Anime Characters Who Were Reincarnated

Reincarnation is an interesting theme often explored in modern anime, where creators bring some characters back to life with godly abilities, altered memories, or different destinies. Reincarnation, if done right, serves as a surprise element for the anime, where fans lose their mind when their favorite character is back on-screen. Such characters often remember their past selves, and we are just there to see them finish their arc till the end.

Whether it’s the protagonist getting a second shot at his life, an evil guy never accepting his defeat, or a character thrown into an entirely new existence, these stories explore the ideas of fate and the possibility of living through multiple lives. So, here are a few anime characters who were given another chance at life, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.

10

Anos Voldigoad – The Misfit Of Demon King Academy

The Demon King Returns As A Misfit

The Misfit of Demon King Academy follows the story of Anos Voldigoad, once the most feared demon king, but eventually sacrificed himself to bring an era of peace to the world. However, when he reincarnates thousands of years later, he finds that his name and legacy have been forgotten.

He enrolls himself into a Demon King Society, but he is way more powerful than everyone, forcing them to label him a misfit. The anime is less about his story and more about his struggles to prove that true power never fades. Sometimes, it just needs to be remembered.

9

Elizabeth – The Seven Deadly Sins

The Love-Cursed Goddess

In The Seven Deadly Sins, Elizabeth Liones may seem like a quintessential kind-hearted princess at first, but her story is anything but ordinary. As Elizabeth’s memories start to resurface, it is revealed that she’s actually the reincarnation of a goddess doomed to die and be reborn over and over, never remembering her past lives.

Her fate is tied to Meliodas, a powerful demon who is cursed to forget all his memories whenever he dies, but in each life, he falls in love with the same girl, Elizabeth. This cycle of love makes this anime both beautiful and tragic, showing that reincarnation may just be a heartbreaking loop.

8

Makima – Chainsaw Man

The Control Devil’s Reincarnation In The Manga

Makima was one of the most terrifying antagonists in the manga series Chainsaw Man, a master manipulator who controlled everything she could. However, after Denji finally defeated her, she was reincarnated as Nayuta, a young girl with no memory of her past sins.

Unlike Makima, Nayuta is raised in a loving home, which leaves a lot of questions about whether she’ll follow Makima’s evil path, as only the first season of the show has been dropped and Nayuta’s entry into the anime is still a ways off.

7

Kagome Higurashi – Inuyasha

Born As An Ancient Priestess

An ordinary girl born into a house of shrine-keepers, Kagome Higurashi, thought she was just a random middle school student until she was pulled into the past and discovered she was the reincarnation of Kikyo, a powerful priestess.

In her past life as Kikyo, she was the guardian of the legendary Shikon Jewel, which is why, when she is reborn, Kagome inherits the powers of the jewel within herself. The jewel gives her spiritual powers, which she can fuse into her arrows to defeat the demonic powers and purify things at her will.

6

King Piccolo – Dragon Ball

The Evil Overlord With A New Beginning

Long before Piccolo became one of Goku’s strongest allies, his father, King Piccolo, terrorized Earth with mass destruction and genocide. After he is defeated by Goku, King Piccolo uses his last strength to ensure his rebirth by spitting out an egg just before dying, creating Piccolo Jr., his reincarnated self.

Piccolo Jr, starts his story as a villain, wanting to avenge his father. However, slowly his character changes into someone different. Rather than following his father’s evil path, he chooses his own, proving that rebirth isn’t about repeating past mistakes but about changing them.

5

Subaru Natsuki – Re: Zero – Starting Life in Another World

The Worst Superpower Ever

Re: Zero is a brilliant series about one’s fate and destiny, and introduces the audience to Subaru Natsuki, who, upon finding himself stuck in a loop, realizes that every time he dies, he restarts from a specific point in time, forced to relive the same events.

Each death pushes him further to the brink, making his story one of suffering and growth. Unlike most reincarnated protagonists, who get godly powers, Subaru’s strength lies in his experiences, where every time he has to think about what went wrong the last time.

4

Orochimaru – Naruto

Comes Back To Life With Forbidden Jutsu

One of the three legendary Saninn in the Narutoverse, Orochimaru is one such character who was so powerful that he even escaped the Death Reaper Seal, while also making the 3rd Hokage scarfice his life.

Having powers of a forbidden immortality jutsu, Orochimaru doesn’t follow the traditional way of reincarnation but forces it as he transfers his soul into new bodies, trying to never die. This makes him a terrifying antagonist in the series, as he continuously evades death through unnatural spells, refusing to let go, no matter what.

3

Griffith – Berserk

Griffith Turns Into Femto, A Demon

Some reincarnations aren’t about dying physically but about a character going through a moral death that is so life-changing that it completely changes who they are. This perfectly explains Grifitth’s character and the path of darkness he chose.

Once a leader of the Band of Hawks, Griffith sacrifices his comrades to be reborn as Femto, one of the demons of the God Hand. The final episode of the classic Berserk series, marks one of the most shocking betrayals in anime history, when he feeds all of his comrades to the demons, and scars Guts and Casca in the worst possible way, while completely abandoning humanity for power.

2

Usagi Tsukino – Sailor Moon

A Moon Princess Reborn

Once living in the Silver Millennium era as the ruler of the Moon Kingdom, the Princess Serenity, the anime series tells the tale of 14-year-old Usagi Tsukino, who is reincarnated back to the Earth with no memory of her past life.

One day, she meets a magical cat, Luna, who tells her about her past life. This is when she realizes her powers and gets to know that it’s her responsibility to save the planet from the malicious powers of the Dark Kingdom.

1

Rimuru Tempest – That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

From Office Worker To A Slime

Rimuru’s reincarnation is one of the funniest we’ve ever seen in anime. After dying as an average office worker, Rimuru wakes up in another world, not as a human but as a slime.

While it may be an unusual start, it doesn’t take long for him to grow into one of the most powerful beings ever. Rimuru doesn’t just regain his old self, he evolves into something completely new. His journey as a slime is fun to watch, as you see him trying to bring harmony across the world with his bizarre powers.