10 best anime to watch if you like New Saga

New Saga has drawn attention for putting its protagonist’s emotional journey front and center rather than relying on tired fantasy tropes. It follows protagonist Kyle Lenard, a magic swordsman who defeats the Demon King but suffers immense personal losses in the process.

As he lies dying, Kyle is sent back in time four years and given a second chance to change the tragic future. Leveraging his combat experience and foreknowledge, he works strategically to heal old relationships and alter the course of events by understanding motivations and making new alliances.

New Saga stands out by centering Kyle’s emotional redemption and strategic thinking rather than flashy magic tropes, so fans may enjoy a modern isekai that put character growth ahead of spectacle. These shows follow heroes burdened by pain, guilt, and the duty to rewrite fate.

Note: The opinions expressed are solely those of the author.

10 must-watch anime for fans of New Saga

1. Re:Zero -- Starting Life in Another World

Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World (Image via White Fox)

Re:Zero follows Subaru Natsuki, who is mysteriously transported to another world where he has no special combat talents until he discovers he has the ability to rewind time by dying. When he dies, he goes back to a “save point” and tries to change events with his foreknowledge.

Like New Saga’s Kyle, Subaru wrestles with the pressure of shouldering knowledge of tragic futures. His painful process of trial-and-error reveals a powerful message: even with insight into what’s to come, playing god has gut-wrenching emotional consequences.

2. Erased

Erased’s protagonist, Satoru, possesses the power of “Revival,” which involuntarily sends him back in time to prevent disasters. When suspected of his mother’s murder in the present, Satoru is transported back 18 years to his childhood.

He sets out to stop the kidnapping of a classmate that scarred his youth, hoping this will alter the course of events and save his mother. Like New Saga’s Kyle, Satoru shoulders immense responsibility with his unasked-for knowledge of the future.

Preventing tragedies proves emotionally and physically draining over repeated efforts. While Erased is set in the real world without fantasy elements, its emotional themes and suspenseful time manipulation will still resonate with fans of New Saga.

3. Tokyo Revengers

After his girlfriend’s death, Hanagaki Takemichi learns that she was killed by the ruthless Tokyo Manji Gang. He is then flung 12 years back in time to his middle school days.

Each leap is triggered by a handshake with Hinata’s brother Naoto, linking past and present. Joining the gang’s previous iteration, he decides to climb the ranks and prevent his girlfriend’s demise. Tokyo Revengers shares New Saga’s focus on changing the future through painful trial and error.

While not a fantasy or isekai series, its emotional stakes and time-jumping narrative mirror Kyle’s personal mission to undo tragedy.

4. The Saga of Tanya the Evil

The Saga of Tanya the Evil (Image via NUT)

This military dark fantasy features a calculating protagonist reincarnated into an alternate reality resembling an early-20th-century Europe inspired mostly by World War I.

Tanya has the mind of a cold corporate strategist and leverages her advanced modern knowledge to climb military ranks and emerge victorious across various fronts. Like New Saga, Tanya focuses more on cunning plans and mind games than explosive magic and combat spectacles.

And Tanya’s dubious hero status matches the moral ambiguity Kyle displays at times, as the pair prioritize certain goals over altruism.

5. Log Horizon

Log Horizon (Image via Satelight, Studio Deen)

Log Horizon’s premise resembles the “stuck in a game world” trope, but with a witty, strategic edge. It follows gamers transported into the virtual MMORPG Elder Tale, like Kyle’s return to an earlier point in his own world.

Protagonist Shiroe relies on his encyclopedic game knowledge, engineering and mathematical background, and understanding of human motivation to establish political factions and diplomatic relations with other groups of stranded former gamers.

Viewers who enjoy New Saga’s emphasis on alliances will find the politics and social infrastructure in Log Horizon compelling.

6. Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation

Jobless Reincarnation (Image via Studio Bind)

Jobless Reincarnation also launches viewers into a fantasy world with its protagonist reborn as an infant while retaining memories of his prior life on Earth. Given this blank slate, main character Rudeus Greyrat seeks to achieve more in this new world than the failures of his past.

Echoing New Saga’s redemption theme, Jobless Reincarnation explores building a better life amidst regrets. Rudeus shares Kyle’s darker humor and moments of moral ambiguity as well. And seeing another transported human leverage meta knowledge while confronting original threats makes for an engaging twist on isekai.

7. Steins;Gate

Steins;Gate is a sci-fi thriller focusing on time travel conspiracy theories.

Protagonist Rintaro begins experimenting with a microwave time machine and eventually travels multiple times to prevent his friend’s death. The series delivers more scientific approaches to analyzing timeline divergence points compared to magic-based isekai.

While Steins;Gate is grounded in science fiction rather than fantasy, its emotionally taxing time loops and the toll of repeated failures make it a compelling choice for New Saga fans who appreciate high-stakes, cerebral narratives.

8. Vinland Saga

Vinland Saga (Image via Wit Studio, MAPPA)

This historic anime epic, rooted in real 11th-century events, recounts the exploits of adventurer Thorfinn pursuing revenge on the man responsible for his father’s death, Askeladd. Though it does not involve time travel or alternate timelines, Vinland Saga offers a nuanced portrayal of trauma, vengeance, and redemption.

Like New Saga, Vinland Saga provides violent action yet juxtaposes it with Thorfinn’s inner turmoil. His introspection and questioning of fate create multifaceted characters. The series also spans years, allowing viewers to watch characters subtly grow amidst political power shifts.

9. 86 Eighty Six

In a dystopian reality, Juggernaut drones presented to the public as “unmanned” are actually piloted by the oppressed soldiers known as the 86ers, who are controlled by handlers from the Republic of San Magnolia to combat the invading autonomous Legion forces.

Themes of trauma, loss, and psychological burden enhance 86’s mecha action. Though it does not feature time loops or alternate timelines, the repetitive cycles of violence and the emotional toll of leadership decisions will resonate with New Saga fans who value character-driven war stories.

10. The Rising of the Shield Hero

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

In The Rising of the Shield Hero, protagonist Naofumi Iwatani is summoned as one of four Cardinal Heroes meant to save a fantasy realm. However, Naofumi faces false accusations and becomes ostracized.

He later uncovers that members of the royal family framed him, and works from his outsider status to enact change. Like New Saga, viewers watch Naofumi creatively strategize within restrictive circumstances not afflicting his Hero peers.

Despite minimal offensive abilities allocated to his magical Shield, he analyzes patterns and discovers inventive solutions to opponent weaknesses. His triumphs stem from knowledge and planning rather than brute force.

Conclusion

New Saga delivers emotional weight through Kyle’s trauma and morally ambiguous manipulation of events for perceived greater goods. It contributes to a more evolved form of isekai and time-travel storytelling, emphasizing strategic alliances and knowledge as strength over one-dimensional fights or magic.

Fans who crave more psychologically complex anime about loss and redemption across timelines have no shortage of compelling stories. The above selections feature imperfect characters, gut-wrenching failures giving way to hard-fought success, and profound reflections on destiny’s nature.