Summary
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 brainsrather than brawn.
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 July 26, 2025 by Oluwatokiloba Folami:When characters are transported orsummoned 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.
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 todraw 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.
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.
Saga Of Tanya The Evilis 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 girluses 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.
4The Master Of Ragnarok &Blesser Of Einherjar
Mobile Phone In A Bronze Age Setting
The Master of Ragnarok & Blesser of Einherjarfollows 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 andhis 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.
5How A Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom
A Pragmatic Leader Who Uses Rationality And Realism To Advance His Kingdom
As the title implies,How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdomisn’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.
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.
High School Prodigies Have It Easy Even In Another Worldstarts 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 theirknowledge 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.
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.
Even somethingas mundane as farm lifestill requires some strategizing, and whileFarming Life in Another Worldisn’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).
Ascendance of a Bookwormfollows 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.
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.
Combining drama, action, adventure, and ecchi seamlessly is no easy feat, butJobless Reincarnationpulled 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.
