Summary

  • Idiotic isekai protagonists fail to shake off their daft personas despite reincarnation.
  • Socially clueless and oblivious, these dense protagonists bring frustration and comedy to their narratives.
  • Despite their idiotic tendencies, these lovable characters always manage to save the day in the end.

Despite originally being associated with shonen anime, the dumb protagonist trope has perforated into the isekai genre, almost becoming synonymous with the theme considering the number of hare-brained main characters found in isekai anime and manga. Often NEETs or Hikkamoris in their previous lives, these isekai-d protagonists fail to shed their daft personas and idiotic tendencies even after being reincarnated.

Isekai Anime and Manga With Ruler Protagonist
14 Isekai Anime & Manga Where The Protagonist Becomes A Ruler

Protagonists summoned to a new world undergo all sorts of predicaments, yet some are lucky enough to find themselves in royalty and power.

Some are dense enough to misinterpret romantic advances, while others are clueless airheads who make matters worse through oblivious decisions. Their half-witted actions can, at times, come off as extremely frustrating, yet they also lead to rather comedic narratives. No matter how idiotic they may be, these lovable protagonists still manage to rise to the occasion and save the day.

1 Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered But Overly Cautious

Seiya Ryuuguuin

Cautious Hero anime rista
Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious
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Release Date
October 2, 2019
Studio
White Fox
Japanese Title
Shinchou Yuusha: Kono Yuusha ga Ore Tueee Kuse ni Shinchou Sugiru
Number of Episodes
12

Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered But Overly Cautious stays true to its namesake with a protagonist who is paranoid beyond belief. Being extremely cautious, Seiya refuses to set out for battle without studiously preparing for every possible outcome. While his meticulous nature might present Seiya as a character with sharp wits, he comes off as a true idiot in terms of social interactions.

Seiya can be rather straightforward in his interactions with others, being quick to disregard others' opinions. However, the real frustration lies in his interactions with potential love interests, as this dense protagonist is entirely oblivious to the romantic sentiments of those around him.

Eventually, Cautious Hero explains Seiya's behavior through an intense backstory that justifies everything that came before it.

2 Kemono Michi: Rise Up

Genzo Shibata

main characters of kemono michi from the anime version

Release Date

Oct 2, 2019

No. Of Episodes

12

Studio

ENGI

Japanese Title

Hataage! Kemono Michi

The isekai landscape has witnessed all manner of bizarre premises, yet a thick-skulled wrestler being isekai-d to a fantasy world is somehow a first. Genzo Shibata was summoned to fight beasts and other wild animals, yet his odd love for animals resulted in him German Suplexing the princess right away.

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As bizarre as the premise of Kemono Michi: Rise Up is, this is merely the beginning of Genzo’s idiotic antics, as he goes around randomly knocking people out with a German Suplex. However, his love for animals and the goal of opening a pet shop redeems this lovable idiot.

3 My Next Life As A Villainess: All Routes Lead To Doom!

Katarina Claes

My Next Life As A Villainess: All Routes Lead To Doom!
My Next Life as a Villainess All Routes Lead to Doom
My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!
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Release Date
April 4, 2020
Studio
Silver Link
Japanese Title
Otome Game no Hametsu Flag shika Nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei shiteshimatta
Number of Episodes
24

Otome isekai anime are infamous for airhead villainesses being at the helm, and My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! Is no different. Realizing that a grim fate awaits her, Katarina Claes desperately tries to change the game's course, though she accidentally ends up charming the entire roster of the otome game.

Her airhead personality has led to fans dubbing her “Bakarina,” a term of endearment for this lovable yet extremely dense character. Apart from misinterpreting everyone’s romantic advances, Katarina often loses sight of the matter at hand, though she can always charm her way out of any pickle.

4 Uncle From Another World

Ojisan/Uncle

Shibazaki Yōsuke Smiling
Uncle From Another World
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Release Date
July 20, 2022
Studio
Atelier Pontdarc
Japanese Title
Isekai Ojisan
Number of Episodes
13

Uncle From Another World is a hidden gem within the isekai theme, almost seeming like a parody of the genre itself. What truly sets apart the anime is the lovable Uncle claiming to have lived in a fantasy world while his body was in a comatose state in the real world. Despite not being dumb in the traditional sense, Yousuke Shibazaki can be a real dunce when it comes to romantic relationships.

The explanation of his lack of awareness is even more amusing, as Uncle was never around to experience any of the latest harem tropes in anime, meaning he can’t even fathom women throwing themselves at him. Instead, he references SEGA games to make sense of the fantasy world, though his attempts at such comprehension end up making him seem like an idiot.

5 An Observation Log of My Fiancé Who Calls Herself A Villainess

Bertia Ibil Noches

An Observation Log of My Fiancé Who Calls Herself a Villainess

Release Date

May 7, 2018

No. Of Chapters

38

Author

Shiki

Japanese Title

Jishou Akuyaku Reijou na Konyakusha no Kansatsu Kiroku

Unlike other isekai villainesses, Bertia Ibil Noches takes on the role of being an otome antagonist rather earnestly. However, her efforts to be a heinous character almost always end up backfiring, as what she views as evil comes off as sincere and kind to others. Bertia is as dense as they come, with the self-proclaimed villainess desperate to convince Crown Prince Cecil of her transmigration.

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To Prince Cecil and the rest, Bertia comes off as a kindhearted person with an eccentric personality, though no one seems to mind her oddities, especially Prince Cecil, who finds delight in Bertia’s dramatic claims. The entire premise of An Observation Log of My Fiancé Who Calls Herself a Villainess is comedy gold, turning a rather common premise into an amusing isekai manga.

6 Re:Zero − Starting Life In Another World

Subaru Natsuki

subaru natsuki from the anime re zero
Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World-
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Release Date
April 3, 2016
Studio
White Fox
Japanese Title
Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu
Number of Episodes
65

Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World is often regarded as one of the best isekai anime out there, mostly owing to its phenomenal writing. Despite such a status, the show features a dense protagonist at the forefront, and while Subaru might not be as idiotic as his isekai counterparts, he has a clear streak of irrational decisions.

His insecurities can also get the best of him, resulting in Subaru pushing away his friends with his daft behavior. Even with the ability to cheat death with his memories intact, Subaru has a habit of making the same mistakes over and over again, feeding into his image of being a certified idiot.

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