The anime industry has been on the rise in the last few decades and it has become one of the most favorite to watch in this day and age. A genre that many are drawn into is the isekai anime which has a plethora of what happens when one person reincarnates or gets transported to another world. Usually, the main characters are from a nobody to a somebody in their new life that they become heroes in their new story.
However, there comes a point that having new abilities makes the main character an overpowered one in isekai anime. While viewers love having overpowered main characters, the narrative shall follow their story and make it cohesive through and through. Some fan-favorite characters are overpowered main characters, also called as "OP MC" and here are some of them.
Note that these characters are not in the order of whoever is the most powerful or most overpowered because they have their own ways of being OP MCs.
1 Izayoi Sakamaki (Mondaiji/ Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren’t They?)
Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren’t They?, also known as Mondaiji, is a 2013 anime series from the pages of a light novel series written by Tarō Tatsunoko and illustrated by Yū Amano. Izayoi Sakamaki got transported to another world with Asuka who got mind control, and Yo who got powers of talking and mimicking animals. Just how overpowered is Izayoi Sakamaki? Well, his power is destroying "power itself" which makes him a dangerous protagonist as his power of destruction includes that of taking down the power of another.
2 Naofumi Iwatani (The Rising of the Shield Hero)
They say that defense is the best offense and what better way to show it than having a shield? With a really dark plot, The Rising of the Shield Hero features an OP MC with Naofumi Iwatani who was summoned to another world and be the Shield Hero. With the Spear, Bow, and Sword Heroes, Iwatani holds the most power as he holds the only defense among the attack weapons, making himself a pivotal one to each of the others.
3 Rimuru Tempest (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime)
Usually, OP MCs in isekai anime are men who were transported into another world. This, of course, has a few exceptions and one of those is Rimuru who is neither a boy nor a girl. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is from the light novel series of the same name by Fuse and Mitz Vah where Rimuru Tempest proves being such a peculiar MC as non-binary character. Rimuru befriends an ancient dragon which gave Rimuru a name and divine protection and throughout the journey, Rimuru continuously gets new powers, knowledge, and friends. Because of this continuity of gaining abilities, Rimuru Tempest is an OP MC.
4 Seiya Ryuuguuin (The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious/ Cautious Hero)
Seiya Ryuuguuin was summoned by the Goddess Ristarte to be the savior of Gaeabrande in Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered But Overly Cautious which is an isekai anime from the light novels of Light Tuchihi. See, Seiya is an OP MC given his purpose to save the whole world as gods would choose their best hero to do so but he gets an inch above others because he tends to overprepare for everything, thus, he anticipates all that his opponents would do, making him even more powerful other than his abilities. Preparation is key, everyone!
5 Sadao Maou (The Devil Is a Part-Timer)
From the light novel of Satoshi Wagahara, The Devil is a Part-Timer is a reverse isekai anime where the main character is transported from another world to Earth. When you're the devil, of course, it is automatic that you're overpowered but in The Devil is a Part-Timer, Sadao Maou works at a restaurant because he needs money. Still, his abilities make him a powerful being walking among humans and that makes Sadao an OP MC just because of his innate powers of being the demon himself.
6 Ainz Ooal Gown (Overlord)
Overlord has its OP MC with Ainz Ooal Gown who used to be Momonga and was transported to Yggdrasil, a virtual reality game, which shutdown and since he was still playing it, he was trapped in its world without a way home. Knowing the ins and outs of the game gave him the edge to build his own world with the NPCs and other characters. Aside from his godlike abilities, Ainz's knowledge of the game makes him an OP MC. Overlord is from the light novel series of the same name by written by Kugane Maruyama and illustrated by so-bin.
7 Shiroe (Log Horizon)
Imagine playing a game before you sleep then you wake up inside of it the next day? That is exactly what happened in Log Horizon as over 30,000 players of the game Elder Tale was transported to the game world and they need to survive its challenges. Among those transported is Shiroe and with his extensive knowledge of the game plus his intelligence in real life, he becomes an OP MC that other players or even NPCs should not even mess with. Log Horizon is written by Mamare Touno and illustrated by Kazuhiro Hara in the Japanese novel series of the same name.
8 Shin Wolford (Wise Man’s Grandchild)
When his boring life ended in an accident, he gets reborn as the Wise Man's Grandchild, hence, the title of this isekai anime from the light novel series written by Tsuyoshi Yoshioka and illustrated by Seiji Kikuchi. He becomes Shin Wolford who is the grandson of Merlin, a patriot hero by the name "Sage", and successor of the powers of his grandfather. Upon enrolling in an academy, Merlin forgot an important lesson to Shin: common sense. This turns out to be pivotal to Shin as he had to go through life without it and as he discovers more about his abilities, he becomes an OP MC having the moniker of "Demon Lord".
9 Makoto Misumi (Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy)
Since when did being ugly become a reason to lose powers and forbid any other interaction with others? Makoto Misumi was considered ugly and because of that, the goddess that gave him his initial powers revoked it and forbade him from speaking to her kind ever again. Well, things happen for a reason and another deity gave him powers beyond his initial ones which allowed him to build his own village and a harem of his own, and interact with demi-humans. His secret weapon on being an OP MC? Economics. He decided to be a merchant and his knowledge gave him an edge among others in Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy! The isekai anime is based on the light novels written by Kei Azumi and illustrated by Mitsuaki Matsumoto.
10 Hajime Nagumo (Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest)
A double isekai, what an interesting concept, right? Hajime Nagumo was transported to another world when he was summoned again to a different one! Hajime possesses a unique way of doing things like having a harem but remaining loyal to only one girl he truly loves, and his powers are beyond anyone's imagination that he is easily an OP MC. Other than that, Hajime does not fall under the list of annoying isekai characters so if you want to enjoy an isekai anime with an OP MC that is not annoying, Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest is the answer! Written by Ryo Shirakome and illustrated by Takayaki is the light novel series of the same name where Arifureta is based on.
11 Haruto Amakawa (Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles)
Dying from a gruesome bus accident gave Haruto Amakawa a new life as he was reincarnated to another world where he got a massive source of power as within him is a spirit among the strongest high-ranking in the magical world. With his magic and skills with a sword, Haruto is quite smart and chill for his age as compared to others and this is what makes him an OP MC in Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles. Aside from that, he is different from others because of what's called as "Hero's Summoning" where those from Earth were summoned to be heroes, and since he was reincarnated, he has an edge from others. Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles is from the light novels of Yuri Kitayama.
12 Lugh Tuatha Dé (The World's Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat)
The World's Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat gives away what the story is all about in its title which is from the light novels of Rui Tsukiyo. From being the world's best assassin who was killed from a sabotage, Lugh Tuatha Dé was reincarnated as part of a noble family of assassins. A goddess gave him a mission to bring down a hero and with his knowledge from his past life plus the magic and skills he got in his new life, Lugh Tuatha Dé is an OP MC who is an unrivaled assassin of great talents.
13 Tanya Degurechaff (The Saga of Tanya the Evil)
In death, sometimes, there's bargaining. In The Saga of Tanya the Evil, from the light novel series of Carlo Zen, the OP MC was a merciless utilitarian who was murdered by a co-worker and upon death, she questioned her fate and bargained with Being X, the highest being of some sorts in her world, through faith and its importance. The god was agitated and as her punishment, she was reincarnated in an unfortunate world. Thankfully, Tanya is ruthless with an exceptional aptitude for magic and hunger for power, thus, making her an elite soldier who rose to the top of the chain.
14 Satou Pendragon (Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody)
They say, "be careful what you wish for." A game creator who loved his work too much that he dreams of being in it, Satou Pendragon his wish to come true as he was transported in the game as the main character. Since he was the creator of the game, of course, his knowledge of it makes him an OP MC and that became his asset in his new world. Satou can do his own upgrades depending on his needs and he knows every inch of the game, thus, similar to being in control of everything! Satou Pendragon is the OP MC of Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody from the light novel of the same name by Hiro Ainana.
15 Diablo (How Not to Summon a Demon Lord)
A comedy among the list, How Not to Summon a Demon Lord is a fan-favorite isekai anime series from the light novel series written by Yukiya Murasaki and illustrated by Takahiro Tsurusaki. Sakamoto Takuma is a gamer who plays the character of Diablo in an MMORPG game called Cross Reverie, and he was summoned into the game being Diablo. With his knowledge of the game and the character he was using in playing it, Diablo is, indeed, an OP MC who dominates any situation because if you know something like the back of your hand, how hard could fighting off enemies you already killed before in a different setting would be?
16 Touya Mochizuki (In Another World With My Smartphone)
Imagine accidentally dying because of a god's mistake and the god makes up to you through being reincarnated with a lot of magical powers and one wish, and that wish you wished is to have your smartphone with you? It's both dumb and smart at the same time, and this is exactly what happened to Touya Mochizuki in In Another World With My Smartphone. Touya decided it'd be best to have his smartphone with him so he could search anything under the sun whenever he needed to and this makes him an OP MC alongside his in depth knowledge of all the six elements namely fire, earth, water, wind, light, and dark. In Another World With My Smartphone is from the light novel series written by Patora Fuyuhara.
17 Hiiragi Seiichi (The Fruit of Evolution: Before I Knew It, My Life Had It Made)
The Fruit of Evolution: Before I Knew It, My Life Had It Made is a light novel series by Miku and U35 which sired an isekai anime show having Hiiragi Seiichi as an OP MC. He was once an overweight kid bullied because of his physical appearance and weight but remained kind despite it all. When god decided to transport everyone in school to another world, he forgot about Seiichi! Because of that, Seiichi received special abilities and was transported to a better part of the world which allows him to be stronger than the others. He ate the fruit of evolution there and became handsome plus an ability to acquire a new skill just by thinking about it. However, there's a catch: he becomes less human with every skill he acquires.
18 Taichi Nishimura (Isekai Cheat Magician)
Taichi Nishimura was teleported to another world with his best friend Rin and there, Taichi is OP because of his huge amount of mana. However, Taichi lacks the knowledge to use it and a downside of it is that he needs to undergo something drastic before being able to use his powers. This makes Taichi an unpredictable OP MC because who knows what he could do if he could unravel his whole potential when the time comes? Taichi is the OP MC of Isekai Cheat Magician which is from the light novel series of Takeru Uchida.
19 Blank (No Game, No Life)
Probably the most unique OP MC in this list is that of No Game, No Life which is an isekai anime from the light novel series of Yuu Kamiya. See, the OP MC here are two people: the sibling duo of Sora and Shiro who go under one name, Blank. While they do not possess the physical strength to overcome others, they have superhuman intelligence which makes them even more dangerous and powerful at the same time! A god named Tet transported the siblings to another world where games decide whether one could live or die. It's basic for Blank, though, given their intellect as their wits can overcome any other skills of others.
20 Yuna (Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear)
At first, when you seen Yuna, all you'd think of is cuteness! Well, aside from that, Yuna of Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear is an OP MC so don't be deceived with how she looks because she goes by the moniker "Bloody Bear." She used to play a VRRMO named World Fantasy Online for a whole year before receiving a gift of a bear costume from the admins of the game. As soon as she accepted the gift, she was transported into the game and with her knowledge of it plus the abilities that she got, she's quite unstoppable! Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear is based on the light novel series of the same name by Kumanano.
21 Cid Kagenou (The Eminence in Shadow)
Minoru Kagenou always had the hunger to be the strongest even when he didn't want to stand out and to achieve this, he trained and studied every day. However, as fate would have it, he died in an accident and became reincarnated as Cid Kagenou where he finally got his dream of being an antihero. An OP MC, Cid remained low-key and because of that, others underestimate him, only to be surprised on how powerful he is. Ah, the element of surprise, right? Cid is from The Eminence in Shadow from the light novel series of the same name written by Daisuke Aizawa.
22 Shishou (Reincarnated as a Sword)
Usually, in isekai anime, one would be reborn into another person or in another world. In Reincarnated as a Sword, as the title suggests, Shishou was reincarnated as a sword, one that could fight on its own by absorbing the cores of the opponents and taking their abilities afterwards. The OP MC Shishou, however, fell into a mana-depleting zone, and was picked up by a former slave, Fran, where they got to save each other, and become an unstoppable duo! Reincarnated as a Sword is from the light novel series written by Yuu Tanaka.
23 Seika Lamprogue (The Reincarnation of the Strongest Exorcist in Another World)
The Reincarnation of the Strongest Exorcist in Another World is an uncanny isekai where the OP MC willed his own reincarnation. Formerly Haruyoshi who was betrayed even if he was the strongest onmyouji in history, he was reborn as Seika Lamprogue who was ignored because he couldn't use magic. However, he found ways as he secretly spent his entire life mastering exorcist techniques and making pacts with the supernatural, later being one of the strongest. The Reincarnation of the Strongest Exorcist in Another World is based on Kiichi Kosuzu's light novel series.
24 Anos Voldigoad (The Misfit of Demon King Academy)
Again, there is an ongoing confusion with The Misfit of Demon King Academy, from the light novel series written by Shu and illustrated by Yoshinori Shizuma, whether it is actually isekai or not since the main character was reincarnated in his own world after two millenniums but his own world wasn't the same as that before so it being isekai remains questionable. Anyway, Anos Voldigoad is still and OP MC since he was the demon king who rose from the dead and he was the strongest demon to ever live in the demon realm. Anos can resurrect the dead and unravel mysteries that only he can do. He tries to bring back the glory to his name in his old but transformed world.
If you'd be transported to another world and be an overpowered main character in an isekai anime, who would you choose among the list? If not choosing, how overpowered would you want to be?
Tell us your favorite overpowered main character in isekai anime and stay tuned on EpicFlix for exciting news and updates on your favorite isekai anime series!
