Isekai animeis inescapable in this day and age. Each season includes at least a couple of shows that fit the genre, and they have a habit of being quite similar. After all, why mess with a formula that has proven to be successful? Most anime revolve around a single male protagonist who is thrown into a medieval-style fantasy world and granted powerful abilities that allow him to attract an impressive harem. Variations exist, but that descriptor fits a lot of isekai stories.
Ensemble casts are not common in anime outside a few genres like slice of life, and they are particularly rare in isekai. Even party-focused shows likeThe Rising of the Shield Hero,Re:ZERO, andHandyman Saitou in Another Worldstill have clearly defined protagonists who act as each story’s nucleus. Still, while uncommon, there are a fewgreat isekai anime with multiple protagoniststhat take full advantage of their wider casts.
While arguably among themost disappointing anime of 2024,Suicide Squad Isekaiis more than watchable, largely thanks to the banter between the main characters. When a portal to another world opens, Amanda Waller sends a ragtag group of criminal misfits to investigate, and she even wraps bombs around their necks for added motivation. Before long, the Suicide Squad find themselves taking part in a war, all the while facing off against other super-powered DC characters who made the jump before them (and a dragon).
For all its flaws,Suicide Squad Isekaigenuinely has an ensemble cast, presenting Harley Quinn, Clayface, Peacemaker, King Shark, Deadshot, and Rick Flag as relatively equal in importance. Admittedly, Harley is highlighted a bit more than her teammates, but it is not her show either. While the story does not amount to much,Suicide Squad Isekaihas quite a few fun action sequences, most of which require the villains to work together to survive.
Driftersis awesome, despite the anime’s incomplete form. Similar toFate, the story summons historical figures to engage in fights to the death, with a medieval fantasy world serving as the battlefield. Split into Drifters and Ends, the characters are unapologetically over-the-top, bloodthirsty, and care very little about collateral damage.
Going by the first episode, one would be forgiven for assuming that Toyohisa Shimazu is the sole protagonist, and the legendary warrior takes the lead throughout most of the show. However, he quickly allies with Nobunaga Oda and Yoichi Suketaka Nasu, both of whom have skillsets that complement Shimazu. Rather than an OP MC running wild,Drifterspushes these three characters as a unified front who are far stronger together than separate.
Ishuraseems allergic to traditional protagonists. Both seasons introduce roughly adozen overpowered characters, most of whom receive 10-minute introductions that play out like short movies. In season 1, these vignettes build up to a war between an Empire and an independent state, with the previously-introduced characters facing off in battles to the death. Season 2 utilizes different connection points, but it is structured largely the same as its predecessor.
As pitting OP archetypes against each other is its main selling point,Ishurauses its rotating protagonists to facilitate a belief that anybody and everybody could die. This results in some of the most intense fights in the isekai genre, along with some of the most absurd.
Not everyIshuraprotagonist is from another world, but quite a few of them are visitors.
Sonny Boytakes viewers on a trip that not everyone will enjoy, but most people will at least remember.An entire class being summoned is not that unusual in isekai anime, but these types of stories typically separate one character from the crowd.Sonny Boytakes a different approach by not only keeping all the students around but also exploring the dynamics that evolve due to their situation.
The students are teleported to a strange dimension that is cut off from normal reality, and they eventually start to develop powers and pick up the ability to visit other worlds. The latter journeys take priority throughout most of the series, with the episodes highlighting different characters.Sonny Boyis surreal, bizarre, hard-to-follow, and frustrating. The story can feel like it goes nowhere at times, and some plot threads are introduced but not satisfyingly closed. Despite all that, this anime is mesmerizing. As far as the isekai genre is concerned,Sonny Boyis incredibly ambitious.
More than a decade after its debut,Grimgarhas yet to receive a sequel, despite the light novel having more than 20 volumes by this point. Due to having such a short run, the adaptation barely scratches the story’s surface and, consequently, can be difficult to wholeheartedly recommend in isolation. That said,Grimgaris pretty much the definitiveisekai anime about a party, and the show still feels fresh all these years later.
With their memories wiped and a severe lack of usable powers, a group of teenagers find themselves in afantasy world that does not cater to otherworldly travelers. They wisely decide to stick together, hoping to increase their chances of survival by relying on their strength in numbers. Sadly, they are very much starting from square one, to the point that even goblins present a grueling battle to the death.
An all-time classic,Digimon Adventurehelpedintroduce a generation to not only isekai but anime in general. Putting aside some Earth-based arcs, the first series predominantly revolves around the DigiDestined exploring the Digital World, making friends and defeating enemies along the way.
While Tai is presented as the leader of the group to an extent, all the children and their Digimon are protagonists, with most of them receiving character arcs.Digimon Adventurehas aged surprisingly well, better than most early anime for kids. The story blends action, comedy, drama, and even hints of romance, all the while incorporating enough dark elements to inject genuine tension into the big fights.
OK,KonoSubamight seem like it doesn’t qualify, but technically both Kazuma and Aqua are isekai’d. More importantly, thefour main charactersare inseparable, more so than any other isekai anime with parties.
KonoSubasuccessfully parodies isekai concepts while simultaneously being one of the genre’s best representatives. While Kazuma and Aqua dominate the first episode, they are very quickly joined by Megumin and Darkness, forming a group fueled by incompetence, arrogance, and charming stupidity. If even one of these characters is removed from the equation,KonoSubawould cease to beKonoSuba, which might explain why the series' weakest season is by far Megumin’s solo spin-off.
Prioritizing comedy above everything else,KonoSubaspends a great deal of time showing the main characters at their worst, and they are often awful to each other. However, the protagonists build strong friendships as the story progresses, to the point of becoming essentially a family by season 3.
