Sword Art Online is a cultural phenomenon, but there are a number of similar anime – isekai or action – that SAO lovers should check out.
One of the most popular titles is Sword Art Online. Most people find the story of Kirito and his friends stuck in a video game with only two options for escape: death or reaching the top of the dungeon, to be quite compelling. More importantly, the series has served as a stepping stone for newcomers to anime.
This list is for those people, although not just for them. This list is for anyone who, for whatever reason, enjoys Sword Art Online. It could be the overpowered protagonist, the video game surroundings, or even the harem element. There are no judgments here, only solid suggestions for what to do next.
Some anime fans have grown tired of the rapidly expanding isekai genre. Others can’t get enough of it, and they’ve almost certainly seen Sword Art Online as a stepping stone into the genre. However, the fun doesn’t have to stop in Aincrad.
1. Log Horizon
Thirty thousand confused Japanese players have been transferred from their daily lives into the world of the popular MMORPG Elder Tale and are unable to log out. One of them is Shiroe, a socially awkward college student. His confusion and shock are short-lived, as he quickly sets out to explore the limits of his new reality as a veteran of the game.
In order to bring stability to the virtual city of Akihabara, Shiroe must learn to live in this new world, leading others and dealing with the NPC “natives.” He’s joined by his unlucky friend Naotsugu, who logged in for the first time in years only to be stuck, and Akatsuki, a small but deadly assassin who claims Shiroe as her master.
Log Horizon is an adventure, fantasy, and political story that looks at gaming from the perspective of a master strategist trying to make the best of a perplexing situation.
2. Accel World
Haruyuki Arita is a bullied, overweight middle schooler who seeks solace in playing online games. However, his life is turned upside down one day when he learns that Kuroyukihime, the student council’s popular vice president, has surpassed his excellent marks.
Then she invites him to the student lounge and tells him about “Brain Burst,” a program that enables users to accelerate their brain waves to the point that time appears to stop. Brain Burst is also an augmented reality fighting game in which users must win duels against other players in order to collect more points and accelerate. However, if a user loses all of their points, they will no longer be able to play Brain Burst.
Kuroyukihime reveals that she showed Haruyuki the program because she requires his assistance. She wants to meet the game’s inventor and learn why it was made, but that’s more said than done; to do so, she’ll have to defeat the game’s “Six Kings of Pure Color,” formidable faction leaders, and achieve level 10, the highest level possible.
3. Btooom!
Ryouta Sakamoto lives with his mother because he is unemployed, with his only true accomplishment being the top player in Japan for the popular online video game Btooom! His peaceful life, however, is about to change when he wakes up on an island in the middle of nowhere, clutching a small green crystal in his left hand and having no memory of how he got there. Someone has decided to replicate the game he enjoys in real life, with the stakes being life or death, to his surprise.
The players are given a bag full of “BIM” bombs and told to kill seven of their fellow participants and take their green crystals in order to return home. Ryouta, who at first opposed all forms of violence, is forced to battle when he finds that many of the other players are not as kind as they appear.
They team up with Himiko, another Btooom! player, and seek to escape the island together, getting closer and closer to the reality behind this deathmatch.
4. Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka
Bell Cranel, a naive young man who strives to be the land’s greatest adventurer, realizes that life in the busy city of Orario is never dull. After a chance meeting with the lonely goddess Hestia, his dreams become a little more real.
With her help, Bell embarks on a fantastic adventure deep inside the city’s monster-infested catacombs known only as the “Dungeon.” Death lurks around every corner in the unfathomable depths of this terrifying labyrinth, while a mysterious power lurks in the shadows.
Surviving is a hard-won privilege, even on the surface. Nothing is ever certain in a world where gods and humans coexist and cooperate, especially when they frequently clash. One thing is certain: the hopeful protagonist of this epic story will encounter a slew of setbacks, triumphs, and friendships.
5. No Game No Life
The mystery gamer knew simply as “Blank.” is one of the most well-known urban legends on the internet. Blank is merely two shut-in NEET siblings: the manipulative 18-year-old Sora and the distant genius 11-year-old Shiro, who has set and broken records in hundreds of games. They are an invincible duo who have never lost a game.
An anonymous email challenges the siblings to a chess game one day. They are immediately transported into a colorful alternate world after achieving a flawless victory.
Tet, a playful young man who introduces himself as the “One True God,” informs them that the realm of Disboard has a unique system for resolving disputes: all problems are addressed through simple games. Furthermore, mankind is the weakest and least powerful of the 16 races that occupy the realm, with only a single city for a kingdom; they are barely scraping by.
Sora and Shiro rapidly acquire a name for themselves in a society that hasn’t seen conflict or violence in ages as they set their sights on an ambitious goal: to overcome Tet with their gaming skills and conquer this new world.
6. Overlord
The renowned virtual reality game Yggdrasil has reached its final hour. Momonga is a powerful wizard and the master of the dark guild Ainz Ooal Gown; he decides to spend the game’s final moments as the servers begin to shut down.
Momonga is still completely conscious as his character, even though the clock has struck midnight, and the non-player characters appear to have gained their own identities!
When confronted with this odd situation, Momonga instructs his dedicated followers to aid him in exploring and seizing control of this new world in the hopes of learning what caused the change and whether there are others in the same situation.
7. Hai to Gensou no Grimgar
Fear, instinct, and survival. Only when they are thrown into a distant land with nothing but cloudy memories and the knowledge of their name can they experience these three sentiments resonating deep inside their souls. A group of strangers is forced to accept the only paid position in this game-like environment—that of a Reserve Army soldier—and eradicate everything that threatens the peace in their new world, Grimgar.
Manato, a charismatic leader and priest; Yume, a cheerful hunter; Haruhiro, a nervous thief; Shihoru, a shy mage; Moguzo, a gentle warrior; and Ranta, a rowdy dark knight, must form a band together to live. Despite its similarity to a game, this is not one. It’s kill or be killed; there are no redos or respawns.
In a world where death and life are partitioned by a razor-thin margin, it’s up to this ragtag group of unexpected combatants to stay together.
8. Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!
Kazuma Satou, a recluse and high school student, sees himself in front of a gorgeous but obnoxious goddess named Aqua after dying a ridiculous and sad death on his way back after buying a game. She gives NEET two choices: go to heaven or reincarnate in a true fantasy world, which is every gamer’s dream!
Kazuma is swiftly entrusted with destroying a Demon King that is terrorizing villages after deciding to start a new life. But before he leaves, he can choose any object to help him on his adventure, and the future hero chooses Aqua. However, Kazuma has made a critical error: Aqua is entirely useless!
Unfortunately, their problems do not end there; it turns out that living in such a world is nothing like how it appears in a video game. Instead of embarking on an exciting adventure, the two must first work to support themselves. Their misfortunes had only just started!
9. Mirai Nikki
Yukiteru Amano is a gloomy middle schooler who keeps track of his activities on his phone, which he uses as a digital diary. Yukiteru is regularly seen conversing with his supposedly imaginary companions Deus Ex Machina, the god of space and time, and Deus’ servant, Mur Mur, despite having no friends at school.
Yukiteru awakens one day to find that some events from his day have been preemptively displayed on his cellphone. While he initially discounted the events logged on his phone as a coincidence, he progressively realizes that they occur in the near future. After enjoying this new asset for the day, Yukiteru realizes that his classmate Yuno Gasai has a similar diary.
Deus Ex Machina says that they—along with 10 other contestants—have been drawn into a survival game whose winner will become the deity’s successor as they team up to defeat an odd pursuer and return to their respective homes. Yuno and Yukiteru have no choice but to use their cellphones—dubbed “Future Diaries”—to survive this merciless battle royale.
10. Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari
Legends tell of four otherworldly heroes who defended the earth from wave after wave of disaster, holding the sword, spear, bow, and shield. The kingdom of Melromarc summons these legendary figures as the destiny of the world hangs in the balance; the call is answered in modern-day Japan, and the unwitting heroes are transported to this fantasy universe.
Because of his lack of offensive ability and apparent inexperience, otaku Naofumi Iwatani is deemed the weakest after being thrust into Melromarc and given the title of “Shield Hero.” He only has one willing companion when the heroes part ways to begin their journeys: the gorgeous princess Malty Melromarc. She soon betrays him, stealing all of his money and accusing him of exploiting her.
Naofumi has been labeled a criminal and cast out of society as a result of his alleged crimes. He starts out alone, filled with rage and swearing vengeance on those who have mistreated him.
11. Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu
Subaru Natsuki never expects to be ripped from his regular existence and thrown into a dream world as he leaves the convenience store. Things aren’t looking good for the confused teenager, but he gets ambushed by several thugs not long after his arrival. He is rapidly pummeled to a pulp, armed only with a bag of groceries and a now useless cell phone.
Fortunately, Subaru is saved by Satella, a mysterious beauty who is on the hunt for the person who took her insignia. Subaru offers to assist her in her search as a gesture of gratitude, and later that night, he even discovers the location of what she needs. Unbeknownst to them, though, a much darker force chases them from the shadows, and Subaru and Satella are brutally slain just minutes after discovering the insignia.
Subaru, however, is immediately presented with a familiar scene—confronted by the same gang of thugs, encountering Satella all over again—the mystery deepens as history strangely repeats itself.
12. Angel Beats!
Since the beginning of time, humanity has been plagued by several mysteries. However, for 17-year-old Yuzuru Otanishi, the burning issue of what happens to one’s soul after death is quickly answered. He finds the unpleasant truth of the afterlife after waking up with no past memories in a world between life and death.
This strange dimension, which takes the shape of a high school, is designed to house those who have met untimely deaths. Residents of the school have formed the Afterlife Battlefront, a rebellious party intent to challenge Kanade “Angel” Tachibana, their god-like student council president, and they believed that God had harmed them during their earthly lives.
Yuri Nakamura, the group’s leader, recruits Otonashi to join them in their war against Angel in order to seize control of their own life. However, in order to grasp the opposing side of their common fate, Otonashi goes behind enemy lines to examine the morality of their conduct.
13. Mondaiji-tachi ga Isekai kara Kuru Sou Desu yo?
Asuka Kudou, Izayoi Sakamaki, and You Kasukabe are three extraordinary teenagers with psychic abilities who are fed up with their mundane lives—until they each get a strange envelope containing an invitation to the mysterious Little Garden.
Kurousagi greets the trio after they are thrown into a vast new world and explains that they have been given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to engage in special high-stakes games employing their powers. They must first join a community in order to participate.
When the group learns that Kurousagi’s community “No Names” has lost its official status and bountiful land because of a demon lord’s defeat, they set out to help recover their new home’s dignity, eager to safeguard its residents and explore the excitement that Little Garden has to offer.
14. Zero no Tsukaima
In a world of cloaks, wands, and royalty, Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière is a self-absorbed mage. Regardless of the fact that she attends Tristain Academy, a prominent school for magicians, Louise has a severe flaw: she is unable to cast magic successfully, garnering her the nickname “Louise the Zero” from her peers.
Louise’s summoning results in a cataclysmic explosion when first-year students are asked to undertake a summoning ritual! Everyone thinks it’s another failure, but when the smoke clears, a young man called Saito Hiraga appears.
Saito is now treated as a slave, forced to clean her clothes and eat from the ground by Louise. However, an unknown brand imprinted on Saito’s hand as a result of the summoning procedure is said to be the mark of a powerful familiar named Gandalf.
Zero no Tsukaima follows Saito as he adjusts to his new life, and Louise demonstrates that she is more than her nickname implies.
15. Guilty Crown
The plot of Guilty Crown begins in 2029, when an unexplained “Apocalypse Virus” sweeps across Japan, causing havoc known as the “Lost Christmas.” A global organization known as the GHQ intervenes with martial law and restores order at the cost of Japan’s freedom.
Shu Ouma is a 17-year-old high school student who keeps to himself in school, encounters Inori Yuzuriha, the main singer for Egoist, while visiting one of his favorite sites on his way home from school ten years later, in 2039. Shu is a huge admirer of Inori, a singer who has gone viral on the internet.
He also learns about her other side, which is that she is a member of “Funeral Parlor,” a resistance group dedicated to freeing Japan from the GHQ. Shu begins to participate in “Funeral Parlor” activities, and the “King’s Mark” appears on his right hand. This “mark” grants him the ability to enter another person’s body to withdraw and materialize a weapon.