Many stories in the media feature fantastical and bizarre situations, but there is nothing stranger than the concept of body swapping. Whether it's a permanent or temporary change, being in another person's body can lead to a lot of crazy shenanigans.
Body swapping has appeared in all sorts of anime, be it high fantasy or modern, but usually just as a brief escapade that doesn't last long. However, some shows focus entirely on the concept itself; accordingly, here are the best body swap anime.
To be considered, both characters must be from the same world. No reincarnations, therefore, nor isekai anime in which the protagonist takes over someone's body.
Updated October 6, 2024 by Mark Sammut: This article has been updated with specifics for each body swapping anime included, along with the introduction of a new, very long shonen series that explores the concept during one of its arcs.
12 Atashin'chi Movie
A decent classic version of the body swap formula
Atashin'chi is a long-running manga and anime series featuring the episodic adventures of the Tachibana family. The protagonist of the series is seventeen-year-old Mikan, although her mother, father and younger brother Yuzuhiko are equally central to the series.
Atashin'chi itself has nothing to do with body swapping, but the film released in 2003 is a different story. In the film, Mikan and her mother switch bodies when they are struck by lightning, forcing them to live each other's lives while the other family members find a way to switch them. The film is a classic body swap story that any fan of the trope should appreciate.
11 The legendary hero is dead!
Mixed comedy with a polarizing protagonist who switches with a corpse
Touka Scott is a farm girl who has a fetish for thighs and stockings and a penchant for setting traps. When one of her traps accidentally ends up killing Sion, the legendary hero, Touka finds herself in the hero's decaying body. If Touka ever wants to return to her original body, she will have to finish Zion's work and seal the Gates of Hell.
The legendary hero is dead! puts a fantasy twist on the classic body-swap story with some dark humor to go with it. The Spring 2023 anime is quite polarizing, mainly thanks to its protagonist. Touka's antics and perversions make him quite difficult to like, and the humor is hit or miss.
10 One Piece (Punk Hazard Arc)
A funny gag in a long and controversial saga
Considering that it has been around for about a quarter of a century, One piece the introduction of a body swapping element would have to happen sooner or later. This situation occurs during the Punk Hazard story arc, with Law using his Devil Fruit to make Sanji and Nami, Franky and Chopper, Smoker and Tashigi switch bodies.
While important in the grand scheme of things, Punk Hazard is not generally considered a highlight One piecewith the saga remaining welcome in the anime adaptation. That said, the body-swapping gag leads to some pretty funny moments, particularly Robin's anger at seeing Chopper's adorableness distorted by Franky's personality.
9 Gintama (soul swap story arc)
A short but fun Gintama story arc that sees Gintoki and Hijikata swap bodies
Gintama is well known for parodying and lampshading a variety of tropes, clichés, and archetypes due to its primary status as a comedy series. While it may not be consistently subject-centered, Gintama he also did his own take on the body-swapping trope in the Soul Switching Arc, where Gintoki and Hijikata's souls end up in the wrong bodies.
It is true Gintama fashion, the madness doesn't stop there. It turns out that half of Gintoki's soul possessed a dead cat, transforming him into an amnesiac monster. The other members of the Yorozuya and Shinsengumi also get caught up in the chaos, and soon almost the entire main cast finds themselves with swapped bodies. The result is one of the best examples of how Gintama he can take a concept and send it spiraling out of control in minutes.
8 Kokoro Connect
Body swapping is a minor part of this amazing coming-of-age anime
Five high school students, all members of the Student Cultural Research Club, suddenly they find themselves swapping bodies. After trying to understand what is happening to them, they discover that they are the subject of an experiment by an unknown entity called the Heartseed. As they try to adapt to changing circumstances, their bonds of friendship will be tested.
Kokoro Connect is a very dramatic series that focuses on the bonds of friendship and emotional bonds that people have. By facing these challenges together and emerging victorious, the group slowly comes to understand each other in new ways. While body swapping doesn't remain the focus of the series' main issue, it still plays an important role throughout much of the series.
7 The punchline
Ridiculous antics in the best possible way
After a bus hijacking incident, Yuta Iridatsu realizes this was expelled from his body. Between learning that he has various powers, such as possessing and gaining strength whenever he sees a girl's underwear; more importantly, he also discovers that he must find a sacred tome to get his body back.
The punchline is a wild supernatural series with a bizarre setting and increasingly strange circumstances. The various strange situations that Yuta faces are a sight to behold, and the ridiculousness of the series tells viewers not to take everything too seriously. The series was written by Kotaro Uchikoshi of Zero Escape series and later a visual novel was created based on the anime.
6 Princess assassin
A lesser known OVA series that has a lot of fun with the body swapping formula
After a rebellion in the Kingdom of Forland, the dying king sends his daughter Alita to find her brother Kaito. While fleeing through the forest, he falls off a cliff and onto the bounty hunter Falis. The two manage to survive but they wake up to find that their bodies have been switched. Now Falis has to pretend to be Princess Alita and defend his kingdom from any threat.
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Princess assassin is a short, comedic series that plays with the conventions of the high fantasy genre. The image of a prim and proper princess acting like a tough warrior is a sight to behold. While it's nothing to write home about, fantasy fans will definitely have some fun with it.
5 Carlotta
Much more than just a body swap anime
Every 75 years, a strange comet called Charlotte passes Earth, and its dust causes children who inhale it to manifest supernatural powers during puberty. Yuu Otosaka, after becoming a high school student, gains the ability to possess othersand when his power is revealed, he is forced to move to Hoshinoumi Academy by Nao Tomori to protect users of that ability.
Carlotta will appeal to fans of shows with supernatural powers, and while body-swapping isn't the main core of the story, it is the main character's signature power. This series is full of drama and fast-paced action, and it's considerable more serious than most anime about body swapping.
4 Birdy The Mighty: Decoding
Cult classic worth seeking out
One day, while walking outside at night, Tsutomu Senkawa is fatally injured in a fight between Birdy Cephon Altera and an intergalactic criminal. To save his life, Birdy decides to fuse with him to keep him alive. Until Tsutomu's body can be rebuilt, the two are forced to share a body.
Birdy the Mighty: Decoding AND a classic body swap anime in which a normal high school boy shares bodies with a powerful superhero-like fighter. While the series is mostly about action and intrigue, the dynamic has plenty of comedic moments and the interaction between the two characters is fun to watch.
3 Kaiba
A forgotten science fiction gem
In a world where memories can be stored on memory chips, transfer one's mind into the body of another and memory theft becomes increasingly common. A man named Kaiba wakes up in a room with no memories and a locket containing the image of a girl inside. Kaiba goes out to explore the world, recover his memories, and meet the girl in the locket.
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Kaiba is a unique series, with a classic art style that is very reminiscent of the anime aesthetic of the 60s and 70s, despite being released in the 21st century. While it might not necessarily appeal to modern anime fans, fans of cyberpunk and science fiction might enjoy this rather uneven series.
2 Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches
Very entertaining anime that emphasizes body swapping (to some extent)
Delinquent Ryu Yamada accidentally falls down the stairs onto top student Urara Shiraishi and discovers that the two have somehow switched bodies. After spending the school day trying to pass themselves off as each other, they finally figure out the problem; when the two kiss, they swap bodies with each other.
Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches starts with a fantastic premise and only gets stranger as more characters and powers are involved. While body swapping is just part of the madness this series rises, it still manages to play a leading role. This series is a hilarious romantic comedy with lots of supernatural hijinks.
1 Your name
The ultimate body swap anime
Bored with her life in the countryside, Mitsuha Miyamizu wishes she could be a Tokyo boy in her next life. Suddenly, starts randomly swapping bodies with a boy named Taki Tachibana. Unsure of how to handle these new circumstances, the two must learn to live in each other's bodies as they slowly get to know each other.
Your name is a romantic drama film directed by Makoto Shinkai with some fantasy elements, and it is very popular for that. It remains one of the most popular anime films of all time and Makoto Shinkai's best work, and anime fans are still thrilled with the film to this day.
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