One of the most popular types of anime is undoubtedly the power fantasy. Anime that don’t make people think too hard always have plenty of appeal to them, and the ones that make it easy for a person to imagine themselves as an overpowered hero are often the best examples because of how easy it is to find a new one at any given time of the year.

With how popular the genre is, there has always been a benefit in putting as much effort as possible into both the writing and the animation of every new power fantasy, and while not all of them are worth someone’s time, there are plenty of great power fantasy anime with the writing and visuals to make them worth watching well beyond the basic idea of escapism. A few of those anime are especially worth highlighting, as even if they aren’t the deepest shows, they’ll most certainly have something great to offer more often than not.

10 Bofuri: I Don’t Want To Get Hurt, So I’ll Max Out My Defense

Anime Series By Silver Link; Based On The Light Novel By Yuumikan

In Silver Link’s Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out my Defense, when Kaede Honjo ed the new VRMMO game New World Online, she maximized defense for her character, Maple, to avoid taking damage as much as possible. New World Online wasn’t designed for something like that, though, so Maple’s unconventional play style repeatedly lets her break the game to unlock one broken ability after another as she slowly becomes one of the game’s best players.

Video game anime are often rife with power fantasy tropes, and sure enough, Bofuri is one of the best power fantasies for the absurdity of Maple becoming increasingly overpowered by doing very little, all while getting to hang out with her friends with no real stakes to her adventures. It’s one of the easiest anime for a person to insert themselves into, and that’s why it’s so fun to watch.

9 The Saga Of Tanya The Evil

Anime Series By NUT; Based On The Light Novel By Carlo Zen

In NUT’s The Saga of Tanya the Evil, when an atheist salaryman picks a fight with a godlike being dubbed Being X in the afterlife, Being X has him reincarnate as Tanya Degurechaff, a young girl in a magical, 1920s-esque world currently embroiled in a massive war. Tanya’s next death will send her to hell, so she s the Empire’s army to rise to a position where she won’t have to fight as quickly as possible, all while earning the reputation of a sadistic monster.

Even with Tanya’s sadistic nature, The Saga of Tanya the Evil has plenty of appeal in how effortlessly Tanya wipes out countless enemies with her overpowered abilities, all of which earn her countless praise and iration. It also helps that Tanya’s enemies are often far worse than she is, and it ends up being very easy for someone to put themselves in her shoes.

8 Overlord

Anime Series By Madhouse; Based On The Light Novel By Kugane Maruyama

Overlord is centered around YGGDRASIL, a dying virtual reality game that only had the Lich Overlord Momonga as the sole active player when the servers were shut down. At that time, however, Momonga is suddenly transported into the game as his player character, now going by Ainz Ooal Gown, and he now searches his new world for other players while gradually falling into the villainous role of his character.

Overlord makes little effort to hide Ainz’s villain status, yet even as he commits increasingly terrible atrocities, the over-the-top nature of Ainz’s character and how thoroughly he defeats all of his enemies make every scene with him fun to watch, no matter how horrifying it may be. Villainous protagonists tend to be hard sells, but fortunately, Ainz Ooal Gown hits the mark and ends up as one of the coolest isekai heroes a person can watch, by far.

7 The Eminence In Shadow

Anime Series By Nexus; Based On The Light Novel By Daisuke Aizawa

In Nexus’ The Eminence in Shadow, Minoru Kageno died while indulging in his fantasies of becoming a powerful mastermind fighting evil from the shadows, and he doesn’t give that up after reincarnating as Cid Kagenou. In his new life, though, all of Cid’s delusions are inexplicably true, and he now finds himself at the head of the Shadow Garden, a secret organization that mistakenly believes Cid to be the mastermind he always wanted to be.

Between Cid being overpowered, his living in a world where all of his craziness is rewarded, and having a harem of beautiful and powerful women devoted to his every word, The Eminence in Shadow has no reservations about being an unabashedly trashy power fantasy. That honesty, however, combined with its surprisingly high quality, makes it incredibly fun to watch, and the way it so quickly took off in popularity speaks for itself.

6 Sword Art Online

Anime Series By A-1 Pictures; Based On The Light Novel By Reki Kawahara

A-1 Pictures’ Sword Art Online takes place in the near future where virtual reality has finally given way to the first fully immersive virtual reality game, Sword Art Online. At the game’s launch, however, the creator revealed that dying in the game makes you die in real life, thus forcing series protagonist Kirito and thousands of other players to try and clear the game and return to their lives before it’s too late.

Not only does Kirito get to be the best at every game he plays, but he also gets powers no one else has, gets to have a harem while still having a devoted and beautiful girlfriend, and even gets to save the world now and then. Despite its contentious nature, Sword Art Online gets to the core of what makes a great power fantasy anime, and it’s easy to see why it’s become so popular.

5 That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime

Anime Series By Eight Bit; Based On The Light Novel By Fuze

Eight Bit’s That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime stars Satoru Mikami who, after his death, is reincarnated as a slime in a fantasy world. Satoru eventually takes up the name Rimuru Tempest, and with the power to copy the abilities of anything he absorbs, Rimuru gradually becomes one of the strongest characters in the series who’s constantly at the center of major political conflicts.

Not only is Rimuru another isekai protagonist who gets to be the strongest character with lots of cute girls at his beck and call, but Rimuru spends most of his time using his wits to build up political power as opposed to force, so it’s a great power fantasy for giving Rimuru a perfect balance of brains and brawn. It’s easily one of the most popular isekai anime of the past decade, and there are few anime better for diehard power fantasy fans.

4 One-Punch Man

Anime Series By J.C.Staff; Based On The Manga By ONE And Yusuke Murata

J.C.Staff’s One-Punch Man stars Saitama, a man who, after growing tired of the mundanity of his life, decides to become a hero for a change of pace. After three years of training, Saitama is ready to make his debut, but unfortunately, he’s run into two problems: Saitama’s training made him go bald, and he’s become strong enough to defeat anyone in a single punch, making his life even more boring than before.

Saitama being strong to the point of invincibility is one thing, but when Saitama isn’t fighting, his life is surprisingly casual where he gets to spend all his time playing video games and hanging out with his friends. Overall, One-Punch Man succeeds as a power fantasy for how well it balances over-the-top action with the mundanity of daily life, and with One-Punch Man season 3 on the horizon, that’s only going to get even better.

3 Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation

Anime Series By Studio Bind; Based On The Light Novel By Rifujin Na Magonote

Studio Bind’s Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation stars an obese shut-in evicted from his home following his parents’ deaths who died saving some kids from a speeding truck, the only useful thing he did with his life. The man was then reincarnated into a fantasy world as Rudeus Greyrat, a boy with a natural affinity to magic, and he decides to use the opportunity to live a life he can actually be proud of.

Not only does Rudeus slowly grow to be one of the strongest characters in the story, but he somehow gets three beautiful wives and children who will go on to save the world, all while never dropping his perverted nature or being truly punished for it. Add in the gorgeous visuals and direction of the anime, and Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, for better or worse, gets to the pure essence of isekai power fantasy anime.

2 Solo Leveling

Anime Series By A-1 Pictures; Based On The Novel By Chugong

In the world of A-1 Pictures’ Solo Leveling, people can awaken to supernatural abilities and work as “Hunters” who earn a living fighting monsters in dungeons. Jinwoo Sung is regarded as the world’s weakest Hunter for being an E-Rank Hunter, but when a near-death experience leaves him with video game-like powers, Jinwoo will use them to become stronger than anyone and earn enough money to his family, regardless of how that might change him.

Jinwoo going from a complete weakling to someone who can defeat everyone who crosses his path without breaking a sweat is the epitome of power fantasy, and the way that he’s also rewarded with a healthy family and a loving wife at the end of his journey only emphasizes that aspect of the story. is the most iconic power fantasy of modern anime, an honor that it’s unlikely to lose any time soon.

1 Dragon Ball

Anime Series By Toei Animation; Based On The Manga By Akira Toriyama

Toei Animation’s Dragon Ball tells the story of Son Goku, an odd young boy with a monkey tail and inhuman strength, as he goes on adventures with his friends, often in search of the titular wish-granting Dragon Balls. The series started as a martial arts comedy that drew inspiration from Journey to the West, but it eventually shifts gears into a sci-fi epic with over-the-top battles and feats of strength constantly being scaled against the entire universe.

Not only does Goku get to be one of the strongest characters in the universe who’s always going on crazy adventures, but at the end of each adventure, he always goes back to friends and family who love him, no matter how insensitive he might act every now and then. Few anime are as iconic as Dragon Ball, and there’s no better contender for the best power fantasy anime a person can watch.