Summary
An isekai show will normally see a character transported from a world they know to somewhere else, typically a fantasy world. Along with the culture shock that the character suffers, there are also often diverse magical creatures and people they meet.
One of the most popular humanoid species in fantasy is the elf, andthey pop up all over anime genres. They are also pretty common in isekai, but some of them stand above the others in terms of building, mannerisms, and how well they resonate with the audience.
Outbreak Company
Outbreak Companymight be a simple isekai about a boy who travels to another world to spread thegospel of otaku culture, but it has a lot of charming bits that make a good show.
The biggest pull of the show was Myucel Foaran, a former soldier for the Erdant military who eventually becomes Shin’ichi’s love interest. Myucel is a character whose arc is fun to watch alongside Shin’ichi, and the two share some really cute moments. Who can forget Myucel when she’s packed in a bag and finds herself in Shin’ichi’s room?
Mushoku Tensei Jobless Reincarnation
The first wife of Rudeus, and the character who fans get to watch from childhood to adulthood, Sylphiette is one of the best characters in the anime, as fans watch her develop from a shy, boyish child to a confident and beautiful woman.
Bullied as a kid, Sylphiette (Sylphy) becomes friends with Rudeus, and the two share a close bond. They are separated in their younger years, but they meet again when they are both older, with Sylphy sporting white hair due to an immense drain on her mana. It helps that Sylphy isno slouch when it comes to her magical abilities, and she has her moments to shine throughout the series.
Often Misunderstood And Doesn’t Initially Follow Typical Anime Tropes
Sword Art Online
Sword Art Online is an anime series that follows protagonist Kirito as he and thousands of others become trapped in a virtual reality MMORPG where death in the game means death in real life. Kirito must navigate this perilous and immersive world to find a way to escape, facing numerous challenges and building alliances along the way. The series explores themes of survival, friendship, and the blurring line between reality and fantasy.
The identity of Leefa is actually Kirigaya Suguha, Kirito’s sister, inSword Art Online. She takes on the person of Leefa when she’s playing Alfheim Online, a game she dearly loves and shares with Kirito.
Leefa can be misunderstood, but her reasons for initially hating her brother before finally coming to terms with him are valid, and once the two are on good terms, their relationship is cute — although it does lean into thebrother complex anime tropea bit. All in all, Leefa is a strong character both in terms of combat and personality to make her likable for fans of the story.
Gate
GATEgets a bad rap due to its depiction of the Japanese military, but political angles aside, it is a very fun show. One of the more popular characters of the series is Tuka Luna, a high elf who joins Itami’s party after being saved from her destroyed village.
Tuka Luna is a beauty, but her character development is what makes her one of the best elves in isekai — especially when she is forced to face the death of her father and come to terms with his sacrifice. Sure, she’s still enamored with Itami and calls him father even while clearly showing she likes him a lot more than that, but its isekai; what do you expect?
Skeleton Knight in Another World
Ariane Glenys Maple is the travel companion of Arc, the titularSkeleton Knight In Another World. She’s a dark elf with the noble goal of liberating her fellow elves who have been captured by humans.
Ariane eventually takes to Arc, and the two share a lot of cute moments together. Ariane is a great source of a lot of thecomedy in Skeleton Knight, from her inability to hold her liquor to the typical misunderstandings that take place in an isekai. In all this, Ariane is a joy to watch and a great pair with Arc.
Kagali began life as an elf before tragedy struck, and she was eventually killed, becoming a Deathman, and then a Demon Lord. In the show, she is usually portrayed as a pretty elf in a suit. She is also sometimes known as the Demon Lord Kazaream who has become trapped in the body of a homonculus.
While immensely powerful, it is Kagali’s cunning that makes her a fascinating character. Able to pull strings behind the scenes, her smarts have been of great benefit to her and the other Demon Lords. In the world ofThat Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime,whichfeatures a lot of great world building, Kagali is an integral part of the ecosystem, expertly supporting the other characters as a result.
Overlord
Mare’s appearance will deceive the uninitiated that he is female, but he’s a male elf and the brother to Aura. They both serve as floor guardians of the sixth floor of the Grand Tomb Of Nazarick inOverlord.
While seemingly timid and shy, Mare is extremely powerful. What makes him such an interesting figure is theduality of his personality, as he never lets his supposed meekness deter him from carrying out his master’s orders.
The Embodiment Of Not Judging A Book By Its Cover
No Game, No Life
No Game, No Life follows siblings Sora and Shiro, master gamers who are transported to a world where all conflicts are resolved through games.
Fiel Nirvalen is a character fromNo Game, No Lifeusually called Fii and is one of the many characters that Sora and Shiro meet on their sojourn in the other world. She has a game partner, Chlammy, who turns out to be Fiel’s family’s slave.
Fii is one of those characters who charms the watcher with her seemingly harmless personality, but it turns out she can be quite mean. This is particularly made clear when it shows how little she actually cares about her family or race, preferring Chlammy to be ready to give them up at the drop of a hat.
Uncle From Another World
Elf (simply called Elf, as viewers get no name for her) is the tsundere character fromUncle From Another Worldwho plays the companion of the Uncle while traveling in the universe he was sucked into.
First, tsundere characters are always cute. Beyond that, however, Elf is a great source of comedy, asUncle From Another World’sfunniest moments usually involve her and the titular Uncle coming to some sort of misunderstanding. The viewer does get to feel sorry for her, though, as her love is never reciprocated.
Strong, With Heavy ‘Must Protect At All Costs’ Aura
Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World-
Based on Tappei Nagatsuki’s popular novel series, Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World follows Subaru Natsuki, a directionless and self-conscious teenager who is summoned to a fantasy world and quickly becomes involved with a half-elf princess named Emilia. Blending action, horror, and comedy, Re:Zero is a challenging isekai anime that touches upon themes of perseverance, depression, and self-esteem.
Emilia is one of those characters that gets fans in a protective mode, as her delicate nature and cute mannerisms have garnered her a lot of fans inRe:Zero − Starting Life In Another World. The main love interest of the very unfortunate Subaru, Emilia captures the heart with her warmth and kindness in a world thatgets pretty bleak sometimes.
Watching her grow from a shy, almost helpless elf to a competent and self-confident character is one of the highlights of the series. She’s an altogether great character, and her positive motivations help make her the best anime elf character.
