Fantasyanimeloves to throw its characters into dungeons filled with monsters and treasure. Luckily, these adventures usually result in some sort of reward at the end, whether it be newfound power, knowledge of the world, or gold aplenty. This makes it worth entering the dungeons with a well-prepared party.
Dungeons are scattered all throughout the fantasy genre, acting as an important plot element or a part of the world the characters inhabit. What makes them interesting is how the characters manage to survive its contents and the discoveries they find within.
10Sword Art Online
Another Day Another Dungeon
Sword Art Online is all about the dangers of VR and the wonders that the technology can make possible. The original Sword Art Online dives deep into the dungeon crawl aspect with each raid tilting the scales between death and survival.
Dying in Sword Art Online means dying in real life. However, the only way to escape is to reach the final floor and defeat the boss. Suddenly, the dungeon-crawling aspect feels more like a full-blown war with strategies trying to minimize casualties.
9Dungeon Meshi
Monsters Can Be Delicious Too
Dungeon Meshi teaches you justhow much food you can crank outof a single monster. Eggs, gems, monster plants, you name it. If it lives and breathes inside a dungeon, it can be turned into the next delicious menu item.
Of course, there is still the dungeon-crawling aspect. The quest is to revive Laios’s sister Falin, who was eaten by a red dragon. On the way there, the party encounters plenty of monsters such as walking mushrooms, kelpies, and griffin that end up on the plate.
8Konosuba
A Mismatched Party
When Kasuma is killed in an accident, he isisekaid into another world. Unlike other isekai protagonists, though, he has all the worst luck in the world. His party is dysfunctional and constantly gets into scuffles, which prevents them from going after the Demon King.
It turns out Aqua is not exactly a competent goddess, Megumin is too obsessed with explosions, and Darkness is a masochist. Regardless, they need to band together as they go from odd job to odd job. Though, their biggest obstacle might just be themselves.
7Solo Leveling
The Ultimate Power Fantasy
Solo Leveling is exactly what you would expect. Sung Jin-woo starts off the series weak, but when he gets the power to go into dungeons and level himself up without limits, he becomes the most powerful hunter on Earth.
Even dungeons that could wipe out an entire party of hunters are cake walks for Jin-Woo once he unlocks his power. Monsters are obliterated and women fall for him instantly. Solo Leveling is the definition of a story held together by hype moments and aura.
6I May Be A Guild Receptionist, But I’ll Solo Any Boss To Clock Out On Time
The Real Struggle Is Clocking Out
Alina Clover may be one of the most relatable characters to ever step foot in a dungeon. The world may revolve around entering dungeons in the hopes of unlocking a skill. However, Alina wants none of that.
All she hopes for is a stable job as a receptionist where she can clock out on time, get paid well, and spend her hours off enjoying life. Yet despite this, she steps in to assist the Silver Sword in clearing dungeons, as each adventurer that wants to go in means more paperwork that forces her to work overtime.
5Goblin Slayer
Never Underestimate A Group Of Goblins
Goblin Slayer has its fair share of dungeons. However, they almost always revolve around goblins of some sort. This is because its main character, Goblin Slayer, only chooses to go into dungeons that are infested with them.
This is because of his childhood trauma, watching his village get destroyed by these green impish creatures. He has learned never to underestimate them and chooses to exterminate them wherever they crop up. This can get pretty dark at times but also shows you the lives Goblin Slayer means to protect.
4So I’m A Spider, So What?
A Twist On The Isekai Genre
The isekai genre usually has its main protagonist die and end up in another world. At times, this means taking the place of a pre-existing character or simply being born again. For one girl, her entire class is obliterated, causing everyone to get reincarnated in a fantasy world.
The twist here is that this unnamed girl ends up taking the form of a helpless spider in one of the most dangerous dungeons. Now she has to learn to survive with her limited powers in this world where everyone else pretty much got reincarnated into the sweet life as nobles and royalty.
3Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
The Ups And Down Of Reincarnation
Rudeus Greyrat is originally a 34-year-old with a bit of a dark side. His final actions in saving a group of teenagers ultimately allow him to reincarnate into a much better life. However, he still has much to learn even though his new life gives him a superficial upgrade.
In the meantime, there are plenty of dungeons and conflicts that need to be triumphed over. From battles with Hydra to exploring the complex labyrinths of love, Rudeus’s powers can only get him so far. He’ll need the support of those around him if he wishes to prevail and possibly even grow as a person.
2Magi The Labyrinth of Magic
A Twist In Settings
Magi The Labyrinth of Magic offers a unique twist on the medieval presentation ofthe fantasy genre. This time, taking inspiration from the tales of Arabian Nights, you get a bunch of nods to Aladdin, Ali Baba, and Sinbad with the anime’s own take on the characters.
It’s dungeons that bring these characters together as they decide to party up on their own quests. From freeing slaves to discovering all the treasures the world has to offer, Magi The Labyrinth of Magic makes you want to jump into a dungeon yourself.
1Slayers
Darkness Beyond Twilight, Crimson Beyond Blood That Flows
Dungeon crawling is not a new concept by any means. It’s been around for as long as fantasy fans have wanted to go on adventures. Slayers is one ofthe more popular anime from the 90s, which features the sorceress Lina Inverse on her day-to-day adventures.
Slayers has a great mix of high-stakes adventures and lighthearted episodic quests. At the end of the day, it’s a comedy, so most of the adventures revolve around the unintentional damage that Lina and her party end up causing on their quest for money.
