Reincarnation as a concept is quite fascinating, so it’s no wonder that there would be an entire category of manga for fans of this concept. In this article, we look at the best reincarnation manga as well as manhwa and manhua that you must definitely start reading this year!
Every theme, genre, and concept you can come up with has either a manga or manhwa adaptation. This holds true even for the idea of “reincarnation.”
Through reincarnation manga and manhwa, we have walked through the lives of diverse characters, experienced their growth, laughed at the differences between their old and new lives, and followed them on their journeys. And I think that some of these stories should be read by everyone.
But before we get into the best reincarnation manga and manhwa list, I’d like to mention that these titles can also be classified in the isekai genre. However, as we are talking about reincarnating into another world and not getting transferred to another world, I haven’t included all isekai stories here. That’s a different article altogether!
So, let’s not waste any more time and check out the best manga recommendations focusing on the concept of being reborn into another world!
Best Reincarnation Manga & Manhwa (2023)
1. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken) by FUSE & Taiki Kawakami
The first spot in our list of the best reincarnation manga goes to Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken. The title translates to That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, and it is one of the most popular stories right now!
This manga tells the story of a middle-aged salaryman, Satoru Mikami, who was murdered suddenly but found himself reincarnating into a new fantasy world. Much to his dismay, he is born as a slime – the weakest creature in that world.
But with the power of his ability known as “Predator,” which allows him to use the skills of animals and the magical energy he consumes, he quickly gains immense strength; he even befriends a Storm Dragon, who’s one of the strongest beings in the world.
Through twists and turns, Rimuru gains a ton of underlings and ends up establishing his own nation where humans and monsters can live in peace. But will the other residents of the world make it easy for him to achieve his dreams?
2. Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation by Rifujin na Magonote & Yuka Fujikawa
This reincarnation manga tells the story of a young man who lives a jobless and pointless life up till his point of death. His only good deed is saving a person from an oncoming vehicle, which claimed his life. However, after his death, he finds himself in a baby’s body with the memories of his previous life intact.
Rudeus Greyrat meets magic and sorcery in this new world at every turn. Determined to come out better than he did in his previous incarnation, he becomes a student of magic, learning under Roxy Migurdia. With different twists and turns, Rudeus seeks to overcome the failures of his previous life… the question is, will he succeed and live a meaningful life?
3. The Beginning After The End by TurtleMe
This is probably one of the best reincarnation manhwas right now, and it is without a doubt in contention for the best of the best. The Beginning After The End follows the life of an all-powerful king, King Grey. He acquired the throne and stood above everyone in a world judged by martial arts abilities. However, despite being on top of the world, he is all alone, as he is feared and respected but hardly loved.
After his death, allegedly from poison, he is reincarnated in another world as Arthur Leywin, where he is loved immensely by his parents. Despite not being as powerful as he was before, he cherishes the memories he makes in this life and is determined to make meaningful connections. However, the peace and stability of his new world are quickly threatened by an upcoming war, and he will have to decide where his loyalties lie!
4. The Saga of Tanya The Evil (Youjo Senki) by Carlo Zen & Chika Toujou
Youjo Senki, also known as The Saga of Tanya the Evil, is about a Japanese atheist who comes across a being that calls itself God. After a stretch of interaction between them where the Japanese man defends his atheism, the being, called “Being X,” decides to reincarnate him in a world of such cruelty that he will have no choice but to turn to him for help.
The man is reincarnated as Tanya, a young girl in the equivalent of the First World War Germany. She is a soldier and must go consistently to the battlefield. However, determined not to call on this being, she decides to rise the ranks fast enough to prevent her from going to the battlefields anymore. Her skill and precision on the field earned her the name “Devil of the Rhine,” but it also had far-reaching consequences on the empire at large.
5. Tales Of Demons And Gods by Mad Snail
This manhua is in the topmost section of the best reincarnation manhua currently in existence! Nie Li, the strongest Demon Spiritist, who once stood at the top of the martial arts world, lost his life in a battle against the Sage Emperor and the Six Deity Ranked Beasts.
After his death, he is reincarnated in the body of his 13-year-old self, a time when he was the most vulnerable and had the lowest talent. However, he retains his memory of his previous life, his skills and the cultivation abilities he had… and the memories of the friends he lost.
In this new incarnation, he uses his memories and knowledge to grow strong to protect what he has now, attempt to gain back what he once lost, and prepare for his inevitable battle against the Sage Emperor.
6. So I’m A Spider, So What? by Okina Baba & Tsukasa Kiryuu
The reason why So I’m A Spider, So What manga makes it to the list of the best reincarnation manga is mainly because of its weird perspective on the reincarnation trope. It tells the story of a high school whose students die from an explosion caused by the battle between two out-of-world entities that break into their reality.
After their death, they are reborn in another world as animals. Kumoko, the weakest person in her class and the main protagonist, is reborn as a spider.
In this new world, she faces extreme hardship and must constantly fight and develop herself into a strong being. She was forced to use spider webs and traps to kill all these strong beasts. Also, with everything that happens, her ability to adapt to her new reality as a spider makes it worthwhile and lesson filled.
7. I Was Reincarnated As The 7th Prince So I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magicals by Yosuke Kokuzawa
This is yet another manga making the rounds as one of the new-gen stories in the reincarnation genre. It tells the story of a magician who died and is reincarnated as a child, the 7th Prince of Saloom Kingdom, Prince Llyod.
Although he is merely 10 years old, he remembers his life as a magician, and prince or not, he decides to perfect his magical craft with the knowledge, time, and resources he now possesses.
And this little kid is blessed with immense magical powers that allow him to cast any spell he wants. He is intelligent and observant enough to learn all the different kinds of magic and is curious enough to intentionally get hit by a magic attack so that he can experience how it feels. So yeah, this is a great manga to read if you love overpowered main characters!
8. Re:Monster by Kogitsune Kanekiru & Haruyoshi Kobayakawa
Re:Monster tells the tale of Kanata Tomokui, who dies a tragic death. After his death, people from all over the world think the powerful man has met his destined end. However, in a reincarnation story like this, death is never the end. In this story, our main character, after his death, is reborn into another world as a goblin!
In this world, however, despite retaining his memories from his last life, he is nowhere near as powerful as he once was. Instead, he is reincarnated as a Goburou, the weakest goblin in the universe. With time, however, he discovers that his original abilities from his previous life as an Esper are still with him.
He also has absorption abilities and can gain strength and abilities from eating all kinds of stuff. This ability makes him an outlier goblin, making him unusually strong for a goblin of his nature.
With this power, he is intent on living his newfound life to the fullest and possibly even rising to the top of his new reality.
9. Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (Mo Dao Zu Shi) by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu & Luo Di Cheng Qiu
Another fast-rising reincarnation manhua that is totally worth checking out is Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, aka Mo Dao Zu Shi. This manhua tells the story of a strong man, Wei Wuxian, who, for the sake of defeating the Wen clan, deviated from the normal path to which his people were sworn. As a result of his choosing a different way, he is killed.
After 13 years, he is summoned into the body of a man named Mo Xuanyu, who is renounced by his clan. In this new body, he must solve a mystery… the mystery of an arm left in front of his summoner’s house. However, as he goes through the twists and turns of the search for the culprit, he meets an old enemy turned friend, Lan Wangji.
Together with Wangji, he continues his quest. On this adventure, he discovers a much deeper, hidden plot that threatens to reveal a deep, dark secret… including how he, Wei Wuxian, was killed and who the true source of his betrayal was.
10. Farming Life in Another World by Kinosuke Naitou & Yasuyuki Tsurugi
Unlike the many traditional reincarnation manga, Farming Life in Another World, aka Isekai Nonbiri Nouka, has nothing to do with action but everything to do with slice of life. This manga series tells the story of a young man who was diagnosed with a terminal illness in his previous life and had to live a pretty painful life.
When he dies, he meets “God,” who is willing to give him another shot at life with a different incarnation in a different world, and he also grants him a couple of wishes. After reincarnation, he decides to understand more about the thing that kept him alive for so long in his previous life – farming.
Although different from the cliché tropes of manga, manhwa, and manhua, this humorous manga promises depth and an analysis of life choices.
11. Kenja no Mago by Tsuyoshi Yoshioka & Ogata Shunsuke
Kenja no Mago, also known as Wiseman’s Grandchild, is an excellent place to start the journey of reincarnation manga. This series follows the story of a man who died in a car accident and was reincarnated into a mystical world. In this world, he is found by none other than the Sage, Merlin Wolford.
Merlin goes out of his way and teaches the child, whom he names “Shin,” everything he needs to be exceptional in the mystical world of magic and demons he is born into. But he forgets to teach him common sense and how to world works!
After joining the Earlshide Kingdom’s Magic Academy, Shin goes on missions and undergoes even further training to face new and powerful threats that keep showing up every day. With the help of his friends and grandparents, he continues to rise to the limelight.
12. Reborn As A Scholar by Soo Yu Hyun & Yum Jack-Jack
In addition to being one of the cultivation manhwas, The Scholar’s Reincarnation, or Reborn As A Scholar, is one of the top new-gen reincarnation manhwas out there. With numerous twists in the story of the main characters, it takes the reader on a lifetime adventure.
It tells the story of a martial artist who was murdered in his previous life and was reborn into a family of love, the Hwang Family.
In this family, with the new gift of friendship he is given, he decides to live a better life for himself. For the sake of protecting his sister and his newfound family, Hwang Jun Woo continues to grow and develop himself, providing us with both action, adventure, and a love for family!
Conclusion
So, that’s a wrap! Those were some of the best manga series you can read today if you are interested in the “reincarnated into another world” trope.
These may be some of the best series I have read, but they are not all. Most of the isekai stories are also reincarnation stories, so pick anyone, and you’d be good. But in this article, I tried to give you a list of the best reincarnation manga, manhwa, and manhua, that you may or may not have heard of, but you should definitely read.
So, let me know which of these series you are about to start reading, and make sure to drop your suggestion or feedback in the comments section below.
Also Read: Best Ecchi Manga of 2023