Best Isekai Anime Like SAO

Sword Art Online debuted as a visual novel series in 2002, and Reki Kawahara’s story was adapted into a smash-hit anime in 2012. It has since received many seasons and spinoffs, each tackling a new MMO or gaming genre. Yet for all its storylines, fans tend to appreciate the first arc the most.

In SAO‘s original story, an MMO traps players within its walls. There is seemingly no escape, and if players die in the game, then they die in real life. Some gamers decided to live their lives peacefully in the world of this fantasy MMO, while others looked for a way out. Concepts like these have appeared in anime before and since, in scenarios from deadly games, to video games, to isekai anime and everything in between. For those who loved the show’s premise, here are some of the best anime like SAO to watch next.

Updated January 8, 2025 by Mark Sammut: Winter 2025 does not include any Sword Art Online anime, so fans will need to look elsewhere to get their fill of isekai goodness. To be honest, none of the season’s isekai shows seem that similar to SAO, at least not to the point of warranting a mention at the moment. However, two of Winter 2025’s non-isekai series might scratch that itch.

Non-Isekai Anime That Fans Of Sword Art Online Should Check Out

• 	Shangri-La Frontier	BOFURI: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, So I’ll Max Out My Defense	Solo Leveling	Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon?
  Release Date	2023-10-01	2020-01-08	2024-01-07	2015-04-04
  Genres	Animation, Comedy, Action, Adventure, Fantasy	Comedy, Action, Fantasy, Anime	Animation, Action, Adventure, Fantasy	Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Romance, Comedy, Action, Anime
  Studio	C2C	Silver Link	A-1 Pictures	J.C.Staff
  Based On	Novel & Manga	Light Novel	Manhwa	Light Novel
  Creator	Katarina	Yuumikan	Chugong	Fujino Ōmori

Sword Art Online is primarily associated with isekai, to the point of being arguably the theme’s most popular overall property. Unsurprisingly, the series has spawned more than its fair share of copycats, so fans will be busy for a while if they only watch isekai anime like SAO; however, this restriction would eliminate a few great recommendations. Consequently, let’s highlight a couple of non-isekai anime that are likely to hit the mark with SAO fans. Basically, these are all anime that focus on games in some form or another.

• Shangri-La Frontier – Honestly, this should probably be most people’s first watch if they are craving something along the same lines as SAO, at least in the sense that both shows take place in MMORPGs. Unlike Kirito’s predicament, Rakurou is not trapped in his eponymous game, instead just opting to log in every day. Shangri-La Frontier follows the protagonist as he gets to experience a god-tier MMO with gorgeous visuals, challenging boss fights, and a strong community. Unlike SAO, this anime has a more realistic game, in the sense that most of its design choices are relatively logical.
• Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense – Another anime about characters who are just playing a game, Bofuri blends humor and action to create a fun and lighthearted adventure. Entering her first proper MMO experience, Maple decides to invest entirely in defense, just to ensure she does not get hurt. Long story short, she ends up breaking the game, causing the developers to repeatedly try and fail to take her down.
• Solo Leveling – An argument could be made that Solo Leveling qualifies as isekai since the portals connect Earth to another world, allowing hunters and monsters to jump back and forth between the two. Nevertheless, it would be a stretch to classify the original manhwa and its anime adaptation as part of the genre. Still, SAO fans should check out A-1 Pictures’ series, especially if they want top-notch action and an OP protagonist who is constantly getting stronger. Solo Leveling‘s dungeons are also reminiscent of SAO‘s versions.
• Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? – Despite being occasionally mistaken for an isekai story, DanMachi is not part of the genre as Bell is not summoned to another world. That said, the anime shares a few similarities with those types of stories, including a society built on the relationship between gods and mortals and a power system that incorporates a couple of gaming-like elements. More importantly, DanMachi has a pseudo-harem like SAO, in the sense that Bell seems to constantly attract female suitors despite the anime establishing his main love interest in the first few episodes.

12

The New Gate

Post-Game Content

A Spring 2024 isekai anime, The New Gate has a unique premise. Trapped in an MMO with a plethora of other players, Shinya eventually grew strong enough to defeat the final boss, freeing everyone from their prison; however, he ended up being an exception. Instead, Shinya is sent 500 years into the game’s future, finding an NPC-driven society that regards the departed players as almost mythological entities. Far more powerful than any other character, Shinya gets to live the slow guild life alongside a few friends.

Along with having a somewhat similar design to Kirito, Shinya is likable as an easy-going protagonist who is just making the best of a bad situation. He is also trying to find a way back home, although the anime does not emphasize this plot point too greatly. The New Gate presents a fascinating look at how these fantasy gaming worlds might develop if they continued to exist beyond the playerbase’s influence, an idea that has not been explored by many isekai anime.

11

Grimgar, Ashes and Illusions

Survival Is Not Guaranteed

Also known as Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash, Grimgar, Ashes and Illusions is somewhat difficult to recommend, at least the anime. With just 12 episodes, the adaptation covers about 5-10% of the source material, which is still ongoing. As season 1 ended in 2016, one has to assume that a sequel is just not going to happen at this point, which is a shame. While the light novel should be prioritized, the anime serves as an OK introductory point to this universe, one that establishes the main characters and the world’s rules.

Grimgar follows a group of teenagers who find themselves stuck in a fantasy world reminiscent of RPGs, and they form a party to try and survive. Unfortunately, they are so weak and vulnerable that even defeating goblins is a tough task. Grimgar is the direct opposite of a power fantasy, and it exists in fun contrast to something like Sword Art Online.

10

.hack//Sign

Classic Isekai Set In A Game

The .hack series launched as a global branding effort across all forms of media. There were games, books, manga, and this first anime adaptation, .hack//Sign. All stories in this series take place in a fictional MMO called “The World,” which runs on VR headsets. The players don’t get trapped in it, unlike Sword Art Online. The only exception is a mage-like character named Tsukasa. Why can’t he leave? That’s the core mystery, which he seeks to resolve.

While the franchise does not usually go down the isekai route, .hack//Sign is an exception as the protagonist, Tsukasa, cannot log out of the world, meaning he is effectively trapped in The World. One of the more influential and important anime of the isekai genre, .hack//Sign has not aged extremely well, although it is still a fascinating watch at times. Now, unlike SAO, this cult classic has almost no action at all and moves at a very slow pace as it chronicles the characters’ growth, development, and psyches.

9

Chillin’ In Another World With Level 2 Super Cheat Powers

Playing House

Another 2024 show, Chillin’ in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers is quite a different isekai anime than SAO in most ways; however, they share an important element in common. One of the strongest components of the Aincard arc is Kirito and Asuna’s dynamic, which starts rocky but quickly develops into a wholesome relationship built on mutual trust and respect. Chillin’ in Another World strikes a similar balance between Flio and Fenrys, its male and female leads. Putting aside their violent meet-cute, these two characters form a bond and decide to play-act as a married couple; before long, they develop genuine feelings for each other, particularly Fenrys toward Flio.

Also similar to SAO, Chillin’ in Another World‘s protagonists quickly find themselves surrounded by a non-romantic harem, allowing them to create a lively homestead that welcomes people (girls) with all sorts of backgrounds. Flio and Fenrys have great chemistry, and both characters are endearing as individuals. Unlike SAO, Chillin’ in Another World is more of an adventure romance than an action anime, despite featuring an extremely overpowered protagonist.

8

Black Summoner

Quick Harem & Straightforward Protagonist

Even though it aired alongside series like Overlord and Uncle from Another World, Black Summoner still managed to stand out from the crowd, even if it did not ultimately go down as an all-time great. Reincarnated into a new world by a goddess, Kelvin focuses on becoming a summoner, which allows him to utilize an array of allies in battle. While he could just let others handle battles for him, Kelvin absolutely loves to get his hands dirty in fights, and he is also strong enough to handle the vast majority of encounters without relying on his summoner ability.

Black Summoner tells a very straightforward story. Except for a lingering desire to summon the goddess who reincarnated him, Kelvin does not have any real motive beyond just searching for a new person to duel. He is overpowered like most isekai protagonists, and he seems to enjoy indulging in his abilities more than the bulk of his peers. Similar to Sword Art Online, Black Summoner is also something of a harem, although it is not emphasized all that much in the show’s first and only season.

7

Reincarnated As A Sword

As a theme, isekai is quite broad, and it has a couple of sub-categories. For instance, light novels have been dominated by villainess stories for a while, and that trend has crossed over into anime in recent years. Another isekai subtype involves protagonists being reincarnated as unusual things, be it a vending machine, a spider monster, or slime. Amazingly, all those concepts have produced fun shows (to different extents), although they are not necessarily the greatest picks for SAO fans. However, Reincarnated as a Sword is a whole other story.

A human finds himself stuck as a sentient sword, albeit one that is quite powerful. Despite being capable of movement, the blade realizes he needs a wielder to be complete, and he finds that person in Fran, a beastkin orphan who has been through hard times. The two develop a charming friendship and mentorship that benefits both of them. While having a very different premise from SAO, Reincarnated as a Sword delivers action that is very close in quality to the more popular series. Fran and Shishou’s father-daughter dynamic is also not far removed from Kiryu and Asuna’s relationship with Yui, although the former is arguably handled better than the latter.

6

Ixion Saga DT

Underrated Isekai Comedy With A Very Non-Kirito Protagonist

Debuting just a few months after the original season of Sword Art Online, Ixion Saga DT very much comes across as a show that predates Kirito’s rise in popularity in the anime world. For better or worse, Brain’s Base’s series has a unique voice that sets it apart from not just SAO but most isekai stories on the market. Basically, the show revels in its stupidity, arguably even more so than something like KonoSuba.

Kon finds himself teleported into his favorite MMORPG, where he is quickly tasked with protecting a princess. Unlike the Black Swordsman, Ixion Saga DT‘s protagonist is not a cool customer, and he handles this newfound responsibility with all the grace of, well, a teenager who suddenly finds himself in a life-or-death situation. If someone is searching for an isekai comedy, Ixion Saga DT is a great place to start.

5

The Rising Of The Shield Hero

Power Fantasy With Extensive Harem & Some Dark Content

Very few isekai anime can claim to be anywhere near as polarizing as Sword Art Online, but The Rising of the Shield Hero is one such exception. The story follows Naofumi, a guy who is summoned to a fantasy world to serve as one of its heroes. Whoever, he is falsely accused of a crime and shunned by the world, starting him down a path of both revenge and redemption. Before long, he starts forming his own party that leans into harem territory without really committing to it (similar to SAO).

The Rising of the Shield Hero is a mixed bag due to its underwhelming second season which can be a real slog to get through; however, season 1 and Fall 2023’s third cour are both considerably better. Naofumi is a much more forceful protagonist than Kirito, which makes him both divisive but also interesting. While the storytelling can be a bit messy in places, the anime generally handles its action sequences well.

4

Log Horizon

Deep Immersion In An MMORPG World

On the surface, Log Horizon and Sword Art Online seem cut from the same cloth. Both anime have plotlines involving players who become trapped in MMORPGs, forcing them to adapt to the cultures of their games. Both anime have “overpowered” protagonists in a sense, although SAO‘s Kirito is mostly a physical threat while Log Horizon‘s Shiroe is a thinker.

The shows differ in their exploration of their respective worlds, as Log Horizon dedicates far more time to showcasing the societies that grow in Elder Tale, the MMORPG. While Shiroe is the main character, the isekai anime has an almost ensemble cast since it dedicates a lot of time to its supporting figures.

3

Overlord

Isekai With An Evil Protagonist & Great World-Building

Overlord is another game-based anime. It started out as a novel in 2010 which then led to a light novel followed by a manga and then this anime. In this anime, the MMO is about to shut down. The show’s protagonist, Momonga, is the leader of his own guild.

He decides to hold a party online to count down the servers shutting down, but no one comes. When the clock reaches zero, he discovers he can’t leave, and the plot thickens from there. Unlike SAO, Overlord very much focuses on an “evil” protagonist, albeit one that is initially playing a part rather than fully malicious. Momonga steadily expands his reach over the kingdom, exerting his overwhelming power over the ill-prepared humans. He is also backed by a few extremely loyal and powerful subordinates.

2

KonoSuba: God’s Blessing On This Wonderful World!

The Ultimate Isekai Parody

KonoSuba is the definitive isekai parody anime. The show’s comedy casts a fairly wide net, so while it does not specifically satirize Sword Art Online, tropes from the latter are part of the equation. After living an unspectacular life, Kazuma meets a sad end, which leads him to a face-to-face with a goddess named Aqua. While she does offer the human the chance at a second life, she also does not hesitate to mock him; consequently, when he is allowed to take one thing into the new world, Kazuma picks Aqua.

KonoSuba centers around perhaps the most dysfunctional party in isekai history. Even though all four main characters are awful people, they are also hilarious, well-written, and likable. Unlike Kirito, Kazuma is not particularly powerful or charming (in-universe), but he is not incompetent either. Now, KonoSuba is, ultimately, a very different show than SAO, but the former is still recommended for fans of the latter since it rewards viewers’ familiarity with isekai tropes.

1

Skeleton Knight In Another World

Quite Similar To SAO In Tone, Action, & Protagonist

Despite enjoying a decent run during Spring 2022, Skeleton Knight in Another World has already started to fade from memory, a consequence of there being roughly a million isekai anime released per year. Similar to SAO, Skeleton Knight is also set in a fantasy video game world inspired by MMORPGs. In this case, only one human finds himself stuck in this realm, and to make matters worse (or better), he is stuck as his skeleton avatar. On the one hand, he is fairly powerful; conversely, he is literally a walking skeleton.

Although not a masterpiece, Skeleton Knight in Another World gets a lot of things right. The anime generally nails its action sequences. While Arc (the protagonist) often takes center stage, the show does not neglect its supporting characters, especially the main female lead. Arc is a solid MC as well, even if he lacks drive. Also, like SAO, Skeleton Knight sometimes struggles with tonal whiplash.