Many classic character types populate the fantasy genre. Dashing heroes who defend the common people from an overwhelming evil. Beautiful ladies who marry enemy kings to save their beloved country. Country bumpkins who rise from obscurity to overthrow murderous tyrants. Look around and you’ll eventually find a character archetype to suit your tastes.

But there’s another kind of protagonist found in fantasy webnovels: the character who gets a second chance.

Sometimes, the main character dies and is reincarnated. Other times, they’re left for dead and return many years later to settle the score. No matter the approach, fantasy can give us amazing stories featuring this theme. Interested in exploring this trope? Here are five fantasy webnovels about reincarnation and second chances to get you started.

The Second Coming of Gluttony by Ro Yu-Jin
One for the LitRPG and progression fantasy readers, The Second Coming of Gluttony follows Seol Jihu, a man who starts off a terrible person. There’s no mincing words or softening the truth here. He’s not the best person by any standard. After losing everything to an all-encompassing gambling addiction, he escapes to an alternate reality. Unfortunately, Seol also meets his end there. But before he dies, he wishes for a second chance at life. In a twist on the classic reincarnation trope, his feelings get sent back to his past self in the form of a lucid dream. Now armed with these memories, Seol sets out on a journey of redemption.

The Swordmaster’s Youngest Son by HwangzePenguin
Jin comes from a clan of talented swordmasters. Alas, he didn’t meet their standards, so they betray him and kick him out of their clan. To add insult to injury, he ends up dying a pitiful death. But as so often happens in these reincarnation stories, a god appears before him and gives him another chance at life. With the memories of his past life, the talent granted to him by his family bloodline, and a contract with the God who brought him back, Jin works to become the strongest swordmaster in the world. While the premise may not seem like the most original, the internal politics and relationships within Jin’s clan, as well as that of rival clans, make this a worthwhile read.

The Beginning after the End by TurtleMe
The most popular webnovel on Tapas, The Beginning after the End follows Arthur Leywin. In a previous life, he was King Grey, a supreme fighter in a world governed by martial ability. Things don’t last forever, though. Even the strongest warrior is susceptible to assassination by poison. Now reborn into a new world where magic determines power and status, Arthur seeks to live life to the fullest—starting with keeping close relationships with his family and friends, something he didn’t do in his previous life.

The Regressed Demon Lord is Kind by Hungry Panda
Tell me if you’ve heard this one before. A warrior becomes so strong he earns the moniker, The Demon Lord of Strength. He terrorizes the countryside so badly that a group of heroes come after him. He’s defeated and as he lays dying, the leader of the heroes tells him that he should be kinder in his next life. And of course, he gets another chance at life with all his memories intact. But the question here is this: what does kindness look like in the hands of a Demon Lord? Probably not what you’d expect by normal standards. This fantasy webnovel about reincarnation features subversion and twists on the standard tropes, as well as a very clever protagonist, so don’t assume the story is as straightforward as it appears.

The Return of the Disaster-Class Hero by San-G
While this isn’t a reincarnation novel in the traditional sense, it is about second chances. Here, the protagonist was egregiously betrayed and left for dead. To make matters worse, people manipulated his apparent death for their purposes. If you love revenge stories, The Return of the Disaster-Class Hero is for you. In a genre where protagonists do die and reincarnate into another life, it’s a refreshing change of pace for the protagonist to survive and bide his time. Ironic, isn’t it? The Count of Monte Cristo was one of the earliest examples of a serialized novel, and it built a gripping plot on this very concept. This one also doesn’t have the traditional fantasy setting. Instead, it takes place on a post-apocalyptic earth where people have fantastical abilities. Worth a read for fans of interesting magic and combat systems.

See what I mean? Even though the idea of fantasy webnovels about reincarnation and second chances may seem like a limited concept, a lot can be done with it. Transmigration to another world, age regression, and messages sent to the past by a future self—they’re all variations on the same theme, but each result in different executions and stories. Give one of these titles a try if you’re looking for a quick and entertaining read.