Over the past decade, the genre of isekai has taken the world by storm. At its core, the premise is simple: isekai is all about someone (usually from Japan) dying in this world and getting reincarnated into another. There are a few variations of the classic genre; sometimes, characters can become trapped in a video game, forcing them to live their lives in the same game they used to play.

Other isekai series don't have their characters die at all. Instead, they are simply transported to an entirely new world. From there, each series becomes its own things. There are a variety of exceptional isekai series that are sure to become classics. Each of them started with an incredibly simple premise before taking it from there, expanding into monumental series fans across the world have come to enjoy.

10 Overlord

Animated By Madhouse, Based On The Light Novel By Kugane Maruyama And So-Bin

Overlord is one of the darkest isekai series of all time, and it's easily one of the best. The premise is incredibly simple: Momonga, the character's name in the series, is the last of his friends to be playing the hugely popular DMMORPG called Yggdrasil. When the servers are finally shut down, he finds that he can't log out. He takes his guilds name as his own, Ainz Ooal Gown, and sets out to see if any other real players are left.

Overlord will become a classic because of how well it treats its premise. Other isekai series put their characters in a new world and force them to become the savior. Overlord does the opposite, allowing Ainz to run rampant on his enemies and live as the titular Overlord.

9 Bofuri: I Don’t Want To Get Hurt, So I’ll Max Out My Defense

Animated By Silver Link, Based On The Light Novel By Yuumikan And Koi

Bofuri: I Don’t Want To Get Hurt, So I’ll Max Out My Defense is as cute as its title is long. The series stars Maple as she s a new popular online video game. She's new to the game and plays her own way, putting all of her stat points into defense. She inadvertently becomes one of the strongest characters in the game, with a defense stat so absurdly high, nobody can damage her.

Bofuri is destined to become a classic because of how lighthearted, hilarious, and adorable the series is. Maple is one of the easiest characters to root for in anime because of how much she cares about her friends, how unquestionably powerful she's becoming, and the fact that she doesn't even realize that she's become an absolute beast.

8 The Eminence In Shadow

Animated By Nexus, Based On The Light Novel By Daisuke Aizawa And Tōzai

There aren't too many series, isekai or not, like The Eminence in Shadow. The series stars one of the only characters who couldn't be happier to be transported to a new world. In his previous life, Shadow was a vigilante who loved beating up bad guys and living a life as a dark hero.

In his new life, he's the titular Eminence in Shadow, destroying his enemies and living enigmatically like he always wanted. The Eminence in Shadow is a must-watch series because of how hilarious it is. Shadow is always one step ahead of his enemies, and he never really means to be.

7 Angel Beats!

An Original Series Animated By P.A. Works

Stylistically, Angel Beats! is in a league of its own. It's one of the few anime series that will leave viewers with more questions than answers. The story stars Otonashi as he finds himself in a sort of afterlife. He s a band of rebels called the Afterlife Battalion and begins to unravel the mysteries held by his new world.

Angel Beats! is already over 15 years old, so it might be safe to call it a classic already. At the very least, it's a cult classic, with a strong fan base that appreciates the show's mixture of action, humor, and deep philosophical premises.

6 Re:Zero - Starting Life In Another World

Animated By White Fox, Based On The Light Novel Series By Tappei Nagatsuki And Shin'ichirō Ōtsuka

Even outside the genre of isekai, Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World ranks as one of the darkest anime series of all time. Natsuki Subaru is a normal guy who finds himself transported to another world. He's pretty out of his element and has a relatively bad first day that is only made worse when he's murdered. He Returns by Death, restarting the day over as if nothing ever happened.

It's one of the darkest, cleanest premises in isekai. Return by Death is both a bleak and hopeful power, giving Subaru the power to rewrite events, but only after dying horrifically. Re:Zero is easily a classic in the making. The premise is amazing, the characters make it even better, and the world itself is just asking to be explored.

5 Inuyasha

Animated By Sunrise, Based On The Manga By Rumiko Takahashi

Inuyasha was a hit isekai series before hit isekai series were a thing. The series stars Kagome Higurashi as she's forced to travel to the year 1546 in Japan. In a different version of the Sengoku Period, with monsters and magic, Kagome must work with the titular Inuyasha to retrieve the Shikon Jewel and defeat the villains in their way.

Inuyasha is already a classic. With the overwhelming popularity of modern isekai series, shows like Inuyasha detail just how far the genre has come. If series like Inuyasha weren't around, series like Overlord, Re:Zero, and other fan-favorites probably wouldn't be the same series everyone has come to know and love.

4 Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation

Animated By Studio Bind, Based On The Light Novel Series By Rifujin na Magonote And Shirotaka

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation has a ton of controversy surrounding it, but despite its issues, it reigns as one of the best modern isekai series around. The series is one of the deepest in anime, following Rudeus Greyrat from the end of his previous life, to his reincarnation in another world, all the way to his death.

Mushoku Tensei shows growth on a scale almost unheard of. Most series only capture a few months, or maybe years, of a character's life; Mushoku Tensei follows Rudy from his literal birth to his final days and shows nearly everything in between.

3 No Game No Life

Animated By Madhouse, Based On The Light Novel By Yuu Kamiya

No Game No Life is another series that might already be considered a classic. The series came out over a decade ago, and fans are still waiting for the second season. The series stars two of the world's greatest gamers: Sora and Shiro. They're step-siblings who are so good at games, they've become bored because nobody can challenge them.

That all changes when they're transported to the mystical world 'Disboard', where everything is decided on games. No Game No Life is a classic because of how unapologetically unique it is. From the main characters, to the interesting art style, to the premise the series is based upon, No Game No Life sets itself apart from every other series out there.

2 That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime

Animated By Eight Bit, Based On The Light Novel By Fuse And Mitz Vah

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime has quickly become one of the most popular isekai anime series around. The show follows Rimuru Tempest as he starts as a lowly slime and quickly becomes a leader strong enough to build and defend his own nation. It's a great show because of how deep it goes, showing just how powerful and wise Rimuru becomes.

Not many series are willing to be as ambitious as Reincarnated as a Slime. While the third season leaves much to be desired, Reincarnated as a Slime has plenty of great humor, top-tier action, and wonderful character building. The series is still being animated, and it's already set to be an isekai classic.

1 KonoSuba: God's Blessing On This Wonderful World!

Animated By Studio Deen, Based On The Light Novel Series Written By Natsume Akatsuki And Illustrated By Kurone Mishima

KonoSuba: God's Blessing On This Wonderful World! is the funniest isekai series of all time. The series features Satou Kazuma as he's being reincarnated into a new world. When the Goddess Aqua gives him the option of taking any one thing with him, he chooses her, leading to a series filled with hilarity.

KonoSuba is one of the best written shows in anime. The back-and-forth dialogue between Kazuma and the rest of his party can be so hilarious viewers get lost in their own laughs. The world of KonoSuba is fascinating, the characters are absurdly well-written, and the humor is on another level from start to finish. If any isekai series should be dubbed a classic, it should be KonoSuba.