15 Best Isekai Anime Of All Time

Summary

• The isekai genre offers a wide range of storytelling possibilities, from intense political thrillers to absurd comedies, making it incredibly appealing.
• The best isekai anime stand out by transcending tired tropes, such as
  The Boy and the Beast,
  which is a standout tale of found family and coming of age.
• These unique and refreshing shows, like
  Re:Zero
  and
  That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime
  , challenge typical isekai conventions, offering a more serious and strategic approach to the genre.

With how many superb shows and movies fall into the genre, ranking the best isekai anime of all time has become quite a difficult task in modern years. Isekai is one of the most popular genres of anime, involving a protagonist from the real world getting transported to an alternate dimension. Despite a large amount of new entries failing to be more than just uninteresting power fantasies, there are a variety of isekai anime that transcend these tired tropes.

The beauty of the isekai genre is that it contains the potential to tell pretty much any type of story imaginable. An isekai anime could be an intense political thriller featuring various fantastical kingdoms vying for world domination, or it could be an absurdist comedy lampooning typical fantasy tropes. This means that a list of the best isekai of all time will encompass a selection of vastly different stories, but this is a testament to the great appeal of isekai’s central premise.

15 Campfire Cooking In Another World With My Absurd Skill Is A Laid-Back Good Time

Based on the light novels by Ren Eguchi & produced by MAPPA

Mukouda Tsuyoshi joins the ranks of the best chefs in anime when he is mistakenly transported to a fantasy kingdom. Rather than join the heroes’ party, Mukouda makes a living using his single special ability: buying food from Earth to cook with. Fans enjoy watching Mukouda become happier and more successful with his new enterprise than he ever was in the modern world: he’s too shy and humble for the action-hero life to fit him, either. Just as popular are his answer to an adventuring party: the group of familiars that adore his food and follow him loyally, making up for his lack of combat skill in a hostile world.

While the series isn’t necessarily breaking new ground, Campfire Cooking’s peaceful tone and focus on cooking are more than enough to make the series memorable. Isekai has always been about escaping into a new world, so seeing Mukouda live out his dream with a group of monster pals is a perfect example of what makes the genre so popular.

Fans of
Campfire Cooking In Another World With My Absurd Skill
might also enjoy the series
Farming Life in Another World.

Watch on Crunchyroll

14 KonoSuba Is Filled With Non-Stop Hilarity Poking Fun At The Genre

Based on the web novel by Natsume Akatsuki

Death is nothing like Kazuma Satou imagined: he is met by the goddess Aqua, who offers him the chance to reincarnate in a fantasy world with the destiny of saving it. Kazuma agrees, dragging Aqua in alongside him! KonoSuba has amassed a devoted fan base for its parody approach to the genre, making fun of usual isekai tropes far more than it plays them straight. For instance, rather than being a revered prophetic hero and his noble magic-wielding companion, Kazuma is usually just the butt of everyone’s jokes and Aqua is more likely to make fun of someone than help them out.

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13 The Vision Of Escaflowne Is One Of The Most Iconic Anime Ever Made

Original series written by Shoji Kawamori, directed by Kazuki Akane & produced by Sunrise Studios

Hitomi Kanzaki never paid much mind to her occasional visions of the future…until a vision showing her life turned upside down by a dragon-slaying prince comes true. Transported to the world of Gaea alongside Prince Van, Hitomi must help him learn the secrets of the Guymelef mecha. Escaflowne became one of the hits of the nineties for its thrilling story, beautiful animation, and above all, top-tier execution of the isekai genre and all its tropes.

It’s also one of the few isekai to combine medieval fantasy with the mecha genre: two opposites that normally would not go together at all, but feel natural here. All of this makes The Vision of Escaflowne not just one of the best isekai series, but one of the best 90s anime series in general.

Watch on Funimation

12 Fushigi Yuugi (1995)

Based on the manga by Yuu Watase & produced by Studio Pierrot

Miaka and Yui’s lives change forever when they are sucked into an ancient library book. Meeting a young warrior named Tamahome is just the beginning of their harrowing journey, as they are caught up in a brewing war. One of the highest-rated isekai on MyAnimeList, Fushigi Yuugi began airing in 1995, and its influence can be seen in many isekai that came out in the almost thirty years since, such as the stranger from Earth being the subject of prophecy and use of Japanese and Chinese legends and mythological creatures to enrich the new world. Its complex story, memorable characters, and mature tone keep it a classic isekai that many fans still regard as one of the best.

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11 Magic Knight Rayearth Is A Wonderful Blending Of Mecha & Fantasy

Anime Series By TMS Entertainment; Based On The Manga By Clamp

TMS Entertainment’s Magic Knight Rayearth stars Hikaru Shidou, Umi Ryuuzaki, and Fuu Hououji, a trio of girls who are suddenly called to the magical world of Cephiro by its ruler, Princess Emeraude. There, they learn that Emeraude has been captured by the evil high priest Zagato, and Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu must become the Magic Knights of legend to defeat Zagato and free Emeraude from her suffering.

In addition to having all the great character writing that Clamp stories are known to excel at, Magic Knight Rayearth‘s blending of fantasy and mecha themes and action makes for a uniquely engaging story from start to finish, and with how oversaturated modern isekai is with derivative stories, that uniqueness is especially noteworthy. It’s a truly standout series among Clamp’s works, and with a Magic Knight Rayearth reboot officially in development, now’s the perfect time to start watching.

10 Outbreak Company Parodied Isekai Well Before The Genre Was Overdone

Anime Series By Feel; Based On The Light Novel By Ichiro Sakaki

In Feel’s Outbreak Company, the Japanese government has recently made contact with the fantasy world of the Holy Eldant Empire and has started making efforts to ally with them. The government decided that the best way to do so would be to teach the citizens of the Holy Eldant Empire about anime and manga, and to that end, they recruited major otaku Shinichi Kanou to help spread his knowledge of anime across the land.

Outbreak Company‘s reference-laden comedy and fantasy parody stylings always do a great job of playing with the typical conventions of the isekai genre, and that’s made even more impressive by how the series came out before isekai started to become overdone. Add in some clever twists near the end that completely engagingly recontextualize the story, and it’s an underrated gem any isekai fan should give a chance.

9 Ascendance Of A Bookworm Is A Surprisingly Fun Fantasy Tale

Based on the light novel series by Miya Kazuki & produced by Wit Studio

Dying in the real world, Urano Motosu wishes to be reborn, so she can keep reading. She is, but there’s a catch: it’s in a world at a level of technology before the dawn of the printing press, so books are incredibly rare. While some viewers are turned off by its slow pace, others who aren’t looking for action find it refreshing to follow an isekai protagonist who aspires to be a librarian rather than a warrior. Urano — now an adorable kid hero named Myne — is determined to spread literature throughout her new world even if she has to hand-copy every single book she’s ever read by memory, a noble goal whose execution is interesting to follow.

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8 The Twelve Kingdoms Is A Unique, Historical Exploration Of A Fantasy Sub-Genre

Based on the fantasy novels by Fuyumi Ono & produced by Studio Pierrot

Youko Nakajima doesn’t have to die to be transported to her fantasy world, but it isn’t more pleasant when a strange creature appears to her, declares his eternal loyalty, and whisks her away. Twelve Kingdoms takes a much more grounded approach to the typical isekai premise despite its prominent magical and fantasy elements, with each society and its politics being thoroughly explored. Youko herself goes through a dynamic transformation from a frightened teenager to a confident and wise warrior queen, mastering her powers more realistically than in a flashier isekai that just wants to rush through development to get to battle scenes, making Twelve Kingdoms one of the best series in the genre.

Watch on Crunchyroll

7 The Eminence in Shadow (2022)

Based on the novel series by Daisuke Aizawa & produced by Studio Nexus

Cid Kagenou was a Japanese high schooler who always dreamed of being a mysterious figure manipulating events from behind the scenes. When he is transported to another world, he is finally able to live out these fantasies, easily becoming one of his new world’s most powerful figures. What makes this show different from the other generic power fantasies that plague the isekai genre is that it takes this premise to a ridiculously delightful extreme. This is what makes it one of the best isekai anime despite its seemingly trashy premise.

Watch on Hulu

6 Inuyasha Is Still A Classic Shōnen Anime

Anime Series By Sunrise; Based On The Manga By Rumiko Takahashi

In Sunrise’s Inuyasha, Kagome Higurashi is a seemingly normal girl who awakens to spiritual powers after being sucked into Sengoku-era Japan and freeing the vicious half-demon Inuyasha from his imprisonment. After accidentally shattering the powerful Shikon Jewel, Kagome and Inuyasha must travel together to reassemble the Shikon Jewel before it falls into the hands of evil, most notably the demon responsible for Inuyasha’s imprisonment in the first place.

Thanks to Inuyasha‘s fun and simplistic character and story writing, combined with its engaging action and classic romance tropes, the series has gone down as a classic among shōnen anime, and it more than deserves that reputation, even after so many years. Just like Rumiko Takahashi’s other stories, Inuyasha is a series that always succeeds at delivering on the basics of what makes a good story, and even with how long a series it is, it’s still plenty worth watching.

5 Log Horizon Completely Changed The Video Game Subset Of Isekai

Anime Series By Studio Deen; Based On The Light Novel By Mamare Touno

Studio Deen’s Log Horizon is centered around Elder Tale, a massively popular MMORPG that somehow sucked thirty-thousand players into its world with its latest update. Among those players is Shiroe, a master strategist from when Elder Tale was just a game, and he’s taken it upon himself to lead his friends through their new status quo and learn everything there is about their new reality.

In addition to its great direction and fight scenes, Log Horizon stands out for the incredible depth in which it handles the idea of being trapped inside a videogame, whether that’s in how the game mechanics would affect a person or how the world, itself, would respond to such an event. Over a decade later, there are few anime that have ever done as much with the concept as Log Horizon, and the series has always been great to watch because of that.

4 Re:Zero – Starting Life In Another World Is A Twisted Take On A Classic Video Game Trope

Based on the light novel by Tappei Nagatsuki & produced by Studio White Fox

Subaru Natsuki winds up in a world full of magic but only gains the power to return to life at a certain checkpoint in his journey every time he dies. One of the fans’ favorite aspects of this show is that Subaru’s ability to die eternally is usually played deadly seriously. Weak and unskilled, he’s overpowered by terrifying beasts several times before figuring out how to beat them, leading to Subaru falling victim to some of the scariest scenes in non-horror anime. Rather than overpower Subaru like a typical isekai hero, Re:Zero instead forces him to use his wits, a refreshing change that makes it one of the best isekai anime.

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3 That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime (2018) Has Become An Instant Classic

Based on the light novel series by Fuse & produced by Eight Bit

Former human Rimuru Tempest meets plenty of strong characters in That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime when he finds that he has been granted immense powers of his own when he is reborn as a humble slime in a new world. Fans enjoy its lighthearted fantasy tone and colorful characters and love Rimuru for his ability to befriend everyone he comes across, from dragons to spellcasters. Rimuru’s power is one thing, but it takes a backseat to his charisma, which gets him a lot further than magic and is the main reason the show is one of the best isekai anime.

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2 The Boy And The Heron Is Studio Ghibli’s Best Film In Years

Anime Film By Studio Ghibli; Directed By Hayao Miyazaki

Studio Ghibli’s The Boy and The Heron stars Mahito Maki, a young boy struggling to deal with his mother’s death in the Pacific War. After moving to his mother’s old home, a talking heron brings Mahito to another world with the promise that he can bring his mother back to life, but Mahitio’s journey to do so ends up being far more complicated than he could have imagined.

All the gorgeous artwork, animation, and overall direction that Studio Ghibli is famous for is on full display in The Boy and the Heron, and when combined with its emotionally resonant narrative about overcoming loss, The Boy and the Heron becomes one of the strongest Studio Ghibli films of all time. The Boy and the Heron had an infamously long production cycle, but it was well worth the wait and is a great film even for those who don’t like isekai.

1 Spirited Away (2001) Is A Haunting & Charming Adventure In Another World

Young Chihiro ends up trapped in the spirit world, her parents transformed into pigs for stealing from the spirits and robbed of her name and memories. To return home, Chihiro draws on an inner strength she never knew she had and befriends spirits like the brash Lin and the mysterious but powerful Haku. Spirited Away‘s masterfully done fantasy elements, coming-of-age story, themes of connection with the natural world and one’s own self, and stunning animation make it one of the best Studio Ghibli films and easily the best isekai anime to watch.

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