Summary

  • One Piece showcases expansive world-building with a huge cast, influencing the fate of the protagonist.
  • Isekai genre lends itself well to high stakes and detailed settings, as shown in Knight's And Magic and Now And Then, Here And There.
  • Mushoku Tensei and That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime demonstrate vast scale through world-changing conflicts and power growth.

Some anime shows set themselves apart from all others due to their sheer size. This has nothing to do with the number of episodes, but how expansive the stories feel. One of the best examples of this is One Piece, which, in addition to a mind-boggling number of episodes, features a huge cast and an even larger world where the fate of the protagonist has affected everything.

There are shows that do this in almost every genre, and isekai is no exception. Isekai lends itself well to this premise, as the very idea of being in another world introduces the potential for very high stakes in an expansive, detailed setting.

one-piece-15-strongest-characters-in-the-series-1
One Piece: 39 Strongest Characters In The Series

These are the strongest characters to sail the seas of the One Piece world.

115

7 Knight's And Magic

Isekai And Mecha Make A Great Combination

Knight's & Magic: The Complete Collection

Release Date
July 2, 2017
Seasons
1
Studio
8bit
Based On
Novel & Light Novel
Creator
Hisago Amazake-no
Number of Episodes
13

Knight’s And Magic is a 2017 anime in which an otaku programmer who loves mechanical robots, dies and is reincarnated in a new world where the people fight using giant robots called Silhouette Knights powered by magic.

Now known as Ernesti Echevarria and blessed with impressive magical abilities, the protagonist looks to fulfill his ambition of being able to build mechs. The world of Fremmevilla starts out small, but as the episodes go on, it expands as more kingdoms are introduced and the shadow of war looms over everything.

6 Now And Then, Here And There

A Look Into A Dystopian World

Now and Then, Here and There

Release Date
October 14, 1999
Seasons
1
Studio
AIC
Japanese Title
Ima, Soko ni Iru Boku
Number of Episodes
13

Now And Then, Here And There is one of the older isekai series, and came out before the genre became as popular as it is today. It tells the story of Shuu, who finds himself in another world in a bid to save a girl he has just met, Lala-Ru.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (left) Attack on Titan (right)
5 Best Dystopian Anime, Ranked

These anime series take place in worlds devastated by war, invasion, or apocalyptic events, forcing their characters to fight to survive.

By 

The show uses Shuu to take the viewer into a world ravaged by war, suffering, and scarcity. Watchers experience Shuu’s torture, pain, and resilience with him while also realizing the large-scale consequences of his actions. The sense of feeling small and helpless in a world that isn’t fair to anyone, is something Now And Then, Here And There does beautifully.

5 Fate/Grand Order - Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia

Anything Involving A Multiverse Is Huge

Release Date
October 5, 2019
Seasons
1
Based On
Game
Number of Episodes
21
Japanese Title
Fate/Grand Order: Zettai Majuu Sensen Babylonia

Some might object to calling Fate/Grand Order - Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia an isekai. However, it meets the genre criteria in the same way that Inuyasha does, and Inuyasha is considered an isekai in many circles. As part of the Fate franchise, FGO already has a sense of scale that spans across multiple timelines.

The show looks to immerse viewers in the world of 2655 BC Mesopotamia where Gilgamesh rules and is looking to protect his city. Throw in some demonic beasts threatening the peace of Uruk, and everyone gets an epic showcase.

4 Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation

Rudeus Is Involved In World-Changing Conflicts

Mushoku Tensei Jobless Reincarnation

Release Date
January 11, 2021
Seasons
2
Studio
Studio Bind
Based On
Novel & Light Novel
Creator
Rifujin na Magonote
Number of Episodes
39+
Japanese Title
Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu

Mushoku Tensei is one of the most popular isekai currently airing, and part of its appeal is its vast sense of scale. Viewers follow Rudeus literally from the day he is born in the new world. While the early episodes of Mushoku Tensei suggest a small-scale story of an overpowered character growing up in a small town, it shifts rather suddenly.

Eris, Rudeus and other Mushoku characters
8 Ways Mushoku Tensei Stands Out Among Various Isekai Anime Series

Mushoku Tensei is notable for departing from the norm of the isekai genre in the following ways. 

Rudeus has to leave home, and then travel to different parts of the world with different races and powers. This gives Mushoku Tensei an amazing sense of being a small part of a huge tale. The involvement of powerful entities, such as the Dragon god, also add to the scale of the story.

3 That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

Rimuru Tempest Grows To Become A World Power

Release Date
October 5, 2018
Seasons
3
Studio
8bit
Japanese Title
Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken
Based On
Light Novel & Manga
Creator
Fuse
Number of Episodes
72

That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime starts off simply enough: a salaryman winds up murdered and transported to another world where he is now a slime. While gimmicky on the surface, That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime slowly builds up to an incredible climax.

Slowly, Rimuru Tempest (the name the slime assumes) starts building his own society. Soon, he comes into conflict with other empires and societies. The political intrigue, drama, and intrigue develop over time, immersing up the viewer as they see this expansive world Rimuru inhabits come to life.

2 Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy

Makoto’s Lone Adventure Expands Splendidly

Tsukimichi - Moonlit Fantasy

Release Date
July 7, 2021
Seasons
2
Studio
C2C (Season 1), J.C.Staff (Season 2)
Japanese Title
Tsuki ga Michibiku Isekai Douchuu
Based On
Light Novel
Creator
Kei Azumi
Number of Episodes
37

Tsukimichi is also an isekai with some of the common tropes that everyone is used to now. The protagonist is transported to another world, imbued with a useless power, but is somehow able to become overpowered, and all the ladies fawn over him.

Tsukimichi Moonlit Fantasy - Strongest Characters Header Image
13 Strongest Characters In Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy, Ranked

The power scaling of characters in Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy is pretty off the walls. Among these absolute powerhouses, these are the strongest.

4

However, Makoto is a much more likable main character than most. As he begins to build an empire where outcasts like himself can dwell in peace, the second season comes along and raises the stakes. It introduces other heroes from Makoto’s world and more empires, kingdoms, and races, all slowly coming to grips with the growing influence of Makoto and his empire.

1 The 12 Kingdoms

Youko’s Rise From Normie To Queen Is Epic

Release Date
April 9, 2002
Seasons
4
Studio
Pierrot
Japanese Title
Juuni Kokuki
Based On
Novel
Creator
Fuyumi Ono
Number of Episodes
45

The 12 Kingdoms uses its simple isekai premise to craft an intricately detailed world. When Youko Nakajima is whisked away from her mundane life to become the queen of a kingdom in another world, she feels out of her element.

Youko’s path to becoming queen is not a simple one, and she is soon embroiled in a conflict that involves the most powerful forces in the country she is to rule with some intrigue from the other kingdoms. However, the story doesn’t focus entirely on Youko. Viewers get to see the world through the eyes of other individuals, some in completely different empires located in the same world. This goes a long way in creating a grand sense of scale for the series. The series is fondly remembered as one of the most well put-together isekai shows of the generation.

best kingdom building isekai anime
10 Best Kingdom Building Isekai Anime, Ranked

Kingdom-building isekai anime are not that common, but there are a few great series out there.

2