Summary
Power fantasies are fun to read because it can be incredibly satisfying to see a protagonist flex their strength. Unfortunately, it comes at the cost of an engaging plotline, since they can practically brute force their way through any problem. The story becomes repetitive and boring very quickly because there is no way to truly challenge the protagonist.
This problem is present in manyisekai manhwa, which is why readers often prefer maincharacters who are on the weaker side. Not only do weak characters need new solutions to every situation, but their journey to gain strength usually feels much more rewarding. Overall,these isekai manhwa are more engaging and entertaining because their main characters are not OP.
10Blink Master Of The Magic Academy
Gimmick Character Is Secretly Powerful
In nearly every video game, there are characters no one uses, and in the game “Aether World,” that character is Baek Yuseol. When agamer by the same name reincarnatesas the character, he is instructed to find the game’s true ending. However, that’s easier said than done, because Baek Yuseol can’t use any magic other than Blink.
In the original game, Baek Yuseol is a gimmick character who specializes in Blink, which is the result of a health condition that makes him unable to use mana. Having inherited his poor constitution, the protagonist must use carefully planned strategies in order to defeat opponents. Each choice is a gamble, which adds suspense to every conflict.
9How To Use A Returner
Work Smarter, Not Harder
In video games, low-level players can get help from players of a higher level to get through difficult content. Well, the same can be done in death games. Lee Giyoung is suddenly transported to another world and thrust into a survival challenge. Unfortunately, his stats are the lowest of any player and his growth rate is abysmal. He’s only saved by his unique ability, which lets him see other people’s statuses.
Using his ability, Giyoung carefully picks and chooses who he partners with and even stumbles across someone from the future. Instead of getting stronger himself, he manipulates and persuades others into the best course of action, which is usually to his own benefit. It’s a very interesting iteration of isekai where the protagonist truly remains weak.
8Tyrant Of The Tower Defense Game
Strategy Is Key In Tower Defense
Most game isekai stories are set inside RPGs, but in this manhwa, the protagonist is transported to the world of a tower defense game where hordes of monsters are constantly attacking the kingdom. Reincarnated as Prince Ash, the main character is asked to save the world. This is easier said than done because he’s commanding actual people, not pixels on a screen.
Although there is constant combat,tower defense gamesrely on strategy more than anything. Prince Ash is the commander, so he doesn’t ever fight personally. Using his game knowledge, Ash uses plans and tactics to defeat his enemies, and by recruiting capable allies, he’s able to overcome the difference in strength between armies.
7The Novel’s Extra
The Balanced Self-Insert Character
Isekai stories are often known to be self-insert narratives, which is why the main characters are often so bland. InThe Novel’s Extra, author Kim Hajin istransported into his own novel, but not as the protagonist. He’s an unknown side character with no relevance to the plot. The only way to escape is to put himself at the center of the story.
Despite being a background character, Hajin does have some perks for being the author. He has knowledge of future events in the plot, he’s able to create his own unique skills, and take advantage of secrets in the world. While all these things are incredibly powerful, Hajin is still not the most powerful person in the story.
6Lout Of Count’s Family
The Perks Of Having Powerful Friends
Some fantasy universes are not great to live in despite how great their stories are. Kim Roksu falls asleep reading “Birth of a Hero” and wakes up the next day as Cale Henituse, a minor villain in the plot. This novel is riddled with strife and threats of war. to ensure an easy life in the future, Calesets out to gain alliesand relics that will keep him alive.
Cale has no experience in magic or swordsmanship, but because he read the entire book, he knows many secrets. By leveraging his knowledge, he’s able to make friends and allies with many powerful people, including the original main character and his friends. He’s even able to find powerful ancient relics that have an assortment of powers.
5Surviving The Game As A Barbarian
There Are No Cheats On Hardcore Mode
In hardcore games, anything can be lethal, even to veteran players. When Lee Hansoo finally beat “Dungeon and Stone” after nine years of playing, he was suddenly transported inside the game as the barbarian Bjorn. In order to survive, he has no choice but to use the experience he’s accumulated over the years to fight monsters,explore dungeons, and make allies.
Unlike many other manhwa, there’s no way for Bjorn to cheat in this game. The original “Dungeon and Stone” was incredibly simple with only a few features, so players had to rely on luck and skill. The only real advantages he has are his strong barbarian body and his game knowledge.
4Player
A New Player Climbs The Tower
Even the smallest comments can have a big impact. After leaving a short message on his favorite comic, Heo Seol-Jin was transported into the world of that comic by the god Arthur. Motivated by Seol-Jin’s comment, he gives Seol-Jin the chance to become a player and climb the Heavenly Arena Terrarium.
Playeris a fun weak-to-strong protagonist story with amazing character development. Seol-Jin’s journey is full of trouble and heartache as he comesto learn about himselfand about his goals. He’s able to make friends and grow stronger, acting like the protagonist he’s meant to be. It’s a classic hero’s journey.
3The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide
The Side Character Living In The Forest
Villains almost always have a bad ending, even the most inconsequential ones. The protagonist of this manhwa reincarnates as Ed Rothstalyer, a minor villain in a video game. After losing to the original main character, he is disowned by his family and kicked out of his home. Now he must earn a scholarship in order tostay at the academyand ensure his future. This means living in the woods and being as frugal as possible. Unfortunately, the female leads of the game start getting involved with him.
As a character in a game, Ed has terrible stats and no affinity for magic. When the protagonist takes over, the only way for him to live is to develop life skills like crafting, hunting, and foraging. Throughout the story, he gets stronger because he’s always struggling to survive. He knows he’ll never be as strong as the other characters, so he gets by with planning and intellect.
2Pick Me Up
1-Star Character Becomes The Strongest
Games in the gacha genre are well known for their power creep problems, with free-to-play characters underperforming compared to limited ones. In this manhwa, Han Seojin gets reincarnated into a free-to-play character in the game “Pick Me Up,” a hardcore gacha game where units are lost forever if they die. In order to survive, he must prove his worth to the player controlling him.
Pick Me Upis a game isekai unlike any other as it focuses on an NPC’s point of view. Han is transported into the game as a one-star character, the lowest rank available. Because of this, his stats are low, his growth is slow, andhe has no starting skills. This doesn’t stop him, however; he trains hard enough to become the strongest in his lobby.
1The Greatest Estate Developer
The Power Of Civil Engineering
Usually, being reincarnated as a side character means having an uneventful life, but when Kim Suho becomes Lloyd Frontera, he realizes his life is in danger. Lloyd had a terrible reputation for being drunk and aggressive, and his family was headed toward ruin. To secure a stable future, he decides to use his engineering degree to improve Lloyd’s status and the lives of everyone around him.
In a sense, Lloyd could be called overpowered, especially because he can summon giant hamsters to do terraforming work, but for the most part, he is just a normal person. All his abilities concern infrastructure and construction, and while he learns how to fight, it’s mostly for self-defense. Most of his power comes fromhis intelligence and knowledge, which makes him incredibly influential.
