Isekai is primarily a concept found in anime. An Isekai is a story revolving around someone getting thrown into a foreign world, which can range from a fantasy realm to a video game to just a time in the distant past. Some of the best anime examples include Sword Art Online, Inuyasha, and The Rising of the Shield Hero.
There are plenty of video games that fit this bill as well. Some of them are well-known, while others are a bit more obscure. Let’s narrow down this list and look at Isekai games that include female protagonists and main characters, all of which must be playable.
7 Layla (Assassin's Creed Origins)
The main character of Assassin’s Creed Origins is Bayek, who is basically an old-school version of a cop in Ancient Egypt. Layla is a former Abstergo Industries agent who is trying to pursue the mysteries of the universe through Bayek.
It’s always easy to forget that these games are Isekai, as various characters transport themselves into the past via virtual reality. It’s not the same thing as Layla going to Ancient Egypt herself, which would make the game a more pure example of an Isekai, but it is close enough. There are many other examples to point out as well in the Assassin’s Creed series, but since this is technically the beginning, Assassin’s Creed Origins seemed to fit most appropriately.
6 Reynn (World of Final Fantasy)
Reynn is one of two protagonists from World of Final Fantasy. Reynn, along with her brother Lann, gets sucked into a mysterious world one random afternoon. This new world is filled with characters from across the Final Fantasy series, including Cloud from Final Fantasy 7 and Lightning from Final Fantasy 13.
The game is turn-based, but it’s more like a Pokemon game than a straight homage to the Final Fantasy series. Players can capture monsters to become their allies, and then stack those monsters on the heads of Reynn and Lann. It’s an odd game to be sure, but what Isekai scenario isn’t weird?
5 Aqua (Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep)
Aqua is one of the three protagonists in Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep. In this series of RPGs, players visit foreign Disney worlds based on movies like Peter Pan and Sleeping Beauty. Players can choose to start the game as either Aqua, Terra, or Ventus, but all three campaigns must be completed to get the full ending.
Even though there is a choice, Aqua is clearly the main hero of that game. She would be the character to move forward in the series after things wrapped up. There was a weird interquel between that game and the original called Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage, which explained what happened to Aqua before the story began with Sora.
4 Princess Peach (Super Mario Bros. 2)
Super Mario Bros. 2 takes place in a dream, which is one of the big reveals at the end of the game. Mario is the dreamer, but players can choose to play as Mario, Luigi, Toad, or Princess Peach. Each character has a specialty, such as Princess Peach’s ability to fly and Luigi’s big jump.
The flight ability made Princess Peach the best character in the game. At the time, it was cool for players to assume the role, given that she was a damsel in distress in the first game. Unfortunately, she would become a damsel again for decades.
3 Makoto (Persona 5)
Makoto is one of the main party members in Persona 5. Each game in the Persona series has a different gimmick for characters to reach another world. In Persona 5, characters could visit alternate locations via an app on their phone, where they would also become alter egos of themselves.
Makoto, for example, was a strait-laced student who studied hard and followed the rules to the letter. In the other dimension, she would become her alter ego, Queen, a biker who pummeled her foes into oblivion with her fists. She is the clear winner for whom the leader, nicknamed Joker, should date.
2 Mii (Project X Zone)
Mii is not a random character made on a Wii console. She is one of the two protagonists of Project X Zone. Mii, along with her partner Kogoro, are hot on the trail of villains who are trying to splice alternate realities together through magic portals. The game is a strategy RPG that combines Sega, Capcom, and Bandai Namco properties for a wild ride through fan service town.
Mega Man, Tekken, and Valkyria Chronicles are just three franchises represented in the game. There was a follow-up again, also on 3DS, which continued the story. Mii is probably not why players are going to jump into this series, but she remains a compelling character nonetheless.
1 Cadence (Crypt Of The NecroDancer)
Cadence is the main character from the roguelike rhythm game, Crypt of the NecroDancer. It was a unique combo of genres that worked well together so much so that it caught the attention of Nintendo. The developer, Brace Yourself Games, then went on to make one of the lengthiest titles in existence via Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda.
The story has Cadence randomly get warped into Hyrule. To escape, she teams up with Link and Zelda to help solve dungeons in a less than traditional sense, since this game is also a rhythm roguelike. Cadence is a good lead, but it is also great that Zelda is playable, which is rare for the series.