The best manhwa every fan of Solo Leveling needs to read are series that will channel the essence of the overpowered protagonist like Sung Jin-Woo, create colorful settings like Solo Leveling's Seoul fantasy landscape, and weave stories of redemption and underdogs, among other things.
Although Solo Leveling is a manhwa with frighteningly original concepts, there is much that it takes from trends and predecessors. Likewise, there are series that take after Solo Leveling, whether intentional or not. As a result, an exquisite web of culture is created between series similar to Solo Leveling, because the series does not continue indefinitely, leaving fans perpetually wanting more. The following series are manhwa that can quench the thirst of any Solo Leveling fan, opening up new branches of discovery.
20 Solo Glitch Player
Based on the Original Novel by chungcho and Illustrated by kimint
Solo Glitch Player follows Shin Taepung who after his untimely death is reincarnated in the world of his favorite virtual reality game called Paradiso. The world of Paradiso is embroiled in war against the demon king and his army but instead of being born as the hero of the story, Taepung finds himself in the body of the delinquent, good-for-nothing, young lord of Krivia named Jared.
Fortunately, nobody knows the game quite like Taepung who has been religiously playing and blogging about it for a decade. Armed with the knowledge of every glitch in the system, Taepung, now known as Jared sets out to conquer the game, and not even the weak stats of his new self can come in the way of his new solo adventure. As its title implies, Solo Glitch Player undeniably partakes in the subculture created and popularised by Solo Leveling and is sure to appeal to fans of the latter looking for an enjoyable read with a stronger focus on the game-like aspects that make Solo Leveling so addicting.
19 Doom Breaker
Created by Blue-Deep
In a significantly more apocalyptic vision of a world already destroyed, Zephyr is the last man standing against Tartarus, the God of Destruction, only to be given a second chance by the gods watching his struggle. While it is especially unfair to Tartarus, who, in the introduction, sees this interference as an infraction, Zephyr wastes no time when sent back ten years to his slave days. Zephyr's goal this time is to regain what he has lost, rapidly ascend to power, and save Altair, the woman he loves.
However, unlike the urban power fantasy in Solo Leveling, Zephyr's journey in Doom Breaker mixes traditional Western-inspired fantasy aspects with its aesthetics. He quickly figures out his assets to grow rapidly due to some shockingly powerful perks he retains with his past self. The series is also enormously popular on the Webtoon platform, with 1.1 million subscribers and 77 million views to date in the West alone.
18 The Lone Necromancer
Based on the Original Story by JJJ and Illustrated by KIM DONG-JUN
Lone Necromancer follows Seongwu, who after completing his service in the military returns to college only for the campus to be thrown into complete chaos by the sudden onset of the apocalypse and the appearance of monsters. When a message window appears before Seongwu asking him to pick a class with the highest chance of survival in this new brutal world, Seongwu chooses to be a Necromancer and thus begins his adventure in the monster-infested world.
Seongwu's abilities are quite similar to Jinwoo's and the gaming interface is also quite similar to that of Solo Leveling which contribute to the allure of the series. While its story is nothing particularly revolutionary, Lone Necromancer also features exquisite art with a distinct color palette that makes the series worth checking out at least once.
17 66,666 Years: Advent of the Dark Mage
Based on the Original Story by Hwabong, Adapted by Dopack & Illustrated by BAEKSSE
While most power fantasies typically follow a protagonist who takes the occasional dark path to the apex of their growth, Jamie Welton's is geared toward becoming his former, all-powerful self. Originally known as Diablo Volpir, Jamie was sealed away by a coalition of twelve gods, reborn to a loving family as his innocent former self. However, as Jamie retains his knowledge from his previous life, his power is impossible to conceal as he quickly wishes to ascend to his previous heights.
66,666 Years: Advent of the Dark Mage is a different sort of power fantasy from Solo Leveling, resembling more of a mixture of manhwa from the genre and isekai novels and anime, namely OVERLORD. But it's not a cold, emotionless journey for Jamie, with plenty of formative developments in the series suggesting a complicated personality fueled by previous tragedy. Jamie's dynamic with his family is immediately endearing and persistently interesting, as the series is currently localizing its third season, with new chapters every Wednesday on Webtoon.
16 The World After the Fall
Written by singNsong and Illustrated by Undead Gamja
While Solo Leveling has its gates, The World After the Fall has towers full of magic beasts that suddenly began to spawn on Earth. The towers beckoned a select few to try and climb them or face the complete destruction of humanity should they refuse. Dubbed as Tower Walkers, these individuals are presented with a unique choice to return to the time when the towers first spawned with all their memories intact using regression stones.
However, only Jaehwan, the protagonist of the series, refuses to regress and continues to climb the tower alone. Evidently, The World After the Fall shares many similarities to Solo Leveling, putting quite a unique twist on the classic dungeon trope with a protagonist just as unique as Jinwoo and a plot that quickly grows quite complex much like singNsong's other works like Omniscient Reader.
15 The Beginning After the End
Based on the Novel by TurtleMe and Illustrated by Fuyuki23
The Beginning After The End is quite a classic reincarnation manhwa and it isn't difficult to see why the series has managed to enthrall so many. The story centers around King Grey who in classic manhwa fashion is sees the light at the end of the tunnel and is reborn after a mysterious death. Now known as Arthur, he intends to make the most of this life and his knowledge of his previous life sees him quickly becoming a prodigy at mana manipulation.
The previously bored king thus sets out to find purpose in this life, much like how Jinwoo also gradually discovers a new outlook in Solo Leveling. That said, the most appealing feature of The Beginning After the End is its whimsical world full of magic, beasts, goblins, dwarves, and much more that make the series perfect for getting a fill of the fantastical after finishing Solo Leveling.
14 Latna Saga: Survival of a Sword King
Based on the Novel by YKB and Illustrated by SOON-Q
Latna Saga follows Ryu Han Bin who is one day transported into a game-like world where he must fight monsters to survive and level up. Unfortunately, an error in the system meant to guide him through this new world called Selha Latna keeps Ryu stuck in the tutorial stage for ten whole years where he continues to grow stronger and more experienced despite not being able to level up. Ryu's only other choice is to give up and die but he refuses to do so and eventually finds a way to survive in this desolate landscape.
Eventually, the mysterious overseer of this magical world notices Ryu is still alive and allows him to move on from the tutorial world to the next stage, where Ryu is hunted down for being an outsider. Armed with an impossible mission, Ryu begins to navigate this new dangerous world and though he appears to be weak, his low level belies his true strength gained from his decade of training. Latna Saga boasts rich world-building and game-like mechanics that are sure to appeal to fans of Solo Leveling. Ryu Han Bin is also a classic example of an overpowered main character like Sung Jin-woo, even if his system is rigged against him instead of being in his favor.
13 A Returner's Magic Should Be Special
By Yu So-nan and Uk-jakga
A Returner's Magic Should Be Special is a manhwa series that has been steadily gaining success through its magical landscapes that incorporate urban elements and its manhwa reincarnation premise. Its success recently reached its peak with an anime adaptation in Fall 2023. The story follows Desir Arman, who survives the magical disaster of the world called the Shadow Labyrinth, only to be one of humankind defeated and killed. However, the real story begins when Desir is granted the opportunity to travel back in time and thoroughly prepare for the impending apocalypse.
Although A Returner's Magic Should Be Special’s power system and urban structure is different from Solo Leveling’s, there are many similarities. Firstly, Desir's reincarnation is highly reminiscent of Sung Jin-Woo's reawakening process. Although Desir's is a pure time travel regression and Sung Jin-Woo needs to work his way up as an underdog, both share the essence of the overpowered protagonist. Secondly, both stories involve a similar sense of impending chaos. In the case of A Returner's Magic Should Be Special, it is the Shadow Labyrinth, and in Solo Leveling, it is the interdimensional gates.
12 Tomb Raider King
By Sanji Jiksong and 3B2S
Tomb Raider King is a popular manhwa series produced by Redice Studio, the same studio that adapted the Solo Leveling manhwa. The story is an urban fantasy that follows Seo Joo-Heon, a tomb raider, or grave robber, who is given a second chance at life. Using the advantage of his memories, Joo-Heon becomes stronger than he’d ever been before through collecting magical items called relics from the magical tombs that invaded the modern world.
Aside from Tomb Raider King’s art being similar to Solo Leveling’s and Seo Joo-Heon’s character having an uncanny resemblance to Sung Jin-Woo, Tomb Raider King also leans into an urban fantasy concept that seems to take influence from Solo Leveling's gates. Tombs spawn and fuse with real world structures much like how gates appear, and the internal structure of tombs are dungeon-like as well. However, Tomb Raider King’s redeeming difference is its original usage of relics as a power system, as each item is equipped with unique lore and possibilities.
11 The Player Who Can't Level Up
By GaVinGe and Park Jeongjae
The Player Who Can't Level Up is a manhwa with heavy game elements and fantasy aspects that take a lot of influence from the foundation that Solo Leveling and other fantasy manhwa have established. The story follows Kim Kigyu after he awakens the power of a player, a person who climbs the Tower and defeats monsters to close magical gates around the world. However, despite receiving a unique ability, Kim Kigyu is not able to level up.
10 Most Overpowered Manhwa Heroes of All Time, Ranked
The most overpowered manhwa heroes are a manifestation of accepting the positive nature of plot armor and its ability to enhance a story.
The concept of this manhwa seems to run contrary to Solo Leveling's idea of a main character who is the only one who can level up in his universe. However, both series take the abilities of exclusive and exclusionary leveling up to the extreme when portraying an overpowered protagonist. While Sung Jin-Woo starts as the lowest ranked hunter and levels his way to underdog success, Kim Kigyu similarly defies rank logic as a low level player who is capable of unordinary feats.
