Sword Art Onlinedebuted as a visual novel series in 2002, and Reki Kawahara’s story was adapted into a smash-hit anime in 2012. It has since received many seasons and spinoffs, each tackling a new MMO or gaming genre. Yet for all its storylines, fans tend to appreciate the first arc the most.
InSAO’s original story, an MMO traps players within its walls. There is seemingly no escape, and if players die in the game, then they die in real life. Some gamers decided to live their lives peacefully in the world of this fantasy MMO, while others looked for a way out. Concepts like these have appeared in anime before and since, in scenarios from deadly games, to video games, to isekai anime and everything in between. For those who loved the show’s premise,here are some of thebestanime likeSAOto watch next.
Updated July 04, 2025 by Mark Sammut:Winter 2025does not include any Sword Art Online anime, so fans will need to look elsewhere to get their fill of isekai goodness. To be honest, none of the season’s isekai shows seem that similar to SAO, at least not to the point of warranting a mention at the moment. However, two of Winter 2025’s non-isekai series might scratch that itch.
Non-Isekai Anime That Fans Of Sword Art Online Should Check Out
Sword Art Onlineis primarily associated with isekai, to the point of being arguably the theme’s most popular overall property. Unsurprisingly, the series has spawned more than its fair share of copycats, so fans will be busy for a while if they only watchisekai anime likeSAO; however, this restriction would eliminate a few great recommendations. Consequently, let’s highlight a couple of non-isekai anime that are likely to hit the mark withSAOfans. Basically, these are all anime that focus on games in some form or another.
ASpring 2024 isekai anime,The New Gatehas a unique premise. Trapped in an MMO with a plethora of other players, Shinya eventually grew strong enough to defeat the final boss, freeing everyone from their prison; however, he ended up being an exception. Instead, Shinya is sent 500 years into the game’s future, finding an NPC-driven society that regards the departed players as almost mythological entities. Far more powerful than any other character, Shinya gets to live the slow guild life alongside a few friends.
Along with having a somewhat similar design to Kirito, Shinya is likable as an easy-going protagonist who is just making the best of a bad situation. He is also trying to find a way back home, although the anime does not emphasize this plot point too greatly.The New Gatepresents a fascinating look at how these fantasy gaming worlds might develop if they continued to exist beyond the playerbase’s influence, an idea that has not been explored by many isekai anime.
Also known asGrimgar of Fantasy and Ash,Grimgar, Ashes and Illusionsis somewhat difficult to recommend, at least the anime. With just 12 episodes, the adaptation covers about 5-10% of the source material, which is still ongoing. As season 1 ended in 2016, one has to assume that a sequel is just not going to happen at this point, which is a shame. While the light novel should be prioritized, the anime serves as an OK introductory point to this universe, one that establishes the main characters and the world’s rules.
Grimgarfollows a group of teenagers who find themselves stuck in a fantasy world reminiscent of RPGs, and they form a party to try and survive. Unfortunately, they are so weak and vulnerable that even defeating goblins is a tough task.Grimgaris the direct opposite of a power fantasy, and it exists in fun contrast to something likeSword Art Online.
The .hackseries launched as a global branding effort across all forms of media. There were games, books, manga, and this first anime adaptation,.hack//Sign. All stories in this series take place ina fictional MMOcalled “The World,” which runs on VR headsets. The players don’t get trapped in it, unlikeSword Art Online. The only exception is a mage-like character named Tsukasa. Why can’t he leave? That’s the core mystery, which he seeks to resolve.
While the franchise does not usually go down the isekai route,.hack//Signis an exception as the protagonist, Tsukasa, cannot log out of the world, meaning he is effectively trapped in The World. One of the more influential and important anime of the isekai genre,.hack//Signhas not aged extremely well, although it is still a fascinating watch at times. Now, unlikeSAO, this cult classic has almost no action at all and moves at a very slow pace as it chronicles the characters' growth, development, and psyches.
Another 2024 show,Chillin' in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powersis quite a different isekai anime thanSAOin most ways; however, they share an important element in common. One of the strongest components of the Aincard arc is Kirito and Asuna’s dynamic, which starts rocky but quickly develops into a wholesome relationship built on mutual trust and respect.Chillin' in Another Worldstrikes a similar balance between Flio and Fenrys, its male and female leads. Putting aside their violent meet-cute, these two characters form a bond and decide to play-act as a married couple; before long, they develop genuine feelings for each other, particularly Fenrys toward Flio.
Alsosimilar toSAO,Chillin' in Another World’s protagonists quickly find themselves surrounded by a non-romantic harem, allowing them to create a lively homestead that welcomes people (girls) with all sorts of backgrounds. Flio and Fenrys have great chemistry, and both characters are endearing as individuals. UnlikeSAO,Chillin' in Another Worldis more of an adventure romance than an action anime, despite featuring anextremely overpowered protagonist.
Even though it aired alongside series likeOverlordandUncle from Another World,Black Summonerstill managed to stand out from the crowd, even if it did not ultimately go down as an all-time great. Reincarnated into a new world by a goddess, Kelvin focuses on becoming a summoner, which allows him to utilize an array of allies in battle. While he could just let others handle battles for him, Kelvin absolutely loves to get his hands dirty in fights, and he is also strong enough to handle the vast majority of encounters without relying on his summoner ability.
Black Summonertells a very straightforward story. Except for a lingering desire to summon the goddess who reincarnated him, Kelvin does not have any real motive beyond just searching for a new person to duel. He is overpowered like most isekai protagonists, and he seems to enjoy indulging in his abilities more than the bulk of his peers. Similar toSword Art Online,Black Summoneris also something of a harem, although it is not emphasized all that much in the show’s first and only season.
As a theme, isekai is quite broad, and it has a couple of sub-categories. For instance, light novels have been dominated by villainess stories for a while, and that trend has crossed over into anime in recent years. Anotherisekai subtype involves protagonists being reincarnated as unusual things, be it a vending machine, a spider monster, or slime. Amazingly, all those concepts have produced fun shows (to different extents), although they are not necessarily the greatest picks forSAOfans. However,Reincarnated as a Swordis a whole other story.
A human finds himself stuck as a sentient sword, albeit one that is quite powerful. Despite being capable of movement, the blade realizes he needs a wielder to be complete, and he finds that person in Fran, a beastkin orphan who has been through hard times. The two develop a charming friendship and mentorship that benefits both of them. While having a very different premise fromSAO,Reincarnated as a Sworddelivers action that is very close in quality to the more popular series. Fran and Shishou’s father-daughter dynamic is also not far removed from Kiryu and Asuna’s relationship with Yui, although the former is arguably handled better than the latter.
Debuting just a few months after the original season ofSword Art Online,Ixion Saga DTvery much comes across as a show that predates Kirito’s rise in popularity in the anime world. For better or worse, Brain’s Base’s series has a unique voice that sets it apart from not justSAObut most isekai stories on the market. Basically, the show revels in its stupidity, arguably even more so than something likeKonoSuba.
Kon finds himself teleported into his favorite MMORPG, where he is quickly tasked with protecting a princess. Unlike the Black Swordsman,Ixion Saga DT’s protagonist is not a cool customer, and he handles this newfound responsibility with all the grace of, well, a teenager who suddenly finds himself in a life-or-death situation. If someone is searching for an isekai comedy,Ixion Saga DTis a great place to start.
Very few isekai anime can claim to be anywhere near as polarizing asSword Art Online, butThe Rising of the Shield Herois one such exception. The story follows Naofumi, a guy who is summoned to a fantasy world to serve as one of its heroes. Whoever, he is falsely accused of a crime and shunned by the world, starting him down a path of both revenge and redemption. Before long, he starts forming his own party that leans into harem territory without really committing to it (similar toSAO).
The Rising of the Shield Herois a mixed bag due to its underwhelming second season which can be a real slog to get through; however, season 1 and Fall 2023’s third cour are both considerably better. Naofumi is a much more forceful protagonist than Kirito, which makes him both divisive but also interesting. While the storytelling can be a bit messy in places, the anime generally handles its action sequences well.
On the surface,Log HorizonandSword Art Onlineseem cut from the same cloth. Both anime have plotlines involving players who become trapped in MMORPGs, forcing them to adapt to the cultures of their games. Both anime have “overpowered” protagonists in a sense, althoughSAO’s Kirito is mostly a physical threat whileLog Horizon’s Shiroe is a thinker.
The shows differ in their exploration of their respective worlds, asLog Horizondedicates far more time to showcasing the societies that grow in Elder Tale, the MMORPG. While Shiroe is the main character, theisekai animehas an almost ensemble cast since it dedicates a lot of time to its supporting figures.
Overlordisanother game-based anime. It started out as a novel in 2010 which then led to a light novel followed by a manga and then this anime. In this anime, the MMO is about to shut down. The show’s protagonist, Momonga, is the leader of his own guild.
He decides to hold a party online to count down the servers shutting down, but no one comes. When the clock reaches zero, he discovers he can’t leave, and the plot thickens from there. UnlikeSAO,Overlordvery much focuses on an “evil” protagonist, albeit one that is initially playing a part rather than fully malicious. Momonga steadily expands his reach over the kingdom, exerting his overwhelming power over the ill-prepared humans. He is also backed by a few extremely loyal and powerful subordinates.
