The best Isekai Manhwa with protagonists who refuse to be heroes, ranked

Summary

• Some Manhwa characters abandon their roles as heroes, becoming avengers, hunters, or survivors instead.
• These Manhwa feature dark fantasy with violent action, deep storytelling, and characters that refuse to conform.
• The stories are about survival, betrayal and growth, showcasing the unique journeys of the anti-heroes in different worlds.

What happens when a hero is summoned to another world and refuses to be a hero? Does he automatically become the villain of the story, or does another factor come into play to determine his fate? This list will showcase Manhwa with main characters who refuse to be heroes.

From a reincarnated gambler thrown into his favorite mind game to an otherworldly barbarian sent to Earth by his parents when he was young, these compelling stories are about protagonists who beat the odds despite refusing to dance for of gods and interstellar beings, violent, filled with action, and ultimately inspiring.

8 Dark Fantasy Paladin

Grimdark Tale is about a gamer trapped in Soulslike

• Genres: Grimdark, Dark Fantasy, Action, Adventure, Drama, Baan Arts, Isekai
• Authors: Jung Jongru, Neimdeu
• Artist: Sumsum

Eden is trapped in a soul-like Dark Fantasy and the world is dying are undeniable truths. How does he know that? Because he was the best player in that game, and now he's in a horrible dream that he can't wake up from. His Paladin powers are theoretically fueled by the miracles of the God of Righteousness, but he knows that there is no such being watching over this world.

As such, he is not a hero, nor does he intend to be; the avenger at best is judge, jury and executioner. There is no room for doubt in this gripping story about a man who wants to fix a broken world. He doesn't want to be a hero Dark Fantasy Paladin. He just wants to get out of this nightmare world, no matter the cost.

7 Primitive hunter

For the thrill of the hunt, he will surpass mankind

• Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Isekai, Seinen, Grimmrk
• The author: Zogarth
• Artist: Studio UnoDay

When Jake and a group of his colleagues are suddenly transported to the Textbook Kingdom to prepare Earthlings to merge with the Multiverse, he rediscovers his passion for archery. He begins to transform into a powerful hunter who lives for the thrill of the hunt. His prey are animals, monsters and every person who tries to stand in his way. Little by little, his humanity is shed like a shed skin, revealing a truly monstrous new being.

Primitive hunter not just about a man who doesn't want to be a hero; It is about survival and betrayal in a world where only the strongest prevail. With an in-depth narrative, Jake and his friend Imp will try to get to the bottom of this mysterious textbook—and the reason why all humans have been summoned to another world.

There are no heroes here – just a survival specialist nursing a real MC

• Genre: Action, Isekai, Sword and Sorcery, School Life, Shonen, Drama
• Authors: Corita
• Artist: Girin Geurin

Academy Survival Guide Extra has a little bit of everything that is good in the Isekai genre: great world-building, action, and romance. Although he has been transformed into the loser of the Rotteylar family, Ed is determined to avoid the bad end of this story. Using his wits rather than brute force, he dominates the academy from the shadows, turning his precarious position as an outcast into an opportunity for growth.

But is he the hero of the story? Not at all; he exists only to control the main storyline and prevent it from any dangerous deviations towards multiple bad endings. So he spends his life at the Academy protecting the true heroes and protagonists of this story. But soon others begin to notice his actions for the greater good, and he earns the respect of his peers despite being the trash of the Rotteylar family.

5 Limited time Genius Dark Knight

The main character is a walking tragedy, far from a hero

• Genre: Adventure, Drama, Dark Fantasy, Reincarnation, Isekai
• The author: Jung seonyul
• Artist: legs

Limited time Genius Dark Knight tells the story of a dying gamer who manages to finish his favorite game, only to be sent to the same realm as Knox von Reinhofer, a young and promising nobleman who is a candidate for the title of Dark Knight. But this Isekai Manhwa has another twist, the MC also dies in this other world where he reincarnates and a countdown screen appears in front of him telling him he only has six months left to live.

An engrossing dark fantasy series with a protagonist who can be a little frustrated at times and with his impending doom constantly hanging over his head, it is sure to leave readers feeling anxious. But there's a whole world filled to the brim with great designs to explore.

4 Slow Life The Reincarnation Pro

The lazy and stupid prince lives a comfortable life

• Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Historical, Shonen, Isekai
• The author: Sooha song
• Artist: Ebipo

This Manhwa follows a man who has been reincarnated over a hundred times and is now tired of living the life of a hero chosen by the gods, and this time he will do things his way. So he decides to become a trading tycoon and live a life of ease, enjoying the food and comforts of wealth. In this lazy casual adventure, the main character repeatedly avoids the hero route, letting others do the menial work.

A great Shonen Isekai comedy with a touch of romance and fantasy adventure, Slow Life The Reincarnation Pro recently ended (around chapter 96) with a great ending, so it's perfect for those who don't like endlessly looping stories that go on for thousands of chapters without a single development.

3 Academy of Magic Genius Blinker

A hard-working anti-hero who avoids a bad end but refuses to be a hero

• genre: Action, Isekai, Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, School Life, Shonen
• Author: Eunmilhi
• Artist: Seoyu

Academy of Magic Genius Blinker tells the story of a gamer who is sent into a hardcore fantasy role-playing game, transforming into a side character – and a weak one at that. His abilities are close to zero and his only advantage is his ability to wield Blink, a very complex spell that allows him to teleport a short distance. With this power and a sword in hand, he will try to survive the worst possible outcome as a student at the Academy of Magic.

The world may have chosen him to prevent a bad ending, but that doesn't mean he's going to be a hero. Baek Jusol does his best to stay out of the spotlight while slowly but surely integrating into this new and dangerous world. An exciting story about accepting the challenge of survival in another world.

2 Seoul Druid Station

He's neither a hero nor a villain—he's just a druid

• Genres: Action adventure, fantasy, science fiction
• The author: Jin Saul W
• Artist: Mun Sung-Ho, liveBear

If readers have learned anything from the many Isekai Manhwa RPGs and fantasy RPGs, it's that druids cannot be considered part of normal society; they live in harmony with nature, free from all burdens and rules. Seoul Druid Station perfectly shows how a powerful druid who got his powers summoned to another world behaves.

So Park So-ha can't really be considered a hero because he always does things his way—even if it means destroying an entire planet because someone hurt an animal he wanted to befriend. When an order of ancient elven warriors from the world of Usiya wanted to kill him, he showed them no mercy. After all, he is a powerful archdruid who is said to possess almost god-like power.

1 Seoul Station Barbarian

• genre: Action, Reverse Isekai, Urban Fantasy, Comedy, Drama, School Life
• Author: LICO
• Artists: Jin Sol Woo

Sent to Earth by his mother, a shaman of a barbarian tribe, Cheoldu was raised by a caring Korean who picked him up from the streets in Seoul Station Barbarian. But at the age of 18, he has greatly surpassed the peak of the human condition, and his appearance is similar to that of a professional bodybuilder. So there is no one in modern Korea more like a misfit than this barbarian.

When a new opportunity arises to return to his original world, Cheoldu jumps into the portal and begins to hunt for prey. Shortly after arriving on this new planet, he defies the local warlord and 'steals' his crew members, creating his own 'tribe'. Cheoldu is far from a hero; he is essentially the epitome of rage and bloodlust.