Summary

  • Isekai anime excel at throwing average characters into fantasy realms with magic and might.
  • Some isekai anime subvert the trope of the overpowered protagonist, adding unique traits.
  • Overlord, No Game No Life, and.hack//Sign offer unique takes on isekai storytelling.

With the isekai genre growing larger every anime season with dozens of releases, the fanbase continues to grow, too. Isekai anime excel at throwing unsuspecting average characters into vast fantasy realms where magic and might reign as the dominant forces of the world. Of the many isekai anime that have been released, some have begun to subvert the trope of the average main protagonist becoming overpowered, adding unique traits to their personality.

strongest Swordfighters In Isekai Anime featured image
7 Isekai Anime With The Best Fights

These are some of the best fights in the world of isekai anime that kept viewers on their toes.

3

One such anime is Overlord, which drags an average gamer into a fantasy world and gives them the powers of an undead lich. Overlord follows Ainz on his journey as he decides to rule over the new world he's been teleported to and turn it into a utopia for himself and his allies. While the Overlord anime has finished its recent season, it does have a film quickly approaching release. For fans looking to experience something similar, here are some of the best anime to watch that are like Overlord.

8 No Game No Life

A Brother And Sister Face Down A God

No Game, No Life
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Studio
Madhouse
Creator
Yuu Kamiya
Number of Episodes
12
Streaming Service(s)
HIDIVE, Hulu

Sora and Shiro are destitute siblings who share a symbiotic relationship, becoming NEET-like individuals who rarely venture outside their home. Most of Shiro and Sora's lives revolve around their obsession with video games and puzzles, and they throw themselves neck deep in any game that holds their focus.

Suddenly, their obsession pulls them into a mythical world ruled by the god of games, Tet. After a chance encounter, Sora and Shiro find themselves taking on the god of games directly as they stand up for a crumbling nation. No Game No Life matches Overlord's whimsical moments and the main characters' unique ambitions.

7 .hack//Sign

A Lone Mage Stuck In A Virtual World

.hack//Sign
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Studio
Bee Train
Based On
Game
Number of Episodes
26
Streaming Service(s)
Tubi

.hack//Sign is a classic anime that debuted in the early 2000s and was one of the first few anime that dealt with players being stuck in their favorite video game. In it, Tsukasa wakes up in a game called The World, unable to log out or remember who he was before logging into the game.

Manga Where Protagonist Commands Armies Header Image
13 Isekai Anime & Manga Where Protagonists Lead Armies Into Battle

There are likely hundreds if not thousands of isekai heroes in anime and manga at this point. But, only a few of them have led armies of soldiers.

As he wanders the endless lands of the artificial world, he encounters allies who seek to get to the bottom of his predicament. As Tsukasa and his friends dive deeper into the mysteries of The World, they risk their own psyches and being lost in the game forever. Tsukasa's mentality of slowly blurring between being human and being a part of The World matches how Ainz slowly grows into his character model's personality.

6 Arifureta

A Hero-Turned Renegade Forges A Path Of His Own

Arifureta: From Commonplace To World's Strongest
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Studio
Asread, White Fox, Studio Mother
Creator
Ryo Shirakome
Number of Episodes
42
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll

Hajime was transported to another world along with all of his classmates and teacher. Upon arrival, he and all his classmates were granted special powers to aid this new world in combating an approaching calamity. While Hajime's abilities were considered less than those of his peers, he tried his best to be useful. Unfortunately, Hajime was betrayed and left for dead at the bottom of a dungeon.

Being pushed to the edge, Hajime evolved into a person who could survive at the bottom of said dungeon, and upon making new allies (a beast woman, a vampire, and a dragon), he now has turned his back on his old classmates and his humanity to find a way home and keep his new family safe.

5 How Not To Summon A Demon Lord

An Action-Packed Power Fantasy

How Not to Summon a Demon Lord
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Studio
Ajia-do Animation Works, Tezuka Productions, Okuruto Noboru
Creator
Yukiya Murasaki
Number of Episodes
22
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll

A hardcore MMO gamer, known for his unbelievably strong character in the game, is teleported to another world when a beautiful elf and a demi-human's summoning spell calls him to them. However, instead of taking the form of the shut-in that only plays MMOs, he instead takes the form of his in-game avatar, Diablo. Possessing all the abilities and powers of his character, he takes full advantage of his new form.

Heeding the call of his summoners, he becomes the most powerful being in the entire kingdom and maybe even the world. The main characters of Overlord and How Not to Summon a Demon Lord share incredible magic abilities and see themselves above most other beings in the world to which they have been teleported.

4 Skeleton Knight In Another World

Follows A Character Who Is Trapped In A Game-Like World

Skeleton Knight in Another World
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Studio
Studio Kai, Hornets
Creator
Ennki Hakari
Number of Episodes
12
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll

Quite similar to Ainz in Overlord, Arc also woke up in another world that was similar to his favorite fantasy game while he was a human. To Arc's surprise, he has been teleported to a fantasy world in sparkling white armor, but beneath said armor is the body of a skeleton.

Arc has all the skills and magic spells of a paladin but must hide his appearance or risk being hunted down by an angry mob. He quickly falls into his place as a masked hero, gains notoriety, and forms a small party. While saving the day, Arc seeks to return his appearance to normal through magic that may be out there in the new world he resides in.

3 Log Horizon

An Adventure That Grows Along With The Main Character

Log Horizon
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Studio
Satelight, Studio Deen
Creator
Mamare Touno
Number of Episodes
62
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll, Hulu

In a random tragedy, thousands of players are trapped inside the virtual world of the most popular game in the country, Elder Tale. Among them is a hardcore game veteran named Shiroe, who takes hold of his panic and uses it to take advantage of his new circumstances.

Shiro sets out to learn the world of Elder Tale inside and out and hopefully find some way to free himself and the others. Along the way, the real-life aspects of the game begin to take a toll, and the growing threats of chaos force him to act. Like Overlord, Log Horizon takes a step back to look closer at the grand scheme of the world that thousands now call home.

2 Sword Art Online

A Series That Rebirthed The Isekai Genre

Sword Art Online
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Studio
A-1 Pictures
Creator
Reki Kawahara
Number of Episodes
96
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll, Hulu

Sword Art Online is an anime that revolutionized the isekai genre and is praised as one of the most successful anime in the genre. In it, Kirito and thousands of other players become the captives of a sinister developer who traps their minds inside his own game. The developer forces them to live out their lives until the tower inside the game can be climbed and their freedom can be earned.

A split image of Soma Hero That Saved The Kingdom, Konosuba, and Grimgar Of Ashes And Fantasy
5 Best Isekai Anime Featuring Reluctant Heroes

Not all anime protagonists want to be heroes. Here are some of the best Isekai anime that feature such characters.

4

Kirito, who has a reputation for being a solo player, learns quickly that the task of survival is too great to do alone. Accompanied by a skilled warrior, he and Asuna join together and learn to trust and love one another as they help each other to climb the tower and beat the game.

1 Jobless Reincarnation

An Amazing Isekai Tale That Leaves An Impression

Mushoku Tensei Jobless Reincarnation
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Studio
Studio Bind
Creator
Rifujin na Magonote
Number of Episodes
39+
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll, Hulu

Once a recluse NEET, traumatized at an early age, Rudeus Grayrat found himself born into a new life in a new world after dying tragically. With his memories and skills intact, Rudeus took to the world's fantasy aspects, quickly becoming quite a powerful mage at a young age.

But with a second chance at life, Rudeus quickly learns that, to avoid turning out like he did in a past life, he must make the right choices this time around, which proves to be more complex with every step. Jobless Incarnation tells an amazing story about growth, regret, and healing trauma while wrapped in the blanket of a fantasy-action adventure.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image
overlord.jpg
Overlord
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget
Release Date
2015 - 2022
Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Studio
Madhouse
Creator
Kugane Maruyama
Number of Episodes
52
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll, Netflix