Deepra Sarkar
Adapted from the light novel manga of the same name, ‘Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation’ is a story revolving around a hopeless and jobless man who dies and is reincarnated into a fantasy-like world as the son of a swordsman, Paul Greyrat, and his healer wife, Zenith. Rudeus discovers he has retained the memory of his past life, and with the help of them, he quickly advances academically. He soon delves into magical studies and also becomes fluent in it quite rapidly.
Determined not to waste away this life, Rudeus vows to work hard and succeed in his endeavors. This isekai anime’s narrative presents a pretty impressive character development through Rudeus’ progress in his second chance at life. Here’s a list of our recommendations for similar anime. Most of these anime series like ‘Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation’ are available on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Funimation, and Crunchyroll.
15. The Eminence in Shadow (2022 -)
Obsessed with the desire to become as strong as he can, Minoru Kagenou operates as a vigilante during the night while keeping a low profile in front of others. Unfortunately, his dreams come crashing down when he tragically passes away following a brutal road accident. But somehow this tragedy turns into a blessing in disguise as he is reborn into a noble family as Cid Kagenou. The new fantastical world that he now inhabits is quite mysterious and magic is real there. As he acquires god-like powers, Cid establishes a shadowy organization named Shadow Garden by lying to its members and hilariously not realizing that everything he is making up is actually true. In ‘The Eminence in Shadow‘ just like ‘Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation’ viewers are introduced to a protagonist who uses his knowledge and experiences of his previous life to his advantage after getting reborn in a world of magic. Both Cid and Rudeus are quite smart with their decisions and have way more success in their new life compared to their previous life.
14. Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World (2022 -)
Now, what is ‘Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World’ or ‘Isekai Meikyuu de Harem wo,’ a harem anime doing on this list? Well while there are some thematic differences between the show and ‘Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation’ both anime are eventually isekai that follows a protagonist who has immense success in their new lives. ‘Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World’ revolves around a high schooler named Michio Kaga who gets transported to a game world and is bestowed with immense powers. Determined to live a more fulfilling life, he starts conquering dungeons and makes a huge fortune for himself in the process. This allows him to indulge in his carnal desires as he sets out to make his own harem.
13. How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom (2021 -)
Just like ‘Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation,’ ‘How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom’ revolves around a savvy and sincere man who uses the knowledge of his previous life to deal with social and political issues after getting transported to a new world. Both shows are quite entertaining to watch and explore somewhat similar themes. ‘How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom’ or ‘Genjitsu Shugi Yuusha no Oukoku Saikenki’ recounts the story of 19-year-old Kazuya Souma who is summoned to an alternate world where he is chosen as the new ruler of the Elfrieden Kingdom that is going through a serious crisis. Instead of pushing the state into war, Souma instead focuses on alleviating economic crises through administrative reforms.
12. She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man (2022 -)
‘She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man’ or ‘Kenja no Deshi wo Nanoru Kenja’ follows an obsessed gamer who loves the virtual reality online multiplayer roleplaying game Ark Earth Online and has achieved a lot in it through his in-game mage character Dunbalf along with the Nine Wise Mages. Things are going quite normally until he somehow gets transported to the game world where he is transformed into a girl named Mira. Claiming herself as the pupil of the great Dunbalf, the protagonist sets out to find the Nine Wise Mages on the orders of King Solomon. Although the anime is not exactly like ‘Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation,’ anime fans who are looking for an isekai series that is unique in its own way would definitely enjoy watching ‘She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man’ or ‘Kenja no Deshi wo Nanoru Kenja.’
11. The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody (2022)
Varvatos with his determination and hard work becomes so immensely powerful that people start calling him the Demon Lord. Unfortunately, the fear he inspires in others has alienated him from his own kind as he is unable to make a friend. Therefore, he reincarnates three thousand years later as Ard Meteor hoping to turn his life around but despite weakening himself his situation does not change much. He continues to be far more powerful than his peers and his social skills continue to make it impossible for him to make more friends. As if this is not bad enough, abandoning his previous position turns his life upside down and Ard soon realizes that he has made a huge mistake. ‘The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody’ revolves around the adventures of a reincarnated character much like Rudeus from ‘Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation.’
10. Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs (2022)
After being blackmailed into playing a dating game, an ordinary man puts in countless hours to eventually clear the game despite extreme sleep deprivation and hunger. After falling from a flight of stairs at a convenience store, he finds himself mysteriously reincarnated into the game world as Leon Fou Bartfort. ‘Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs’ or ‘Otome Game Sekai wa Mob ni Kibishii Sekai desu’ follows the eccentric protagonist as he tries to use his knowledge of the dating game to survive and thrive. Like Rudeus, he is also reincarnated without his consent and faces a challenge to live a more fulfilling life despite the odds stacked against him.
9. In the Land of Leadale (2022)
Looking for another isekai series full of adventures? Well, ‘In the Land of Leadale’ or ‘Leadale no Daichi nite’ might just be the right show for you. The anime follows bedridden Keina Kagami whose life support fails following which she is reincarnated in the world of her favorite VRMMORPG known as Leadale. But to her surprise, 200 years have already passed since she last interacted with the game and now she must navigate her new world to find her own place.
8. I’m in Love with the Villainess (2023)
The life of the ordinary office worker Rei Oohashi changes dramatically when she is transported to her favorite otome game as her favorite character and the protagonist, Revolution. There she meets Claire Francois, the main antagonist of the game, and is somehow inspired to ignore all the male characters and instead romance her. The hilarious drama that unfolds is fun to watch. Although ‘I’m in Love with the Villainess’ has few similarities with ‘Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation,’ people looking for another good isekai series will enjoy the former as well.
7. So I’m a Spider, So What? (2021-)
‘So I’m a Spider, So What?’ encapsulates all the necessary elements of a memorable anime, including reincarnation and the classic tale of heroes vs. villains. Here, the protagonist, a young girl, dies and is reincarnated, just like Rudeus from ‘Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation.’ However, the girl is reborn as a dungeon spider instead of a human, owing to her lower standing in her class at her high school. The girl-turned-spider must now go to extreme lengths to ensure her survival in a world where the fight between the Hero and the Demon King rages on.
6. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (2018-)
‘That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime’ tells a reincarnation story just like ‘Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation.’ However, in the former, the protagonist, Satoru Mikami, is not unemployed and is quite content with the life he leads as a single corporate worker. But, when he is murdered, he is reincarnated into anything but a monotonous service life. He discovers he is a Slime in an unfamiliar world with newly acquired unique mimicry powers. The similarity between Satoru, who gets renamed as Rimuru, and Rudeus is their determination to prove their worth in their reincarnated life.
5. The 8th Son? Are You Kidding Me? (2020)
Like Rudeus of ‘Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation,’ Shingo Ichinomiya in ‘The 8th Son? Are You Kidding Me?’ begins his reincarnated life at a very young age. Shingo is reborn as a young boy named Wendelin von Benno Baumeister, the noble Baumeister family’s eighth son. Wendelin also acquires magical skills and learns to harness his magical powers through the guidance of a teacher. This anime puts its own unique spin on the genre trope, and we recommend checking it out when you want something eclectic.
4. Knight’s & Magic (2017)
‘Knight’s & Magic’ follows the story of a young software engineer, Tsubasa Kurata, who is reborn into a fantastical kingdom and faces a fate similar to Rudeus in ‘Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation.’ Tsubasa is reincarnated as Ernesti “Eru” Echavalier, the son of a noble family. Like Rudeus, he retains the memories of his past life, which aids him in imbibing knowledge and magic. Ernesti then teams up with a sibling duo to learn how to pilot giant, powerful mechs called Silhouette Knights and later utilize them to defeat the dreadful creatures called Demon Beasts.
3. Wise Man’s Grandchild (2019)
This reincarnation anime is about a young salaryman reborn as a baby into a world of magic and demons. He is brought up as the grandson of the patriot hero “Sage” Merlin Wolford, who names him Shin. Shin grows up learning all of Merlin’s teachings and attains magical powers. Besides similarities in the primary origin story and the development of both Shin and Rudeus in their reincarnated lives, ‘Wise Man’s Grandchild’ also has some pivotal female characters, Maria and Sizilien, not unlike Sylphiette and Eris in the former.
2. By the Grace of the Gods (2020)
Ryoma Takebayashi in ‘By the Grace of the Gods’ and pre-reincarnation Rudeus suffered similar hardships in their first life, which included loneliness and hopelessness. But after their death, as they are reincarnated, both the characters are favored by fate. Ryoma is greeted in the afterlife by three Gods who transport him to another world as a child, with his memories from past life intact. Ryoma’s second life is characterized by him meeting new challenges but with favorable circumstances.
1. KonoSuba (2016-2017)
Both Rudeus and Kazuma Satō from ‘KonoSuba’ are NEETs in their first life. They are both jobless, aimless drifters without a plan for their life. Even though both are given a second chance to live after an accident, Kazuma’s reincarnation story is slightly different. He dies in the process of saving a girl from getting hit by a truck, which prompts a Goddess, Aqua, to offer him to be transported to an MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) world instead of going to heaven. In the game, Kazuma is tasked with defeating the Devil King, and he drags along Aqua to fulfill his quest.
Read More: Greatest Isekai Anime
