The isekai subgenre of anime is escapism at its best. Viewers can watch as an ordinary person finds him or herself in a brand new world with new rules and even magic and monsters, and the protagonist can reinvent their entire life if they so choose. Often, the protagonist can't go back home, but sometimes, they don't even want to.
Isekai has a number of well-established traits and conventions about it, but even then, there's some room for innovation, and isekai protagonists are remarkably diverse, both in their old lives and their new ones. Whether they're a benevolent witch, powerhouse slime, or genius scientist, these isekai heroes also have a number of wonderful traits in common.
10 Great Isekai Protagonists Are Proactive
At first, some isekai protagonists might try to take it easy in their new life and won't have a clear goal in mind, such as Azusa Aizawa the benevolent witch. But that won't last for long, and all good isekai protagonists will soon become highly proactive people.
In a new world, the isekai protagonist must work to get what they want, and they must develop clear vision of what they desire and pursue a plan to make their dreams a reality. Isekai anime really favors go-getters.
9 Great Isekai Protagonists Are Good Planners
Not all anime protagonists are smart enough to form cunning and brilliant plans of action, but many are, and good isekai protagonists tend to be good planners. These characters may form a plan for any number of reasons, from sheer survival to winning over a love interest or changing the fate of an entire kingdom.
Subaru Natsuki, for example, used his past lives as a reference for planning ahead and avoiding the worst outcomes of any scenario. Then there's Rimuru Tempest, who planned ahead to recruit enough allies to build a fully-functioning monster city.
8 Great Isekai Protagonists Are Optimistic
Some anime protagonists are definitely more optimistic than others, and some, such as Guts the mercenary or Thorfinn Karsefni, can be real downers. But that's not typically the case with isekai heroes, who tend to be optimists instead.
Isekai heroes have a whole new world laid out before them, and only an optimist will envision a better future for themselves and pursue it. A pessimist will just hide in a corner, but optimists such as Senku the scientist or Rimuru the monster politician will make the most of their new world.
7 Great Isekai Protagonists Are Compassionate Toward Others
Isekai protagonists have a wide variety of personalities, from gung-ho adventurers to cautious strategists to goofballs who get caught up in all kinds of hijinks. But most good isekai protagonists will have their compassionate side and look out for their friends and allies.
Compassion is a vital trait for any fictional hero, even bitter antiheroes, and isekai protagonists can help protect or heal entire towns or kingdoms at a time. Others, like Azusa Aizawa, will make a handful of friends and go the extra mile for each and every one of them. She's like a doting mother to them.
6 Great Isekai Protagonists Are Resourceful
Resourceful protagonists can be a lot of fun in any story since they will take the viewer and other characters by surprise with their handcrafted items and solutions. Often, these characters are scientists, craftsmen, or other artisans, but they can also be ordinary people.
Creative isekai heroes will recognize the potential in everything and everyone around them and cobble together a brand-new invention or squad that's more than the sum of its parts. Even powerful heroes, such as the skeletal Ainz Ooal Gown, tap into their resourceful side at times.
5 Great Isekai Protagonists Are Tough
Every fictional hero needs to have a certain amount of grit and toughness to be the protagonist. There won't be a story if the protagonist remains a helpless quitter all the way through, and in the realm of isekai, the hero needs to be even tougher since they will face many unexpected challenges.
A good isekai hero will have the mental, physical, and perhaps magical fortitude to survive in a brand-new world where they can't access the resources of their past life. Such fortitude makes these characters a lot more fun to watch. Subaru Natsuki, for example, had to dig deep to find the mental strength to carry on despite his many mental scars.
4 Great Isekai Protagonists Are Team-Oriented
Some successful anime characters are total lone wolves, and such characters can be quite compelling. Isekai heroes are rarely like that, though. Memorable isekai characters tend to form a party of their own, often modeled after Dungeons & Dragons parties with a token knight, mage, rogue, witch, and even a bard.
Some isekai heroes such as the sleazy Kazuma Sato aren't perfect team leaders, but even Kazuma knows that he needs a team to survive, and he is loyal to Aqua, Megumin, and Darkness despite their dysfunctional personalities. This is no time to go at it alone.
3 Great Isekai Protagonists Are Patient
No worthwhile goal in an anime series can be accomplished overnight. Even short-term goals will take time to complete, and good isekai protagonists often have bigger ambitions that will require weeks, months, or even years to bring to fruition.
So, it's essential for a compelling isekai hero to be ready for a long wait until they get what they want. Rimuru Tempest spent nearly two years building his monster city, and Senku Ishigami is ready to spend years and years getting ready to revive all of humanity. They see no need to rush.
2 Great Isekai Protagonists Are Forgiving
In both serious and silly isekai series alike, there will be a variety of mishaps and misunderstandings between the protagonist and the natives of the new world. When this happens, the protagonist should try to clear the air not with violence but with diplomacy.
Slaying local monsters is one thing, but if the hero runs afoul of the locals, then it's essential for the protagonist to forgive their aggressors and befriend them, or at least learn to co-exist with them. This makes the protagonist more likable, and forgiving their former enemies allows the hero to recruit new allies and learn more about the world.
1 Great Isekai Protagonists Are Flexible
Some protagonists are determined to do everything their own way, and they react poorly if people contradict them or oppose them. Other protagonists are much more flexible, and they can quickly adjust to change and even alter their plans along the way.
Isekai heroes are always in for a wild and unpredictable adventure, and it's vital that they can adjust their plans and strategies to match. These heroes might even make unusual decisions they never thought they'd make, so they can make progress. Some isekai heroes might actually enjoy such challenges, and happily adjust to the ever-changing world around them.