Skeleton Knight in Another World (Gaikotsu Kishi-sama, Tadaima Isekai e Odekake-chū) is the 2022 Spring isekai that flew under most radars yet delivered one of the most entertaining, shamelessly overpowered, and genuinely funny power-fantasy rides in recent memory. Produced by Studio Kai and Hornets across 12 episodes, this adaptation of Ennki Hakari’s light novel series stars a man who wakes up in a fantasy world trapped inside his max-level MMORPG avatar: a holy-armor-wearing, curse-sealed skeleton knight with god-tier stats and zero chill.
Meet Arc (real name unknown), a hardcore gamer who fell asleep while grinding in his favorite VRMMO and wakes up in the game world as his character: a towering, glowing-eyed skeleton clad in legendary armor that hides his undead appearance. Realizing he’s stuck like this forever, he decides to roll with it and live a carefree adventurer life. His only rule? Never remove the helmet. His actual rule? Accidentally become the strongest being on the planet while trying to keep a low profile.
The show wastes no time establishing the tone. Within the first ten minutes, Arc stumbles across slavers abusing elf girls, casually annihilates the entire bandit camp with one swing of his holy sword, and adopts the dark elf warrior Ariane and her little sister as travel companions. What follows is twelve episodes of Arc pretending to be a normal adventurer while soloing dragons, demon lords, and entire armies with the same energy most people use to take out the trash.
This is peak “overpowered protagonist who just wants to eat good food and nap” energy, and it’s glorious.
The world-building is surprisingly solid for a show this silly. The kingdom of Rhoden is rotten with human supremacy, slavery, and corrupt nobles, while elves and beastmen are hunted for sport. Ariane, a fierce dark elf warrior on a mission to free her enslaved people, becomes the perfect foil to Arc’s laid-back personality. She’s all fire and justice; he’s all “can we stop for lunch first?” Their banter is gold, and watching her slowly realize the goofy skeleton knight she travels with is actually a walking apocalypse is comedy perfection.
Ponta, the fluffiest spirit creature ever animated, rides on Arc’s helmet and steals every scene it’s in. Seriously, this cotton-candy fox-raccoon thing has more screen presence than half the cast.
Animation by Studio Kai is shockingly good for a lower-budget isekai. The fight scenes are fluid and brutal, especially when Arc finally stops holding back and unleashes holy magic that vaporizes mountains. The character designs are clean, the backgrounds lush, and the skeleton effects under the armor are genuinely creepy when they need to be. The soundtrack leans hard into epic orchestral tracks for battles and chill acoustic vibes for travel scenes, perfectly matching the tone.
The supporting cast is surprisingly memorable. Chiyome, the ninja cat-girl assassin, joins the party and brings some of the best action scenes. Goemon, the giant beastman monk, is a walking tank with a heart of gold. Even the villains get moments to shine, especially the sadistic prince Dakares who somehow manages to be both cartoonishly evil and genuinely threatening.
The humor never lets up. Arc’s constant attempts to act like a normal person while accidentally flexing god-tier power are endless. He tries to negotiate with bandits and ends up bisecting them with a casual backhand. He enters a tournament to “blend in” and wins by one-shotting the final boss with a finger flick. The running gag of everyone assuming he’s a legendary holy knight while he’s just trying to find a decent inn with good stew is perfection.
Underneath the comedy, the show actually tackles slavery, racism, and corruption with more sincerity than most “serious” fantasy anime. Arc’s zero-tolerance policy for slavers is incredibly satisfying, and watching him dismantle entire noble houses that profit from suffering feels like justice porn done right.
The final arc goes full shonen with a demon lord invasion and an ancient evil awakening, but never forgets to be funny. Arc’s “I’m just a skeleton passing through” energy remains intact even when he’s parrying meteors and punching holes in reality.
Final Score: 9.1/10 – Criminally underrated gem
Skeleton Knight in Another World is the isekai comfort food you didn’t know you needed. It knows exactly what it is: a ridiculously overpowered skeleton knight wrecking evil while trying to eat good food and protect his new friends. It never pretends to be deep philosophy, but it has more heart than most “serious” fantasy shows twice its budget.
If you love Shield Hero’s revenge vibes, Overlord’s unstoppable protagonist energy, or just want to watch a skeleton accidentally become the strongest being alive while worrying about where to find curry, this is your show.
Stream it legally on Crunchyroll.
And keep an eye out for Ponta. That fluffy bastard will steal your heart.
Sometimes you don’t need a groundbreaking masterpiece.
Sometimes you just need a skeleton knight to obliterate slavers and call it a day.
This is that show. And it’s perfect.
Play
Season 1 (Sub)