Highlights

• Isekai anime offers diverse sub-genres with an abundance of shows to binge on before Shield Hero's next season.
• Characters and development are key in keeping fans hooked on the Isekai genre and Shield Hero's adventures.
• Rising of the Shield Hero's success has led to anticipation for the fourth season, with plenty of similar anime to enjoy.

Isekai is among the top anime genres that fans can't seem to get enough of. There are droves of isekai for all types of fans in sub-genres like slice-of-life or romance. On the horizon is the next season of Rising of the Shield Hero, and though it will debut shortly, there is plenty of anime to binge on until it is released.

Isekai anime is in abundance. There are many based on video game worlds, alternative timelines, and even demon dimensions. While a protagonist transported to another world isn't a new concept, it's the characters and development that keep fans watching episode after episode. Here are the best anime to watch for those who loved Rising of the Shield Hero.

Updated on October 21, 2023, by C.M Edwards: The story of The Rising of the Shield Hero continues to blow fans away as Naofumi and his loyal companions crusade against the threat of darkness. Naofumi begins to take his position in this new world he's been summoned to in stride and learns to breathe, thanks to his friends and new allies. The Rising of the Shield Hero has had three successful seasons and retained a solid fanbase that enjoys the characters and Naofumi's adventures. Just recently, Kinema Citrus announced the fourth season of the series, overjoying fans all around the world. Naofumi's adventures will continue, but for viewers who are all caught up, there are plenty of other series to watch and enjoy. Here are more of the best anime to watch if you loved The Rising of the Shield Hero.

24 How A Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom

Similar Comedy And Character Archetypes

Perhaps one of the most unique takes on the Isekai genre, Realist Hero follows Kazuya Souma, an aspiring civil servant who is summoned to a fantasy world to put a stop to the war against the Demon King and save the kingdom.

Unfortunately, Kazuya is not suited for fighting or adventuring, so he decides to put his best foot forward and save the kingdom in his own way. Using his administrative skills, Kazuya pulls the kingdom out of financial ruin and makes a few friends along the way. Fans of the style of comedy of Rising of the Shield Hero will enjoy this series.

23 Tsukimichi - Moonlit Fantasy

Character Sent To Another World Against Their Will

When he was a child, Makoto's parents made a deal with a powerful goddess to offer their son into her service. Unfortunately, when Makoto came of age and was transported to the alternate world, the goddess was repulsed by his appearance and cast him out. Makoto had to survive on his own as an outcast.

Along the way, Makoto became one of the most powerful beings in the world. Forbidden from interacting with the human race, Makoto finds solace and kinship among the demi-humans of the fantasy world and goes on adventures with his newfound family.

22 Uncle From Another World

The Hero Mistaken As The Villain

Takafumi receives a call that, after nearly twenty years, his uncle has finally woken up from a coma. After arriving at the hospital, Takafumi is beside himself as his uncle rambles on about a magical world and wielding magic.

To Takumi's surprise, his Uncle is telling the truth and possesses powerful magic and abilities he learned while living in the other world. Both men, being very eccentric, decide there is only a single course of action to take: make an online influencer account for money. Takafumi's uncle tells him stories of his adventures in the other world to pass the time, and he quickly realizes that life in a fantasy world isn't as glamorous as it sounds.

21 How Not To Summon A Demon Lord

Similar Main Character Personalities

How Not to Summon a Demon Lord is a wacky and fun adventure that puts a spin on the isekai genre in the best way. A young man deep in the realm of being a NEET is summoned into a magical fantasy world by two attractive young adventurers.

The upside of being ripped from his own life is that the young man has been gifted the appearance and powers of his favorite video game character. Having nearly unrivaled magical power and dubbing himself the demon lord Diablo, the young man joins the girl on their adventures.

20 I Got A Cheat Skill In Another World And Became Unrivaled In The Real World Too

Similar Power System

Yuuya Tenjou suffered greatly in his life, being the focus of disdain and resentment from everyone he met, even his family. Just as Yuuya thought things couldn't get worse, the only person to show him any amount of kindness passes away.

Yuuya begins to falter until he discovers a secret passage to another world where he takes hold of a great power. Yuuya can transport freely between both worlds but keeps all the power and strength he gains, giving him a new outlook on life.

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

Large Cast Of Characters To Love And Hate

After passing away, a young girl is reincarnated into one of her favorite video games. Unfortunately, the young girl becomes born into one of the main villains of the story, Catarina Claes.

To make matters worse, Caterina's storyline is a dismal ball that spells ruin for her at every turn. With determination, she decides to attempt to rewrite her story and save her second chance at life which proves difficult as the game fights back against her rebellion. My Next Life As The Villainess is a fun and enchanting watch that fans should give a chance.

18 No Game No Life

Heroes Against Gods

No Game No Life is an interesting and unique take on the isekai genre. The story follows two step-siblings, Sora and Shiro, whose lives revolve around being the best at online games. The story ramps up when they’re challenged by the god of games himself, Tet.

In a separate realm, gods leave the fate of humanity up to chance in a series of games as they rule over their kingdom. Shiro and Sora attempt to dethrone the deity and become rulers themselves. No Game No Life has stunning visuals and a very engaging story that any isekai fan will enjoy.

17 Sword Art Online

Intense Action And Powerful Foes

Sword Art Online is the staple and blueprint isekai that has been a dominant series for over a decade. The main protagonist, Kirito, is one of the most popular in the genre. The story follows Kirito after he is trapped inside a new hyperrealistic VRMMO along with fifty thousand players who must all fight for their lives because of the stipulation that if someone dies in the game, they die in real life.

Sword Art Online is filled with spectacular fights and dramatic moments as Kirito journeys through the video game world, losing comrades, fighting bosses, and gaining a partner. Sword Art Online has several iterations and crosses over into four different game worlds, making it one of the best series to binge on before Rising of the Shield Hero is released.

16 Grimgar

Realistic Adventures And Consequences

Grimgar is a short and special series that focuses more on the challenges faced when teleported to another world. Grimgar follows a small group of oddballs that form a makeshift party in an attempt to survive the fantasy world they’ve been transported to.

None of them are especially skilled or gifted and have the hardest time taking on the weakest of monsters. Grimgar goes for a hyper-realistic adventure that places the party of adventurers against true danger and certain death if they are not absolutely careful.

15 Gate

Similar Themes And Story

Gate is another unique take on the isekai genre. The story tweaks the ”teleported to another world” trope by having the other world attack first. Yoji Itami is the main character and a soldier in Japan’s defense forces. He is charged as an investigator after a portal opens up in the middle of Japan and an army of medieval warriors attack.

Itami travels to the other world on a peace-finding mission. In the process, he saves a kingdom being attacked by a dragon and, in turn, is well-received by the kingdom and its royalty. The story follows as Itami, and his new, somewhat harem-like comrades set out to bring a partnership between the two realms before a vicious war breaks out on both sides.

14 Jobless Reincarnation

A In Depth Series On A Hero's Journey

Jobless Reincarnation follows Rudeus, a middle-aged NEET who has no meaning in his life whatsoever. This changes when he gives his life to protect someone else and finds himself reborn in the body of a newborn in a new world but retaining all his memories. In this new world, magic is common, and swordplay is a necessity. With the mind of a grown adult, Rudeus excels at learning new skills.

As a result, Rudeus thrives for the first time in his life and begins to recover and overcome his past trauma. He finds new friends, new aspirations in life, and even the possibility of love. Jobless Reincarnation scratches all the right spots that fans of isekai will enjoy and find refreshing.

13 Overlord

Main Characters That Are Loved By Some And Hated By Many

Overlord is an anime that starts with the leader of a guild in an MMO computer game that awakens in a fantasy world as the class and race he picked in the game. Suzuki Satoru has no memory of how he came to be in this new world but possesses all the skills and strengths of his character, making him the most powerful being in the realm.

The story follows Satoru as he falls deeper into the mindset of his character, becoming ambitious and calculating, plotting to take over the new world with the help of his guild's NPCs. Satoru takes the moniker of Ainz Ooal Gown, completely leaving the life he once knew behind and reveling in his power as the lord of Nazerisk.

12 Log Horizon

Large Scale Action And Character Stories

Log Horizon follows a similar theme compared to Sword Art Online. Hardcore strategist Shiroe is trapped in a new MMO game with thousands of other players with no sign of freedom in sight. He and his best friend take on the challenges of adapting to the world and dealing with the NPCs and the call to adventure while also trying not to die in the process. Shiroe excels at using his mind to figure things out. In no time, he handles every encounter with poise, similar to Lelouche from Code Geass.

11 Bofuri: I Don’t Want To Get Hurt So I’ll Max Out My Defense

Similar Comedy And Both Characters Use A Shield

Bofuri or, “I don't want to get hurt so I'll max out my defense,” is a fun isekai anime that follows Kaeda Honjou, a young girl who is roped into trying out the newest MMO by her best friend. Kaeda adopts the name "Maple" for her character and sets out on a journey knowing nothing about gaming or MMOs.

Kaeda maps all her stat points into vitality with the simple goal of not wanting to get hurt. This sends her on a wave of accomplishments that lands her as a server-wide famous player who supposedly can't be defeated. Kaeda learns many things and accomplishes wonders while just doing the best she can.

10 Isekai Quartet

A Light-Hearted Parody On The Genre

Isekai Quartet is a sidesplitting, hilarious anime take on the genre, mixing it with slice-of-life elements. The Anime takes some of the most well-known protagonists of the top isekai Anime and brings them together after being tempted to push a big red button.

Now stuck in a modern-day world, all the characters must live their day-to-day lives as high school students while interacting with each other. Ains Ooal Gown from Overlord, Tonya Degurechaff from Tanya the Evil, and Kazuma from Konosub all make an appearance in this hilarious parody of one of the most popular anime tropes.

9 That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime

Strong Bonds Of Friendship

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is one of the most popular isekai Anime as of late. The story follows a middle-aged corporate worker, Sotoru, who lives a completely mundane life. An unfortunate turn of events has him assaulted and killed. Instead of moving on, he wakes up in the form of a shapeless collection of goop.

While trying to figure things out, he befriends a dragon that blesses him with great power and a new name, "Rimuru Tempest." This starts him on an amazing journey that takes him to all kinds of destinations and allows him to get the hang of his newfound power.

8 Re:Zero -Starting Life In Another World-

The Main Character Goes Through Insurmountable Hardships

Re:Zero follows Subaru, a flustered teen who finds himself working at a convenience store one moment, and then being beaten by robbers in a new world the next. Subaru has no idea why he was summoned to another world, and the only friend he seems to find is Satella. Unfortunately, a dark fate awaits Subaru as he makes his way through this new world. Tragedy seems to engulf Subaru’s new life as he endures countless hardships and betrayals around every corner.

Even death can not free Subaru of his suffering as he returns to life at the point of his summoning every time he perishes. Re:Zero is a unique take on the isekai main character type by throwing them into a world where they are borderline powerless.

7 The Saga Of Tanya The Evil

Not-So-Hero-Like Main Character

A strange scenario in the isekai genre, The Saga of Tanya the Evil is about a man who is reincarnated into a little girl's body and becomes the leader of an army in a world war. Secretly, Tanya is using the war as a way to combat a supernatural god in a game of intellectual chess.

The series follows Tanya as she carves a bloody path to her goal, gaining a reputation as a ruthless and inhumane soldier who crosses every line in front of her. Acquiring the nickname "the Devil of Rhine", Tanya is feared as a tactical genius and a brilliant fighter and leads her forces to victory, which indirectly raises the empire she fights for to the most powerful in the country and closer to world peace.

6 Is It Wrong To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon

Classic Adventures With Friends

Bell has never been the best fighter, and his life has been at a constant standstill in a world dominated by the profession of being an adventurer. This changes when Bell finds his determination and the women in his life do their best to help him gain strength.

But secretly, the protagonist holds a great power within himself that has garnered the attention of powerful allies and enemies. Bell must navigate his way through godly politics, blood-thirsty behemoths, and rival guilds in order to make a living and protect the friends he holds dear.

5 Fate/ Grand Order: Absolute Demon Front Babylonia

Intense Fights And Large Scale Story

The Fate series is famous for its exciting story and breathtaking animation. Absolute Demon Front Babylonia is a different take on the franchise that steps away from the routine Grail war occurrences and main cast, similar to Fate/ Apocrypha.

Fujimaru and Mash, members of a secret organization of mages, are sent back in time to repair singularities caused by the great king Solomon who seeks to wipe out the human race. Along the way, Mash and Fujimaru encounter the real-life versions of the heroes that have competed in the holy grail wars and hope to sway them to take on King Solomon and save the world.