Summary
Anime series centered around game-inspired systems have remained fan favorites for over two decades. And why wouldn’t they be, when being thrown inside a game world with infinite possibilities and grandiose adventures is the dream of many anime fans around the world?
The real appeal of these narratives lies in watching a protagonist who begins weak andgrows steadily as the story progresses. This is leveling up, one of the most exciting mechanics introduced in the fantasy genre. Whether by defeating enemies and gaining experience points or by obtaining abilities through specific activities, progression systems are an integral part of these game-like narratives.
Many may argue thatSolo Levelingis a textbook example of a power fantasy where the hero is simply overpowered—it’s not. Unlike many protagonists of the genre, Jinwoo, dubbed “the weakest hunter of all mankind,” is constantly on the brink of death. He begins his journey as an E-rank who dies during a dungeon raid, only to wake up with the same powerless status.
In contrast to typical reincarnation tropes, where protagonists awaken with overwhelming abilities, Jinwoo is granted aunique leveling system, where he becomes the sole “Player,” an RPG-like character, in a world where other hunters cannot exceed their own rank. The system provides Jinwoo with quests and the ability to gain experience by defeating dungeon monsters, rewarding him with status points, ability titles, and unique skills to help him gradually improve his rank as a hunter. The system also penalizes Jinwoo if he fails to complete those quests, often putting his life at risk. That’s a grind that’s brutally earned through high-stakes battles.
In almost every video game, a shield is viewed as a purely defensive tool. Needless to say, a protagonist whose only weapon is a shield would struggle to level up or progress on his own. At least, that’s what everyone thought when Naofumi and three other cardinal heroes were summoned to the kingdom of Melromarc to protect it fromdeadly waves of monster invasions.
What makes the leveling system of the Shield Hero rather unusual for a power fantasy is that it relies on the protagonist’s strategic allocation of resources, companion recruitment, and weapon evolution. Naofumi’s progression was never meant to be easy. Battles in the series begin extremely difficult, with high risk and low reward. However, by feeding the shield the correct materials earned from battles, it unlocks unique skill trees that allow Naofumi to take on far more roles than simply being a defensive or supportive character.
Can love at first sight start an epic adventure into thelabyrinth of Orario? That’s the rather comedic yet interesting premise that drives Bell Cranel, the only member of the Hestia Familia, to enter the dangerous dungeon at the center of the city of Orario. Fueled by his one-sided crush on Ais Wallenstein, a powerful adventurer from the Loki Familia who once saved his life, Bell vows to become the strongest adventurer in the world, a man truly worthy of Ais' affection.
The progression system in the world ofDanMachiis deeply inspired by Greek mythology. Similar to the heroes of mythology, Bell Cranel has to undergo a hero’s journey where he gains strength and skills not through repetitive grinding, but through real-world actions. In this scenario, his behavioral patterns and accomplishments are converted into numerical increases in strength, agility, and magic. However, these stats don’t increase automatically; they must be reviewed and updated by Hestia, the deity who leads his Familia.
Many people would rather enjoy games with robust systems and intricate mechanics. Rakuro Hizutome, however, prides himself on his ability to complete faulty video games with impossible glitches and game-breaking bugs. His true adventure begins when he decides to play a triple-A full-drive VR game calledShangri-La-Frontier. Prioritizing powerful weapons over gear, Rakuro, who goes by Sunraku in every game he plays, chooses to become an assassin-type class with a bird mask and no gear.
Shangri-La-Frontier’sintroduces fans to an open-world structure that rewards its players for their creativity.Unlike traditional MMORPGs, equipment progression is unpredictable, reliant on rare monster drops and item synergy rather than scripted upgrades. This makes the progression system heavily dependent on RNG luck, with unique gear drops, hidden quests, and rare encounters influencing stat growth and ability evolution.
With zero gaming experience, Kaede Honjou joins her best friend in the immersive VR game called New World Online. Having no prior knowledge of building a balanced character, and with the sole goal of not wanting to get hurt, Kaede creates a shield-wielding character maxed out on vitality. This unorthodox decision results in power scaling that breaks core game mechanics and leads to her becoming nearly invincible.
Despite its unexpected and humorous take on the game narrative,Bofurifollowstraditional MMORPG mechanicswith grinding and questing as the main sources of power scaling. However, similar toShangri-La-Frontier, the anime offers plenty of unexpected and unique game features that are only found by performing specific tasks or unlocking hidden quests.
When thousands of players find themselves trapped inside the popular MMORPG Elder Tale, Shiroe, Naotsugu, and Akatsuki form a party to adapt and survive in this new reality. Led by the brilliant strategist Shiroe, the three balance their roles as a healer, a tank, and a damage dealer to successfully complete intense raids and challenging encounters.
Log Horizonfollows a traditional combat-based XP system that focuses on party dynamics and class synergies. In this system, party members unlock skills at certain level milestones tied to their class archetypes. Although death isn’t permanent, delayed respawning raises the stakes, requiring the party to carefully assess threats and manage skills cooldown to advance through various challenges.
Much likeLog Horizon,Sword Art Onlinetraps thousands of players in a fully immersive VRMMORPG. However, the stakes are far more severe—death in the game means death in real life. With no option to respawn, survival depends on leveling up quickly and clearing all 100 floors of the game. Kirito, a skilled solo player and former beta tester, rises to the challenge, pushing his limits to conquer this deadly world.
Progression inSword Art Onlinedepends on earning experience points by defeating monsters, completing quests, and conquering floor bosses. In this tower climbing game, each cleared floor unlocks new zones, loot, and tougher enemies. With their lives at stake, players must master weapon-based combat and reflex-driven mechanics to survive.
Being reincarnated as the hero of another world is definitely what mainstream Isekai is all about, but getting reincarnated as the tool that the hero uses is definitely unheard of before this. Teacher, a sentient weapon that hoards skills by absorbing the core of defeated enemies, becomes the life companion of a determined young black cat, Fran, who wants to accomplish a feat never heard of before in her race—evolving.
What’s truly special aboutReincarnated As A Swordis its unique dual-progression system that allows Teacher to absorb skills, spells, and abilities and share them with his wielder, Fran. Meanwhile, Fran can still gain traditional XP, weapon-specific skills, stat increases, and combat mastery through hands-on battle.
