Summary
Isekai light novels have seen a rise in popularity over the last decade or so, withThat Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slimeone of the standouts in the genre. It tells the story of 37-year-old Satoru Mikami after his death and eventual reincarnation into a new world as a lowly slime. Though his future seems bleak,he is granted a useful powerthat allows him to obtain the abilities of anything he absorbs, as well as its appearance.
He also befriendsthe legendary dragonVeldora who was sealed in the cave, and absorbs him as part of a deal, making him exponentially stronger as a result. The rest of the story follows the newly named Rimuru Tempest as he encounters different species, leads a village, and forms powerful alliances. Similar light novels could feature overpowered protagonists, competent leaders, varying species, and so on.
10In Another World With My Smartphone
Anime-Planet Rating: 3.5 / 5
In Another World With My Smartphoneis an isekai that portrays modern conveniences within a fantasy world. After getting caught in a god’s blunder and dying by lighting, Mochizuki Touya is reincarnated into a different world with overpowered abilities and his smartphone as compensation. His smartphone is still as useful in this world as it was in his last, as he is able to utilize its apps, enhance its functionality, and cast powerful spells.
He is also soon surrounded by a harem of women and friends who he encounters along the way.It is a lighthearted light novelthat sometimes doesn’t take itself seriously but still retains its appeal.
9How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom
Anime-Planet Rating: 3.9 / 5
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slimeis famed for itsunique and impressive world-buildingnot always common in the genre. This is an area whereHow a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdomalso excels, as its main focus includes diplomacy, governance, and intricate power dynamics. The main protagonist Kazuya Souma was initially summoned to serve as a hero, but after displaying his amazing problem-solving skills, he is given the title of king instead.
This marks the start of Souma’s reign as he delves deep into the kingdom’s underlying issues, ranging from things like economic stagnation to societal unrest. He also brings capable people together by his side to aid him in his ambitions.
8Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest
Anime-Planet Rating: 3.8 / 5
Just as Rimuru found himself in a mysterious cave at the start of his journey in a new world, Hajime Nagumo was left in a dangerous labyrinth to die. Reincarnated along with the rest of his class, Hajime was designated as a hero destined to fight alongside them.
Unfortunately, however, he soon discovered his powers paled greatly in comparison to his classmates. This led to him being ridiculed by most and abandoned in a labyrinth during one of their expeditions. Withprospects of survivingat an all-time low, Hajime finds new ways to use his powers and slowly fights his way out of the labyrinth, growing stronger with each battle.
7Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
Anime-Planet Rating: 4.2 / 5
Jobless Reincarnationalso tells the story of a man in his 30s sacrificing himself to save a life and being reincarnated right after. The main protagonist of the light novel Rudeus Greyrat, however, maintains his human form and is born into a new family as a baby. In his past life,he was shunned and abused, living as a NEET and having no friends. As a result, he is determined to make the most of his new chance at life and resolves to do things differently.
Now living in a world of fantasy and magic, Rudeus maximizes his potential from the start and becomes a powerful mage far surpassing his peers and superiors. He also forms meaningful relationships and goes on different adventures alongside comrades who become as close as family.
6The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt
This is another light novel thatfocuses on leadershipas a key theme. Rather than focusing on overall leadership, though, it deeply explores economic strategy and financial innovation. The prince and main character in this story, Wein Salema Arbalest, is a genius who truly wishes to sell out his country and be relieved of all responsibility.
To do this, he aims to maximize its value as much as possible, and in his efforts to do so, he gradually leads the kingdom towards more prosperity. This leads to Wein gaining more favor among the kingdom’s people, as well as other unforeseen circumstances that make it harder for him to achieve his true goal.
5Death March To The Parallel World Rhapsody
Anime-Planet Rating: 3.7 / 5
Suzuki Ichirou starts off as an overworked game programmer, given an overwhelming number of tasks to complete with very limited time. Sometime during this period he decides to get some rest, but wakes up in a landscaperesembling one of the gameshe was working on. He also finds out he has powerful abilities from the get-go, unknowingly killing a god with a large spell and becoming even stronger as a result.
Suzuki then begins his adventures in this new world, aiming to discover its secrets and possibly return to his old one. He occasionally encounters different characters who end up traveling with him and grows stronger by defeating powerful opponents.
4The Aristocrat’s Otherworldly Adventure: Serving Gods Who Go Too Far
Anime-Planet Rating: 3.6 / 5
Cain Von Silford is the reincarnated protagonist of this series and the third son of an aristocrat bestowed with astounding power. As a young boy, he wassurrounded by different godswho each granted him blessings, making him significantly stronger than the average human. He then proceeds to live his life in a carefree manner, determined to fulfill all his dreams and aspirations.
Unknown to him, though, the gods had an underlying reason for bestowing him such great power. They were also well informed on the circumstances of his reincarnation, as his main duty is to protect the world from an imminent great evil.
3The Eminence in Shadow
Anime-Planet Rating: 4. 2 / 5
The Eminence in Shadowalso features an overpowered protagonist; however, Cid Kagenou would rather let his powers go unnoticed. He constantly fantasizes about acting as a puppet masterfrom within the shadows, and upon arrival in a new world with potent abilities, he strives to achieve just that. He carried this mindset over from his past life, but with limited resources, could not fully realize his dreams.
In his new life, he learns much about the world and forms a group called Shadow Garden. This group consists mainly of girls he rescued who are extremely loyal to him. Hence, he is able to live out his fantasies, orchestrating intricate events without being noticed—even though he himself is unaware of some of them.
2Overlord
Overlordis one of the most popular titles within the isekai genre and offers a gripping narrative where the protagonist acts as a villain for most of the series. It is set far into the future in the year 2126, and is centered around the popular MMORPG Yggdrasil. The protagonist Momonga belongs to one of the strongest guilds in the game, however as the servers begin to shut down, most of his guildmates quit and he is the last one left.
This leads to him getting trapped in the game and living with NPCs created by him and his guildmates. In an attempt to find other players, he takes on the name of the guild Ainz Ooal Gown andsets out on a large conquestto spread his influence as far as possible.
1So I’m a Spider, So What?
Anime-Planet Rating: 4.0 / 5
In an isekai, where the protagonist is also reincarnated as an unconventional creature,So I’m a Spider, So Whattells the story of a young high school girl reborn as a Small Lesser Taratect. It’s not all bad, though, as just like Rimuru, she is capable of evolution and has boundless potential. She also has to make her way through a labyrinth filled with powerful monsters and almost loses her life in the process, but these struggles shape her and help her grow.
She levels up exponentially as the world is point-based and soon becomes one of the most feared monsters in the labyrinth. The rest of the story followsher life after escapeand explores themes of identity, perseverance, and survival.
