The most defining aspect of Mushoku Tensei is undoubtedly the character development of Rudeus Greyrat. While he was a 34-year-old otaku who wasted his life, getting a second chance through rebirth allows him to finally mature—although it takes a while.

One of the most similar characters to Rudeus is Subaru Natsuki of Re:Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu (Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World-).

Stuck in a variety of “time loops” that always end with his own gruesome murder, Subaru undergoes mental and physical trauma that slowly alters his personality. Eventually, he grows to trust his abilities more, while discarding the arrogance and pride that often lead to his downfall. In a fantasy world where death and dismay await at every turn, Subaru reckons with both his inability to save others, and how he can use his unique abilities to protect those he loves.

Even better, Re:Zero’s author Nagatsuki Tappei and Mushoku Tensei’s author, Rifujin na Magonote, mutually love the other’s series and often compliment the other on their work!

If you enjoy watching a seemingly pathetic protagonist grow to greatness, then check out Re:Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu (Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World-)!

Among Rudeus’s many, many personality faults, he’s chiefly an otaku and a shameless pervert. He’d definitely find a kindred spirit in Takuma Sakamoto, the main character of Isekai Maou to Shoukan Shoujo Dorei Majutsu (How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord).

Takuma is a legendary player in an MMORPG called Cross Reverie, but when he’s summoned to the world of that game, the ritual goes wrong and he becomes the slave master of the two women who summoned him. Taking the moniker “Diablo,” Takuma begins his crazy adventure in a world where his total lack of social skills is becoming more evident—and problematic—by the day!

The series has some extremely ecchi moments that arise out of Takuma’s complete lack of social skills, along with his natural pervertedness…not that his new companions are any better! The series also has some more wholesome moments along with plenty of exciting gameplay-based magical combat.

How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord leans more heavily into the MMORPG mechanics than a straight-up tensei like Mushoku Tensei, but for a fun adventure romp with ecchi and harem elements, this is a solid recommendation from us!

Part of the appeal for Mushoku Tensei is not just the “other world” aspect, but the true reincarnation. With 34 years of knowledge behind him, Rudeus is reborn as a baby and gets the chance to redo life with the knowledge of his previous failings.

A series with a similar idea, albeit with a gentler slice of life approach, is Honzuki no Gekokujou (Ascendance of a Bookworm).

Librarian and bookworm Urano meets an untimely demise just after graduating college, only to be reborn as the daughter of a soldier in a world with scarcely any books. This might sound like a bookworm’s worst nightmare, so Urano sets about fixing the problem by making her own books so she can be a librarian once more!

Ascendance of a Bookworm isn’t as dark as other entries on the list, but it does handle the “childhood reincarnation” aspect well. Besides, as avid readers, we can definitely understand Urano’s horror at being reborn in a world without any books!

The series is quite long too, with 29 volumes broken into 5 distinct parts so far. There are at least 20 volumes available in English at the time of writing, making it the largest series on this list!

A relative newcomer to our list, Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute (The Eminence in Shadow) is shaping up as a unique isekai with a self-ironic edginess that blends snappy action with otaku comedy.

Protagonist Cid has always had delusions of grandeur, training every night for his eventual (and clearly inevitable) rise to power. Unfortunately a routine traffic accident robs him of his future…until he wakes up as the head of a secret organization doing battle against evil in another world!

Even better, Cid’s companions put their full trust in whatever he says, so his chuuni tendencies come across as leadership wisdom—plus his knowledge of his previous life comes in handy. Cid’s going to make a name for himself no matter what—after all, he’s been training all his life for this moment!

The Eminence in Shadow’s main character, Cid, is really living the oktau life he always dreamed of; he’s like Rudeus to that extent, although Cid gets to start out on top of things rather than beginning from scratch!

Light novels can often be considered rather niche, even in the world of manga readers or anime watchers. If you’re reading this list and are still unsure about light novels as a whole, then Saihate no Paladin (The Faraway Paladin) might be perfect for you.

This easily accessible light novel stars a young boy, Will, living in a city of the undead, raised by spectral ghosts instead of human parents. When Will begins remembering his past life of idleness and uselessness, he determines to never make the same mistakes again. To make the most of this new life, he’ll need to venture out into a world seemingly devoid of humans, and unravel the mysteries of the world that once was.

Much like Mushoku Tensei, The Faraway Paladin appeals to the desire of repenting for a wasted life. Will learns of his past more sporadically than Rudeus, but both characters just want to be given a second chance—a fundamentally human desire, in the end.

Torture Princess: Fremd Torturchen isn’t hiding anything in its title. This short series (nearly complete at just 9 volumes in Japanese) is a tragic and gory fantasy that certainly isn’t for the faint of heart.

Our protagonist, Kaito, lives a life of awful abuse, and dies at the age of seventeen, strangled to death by his own father. After being transported to another world, he’s almost immediately forced into servitude to the beautiful and wicked ‘Torture Princess’ Elisabeth Le Fanu. As her butler, Kaito is now contracted to help Elisabeth eliminate fourteen powerful demons—after which Elisabeth will be killed by the mysterious “Church” for her supposed sins.

Much like Mushoku Tensei, it’s the powerful character growth that really stands out here. Rudeus starts as a weak, perverted boy, but his unique adult perspective allows him to grapple with difficult concepts and set things right in a way he never could have in his previous life. Similarly, Kaito grapples with the cruel end of his original life, while coming to embrace this unexpected second chance and the new family forming around him.

For dark fantasy fans, and for some of the best character growth you’ll ever see, we highly recommend Torture Princess: Fremd Torturchen.