The Isekai genre wouldn’t be what it is today without one particular trope: protagonists with cheat abilities that often surpass common sense. But with great power comes great fanservice. Even the greatest among these cheaters in another world have their dose of trouble due to their overpowered skills. In many cases, these troubles include meeting quirky characters, evil wizards, necromancers, and even talking objects. Who would have guessed that having cheating skills could turn their everyday lives into such a mess?
But even in the worst-case scenario, these characters manage to thrive. Despite all odds, they can surprise audiences with deep and endearing moments that make us reflect about the human condition, and how power distorts it in the most bizarre ways. Here are the most broken Isekai manga and anime protagonists and their cheat skills. Some have used them to live a laid-back life, while others have reshaped this new world they were sent to.
10 Arthur — The Beginning After The End
Inherits Powers As King Grey and Combines Them With Magic
- Alternative names: TBATE
- Author: TurtleMe
- Artist: Fuyuki23
- Status: Ongoing
- Number of chapters: 186
- Publisher: Yen Press
When King Grey was alive, he had absolute dominion over Ki, the Vital Energy that allowed him to become the ruler of his world. But as time passed, he grew tired of all the conspiracies and betrayals surrounding him, and became a recluse.
After dying and being reincarnated in another world as Arthur Leywin, he notices that all his past skills and dominion over Vital Energy can be combined to create the Ultimate form of Magic. His skill grants him absolute dominion over physical and magical prowess, turning him into a powerful existence in this new world, and a threat to the dark forces trying to overtake it.
9 Alex — Isekai Metaller
Casts Ancient Magic Using The Power Of Metal
- Alternative names: Isekai Metara/Another World Metaller
- Author: Kasuga Ryuu
- Artist: Kasuga Ryuu
- Status: Ongoing
- Number of volumes: 2
- Publisher: Heros
Alex, a metalhead and leader of a band, gets sent to another world when an accident at his last concert kills him. It takes no time for him to discover he got isekai’d. He literally lands next to a “werewolf,” the leader of a mercenary group chasing down a dragon.
Alex discovers he can use the power of Metal to knit powerful Ancient Magic by playing his electric guitar, and uses titles of popular metal tracks as spells. Alex is thrilled about his new life in another world, though his perception of reality is a little distorted, which leads to hilarious situations. His ultimate goal? Attaining world peace using the power of metal music.
8 Reiji — Drugstore In Another World
Has A Cheat Skill To Produce Miracle Remedies
Reiji gets reincarnated in another world and asks God to allow him to live a slow life doing what he does best: being a drugstore clerk. He uses his cheat skills to create powerful medicines that can cure several ailments, building a relationship with the local community.
Using the power of alchemy and his knowledge from his past life, Reiji becomes a skilled provider of medicines and a reliable doctor for his community. But it doesn’t take long before the nobility and other unsavory characters try to mess with his slow life plans.
7 Taichi — Another World Cheat Magician
Infinite Magic Power
When Taichi and his childhood friend Rin get transported to another world, they gain incredible powers that make them Unique Magicians. But Taichi’s prowess is not only his abnormal amount of magical power, but his ability to directly connect with the elemental magical forces. This gives him an edge in learning new magic and casting tremendously powerful spells.
He calls himself a “Cheat Magician” due to his ability to power level. Since he also possesses a deep knowledge of RPG-like games and mechanics, he considers that what he does is the same as using cheat codes to win in a game.
6 Hiraku — Farming Life In Another World
Can Summon a Multi-Purpose Legendary Weapon
When Hiraku is reincarnated, he asks God to grant him his wish: to live a peaceful life farming and building his own homestead. But this Isekai protagonist gets more than he bargained for. He discovers that the Hoe of God, a weapon-sized magical Swiss Army Knife, is capable of basically doing everything.
From plowing fields instantly, to accelerating the growth of plants, this all-powerful tool can obliterate any monster in the world. Hiraku considers it the most broken cheat object he could have received. But since he uses it with the sole purpose of living a comfortable and isolated life in the forest, there’s nothing to worry about. Unless he considers the army of freeloaders that end up intruding into his relaxed life.
5 Takato — My Instant Death Ability is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me!
Anything That Shows Him Hostility Immediately Dies
When Takato and his class are summoned to another world, they discover that this fantasy world is nothing but a trap full of unsavory and power-abusing Sages, who dominate the world by exerting their cheat skills. The Sage that summons them proves it by murdering every adult on the bus. She then proceeds to “implant” into the students the Sage system, discarding those she doesn’t deem as worthy.
But what she doesn’t know is that, alongside their otherworldly “guinea pigs,” she has summoned Death Itself. Death comes in the form of Yogiri Takato, a seemingly boorish and laidback student, who is the absolute personification of finality. Soon she will learn of her mistake, and try to stop Takato from reaching his ultimate goal: killing everything that stands in their way of returning to their beloved Japan.
4 Ars — As A Reincarnated Aristocrat, I’ll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World
Uses Ability Detection To Build The Strongest Army
An office worker gets sent by Truck-kun to another world, where the aristocracy is in constant strife for power. Reincarnated as Ars Louvent, the child of a noble family, he discovers that he has the ability to see the skills of other people.
Using his “Appraisal” skill, he decides to protect his hometown by building an army of talented individuals carefully selected from the Duchy of Mesian. What he doesn’t know, is that this will put him at the help of a country-wide revolution that will ignite the spark of a new age for the Empire, with him as the protagonist.
3 Dzink — Homeland Dropout
An RPG-like System Helps Him Become A Powerful Mage
- Alternative names: After being deported from the country, I became the 4th enchanter in the world!
- Author: Shizuku Mikage
- Artist: HAYADAI
- Status: Ongoing
- Number of volumes: 6
- Publisher: Manga UP!
When Dzink is isekai’d and reincarnated as the youngest son of a noble family specializing in spearmanship, he is quickly branded as useless and discarded by the Lord of the Norland family and the King himself. What no one knows at that time is that Dzink, as a reincarnator, got a skill that allowed him to control the elemental and magic forces of the world.
This skill turns Dzink into a powerful Enchanter, a mage specialized in reinforcing their allies and themselves both physically and magically. Plus, he has access to a cheat-like RPG control panel that allows him to keep track of his progression and level up faster than anyone.
2 Cain — Adventure Record Of Reincarnated Aristocrat
Gains Protection From Gods
Shiinya Kazuya died saving some schoolgirls from a vicious murderer. As a reward, the Gods and Goddesses of another world reincarnated him into a fantasy-like world of sword and sorcery, filled with dragons, magic, and of course, many villains.
Preserving his past life knowledge, Cain von Silford, the youngest son of a noble, was granted a cheat-like protection power from the Gods. When he turns five, Cain discovers his stats and abilities are greatly empowered. He has to hide the fact that he is now the “apostle” of several overprotective gods, who compete to see which one loves him the most.
1 Yuya — I Got A Cheat Ability In A Different World
Can Travel Between Worlds, Acquires Infinite Power
Yuya was bullied, ostracized, and treated poorly by his family. When the only person who cared for him died, he crumbled. Roaming the house of his now-deceased grandfather, he discovers a portal to another world and steps into a realm of sword and sorcery.
Upon entering this new reality, he is transformed and granted great power, and the ability to transition between the two worlds at will. Becoming a hotshot even in his former world, he saves the life of a girl who turns out to be the daughter of a prestigious school director. He gets invited to this school for the elite and begins a new life with his skills gained in the new world. The problem is, that he becomes tremendously popular both in the Isekai world and on Earth, which causes him to get mixed up in a series of troublesome events.
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