‘Rising of The Shield Hero’ also known as ‘Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari,’ is an isekai anime based on a light novel series written by Aneko Yusagi. It revolves around Naofumi Iwatani, a Japanese youth who gets transported to an alternate world as a Cardinal Hero along with three other young men. Unfortunately, when he is falsely accused of sexually assaulting someone, Iwatani finds himself in a world of trouble and is ostracized by society. It marks the beginning of his epic journey to redeem himself and protect the people who desperately need him as a Cardinal Hero.
The captivating premise of the show has got fans around the world hooked, and fans of anime may naturally wish to watch somewhat similar shows. So, today we have compiled a list of anime like ‘Rising of The Shield Hero’ just for you. Fans can watch several of these anime on Crunchyroll, Funimation, Hulu, VRV, or Netflix.
15. The Eminence in Shadow (2022 -)
Minoru Kagenou keeps a low profile but during the night he lives the life of a vigilante that fights for the greater good. Determined to someday become as strong as possible, Kagenou works hard. But his dreams come crashing down when he is killed in a road accident. In a strange turn of events, this turns out to be a blessing in disguise for him as he is reborn in a fantasy world with magical powers. Determined to fulfill the goals of his previous life, Kagenou starts a shadowy organization based on a lie not realizing that everything he lies about is actually true. Like ‘The Rising of the Shield Hero,’ ‘The Eminence in Shadow’ is an isekai series that follows a powerful protagonist trying to navigate the challenges he faces in his new life in a parallel world. You can watch the show here.
14. I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level (2021)
Azusa Aizawa is a corporate slave who dies from exhaustion after overworking herself. After her death, she meets a goddess who bestows her with immortality, following which she is reborn in a fantasy world. Instead of going on dangerous adventures or involving herself with society, Azusa chooses to live an isolated peaceful life hunting slimes. This lifestyle continued for three centuries until she realized that she had reached the highest possible level she could achieve by killing slimes only. When the news of her power spreads to far-off lands, Azusa is suddenly approached by strangers who have all kinds of motivations. While there are obvious differences in the premise of ‘I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level’ and ‘The Rising of the Shield Hero’ people looking for an interesting isekai series will enjoy both of them. You can watch the series here.
13. Reincarnated as a Sword (2022 -)
When a man dies on Earth, he gets reincarnated in a fantasy world as a nameless sword. With the power of telekinesis, it acquires several skills and abilities to become more powerful. When it is in a forest filled with monsters, the nameless sword accidentally meets a Black Cat girl named Fran who is trying to flee from a monster. With the help of the sword, Fran manages to defend herself. This marks the beginning of the friendship between the unlikely duo as they set out to embark on adventures while trying to help each other along the way. Like ‘The Rising of the Shield Hero,’ the anime has similar themes of reincarnation and character finding a powerful weapon. If you like the former, we feel that you are going to enjoy the latter as well. All episodes are accessible for streaming here.
12. Skeleton Knight in Another World (2022 -)
‘Gaikotsu Kishi-sama, Tadaima Isekai e Odekakechuu’ or ‘Skeleton Knight in Another World’ follows a man who gets transported to the game world as his in-game character, Arc after falling asleep. Since he understands the fantastical world he now inhabits, he adjusts to his new environment quite fast. Ensuring that his appearance does not bother anyone, he then sets out to become an adventurer in the castle town of Luvierte. It marks the beginning of his new journey as he tries to understand his strange predicament and come to terms with his new reality. The anime is accessible for streaming here.
11.Deadman Wonderland (2011)
‘Deadman Wonderland’ revolves around Ganta Igarashi, an ordinary middle schooler who visits a prison amusement park called Deadman Wonderland with his entire class as part of a field trip. The park makes inmates perform for the amusement of the viewers. But things take a darker turn when a mysterious man in red appears and slaughters his classmates. Somehow it looks as if Ganta is the perpetrator, and he receives a death sentence and is sent to Deadman Wonderland.
Though inexperience gets the better of him, at first, Ganta learns that he can control his blood and use it as a weapon. He uses his abilities to survive the harsh environment, all the while trying to find the man in the red, who is responsible for his current predicament. You can watch the anime on Funimation.
10. Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka (2015)
‘Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka’ is similar to ‘Rising of The Shield Hero’ because both the anime are set in worlds with magical and the protagonists are weak initially and need to work hard and level up to become powerful. Bell Cranel lives in the city of Orario, a place that is anything but dull. He lives in a world where Gods and humans coexist and have a hard time getting along. Bell dreams of becoming the greatest adventurer ever. But it becomes a reality when he encounters Hestia, a lonely goddess, who decides to support the young adventurer in his quest. The duo undertakes a dangerous adventure to explore the catacombs lying underneath the city. ‘Dungeon’ is the name given to these catacombs where dangerous creatures, creatures of darkness, live. Is Bell’s resolve strong enough to get him through? You can find the anime here.
9. Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest (2019 -)
‘Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest’ is quite similar to ‘The Rising of The Shield Hero’ when it comes to the protagonist. Both of them get transported to a different fantasy game-like world. They start with minimum or no power, and other people ridicule them. They strive hard and eventually become quite powerful.
Hajime Nagumo, the protagonist of the anime, is an Otaku who always arrives at class with a sleepy face after pulling all-nighters. His classmates hate him for being close to Kaori, whom everyone likes and is inspired by. One day his entire class finds themselves transported to a fantasy world with each of his classmates gaining godlike power. But Hajime gets the weakest power, and his peers bully him. The anime revolves around Hajime as he strives to become powerful and survive in this magical world far from home. You can watch the anime here.
8. Re: Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu (2016)
‘Re: Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu’ is an isekai anime. Like Noafumi in ‘The Rising of The Shield Hero,’ the protagonist of ‘Re: Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu’ is mysteriously transported to an unknown world. Initially, he is pretty weak and inexperienced, but as time passes by, he gets more experienced and becomes much more adaptive and strong. Subaru Natsuki is the main character in this anime who finds himself in a fantasy world about which he has no idea. Soon after his arrival there, some thugs attack him, and Subaru quickly loses the fight and gets hurt.
Fortunately, a girl by the name of Satella saves him. To thank her, Subaru promises to help her find the person who stole her insignia. He does find that person, but a dark force has been stalking them for a long time, and the duo is murdered. Subaru then wakes up to find that he is in the same situation again as history repeats itself, and Subaru and Satella experience a similar fate. Will he ever get out of this endless loop? You can watch the anime here.
7. Mahoutsukai no Yome (2017)
Chise Hatori is a teenage girl who was abandoned by her parents when she was just a child, and her unconventional behavior brought criticism and ridicule from everyone. In these situations, anyone will lose hope. So, it’s understandable that Chise lost hope in herself and her life as well. She decides that all she needs is a place to go to as a home, and for that, she will be willing to sell herself as a slave to any buyer. A mask-wearing mysterious man buys Chise for five million pounds. Later, she finds out that the man is Elias Ainsworth, a wizard.
He takes Chise to his beautiful cottage somewhere in middle England. Various magical beings like fairies greet Chise on her arrival. She is to become the apprentice and the bride of the ancient magus. This is one crucial similarity with ‘The Rising of the Shield Hero’ as the protagonists in both face similar situations as they are brought to a different world and have to undertake magical challenges. You can watch the show here.
6. Youjo Senki (2017)
‘Youjo Senki’ revolves around Tanya Degurechaff, a girl who is nicknamed the Devil of the Rhine. She has the personality of a predator and can use her brain to decimate her enemies. She works as a soldier in the army. What people don’t know is that Tanya is a man. In the past, he challenges Being X, who proclaims himself to be the God. As a result of his challenge, Being X reincarnates him as a little girl in a world where magical warfare exists. Tanya now needs to use her wits to win the war and rise through the military ranks as soon as possible. Finally, she wants to defeat Being X and get back to her peaceful life as her real self. You can watch all the drama unfold here.
5. No Game No Life (2014)
‘No Game No Life‘ is one of the most entertaining isekai anime out there. It is visually appealing due to its wonderful art and animation. The anime revolves around two siblings, Sora and Shiro, who love playing games. They are so good at it that their username Blank has legendary status. Their view of the natural world is that of a lame game too. But when they accept a challenge they receive via email, they are transported to another world.
This is Disboard, a world where every dispute has only one solution, games. The opposite parties solve their disputes by playing kids’ games. The ruler of this world is Tet. Sora and Shiro decide to unite every faction present in Disboard and challenge Tet. They want to defeat the God of games ruling this world and become the new rulers themselves. All the episodes are accessible for streaming here.
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4. Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken (2018 – 2021)
‘Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken‘ is one of the best isekai anime out there. Satoru Mikami is an ordinary man who is in his late thirties. He lives an unmotivated life which comes to an unexpected halt when a robber brutally murders him. To his surprise, Satoru finds himself reincarnated as a slime in a fantasy world. His new name is Kimura Tempest, and he is quite powerful, having the ability to devour any creature and gain its abilities. It marks the beginning of his journey in the fantasy world as he conquers one mission after another. But is he ready for the unexpected challenges that lay ahead? You can stream the anime here.
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3. Grimgar: Ashes and Illusions (2016)
Many times we get to see the protagonist or the main characters of an isekai anime find themselves in a fantasy world where they have magical powers, and using them, they become powerful and famous. But in the world of Grimgar, that is not the case. The young people who find themselves in this world are quite unfortunate. They have no memory of who they are. Nor do they have an idea about the phenomenon which brought them here. All they remember is their name. In this world, one needs to survive, and to do that, you need to have a job. The only job the world offers is in the army. If you don’t make the cut, you will die of starvation and exposure. A group of survivors who have been left out decided to stay together and survive this harsh world. ‘Grimgar: Ashes and Illusions’ is an anime that revolves around these individuals. You can watch it here.
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2. Overlord (2015)
Anyone who is a fan of the Isekai genre will know of ‘Overlord .’It is one of the most popular isekai shows which revolves around the MMORPG theme. Yggdrasil is a popular virtual reality game. But after years of service, its time has come, and the servers are about to be shut soon. Momonga, a veteran player of the game, decides to stay in the game for as long as the servers are on, but even after midnight, nothing happens, and the game continues. Momonga then realizes that the NPCs in the game now have their own personality. He also finds that he is stuck in this game. Being one of the most powerful beings in this world, Momonga sets out to conquer the game and find out about the phenomenon behind this mystery. You can stream the series here.
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1. Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! (2016)
‘Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!’ follows Kazuma Satou is an average high school student. One day while returning home after buying a game, he dies. But his death is not sad or horrific. Rather it is pathetic and comical. But instead of facing the conventional ‘heaven-hell’ judgment day, Kazuma is given two choices by a beautiful goddess named Aqua.
He can either continue to heaven or get reincarnated in a fantasy world. Of course, Kazuma chooses the second option. But this fantasy world is not what you will call a gamer’s dream. Instead, it is more like the real world where you will have to do routine chores and earn to get by. Well, his trouble doesn’t end there since when he gets to choose anything he wants to help him in his adventure, he chooses the goddess herself, but it turns out that she is useless. Can he survive the unexpected challenges that the fantasy world has to offer? You can find out by watching the show here.
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