Louise is a self-absorbed mage at the prestigious Tristain Academy. Unfortunately, she can’t cast magic right and her classmates call her Louise the Zero. One day during a summoning ritual, Louise messes it up again and summons a boy named Saito. At first she treats him as a slave until she discovers a powerful brand on him, the sign of a legendary familiar known as Gandalfr.
Although it initially seems like some fun, brightly colored silliness, The Familiar of Zero actually has a surprising amount of depth to it by the end. If you are looking for similar anime recommendations, then look no further.
Anime Like the Familiar of Zero
For Fans of Strong Females and Weak Males
Shakugan no Shana
One day, Yuuji Sakai had his regular school life end when he becomes trapped in time and attacked by an unknown being. Right as he is about to die, he is rescued by a nameless hunter with brilliant red hair. After being saved, the girl tells him that he is a Torch, a soul that has already died and is just waiting to fizzle out.
Essentially, Shakugan no Shana has everything that The Familiar of Zero has, but with more action while doing it. This can be something sorely missed in highly school oriented series like Zero. By if you like literal fiery redheads bossing around a weak man, then turn to Shana.
Rosario + Vampire
Due to his bad grades, Tsukune Aono was unable to get into any good high schools. However, at the last minute, he was accepted to Youkai Academy. Unfortunately for him, it is a high school for werewolves, vampires, and other monsters. With the help of a vampire and some other new girl friends that take a liking to him, Tsukune tries to hide his human status from his classmates.
The Familiar of Zero has a strong harem vibe in its school setting. Rosario + Vampire is essentially the same way only it has more creatures. However, Rosario does spend less time on the female protagonist as often her only trait is loving the male protagonist, though she too has her tsundere side.
High School DxD
Average pervert Issei Hyoudou has done nothing productive with his life save for dreaming of attracting a harem. Things are looking up when a girl asks him on a date, but unfortunately she turns out to be a fallen angel and brutal kills him. However, he gets a second chance at life when a classmate (and devil) revives him to be her servant.
While High School DxD goes about it in a much more ecchi way, it maintains the same school atmosphere where the male protagonist ends up subservient to a stronger female protagonist. Both are treated like servants, both are accused of being perverts, and both seem pretty weak.
For Fans of Transported to a New World
Gate: Thus the JSDF Fought There
Japanese Self-Defense Force solider and otaku Youji Itami is in the Ginza district of Tokyo feeding his hobby one afternoon when a gate to another world opens and medieval soldiers flood modern day Japan. While Itami, in conjunction with the local police, manage to save many civilian lives, his hero status forces him to go beyond the gate with his fellow soldiers to explore a mysterious new world filled with swords, magic, elves, and dragons.
While The Familiar of Zero is about is about a man being forced into a new world, Gate is about a man that ends up going willingly. However, while it doesn’t have the same school setting, he ends up collecting himself a small harem of girls that are, in theory, stronger than himself.
Konosuba
On his way back from buying a new game, Kazuma Satou died a pathetic death. However, he awakens before the Goddess Aqua who gives him two choices: go to heaven or reincarnate into an actual fantasy world. Naturally, the gamer picks the fantasy world. Now Kazuma must deal with defeating an evil demon king, useless party members, and paying living expenses.
Although different in feel, Konosuba and The Familiar of Zero are fairly similar. Konosuba lacks the school setting, but it does feature a guy transported to a new world where he ends up with a harem of girls that all kind of suck in various respects. While not moe either, Konosuba is also a pretty great comedy, though more so because it is parody.
Tenchi Muyo! War on Geminar
After being mysteriously transported from Earth, Kenshi Masaki finds himself enlisted by a mysterious organization on a planet called Geminar. With the promise of being returned home, he is tasked with piloting a mech and fighting the Shtrayu Empire. After things go wrong and he ends up in prison, he must now redeem himself in order to get home.
If you loved Zero’s fantasy world, then War on Geminar gives you a great one to explore with the same core concepts. However, Kenshi is not quite as weak as Saito appears to be, but none the less every single woman falls in love with him in his new world.
For Fans of Magical Schools
Blade Dance of the Elementalers
As a prestigious school for shrine princesses, Areishia Spirit Academy trains its students to be elementalists. In order to help with this, they form slave contracts with spirits to bolster their power. Up until now, only females have had this power, until average guy Kamito Kazehaya becomes the first man in 1,000 years to form a contract with a spirit.
These two series are incredibly similar in so many ways. Both are about basically mages that form contracts with familiars to get power. However, Blade Dance seems to take itself a little more seriously in its plot, but it still ends up a harem.
Dragonar Academy
Ansarivan Dragonar Academy is a school that teaches those to tame and ride dragons. For most, this comes easily, but not for Ash Blake, the school’s problem child. He became a laughing stock because his dragon never appeared. One fateful day, however, it does, and it is a beautiful girl!
Like The Familiar of Zero, but in reverse, Dragonar Academy is about a seemingly loser-ish boy finally getting the partner that they were waiting for. Unfortunately, that partner is not as great as they were hoping for. Unfortunately, because this series puts focus on its lackluster action, its not as fun.
Baka and Test
Akihisa Yoshii attends a school where the student body is divided into classes based on the results of tests. Unfortunately, after helping a fainting girl on his placement exams, Akihisa is placed on the lowest rung – F Class. While in this school he can fight with augmented avatars empowered by test results to steal the perks of higher classes, Akihisa is an idiot and his classmates are none too bright either.
While not focusing on magic, Baka and Test is a great anime in a school setting that, like The Familiar of Zero, has a high focus on summoning different things. Furthermore, the show also focuses on the bottom of the barrel students as well.
Do you have any more good anime recommendations like The Familiar of Zero? Let fans know in the comments section below.
