The World's Strongest Rearguard: Labyrinth Country's Novice Seeker (Japanese: 世界最強の後衛 ～迷宮国の新人探索者～, Hepburn: Sekai Saikyō no Kōei: Meikyūkoku no Shinjin Tansakusha) is a Japanese light novel series written by Toowa and illustrated by Huuka Kazabana. It was originally posted as a web novel on the online publication platform Shōsetsuka ni Narō in April 2017, before being published by Fujimi Shobo as a light novel under their Kadokawa Books imprint in November of the same year. A manga adaptation illustrated by Rikizo began serialization Kadokawa Corporation's ComicWalker service in March 2018. An anime television series adaptation produced by Maho Film premiered in July 2026.
Contents
Plot
The series follows Arihito Atobe, a salaryman who is killed in a bus accident. After being reincarnated into another world, he is asked to pick a job class. He picks being a rearguard, which turns out to be a powerful class that no one before him had been. Armed with his new powers, he help his party members explore labyrinths, as their bonds grow over time.
Characters
Arihito (アリヒト)
Voiced by: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
Theresia (テレジア, Terejia)
Voiced by: Aoi Koga
Kyōka (キョウカ)
Voiced by: Sakura Nakamura
Elitia (エリーティア, Erītia)
Voiced by: Yui Ishikawa
Suzuna (スズナ)
Voiced by: Saori Hayami
Misaki (ミサキ)
Voiced by: Kaede Hondo
Madoka (マドカ)
Voiced by: Kanon Takao
Melissa (メリッサ, Merissa)
Voiced by: Yūka Aisaka
Media
Light novel
Written by Toowa, The World's Strongest Rearguard: Labyrinth Country's Novice Seeker was originally posted as a web novel on the online platform Shōsetsuka ni Narō on April 27, 2017. The series was later published by Fujimi Shobo and released as a light novel under their Kadokawa Books imprint, with the first volume released on November 10, 2017. Nine volumes have been released as of September 2025. The series is licensed in English by Yen Press.
Manga
A manga adaptation illustrated by Rikizo began serialization on Kadokawa Corporation's ComicWalker service on March 30, 2018. The first tankōbon volume was released on September 22, 2018; ten volumes have been released as of January 2026. The manga adaptation is also licensed in English by Yen Press.
Anime
An anime television series adaptation was announced on September 8, 2025. It is produced by Maho Film and directed by Yūji Yanase, with Deko Akao handling series composition, Eiko Yanagimoto designing the characters, and Hinako Tsubakiyama and Fuwari composing the music. The series premiered on July 5, 2026, on Tokyo MX and other networks. The opening theme song is "License", performed by Redhair Rosy, while the ending theme song is "Owaranai Yoru no Mamori-kata" (終わらない夜の守り方; How to Protect the Endless Night), performed by Inner Journey. Crunchyroll is streaming the series. Muse Communication licensed the series in South and Southeast Asia.