Summary
Before the term ‘isekai’ came to be, it was referred to as ‘trapped in another world,’ which sums up the genre. Isekai takes viewers on a journey into the unknown, where the story’s main character is reborn or reincarnated into another world, different from the everyday world.
When this happens, the character, in some cases, retains their human form, only changing status and appearance. However, there are exceptions where the main character gets reborn as a monster or non-human being. In this new form, the main character must deal with their new reality and attempt to survive in this new world.
Updated February 26th, 2025, by Oluwatokiloba Folami:In most isekai anime, some characters are lucky enough to retain their human race while becoming heroes, adventurers, rulers, and so on.Other protagonists are not so luckyas they get the shorter end of the straw. These protagonists are reborn as monsters, animals, or non-human beings, making their journey different and somewhat more difficult. Whether these characters take the form of a slime, a dragon, a sentient sword, or even a polar bear,they must learn to adapt to their new bodies, overcome natural instincts, and make a place for themselves in their new worlds. What is worse is that due to their new form, they face the risk ofbeing hunted down and killed by humansforcing them to evolve and grow stronger, while struggling with retaining their human consciousness and adapting to their monstrous nature.
17Kyousuke
Reborn As A Phoenix: A Normal Bird Can’t Beat A Dragon, Right?
A young man dies and is reincarnated in a fantasy realm as a small phoenix chick. At first, he is weak, barely able to fly, and constantly hunted by stronger creatures. However, as a phoenix, he possesses a uniqueimmortality traitthat allows him to resurrect stronger than before each time he dies.
The story follows his evolution from a tiny chick to a legendary phoenix, as he learnsfire magic, regeneration, and flight combat while traveling across the world. He soon discovers thatdragons rule the skies, and is determined to prove his worth by defeating a dragon and establishing himself as a dominant force in the world.
Sasaki and Peeps
This reverse isekai anime showcases the life of a mage after he finds himself in the body of a bird in modern Japan.Sasaki is tired of his boring and repetitive lifeand decides to buy apet bird. He buys one but on the inside this bird is a mage from a medieval world.
Sasaki names the bird, Peeps, after learning about his former life as a mage, and together they agreed they would learn about each other’s world. Peeps teaches Sasaki magic and with this newfound knowledge, Sasaki starts solving corporate problems, fighting crime, and accidentally becoming a major player in both worlds.
15Kumakichi
Polar Bear Reincarnation: The Legend Of The Polar Bear That Became The Guardian Deity Of The Forest
A man is reincarnated into a fantasy world but unexpectedly finds himself inthe body of a massive polar bear.Unlike most isekai protagonists who become powerful humans, Kumakichi must navigate his new life as a monster. Luckily he has strength like most isekai heroes but even with that he still finds himself struggling. He struggles to interact with the humans around him, understand the world’s culture, and avoid being hunted.
It is no surprise that some humans consider him a threat due to his appearance but over time, he forms bonds with various characters and learns to survive in this new, often hostile, world.
14Tama
I’m a Behemoth, An S-Ranked Monster, But Mistaken For A Cat, I Live As An Elf Girl’s Pet
A knight dies, but luckily, he reincarnates in another world. In this new world, the knight is reborn as Behemoth, a powerful beast. Since he is a young Behemoth,he looks like a kittenand is often mistaken for one. Wandering around his new world, Behemoth encounters Aria, an elf who sees Behemoth in danger and rescues him. Aria takes Behemoth with her and names him Tama.
This manga takes readers on Behemoth’s journey as he becomes Tama and tries to settle in his new world.Tama is grateful to Aria for taking him inand vows to always protect her from harm and other monsters that may try to attack her.
The protagonist ofButareba: The Story of a Man Who Turned into a Pigis an average worker who dies at work after eating uncooked pig liver. When he wakes up, he finds himselfin a strange world as a pig, helpless with no clue on how to escape, seeing that he is stuck in a pig’s pen.
Luckily for Pig, he encounters Jess, a young girl who can read minds, and with her help, the protagonist, Pig, can now communicate with someone, and he is grateful for that. Soon after, he realizes that Jess has some issues of her own, and he wants to help her. Unfortunately for him, helping her is not going to be as easy as he planned or thought, ashe has no special or magical powersin this world, and his only advantage is his memories from his previous life.
12Routa
Woof Woof Story: I Told You to Turn Me Into a Pampered Pooch, Not Fenrir!
The protagonist ofWoof Woof Story: I Told You to Turn Me Into a Pampered Pooch, Not Fenrir!was once an overworked man from Japan. This man died from overworking and, unlike others, knew what he wanted to be in case he reincarnated.He planned to be a rich man’s dog, doing nothing but getting pampered and spoilt by his rich owners.
However, his after-death wish did not fully come through as he wanted it. He reincarnated as a dog but was not a typical dog instead, a massive, powerful wolf-like creature resembling Fenrir, the mythical monstrous wolf fromNorse mythology. Born in a wealthy home like he wanted, this manga takes readers on a journey on how Routa makes do with his situation and ends up living the life he dreamt of, although in a slightly different form.
11Alraune
Plant Monster Girl Diary
Plant Monster Girl Diarytells the story of betrayal, hopelessness, and acceptance. The main protagonist dies, but because ofher partner’s betrayal, she reincarnates as a plant monster instead of a saint. Knowing full well about her partner’s betrayal and its role in her current predicament, it is understandable that she wants revenge, but unfortunately, she cannot move.
As Alraune, the plant monster, this girl is half human and half plant. A feeling of hopelessness washes over her as she realizes she cannot do anything because she is deeply rooted like a plant. She finally accepts her condition, and all she wants now is to live peacefully while enjoying two important things: the sun and water.
10Hiroto
The Death Mage
Hirotohas lived quitea few unlucky lives. His unlucky streak started after he was killed alongside some of his classmates while trying to save a girl he barely knew. However, he got reincarnated but then died in his second lifedue to a mistakeby God. His bad luck angers him, and he wants revenge on God, but there is nothing a mere mortal like him can do. God promises him that his fourth life will be peaceful, but Hiroto does not want a fourth life and is tired of excessive reincarnation.
To make matters worse, Hiroto is not fully human anymore; instead, he is a dark-elf vampire named Vandalieu. This manga showcases how Hiroto has lived such a harsh and unfortunate life. As a Dhampir, although he has human characteristics, he has monstrous powers and moves among undead beings.
The Unwanted Undead Adventurer
Beingan adventurercomes with risks, andRentt, the protagonist of this anime, falls victim to a dragon after stumbling into its lair. Upon reawakening, he finds out that he is no longer a human, and is instead a skeleton, the lowest of the undead monsters. Rentt wants to return to human civilization by all means, and he starts by protecting himself against all the other monsters in the labyrinth. He soon realizes that he might not be able to reach human civilization, and strives for the next best thing: being a vampire.
As a skeleton, Rentt is also a monster, but his monstrous identity is covered by theunremovable maskhe wears. This mask is his saving grace, as the surrounding adventurers consider his type to be a monster, and if they catch a glimpse of his appearance, they will eliminate him without a doubt.
8Ja
Salesman To Dragon
The main character ofJaryuu Tenseiis an ordinary salesman who dies an unfortunate and tragic death in a car accident. To make up for this, he reincarnates asa mighty dragonin another world. In addition to that, he has the ability to transform into the form of a human.
In this other world, this ordinary salesman becomesJa, a mighty dragon. Ja has adventurers and travelers trying to kill him for being a dragon, but they are no match for his overwhelming powers. One adventurer is Kuroe, and her failed attempt fostered an emotional relationship with Ja, and from there, they journeyed around the world.
