The 10 Best Isekai Anime With Child Protagonists

Isekai anime revolve around the notion of escaping one’s current existence for a fresh start in another world. However, some isekai narratives take the element of a fresh beginning to absurd levels, with protagonists starting their new lives as a literal child. Still, the child protagonist trope has its own appeal, as it resonates with audiences wishing to experience that child-like naivete once more.

Despite featuring mere children at the forefront, these isekai anime are laced with nuanced subtexts, making them an enjoyable watch for viewers of all ages. Be it transmigration into a child’s body or actual children transported to a new world, these novel narratives add a unique twist of their own to the child protagonist trope.

10 By The Grace Of The Gods

A Child’s Heartwarming Isekai Adventure

By the Grace of the Gods is a heartwarming isekai anime with a child protagonist at the center. After enduring a life full of hardships, the gods bless Ryouma with a second life for him to savor the wonders of life.

Ryouma enjoys a peaceful existence in a far-off forest by himself, but he eventually stumbles across a group of soldiers who convince him to travel with them. Thus begins the journey of a child exploring a fantasy world with just one weapon in hand — his childlike innocence.

9 Didn’t I Say To Make My Abilities Average In My Next Life?!

An Overachiever’s Amusing Attempt At An Average Life

After her sudden death, an 18-year-old genius wishes to be reincarnated as an average person in a new world. Born as Adele von Ascham in a world full of magic, the genius’ wish is fulfilled, but not in the way she had hoped.

Despite being average by her own standards, Adele is reincarnated in a less intelligent world, where she again stands out as an overachiever with high aptitude. Didn’t I Say To Make My Abilities Average In My Next Life?! offers an amusing narrative as Adele tries to live her new life under the guise of an average person.

8 Knight’s And Magic

A Fantasy Isekai With Mecha Robots

Knight’s and Magic does exactly what it states, featuring a mesh of mecha knights and sorcery. After his life is cut short in an unfortunate car accident, Ernesti Echevarria gets a second go at life, and this time, under the protection of nobility.

Blessed with magical prowess, Ernesti enrolls in a magical academy and begins his journey of becoming a trained pilot of a Silhouette Knight. Knight’s and Magic is perfect for avid fans of both mecha stories and fantasy power-systems.

7 The Faraway Paladin

A Coming-Of-Age Fantasy Adventure

With vague memories of his past life, Will wakes up to the sight of three undead beings: a ghost, a mummy, and a skeleton. The three raise the child as their own, with each imparting wisdom to the boy to prepare him for the day he must set out on his own journey.

The day will eventually come when Will leaves behind his undead guardians and sets out on a journey to discover this new-found world. While Will eventually grows into his teen years, the initial parts of The Faraway Paladin focus on Will’s childhood and his training during those years.

6 The 8th Son? Are You Kidding Me?

From Zero To Hero

The 8th son? Are you kidding me? features an amusing isekai premise that follows a 25-year-old Japanese salaryman’s transmigration into the body of a six-year-old boy. To his dismay, however, he becomes the eighth son of a poor family residing in the countryside.

However, Wendelin Von Benno Baumeister is determined to change his circumstances for the better using his magical prowess. This resolution lands him in all sorts of bizarre situations, yet he will stop at nothing to achieve his goal.

5 The Aristocrat’s Otherworldly Adventure: Serving Gods Who Go Too Far

An Isekai Power-Fantasy

The Aristocrat’s Otherworldly Adventure: Serving Gods Who Go Too Far features nothing but pure, unadulterated power fantasy, albeit with a five-year-old child at the helm. By sacrificing himself in his past life, Kazuya earns the favor of the gods, granting him a second life in a fantasy world as Cain von Silford.

However, there’s more to this power fantasy reincarnation, as the gods have their own plan for Cain. The Aristocrat’s Otherworldly Adventure is an intriguing power fantasy isekai, but what makes it stand out are the childlike antics added to the narrative.

4 Now And Then, Here And There

The Grim Side Of Isekai

Now and Then, Here and There differs greatly from its isekai counterparts, as this anime showcases nothing but the dark, grim reality of life. Shu is taken away by mysterious people from a different reality after he tries to save a peculiar girl named Lala-Ru.

His heroics land him in utter hell as he experiences the harsh reality of living in a dystopian world where nothing but anarchy can be found. The anime touches mature subtexts such as child labor, sexual exploitation, and the by-products of war.

3 Ascendance Of A Bookworm

Breaking The Status Quo Through Unusual Means

True to its namesake, Ascendance of a Bookworm follows a book lover’s isekai journey in a world where literacy is confined to the upper echelons of society. Reincarnated as a fragile five-year-old child, Myne challenges this world’s status quo by striving for books to be made accessible to all.

Viewers often conflate child protagonists with fluff stories, but Ascendance of a Bookworm presents a nuanced subtext with a compelling storyline. Myne also differs from the usual isekai protagonist blueprint, making this anime a refreshing watch.

2 Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation

A Journey Of Self-Discovery

After a 34-year-old shut-in dies while trying to save a group of teenagers, he receives a second chance at life in a fantasy-like world. Reborn as Rudeus Greyrat, he preserves his memories from his past life, which become a catalyst for his growth in this new world.

With exceptional magical prowess and a knack for swordfighting, Rudeus quickly adapts to this new world and vows to make the most of this opportunity. Mushoku Tensei quickly rose to prominence within the isekai landscape with its impressive storytelling and characterizations, making it a must-watch for avid fans of isekai narratives.

1 Saga Of Tanya The Evil

Evil Under The Facade Of A Child

While the title already hints at a dark and twisted protagonist, Saga of Tanya the Evil throws viewers for a loop with Tanya’s gentle and innocent appearance. However, this very child-like facade is what makes the anime stand out among the sea of isekai narratives.

The story follows a Japanese salaryman who gets reincarnated in a world that resembles pre-World War I Europe by a deity called ‘X.’ Now, Tanya Degurechaff must survive the brutalities of this world, all while being tested by the entity claiming to be God.