12 Best Anime and Manga With Protagonists Who Are Summoners, Ranked (2024)

Summoner is a popular class in roleplaying games known for its ability to call on animals and monsters to fight. In anime and manga, it can be rare to find a protagonist wielding this power, and for the most part, it's relegated to a supporting character—most likely due to brawler characters and close-range fighters being more exciting to watch.

Of course, that's not always true. Summoned creatures are usually large spectacles with flashy effects and colors, giving them an edge in the aesthetic department. As a character grows, it usually means they can use bigger, stronger monsters, resulting in some of the best fight scenes.

Updated September 17, 2024 by Garrett Huon: This update will add two titles to this list; Myriad Colors Phantom World and Fairy Tail. Fairy Tail was not previously added to the list because it was debatable that Lucy was the protagonist given the importance surrounding Natsu. However, given how important to the story she is, she definitely fits the criteria for this list.

12 The Black Create Summoner: Revolt Of Reincarnated

MyAnimeList Score: 6.17

• Author: Sora Ikui
• Illustrator: Hiroki Ugawa
• Published: 2017 to 2020
• Genres/Themes: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Isekai

Living a worse life after being reincarnated isn't common, but sometimes Japanese students die and get sent to a place where having black hair and black eyes is a trait of demons. That's how this manga begins. Tsuguna, the protagonist, escapes from prosecution to a different country.

It doesn't help that he can summon demonic beasts, but otherwise, he's a normal person in the other world. While this is a standard hero's journey, the rebellion against the existing political and religious powers is what makes this story interesting.

11 She Professed Herself Pupil Of The Wise Man

MyAnimeList Score: 6.33

• Episodes: 12
• Aired: 2022
• Studios: Studio A-CAT
• Genres/Themes: Adventure, Fantasy, Isekai, Magical Sex Shift

Games coming to life is nothing new to anime, but what happens when a player falls asleep when it becomes reality? In this anime, the player Dunbalf falls asleep while customizing his appearance, and when he wakes up, he is in the body of a teenage girl.

This anime is lighthearted and funny, but it's in the way things that don't make sense are funny. The story is quite convoluted with a lot of lore being explained in huge chunks, so it's sometimes hard to follow. However, it can be a good choice to watch when serious, dark anime is too much.

10 The Last Summoner

MyAnimeList Score: 6.57

• Episodes: 12
• Aired: 2022
• Studios: ASK Animation Studio
• Genres/Themes: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy

In this Chinese animation, Ah Jie is a normal student with a passion for cooking who hopes to open a restaurant in the future. One day, the smell of his food draws out a summoned spirit named Dora, a little girl with pink hair, and the taste is so good she asks Ah Jie to make a contract with her. After a lot of begging, Ah Jie reluctantly agrees.

In this world, spirits act like familiars, lending masters their power and fighting alongside them. There are a variety of spirits with different powers, like controlling plants or summoning animals, which makes the show fun and entertaining.

9 The Mochi I Drew Is Tasty Today Too

MyAnimeList Score: 6.83

• Authors: Mata Mochimochi
• Illustrator: Asuka Baito
• Japanese Name: Kyou mo E ni Kaita Mochi ga Umai
• Published: 2021 to Present
• Genres/Themes: Adventure, Fantasy, Isekai

Summoning can take different forms. Sometimes it's bringing a magic beast from one place to another, and sometimes it can be giving life to a creature on the spot. In this manga, Tougo is a high school student obsessed with art and drawing. When he finds himself in an unknown forest one day, he discovers he can bring his drawings to life.

This is where the title comes from. The first thing Tougo drew in the new world was a piece of mochi. This reflects the overall atmosphere of the story, leaning towards slice-of-life rather than action.

8 Drawing: The Greatest Mangaka Becomes A Skilled "Martial Artist" In Another World

MyAnimeList Score: 6.84

• Authors: Dal Young Im
• Illustrator: Kwang Hyun Kim
• Japanese Name: Saikyou Mangaka wa Oekaki Skill de Isekai Musou suru!
• Published: 2021 to Present
• Genres/Themes: Adventure, Fantasy, Isekai, Reincarnation

As is normal in isekai stories, the real adventure begins when the protagonist learns of his powers. In this case, a former mangaka is reborn into a world of swords and magic, and while he has no talent for either of those, he's able to use his drawing skills to replicate them.

This story is geared toward action and fighting, introducing concepts like heroes and cults very quickly. The main character, Akira, is dedicated to living a slow life, but protagonists with that intention never actually do. Still, it's entertaining, if not a bit cheesy.

7 Myriad Colors Phantom World

MyAnimeList Score: 6.85

• Episodes: 13
• Aired: 2016
• Studios: Kyoto Animation
• Genres: Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Ecchi, Harem, School

This anime is set in a world where people can see supernatural monsters called phantoms, and certain individuals are born with special powers. The protagonist, Haruhiko Ichijou, can trap and summon phantoms by drawing them in his sketchbook. The story revolves around his life at Hosea Academy, a school dedicated to training students with powers, as he works with his friends to stop phantoms.

Like other anime from the 2010s, Phantom World mixes action with slice of life to capture the fantasy aspects of the story along with everyday school life. As a harem anime, there is a big focus on Haruhiko's relationships with all the girls, and in a short 13-episode season, it takes up most of the screen time. However, it's still entertaining and fun despite the copious amounts of fan service.

6 Strike The Blood

MyAnimeList Score: 7.03

• Episodes: 24
• Aired: 2013 to 2014
• Studios: SILVER LINK., Connect
• Genres/Themes: Action, Fantasy, Ecchi, Harem, School, Vampire

In this anime, there are two protagonists, but the one with summoning abilities is Kojou Akatsuki. Originally, he was a normal student living a casual, uneventful life, but his world is turned upside down when he's turned into a vampire one day. However, he's not a normal vampire. He's the most powerful vampire to be born called the Fourth Progenitor.

Aside from the standard vampire abilities, Kojou can also summon up to twelve familiars to fight with him, each one possessing an incredible power. The anime itself is a bit on the mature side and includes a mix of action and slice of life. While it's not particularly amazing, it does some interesting things as far as powers and fights go.

5 Hell Mode: The Hardcore Gamer Dominates In Another World With Garbage Balancing

MyAnimeList Score: 7.05

• Authors: DHamuo
• Illustrator: Enji Tetta
• Published: 2020 to Present
• Genres/Themes: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Isekai, Reincarnation

Overpowered protagonists are fun to watch, but after so many of them, a main character who truly struggles to get stronger is quite refreshing. In this manga, Kenichi Yamada transmigrates into Allen, a child serf with the SSS-class, Summoner. His goal is to help his family rise out of serfdom.

In many ways, this manga is similar to many other generic isekai, but this one takes the time to actually tell the story of the protagonist's world. Most of the training and leveling up is on-screen, and the supporting characters get just as much of a spotlight as the protagonist. Overall, it's a well-developed story.

4 Black Summoner

MyAnimeList Score: 7.08

• Episodes: 12
• Aired: 2022
• Studios: Satelight
• Genres/Themes: Action, Fantasy, Isekai, Reincarnation

The biggest benefit a god bestows upon reincarnators is the memories of their past life. Using that information, they can be geniuses in their new life. In this anime, Kelvin trades all his memories for power in the next world, and that's how he becomes the strongest summoner.

Despite the interesting premise, the rest of the story is pretty generic. Memory loss doesn't factor into the plot much, and there aren't any permanent antagonists to add actual conflict. Black Summoner is best seen as a slice-of-life anime since those scenes are more developed than the action shots.

3 The Reincarnation Of The Strongest Exorcist In Another World

MyAnimeList Score: 7.17

• Episodes: 13
• Aired: 2023
• Studios: Studio Blanc.
• Genres/Themes: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Isekai, Reincarnation

The protagonists in isekai manga and anime normally adopt the power system of the new world they're in, eventually becoming the strongest. However, this anime doesn't do that, which is why it's so interesting. The main character can't use magic, but he can still use the exorcist techniques he had in his past life.

Though this anime is brightly colored, the protagonist fits a dark hero archetype, which creates a contradiction in the atmosphere. It's a completely serious protagonist living in an idyllic fantasy world.

2 Fairy Tail

MyAnimeList Score: 7.55

• Chapters: 549
• Published: 2006 to 2017
• Genres/Themes: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
• Author: Hiro Mashima
• Illustrator: Hiro Mashima

Many manga and anime feature fantasy worlds with magic, and Fairy Tail is one of them. Magic is represented in various forms, including control over the elements, physical enhancements, and summoning magical creatures. Lucy Heartfilia is one of the main characters in the story, and she uses Celestial Spirit Magic, which allows her to use magical keys to open gates to the spirit world. The spirits then aid her using their various powers.

Fairy Tail is an action-packed adventure filled with exciting battles and heartwarming moments, focusing on the members of the Fairy Tail guild and the bonds between its members. Although it's criticized for using the common trope of the "Power of Friendship," it's still a great story with an abundance of interesting and fun characters.

1 Cardcaptor Sakura

MyAnimeList Score: 8.17

• Episodes: 70
• Aired: Apr 7, 1998 to Mar 21, 2000
• Studios: Madhouse
• Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Mahou Shoujo, School

Cardcaptor Sakura is a classic from the 90s that made a name for itself as one of the most popular magical girl anime. The story stars Sakura Kinomoto, a fourth-grade student who accidentally stumbles upon a deck of magical cards called the Clow Cards. After accidentally scattering them into the wind, she is tasked with locating and gathering the cards to seal their great power.

The summoning aspect isn't immediately obvious, but each of the Clow Cards contains a magical beast or creature that Sakura can summon to aid her in times of need. In the manga, there were nineteen cards collected, but the anime included many more to extend Sakura's charming adventure.

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