For over a decade now, no genre, for better or worse, has dominatedanimequite like theisekaigenre. While it had always existed in some form,isekaididn’t start being recognized as its own thing until the 2010s, and thanks in large part to the escapist elements of the genre, it’s become a mainstay of the medium with dozens of new anime produced every year.
Asisekaibegan growing in popularity, it also started becoming contentious among fans and critics because of how so many stories come across as different takes on escapist power fantasies revolving around uninteresting leads and their rapidly growing harems of girls. That being said, there are plenty ofisekaianime that break away from those cliches, and because of that,plenty ofgreatisekaianimehave heroes who come off as being far cooler and more entertaining than the averageisekaianime protagonist. A few of those heroes stand out in particular, and each one is plenty worth highlighting.
Drifters
Cast
Shimazu Toyohisa, after the Battle of Sekigahara, finds himself in a magical world where legendary warriors from different eras are locked in an eternal struggle.
Hoods Entertainment Inc.’sDriftersstars Toyohisa Shimazu, a legendary samurai from Sengoku-era Japan who was sent to a fantasy world moments before his historical death. The inhabitants of that world are at war with the Ends, a monstrous organization led by other historical figures seeking to take over, and it soon falls upon Toyohisa and his allies to stop them and protect their new world.
Like many characters written by Kouta Hirano ofHellsingfame, the major appeal to Toyohisa is his bloodthirsty and oftentimes deranged nature, but beyond that,Driftersmakes Toyohisa such a cool protagonist because of how well it balances his insanity with small bits of genuine heroism. With the anime on indefinite hiatus, there isn’t much to see of Toyohisa, but what’s there is exactly as engaging as one would expect from a character written by the creator ofHellsing.
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.
Eight Bit’sThat Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slimeopens with ordinary office worker Satoru Mikami dying and reincarnating in a fantasy world as a slime. Satoru soon adopts the name Rimuru Tempest, and with the power to copy the abilities of anything he absorbs, Rimuru gradually becomes one of the strongest characters in the series who’s constantly at the center of major political conflicts.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slimediffers from otherisekaianime thanks to the thought and attention put into its worldbuilding, especially its political elements, and going right along with that,Rimuru’s kindhearted nature and evergrowing power and charisma make him perfect for a story where things can’t always be solved with violence. Add in how well he plays into the lighthearted elements of the show, and it’s easy to see why Rimuru has become such an iconic face in modern anime.
The Eminence in Shadow
The Eminence in Shadow follows the story of Cid Kagenou, a recluse who reincarnates into a fantasy world and seeks to live a life of obscurity, but unwittingly becomes a legendary figure known as the Eminence in Shadow, feared by evil organizations and admired by the masses.
InNexus’The Eminence in Shadow, Minoru Kageno died while indulging in his fantasies of becoming a powerful mastermind fighting evil from the shadows, and he doesn’t give that up after reincarnating as Cid Kagenou. In his new life, though, all of Cid’s delusions are inexplicably true, and he now finds himself at the head of the Shadow Garden, a secret organization that mistakenly believes Cid to be the mastermind he always wanted to be.
The Eminence in Shadowhits all the tropes that have madeisekaianime so contentious, but its earnestness in using those tropes always makes it fun to watch. Going right along with that,Cid Kagenou’s constant commitment to being an edgy, over-the-top hero always works to makeThe Eminence in Shadowfeel as fun as possible, and overall, he ends up a perfect example of how important execution is to making cliches work.
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.
Madhouse’sOverlordis centered aroundYGGDRASIL, a virtual reality game that’s gradually fallen off in popularity to the point that the Lich Overlord Momonga is the only active player when the servers are shut down. At that time, however, Momonga is suddenly transported into the game as his player character, now going by Ainz Ooal Gown, and he now searches his new world for any other players while gradually falling into the villainous role of his character.
Overlordmakes little effort to hide Ainz’s villain status, yet even as he commits increasingly terrible atrocities,the over-the-top nature of Ainz’s character and how thoroughly he defeats every enemy who threatens him and his allies makes every scene with him fun to watch, no matter how horrifying it may be. Villainous protagonists tend to be hard sells in any medium, but fortunately, Ainz Ooal Gown hits the mark in every regard.
Inuyasha (2000)
Sunrise’sInuyashastars Kagome Higurashi, a seemingly ordinary girl who awakens to powerful spiritual abilities after winding up in Sengoku-era Japan. When Kagome’s powers inadvertently lead to the freedom of the vicious demon Inuyasha and the powerful Shikon Jewel shattering and spreading across the land, Kagome must travel to reassemble the Shikon Jewel before it falls into the wrong hands, all asa relationship between Kagome and Inuyashagradually begins to grow.
While Inuyasha tends to get most of the focus and action,Kagome’s constant growth both independently and in her relationship with Inuyasha always works to make her the heart of the series, and she ends up one of Rumiko Takahashi’s strongest protagonists because of it.Inuyashacame out well beforeisekaitook off as a genre, but even with that, Kagome is one of the best heroes to ever be associated with the genre.
Dr. Stone
Dr. Stone is an anime series set in a post-apocalyptic world where all of humanity has been petrified for thousands of years. The story follows high school student Senku Ishigami who awakens and seeks to rebuild civilization from scratch using his extensive knowledge of science.
TMS Entertainment’sDr. Stoneopens with all of humanity being mysteriously turned into stone, and by the time anyone returns to normal, thousands of years pass, and the world has returned to a primitive, jungle-like state. At the center of it all is Senku Ishigami, a young genius who vows not only to reverse the mass petrification of humanity, but to find a way to restore society with the power of science, no matter how long it may take.
Dr. Stonealways finds ways to maintain Senku’s status as someone who always solves conflicts with science, and because of that,Senku Ishigami is a standout protagonist for always finding engaging and unconventional ways to deal with problems based in real-world science. It’s rare for a story to succeed at making science interesting, but thanks to Senku’s writing,Dr. Stonemore than succeeds at doing just that.
Log Horizon
Log Horizon is an anime series based on the light novels by Mamare Touno, detailing events after a group of Japanese gamers find themselves inexplicably trapped in the massively multiplayer online game, Elder Tale. The series follows Shiroe, an experienced player, who forms a guild named Log Horizon to navigate and resolve the challenges of their new reality, negotiating with other players and in-game societies.
In Studio Deen’sLog Horizon, after the latest expansion to the popular MMORPGElder Tale, 30 thousand players suddenly find themselves transported into their in-game avatars with no way of returning to the real world. Among those players is the genius strategist Shiroe, and with his friends by his side, Shiroe has taken it upon himself to help lead everyone through their new status quo.
Log Horizonstands out from other video game-based anime from the extensive worldbuilding and how much thought is put into how its plot would realistically play out, and as such,Shiroe is an engaging hero inLog Horizonthanks to how much attention is given to his strategic and political mind while the other characters handle most of the fighting. Shiroe isn’t the onlyisekaiprotagonist to be written like that, but few ever manage to be as entertaining as him.
Digimon Adventure
Digimon Adventure (Digimon: Digital Monsters) follows seven children at summer camp who are transported to a digital world. There, they befriend creatures known as Digimon, who are destined to protect their world from various malevolent forces.
Taichi Yagami is the protagonist ofDigimon Adventure, the first anime in the long-runningDigimonfranchise. In the original series, Taichi is one of several children sent to the Digital World to partner up with a Digimon—in Taichi’s case, Agumon—and go on a quest to save both worlds from destruction, and unfortunately, it’s a cycle thatTaichi and Agumonfind themselves having to repeat time and time again.
Taichi is one of the most prolificDigimoncharacters in the franchise, and thanks to that heavy exposure,Taichi continually develops into a courageous figure who always finds increasingly engaging ways to protect his friends, all with Agumon always at his side. In a lot of ways, Taichi has grown in tandem with the fans, and that makes every milestone he passes feel all the more impactful.
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.
In White Fox’sRe:Zero − Starting Life in Another World, Subaru Natsuki was an unassuming shut-in who was not only suddenly teleported to another world, but was also given the power to restart his life from a certain point in time whenever he dies. Subaru now has to use his new powers to find the best way to protect his new friends, all while gradually growing as a person with every death.
It’s one thing for Subaru to get by on wits in lieu of fighting prowess, butwhat makes Subaru such a great character inRe:Zerois the constant work he puts into improving himself, something perfectly complemented by how the story is never afraid to call him out on his faults.Re:Zerois one of the biggestisekaianime of the past decade, and Subaru’s constant growth is a big part of why that is.
1Sora
Character From Madhouse’s No Game No Life; Based On The Light Novel By Yuu Kamiya
Madhouse’sNo Game No Lifestars Sora and Shiro, a pair of genius siblings who share the identity of the legendary online gamer Blank. One day, Sora and Shiro are summoned to Disboard, a world where all conflicts are settled with games, and they decide to use their game skills to help Disboard’s equivalent to humanity rise from the bottom of the social hierarchy.
In addition to always providing great comedy through witty dialogue and references and his undying support for Shiro,Sora’s ingenuity and resourcefulness lead to constant creativity in how the games inNo Game No Lifeplay out, in addition to plenty of catharsis whenever he secures a win. Few protagonists have ever managed to be as entertaining as Sora inNo Game No Life, and because of that, he easily stands out as thecoolestisekaihero in all of anime.
