Overlord is a dark fantasy light novel series written by Kugane Maruyama and illustrated by so-bin. It focuses on a man who was transported into a DMMORPG (Dive Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) called Yggdrasil after its servers were shut down.

The series has attracted many fans for its in-depth narrative as well as the thin line between good and evil. Meanwhile, the protagonist continues to act as his character, Ainz Ool Gown. Luckily, even those who have finished the series have plenty of similar anime to check out to scratch that itch left behind by Overlord.

Updated December 29, 2023, by Ajay Aravind & Hannah Grimes: Since this list was last updated, CBR has revised its formatting standards to help give readers easier access to more information about these great Overlord-like titles, so we've updated it again.

15 Death March To The Parallel World Rhapsody Traps A Programmer In A Similar World To Ones He Creates

• MyAnimeList Score: 6.45 out of 10
• Anime Planet Score: 3.67 out of 5
• IMDb Score: 6.6 out of 10

Ichiro Suzuki, a man in his late twenties, is working as an MMORPG programmer when he's transported to a new world that contains elements of the same games he's created. Now in the body of a 15-year-old, he sets out to uncover this mystery that makes up most of Death March To The Parallel World Rhapsody.

Death March To The Parallel World Rhapsody's premise makes it a very similar anime to Overlord, meaning fans of the latter should find things to enjoy here. In Death March To The Parallel World Rhapsody, the over-the-top stuff is toned down to bring a straightforward plotline, which works to keep viewers focused on the story.

14 A Knight And Blacksmith Team Up In The Sacred Blacksmith

• MyAnimeList Score: 6.66 out of 10
• Anime Planet Score: 3.46 out of 5
• IMDb Score: 6.5 out of 10

Cecily Campbell is a Knight from Housman, whose job is to ensure the city remains safe after a great war in the past had threatened the land with demons. In order to remain at the top of her game, she gets involved with a blacksmith who has a katana like no other.

The theme of being a protector of the people makes this anime like Overlord. The characters in The Sacred Blacksmith may not be as quirky as they appear, although they do have a certain comedic charm to them that helps the viewer feel right at home.

13 .Hack//Sign Traps Its Protagonist In A Mysterious Game World

• MyAnimeList Score: 6.95 out of 10
• Anime Planet Score: 3.47 out of 5
• IMDb Score: 6.8 out of 10

Tsukasa wakes up one day to realize he's trapped in a game known as "The World" — and can't get out. He plays a Wavemaster to learn how to log out and return to his real life. Along the way, Tsukasa uncovers many mysteries about this place and why people want to keep him there.

.Hack//Sign is an anime like Overlord in the sense that both protagonists are trapped inside game worlds. The main appeal of this fascinating series is the way the protagonist unravels the secrets of "The World." The main hook for viewers is the larger plot that slowly manifests over the course of the series.

12 The King's Avatar Stars An E-Sports Player Who Has To Start From Scratch

• MyAnimeList Score: 7.87 out of 10
• Anime Planet Score: 4.13 out of 5
• IMDb Score: 7.5 out of 10

Ye Quiu is a professional e-sports player who has been kicked out of his team for his unwillingness to participate in deals. That said, none of these aforementioned deals are to his benefit. In order to get back in the game, he starts from scratch and works his way up to beat those who wronged him.

Although The King's Avatar doesn't take place in another world entirely like Overlord, it still shares themes of the blur between reality and virtual worlds. The anime avoids milking its appeal by delivering a simple storyline, allowing the audience to cheer for the protagonist.

11 Death Parade Allows Players A Second Chance At Life

• MyAnimeList Score: 8.15 out of 10
• Anime Planet Score: 4.16 out of 5
• IMDb Score: 7.9 out of 10

In the Death Parade universe, anyone who dies is inevitably sent to the otherworldly Quindecim bar, where they must engage in post-death battles. These characters are forced to fight their souls, hoping to receive a positive fate rather than a grim one. Decim, an arbiter of the game, oversees the process of these battles.

Although Death Parade ended with a criminally low episode count, this means that viewers can binge-watch the whole series in one go and fully take in the plot from start to finish. Fans of Overlord's in-depth narrative and characters will connect with Death Parade as its characters fight for another chance at life in various games.

10 The Rising Of The Shield Hero Transports A College Student To Another World

• MyAnimeList Score: 7.96 out of 10
• Anime Planet Score: 4.31 out of 5
• IMDb Score: 7.9 out of 10

The Rising of the Shield Hero is a dark fantasy series written by Aneko Yusagi and illustrated by Minami Seira. The series was originally uploaded to the website Shousetsuka ni Narou (lit. "Let's Become a Novelist") before being published by Media Factory with a more in-depth storyline and characters.

The anime follows Naofumi Iwatani, a college student who was summoned into another world with three other men from different worlds to become heroes and fight off a danger known only as Waves. The Rising of the Shield Hero parallels Overlord in its themes of being transported to another world and fighting off danger while searching for answers.

9 A Portal Bringing Monsters Into Reality Suddenly Appears In GATE

• MyAnimeList Score: 7.69 out of 10
• Anime Planet Score: 4.09 out of 5
• IMDb Score: 7.5 out of 10

Gate is a fantasy novel series written by Takumi Yanai. It received a light novel adaption illustrated by Daisuke Izuka as well as a manga series illustrated by Satoru Sao. The story is set in modern-day Ginza, Tokyo. A portal to another world suddenly appears, bringing monsters and soldiers into the real world, naturally wreaking havoc on the city.

When Youji Itami, a Japanese Self-Defense Force officer, is sent to investigate, he discovers that magic and dragons are real and uses his knowledge of the topic to navigate through the titular gate. GATE is an excellent choice for a similar anime to Overlord, for fans who enjoy its alternate universe and intrigue aspects.

8 Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? Is A More Lighthearted Adventure

• MyAnimeList Score: 7.24 out of 10
• Anime Planet Score: 4.07 out of 5
• IMDb Score: 7.4 out of 10

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? was written by Fujino Oumori and illustrated by Suzuhito Yasuda. This hilariously titled series follows a fourteen-year-old adventurer who is the sole member of the Hestia Family.

The story is set around people who are in groups called Familia, each run by gods and goddesses who go dungeon crawling and fight monsters. Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? has spawned a movie and multiple OVA episodes. The show recently finished airing its fourth season, and its monster-slaying, adventuring aspects will likely appeal to fans of Overlord, though it isn't as dark.

7 A Salaryman Is Reincarnated As A Young Girl In World War 1 In The Saga Of Tanya The Evil

• MyAnimeList Score: 7.96 out of 10
• Anime Planet Score: 4.17 out of 5
• IMDb Score: 7.6 out of 10

The Saga of Tanya the Evil is a light novel series written by Carlo Zen and illustrated by Shinobu Shinotsuki. The franchise also includes a manga series illustrated by Chika Toujou. The story kicks off when a Japanese salaryman is murdered by a former employee that the salaryman had fired.

Afterward, an entity that proclaims itself as God tells him he does not have faith and reincarnates him as a young girl named Tanya Degurechaff. The supposedly divine entity then states if Tanya does not either die naturally or have faith, she will go to hell and suffer for her past life's sins for all of eternity. The Saga of Tanya the Evil is an anime like Overlord in that its protagonist adopts an evil, ruthless demeanor in order to survive.

6 Demon Lord Diablo Goes On A Quest To Break A Spell In How Not To Summon A Demon Lord

• MyAnimeList Score: 6.85 out of 10
• Anime Planet Score: 3.77 out of 5
• IMDb Score: 7.0 out of 10

How Not to Summon a Demon Lord is a series written by Yukiya Murasaki and illustrated by Takahiro Tsurusaki. The story follows Takuma Sakamoto, an avid gamer who is transported to his favorite game, Cross Reverie. It turns out that he was summoned by two girls, a pantherian named Rem Galleu and an elf named Shera L. Greenwood.

Although they summoned him to make him their servant, this backfires when his ability makes them his slaves. Takuma decides to find a way to break this spell as well as disguise his social anxiety by acting like his in-game character, Demon Lord Diablo. How Not To Summon A Demon Lord is more comedic, but is still an anime like Overlord that involves alternate universes and seeking answers to mysteries.

5 One-Punch Man's Saitama Is Bored Of Beating Everything In A Single Hit

• MyAnimeList Score: 8.5 out of 10
• Anime Planet Score: 4.42 out of 5
• IMDb Score: 8.7 out of 10

One-Punch Man is a web manga written and illustrated by One. It was then remade and published by Shueisha with illustrations by Yusuke Murata. The name is a parody of the Japanese children's anime Anpanman, whereas Saitama takes his name from a major Prefecture in Japan.

The anime follows the twenty-six-year-old Saitama, a man who somehow has the power to defeat the strongest enemies with a single punch. Due to his overwhelming strength, he desperately seeks a worthy opponent in order to fight without holding anything back. Although a very different anime than Overlord, One Punch Man is also a power fantasy with an incredibly strong protagonist.

4 No Game No Life Features A Pair Of Highly Talented Gaming Stepsiblings

• MyAnimeList Score: 8.07 out of 10
• Anime Planet Score: 4.23 out of 5
• IMDb Score: 7.6 out of 10

No Game No Life is a series written and illustrated by Yuu Kamiya. The story follows stepsiblings Sora, an eighteen-year-old who is great at strategizing, and Shiro, an eleven-year-old whose specialty is calculations and logic.

After they are challenged by a god from another reality to a game of chess and win, they take him up on his offer to live in Disboard, a world that is centered on games. No Game No Life is an anime like Overlord in that it takes place in another world and is centered around games, though No Game No Life focuses more on humor than a dark power fantasy.

3 Sword Art Online Is The Most Recognizable Video Game Isekai

• MyAnimeList Score: 7.2 out of 10
• Anime Planet Score: 3.98 out of 5
• IMDb Score: 7.5 out of 10

Sword Art Online is a science fiction series written by Reki Kawahara and illustrated by abec. It follows Kazuto Kirigaya, who is mostly known by his in-game name Kirito. Like other similar anime, Kazuto gets trapped inside a virtual reality MMORPG called Sword Art Online and is unable to escape, making it an anime like Overlord.

The series spans multiple virtual reality worlds as it continues, such as ALfheim Online and Gun Gale Online. Sword Art Online quickly became a sensation, spawning a sizeable franchise including multiple movies as well as an upcoming live-action TV program.

2 That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime Learns To Live As A Magical Blue Slime

• MyAnimeList Score: 8.14 out of 10
• Anime Planet Score: 4.38 out of 5
• IMDb Score: 8.1 out of 10

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is a fantasy series written by Fuse and illustrated by Mitz Vah. It begins when thirty-seven-year-old Satoru Mikami is murdered by a man after he protects his subordinate at work. Satoru later regains consciousness to realize he has been turned into a blue slime from a different world.

He navigates his new environment by using a new skill called "predator," getting into a host of adventures along the way. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime contains numerous fascinating fantasy elements like Oni and Goblins. Similarities that make That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime an anime like Overlord include both protagonists being murdered, and an alternate-universe power fantasy.

1 Log Horizon Sees Unsuspecting Players Warped Into a Game

• MyAnimeList Score: 7.92 out of 10
• Anime Planet Score: 4.12 out of 5
• IMDb Score: 7.5 out of 10

Log Horizon is a fantasy and science fiction novel written by Mamare Touno and illustrated by Kazuhiro Hara and Mochichi Hashimoto. The graceless Shiroe is brought into an MMORPG called Elder Tale after an update to the game. He subsequently decides to team up with other members so that they can discover the source of their situation.

Log Horizon obtained a whopping four manga adaptations, the latter three of which are based on different characters. Although it isn't as profound in its narrative, Log Horizon is an anime like Overlord that includes being whisked away inside of a game and figuring out the underlying mystery.