There’s no doubt that Shangri-La Frontier was one of the biggest anime surprises of 2023. In a genre plagued with weird harems and overpowered main characters, this is an isekai by gamers for gamers, with a unique premise surrounding an expert on bad video games (or “Kusoge”) on top of that.

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The titular video game of this show is a huge MMORPG with a lot of different possibilities, and the players of Shangri-La Frontier take full advantage of that. From wizards to monks, from animal experts to player killers, this fictional game is filled to the brim with skilled, talented, strong human players.

6 Oikatzo (Kei Uomi)

A Seasoned Fighting Game Expert

What would happen if a fighting game expert is thrown into the world of an MMORPG? This is the entire gimmick of Oikatzo, Sunraku’s loyal friend, who is a master at brawling with his fists and martial arts techniques.

He managed to become relatively good in Shangri-La Frontier in a brief amount of time because he decided to pick the Monk class, which benefited his physical strength, so he could take hits and strike back with power. In just a few days, Oikatzo became almost as good as Sunraku, who had spent much more time in the game, although he is still a few levels behind his friend.

5 Sunraku (Rakuro Hizutome)

The Master Of Bad Games

Since overpowered protagonists are a common trope in shows like this, Sunraku feels like a breath of fresh air in comparison. He is a connoisseur of bad games who’s always looking to do things in the least conventional way, by skipping entire tutorials and exploiting any bugs and glitches he can find.

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As weird as Sunraku’s way of playing is, there’s no denying that it ended up being quite beneficial to him since he managed to unlock special scenarios and weapons that no other player had found before. Depending on his luck and wits, Sunraku is slowly reaching the place of even the strongest people in the game. There are no other players like Sunraku in Shangri-La Frontier.

4 Animalia (Real Name Unknown)

A High-Leveled Wizard

When the existence of Sunraku’s vorpal rabbit companion, Emul, was leaked to the entire community of Shangri-La Frontier, they caught the attention of a powerful player: the leader of the SF-Zoo Clan, a powerful wizard named Animalia. She’s obsessed with observing and photographing monsters, so it’s only logical that she is quite strong to achieve her goals.

Most characters in this anime fight with their fists or weapons, so it was refreshing to see a powerful wizard using magic in action. Animalia is a force to be reckoned with, considering that she could fight toe-to-toe with Arthur Pencilgon herself, and even used a high-powered magic spell filled with debuffs that almost defeated the infamous Player Killer.

3 Orcelott (Kuon Amane)

The Leader Of The Ashura-Kai

Within Shangri-La Frontier, there are several clans made of player characters that can make any person tremble with fear, especially newcomers. And the clan of Player Killers known as the Ashura-Kai is the most intimidating one in the entire game. Because of this, it’s evident that their leader, Orcelott, is incredibly strong.

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Not much is known about Kuon Amane’s character yet but, considering he is the younger brother of the infamous Arthur Pencilgon and the high-leveled leader of the most terrifying clan in the game, it is implied that he’s quite a solid match for his sister.

2 Arthur Pencilgon (Towa Amane)

A Clever Player Killer & Tactician

Arguably the most feared player in all of Shangri-La Frontier, the name Arthur Pencilgon has become infamous even before this MMORPG was launched since she was known for killing players from many other games in the most cruel ways. Pencilgon is the sworn rival of Sunraku and Oikatzo.

Of course, Arthur Pencilgon has immeasurable strength, considering that she’s an expert at using weapons like swords or spears. But she became one of the best PKs in the game because she’s a skilled master tactician who knows how to use precise strategies and trickery to defeat opponents who are even stronger than her.

1 Psyger-0 (Rei Saiga)

The Highest Firepower In The Game

Psyger-0 perfectly encapsulates how creative and clever this show is. Inside Shangri-La Frontier, she is an intimidating knight who wields a giant sword and is covered head-to-toe with legendary armor. She achieved the highest amount of firepower in the entire game, which earned her the impressive title of “Maximum Firepower.” And even strong players like Arthur Pencilgon are afraid of facing Psyger-0.

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Outside the game, however, Rei Saiga is a shy and innocent girl who has a crush on Sunraku. She began playing Shangri-La Frontier because she knew that her love was going to get into the popular game someday, which he eventually did. Psyger-0 is the strongest player in the game because she waited and grinded for so long. Her existence is a lesson of how important patience can be in a video game.

Shangri-La Frontier

Action

Fantasy

Adventure

Release Date

October 1, 2023

Creator

Katarina

Studio

C2C

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll