Who is the most op isekai MC?

While there is a wide range of isekai anime available to anime fans, the genre has become infamous for having overpowered protagonists. This trend has always been a major part of isekai anime, but thanks Sword Art Onlineand its protagonist, Kirito, the phenomenon is more common than ever.

Whether they were reincarnated into another world and gained a superpower no one can defeat or raised to be the strongest in their clan from the moment of birth, there is an abundance of compelling isekai protagonists that have saturated the genre as a whole. Out of this group, there is a handful whose power clearly stands above the rest.

Updated on October 24, 2022 by Kennedy King: Overpowered characters are a staple of many anime series, but even by the medium's standards, few characters possess the same range of abilities as those seen in the isekai genre. The "chosen hero" trope utilized in most isekai narratives results in incredibly strong protagonists, many of whom face little-to-no difficulty defeating even the most powerful of opponents. Considering the rapid growth of the genre, there are more characters than ever who deserve to be acknowledged for their devastating might.

20/20 Anos Voldigoad Is Reincarnated Into A World He Once Ruled

The Misfit Of Demon King Academy

The Misfit of Demon King Academy's protagonist, Anos Voldigoad, previously served as the King of the Demon World. However, after making a deal to sacrifice his life — ensuring peace between demons and humans — he awakens 2,000 years later in a world that looks much different from his own.

When Anos Voldigoad is reincarnated, royal demons (Voldigoad's pureblooded descendants) rule over an oppressive, hierarchical society that defeats the purpose of his original sacrifice. Luckily for him, his status as the Demon King makes him the strongest demon in the world by far. He will easily topple the world's tyrannical rulers as long as he can do one thing — graduate Demon King Academy.

19/20 Shiroe Effortlessly Defeats Elder Tale's Strongest Enemies

Log Horizon

Although Sword Art Online popularized the character-becomes-stuck-in-video-game trope, the series is far from the first to explore this concept. Log Horizon, first released in 2013, explores a similar concept, thrusting 30,000 Japanese gamers — including its protagonist, Shiroe — into a video game known as Elder Tale.

Shiroe is an eight-year veteran of Elder Tale, instantly making him one of the strongest entities in the entire game. While his involvement with the show's titular guild, Log Horizon, helps him meet many quality characters, he would have had no problem defeating the game's toughest opponents by himself.

18/20 Taichi's Power Level Dwarfs Those Of His Peers

Isekai Cheat Magician

At the beginning of Isekai Cheat Magician, Taichi Nishimura and Rin Azuma are two regular high school students. However, after being transported to the magical world known as "Altianutz" on their way to school, Taichi's latent magical abilities become apparent.

Taichi's power level is so high compared to his peers that he is labeled a "cheat magician" — a sorcerer whose magical intuition is so great that they needn't even speak incantations to use it. While Rin also benefits from similar gifts, no character can hold a flame to Isekai Cheat Magician's overpowered protagonist.

17/20 Lugh Tuatha Dé Was The World's Greatest Assassin Before Being Reincarnated

The World's Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated In Another World As An Aristocrat

Lugh Tuatha Dé is a fun example of a character who begins their series as one of the strongest individuals in the entire world. His skills as an assassin are unparalleled, and if it were not for the betrayal of his employer, he would have ended his days as an accomplished legend. However, thanks to the actions of an unnamed Goddess, Lugh is reborn in a brand-new world with a second lease on life.

As an assassin, Lugh functioned as a tool, used by his organization to eliminate whichever targets they deemed necessary. Using his skills as an assassin, gifts from the Goddess, and newfound ambition, he effortlessly progresses through the new world he inhabits.

16/20 Seiichi Hiiragi Is Blessed By A Literal God

The Fruit Of Evolution

As with many isekai protagonists, Seiichi Hiiragi begins The Fruit of Evolutionas a bit of an outsider. The character struggles with self-confidence issues because of his classmates' incessant bullying, so when he is transported to another world by a mysterious god, he leaps at the opportunity to reinvent his image.

After this deity offers Seiichi the opportunity to eat 10 fruit that will grant him a wide range of abilities and benefits, the protagonist is able to quickly master the sorcery used in his new environment. This easily makes him the most talented individual in the entire show, completely reinventing what is possible for his character.

15/20 Sora and Shiro Make A Dynamic Sibling Duo

No Game No Life

Sora and Shiro are a pair that is never seen without the other in No Game No Life. While both are impeccably smart, they are both at their strongest when they're with the other. Their teamwork makes them one of the strongest pairs in the world — enemies refer to them as "Blank," the undefeated duo.

Even after being transported into another world where they must fight against Gods, they never relent and beat them just as easily as if they were humans, making them among the most overpowered characters in anime history.

14/20 Hajime Nagumo's Mutations Allowed For Unparalleled Strength

Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest

Just like Naofumi from The Rising of the Shield Hero, Hajime was not taken seriously when Arifureta began. He was called an incompetent fool who could not do anything, but after being made fun of for his weakness, Hajime became an anti-hero who obtained great strength.

The one difference between most isekai heroes and Hajime is his sadistic nature, as he uses his powers of mutation and strength to fight his enemies. He can even damage a person's organs without trying, which is quite a feat.

13/20 Naofumi Iwatani Overcomes The Other Cardinal Heroes

The Rising Of The Shield Hero

The Rising of the Shield Hero spawned a lot of controversy due to its handling of the main character, Naofumi Iwatani. Still, he is one of the best isekai protagonists in recent years. After this controversy dwindled down once the show wrapped up, it turned into amazement regarding the series' ability to subvert the expectations of its viewers.

Despite being the Shield Hero, which is considered the weakest out of the four Cardinal Heroes, Naofumi has almost perfect defense and can even be offensive with some of his shields. Add in a demonic shield that overtakes his mind, and he possesses quite a mix of strengths.

Dr. Stone

Strength does not have to come from brute force in order to be considered overpowered, one can pursue multiple paths. Dr. Stone's Senkuu achieves his strength through intelligence, becoming an overpowered brainiac. After awakening to a "stone world," Senkuu begins to restore civilization and make it his own.

When he was fossilized as a stone, he counted how many days went by in his head, so he would not forget what year it was. It is almost a miracle he is still sane, although fans would say he is crazy for trying to restore civilization back to how it used to be before everything went downhill.

11/20 Haruto Amou Excels At Playing Union

Seven Senses of the Re'Union

Seven Senses of the Re'Union is mostly known for its horrible plot and story, not for its overpowered protagonist, Haruto Amou. However, that does not change the fact that he is as strong as they come. Haruto is one of the most powerful characters in Union, the first VRMMORPG in his world's timeline.

Amou's similarities to the protagonists of Sword Art Online and Log Horizon are hard to ignore. Haruto has sharp abilities and smarts, as well as the ability to manipulate auras. Despite rarely using weapons, he still somehow wins various fights.

10/20 Seiya Ryuguin Rarely Employs His Ridiculous Strength

Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered But Overly Cautious

Seiya Ryuguin is one of the newest overpowered protagonists in mainstream isekai anime. It is even stated in the series' title that Seiya is overpowered, so fans weren't shocked by his abilities. However, his temperament provides the perfect foil to his awe-inspiring abilities.

Although Seiya is overpowered, he refuses to fight an enemy he is not sure he can defeat. He also has a worrisome personality, thinking everyone he meets has a deadly illness. While Seiya can beat anyone because of his natural strength, his cautiousness limits his ability to act.

9/20 Mamako Oosuki Is Stronger Than Almost Any Mother In Anime

Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?

If most individuals were transported to a virtual world, they would likely enjoy doing so without being regularly bested by their fellow players — especially if one of these players were their own mother. Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks? plays with this idea, making one of its main characters the protagonist's massively overpowered mother.

Mamako, alongside her son, are beta-testers in a video game made to strengthen the bond between parent and child, and against all odds, she ends up with the two most powerful swords in the game.

8/20 Takuma Sakamoto Benefits From Using His In-Game Character

How Not To Summon A Demon Lord

Diablo, whose real name is Takuma Sakamoto, was summoned to his favorite MMORPG's world, Cross Reverie, as his in-game character during the events of How Not to Summon a Demon Lord. It turns out that Diablo is known as the true Demon King and has the overwhelming power to defeat anyone in the game, no matter their status.

Even if they have better equipment or are at a higher level than him, he can always beat them. He also admits to holding back when he does defeat his enemies.

7/20 Sadao Maou Wields The Might Of The Devil

The Devil Is A Part-Timer!

Sadao Maou is one of the most powerful characters in anime history. The protagonist of The Devil Is a Part-Timer!lived as Satan before being forced to flee from his world following his near-defeat at the hands of the Hero Emilia.

While he may look harmless, fans would be wise to remember that he is literally Satan. Though he lost almost all of his powers upon entering Earth, he had extraordinary powers ranging from mind control, teleportation, regeneration, and even the ability to harm others by simply staring at them.

6/20 Shin Wolford Carries The Strength Of His Grandfather Merlin

Wise Man's Grandchild

Shin Wolford is another isekai protagonist who is new to the anime world. After Shin died from an unknown cause that, against all odds, wasn't Truck-kun, he is reincarnated as Merlin Wolford's grandson. Merlin is the most powerful magician in the entire universe.

Shin is extremely powerful and can use his knowledge of his past life to make himself stronger. The one thing holding him back is that he does not understand how powerful he is, so he ends up overdoing it most of the time.

5/20 Kazuto Kirigaya Is A Master Video Game Player

Sword Art Online

Almost any anime fan that was around when Sword Art Online came out is familiar with the show's protagonist, Kirito. While his real name is Kazuto Kirigaya, everyone in the franchise calls him by his in-game name after he is trapped in the game for a long amount of time.

Granted, Kirito was a beta-tester and a solo player, so the reasoning behind his overpowered nature makes plenty of sense. However, that doesn't take away from the skill that he demonstrates on a consistent basis throughout the events of the series.

4/20 Tanya Von Degurechaff's Appearance Belies Her Devastating Magic

Saga Of Tanya The Evil

Before being reincarnated as a 13-year-old girl in the middle of a war, Tanya von Degurechaf was a salaryman who was very harsh. As a result, he was murdered by one of his subordinates and sent to a world by a God that Tanya calls, "Being X," as she does not believe in such a thing.

Tanya worked up the ranks to become a Lieutenant Colonel, due in no small part to her masterful grip on magic. While she is cruel and merciless, she also has the skills to crush her enemies without feeling any remorse.

3/20 Rimuru Tempest Deserved A Second Chance At Life

That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime

Rimuru Tempest was a kind boss who was murdered in lieu of his subordinate. Rather than dying, he was instead reincarnated in another world as a slime in the events of That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime. He gained a skill called "Predator" that allowed him to gain skills by absorbing things, such as grass or even his enemies.

For those that thought being a slime would be a weak role, they were gravely mistaken. Rimuru is easily one of the most powerful isekai protagonists in recent years.

2/20 Izayoi Sakamaki Utilizes Devastating Esper Powers

Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren't They?

Izayoi Sakamaki is regularly pinned as the main protagonist of his series, although the two other main characters are extremely powerful as well. Out of the three, Izayoi is considered the strongest — arrogant and slightly perverted, all Izayoi cares about is having fun.

He has a gift no one knows about, defined by Little Garden as "Code Unknown." Using it, he can negate and destroy other gifts, rendering them useless. He also has strong esper powers that range from telepathy to teleportation.

1/20 Ainz Ooal Gown Can Beat Anyone Without Trying

Overlord

Overlord's Ainz Ooal Gown was an ordinary human until he was transported to Yggdrasil and became his in-game character. Now an Overlord class — one that has no human emotions — Ainz is perhaps the coldest isekai protagonist out there.

Because he played the game so much, he has a laundry list of rare skills and items, making him extremely powerful. He has an arsenal of magic, weapons, and strategies up his sleeves and is capable of beating anyone without trying hard. He did not even have to move to kill one of the strongest mercenaries in the game. He simply tapped him, and his enemy died.

NEXT: 10 Times Love Saved The Day In Isekai Anime