10 best kingdom building anime to watch

Kingdom-building anime refers to shows where the main characters actively participate in constructing new civilizations or reforming existing power structures. Often starting small, they exhibit exceptional leadership in building alliances, managing resources, and making impactful decisions.

Frequent tropes include the overpowered main character, fantasy political intrigues, and war and peace negotiations. It also includes managing intersecting stakeholder interests, and technology or magical innovations that transform societies.

The genre blends action, drama, and strategy to show how visionary individuals can radically improve human progress. Here are 10 of the most popular and best kingdom-building anime that you should add to your watchlist.

10 kingdom building anime that redefine leadership and strategy

1) Overlord

The Overlord anime follows Momonga (who later renames himself Ainz Ooal Gown), a powerful skeleton mage and mastermind. He finds himself transported to an alternate game-like fantasy world along with his entire guild base.

He uses the Great Tomb of Nazarick as his faction's base of operations and begins building an undead empire by recruiting many different mythical species and expanding his sphere of influence.

The anime offers a unique twist on kingdom-building with an overpowered undead leader and his magical lieutenants expanding a fearsome domain. Ainz displays great strategic thinking and management abilities throughout the series when handling affairs of state or planning conquests against rival powers.

2) That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (Image via 8bit)

In That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime anime, Satoru Mikami is reborn as a magical slime in an alternate world after a tragic death.

Using his newfound absorption and mimicry abilities, Rimuru Tempest (Satoru's alias) befriends a Storm Dragon named Veldora, goblins, and other races to develop a small village of multispecies civilians and warriors under his protection.

This kingdom-building anime hooks viewers by tracking Rimuru's development as a leader in charge of a gradually expanding settlement of monsters, many of whom he evolves through naming or alliances. His meritocratic policies based on fairness and inclusivity also make the show easy to follow and cheer for.

3) Log Horizon

Log Horizon (Image via Satelight, Studio Deen)

When approximately 30,000 players worldwide get transported into the virtual game world of Elder Tales after a game update gone wrong, tactical genius Shiroe steps up to guide players stuck in uncertain circumstances.

He reorganizes the players in Akihabara to create stability after the server-wide catastrophe, building a new faction to take on threats to peace. Log Horizon captivates with its focus on smart administration and economic strategies rather than flashy battles or magic.

From reforming political institutions and currency systems to negotiating skills training programs, this anime delivers an intellectual thrill by dramatizing the meticulous nation-building process itself.

4) The Rising of the Shield Hero

The Rising of the Shield Hero (Image via Kinema Citrus)

University sophomore Naofumi Iwatani is summoned along with three others to Melromarc kingdom as the Shield Hero, one of four fabled warriors expected to thwart looming threats.

After being framed and stripped of resources, a desperate Naofumi acquires Raphtalia, a demi-human slave girl, and gradually uncovers conspiracies plaguing the kingdom while also developing his strength and influence.

The Rising of the Shield Hero excels as a kingdom-building anime by highlighting Naofumi's growth through small businesses, trade networks, and resourceful operations to fund his quest for revenge. The diverse character interactions highlight intriguing policy dynamics to maintain stability amid external conflicts.

5) Maoyu: Archenemy and Hero

Maoyu: Archenemy and Hero (Image via Arms)

The premise of Maoyu centers around a Hero arriving in the castle of the Demon Queen, who takes on the alias 'Crimson Scholar' to collaborate with him on ending the cycle of war between humans and demons.

Convinced by the Crimson Scholar that humans have greater common enemies preventing world peace, the Hero agrees to support her efforts to implement agricultural, economic, and technological advancements in her kingdom before considering war.

Amidst its humor and romance, the series rewards viewers with the protagonists' clever reforms of feudal institutions. The creative ideas they pitch to improve crop yields set up merchant exchanges, and establish new trade routes deliver solid kingdom-building action as well.

6) How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom

How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom (Image via J.C. Staff)

Kazuya Souma, a Japanese student with a strong background in political science and economics, is unexpectedly summoned to act as a replacement king candidate to save the troubled Elfrieden Kingdom from ruin.

Applying strategic knowledge from his hobby experience, Souma enacts major tax, immigration, and agricultural policy overhauls. He also establishes new governmental departments to uplift national stability and boost citizen prosperity through infrastructure upgrades.

How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom satisfies fans of systematic kingdom-building with a fresh twist on classic tropes. Kazuya's revolutionary reformations, aided by the novel situational analysis presented during staff meetings, drive major events forward in this standout series.

7) Arslan Senki (The Heroic Legend of Arslan)

Arslan Senki (The Heroic Legend of Arslan) (Image via Liden Films, Sanzigen)

Arslan Senki is set in a fictional world inspired by ancient Persia, where the crown prince Arslan sets out to recapture his fallen kingdom from evil usurpers.

With the help of his loyal general Daryun and several other colorful allies, young Arslan leads an expedition to raise an army strong enough to take back his rightful place on the throne despite staggering odds against their small band.

Kingdom-building elements get mixed beautifully with action and adventure in this classic tale of the exiled prince narrative. Viewers seeking anime featuring gritty warfare tactics applied in the pursuit of freeing occupied homelands should find Arslan's coming-of-age hero journey to rebuild his empire highly motivating.

8) The Twelve Kingdoms

The Twelve Kingdoms (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Youko Nakajima is a Japanese high school girl transported to the parallel world of the Twelve Kingdoms along with two of her classmates during a harrowing monster attack. Soon separated in the foreign land and finding difficulty adjusting, Youko discovers she has been chosen as the new queen.

After accepting her destined role and managing a rebellion, she is officially bestowed the title of "Kei-O," or "King of Kei," to fully preside over her adopted homeland still rife with ancient evils. This fantasy isekai shines as Youko evolves from an ordinary girl to royalty through firsthand experience with palace politics.

From managing class conflicts, and famine relief strategies, to even monster breeding programs for military needs, this classic anime gives viewers the full national CEO experience.

9) Crest of the Stars

It chronicles how Lafiel, an Abriel of the spacefaring aristocracy known as the Abh Empire and holding the title of Viscountess, becomes embroiled in an interstellar war as the Abh Empire defends its dominance over the galaxy's faster-than-light travel routes against the Four Nations Alliance.

Jinto Lin, son of a planetary governor who surrendered his world to the Abh Empire and was made a nobleman, is sent off for military training to assist the bright young Lafiel, whose spaceship Basroil becomes a battleship under Jinto's habitation despite his civilian status.

Crest of the Stars portrays a richly imagined original universe with uniquely designed factions, territories, histories, and advanced technology integral to following the story events. The Abh Empire's struggle against expansionists delivers a gripping, epic kingdom-building space adventure.

10) Kingdom

Kingdom (Image via Studio Pierrot, Studio Signpost)

Kingdom's epic historical storyline is loosely based on China's Warring States period, where the Qin state eventually unified rival regional powers to become the first Imperial Dynasty.

It focuses on the rise of young Xin (Shin), a war orphan who aspires to become a Great General of the Heavens. Together with his friend Ei Sei (the future first emperor of China), they share a dream of unifying China. Xin starts as a 300-man commander, honing his skills through skirmishes and covert missions.

Fans who enjoy ancient warfare and political drama woven around protagonist journeys to the top should be well-served by this tense military epic spanning talent cultivation arcs all the way to open battlefield action sequences.

Conclusion

Kingdom-building anime provides viewers with the excitement of shaping new civilizations without any of the real-world stakes or time investments. Whether led by demon lords, heroes, or former salarymen, these shows inspire us with hopeful visions of rational reforms dramatically improving human welfare.

These kingdom building anime highlight the best of this growing genre and showcase unique stories and adventures.