There are plenty of isekai manga in the sea. However, looking for a good isekai manga that also has a leveling system implemented might complicate things a little bit. Don’t worry, though; I’m here to help you out!
RECOMMENDED: Top 10 Isekai Anime With a Good Plot
All of the isekai manga series below are not only popular but also implement an interesting leveling system.
Let’s get started!
10. Reincarnated as a Sword
Reincarnated as a Sword anime premiered in October 2022 but the manga has been ongoing since 2016. While we have seen anime or read manga with non-human MCs, reincarnation as a sword is among the most innovative concepts you can come across.
The plot can be summarized as follows: Fran, a cat girl, is being guided by Master, a man who has been reincarnated as a sword, to achieve a certain goal.
9. Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody
Generic doesn’t always mean plain bad. You can snuggle up in bed with this light and fun read that features the standard “trash” isekai clichés.
Suzuki Ichirou, a Japanese man, is overpowered right away after being resurrected in a fantasy, role-playing game-like world. He goes on adventures and battles creatures while exploring the world with his party.
8. Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy
Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy is an isekai manga with a leveling system & an OP MC who has gorgeous and loyal waifu servants. The idea of building a monster village is very similar to the concept we see in the most famous That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. The manga shows us how the protagonist tries to make the most of his life with the resources he has.
Misumi Makoto is sent to another world to serve as a hero, but the goddess of that world rejects him because he is ugly and dumps him at the world’s edge with instructions to stay away from people. As compensation, he receives some abilities to fight and survive from a different god. Thus, his journey to find his own way in the new world begins!
7. The New Gate
Combine SAO, Overlord, and Log Horizon, and you’ll get The New Gate. It’s more lighthearted and endearing, so don’t expect such a dark and gritty atmosphere as we are used to in Arifureta or Overlord. That being said, there will be epic fights, OP characters, and appealing waifus.
The MC defeats Origin, the last boss of the death game “The New Gate,” which trapped a large number of players inside. He waits for everyone to log out after beating the game and intends to be the last one to log out. But instead, he is transported 500 years into that fantasy world’s future. And, of course, he can’t log out once again.
6. Re:Monster
Re:Monster is a must-read for isekai manga enthusiasts who want to see something else than a human MC and don’t mind that it’s a wish-fulfillment story. What I mean by that is that the MC lives in a fantasy world, becomes stupidly overpowered, has a harem, and gets pretty much everything he wants.
The manga focuses on Goblinrou, a human who has been reincarnated as a weak goblin who must learn the difficult life of a monster and evolve to a higher level as he gains that sweet EXP.
5. Overlord
Overlord is a dark fantasy manga worth reading if you are looking for a villain MC.
You see, Momonga used to be an ordinary salaryman who really enjoyed playing a Dive Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game, Ygdrassil in his spare time. But as many games die, Ygdrassil’s end is also inevitable. However, in the final hour when the servers are about to be completely shut down, he somehow stays stuck in-game as the only player, and the NPCs around him start acting as real humans!
4. So I’m a Spider, so What
When people ask me if I know any isekai manga or anime with a witty and clever female protagonist, my answer is always So I’m a Spider, so What.
Kumoko is reborn as a spider monster, the weakest race of monsters, within the most perilous dungeon, in a fantasy world. To increase her chances of survival, she will need to use both her intellect and previously and recently acquired knowledge, in addition to learning how to properly use her new abilities.
3. Arifureta
Let me start by saying that Arifureta is certainly not for everyone. However, it would be a good fit for those who enjoy an edgy isekai with a leveling system.
Arifureta begins with Hajime Nagumo and his class being transferred to a different world where they will be trained collectively to protect the planet from other creatures. Unfortunately for Hajime, someone betrays him along the way, and he ends up in what appears to be a bottomless dungeon.
The plot centers on his struggle to escape and find the traitor.
2. Sword Art Online: Progressive
Imagine this: a device that has the power to suppress the wearer’s perception and disrupt the commands sent from the brain to the body exists. Moreover, it can transport you into the ultimate virtual world. Sounds awesome, right?
Not for SAO players. They got trapped in a virtual MMORPG game without the option to log out when their pizza delivery finally arrives. To make matters worse, if they die in-game or the device is forcefully removed from their head in real life, they die in reality as well.
Sword Art Online remains the king of isekai to this day, specifically trapped in-game isekai that started the whole isekai madness.
You’ll be familiar with how leveling in SAO works if you’ve ever played an MMORPG game like World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy XIV, or Elder Scrolls Online.
1. The Rising of the Shield Hero
Among the most-read isekai manga with a leveling system is The Rising of the Shield Hero.
Fans vouch for the fact that reading Shield Hero is a delightful experience. The captivating story of this manga encompasses betrayal, vengeance, forgiveness, faith, romance, friendship, action, and much more.
Moreover, the leveling system adopts the fundamental ideas of RPG games as its basis rather than utilizing a specific game’s system.
Naofumi’s thirst for revenge will transfer to you thanks to the story’s allure. Also, the story’s characters will feel very real to you.
The manga revolves around an ordinary Japanese youngster, Naofumi Iwatani, who is summoned to an alternative universe as a “Shield Hero,” the weakest of the four summoned heroes. They are here only to battle Waves, swarms of monsters from other dimensions.
Sadly, not everything that glitters is gold. Not only is his equipment the worst, but the single person who volunteered to travel with him also betrays him. The future appears bleak until he discovers a demi-human tanuki girl and a puzzling egg that eventually hatches into a bird-like monster.
Honorable Mentions:
- Isekai Meikyuu de Harem O
- While Killing Slimes for 300 years I became the MAX Level unknowingly
- Dungeon Seeker
- LV 999 no Murabito
- Murabito Desu ga nani ka?
- The Hero is Overpowered But Overly Cautious
- Isekai Shihai no Skilltaker
- Log Horizon
- Toaru Ossan no VRMMO Katsudouki
- Konjiki no Moji Tsukai: Yuusha Yonin ni Makikomareta Unique Cheat
- World Customize Creator
- Grimgar
