Most isekai anime are inherently about power fantasies. As such, their protagonists tend to be overpowered everymen (and women) who can take on anything given enough shouting and willpower. Thankfully, some isekai anime are less about being the best and more about using brains rather than brawn.

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Arguably, such isekai anime have higher stakes since most of their protagonists are just nerds who think more rationally compared to the typical locals of the world they were whisked into. And for those tired of their isekai protagonists being too overpowered, here are some smart and (relatively) wimpy ones for a change.

Updated April 10, 2024 by Oluwatokiloba Folami: When characters are transported or summoned to another world, they are usually given great powers, skills, and abilities as compensation because sometimes their deaths might have been an accident or they are needed in the new world they find themselves in to carry out specific missions, like killing a demon lord.

Whatever the case, these characters are usually powerhouses. However, the beauty of anime is its vast variety, and it tries to create numerous scenarios. Some characters end up without powers and are basically average people in the new world they find themselves in. What they have going for them is their knowledge of things and the ability to think outside the box.

1 Log Horizon

Shiroe Uses His Vast Knowledge Of The Game To Survive And Make Strategic Decisions

When Shiroe finds himself trapped in the Elder Tale game, he does not panic. Instead, he begins to use his intense knowledge of the game to draw out survival plans. Shiroe takes on the leadership role, and for someone antisocial and introverted, he carries it out impeccably with his two friends, Naotsugu and Akatsuki, by his side.

Shiroe does not rush into battles, and he is known as the strategist of his informal adventurers’ group, the Debauchery Tea Party. This isekai anime dwells on Shiroe’s adaptation to his new world and how he uses his knowledge to make this world a better place. He would prefer to form alliances and agreements that would benefit the virtual city of Akihabara and tackle the challenges they are facing, making their new life more suitable for everyone living there. It is a refreshing change from the standard isekai path, which includes combat.

2 Overlord

A Warlord Who Does Not Necessarily Like Using Force

There is no telling the role a character will take on when they find themselves in a fantasy world. Some become heroes while others become villains, and a Japanese salaryman takes on the character of a villain after finding himself stuck as Momonga in Yggdrasil, a virtual reality game.

Although Momonga is the strongest in this world with a long list of abilities and magical skills, he is quite strategic and does not rely on force or combat. Momonga is very calculative and has the best interests of his world and the people like him.

3 Saga Of Tanya The Evil

A Strategic Mage Fighting A War

Saga Of Tanya The Evil is a military isekai anime that follows the story of an unnamed Japanese salaryman stuck in the body of a nine-year-old girl. The salaryman does not let Tanya Degurechaff's stature and age deter him from rising through the ranks in the military, making her a fearless soldier who is cold, calculative, ruthless, and leads a mage battalion.

Surviving during a war is not an easy task, as the slightest mistake could lead to the loss of the lives of numerous soldiers, but Tanya is up to the task. This young girl uses the memories and skills of the unnamed Japanese man to create tactical plans to wipe out their enemies and bring victory to the Imperial Army.

4 The Master Of Ragnarok & Blesser Of Einherjar

Mobile Phone In A Bronze Age Setting

• Japanese Title: Hyakuren no Haou to Seiyaku no Valkyria
• Release Year: 2018
• Other Genre/Themes: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Romance

The Master of Ragnarok & Blesser of Einherjar follows the story of a high school boy who is very knowledgeable about urban legends and spends most of his time investigating whether they are real or just myths. One day, an innocent act of taking a selfie in front of a mirror transports him to a world centuries behind his own, specifically the Bronze Age.

Knowledge is power, and with nothing but his 21st-century knowledge and his solar-powered smartphone, this high school boy becomes one of the greatest commanders in this world. Using modern-day strategies, he is able to advance their world and lead his armies to victories.

5 How A Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom

A Pragmatic Leader Who Uses Rationality And Realism To Advance His Kingdom

• Japanese Title: Genjitsu Shugi Yuusha no Oukoku Saikenki
• Release Year: 2021
• Other Genre/Themes: Fantasy, Harem, Military

As the title implies, How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom isn't about the main character fighting off against a demon army. Instead, he took up a different kind of battle, the bureaucratic kind, which sees him strategizing around administrative corruption and incompetence.

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The main character, Kazuya, is nothing but a mere human with good administrative skills that make him a valuable asset in getting the kingdom battle-ready for a demon invasion. To spice things up, he's also surrounded by some harem beauties who also help him with the red tape.

6 High School Prodigies Have It Easy Even In Another World

Use Of Engineering Skill In A Medieval World

High School Prodigies Have It Easy Even In Another World starts how most isekai anime should, with the deaths of the protagonists in their original world. This time it's via plane-kun, not truck-kun. They quickly find themselves in a medieval fantasy world called Freyjagard where their knowledge of engineering and machinery makes them seem like powerful wizards.

So, using their knowledge of technology, they created weapons far superior to what any medieval fantasy world could come up with. In doing so, the group eventually started a revolution that would not only help them get back home but also help the people in their new world.

7 Ya Boy Kongming!

A Military Strategist In The Music Industry

Kongming Zhuge, one of the most prominent strategic minds of the Three Kingdoms era in China, is the main star here, and he suddenly found himself reincarnated forward into the modern world. One would think that his strategizing would be outdated in the modern world, but it turns out Kongming acclimatizes fast.

The main character quickly puts his mental skills to the test by...becoming a manager for an unknown aspiring singer. Hence, this anime is about Kongming's new war against talent agencies and the music industry as he leads his new candidate to a different kind of victory.

8 Farming Life In Another World

Modern Knowledge To Revolutionize Agriculture In A Fantasy World

Even something as mundane as farm life still requires some strategizing, and while Farming Life in Another World isn't about massive political dramas or demonic battles, it's still serious about its presentation. It follows the second life of the main character Hiraku after he asks the god who reincarnated him to be a farmer.

But farming requires a lot of foresight and mechanical thinking, something which Hiraku quickly learns while also attracting all kinds of beautiful servants along the way. To that end, the anime also dips into the harem genre (though it's still decent enough).

9 Ascendance Of A Bookworm

A Former Liberian Bringing Education To Everyone In A Medival World

Ascendance of a Bookworm follows the tale of the main character Myne. Back in her original world, she was born into a poor family that didn't have access to books. This circumstance fueled her life's goal to become a librarian, but then she died right before achieving that dream.

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Thankfully, she got reincarnated into another world where books were also scarce due to a lack of a printing press. So, Myne simply continued her dream. If there were no books around, she would make them! It's an odd take on isekai for sure, but Myne's strategic goal of bringing education to all people poor or rich makes it one of a kind.

10 Jobless Reincarnation

Focus Is On The Personal Development Of The Protagonist

Combining drama, action, adventure, and ecchi seamlessly is no easy feat, but Jobless Reincarnation pulled it off with flying colors. It's one of the highest-quality isekai anime available right now and viewers will be pleased to know that its protagonist, Rudeus, is no cookie-cutter overpowered MC.

Some only consider him a genius in his new world because he was formerly a student in his old world. Most of his isekai skills include arithmetic, language proficiency, an aptitude for learning, and a good understanding of magic. Against more physically adept opponents, he's a sitting duck for most of the anime, but he makes good use of his limited strengths.

11 No Game, No Life

Gamers Who Use Their Gaming Knowledge To Rule Their New Fantasy World

No Game, No Life would be the perfect example here for isekai anime about strategists. That's because the whole title revolves around a pair of gamer siblings who were transported into another world. They fit right in since the dangerous world is all about games.

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Everything is decided through simple games, and since the two main characters were good at game strategies, they made it their goal to become the rulers of their new world. It's one of the most unique iterations of isekai ever made.

12 KonoSuba

Using Real-World Smarts To Live Life

KonoSuba is a typical Dungeons and Dragons adventure with friends, except everyone's drunk while playing. Kazuma, the main character delivered unto this new world thanks to Truck-kun, is the least "drunk" out of all those D&D players. So he's the brains of the dysfunctional party, which isn't saying much because while he's a strategist at heart, he often comedically fumbles around.

It's mostly the fault of his party members, because when they're not crying or putting themselves in harm's way, they're ruining Kazuma's plans, whether it's a get-rich-quick scheme or gaining fame. On rare occasions, however, (like near the endings), the team "sobers up" and gets their act together, but with Kazuma still calling the shots thanks to his real-world street smarts.

13 Dr. Stone

Intellectual Trying To Revive Humanity

Dr. Stone's isekai status is still debatable for a lot of anime fans, but it's too fitting for the topic's title. Senku is the quintessential nerd in anime and his goal is to restore humanity to its former glory starting from the Stone Age after a mysterious light reset Earth and its human civilization back to zero.

Equipped with his over-encompassing scientific knowledge in multiple fields, Senku set out to rebuild civilization with each new invention. To that end, he's no typical isekai powerhouse who just violently learns to save the world. Senku is one of a kind as far as smart protagonists go.

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