Isekai is pretty much inescapable, with each new season producing a couple of otherworldly journeys. While not quite as common, harem stories are also staples of most seasonal lineups. Occasionally, the stars align and these two polarizing genres collide, creating isekai harem anime series that are the definition of an acquired taste.
Even though it might not seem to be the case at a glance, not every isekai story comes with a harem. Sure, many OP isekai protagonists are surrounded by waifus (or husbandos), but a show needs more than just numbers to be an enjoyable harem. Therefore, let’s highlight the best isekai harem anime, along with also mentioning a few weaker examples.
Updated October 9, 2025, by Mark Sammut: The Fall 2025 season is slowly unfolding, and there are certainly a couple of isekai harem anime for anybody interested in the polarizing blend of genres. Tales of Wedding Rings is back, and The Dark History of the Reincarnated Villainess seems to fit the reverse harem genre. It wouldn’t be that surprising if A Gatherer’s Adventure in Isekai throws in a harem either.
18]. Sword Art Online
As one of the most recognizable isekai anime of all time, Sword Art Online’s reach exceeds most of its contemporaries. Consequently, Kirito’s adventure is likely to be the first to come to mind when many folks think of isekai harem anime, especially since the protagonist amassed quite a collection of girls by the second cour. The thing is, SAO is a terrible harem.
Most harem stories identify their winning girl immediately, to the point that the rest of the competition can lack tension. However, in these cases, the main character has yet to make their choice, so the additional love interests make sense on a narrative level. In SAO, Kirito starts dating Asuna before he attracts a harem, and their relationship remains a fixture throughout the show. Consequently, the other girls have no chance at all, which just makes their one-sided interest a bit sad.
17]. The Eminence In Shadow
All The Pieces Are In Place Except One
The Eminence in Shadow just barely qualifies for this discussion as it is missing one key factor that defines harems: A male protagonist who shows interest in romantic relationships. Except for a fake romance, Cid does not appear to see female characters as potential partners; however, that has not stopped the protagonist from attracting a literal army of captivated suitors.
Reincarnated with incredible power and the will to live out his chunibyo fantasies, Cid becomes the shadow, an entity that pulls society’s strings from behind the curtain. His overwhelming strength leads to the creation of Shadow Garden, an organization consisting of nothing but attractive women. All the female characters have great designs and most of them are completely committed to their leader, even though the latter thinks they are just playing along with his antics. The Eminence in Shadow is an isekai anime with harem tropes but not a full harem.
16]. The Strongest Magician in the Demon Lord’s Army Was a Human
Mostly an honorable mention, The Strongest Magician in the Demon Lord’s Army Was a Human sets up the pieces for a harem but does not do much with them, at least when it comes to the anime adaptation. Despite being a human, Ike was raised and trained by a powerful demon, and he is now part of that race’s army. Naturally, he has to keep his status as a human hidden from most of his peers, which is easier said than done. Still, he is a powerful magician who also relies on tactics to overcome most obstacles, be it fights with other demons or an all-out war against humans.
Ike does not seem to have any interest at all in romance, and his circumstances limit what he can do and who he can date. That said, there are about three female characters who seem to be at least somewhat interested in him. Satie is a bubbly human maid, while Cefiro and Lilith are both strong demons. Except for Satie, who does not do much throughout the show, these characters have more going on than just being love interests for Ike.
15]. Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs
OK, this is another borderline case, albeit one that sets up the foundation for a harem. While the anime is closer to a (wholesome) love triangle than a full-blown harem, Trapped in a Dating Sim does gradually emphasize the latter aspect in its source material, so it eventually gets there. Crucially, season 2 has been announced, so Leon, Angelica, and Olivia will be making their comeback sooner rather than later.
Most importantly, Trapped in a Dating Sim is just a wildly entertaining isekai anime with an awesome male protagonist and two pretty great female leads. After completing a terrible visual novel for his sister, a guy promptly dies and wakes up as a background character in that same otome game. While he wants to keep something of a low profile, Leon also knows all the tricks and shortcuts to ensure he is extremely comfortable, and he quickly becomes rich and quite powerful. That said, he is still at the bottom of the pecking order at Holfort Academy.
The story mainly revolves around Leon’s friendships/relationship with Angelica and Olivia, the game’s villainess and heroine. This trio has a charming dynamic that is clearly setting up a three-way romance, which is a lot of fun. Beyond that, Trapped in a Dating Sim is constantly funny.
14]. In Another World With My Smartphone
This anime stars a fairly young boy who is definitely not prepared to have his world rocked by four fantasy anime girls. So why not just pile on more? Yeah, there are a total of nine waifus in this show.
And yet, the main character can’t seem to make a solid move on any of them. If fans are triggered by the overly-innocent-main-character trope, don’t bother with this one. The hesitation is ever-present and can hurt the flow of the show, which is often. However, the girls are all pretty cute and there is a good variety of personalities being used.
13].
KonoSuba (Kind Of) An Isekai Parody Will (Obviously) Poke Fun At The Theme’s Harem Tropes
While hardly the only option, KonoSuba is unquestionably the definitive isekai parody, especially in terms of popularity (although, The Eminence in Shadow is a close second). As the show pokes fun at nearly every cliché associated with these types of stories, harem punchlines are naturally part of the equation; in fact, the core dynamic essentially mirrors a typical harem setup. Within days of landing in a new world, Kazuma finds himself in a party alongside a female goddess, mage, and knight.
The twist is that all three girls are extremely dysfunctional and cause Kazuma more trouble than they are worth, at least at first. He also does not hesitate to let them know about their incompetence, and the same happens in reverse. More importantly, while Megumin and (to a lesser extent) Darkness show some interest in Kazuma, this element takes a long time to develop and is rarely prioritized.
Basically, KonoSuba is not a harem isekai anime but can still be enjoyed by people who love these types of series.
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