11 Similar Anime Like the Eminence In Shadow

Every otaku’s dream is to be a part of a fantasy world, especially to be the hero and the most powerful.

But for Cid Kagenou, it was quite the opposite; his aspiration was always to operate behind the scenes and orchestrate every plan as the mastermind.

The Eminence in Shadow was first released in October 2022 with its first season. It will soon return with another season in 2024.

The Eminence in Shadow is a rare anime series that seamlessly blends action, fantasy, and sci-fi elements while delivering a generous dose of comedy and self-growth moments.

The anime perfectly portrays how Cid, an ordinary high school boy, achieves his dream and becomes a clever shadow hero.

Suppose you relished Cid’s masterful planning and strategies and find yourself eagerly anticipating the second season of the anime while seeking more fantasy anime akin to Eminence in Shadow, brimming with action, planning, and adventure.

In that case, you’ve come to the right place!

Below is a list of anime like The Eminence in Shadow that you can’t miss out on!

01. Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

• Number of episodes: 50
• Number of seasons: 2
• Genres: Action, Thriller, Adventure
• IMDb rating: 8.7/10
• Where to watch: Crunchyroll

In an altered world, the Holy Britannia Empire has taken over a large portion of the world; now, it is only in the hands of Lelouch Lamperouge to take down the Britannia Empire and build a better place.

The story of Code Geass revolves around Lelouch Lamperouge, the former prince of Britannia, and her sister Nunnally.

A tragic past unfolded for Lelouch Lamperouge and Nunnally when an assailant shot and killed their mother in front of Nunnally.

After this incident, Lelouch willingly gave up the position of prince and decided to leave Britannia with her sister.

After leaving the empire, Lelouch and Nunnally went to a school called Ashford Academy.

They lived there for many years under false names.

While residing there, Lelouch one day acquires the superpower to control people’s minds, known as the power of Geass.

The story narrates the journey of Lelouch Lamperouge, or Lelouch VI Britannia, and how he decides to bring down the Britannia empire with his superpower and create a better nation for her sister.

Similarities with the Eminence in Shadow:

• Both Lelouch and Cid are strategic thinkers with cunning ideas to overcome their enemies and have high intelligence.
• Both of the anime revolve around superpower abilities: Lelouch has the superpower to control the minds of people, whereas Cid has the ability to recover extreme magic.
• Both the main characters have secret identities.

02. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

• Number of episodes: 48
• Number of seasons: 2
• Genres: Fantasy, Action, Adventure
• IMDb ratings: 8.1/10
• Where to watch: Netflix

“That time I got reincarnated as a slime,” a story that found its way onto the big screen in 2023 when it was adapted into a movie.

In his ordinary life as a general contractor, 37-year-old Satoru Miami meets an untimely demise in a tragic accident.

After surviving the ordeal, he transforms into a new world, acquiring a distinct personality and identity.

Now, Rimuru Tempest starts his journey in an altered world with different forms of creatures, humans, and magic.

Rimuru, or Satoru, soon discovers he is a slime in this totally new magical world and has powerful and unique supernatural abilities that can absorb other creatures and obtain their powers and abilities.

In no time, many creatures and humans will learn about Rimuru and his unique abilities.

Rimuru becomes entangled in many situations filled with action, adventure, and comedy.

The story captures Rimuru’s journey, combining comedic moments, self-growth, action, and adventures.

The anime has an engaging plot and many characters with unique personalities that bring out many comedic and action scenes.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is a perfect match if you are looking for anime like Eminence in Shadow.

Similarities with the Eminence in Shadow:

• Both anime series feature the main characters undergoing a transformation into a magical, altered world.
• Both characters try to bring about changes to build a better world.
• Upon entering their new worlds, Rimuru from “That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime” and Cid from “The Eminence in Shadow” both secured formidable abilities. As they ventured into these uncharted realms, Rimuru and Cid harnessed incredible powers that would shape their destinies.

03. No game, No life

• Number of episodes: 12
• Number of seasons: 1
• Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy
• IMDb ratings: 7.7/10
• Where to watch: Netflix

Sora and Shiro, known as ‘the Blank, ‘ are among the most feared and unbeatable partners in the gaming world.

One day, the sisters get an email and are transported into a new world called Disboard.

Tet rules the altered world known as Disboard as the head of games.

He establishes all the rules and regulations of the games, known as the Ten Pledges.

Soon, in this new world, Sora and her sister Shiro realized that resolving every issue on Disboard involved playing games.

Now part of this new world, the sisters decide to take over Disboard from Tet and become the new rulers.

The anime revolves around Sora and Shiro and their journey to become the new rulers of Disboard.

Their journey is filled with strategic thinking, action, and thrilling scenes.

The anime brims with numerous adventurous moments, unveils many plot twists, and introduces characters boasting unique personalities and forming strong bonds.

If you enjoy anime like Eminence in Shadow, you should check out No Game No Life.

Similarities with the Eminence in Shadow:

• Sora and Shiro in No Game, No Life and Cid in The Eminence in Shadow were transported to a different world.
• Both anime have a lot of strategic thinking, master planning, and intelligence involved.
• The main characters in both anime have the goal of becoming the rulers of the new world.

04. Log Horizon

• Number of episodes: 25
• Number of seasons: 3
• Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
• IMDb ratings: 7.6/10
• Where to watch: Crunchyroll

What happens when a regular game turns out to be a nightmare?

This happens in Log Horizon, where hundreds of players are trapped in a virtual multiplayer online game.

The globally popular fantasy game The Elder Tale quickly garnered immense popularity.

However, when gamers downloaded the twelfth expansion box titled “Cultivate the Noosphere,” they discovered themselves trapped inside the game.

To survive in the new reality, gamers must find a way to stay.

The anime revolves around Shiroe, a college student who is an introvert but has excellent gaming skills.

The series will narrate how Shiroe tries to find ways to survive and get out of the game while building new alliances and finding new rules.

Log Horizon has an engaging plot and combines action, planning, adventures, teamwork, and friendship.

Similarities with the Eminence in Shadow:

• In both anime, The Eminence in Shadow and Log Horizon, characters are transported into new worlds and learn how to survive in the new reality.
•  Both anime are filled with strategic planning, forming new alliances, and high intelligence.
•  The main characters have similar traits, such as strategic thinking and intelligence.

05. Overlord

• Number of episodes: 13
• Number of seasons: 3
• Genres: Action, Adventure
• IMDb ratings: 7.7/10
• Where to Watch: Disney+ hotter

The year is 2138, and everyone is a big fan of virtual reality games.

One such virtual game is Yggdrasil.

But one day, Yggdrasil’s servers decided to shut down after 12 years.

Momonga, a gamer, decides not to log out of the game after the servers are down and to stay there till the end.

Now, after the game is entirely down, Momanga still finds himself in the game and in control of the character.

Soon, Momonga discovers he has become a living person in the game and has evolved into the most powerful wizard.

Momonga decides to explore the world and gives himself a new name, Ainz Ooal Gown.

The anime narrates the story of Momonga, or Ainz, and his adventurous journey, where he meets new characters and builds friendships and enemies.

If you loved watching The Eminence in Shadow anime, then Overlord is the best choice.

Similarities with the Eminence in Shadow:

• Both the main characters are transported into a new world.
• Ainz and Cid are both very powerful in the newly transported world.
• Both main characters share similar traits like manipulation, strategic planning, and thinking.

06. Drifters

• Number of episodes: 12 episodes and 3 OVAs
• Number of seasons: 1
• Genres: Action, Adventure
• IMDb ratings: 7.6/10
• Where to watch: Funimation

Ever wonder what will happen if you are transported to a new, different world right before you die?

In Drifters, many historical people from the past are transported to a parallel world right before they die.

One such person is Shimazu Toyohisa, a mighty Samurai who lived during the Feudal Era and fought in the famous battle of Sekigahara.

During the battle of Sekigahara, Shizmazu died while fighting the enemy forces and was transported to the new world, injured.

Now injured, Shizmazu is confused and explores his surroundings. He soon finds out who he is.

In this anime, numerous historical figures find themselves transported into reality, compelled to live and survive in this unfamiliar world.

The series is brimming with unexpected plot twists, action sequences, manipulative schemes, strategic thinking, unique skills, and tactics.

Navigating their newfound reality, the characters form alliances, introducing an additional layer of complexity to the already gripping narrative.

Similarities with the Eminence in Shadow:

• Both the main characters are highly skilled and intelligent.
• Both anime are filled with strategic thinking, battles, and planning.
• Both the main characters are transported into new realities and need to explore them while making a place for themselves.

07. The irregular at Magic High School

• Number of episodes: 26
• Number of seasons: 2
• Genres: Action, Drama
• IMDb ratings: 7/10
• Where to watch: Netflix

Despite the world being full of magic, many still label Tatsuya Shiba, a magic user, as irregular.

Tatsuya Shiba and Miyuki Shiba are two siblings who were recently admitted to a very prestigious school for magic users.

Both siblings are considered totally opposite from each other.

Miyuki is known as one of the top students in the school because of her high abilities in magic.

On the other hand, Tatsuya is called ‘irregular’ because of her skills, which are distinct and unique from others.

But soon, Tatsuya’s true abilities were discovered, involving her in many situations filled with action and strategic thinking.

The anime has an engaging plot with a focus on friendship, strong bonds, mystery, and romance.

Similarities with the Eminence in Shadow:

• Both the main characters have unique powers, making them different from others.
• Both anime highlight the strong bond between characters and how important it is.
• Tatsuya and Cid both have similar traits of strategic thinking and planning.

08. Gintama

• Number of episodes: 367
• Number of seasons: 9
• Genres: Action, Comedy
• IMDb ratings: 8.7/10
• Where to watch: Crunchyroll

In an alternate version of Japan, aliens called Amanto, or sky people, have invaded the country.

Even with very advanced technology and the presence of aliens, the people around them still lived in the samurai era.

Gintoki Sakata is an ordinary samurai who does unusual and odd jobs as a freelancer to make a living.

One day, Gintoki helps a teenager called Shinpachi and her sister Tae from a group of Amanto.

Soon, these three, with another alien called Kagura, become close friends and start working together.

The anime narrates Gintoki and his newly formed alliance’s adventures.

At the same time, they find new jobs, meet unique characters, and try to solve fights between aliens and humans.

Gintama is a mix of adventure, action, comedic moments, strong bonds, and an unexpected and engaging plot.

Similarities with the Eminence in Shadow:

• Both anime are a mixture of comedy, action, and adventure.
• Both animes highlight solid bonds and relationships with each other.

09. The Devil is a Part-Timer!

• Number of episodes: 13
• Number of seasons: 2
• Genres: Action, Comedy
• IMDb ratings: 7.5/10
• Where to watch: Disney+ Hotstar

What happens when you are forced to leave your world and sent to a totally different world?

Well, this happened with Satan, a demon lord in his old world called Ente Isla.

Satan is forced to leave Ente Isla with his loyal partner, Alciel when they are faced by Emilia, a hero.

Both of them escaped to modern-day Japan with no power that they used to have before.

Now, to blend with other humans in Japan, he takes the name of Sadao Maou and works at a fast food restaurant as a part-timer.

The anime narrates the story of Satan and his general, Alciel, and their new life in modern-day Japan as they try to live with unique characters in a totally new world.

The Devil is a Part-Timer! is an anime filled with comedic moments, action scenes and friendships.

Similarities with the Eminence in Shadow:

• Both the main characters have started life in a totally different world from theirs.
• Both Satan and Cid in The Eminence in Shadow are hiding their true identities throughout the anime.

10. Youjo Senki: Saga of Tanya the Evil

• Number of episodes: 12
• Number of seasons: 1
• Genres: Action, Adventure
• IMDb ratings: 7.6/10
• Where to watch: Funimation

Tanya Dengurechaff is a young, petite girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, born into a world where magic exists.

But Tanya is not really a girl, but a very cunning and harmful salaryman from modern-day Japan who has been reincarnated as Tanya von Dengurechaff.

One day, the salaryman met a mysterious human called Being X, who reincarnated him into a petite girl in a totally new world where magic exists.

With this reincarnation, Tanya realizes she has high tactical powers and intellect.

She decides to join the empire’s military because of her unique abilities and intelligence.

Lastly, she survives the war that is going on and lives a quiet life.

The anime narrates the story of Tanya von Dengurechaff and her struggles and challenges in the magical world.

Similarities with the Eminence in Shadow:

• Both the main characters are transported into a magical world where they survive and blend with others.
• Both Cid in the Eminence in Shadow and Tanya have end goals to achieve.
• Cid and Tanya both possess similar traits of strategic thinking, planning, and manipulation.

11. Re: Zero: Starting Life in Another World

• Number of episodes: 25
• Number of seasons: 2
• Genres: Drama, Adventure
• IMDb ratings: 8.1/10
• Where to watch: Netflix

Subaru Natsuki is a simple high school student who finds himself transported into a new world where magic exists.

Soon, Sabaru died in this new world but was again reborn in the same place where he was transported from his old world at the same time.

Subaru finds out he has the ability called “Return by Death.” With this ability, he realizes he can be reborn as many times as possible after death.

While exploring the world, he met a girl called Emilia and realized he had a special connection with her.

After meeting Emilia, Subaru started a journey filled with danger, challenges, and dire consequences.

The anime narrates the story of Subaru and how he tries to understand and survive in his new life after being transported into a new world.

Similarities with the Eminence in Shadow:

• Both the characters are transported into a new world of magic and have to survive and blend there.
• Both anime are filled with unique characters, distinct creatures, and magical powers.
• Both main characters, Sabaru and Cid, share similar planning and thinking traits.