Many stories in the media contain fantastic and bizarre situations, but there is nothing as strange as the concept of a body switch. Whether it's a permanent change or a temporary switch, being in another person's body can lead to many crazy shenanigans.
Body swapping has appeared in all kinds of anime whether high fantasy or modern, but usually only as a brief escapade that doesn't last long. A few shows, however, focus entirely on the concept itself; therefore, here is best body swap anime.
To be considered, both characters must be from the same world. Hence no reincarnation or isekai anime where the main character takes over someone's body.
Updated on October 6, 2024 by Mark Sammut: This article has been updated with specifications for each body swap anime included, along with the introduction of a new very long shonen series that explores the concept during one of its arcs.
12 The movie Atashin'chi
A Decent Classic Take On The Body Swap Formula
Atashin'chi is a long-running manga and anime series featuring the episodic slice-of-life adventures of the Tachibana family. The main character of the series is 17-year-old Mikan, although her mother, father and her younger brother Yuzuhiko are equally central to the series.
Atashin'chi itself has nothing to do with body swapping, but the movie released in 2003 is a different story. The film has Mikan and her mother switch bodies when struck by lightning, forcing the two to live each other's lives while the other family members find a way to switch them back. The film is a classic body-swapping story that any fan of the trope should appreciate.
11 The legendary hero is dead!
Mixed comedy with a polarizing main character who switches with a corpse
Touka Scott is a farmer who has a fetish for thighs and stockings and a penchant for setting traps. When one of his traps accidentally kills Sion, the legendary hero, Touka ends up in the hero's decaying body. If Touka ever wants to return to his original body, he must complete Sion's job and seal the gates of Hell.
The legendary hero is dead! puts a fantasy spin on the classic body swap story with some dark humor to it. The Spring 2023 anime is quite polarizing, mainly thanks to its main character. Touka's antics and perversions make him quite hard to like, and the humor is hit-and-miss.
10 One Piece (Punk Hazard Arc)
A fun harmonica in a long and divisive saga
Given that it has been around for about a quarter of a century, One Piece The introduction of a body swap element would happen sooner or later. This situation occurs during the Punk Hazard Arc, where Law uses his Devil Fruit to make Sanji and Nami, Franky and Chopper, and Smoker and Tashigi switch bodies.
While important in the grand scheme of things, Punk Hazard is not generally considered a highlight within One Piecewhere the saga overstays its welcome in the anime adaptation. That said, the body swapping banter leads to some pretty funny moments, especially Robin's anger at seeing Chopper's adorably twisted by Franky's personality.
9 Gintama (Soul Switch Arc)
A short but fun Gintama arc that sees Gintoki and Hijikata switch bodies
Gintama is well known for parodying and lampooning a variety of tropes, clichés, and archetypes due to its primary status as a comedy series. Although it may not always center around the subject, Gintama has also put his own spin on the body switch trope in the Soul Switch Arc, where Gintoki and Hijikata's souls end up in the wrong bodies.
In truth Gintama fashion, the madness doesn't stop there. It turns out that half of Gintoki's soul had a dead cat, turning it into a monster with amnesia. The other members of the Yorozuya and Shinsengumi also find themselves in the mess, and soon almost the entire main cast has ended up with their bodies switched. The result is one of the best examples of how Gintama can take a concept and spin it out of control in minutes.
8 Kokoro Connect
Body Swapping is a minor part of this overall great Coming Of Age anime
Five high school students, all members of the Student Cultural Research Club, suddenly find themselves switching bodies. After trying to find out what is happening to them, they learn that they are the subject of an experiment by an unknown entity called Heartseed. As they try to adapt to their changing circumstances, their bond as friends will be tested.
Kokoro Connect is a highly dramatic series that focuses on friendships and the emotional bonds that people have. By going through these challenges together and coming out on top, the group will slowly come to understand each other in new ways. While body swapping is no longer at the core of the series' main issue, it still plays a large role for a large portion of the series.
7 Punch Line
Ridiculous antics in the best possible way
After a bus creation incident, Yuta Iridatsu realizes that he has been cast out of his body. Among other things, he learns that he has various powers, such as possessing and gaining strength when he sees a girl's underwear; more importantly, he also learns that he must find a holy book to get his body back.
Punch Line is a wild supernatural series with a bizarre setting and increasingly strange circumstances. The various strange situations that Yuta has to deal with 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 from Zero escape series, and a visual novel based on the anime was later created.
6 The Murder Princess
A lesser known OVA series that has a lot of fun with the Body Swap Formula
After a rebellion in the Forland Kingdom, the dying king sends his daughter Alita to find her brother Kaito. As she escapes through the forest, she falls off a cliff and onto the bounty hunter Falis. The two manage to survive, but they wake up to find their bodies switched. Now Falis must pretend to be Princess Alita and defend his kingdom against all threats.
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Murder Princess is a short comic series that plays with the conventions of the high fantasy genre. The image of a primitive and proper princess acting like a rough warrior is a sight to behold. While not high concept, fantasy fans will definitely get a kick out of this.
5 Charlotte
Much more than just a body swapping anime
Every 75 years, a strange comet named Charlotte passes over Earth, and its dust causes children who inhale it to manifest supernatural powers during puberty. Yuu Otosaka, when he became a high school student, gains the ability to possess othersand when his power is revealed, he is forced to transfer to Hoshinoumi Academy by Nao Tomori to protect such ability users.
Charlotte will appeal to fans of shows with supernatural powers, and while body switching isn't the main focus of the story, it is the main character's signature power. This series has plenty of drama and fast-paced action, and it's considerable more serious than most anime about body swaps.
4 Birdy The Mighty: Decode
Cult classic that is well worth seeking out
One day, while walking outdoors at night, Tsutomu Senkawa is mortally wounded 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: Decode is a classic body swap anime where a normal high school boy shares a body with a powerful, superhero-like fighter. While the series is mostly based on action and intrigue, the dynamic has many comedic moments, and the interaction between the two characters is fun to watch.
3 Kaiba
A forgotten sci-fi gem
In a world where memories can be stored on memory chips, transfer one's mind into another's body and memory theft is becoming more common. A man named Kaiba wakes up in a room with no memories and a locket containing a picture of a girl inside. Kaiba goes out to explore the world, restore his memories and meet the girl in the locket.
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22 Anime with unique art styles
Anime is well known for its striking art and varied styles, but these featured anime have some of the more unique art styles out there.
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 2000s. While it may not necessarily appeal to modern anime fans, cyberpunk and science fiction fans may enjoy this rather irregular series.
2 Yamada-kun and the seven witches
Very entertaining anime that emphasizes Body Swap (to an extent)
Criminal Ryu Yamada accidentally falls down the stairs on top student Urara Shiraishi and discovers that the two have somehow switched bodies. After spending the school day trying to pass off as the other, they finally figure out the problem; when the two kiss, they switch bodies with each other.
Yamada-kun and the seven witches starts with a great premise, and it only gets weirder when more characters and powers are involved. While body swap is just part of the madness this series gets up to, it still manages to play a prominent role. This series is a fun romantic comedy with lots of supernatural hijinks.
1 Your name
The Definitive Body Swap Anime
Mitsuha Miyamizu is bored with her country life and wishes she could be a Tokyo boy in her next life. Suddenly, she starts randomly switching bodies with a boy named Taki Tachibana. Unsure of how to deal with these new circumstances, the two must learn to live in each other's bodies while slowly getting to know each other.
Your name is a dramatic romance film directed by Makoto Shinkai with some elements of fantasy, and it is a hugely popular one. It remains one of the most well-known anime films of all time and Makoto Shinkai's best work, and anime fans still praise the film to this day.
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