incredibly hard to come by,she couldn’t care less.She spends her days doing whatever she can to get back to her life of reading her favorite books like a true bookworm should.
While other isekai characters are tasked with saving the world, Main just wants to read.Bookworm’spremise is straightforward enough to not over-complicate thingsand gives Main a great motivation throughout the show. Her friends don’t really understand her desire to read, but they’ll still support her nonetheless.
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation follows a man who, after being reincarnated in a magical world, sets out to live his life without regrets. Adopting the name Rudeus Greyrat, he embarks on a journey of personal growth and adventure, armed with both his past life’s knowledge and newfound magical abilities. The series explores themes of redemption, self-discovery, and the quest to overcome personal failures.
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnationis one of themore controversial anime series. It stars a jobless, middle-aged man who gives up on life as he dies and reincarnates as Rudeus Greyrat in a new world with magic and monsters. He’s given a second chance at life with a huge pool of mana to draw from and an immediate affinity with magic. He still has all of his old memories as well, so he’s able to beyears ahead of the people around himemotionally and intellectually.
While there are some questionable moments in the show,there’s no denying how greata couple of its key qualities are. The animation is consistently good, Rudeus has one of the most thorough character arcs in anime, and the world ofMushoku Tenseionly gets more interesting as the story progresses.
Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World-
Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World- follows the story of Natsuki Subaru, a young man suddenly transported to a fantasy world. Struggling to understand his new environment, he discovers he has the ability to return from death, allowing him to change past events. With each resurrection, Subaru forges alliances and confronts the challenges of this alternate realm, endeavoring to protect those he grows to care for while unraveling the mysteries surrounding his predicament.
Re:Zerois one of the most brutal series in anime. Within isekai itself,Re:Zerois an incredibly unique series with themes of loss, fighting fate, and surpassing your own limits. Natsuki Subaru is transported to another world when he dies and finds himself in a new world with magic, monsters, and so much more. While other isekai heroes get great powers in their new world, Subaru’s power isReturn by Death,one of the most bittersweet powers in anime.
When he dies, he’s transported back to a previous point in his life. It seems like a good power on the surface, until Subaru realizes that he’s going to have to die over and over again to use it, feeling theexcruciating painfrom every death constantly. He somehow finds the courage and bravery needed to live and die time and time again, finding new ways to beat death, save his friends, and find out more about his mysterious power.
5Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest
Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest (2015)
Arifuretais a great power-creep revenge anime for fans of edgy anime. The series stars Hajime Nagumo, a normal high schooler from Japan who gets transported to a new world with his entire class and teacher in order to fight the demons for humanity. After he gets betrayed by one of his classmates, Nagumo finds a new strength within himself and becomes one of the strongest characters in the series, fighting for his friends in an attempt to find a new way back home.
While there are some issues withArifuretathat can make it an uncomfortable watch at times, there are a lot of great aspects that make it an insanely popular series. Nagumo is beyond overpowered, using guns and modern military weaponry in a world with swords and magic. He’s also surrounded by a harem of women who are each absurdly strong as well, using their unique gifts to support Nagumo throughout his journey.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is an action-adventure isekai anime based on the original novels written by Fuse. Living a standard life with no actual forward trajectory, Satoru Mikami’s humdrum life is thrown into chaos when he is stabbed to death during a daily walk. However, Satoru’s life is spared when he is reborn into the body of an all-powerful slime in a fantasy world where he gets a second chance at living a more fulfilling - albeit bizarre - life.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slimeis one of the lighter isekai series in tone. It stars Rimuru Tempest as he finds himself reincarnated into a new world as a lowly slime. While most slimes are the lowest level of creature, Rimuru gets an ability that allows him to gain the powers of whatever he consumes. This allows him to quickly become one of the strongest characters inSlime,giving him the power to decimate thousands of enemy soldiers with a single spell when needed.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Officially Confirmed for Season 4 Alongside New Movie
One of the best isekai anime around isn’t leaving fans waiting for long with the announcement of That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime season 4.
Slimealso features one of the best worlds in isekai. There are multiple governments with their own agendas, and Rimuru is finding the best way to create his own nation within the world. While the third season is aptly named ‘That Time I Got Reincarnated in a Meeting’ for its massive exposition dumps, the rest of the series has great characters,solid fights, and tons of great jokes.
Overlord
Overlord follows a salaryman who, after being trapped in a virtual reality game, assumes the role of an all-powerful skeletal overlord. As he navigates this new world filled with magic and mythical creatures, he seeks to understand the game’s mysteries and conquer its challenges. The series blends elements of fantasy and adventure, exploring themes of power and identity.
Overlordis a unique isekai series in that the main character, Ainz Ooal Gown, might not exactly be a hero. He’s certainly a hero to his loyal followers within the Tomb of Nazarick, his home, but the people outside of it might not agree.Overlordallows its main character to be the titular Overlord himself, ruling through power and fear. While other isekai protagonists might be worried about how they’re perceived, or do their best to protect the world at large, Ainz couldn’t care less.
He’s killed hundreds of thousands of enemy soldiers in the blink of an eye in one of the bestmoments of mass destruction in anime. He’s on the search for another real player trapped in the world of Yggradsil, but until he finds one, he’s perfectly happy dominating the world using his absurd powers and finding the inner workings of his new home at the same time.
Saga of Tanya the Evil
Saga of Tanya the Evil is a fantasy anime series set in a parallel universe during World War I. The story follows Tanya Degurechaff, a young girl who is reincarnated as a soldier in a fantasy world, and rises through the ranks of the Empire’s military to become a powerful mage.
Like Ainz fromOverlord,Tanya von Degurechaff couldn’t care less about how she’s perceived. In her past life, she was a normal salaryman, murdered by a disgruntled coworker. She blasphemed Being X as she died, the purported creator of her universe. In order to get revenge and teach the salaryman a lesson, Being X reincarnated him as a small child named Tanya in a world at war.
To say that Tanya has thrived in this new environment would be an understatement. She’s an incredible leader,a one-man army, and not someone any of her enemies want to meet on the battlefield. She mows down her enemies quickly and brutally like a true warrior and continues to forsake the Being that brought her to her new world with every chance that she gets. Maybe one day she’ll repent for her sins, but until then, her enemies had better be on guard.
KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!
KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!, commonly referred to as KonoSuba, is a Japanese anime series based on the novels of the same name from writer Natsume Akatsuki and illustrator Kurone Mishima. The series revolves around a man named Kazuma, who is offered a second chance at life on a magical world after he dies.
KonoSubaisthe funniest isekai series ever made. While other series have moments of great humor,KonoSubais surrounded by laughs. It’s hilarious from its premise to the end of each episode, and it never lets up. The story is set around Kazuma Satou, a normal guy from Japan who finds himself reincarnated into a new world and tasked with destroying the Demon King. When the goddess Aqua laughs at him while telling him he’s allowed to take anything with him, he chooses her, leading to a series of hijinks.
Everyone in Kazuma’s group is a misfit. His mage Megumin can fire the most powerful spell in the world ofKonoSuba,but only once a day. His front-line tank, Darkness, can take a ton of damage, but she can’t damage anything in return. And even the goddess Aqua has more party tricks than she does intelligence.KonoSubais a hilarious series filled with a ton of funny moments that any isekai fan will fall in love with.
