One of the most common tropes in isekai anime is one where the MC gets stuck in a video game. Most often than not, the main characters in such series are hardcore gamers who spend all their lives playing MMORPG games. But one day, they get mysteriously transported into the game world, where they are stuck.
As cliche as this trope might have gotten, it is still one of the most interesting types of isekai anime out there. So, in this article, we will be counting down the ultimate list of the top 20 isekai anime series where the MC is trapped inside a video game.
Best Anime Where the Main Character Is Trapped in a Video Game
- Hunter X Hunter: Greed Island
- Log Horizon
- Overlord
- Digimon Adventure
- My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!
- Trapped In A Dating Sim: The World Of Otome Games Is Tough For Mobs
- The Bears Bear a Bare Kuma
- Sword Art Online
- Skeleton Knight in Another World
- Ixion Saga DT
- Show By Rock!!
- .Hack//Sign
- In The Land Of Leadale
- How Not To Summon A Demon Lord
- Demon Lord, Retry!
- Death March to the parallel world Rhapsody
- She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man
- Reincarnated into Demon King Evelogia’s World
- Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?
- Ququ Bucai, Zaixia Ye Guai
20. Ququ Bucai, Zaixia Ye Guai
This is a brand new anime that has not even aired at the time of writing this article. However, the release is in a couple of days from now, and I’m pretty sure this title makes this list whole.
This anime will have 12 episodes and has a pretty unique isekai theme where the MC is stuck in a video game.
The main character of this anime is a veteran gamer who has been playing the popular MMORPG called “Azure” ever since day 1.
One day, he got a special gift in the game because he had spent so much time there. However, the gift was something he never expected. Upon opening the gift, the MC was transported into the game world.
But here’s the plot twist: He is not a hero or anything. He is the weakest monster in the game. Our MC has to survive the game, adventure through lands, all the while meeting new people.
19. Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?
If we’re being honest, this is one of the most terrible animes in the genre and could only be described as a dumbster fire. This is because the sole focus of the anime is fanservice with no actual plot. If anything, the plot involves a mom and son finding themselves in sexually awkward situations.
However, if you’re somebody who does not give much value to the story or plot of the anime, then this might be for you.
Especially Ecchi fans might like this one because of the nature of the show. The story of this anime is about a mom and her son who get teleported into a MMORPG game world.
The mom somehow starts off as an overpowered character, whereas the son is only average. Together, they have to find new people and form a party with them in order to clear the game.
18. Reincarnated into Demon King Evelogia’s World
This is another not-so-popular anime that has a lot of adult scenes and boys love (yaoi) moment in it.
Not to mention, each episode only lasts 6 minutes, so this should be a very quick watch.
This hentai isekai anime centers around our MC, who gets transported into a game world after being killed in real life.
However, the twist is that he is now a character who has to kill his favorite villain in the game, the demon king. Since he has always adored the demon king and felt sympathy for him, the MC ignores his role.
Instead of slaying the demon king, he joins him. The relationship between these two unlikely pairs grows more and more as the series progresses, which is a treat to watch.
17. She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man
The main character of this anime is a veteran player of the famous VRMMORPG game called Ark Earth Online. He is a renowned figure in the game, as he is one of the strongest players there is.
One day, while customizing his character, he falls asleep unintentionally. However, upon waking up, he finds himself inside the game. Not only that, he has also turned into a cute girl.
When he reaches the city, he finds out that it has been 30 years since his character went missing. He also finds out that, along with him, nine other famous players went missing.
Now living as a girl in a video game, his mission is to find and reunite with the other players.
16. Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody
The main character of this anime is a hard-working game developer. One day, upon waking up, he finds himself inside the game world. He is stuck inside his own video game and has no way out.
He tries out spells and magic and accidentally ends up killing hordes of monsters, leveling up exponentially. Thus, he instantly became an overpowered character thanks to the level boost.
However, the MC does not want to make a ruckus, so he hides his true powers. He pretends to be a normal merchant and travels the land. There, he meets a harem of girls who end up teaming up with him on his adventure.
15. Demon Lord, Retry!
Demon Lord, Retry is one of the classic isekai animes where the main character gets trapped in a game.
Our male lead was the manager of a popular MMORPG game and has been maintaining it for 15 years. However, one day, he decides to shut down the game because of dwindling players.
He was supposed to shut down the servers at midnight, but at that exact moment, he was mysteriously teleported inside his game.
The main character finds himself as the demon lord of the game, but something else worries him. He finds new characters that were not supposed to exist.
14. How Not To Summon A Demon Lord
This is yet another isekai anime where the MC is overpowered and stuck in his favorite MMORPG game. And as always, our MC has become the demon lord.
While the plot of this show might not be something original, what makes this anime special is its comedy.
We get to see a shut-in otaku become the strongest character in a game and get a harem of girls for himself. The story starts off hilariously, with two girls trying to enslave our MC with a spell. However, because he is too powerful, they get enslaved to him instead.
Since this is a true accident, the MC goes on adventures with the girls to help them find a way to undo the enslavement spell.
13. In The Land Of Leadale
This anime doesn’t exactly belong in this list because the MC actually dies and gets reincarnated into a VRMMORPG. She is not really stuck in it, but since the game’s theme is still relevant, I’m adding it to the list.
The main character of this anime is a sick girl who dies and gets reincarnated into her favorite video game.
This is a beautiful adventure series where the main character travels through lands, making friends along the way. While there isn’t much action or fanservice in this show, unlike other isekai anime, In The Land Of Leadale has its own charms that will make you fall in love with the show.
Recommended >> 15+ Best Isekai Anime With A Female Lead That You Will Love
12. .Hack//Sign
Hack//Sign is a true classic that was released even before the term “isekai” became a thing in the anime community.
Aired back in 2002, this anime is one of the first isekai series where the MC gets stuck inside a MMORPG game.
One day, the main character finds himself inside his favorite MMORPG. He has also mysteriously forgotten everything he was doing before waking up in the new world.
But the real trouble is still waiting for him, as the “Crimson Knights” suspect him to be a hacker.
One thing leads to another, and the leader of the Crimson Knights ends up helping our MC figure out why he is unable to log out of the game.
11. Show by Rock!!
There are not many anime that combine music and fantasy themes together. However, Show By Rock not only does that, it executes it in a flawless way.
In this anime, the main character gets sucked into a rhythm game where she forms a band with other girls.
The world she is in right now is special, as music has magical powers. Not only that, the best musician will also get to rule the city. Luckily for our MC, she is a skilled guitarist who just needed a little push to show off her talent.
With the power of music, it is up to her and her band to save the city from impending doom.
10. Ixion Saga DT
Ixion Saga DT is one of the greatest isekai animes where the MC is stuck in a game.
The main character of this show gets a mysterious request from a female character in an MMORPG.
Our main character was overjoyed thinking that a real girl has taken a liking to him. However, upon accepting the request, he is taken to another world, where he ends up saving a princess.
With no way out, he decides to become a part of the princess’ honor guard and protect her from all sorts of threats.
While the story is not as deep or extravagant, the anime stands out for its fun theme and comedic elements.
9. Skeleton Knight in Another World
Overlord fans are going to either love or hate this show because the main character is pretty much the same. Except in this series, the MC decides to save people instead of oppressing them.
After getting mysteriously transported and trapped in an MMORPG, the MC finds himself in the body of his game avatar.
He is now a skeleton and has to hide his appearance to not make enemies out of ordinary people.
In order to survive in the world, he needs money. So he ends up becoming an adventurer and killing monsters to earn a living.
One thing leads to another, and he is now stuck in a war between good and evil, where he has to play a major role to save thousands of innocent lives.
8. Sword Art Online
Sword Art Online is the legendary anime that kickstarted the entire isekai genre’s popularity. This is a sci-fi, fantasy anime with tons of action, adventure, and even romance.
The story takes place in a world where VR technology is at its peak, enabling gamers to completely experience their favorite MMORPG games. However, the players become unconscious in real life while they are playing.
The genius man who created one of the leading VRMMORPG games decides to kill himself and recreate himself within the game. Not only that, he takes away the logout function, so every player is stuck in the game.
Now, it is up to our MC, who has been playing this game since its beta version, to clear the game and save all the players.
But that is not all. This is just the story of the first season. The anime has several other sequels with interesting and unique storylines.
Overall, the story expands in a genius way, telling the tale of a futuristic society dealing with the impact of advanced VR and AI technology.
7. The Bears Bear a Bare Kuma
This is one of the best slife-of-life isekai animes where the main character gets trapped in a game.
Our main character is a rich girl who is fed up with life. She spices up her dull life with VRMMORPG games.
One day, as a reward for spending a huge amount of time in the game, she gets a special gift.
This includes a cute bear armor set that practically makes her invincible and special access to a map that nobody else has played. She then gets sucked into this new map and is trapped there.
However, she does not care about going back to her world because she hates it anyway. So she happily adventures in the new world, making new friends and becoming a legend in the local towns.
Recommended >> Best Slow Life Isekai Anime Recommendations For You!
6. Trapped In A Dating Sim: The World Of Otome Games Is Tough For Mobs
The main character of this anime is a normal man who is blackmailed into playing a dating sim game.
He plays the game like a crazy man without sleep or food and eventually clears the game. He then heads out to get himself some food from the convenience store.
However, he has an accident on the stairs and becomes unconscious. When he woke up, he found himself in that dating sim game that he hated with a passion.
To make matters worse, he is a background character who does not really have much standing in the game. With the knowledge of the game’s story, our MC has to clear the game once again.
5. My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!
This one is similar to the above anime, except the main character is a girl who actually loves the dating sim game.
One day, our MC finds herself in the body of the villainess of the game, who is destined to have a horrible fate. Trapped inside her favorite dating sim game, the MC of this isekai show has to cook up a plan to save herself.
Determined to avoid her doom, she uses her knowledge of the game to change her fate. In the process, she actually ends up becoming more popular than the main character of the game, attracting a harem of boys.
However, she is actually oblivious to the love of these boys and still thinks that she is in danger.
This is a hilarious reverse harem rom-com anime that you must definitely watch if you’re looking for a fun show.
4. Digimon Adventure
Alright, I know. Digimon characters do not get stuck in a game. They get stuck in the digital world. However, if you really think about it, in a very broad sense, games are a part of the digital world. Which is why I’m going to add this epic anime to this listing.
Digimon Adventure is one of the oldest animes on this list, featuring the adventures of a group of kids who get trapped in the digital world.
They meet new monsters and make friends with them, who ultimately become their greatest ally to stop the madness happening in the digital world.
With the fate of the real world at stake, these kids have to play the hero and stop massive destruction.
Digimon Adventure is a wonderful adventure story that revolves around the power of friendship.
3. Overlord
Overlord is easily one of the best isekai anime where the MC is trapped in a video game. The story is also unique, unlike other series in the genre.
Instead of being a “hero”, our MC is kind of the villain. He is not evil per se, but he and his slaves have killed more than a hundred thousand people.
They destroy entire kingdoms to set an example and rule the land with a cold-hearted strategy. While the MC tries to be kind and nice to the people, he has no choice but to act tough as he is the leader of the strongest character in the world.
Not only that, his goal is to make a ruckus and draw the attention of other players who are stuck in the game. By being a villain, he can easily spread his name far and wide, which will make it easy for players to find him.
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2. Log Horizon
Log Horizon is an underrated gem in this genre. This anime is not as widely talked about as some of the above-mentioned titles, but it totally deserves more attention.
When it comes to the plot, this anime also takes a unique route– politics. After players get trapped inside their favorite game, they form their own government.
The main character is a key player in doing this, as he is a genius strategist who has a knack for politics.
Asides from that, we also get to see some fantasy-filled adventures where the characters try to find a way to go back to their real world.
1. Hunter X Hunter: Greed Island
Fans of the 2011 version of the series might not know this, but Hunter x Hunter actually has its own Isekai arc where the main characters get trapped inside a video game.
This arc was released as an eight episode OVA back in 2003, and it is by far the greatest stuck in a game isekai anime till date.
Gon and Killua, in the search for Ging, decide to play the Greed Island game and clear it for a billionaire. This way, they get to search for Ging inside the game without actually having to purchase this rare game.
Once they get inside Greed Island, they gain new powers, skills, and in-game items that help in their adventure.
However, there is a real threat lurking inside Greed Island, where some rogue players kill other players for their items and skills. And, oh, did I mention that death inside the game is death in real life?
That’s it for this article. These are the top 20 best isekai anime where the MC gets stuck in a MMORPG video game world.
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