Best Anime Like Solo Leveling

Summary

• Underdog journeys resonate with audiences across cultures, from ancient myths to modern anime.
• Solo Leveling and Blue Lock explore themes of ambition, identity, and redemption through thrilling tales.
• Like Solo Leveling, Naruto, and My Hero Academia showcase characters overcoming odds to achieve greatness.

Stories of underdogs are abundant in popular culture, and their origins can be traced back to ancient folklore and myths. Characters from disadvantaged backgrounds who battle against all odds for their ambitious goals strike a chord with people and often end up leaving a lasting impression.

A-1 Pictures’ Solo Leveling is one such story that follows the exciting journey of a young adult named Sung Jinwoo who jumps at the opportunity to turn his fate around and rewrite his destiny. The anime explores recurring themes of ambition, redemption, identity, and purpose to weave an intriguing tale. Solo Leveling, with its action-packed fight sequences, gives viewers an adrenaline rush that they can also experience in the anime listed below. Let’s highlight the best anime like Solo Leveling.

Updated July 6, 2025 by Mark Sammut: Sung will not be returning to our screens for a while, so if you want something fresh, you will need to check out some great anime like Solo Leveling. Summer 2025 has started, and it has a few shows that might be able to fill that void.

Does Summer 2025 Have Any Anime Like Solo Leveling?

A new season is underway, and Summer 2025 is packed with big sequels and exciting newcomers. Seriously, this might be the most overstuffed quarter in years, and the lineup offers quite a bit of variety. Romance, horror, comedy, action, and slice of life are all covered, and that is just the tip of the iceberg.

That said, does Summer 2025 have any anime that could fill that Solo Leveling-shaped hole that grows larger with every passing day? Well, to be honest, I do not think there is a single show that is an obvious alternative to the manhwa’s adaptation. Still, if you are looking for some Summer 2025 series to watch, these are good ones to prioritize:

• I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince so I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability Season 2 – This could and should be the best OP MC anime of the season. Lloyd is reborn into a rich family and granted very few responsibilities, allowing him to spend all his time mastering magic. He becomes absurdly powerful, absurdly quickly, and his ridiculous feats consistently leave his enemies dumbfounded. Lloyd’s personality is nothing like Sung’s, but he is also a bit of a troll who stomps opponents in style.
• Kaiju No. 8 Season 2 – If you enjoyed the first season of Kaiju No. 8, there is no reason not to check out the sequel. Admittedly, the manga’s later chapters are not particularly beloved, at least not as much as its earlier arcs. However, season 2 should still be mostly great, and it also features an original weak protagonist who goes through a major power boost that he needs to initially keep under wraps. Kafka is not as overwhelmingly OP as Sung, but he is a powerhouse.
• Sakamoto Days Part 2 – After a fine but somewhat disappointing opening cour, Sakamoto Days is set to return for its second part. Frankly, there is nothing to suggest the sequel will be better than its predecessor, so I assume the Summer 2025 entry will be generally entertaining but unspectacular. Still, Sakamoto’s legendary status gives him an air similar to Sung, albeit with a slightly more comedic presentation.

1

To Be Hero X

From Zero To Hero

Solo Leveling was likely a lot of people’s introduction to manhwa, even though the adaptation was handled by a Japanese company. The anime’s success might spark an increase in projects based on Korean stories, or it might inspire fans to check out similar manhwa. While not quite as mainstream, Chinese donghua are starting to gain a foothold as well, and To Be Hero X is a great entry point into this world. Yes, it is technically the third season under the To Be Hero brand, but the series tells anthology stories that can be enjoyed as standalone pieces. More importantly, To Be Hero X shares a surprising number of things with Solo Leveling.

Both stories revolve around weak/ordinary protagonists who are handed overwhelming power after coming face-to-face with death. In the case of To Be Hero X‘s Lin Ling, he is forced to take the place of a superhero named Nice, and he gains his abilities because the public believes in him. Like Sung, Lin goes from a nobody to somebody special in an instant, although he is not quite as OP as Solo Leveling‘s MC. More importantly, this donghua has jaw-dropping animation and action sequences, comfortably among the best of the year. While the art style is completely different from Solo Leveling, To Be Hero X looks stunning, particularly the environments. Nearly every episode features a big fight that sees Lin going up against a different villain, and they play out relatively differently. The show even has a superhero ranking system that is not too far removed from Solo Leveling‘s Hunters classification.

2

Grimgar: Ashes and Illusions

An Exciting Isekai Series

Hai to Gensou no Grimgar, or Grimgar: Ashes and Illusions, follows a ragtag group of unlikely combatants who are thrown into a foreign land, where, as soldiers of the Reserve Army, they must embark on life-threatening missions for the greater good of Grimgar. Although the new world that they inhabit looks game-like, they risk losing their lives if they fail to adapt to the ruthless realities of survival and self-preservation.

If you like Solo Leveling and wish to watch another intense anime that constantly pushes the characters into life-or-death situations, Hai to Gensou no Grimgar would not disappoint. From its intriguing world-building to emotional character development, the story delivers a gripping experience that leaves a lasting impression.

3

Wistoria: Wand And Sword

Top-Notch Action And A Great Underdog Protagonist (Who Is Still Somewhat OP)

From the same author behind Danmachi, Wistoria: Wand and Sword has a fairly by-the-numbers setting, at least going by fantasy standards. In a world dominated by magic, mages reign supreme, with warriors being very much treated as second-class citizens. Despite lacking magical potential, Will is still determined to make it through Rigarden Magical Academy and become a Magia Vander, an honor bestowed only on the most capable mages. Looked down upon by his peers, Will spends his time fighting in a dungeon, fine-tuning his physical skills to near-perfection.

Wistoria‘s story is nothing particularly special, nor is Will’s motivation and plight unique for action anime. However, the show makes up for its unspectacular premise and storytelling by constantly delivering fantastic action that can rival nearly any other anime, even Solo Leveling​​​​​​. While nowhere near as powerful as Sung Jinwoo, Will is a highly competent fighter who never backs down from a fight. Every fight feels like a battle to the death that could spell the end for the protagonist, similar to Solo Leveling‘s first season.

4

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic

Unforgettable Adventure Fantasy Series

Solo Leveling fans who are looking for shows that center around embarking on adventures and exploration should consider adding Magi: The Kingdom of Magic to their watchlist. Like Solo Leveling, the action fantasy incorporates dungeons in its complex world-building and beautifully immerses viewers in a journey filled with hidden treasures and powerful enemies.

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic recounts the story of Alibaba Saluja, a 17-year-old driven by the desire to conquer dungeons that would, in turn, go on to influence the world around him. Along the way, he forms lifelong bonds and uncovers secrets that change the way he sees the world forever.

5

Shangri-La Frontier

Master The God Game

Due to being set primarily in a video game, Shangri-La Frontier does not have the built-in tension of Solo Leveling‘s fights since defeat only results in lost progress and a reset. However, in nearly every other area, C2C’s anime is a great recommendation for fans of Sung Jinwoo. After cutting his teeth in trash games, Rakurou decides to jump into the eponymous MMORPG, and he quickly finds himself taking on massive bosses, gaining cute allies, leveling up, acquiring new weapons, and unlocking cool side quests.

Both shows focus extensively on action, with most episodes featuring impressive fight sequences. Shangri-La Frontier is really no slouch in this area, and the battles tend to blend reflex-based action and strategy well. Similar to Sung, Rakurou is relatively weak when he first joins the game, but he constantly grows stronger as he gains experience. While he never becomes as overpowered as Sung, Rakurou usually takes on enemies who are roughly around his level, so the battles are back-and-forth struggles similar to Solo Leveling‘s encounters in season 1.

That said, Shangri-La Frontier has a lot more comedy than Solo Leveling.

6

Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells

From Weak To Strong Using Status Spells

OK, Failure Frame is nowhere near as highly regarded as Solo Leveling, at least when it comes to the anime adaptation. The 2024 series suffers from inconsistent animation, to the point that anyone specifically craving brilliant action will want to look elsewhere. However, Touka’s journey is not that dissimilar to Sung’s. Like the latter, the former is weak and bullied.

When his entire class is summoned by a goddess to another world, Touka unlocks the ability to use status spells, which are considered useless due to their inaccuracy. Consequently, he is flung into a dungeon and left to die. However, when on the verge of death, Touka learns that his spells never miss, allowing him to wipe out enemies from a distance and quickly level up, becoming incredibly powerful in the process.

While there are plenty of differences, Touka and Sung go on comparable journeys, as they both grind dungeons to reach new heights that put to shame those who initially doubt them. Sung focuses on summons for the most part, while Touka uses spells like paralyze and poison; either way, they both tend to keep their distance during battles.

7

Undead Unluck

A High-Stakes Shounen Series

Yoshifumi Tozuka’s Undead Unluck is an exciting series that brilliantly balances the action-comedy genres. While the anime does have thematic differences with Solo Leveling, fans who enjoyed the manhwa-inspired series will definitely find the misadventures of Fuuko and Andy entertaining.

Undead Unluck follows Fuuko Izumi and Andy, two supernaturally gifted individuals who are cursed with powers that have pushed them to seek death. However, before they achieve their final goal, they must work together to fight against a murderous secret organization. Blending action, comedy, and character development, Undead Unluck is the full package, and the animation is consistently fantastic as well.

The Greatest Shounen Series of All Time

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood explores the value of sacrifice, the consequences of power, and self-discovery through struggle. The Elric brothers commit the sin of human transmutation and pay a big price for it. The cruel experience sets them on a path that exposes them to a world far more cruel than their wildest imagination. On the other hand, Sung Jin-Woo’s life took a dramatic turn following the traumatic events he experienced in the double dungeon. While the tragedies are not comparable, they push the main characters in both shows on journeys of growth and self-discovery.

Solo Leveling and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood has some of the best anime fight scenes. Interestingly, they also incorporate deep philosophical ideas in their overall narrative to create intellectually stimulating tales that go beyond action.

9

Demon Slayer

The Emotionally Charged Tale of Revenge and Self-Discovery

When Tanjiro’s family is ruthlessly massacred and his sister is turned into a demon, he is unsurprisingly overcome with the feeling of retribution. He ends up joining the Demon Slayer Corps, with the goal of finding the progenitor of demons, Muzan Kibutsuji, to put an end to his reign of terror.

In order to soothe the spirits of those it killed, and to make sure it claims no further victims, I will swing my blade down and lop off the head of any demon without mercy! But I will not belittle those who regret their actions and suffer over the things they did as demons. Because demons were once human. Because they were like me.

Like Solo Leveling‘s Sung Jin-Woo, Tanjiro also faces an uphill struggle to carve his path in an unforgiving world where a mistake can cost him his life. Both characters are underdogs who go through a remarkable transformation and rise to become a formidable force in their respective worlds. Solo Leveling fans will also enjoy the epic battles in Demon Slayer that have reshaped the landscape of modern anime.

10

Jujutsu Kaisen

Story of a Cursed High Schooler

High schooler Yuuji Itadori’s ordinary life takes a dramatic turn following an encounter with a cursed item that pushes him into a strange world of supernatural curses and sorcery. As he faces deadly threats and struggles to make sense of his newfound abilities, Yuuji must navigate the mysteries of the dark realm while protecting those close to him. Like Sung Jin-Woo, Itadori finds himself up against malevolent forces as he carries the immense burden of his eccentric powers and the unique responsibilities that they bestow upon him.

I Don’t Know How I’ll Feel When I’m Dead, But I Don’t Want To Regret The Way I Lived.

The protagonists of Solo Leveling and Jujutsu Kaisen undergo somewhat identical personal development after rising from humble backgrounds. Therefore, those who enjoy anime with action, drama, and intense character growth, should consider adding Jujutsu Kaisen to their watchlist.