‘Reincarnated as a Sword’ or ‘Tensei shitara Ken deshita’ is an isekai fantasy anime based on Yuu Tanaka’s light novel series illustrated by Llo. The show follows a man who reincarnates in another world as a magical sword with telekinetic powers. Relying on his special ability he manages to acquire many skills but his life takes an interesting turn only when he meets a Black Cat girl named Fran. When she becomes his wielder, they together decide to help each other through every hardship to ensure that Fran can eventually evolve. This marks the beginning of the venturesome journey of the eccentric duo as they acquire magical powers at a frightening speed and shock even the most proficient adventurers in the world.
The story of Fran, a young girl from an oppressed species who sets out to make her mark on the world has inspired and entertained many since the show’s release. People who love anime will probably wish to watch more shows like ‘Reincarnated as a Sword.’ If you are also looking for recommendations, then we have them covered.
8. Overlord (2015 -)
Yggdrasil is a well-known game with a huge fan following that is about to get shut down forever. Therefore, a powerful wizard named Momonga who is also the master of the dark guild wants to play the virtual reality game until the last second. This decision turns out to be life-changing as he ends up getting mysteriously stuck in the game world following which he embarks on a quest to conquer it. While ‘Reincarnated as a Sword’ does not have a lot in common with ‘Overlord,’ fans who wish to watch another good quality isekai series with a decent premise will probably enjoy the latter as well.
7. The Familiar of Zero (2006)
Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière is a student at the prestigious Tristain Academy, who is regarded as a failure by her classmates for her inability to cast magic properly. During one summoning ritual, she ends up summoning Saito Hiraga, a boy who has the mark of the powerful familiar Gandalf on his hand. ‘The Familiar of Zero’ typically revolves around Saito and Louise as they come to terms with their current situation and also prove themselves to be worthy of respect in other people’s eyes. The show will definitely appeal to ‘Reincarnated as a Sword’ fans since it also features a sentient sword like Shishou and has some decent fight sequences as well.
6. KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! (2016 -)
If you wish to watch another isekai anime like ‘Reincarnated As a Sword’ in which magic and swordplay are key elements in worldbuilding then you should definitely check out ‘KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!’ The show follows a high schooler named Kazuma Satou, who is given the option to reincarnate in a fantasy world or go to heaven following his pathetic death. When he opts to start a new life, he is immediately given the responsibility to fight a Demon King.
Interestingly, Kazuma is then given the option to select an aid and he makes the mistake of picking the goddess Aqua, who turns out to be of no use. The strange and action-packed story of Kazuma will probably entertain fans of ‘Reincarnated As a Sword’ because of the many similarities mentioned earlier. Furthermore, the hilarious moments in ‘KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!’ just add to the overall experience and make it a great watch.
5. Rising of the Shield Hero (2019 -)
‘Rising of the Shield Hero’ recounts the story of an otaku named Naofumi Iwatani, who is summoned to the kingdom of Melromarc as one of its four cardinal heroes. Unfortunately, when he becomes the Shield Hero, his other three companions mock and sideline him. So when only Malty Melcromac agrees to train with him, Naofumi takes the opportunity with both hands only to be betrayed by her as well. With no other option but to find his own way, Iwatani decides to pave his own path and luckily meets Raphtalia, a demi-human slave along the way.
It marks the beginning of the Shield Hero’s tough journey to regain public trust and establish himself as a credible hero as well. ‘Reincarnated as a Sword’ typically focuses on a magical sword, similarly ‘Rising of the Shield Hero’ is an isekai anime that revolves around a powerful shield and its wielder. Furthermore, the thematic and other parallels between the two also make the latter a good recommendation for someone who loves the former.
4. Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest (2019 -)
Looking for an isekai series similar to ‘Reincarnated as a Sword’ where the protagonist faces challenges and hardships but continues to strive to become stronger only to eventually turn into an overpowered character? Well, ‘Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest’ is probably an ideal show for you then. The anime follows Hajime Nagumo, an ordinary teenager who along with his classmates is summoned to another world to fight for humanity.
Although everyone gets impressive abilities to accomplish the goal, Hajime is unlucky to be entrusted with no particularly offensive powers. Despite a clear disadvantage and after being betrayed by his classmates, he keeps faith in himself. This eventually helps Hajime survive many hardships until he starts making some serious progress and surpasses his classmates who were once far more powerful than him.
3. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (2018 -)
Satoru Mikami was satisfied with his monotonous life as an ordinary salaryman working in Tokyo until his life ended tragically when got stabbed and killed by a random assailant. But his story does not end there as he mysteriously reincarnates in an unfamiliar realm as a goop. Interestingly, he is gifted with the special ability to mimic the power and appearance of anything that he devours. This power enables the clueless protagonist to pave his own path in a completely unexplored world where the danger lies at every step.
Just like Shishou from ‘Reincarnated as a Sword,’ Satoru also reincarnates into another world but as an inhuman entity entrusted with strange powers. Both characters quickly find allies and become quite influential in the new world they are technically reborn in.
2. Skeleton Knight in Another World (2022 -)
‘Skeleton Knight in Another World’ or ‘Gaikotsu Kishi-sama, Tadaima Isekai e Odekakechuu’ is another anime like ‘Reincarnated as a Sword’ that follows a protagonist who reincarnates as a non-human entity in an unfamiliar world after getting transported/killed in the human world. The former recounts the story of a gamer who gets transported into the game world after falling asleep while playing. He finds out that he appears exactly like the skeleton avatar he had selected while playing the game.
After trying his best to not get undue attention because of his looks, he embarks on a quest to become an adventurer. While he has had incredible success, the protagonist is clueless that he soon going to get himself involved in a large-scale conflict.
1. Kumo desu ga, Nani ka? (2021 -)
A school is hit by an inexplicable catastrophe that kills most students except for a lucky few who somehow get reincarnated into a parallel world. Most of them end up becoming nobles and princes save for one student who is not as lucky. She turns into a spider of the weakest kind and has to naturally face countless hardships. Luckily, the new realm she is in rewards those who strive to become better just like a character in an RPG game, so she decides to use this to her advantage. Soon she starts becoming stronger by putting her life on the line and defeating dangerous monsters in her path.
The story of a clueless human getting reborn into an unfamiliar realm as a non-human entity would definitely sound interesting to ‘Reincarnated as a Sword’ fans because of the thematic similarities. In case you wish to watch an-action packed isekai series that keeps you on the edge of your seats with its well-animated fight sequences then you should definitely add ‘Kumo desu ga, Nani ka?’ or ‘So I’m a Spider, So What?’ to your watchlist.
Read More: Best Isekai Anime