Has Solo Leveling got all your attention this season? Well, we know just the right shows to keep you entertained seven days a week while you wait for new episodes to drop.
Solo Leveling stormed into the anime landscape, rapidly conquered the devotion of every action-fantasy fan, and it’s already a contender for Anime of the Year. This means if you haven’t yet delved into the captivating saga of Sung Jin-woo, we couldn’t suggest a better time to do it.
But if you’re already all caught up with this adventures amidst the realm of hunters and monsters, you must be left with a knack for such gripping narratives. While Solo Leveling is a one-of-a-kind anime diverging from conventional clichés and tropes, a few titles evoke a similar feeling. Here are ten anime that promise to captivate you just as much as Solo Leveling.
1. The Rising of the Shield Hero (2019)
If underdog anime protagonists inspire you, this 2019 dark fantasy anime will win your heart. Like Sung Jin-woo in Solo Leveling, the main character Naofumi in The Rising of the Shield Hero also experiences hardship and discrimination before becoming a formidable figure when summoned into a parallel world. To make it better, a fourth season of The Rising of the Shield Hero was recently announced in Jan. 2024. So, you’re not running out of Naofumi’s adventures anytime soon.
2. Log Horizon (2013)
The most captivating narrative device in Solo Leveling is Sung Jin-woo’s imprisonment in a world where monsters and dungeons from video games have come to life. The three-season 2013 anime Log Horizon promises a similar premise where players of the MMORPG Elder Tale are inexplicably brought into the game universe. The series also delves into comparable gaming concepts like Solo Leveling‘s leveling up, such as player classes, skills, and combat methods.
3. Goblin Slayer (2018)
Instead of monsters, the main characters in Goblin Slayer set out on missions to eradicate goblins, encountering many obstacles and perils along the way. The show also delves into dark fantasy themes, examining violence, survival, and the worst sides of human nature. Even though Goblin Slayer doesn’t have extreme undertones, it nonetheless maintains the sense of tension and narrative suspense that Solo Leveling is known for. Goblin Slayer is our pick for viewers seeking a less sentimental story with more excitement!
4. Shangri-La Frontier (2023)
Much like the realm of dungeons and monsters in Solo Leveling, the characters in Shangri-La Frontier are transported to a fantasy world complete with levels, stats, and skills. So, character growth and development are central themes in both the anime. If you’re looking for the ideal balance of fantasy and adventure, you might like watching this futuristic anime from last year.
5. Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? (2015)
If the anime’s title didn’t strike a similarity already, this fantasy comedy anime is set in a similar fantasy world filled with monsters, dungeons, and magic. While Solo Leveling focuses more on the action part, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? will make sure to leave you in a jolly mood after every episode. And, whether it’s Bell Cranel forming alliances with other adventurers in a dungeon or Sung Jin-woo teaming up with other hunters, both anime will teach you the value of cooperation.
6. Tower of God (2020)
Before Solo Leveling, another popular South Korean manhwa, Tower of God, was adapted into an incredible anime in June 2020. The series has distinct power structures that propel the narrative and guarantee you never miss the iconic Solo Leveling action. The fights in both series are gripping and strategically interesting, whether it’s Bam taking on lethal challenges inside the Tower or Sung Jin-woo battling formidable monsters. A second season of Tower of God is also set to premiere in July 2024.
7. Overlord (2015)
Ainz Ooal Gown, the overlord in charge of the virtual realm of Yggdrasil will make you forget all about Solo Leveling. If he doesn’t, the series’ themes of ambition and power will undoubtedly bring to mind the hints of Solo Leveling. Either way, Overlord has become the ideal anime for lovers of the dark fantasy subgenre since 2015 and wrapped up its fourth season in 2022. Like Solo Leveling, the show explores the mechanics of a virtual world and features jaw-dropping battles to keep you captivated for the entire four seasons.
8. Sword Art Online (2012)
Players in Sword Art Online are imprisoned within the titular game set in a world known as Aincrad. Like Sung Jin-woo in Solo Leveling, the players in Sword Art Online level up and acquire experience points by slaying monsters and completing objectives. In both narratives, the characters go on exciting adventures that propel the plot; whether clearing dungeons, facing monsters, or discovering hidden mysteries. Despite being a decade old, the anime remains one of the best virtual reality-themed stories out there.
9. The Unwanted Undead Adventurer (2024)
The Unwanted Undead Adventurer recently premiered on Jan. 8, 2024, following the story of Rentt Faina, a 25-year-old Bronze-ranked adventurer. While not very similar to Solo Leveling in terms of the plot, the anime features captivating fantasy adventures set in a richly imagined world. However, Faina’s character growth will remind you of Sung Jin-woo at times.
10. Hunter X Hunter (2011)
The Hunter × Hunter material is so good that it was adapted into an anime twice. Whether you want to watch the 62-episode 1999 version or the most recent 148-episode 2011 version, Hunter x Hunter will not leave you bored. The series explores the diverse world of hunters, Nen users, and various factions, and focuses on a young boy named Gon aspiring to become a hunter. Fans of Solo Leveling will also appreciate the strategic depth and complexity of the combat scenes in Hunter X Hunter.
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