Best Isekai Anime With Weak Main Characters

Each season seems to produce 5–10 new isekai anime, most of which feature powerful protagonists who can slay dragons with a flick of a wrist and assemble harems with little more than a smile. While these shows can lack tension since their main characters are rarely challenged in meaningful ways, they work well as power fantasies that offer an escape from the trials and exhaustion of everyday life.

However, sometimes, an isekai comes around that shakes up the status quo and forces their leads to fight for every success they experience. Weak isekai anime protagonists are not especially common, but they do exist; in fact, some of the genre's greatest stories focus on these types of heroes.

Updated on August 4, 2024, by Mark Sammut: Isekai anime with weak main characters are quite rare, with most seasons not having any contenders. For example, Summer 2024 has nearly 10 isekai anime, and nearly all of them feature powerful protagonists. No Longer Allowed in Another World almost qualifies, but Osamu Dazai's unique skill is incredibly strong. Dahlia in Bloom is technically another candidate, but the slow-life anime is not interested in conventional strength.

While they might not come around often, 2024 has already produced the best isekai anime with a weak protagonist. Click here to jump directly to this entry.

8 KonoSuba: God's Blessing On This Wonderful World!

Kazuma Satou – Specialized User With A Few Good Abilities, But Not Presented As Strong Nor Even All That Reliable

KonoSuba is one of the most beloved isekai anime of all time, and it is arguably the theme's definitive parody series. At the heart of the show's brilliance is Kazuma, a guy who dies, meets a goddess, reincarnates in a fantasy world with said deity as a companion, and spends the rest of the show rethinking his life choices.

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Even though KonoSuba does not take itself too seriously, the anime does a fantastic job of balancing Kazuma's abilities. The protagonist is by no means a complete weakling; in fact, he can generally hold his own against other humans. However, Kazuma's strengths are specialized, and he struggles in group battles or against monsters. He also stays relatively consistent throughout the series, not receiving much in the way of power boosts beyond just naturally growing through experience.

7 Re:Zero - Starting Life In Another World

Subaru Natsuki – While Return By Death Is Certainly A Powerful Ability, It Comes With Steep Consequences

Depending on someone's perspective, Subaru is either severely underpowered or extremely overpowered. While he does eventually acquire abilities that make him more of a threat in fights, Subaru spends most of Re:Zero's opening season with a single trump card: Return by Death. If the protagonist dies, he reawakens at an earlier time with his memories intact. Consequently, he can keep retrying situations until he finds a solution or a path to victory.

Unquestionably, this is a powerful ability, arguably the strongest in Re:Zero; however, Subaru needs to fail to utilize its benefits. And, he repeatedly meets horrific and traumatizing ends. Subaru wants to be a traditional isekai hero, and his growth involves accepting that his limitations mean he cannot save the day single-handedly.

6 How A Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom

Kazuya Souma – A Prime Example Of Brain Over Brawn, And He Very Much Depends Relies On The Former

Kazuya Souma might not be able to destroy an army with a single spell, but he is exactly the hero the Elfrieden Kingdom needs. The Japanese guy is summoned to the aforementioned kingdom by its ruler, who initially plans to use the newcomer as a bargaining chip. Desperate to stop that from happening, Souma proves his worth to the king by suggesting ways to improve Elfrieden's horrible financial state. Long story short, Souma becomes the kingdom's ruler as he sets out to protect its future.

Souma has some proficiency in magic, but he is by no means a fighter. The protagonist depends on his intelligence and Earth-based knowledge to justify his place in his new home, which he more than accomplishes. That said, Souma is strong in political and economic discourse (at least, for this universe), so he is more than equipped to fulfill his role.

5 Now And Then, Here And There

Shuzo Matsutani – A Child Who Very Much Acts Like One, And He Finds Himself In A Cutthroat World That Is More Than Ready To Use And Abuse The Vulnerable

A cult classic, Now and Then, Here and There came out during an era when isekai was not as inescapable as it has been since Sword Art Online blew up. AIC's anime is a very different beast than most modern entries in the genre, which has allowed it to age fairly gracefully.

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Shuuzou meets a strange girl and, before he knows it, the boy finds himself in a world that uses children as soldiers. Driven by a desire to protect the girl he saw, Shuuzou finds himself on a harrowing journey that involves torture, death, and despair. While not always an easy sit, Now and Then, Here and There is always a captivating one.

4 Handyman Saitou In Another World

Saitou – Just A Handyman, Albeit With A Few Abilities. He Contributes Quite A Bit To His Party, And Their Collective Strength Is Greater Than The Sum Of Their Parts

Handyman Saitou in Another World was a breath of fresh air when it aired in 2023. As stated by its title, the isekai anime follows a handyman who is summoned to a fantasy world. More importantly, the show sticks to its premise: Saitou is legitimately an ordinary guy whose primary contributions to his party revolve around his skills as a handyman. He cannot use magic and is basically useless with a weapon, but he can lock-pick any door or treasure.

Anime with OP protagonists have a habit of reducing their supporting characters to glorified cheerleaders who mainly exist to shower the lead with praise and adoration. Handyman Saitou in Another World circumvents this possibility by emphasizing the protagonist's dependency on the rest of his party's members, while also showing that Saitou is still an important part of the team. Adventuring is a group effort.

3 Grimgar: Ashes And Illusions

Haruhiro & Company – Dropped In A Dark Fantasy World That Has No Interest In Giving Them A Leg Up. Even As A Group, They Can Be Quickly Overwhelmed

Grimgar follows a group of students who find themselves in a magical world that severely punishes vulnerability. Except for having strength in numbers, the anime's heroes are not given any advantages or shortcuts. They need to adapt to their new lives quickly if they want to survive even the simplest of encounters. Unfortunately, the mere act of survival proves to be a challenge, as they struggle – as a group – to take down basic enemies like goblins. Grimgar is not set in a game either, so death has genuine consequences and the protagonists are vulnerable.

As good and gripping as this isekai anime is, Grimgar suffers from its short runtime. The show only produced 12 episodes and has yet to produce a sequel season, which barely put a dent in the light novel source material.

2 Ascendance Of A Bookworm

Myne – A Weak And Sick Girl Who Loves To Read But Is Also Very Weak, At Least Initially

After meeting a rather ironic end, Urano reincarnates as a young girl named Myne, who exists in a harsh world where books are not readily available to the masses. As she absolutely adores reading, Myne makes it her mission to create her own books, although this proves difficult due to her frail health.

Arguably more than any other anime with underpowered protagonists, Ascendance of a Bookworm really stresses Myne's vulnerable nature. Along with fighting social class prejudice, the girl is constantly struggling with her physical well-being. Now, she does gradually grow stronger and unlocks her magical potential, but it is a slow process and she has yet to become overpowered.

1 The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash

Ivy – A Young Girl Who Is Marked For Death Due To Being Starless, Which Means She Has Very Little Magic

No other isekai anime with a weak protagonist emphasizes that aspect as thoroughly as The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash – their lack of strength is stated in the title, and the story follows through on that promise. In this universe, a person's value is determined by their star skill, which are practical abilities that allow their users to contribute to their town. Consequently, when Ivy receives a starless Tamer skill, she instantly becomes expendable, forcing her to escape into a forest to survive. With just a slime by her side and a special bag with a few potions, this young girl has to live off the land while trying to stay a step ahead of her pursuers.

Despite a dark and intense intro, The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash eventually settles into a relaxing rhythm, with most episodes revolving around Ivy's creative attempts to make the most of a very bad situation. She even builds a rapport with a few other towns, although she tends to keep her situation a secret. While her isekai origins are rarely touched upon directly, this background is Ivy's strongest power; essentially, the protagonist is guided by her past self, helping her to make smart life-saving choices.

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