The best Isekai anime and manga starring King

Key conclusions

• Heroic Chronicles of Three Continents tells the story of a child emperor who rebuilds his country without ridiculous harems.
• Chronicles of the founding of an offworld nation begins with a rough story of orphans and pacing issues that await the series' revival.
• The Ideal Sponger Life impresses with a non-harem story and a competent king consort, a monarchy headed by a queen.

Isekai anime and manga often have the most whimsical characters, and more often than not we see them become rulers of their own fiefdoms (and even kingdoms). But the truth is that not every isekai protagonist is destined to be king or queen. Although they go to great lengths to protect those weaker than them, even if it makes the rest of the world hate them.

Here's a list of the best Isekai anime and manga with King protagonists for all you fantasy worlds and royalty lovers out there who want to see a drama about ruling a kingdom with a daily quota of “transportation to another world” tropes.

8 Heroic chronicles of three continents

The story of how a child emperor rebuilt his country

• Genres: Action, Fantasy, Romance, Shounen, Rule the Kingdom
• Authors: Shibano Kaito, Yuu Kamiya
• Number of volumes: 4

Born into a decadent empire, the young but wise Hercules is destined to become a ruler. Armed with knowledge from a mysterious world called Japan (so named in the Light Novels), this young monarch enacts a series of reforms that will revolutionize the world as they know it.

A decent read, with an easy pace, no extreme plot twists, and most importantly: no ridiculous harems to spoil the plot. Since the genre tends to present protagonists who accumulate love interests as overdue bills, it's hard to imagine an isekai series without this signature trope. But here there is one, and it's such a good read that it makes you wonder, why can't every series be like this one?

7 Chronicles of the foundation of the nation of the other world

How a group of orphans led by Isekai created a kingdom

• Genres: Action, Fantasy, Romance, Seinen, Kingdom Rule
• Authors: Sakuragi Sakura
• Number of volumes: 9

Chronicles of the foundation of the nation of the other world also known as Isekai Kenkakuki, a rough start, with a group of abandoned children adopted by a Gryphon, then a twist as the leader remembers his past life as a Japanese student and then becomes the adopted son of a monarch destined to rule the kingdom.

When he marries a princess (and a couple of other girls, as in every Isekai cliché), the main character becomes the king of the nation. The series is good, but the pacing is a nightmare, and that might be the main problem and reason why it came to an abrupt halt. Fortunately, the author revealed his plans to resume the series at a date that is still unknown.

6 Farm life in another world

The farmer becomes the leader of his nation

There are many reasons for that Farm life in another world is one of the favorite series of those looking for the Kingdom Building trope, as it starts from the bottom: absolute ground zero of civilization in the middle of nowhere, and becomes a farm that quickly evolves into a recognized independent nation in the Demon King's territory.

The detailed world-building and animation of this series is captivating and highly entertaining. But that doesn't mean it's perfect, as it has many flaws and pacing issues. But the good thing is that Maga is way ahead of the anime version and is good until chapter 110, so every fan of isekai fantasy series should give it a try.

5 Isekai Apocalypse Mynoghra

Gamer transforms into the Dark King of the Evil Nation

• Genres: Adventure, Dark Fantasy, Action, Drama, Gore, Kingdom Rule
• Authors: Kazuno Fefu
• Number of volumes: 4

A gamer who is engrossed in his favorite game is reincarnated as the Dark Monarch of Menogra, the Nation of Evil. But this ruler, who has the ability to summon heroic units from the Dark Side, is quite reliable and friendly even for a powerful dark lord.

A series with a lot of gruesome fighting and drama, quite typical of a Dark Fantasy setting. It has its ups and downs, but overall the writing is good and the character development is decent as well.

4 The perfect life of a sponge

A queen from another world goes husband hunting in modern day Japan and brings back a lazy but smart guy

• Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Action, Political Drama, Comedy, Kingdom Rule
• Authors: Tsunehiko Watanabe, Juu Ayakura
• Number of volumes: 17

To be fair, this series is surprisingly good despite its slow pace and almost exhausting political drama, but for readers who enjoy such stories, this may be the best they've read in the genre. Blending isekai, comedy, drama, and kingdom management, this series follows an earthling who is suddenly summoned to another world by Queen Aura to be her husband.

He ends up being a fairly competent king consort, loving father of two, and diplomat, and does his best to outwit his political opponents while Aura remains a figurehead in the Kingdom of Capua. Decent background designs for the characters to round out the near-perfect world.

3 How a realist hero restored the Kingdom

A normal but intelligent guy gets a throne in another world

Why is this series about a student from Earth becoming a monarch in another world so good? Well, for starters, the main character doesn't like a harem, despite the fact that he has many chances to create one (and is asked to do so several times). He follows a female lead (the princess becomes queen consort) and they rule the Kingdom together. So far so good.

The plot takes a turn for the worse when the typical and clichéd internal conflict ensues, ending in an enemies-to-friends style, which is predictable since the main antagonist for most of the story is a former Kingdom general. Everything else is good, but the anime falls short of the Light Novels and Manga series as it excludes a lot of content.

2 Twelve kingdoms

If the perfect queen doesn't exist in your world, go to Japan and kidnap one

A timeless masterpiece that has become one of the most beloved series of all time. The world building is deeply intertwined with the plot, a story that starts out confusing but slowly unravels into a mysterious and fascinating cross-cultural exchange between worlds, and a powerful subplot that makes you shiver with emotion.

Twelve Kingdoms tackles many mature themes such as coming of age, feeling out of place, culture shock, discrimination, racism and war, and it does so masterfully. Definitely worth a look if fans are looking for the ultimate style of the 'Queen to rule them all'.

1 King from now on!

A bullied teenager becomes a leader. What can go wrong?

This popular Shounen series follows a young student (standard Isekai protocol) who is transported to a world of fantasy and magic where it is revealed that he will become the new Demon Monarch. This story of a 15-year-old who becomes the Devil King is no joke, and it touches on many deep themes such as self-acceptance, overcoming grief, and growing up beyond the expectations of others.

With a strong emphasis on culture shock, the story of how Kyo adjusts to this new world (and his duties as a monarch) is very cute and annoying at the same time. There are many formulaic situations, but they do not spoil the plot and are mixed with light humor. So, in the end, this is one of the best series with a king as the main character.