Isekai animes give their protagonist arare opportunity and a second attempt at life.Some protagonists come to their new worlds as they were in their previous lives. Others are reborn in a new world, retaining all of their memories from their past lives. Isekai worlds can vary greatly. Some are fantastical, some are futuristic, and some meet in the middle for science fiction. It’s not the most popular subgenre of isekai, but each sci-fi isekai brings something fun and enjoyable to the table.
To be a good Sci-Fi isekai, the show doesn’t necessarily need to be about science fiction. Having science fiction elements can be a great way of adding interesting elements to the overall plot of the show. When protagonists like Cid Kagenou fromThe Eminence in Shadoware reincarnated into a new world,they bring a lot of technology with them,transforming their new worlds using science.
The Eminence in Shadow
Cast
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.
The Eminence in Shadowis a hilarious isekai starring Cid Kagenou as the Eminence in Shadow himself. Shadow has only ever wanted to be a cool, enigmatic leader of a covert group, and when he’s isekai’d to a new world, he finally gets his chance. He gets reborn in a new world filled withgreat powers, beautiful architecture, and some of the strongest comradeshe can ask for. While his friends are strong, they’re also devout followers who love his every word.
Shadow tells his followersabout the art and technology of his home world.While he only meant to pass the time by telling stories, the Seven Shadows decided to bring the tech from his old world into the new one. Shadow is inadvertently responsible for a lot of improvements in his new world, and if he keeps telling Shadow Garden about his old world, the upgrades will just keep coming.
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.
Natsuki Subaru is one of the most tragic characters in isekai. His power, Return by Death, allows him to come back to life during a pre-determined save point in the past. The problem is that he dies often, and usually, they aren’t pretty deaths. While he’s learning to navigate the world around him, he’s trying to figure out his Return by Death ability. Subaru’s numerousscience experiments using his own life as the subjectmakeRe: Zeroa compelling and gripping watch.
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Subaru learns to game his deaths halfway into the first season. He realizes that by killing himself, he can essentially travel to the past. It’s a sad existence for the isekai’d hero, but he doesn’t see it that way. Subaru is working hard to save his friends, establish a relationship with Emilia, andfinally understand his Return by Death ability.
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation follows a man who, after being reincarnated in a magical world, sets out to live his life without regrets. Adopting the name Rudeus Greyrat, he embarks on a journey of personal growth and adventure, armed with both his past life’s knowledge and newfound magical abilities. The series explores themes of redemption, self-discovery, and the quest to overcome personal failures.
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnationis a controversialand captivating isekai about Rudeus Greyrat. While Rudeus doesn’t bring new technology to his new world like Shadow does,he studies his new world’s science and tech extensively.Most of the world runs on some form of magic, but it isn’t untraceable.Rudy is able to go to Magic Universityto study spells, transportation circles, and much more. He meets Nanahoshi, another Japanese person who was transported to their new world.
Nanahoshi wants nothing more than to return to her past life in Japan. She’s working on studying magical circles, and she’s going insane due to her lack of progress. It’s an interesting subplot that shows the other side of isekai. Most isekai protagonists were losers in their previous lives and have no reason to go home. Nanahoshi couldn’t be more dissimilar,desperately experimentingin an attempt to go back home.
Saga of Tanya the Evil
Saga of Tanya the Evil is a fantasy anime series set in a parallel universe during World War I. The story follows Tanya Degurechaff, a young girl who is reincarnated as a soldier in a fantasy world, and rises through the ranks of the Empire’s military to become a powerful mage.
The Saga of Tanya the Evilis centered on one of the smartest 12-year-old girls in anime, Tanya von Degurechaff. She’s a military leader, an expert on the battlefield, and an inspiration to her troops.Her tactics and strategiesare the key difference between her and her enemy, as Tanya’s genius-level thinking is often the difference-maker.Tanya the Evilmixes magic and technology well, creating anew kind of science fiction in the middle of war.
There’s more than just Sci-Fi on the battlefield, as Tanya is constantly plotting and maneuvering against her enemies. When she gets time to leave the front lines, she dedicates herself to her studies. She’s trying to find the best way to win the war andwill experiment over-and-over againon and off the battlefield until she finds her answer.
Gate
Gate, released in 2015, follows Japan Self-Defense Forces officer Youji Itami as he navigates a crisis when a mysterious portal opens in Tokyo, unleashing supernatural invaders. Assigned to lead a recon team into the “Special Region,” Itami aims to forge alliances and understand this enigmatic world.
GATE is a series that promotes Japan’s military force, the Japan Self-Defense Force. It’s set in Tokyo when a ‘Gate’ from another world appears. Monsters and soldiers in old armor come pouring out and attack everyone they can see. The JSDF repels their invaders and sends a Recon Division to investigate. Main character and Otaku Yoji Itami leads the 3rd Recon Division while they explore the new world. The series puts an interesting dynamic forward, setting its main cast in arelatively primitive world with top-tier weapons and gear.
GATE is a great sci-fi isekai for the distance between technological advancement. The JSDF come to their new world ready to go with the best weapons they could have brought with them. It’s fun towatch dragons and their riders fight against fighter pilotsand Roman-style gladiators taking on the modern military.
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.
There are a lot of different ways Ainz could have tried to find another player. He woke up trapped in a video game only to realize he might be the only real person left. While other characters might try to put out some kind of message to find a friend, Ainz decides to dominate the world, leading to some of themost tragic moments of destruction in anime history. He looks to become the world’s Overlord, finding another living person one way or another.Overlordis a dark isekai that shows Ainzbuilding his kingdom in his own vision.
Ainz travels to other kingdoms, sometimes in disguise, in an attempt to better understand his neighbors. He wants to find the best way to build his Sorcerer’s Kingdom and will steal from other countries to make it happen. As an incredibly powerful character within the game, Ainz has access to the best technology, strongest abilities, and most lethal allies he could ask for. Instead of learning how to live in his new world,he’s trying to figure out how to take over.
How A Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom
How A Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom follows Kazuya Souma, a pragmatic young man summoned to a fantasy world where he uses his real-world knowledge and rational thinking to implement effective reforms and modern governance, revitalizing the ailing Elfrieden Kingdom.
How a Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdomis an accurate, succinct title that perfectly encapsulates what the series is set on. Kazuya Souma isa civil engineering student that gets transportedto the failing Kingdom of Elfrieden. He talks the previous king into trying to fix the economic situation within, inadvertently earning himself the throne in the process.Realist Herotakes a look at a rare side of isekai most series don’t show.
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In most isekai series, the hero gains a lot by traveling to a new world. InRealist Hero,the world gained a lot when Kazuya showed up. He’s a smart, calculated character who’s the best choice if anyone is going to rebuild the kingdom.His masterful use of socioeconomic policieseventually puts the Kingdom he was isekai’d to in a much more advantageous position.
Knight’s & Magic
In a world where giant humanoid weapons known as Silhouette Knights exist, a mecha enthusiast is reincarnated as Ernesti Echevarria. Alongside his friends, Archid and Adeltrud Olter, Eru strives to become a Knight Runner, facing challenges in his quest to pilot these formidable machines.
Some anime protagonists luck out when they get transported to a new world. Tsubasa Kurata was an expert programmer who wanted to do nothing more than work on Mechas. He wanted to program them more than anything else, but that wasn’t exactly a possibility in the regular world. When he dies in a traffic accident, he’s reincarnated in a new world as Ernesti Echevalier. His new worldhas the exact Mechashe’s always wanted to work on as well.
Knight’s and Magic is easily one of the best sci-fi isekais around. It features an excited scientist in Eru whocan’t wait to experiment on his Mechamore. He’s constantly looking for new ways to improve his Silhoutte Knight. He added Magic Jet Thrusters to his Toybox, but had to adjust the power output considerably. While other characters might be upset about having to fix their Silhoutte Knights, Eru couldn’t be happier.
Ascendance of a Bookworm
Ascendance of a Bookworm is an anime comedy series based on the manga of the same name. Motosu Urano, a book-loving college student, is reincarnated in a medieval world as a frail girl with a voracious appetite for reading named Myrne. In a world where books are scarce and only available to the elite, Myne decides to create her own publishing group and create books to once again bring reading to the masses.
If Eru fromKnight’s and Magicwas reincarnated into the perfect world, Main was reincarnated into the worst one. She’s a simple girl who wants to read books, full stop. When she dies in her previous life as a college student, she’s reincarnated into a new world devoid of her favorite thing. Well, there are a few books inThe Ascedance of a Bookworm, but they’re incredibly hard for Main to get access to.She tried creating her own booksfor a while before joining the Church in an attempt to read more.
Science fiction is all about experimentation, andMain is a mad-scientist inBookworm.She’s constantly trying new things in an attempt to learn how to read, write, or even create paper. She used different types of paper to try and find out which would be the best one.
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.
Senku Ishigami hasEinstein’s Theory of Relativity drawn on his shirt.He loves science so much, he can’t help but wear it.Dr. Stoneis a unique isekai series that takes place on the same planet everyone is from, but it’s an entirely new world. Senku wakes up after being petrified in stone for well over 3,000 years. He’s the perfect character to be revived, as he’s set on understanding his new stone world and reviving as many people as he can.
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Dr. Stoneis the best sci-fi isekai becausethe entire show is a science experiment.Nothing is written in stone, and it’s Senku’s job to figure out the world around him. Not only does he want to revive everyone who was petrified, but he wants to bring all of Earth’s awesome technology back to life as well.
