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 disadvantageous 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 on 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.

Updated May 6, 2025 by Mark Sammut: Solo Leveling season 2 was the best anime of Winter 2025, and it will likely also go down as one of the year’s greatest shows. However, the industry never sleeps, and Spring 2025 has been airing new shows for roughly a month. While most of the lineups’ offerings might struggle to hit the marks as anime like Solo Leveling, one series might be able to get the job done.

Spring 2025 Anime That Solo Leveling Fans Should Watch

Solo Leveling enjoyed a highly successful second season that firmly established it among the best action anime of the 2020s so far. Although a continuation certainly seems to be on the cards, confirmation of a sequel has yet to come, so fans should keep expectations in check until season 3 becomes official. Until then, they might wish to check out a few seasonal anime that might be able to fill the void left by Sung Jinwoo’s absence, a feat that is (admittedly) easier said than done. Consequently, let’s highlight a Spring 2025 series that has the best chance to serve as an enjoyable alternative to Solo Leveling.

To Be Hero X

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 than 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 classifcation.

1

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.

2

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.

3

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.

4

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.

5

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.

7

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.

8

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.

9

One Piece

The Exciting Tale of an Ambitious Pirate’s Quest for Greatness

Eiichiro Oda’s magnum opus, One Piece, captures the exciting journey of Monkey D. Luffy to find the eponymous treasure and become the King of the Pirates. His venturous spirit and unwavering determination shape his epic quest for glory, freedom, dreams, and friendship. Although One Piece is primarily adventure-focused, its complex worldbuilding and unique power system will appeal to Solo Leveling fans.

Furthermore, both anime share thematic parallels such as ambition, personal growth, friendship, challenging authority, and defying the status quo. Like Solo Leveling, One Piece features countless epic fight scenes that have left an indelible mark on the anime world.

10

One Punch Man

Arguably the Best Action Anime of All Time

Saitama always dreamt of becoming a hero from a young age, so in pursuit of his lifelong ambition, he trained for three years. He became so powerful in the process that he seemed almost invincible to any villain. Soon the thrill of battle became monotonous and unexciting to Saitama. But his life took a dramatic turn as he met the 19-year-old cyborg Genos, who recognized his talent and convinced him to join the Hero Association with him.

I’m just a guy who’s a hero for fun

One Punch Man follows Saitama as he chases the lost excitement of fighting his adversaries while making friends and enemies along the way. As you may have already noticed, Saitama’s dramatic personal transformation and the accompanying inner conflict are quite comparable to the experiences of Sung Jin-Woo. One Punch Man may have a relatively lighthearted premise but Solo Leveling fans will enjoy the action-packed fight sequences, which rival those in their favourite show.