We’ve waited years for Solo Leveling to get an anime adaptation, and it was worth it. The webtoon ended in 2021, but many fans have returned to see Jinwoo in action. Seeing him rise as a hunter is nostalgic, and you’re probably looking for a new underdog story.
But there are many more fantasy anime out there for those who can’t wait for the newer episodes or are done with the series. These aren’t copies of Solo Leveling, but their themes will remind you of the best parts of the series.
10. Delicious in Dungeon
Delicious in Dungeon is kind of like Solo Leveling, but comedic. Sure, somebody gets eaten by a monster during a dungeon raid, but at least there’s a gourmet involved. If you’re not averse to eating dragons or succubus brains, then this should be right up your alley.
It’s a great recommendation for any anime fan who loves magic, dungeons, and cooking. The ingredients are a little unconventional and suspicious, but it’s worth the laughs from an uncanny group of adventurers.
9. Kakegurui
Kakegurui doesn’t have any dungeons, and you won’t see Yumeko slaying monsters for their essence stones. This doesn’t mean this anime is any less high-stakes or thrilling. The best way to learn about people is when they’re subjected to stressful conditions, and gambling fits the bill when privileged high schoolers are involved.
Yumeko isn’t like Jinwoo. She’s a prodigy, but these games still need a lot of luck, and watching Yumeko gamble without fear is part of what makes this series amusing.
8. Classroom of the Elite
Classroom of the Elite is another high school anime, so there are no dungeons and monster fights to be had in this series, either. In fact, Kiyotaka isn’t like Jinwoo, who is trying to level up. Instead, he’s trying to blend in and hide his sharp mind and extraordinary abilities.
Tokyo Metropolitan High School is competitive and teeming with highly skilled students. Failing exams could mean expulsion, and students manipulate and cheat their way to stay in school. But Kiyotaka is determined to stay, and he’ll have to rely on his wits to graduate.
7. BTOOOM!
BTOOOM! is an older survival game, but gold. Most gamers wouldn’t survive in their own video games if they were transported into them, but not Ryota Sakamoto. He’s one of the best players in the first-person shooter game BTOOOM! and was trapped inside the game.
Ryota has to survive and find his way out of the game, but he’s not without allies. There may be no monsters here, but having to survive terrible situations tends to bring the evil out of people.
6. Tower of God
Based on another webtoon, Tower of God has its own leveling up. Whoever reaches the top of the tower will be able to fulfill their desires. Just like Jinwoo, Bam didn’t go into the tower out of desire. Instead, he entered the tower to follow Rachel, who wanted to reach the top of the tower.
The webtoon and anime are still ongoing, and you’ll feel scared for Bam as he progresses floor by floor in this mysterious tower.
5. Chainsaw Man
Solo Leveling is gritty, but so is Chainsaw Man. Denji gets a second chance at life after his dog, who’s apparently a demon, sacrifices himself. But unlike Jinwoo, life doesn’t exactly get better for Denji.
Denji is thrust into the world of devils, hunts them down, and has no choice but to become stronger. It doesn’t get any deadlier than that, and you’ll start feeling sorry for the dark things Denji goes through in the story.
4. Mashle: Magic and Muscles
Mashle: Magic and Muscles is hilarious, and it revolves around a boy named Mash. He was born without magic in a world full of magicians, but he’s ridiculously strong. Mash is technically disadvantaged, but he isn’t because his strength overpowers magic and the techniques of magicians.
It’s a good subversion of the underdog trope, and Mashle comes out on top against his classmates in a magic school just through brute strength alone. It’s not about what you have, but what you do to overcome your skill issue.
3. One Punch Man
If you haven’t watched One Punch Man just yet, you should, for comedy’s sake. It’s not like Jinwoo’s world, where hunters are stuck in a predetermined rank. All Saitama had to do to become, arguably, the strongest force in anime history was do 100 reps of various workouts.
Maybe Saitama can share some tips with Jinwoo so he can break out of his rank without relying on a weird game system controlling him.
2. The Eminence in Shadow
Cid Kagenou from The Eminence in Shadow is also another silly protagonist. Jinwoo didn’t have a choice but to get stronger to survive, but Cid made power his life’s goal. He got so carried away that he was hit by a truck in his past life.
Before you say, “Not another isekai,” reserve your judgment. What makes Cid fun to watch is his raging god complex about becoming the strongest person in his universe who does good in the shadows.
1. My Hero Academia
With predetermined powers, desperate heroes, and a world teeming with supervillains, My Hero Academia follows a boy named Izuku Midoriya, who was born without powers. He meets his favorite hero, All Might, and is chosen to become his successor.
Izuku has to work harder than most of his peers who were born with a superpower-bestowing “quirk,” and My Hero Academia is the story of how he becomes the number one hero. We haven’t reached the end of Izuku’s story yet, but it might be a good one.
(featured image: A-1 Pictures)
