20+ Best Anime Like Ore dake Level Up na Ken: Season 2 - Arise from the Shadow

If you loved Ore dake Level Up na Ken: Season 2 - Arise from the Shadow, chances are you'll really enjoy The Eminence in Shadow, Kaiju No.8 and the others too. They share that same energy—whether it's the intense Action, Adventure, Fantasy, or just the vibe that keeps you hooked. While you wait for the next episode to drop, it’s the perfect time to explore something new that still feels familiar. These picks aren't just similar—they're fan favorites for a reason, and they might just become your next obsession.

1. The Eminence in Shadow

Synonyms: To Be a Power in the Shadows!, ชีวิตไม่ต้องเด่น ขอแค่เป็นเทพในเงา, Un giorno sarò l'eminenza grigia, TEIS

Some people just aren’t suited to playing the part of the flashy, in-your-face hero or the dastardly, mustache-twirling villain with larger-than-life panache. Instead, they operate in the shadows and pull the strings of society through wit and cleverness. That’s the role Cid wants to play when he’s transported to another world. Cid spins a yarn or three and becomes the unlikely leader of the underground Shadow Garden organization that fights against a menacing cult (which he totally made up). However, there’s a catch even his wild imagination didn’t see coming: the cult he concocted actually exists, and they’re beyond displeased that his power fantasy just got in the way of their evil plans! (Source: HIDIVE)

2. Kaiju No.8

Synonyms: Monster #8, 8Kaijuu, KAIJU No. EIGHT, Kaiju N°8

With the highest kaiju-emergence rates in the world, Japan is no stranger to attack by deadly monsters. Enter the Japan Defense Force, a military organization tasked with the neutralization of kaiju. Kafka Hibino, a kaiju-corpse cleanup man, has always dreamed of joining the force. But when he gets another shot at achieving his childhood dream, he undergoes an unexpected transformation. How can he fight kaiju now that he’s become one himself?! (Source: VIZ Media)

3. Sword Art Online

Synonyms: S.A.O, SAO, אומנות החרב אונליין, 刀剑神域

In the near future, a Virtual Reality Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (VRMMORPG) called Sword Art Online has been released where players control their avatars with their bodies using a piece of technology called Nerve Gear. One day, players discover they cannot log out, as the game creator is holding them captive unless they reach the 100th floor of the game's tower and defeat the final boss. However, if they die in the game, they die in real life. Their struggle for survival starts now... (Source: Crunchyroll)

4. Hell’s Paradise

Synonyms: Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku, สุขาวดีอเวจี, Адский рай

The Edo period is nearing its end. Gabimaru, a shinobi formerly known as the strongest in Iwagakure who is now a death row convict, is told that he will be acquitted and set free if he can bring back the Elixir of Life from an island that is rumored to be the Buddhist pure land Sukhavati. In hopes of reuniting with his beloved wife, Gabimaru heads to the island along with the executioner Yamada Asaemon Sagiri. Upon arriving there, they encounter other death row convicts in search of the Elixir of Life... as well as a host of unknown creatures, eerie manmade statues, and the hermits who rule the island. Can Gabimaru find the Elixir of Life on this mysterious island and make it back home alive? (Source: Crunchyroll)

5. JUJUTSU KAISEN

Synonyms: JJK, Sorcery Fight, 咒术回战, 주술회전

A boy fights... for "the right death." Hardship, regret, shame: the negative feelings that humans feel become Curses that lurk in our everyday lives. The Curses run rampant throughout the world, capable of leading people to terrible misfortune and even death. What's more, the Curses can only be exorcised by another Curse. Itadori Yuji is a boy with tremendous physical strength, though he lives a completely ordinary high school life. One day, to save a friend who has been attacked by Curses, he eats the finger of the Double-Faced Specter, taking the Curse into his own soul. From then on, he shares one body with the Double-Faced Specter. Guided by the most powerful of sorcerers, Gojou Satoru, Itadori is admitted to the Tokyo Metropolitan Technical High School of Sorcery, an organization that fights the Curses... and thus begins the heroic tale of a boy who became a Curse to exorcise a Curse, a life from which he could never turn back. (Source: Crunchyroll) Note: The first episode received an early web premiere on September 19th, 2020. The regular TV broadcast started on October 3rd, 2020.

6. Super Cube

Synonyms: 超能立方 超凡篇

In an accident, an ordinary boy, Wang Xiaoxiu, obtains a space system called "Superpower Cube" from a high-latitude cosmic civilization and gains extraordinary powers. When the school belle, Shen Yao, Wang Xiaoxiu’s longtime crush, confesses her love to him, the delinquent Sun Jun, who also has a crush on her, is provoked. Wang Xiaoxiu resolves the crisis with his wit and extraordinary powers, but it also brings more disasters as a result. Shen Yao is taken to the world of extraordinary beings by a mysterious person, and Wang Xiaoxiu embarks on a journey to rescue her. Fighting in the bizarre universe, he finds the meaning of fairness and justice on the path to becoming a peerless powerhouse. (Source: iQIYI)

7. The God of High School

Synonyms: The God of Highschool, GoH, 갓 오브 하이스쿨, Бог старшей школы

It all began as a fighting tournament to seek out for the best fighter among all high school students in Korea. Mori Jin, a Taekwondo specialist and a high school student, soon learns that there is something much greater beneath the stage of the tournament.(Source: WEBTOONS)

8. One-Punch Man

Synonyms: OPM, Wanpanman, איש האגרוף הבודד, 一拳超人

Saitama has a rather peculiar hobby, being a superhero, but despite his heroic deeds and superhuman abilities, a shadow looms over his life. He's become much too powerful, to the point that every opponent ends up defeated with a single punch. The lack of challenge has driven him into a state of apathy, as he watches his life pass by having lost all enthusiasm, at least until he's unwillingly thrust in the role of being a mentor to the young and revenge-driven Genos.

9. Dragon Raja -The Blazing Dawn-

Synonyms: Dragon Raja, 龍族 -The Blazing Dawn-, Ryuuzoku -The Blazing Dawn-

Lu Mingfei never expected to live an extraordinary life. He was content with his average achievements and took pride in his skill in Starcraft. However, all that is upended when he suddenly receives a scholarship to study in Chicago at a place called Cassell College. It all seems too good to be true, this can only be a scam! Little does he know, that when he does eventually accept the offer, it is but the beginning of the rest of his life, and the college's obscurity will be the least of his concerns once they start telling him about the dragons... Note: Episode 0 aired with a runtime of 49 minutes.

10. The King's Avatar

Synonyms: 全職高手, Full-Time Expert, Master of Skills

Widely regarded as a trailblazer and top-tier professional player in the online multiplayer game "Glory," Xiu Ye is dubbed the "Battle God" for his skills and contributions to the game over the years. However, when forced to retire from the team and to leave his gaming career behind, he finds work at a nearby internet café. There, when Glory launches its 10th server, he throws himself into the game once more using a new character named "Lord Grim." Xiu Ye's early achievements on the new server immediately catch the attention of many players, as well as the big guilds, leaving them to wonder about the identity of this exceptional player. However, while he possesses 10 years of experience and in-depth knowledge, starting afresh with neither sponsors nor a team in a game that has changed over the years presents numerous challenges. Along with talented new comrades, Xiu Ye once again dedicates himself to traversing the path to Glory's summit.

11. The World's Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat

Synonyms: Ansatsu Kizoku, สุดยอดมือสังหาร อวตารมาต่างโลก, 世界顶尖的暗杀者转生为异世界贵族, Pembunuh Terhebat di Dunia Reinkarnasi Menjadi Bangsawan Dunia lain

The world's number one assassin has been reincarnated as the eldest son of a family of aristocrat assassins. In exchange for being reincarnated in another world, a goddess has imposed upon him one condition. "Kill the Hero who is prophesied to destroy the world." This was to be the mission in his new life. The synergistic effect of the vast knowledge and experience he gained that made all manner of assassinations possible in the modern world, and the secret techniques and magic of the fantasy world's most powerful family of assassins turn him into the greatest assassin of all time. (Source: Crunchyroll)

12. Overlord

Synonyms: Over Lord, โอเวอร์ลอร์ด, โอเวอร์ ลอร์ด จอมมารพิชิตโลก

The story takes place in the year 2138 when virtual reality gaming is booming. Yggdrasil, a popular online game is quietly shut down one day. However, the protagonist Momonga decides to not log out. Momonga is then transformed into the image of a skeleton as "the most powerful wizard." The world continues to change, with non-player characters (NPCs) beginning to feel emotion. Having no parents, friends, or place in society, this ordinary young man Momonga then strives to take over the new world the game has become. (Source: Anime News Network)

13. Hunter x Hunter (2011)

Synonyms: ハンター×ハンター, HxH, 全职猎人, האנטר האנטר

A new adaption of the manga of the same name by Togashi Yoshihiro. A Hunter is one who travels the world doing all sorts of dangerous tasks. From capturing criminals to searching deep within uncharted lands for any lost treasures. Gon is a young boy whose father disappeared long ago, being a Hunter. He believes if he could also follow his father's path, he could one day reunite with him. After becoming 12, Gon leaves his home and takes on the task of entering the Hunter exam, notorious for its low success rate and high probability of death to become an official Hunter. He befriends the revenge-driven Kurapika, the doctor-to-be Leorio and the rebellious ex-assassin Killua in the exam, with their friendship prevailing throughout the many trials and threats they come upon taking on the dangerous career of a Hunter.

14. WIND BREAKER

Synonyms: WB, ウィンブレ, WBK, ウィンドブレイカー

Where the average scores are the lowest, but the fights are the strongest. Furin High School is renowned as a super school of delinquents. Haruka Sakura, a first-year student, came from outside the city to fight to the top. However, Furin High School has become a group that protects the town called the “Chime of the Wind Breaker” – Bofurin. The heroic legend of high school delinquent Sakura begins here! (Source: Crunchyroll)

15. Parasyte -the maxim-

Synonyms: Kiseiju - L'ospite indesiderato, Parasite : La Maxime

They arrive in silence and darkness. They descend from the skies. They have a hunger for human flesh. They are everywhere. They are parasites, alien creatures who must invade–and take control of–a human host to survive. And once they have infected their victims, they can assume any deadly form they choose: monsters with giant teeth, winged demons, creatures with blades for hands. But most have chosen to conceal their lethal purpose behind ordinary human faces. So no one knows their secret–except an ordinary high school student. Shin is battling for control of his own body against an alien parasite, but can he find a way to warn humanity of the horrors to come? (Source: Del Rey)

16. The Most Notorious "Talker" Runs the World's Greatest Clan

Synonyms: Wajutsushi

Noel is the grandson of legendary Seeker Overdeath and dreams of surpassing his strength. But it turns out that Noel is nothing but a Talker, the weakest class of them all. Undeterred, he uses his silver tongue to gather allies, develop cunning strategies, and form the greatest clan around. Now, as the most notorious Talker, Noel will do whatever it takes to claim supremacy. (Source: Crunchyroll) Note: Each episode streamed a week in advance on some streaming services. The original TV broadcast started on October 7th, 2024.

17. Final Fantasy: Unlimited

Synonyms: None

Ai and Yu, after reading their parent's research and after their parents' disappearance, they decided to go on search for them. They ride a strange train to the Inner World in search of their parents and meets up with Lisa in the train and together they begin their journey within the Inner World. (Source: Anime News Network)

18. So I'm a Spider, So What?

Synonyms: 转生成蜘蛛又怎样！, حسنا أنا عنكبوت، ماذا في ذلك؟, แมงมุมแล้วไง ข้องใจเหรอคะ

I, the protagonist, was just an ordinary high school girl, but suddenly I was reincarnated as a spider monster in a fantasy world. Not only that, but I awakened in a dungeon filled with vicious monsters. Armed with only my human knowledge and my overwhelming positivity, I'm forced to use spiderwebs and traps to defeat far stronger monsters just to stay alive... So begins the labyrinth survival story of a girl with incredible mental strength living as one of the lowest-ranked beasts! (Source: Crunchyroll)

19. .hack//SIGN

Synonyms: None

A young wavemaster, only known by the alias of Tsukasa, wakes up in an MMORPG called The World, with slight amnesia. He does not know what he has previously done before he woke up. In The World, he is suspected to be a hacker of the Crimson Knights, as he was seen accompanying a tweaked character in the form of a cat. Unable to log out from the game, he wanders around looking for answers, avoiding the knights and other players he meets along the way. As Tsukasa explores The World, he stumbles upon a magical item that takes the form of a 'guardian', which promises him protection from all harm. Subaru, the leader of the Crimson Knights, along with several other players who became acquainted with Tsukasa, set out to investigate why Tsukasa is unable to log out, and attempt to get to the bottom of the problem before it gets out of hand. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

20. Log Horizon

Synonyms: รวมพลคนติดอยู่ในเกมส์

The online fantasy game Elder Tales is a worldwide phenomenon, immersing millions of players in its intricately conceived virtual world. However, the release of the game's twelfth expansion pack makes that immersion all too literal, as players from around the world are suddenly pulled into the game's no-longer-fictional universe! Now, eight-year ET veteran Shiroe, his friend Naotsugu, the beautiful assassin Akatsuki, and 30,000 other players are faced with the daunting task of learning how to deal with an entirely new reality, one where the Non-Player Characters are actually alive, and the tips and tricks learned while playing with a keyboard no longer apply. (Source: Sentai Filmworks)

21. Full-Time Magister

Synonyms: Quan Zhi Fa Shi

He woke up in a familiar world that has vastly changed. His school has become a school that teaches magic, encouraging everyone to become a mighty magician. Outside the city, many wandering magical beasts and monsters attack and prey on humans. A world of advanced science, changed into one of advanced magic. Despite this, his ambition in life, and his situation remains the same. One of the dregs of the society with a struggling father and a disabled step sister that couldn’t walk. However, Mo Fan found when everyone can only have one major element, he can do much more!

If you're anything like me, once you finish something amazing like Ore dake Level Up na Ken: Season 2 - Arise from the Shadow, you're left wondering—what now? Luckily, there’s a whole world of stories out there that give off the same energy, whether it’s the intense fights, emotional backstories, or just that feeling of being completely hooked. The titles like The Eminence in Shadow, Kaiju No.8... I’ve shared aren’t just similar—they feel right. They hit that same nerve that made Ore dake Level Up na Ken: Season 2 - Arise from the Shadow special in the first place. Of course, everyone’s taste is different, but I really think you’ll find something here that pulls you in. And hey—if you’ve got a favorite that didn’t make the list, I’d love to hear about it. I’m always looking for my next obsession.