As the final hour approaches the life cycle of the MMO Yggdrasil, Momonga, a powerful wizard and leader of the dark guild Ainz Ooal Gown, is there to see it off. However, to his surprise, the servers don’t go down and even stranger is that all the NPC characters have come alive with their own unique personalities.
While it hopped on the bandwagon of series like Log Horizon and Sword Art Online, Overlord has its own distinct video game charms, much like the anime recommendations for it.
Anime Like Overlord
For Fans of People Getting Trapped in Video Games
Sword Art Online
With the aid of NerveGear technology, video game players can now experience their playable worlds like never before – in virtual reality. For Kazuto Kirigaya, his game of choice is Sword Art Online. After beta testing the game, he logs into the launch and finds himself, as well as ten thousand other players, trapped in the game world.
Obviously, both Sword Art Online and Overlord are about a protagonist stuck in a video game world for unknown reasons. While both protagonists make the best of it, there are less actual players in Overlord and more NPCs that come to life. Also, unlike Sword Art Online that takes a nose dive at the half way point, Overlord remains pretty consistently good.
Log Horizon
Thirty thousand Japanese players of the popular Elder Tale game all log in to explore the new update of their game, only to discover they are unable to log out. The story focuses on the socially awkward college student Shiroe, a master strategist in-game, and his friends as they try to navigate their new reality.
Again, these two series share the biggest similarity of being trapped in an MMO. However, while Log Horizon has its characters surviving and looking for a way out, the player in Overlord wants to stay in the game and create a new world with his power.
No Game No Life
In the real world, siblings Shiro and Sora are NEET shut-ins. However, in the virtual world, they are a legendary gaming duo. One day, after a strange email, they find their reality taken away as they are transported to the realm of Tet, God of Games. Here, Shiro and Sora must play games to defeat the sixteen races of this world as well as Tet in order to become the new gods.
Out of all the “people trapping in a video game” shows, No Game No Life is probably the most similar to Overlord. While New Game New Life is about another world and not a so much a game, the leads in both shows definitely prefer where they are. In the real world, everything is awful, but in both shows they are super strong and clever in their new surroundings, making it their preferred reality.
For Fans of Plotting Overlords
Saga of Tanya the Evil
Once one of Japan’s most shrewd salarymen, after being pushed in front of a train to his death by a scorned ex-employee, a man is reborn as an adorable orphan girl after pissing off a mysterious being that calls himself God. While the female form and affinity for magic are not a punishment, being born in a world in the midst of a brutal World War is. Now, Tanya uses her calculating mind from her past life and magnificent magical abilities to spread terror on the front lines of the war, becoming one of the most dangerous people in the imperial army. This is all in effort to earn a promotion that will see her safely back to a life of comfort on the back lines, showing up the God that put her in this world for humbling.
While cute little girl and evil overlord have very little in common at a glance, both of these main characters in both shows are extremely similar. They both look different than how they really are and have a huge attitude to overcompensate for their weaknesses. As these normal people are now both imbued with magic, it allows them to finally follow their ambition as well.
The Devil is a Part-Timer
Right on the verge of taking over the world, evil Demon Lord Satan was foiled by the hero Emilia and was forced to retreat through a dimensional portal. He ends up in this world where he is without powers and without money. In order to pay his way, he gets a part-timer job slinging fast food.
Think of The Devil is a Part-Timer as a reverse Overlord. The main character is finally about to conquer the land with his evil power, then he gets sent to the modern world where he has nothing and works at McDonald’s. The exact opposite happens in Overlord, so it is like looking at two sides of the same coin here.
Seven Mortal Sins
After going against the Lord’s will, Lucifer, former head of the Seven Heavenly Virtues, is banished from Heaven. While falling, she crashes through the roof of a high school church in front of the reserved Maria Totsuka. Continuing her decent to hell, Lucifer teams up with Leviathan to try to overthrow the rulers of Hell, the Seven Deadly Sins. They fail and are swiftly punished, cursing Lucifer with the Garb of Punishment. Trekking back to earth with Leviathan in toe, Lucifer enslaves the human Maria and the three go on a journey to lift the curse placed on her.
When you think you have nothing, there is always something to be gained. This is the viewpoint of the prideful and ambitious main characters in each series. You watch in both shows as the rather skilled tacticians plot their next move to varying effect.
For Fans of Alter Egos
Detroit Metal City
The popular indie band Detroit Metal City is known for captivating audiences with its dark death metal. The lead singer in particular, Johannes Krauser II, is infamous for being like a demon straight out of hell. However, unbeknownst to their many worshipers, Krauser’s normal self is the soft-spoken average college student Souichi. Switching between them leads this young man on a number of misadventures.
Sometimes you just want to be someone else, or rather, there is a part of you inside that you can only let out through another self. Both characters in Detroit Metal City and Overlord do that in their own way. One is in the form of a death metal band and the other is through an MMO. However, usually the trick is to not let that personality overwhelm you, but they do in both series.
Code Geass
The Holy Empire of Britannia has established itself as the dominant military nation, starting after their conquest of Japan, now named Area 11. Under Britannia’s tyranny, a number of resistance groups rose up to fight for their freedom. Enter Lelouch Lamerouge, the exiled prince of Britannia who has been sent to live in Japan. One day, after finding himself caught in the crossfire in a battle between Britannia and insurgents, Lelouch is able to escape with his life after meeting C.C., a mysterious girl who grants him the power of absolute obedience.
Both Overlord and Code Geass are about coming up with cunning plots and then following them out, both of which have ripples that echo throughout their respective worlds. However, Overlords plot’s are rather predictable while Code Geass can definitely surprise you with its intrigue.
The King’s Avatar
In the multiplayer online game Glory, Ye Xiu was a legendary professional player. However, when he gets into an altercation with a team mate, he is kicked from the team and forced out of the pro circuit. Ye Xiu manages to find work as manager in an internet café and resigns to his fate. One day he notices that Glory has launched a new server and throws himself into the fray once more. With ten years experience, Xiu is hardly a noob and he is set to play towards the summit.
Sometimes games can consume you, as we all know. However, both of these series are about gamers that want to be consumed. Their games are their life, it is the very thing they love and the rest of their life… Well, it sucks pretty bad. However, The King’s Avatar is about playing a game while Overlord is about being stuck in one.
Did we miss any better anime recommendations for Overlord? Let us know in the comments section below.
