12 Possession Isekai Reads to Read Now

Manhwa, Manhua & Webtoons, Top Picks & Rankings

7–10 minutes

I cannot deny that possession isekai reads are such a guilty pleasure of mine. I have spent hour after hour devouring this plot setting. Especially when it comes to manhwa and webtoons. I had a tough time selecting just three of each.

Possession isekai isn’t about starting life over in a baby’s body; it’s about jolting awake mid‑story, wearing a stranger’s face and scrambling to fix (or exploit) the mess they left behind. I’ll admit: Webtoons, manhwa, manga, manhua—I’ve lost weekends to them all.

Manga leans into crafty villainesses and background NPCs who seize centre stage.
Manhua marries body-hijacking with xianxia cultivation and medical sorcery.
Manhwa turns identity theft into a palace-politics survival game.
Webtoons serve modern humour in binge-scroll panels, from demon queens to academy “extras”.

I’ve trimmed the shelf down to 12 officially licensed gems, three picks each from Japan, China, Korea and the wider webtoon world. Leaving others out hurt, but the final dozen prove just how varied possession tales can be, from cosy coffee‑shop redemptions to palace power plays and xianxia medical smack‑downs.

12 Possession Isekai Reads

Whether you crave cosy slice-of-life cafés, cut-throat court intrigue, or level-999 power plays, you’ll find a new obsession here, all readable legally in English. So brew your favourite tea, silence those doom bells, and dive in!

Japanese manga: stealing lives, rewriting destinies
Japanese creators laid the first stones of possession isekai by asking: what if your second chance arrives wearing someone else’s face? From crafty villainesses who suddenly go soft to background NPCs who seize the spotlight, these manga revel in the drama of inheriting another person’s reputation, good, bad, or infamous. Every volume is a tug-of-war between prior sins and fresh intentions, proving that the greatest adventure isn’t a new world, but an old life seen through new eyes.

My Lady Just Wants to Relax

Smiling blonde noblewoman with roses around her, speaking with a serene expression

Manga by: Story Beni Mitsuki, Art Mika Kajiyama
Genres: Slow-life fantasy, reincarnation/possession isekai, gourmet/café slice-of-life, fluffy romance
Anime Adaptation: No

Overworked OL Ronia keels over and wakes up inside a villainess halfway through a shōjo novel, just in time for her engagement to be broken and her exile decree read. Rather than grovel, she opens a countryside coffee shop with fairy helpers, serves beastfolk regulars and insists on the quiet, cosy life she never had back on Earth. A chill “tea & pastries” take on possession isekai.

The Princess of Convenient Plot Devices

Elegant couple in formal attire mid-dance; blonde princess in a black gown twirls with a dark-haired nobleman

Manga by: Original novel Mamecyoro, Art Mitsuya Fuji (character designs: Kazusa Yoneda)
Genres: Comedy-romance, BL-meta fantasy, gender-politics, reincarnation/possession isekai
Anime Adaptation: No

Hardcore fujoshi Maki opens her eyes as Princess Octavia, kid sister to the crown prince in her favourite BL novel. Her dream? Play match-maker so the book’s destined male couple still get their happily-ever-after… while she dodges political marriage schemes that would force her to bear their heir. Expect fourth-wall gags, chaotic diplomacy and the princess hunting for a husband purely to stay single.

This Reincarnated Countess Is Trying to Escape From Her Prince

Manga by: Story Saki Tsukigami, Art Akino Shiina
Genres: Isekai-romance, villainess redemption, royal court intrigue, comedy-drama
Anime Adaptation: No

At a glittering ball, Countess Sherazade is hit by memories of her past life, revealing she’s inside a syrupy teen-love novel where she marries possessive Prince Rembrandt and spirals into tragedy. Determined to break that route, she sets out to make the prince loathe her… only to trigger his obsessive fascination instead. Cue frantic escape plots, reputation sabotage and a tug-of-war between fate and free will.

Chinese manhua: borrowed bodies, boundless cultivation
In manhua, possession isekai fuses soul-swapping hijinks with the grandeur of xianxia. Assassins, surgeons, and scholars wake inside “useless” heirs or crippled disciples, only to bulldoze centuries-old sect hierarchies with modern cunning and medical know-how. Here, wearing another person’s skin is less about escape and more about ascending, tempering the host’s flaws, unlocking dormant meridians, and bending cosmic balance to a will that’s now twice as stubborn.

Mesmerizing Ghost Doctor

Masked woman in red robes looking up at a tall white-haired man in traditional attire, romantic and mysterious atmosphere.

Manga by: Story: Feng Jiong (凤炅) • Art/Adaptation: Yuan Man Dongman (缘漫动漫)
Genres: Xianxia cultivation, action-adventure, medical fantasy, romance, transmigration
Read here: WebNovel
Anime Adaptation: No

A modern underworld assassin-doctor dies and awakens in the scarred body of a “good-for-nothing” young lady. Armed with peerless poison craft and surgical know-how, she tears through sect politics, flirts with a masked lord and builds her own medical-cultivation empire. Think Dr Stone meets Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, but with a fiery red-robed heroine.

Surviving as a Tyrant’s Daughter

Manga by: Story: Wulichouchou / China Literature • Art: LibertyHome
Genres: Historical palace fantasy, reincarnation, father-daughter bonds, political intrigue
Read here: Tapas
Anime Adaptation: No

College student Yeyul opens her eyes as the neglected seventh princess of a blood-soaked emperor nicknamed the Tyrant. Her survival plan is simple: stay invisible. Fate, of course, has other plans, dragging her into sibling succession wars and unexpectedly melting the tyrant’s icy heart. Expect scheming eunuchs, lethal tea parties and a surprisingly wholesome dad-daughter slow burn.

The Duke’s Daughter Wants to be Useless

Golden-haired noblewoman glowing in magical light, eyes closed in meditative focus.

Manga by: Author (studio): Daxingdao Dongman, Artist: Heicha Bojue
Genres: Comedy, fantasy romance, wealth-management parody, transmigration
Anime Adaptation: No

Korean manhwa: identity crises amid palace intrigue
K-manhwa turns possession into a high-stakes game of social Jenga. Modern readers pop into doomed countesses, tyrant’s daughters, or even the step-mum of the story’s hero, then scramble to dodge execution flags while unravelling secret plots. Otome-game logic meets very real guillotines, and every polite tea party is a minefield of veiled threats. It’s sharp, emotive, and deliciously meta—because saving your own neck often means redeeming the villain you replaced.

Lout of Count’s Family

Red-haired nobleman with a smug expression and small dragon perched on his shoulder

Manga by: Original novel: Yoo Ryeo Han • Webtoon script: PING • Art: PAN4
Genres: Isekai-transmigration, action-fantasy, adventure, comedy
Read here: Tapas
Anime Adaptation: No

Office drone Kim Roksu dozes off reading the novel Birth of a Hero and wakes up inside it—unluckily in the body of Cale Henituse, a minor villain scheduled to be pulverised by the protagonist. Determined to live a quiet, pain-free life, he schemes to dodge every plot beat… which only drags him deeper into monster raids, ancient powers and dragon friendships.

I Married the Male Lead’s Dad

White-haired nobleman gently holds the face of a red-haired woman, both gazing at each other intensely

Manhwa by: Story team: Gyammi, San-ho, EUNSAN • Original work: Ko Eun Chae • Art: Eongsseu
Genres: Romance-fantasy, comedy, child-rearing, possession-isekai
Read here: Tapas
Anime Adaptation: No

Super-fan Aisha Heathcliff dies in a car crash and revives inside her favourite novel, Persona, years before the story starts. Her new identity? The villainess is the stepmother of the future hero Abel. To keep her adorable “son” safe, Aisha ends up (accidentally) engaged to Abel’s charismatic father, the Light-wielding Duke Louvremont, and must juggle court intrigue, magical politics and fangirl squeals.

Caught by the Villain

White-haired princess in ornate gown and crown, with dark prince looming close behind, grasping her crown.

Manhwa by: Author: CHA SoHee, Artist: CHARA
Genres: Romance, fantasy action, cross-dressing, possession-isekai
Read here: TappyToon
Anime Adaptation: No

Olympic-level fencer Eun-ha is sucked into a sword-and-sorcery novel as Selena Evan, a doomed side character. When her twin brother deserts the army, Selena dons his name to save her family, only to catch the eye of the nation’s terrifying “villain,” Prince Ignus. To stay alive she must out-duel knights, hide her real identity and avoid becoming the villain’s favourite weapon.

Webtoons: slick scrolls and soul hijacks
Vertical-scroll webtoons add a contemporary twist, dropping everyday gamers or office drones into legacy bodies in vivid, binge-friendly panels. Whether the new host is a demon queen, an “extra” at a magic academy, or a long-forgotten princess, the thrill lies in juggling two sets of memories while live-updating life choices in real time. Fast, witty, and unafraid to break the fourth wall, possession-isekai webtoons remind us that fixing someone else’s mess can be the funniest—and most cathartic—second chance of all.

I Became a Level 999 Demon Queen

White-haired woman surrounded by violet demonic flames levitates while a red-haired man cowers on the ground, shocked.

Webtoon by: Original work: SANSOBEE • Art: LEE JAE-I • Adaptation: Hangaga
Genres: Fantasy, game-transmigration (possession isekai), comedy-adventure
Read here: Webtoon
Anime Adaptation: No

A terminally-ill girl picks a “brand-new life” option in her favourite dating-sim but mis-clicks and revives as Raina Rubellite, the final boss demon queen. Over-levelled at 999, she tries to dodge the hero’s route, keep her demon realm afloat, and maybe enjoy the romance she was never supposed to get.

The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide

Blonde-haired teen in school uniform with red tie leans forward, sweating and panting, beside a suitcase outdoors.

Webtoon by: Writer: Korita • Artist studio: GREEN KYRIN
Genres: Fantasy, academy life, strategy-comedy, possession isekai
Read here: Webtoon
Anime Adaptation: No

A reader wakes up as Ed Rothstaylor, a third-rate villain in his favourite RPG’s magic academy. With zero plot armour and an eviction notice, Ed camps in the woods, chops firewood for tuition money, and hopes the protagonists ignore him. Too bad the game’s heroines keep stumbling into his survival routine. Can he graduate alive without breaking the storyline?

50 Tea Recipes from the Duchess

Green-eyed brunette woman sits up abruptly in an ornate bed, gripping a blanket with a shocked expression.

Webtoon by: Author: Lee Jiha • Art studio: Ant Studio (lead artist Jo Hyun-yeong)
Genres: Romance-fantasy, slice-of-life, culinary/business, possession isekai
Read here: Tapas
Anime Adaptation: No

Office drone Ha-jeong Park wakes up as Duchess Chloé Battenberg, a timid noblewoman crushed by gossip, servants and her aloof husband. Armed with modern hustle and a tea obsession, Chloé brews fifty inventive blends to win hearts, reform her household and stir up high-society, all while learning to value herself first.