The best Isekai Manhwa where villains are reincarnated as heroes

Summary

• Former villains turned heroes in isekai manhwa create unexpected twists.

• Stories that Reincarnation standard & The villain lives twice are worth reading.

• Solo Leveling follows Sung Jin-woo's thrilling journey of death and rebirth.

Isekai manhwa is often criticized for following the same old formula of a hero reincarnating in another world. But what happens when a former villain reincarnates as the hero chosen to defend the world? It's definitely an unexpected twist and a recipe for disaster if not handled carefully.

So we have selected some stories worth reading where the hero of the story is in truth a reincarnated villain. This ranked list highlights five of the best series about a villain who turns to the bright side for once (sort of) and reforms themselves as they gain a new perspective on life. Family, friends, lovers and even the occasional animal companion are all present in these comics. Let's take a look at these isekai manhwa featuring unlikely villains turned heroes.

5

Reincarnation standard

Reincarnating as the son of his rival family is perfect for him

• Genre: Adventure, Shonen, Dark Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Action, Reincarnation
• Author: Ilhwang
• Artist: Ramwoo

This story begins with the death of the one-armed devil and at the hands of the Samion family. The devil was an outlaw and enemy of the kingdom who tried to murder his entire family for rejecting him. After being killed, he is summoned by the spirit of a boy named Vincent Adenca, son of a rival family to the royal lineage.

He will occupy Vincent's body, and he will become a guardian, an earlier stage of ascension to divinity. Together, they plan to resume their plans for revenge against both families who rejected them for being “weak”. So, the story of two villains inhabiting a single body begins, but as things turn out, they become the heroes of this story.

4

Year 66666: Rise of the Dark Mage

The devil you know wears the face of an innocent child

• Genre: Action, Dark Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery, School Life, Drama
• Author: Hwabong
• Artists: Taru

Diablo Volpir is the name of an ancient dark sorcerer who ascended to godhood and challenged the gods, trying to overthrow them and free humanity from their evil power play. Because he was too strong to be killed, all the gods gathered their forces to banish him, but they could only hold back his power for 66666 years. After that time, the dimension holding him in check collapses and Diablo is free. Only he doesn't descend upon the world like his former self. Instead, his soul reincarnates into the body of a young nobleman: Jamie Welton.

The heir to the prestigious Welton family is quickly regarded as an emissary of the gods, as he receives the blessing of one of the goddesses he most despised, an interesting proposition he cannot refuse: To help her rid the world of other gods. Now the former villain turned hero will gather allies (past and new) in a crusade to destroy the corrupt deities once and for all.

3

Solo Leveling

An ancient being from beyond Earth fuses its soul with a promising hunter

• Genre: Action, Dark Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery, Reverse Isekai
• Author: Chu-Gong
• Artists: Gi So-Ryeong, Jang Sung-Rak

The story of Sung Jin-woo and how he died, and how his soul merged with one of the worst “villains” in the universe, is quite intriguing. Destined to become the new Shadow Monarch, this hero shows a brutal demeanor, killing his enemies and raising them from the grave to do his bidding. Solo Leveling is both a powerful tale of death and rebirth and an action-packed adventure in which heroes from our world try to fend off an extradimensional invasion that emerges from some mysterious “portals”.

As with many Urban Fantasy stories, this reverse isekai manhwa features “awakened” superhumans called Hunters, who form an association and rank their members from D (lowest) to S (highest). At first, Jin-woo is ranked D, and at the bottom of the tier. However, as the story progresses, he quickly rises through the ranks to become a powerful Necromancer who wields both blade and dark magic.

2

FFF class Trashero

A villainous hero is redeemed through an infinite loop and then falls again

• Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Shounen, Isekai
• Author: Farnar (Art and Story)
• Status: Complete

Kang Han Soo, a hero called against his will, is evil and has a less than heroic attitude. But no one can question his results, as he managed to kill the Demon Lord. The bad part is that he brutally sacrificed his entire team, so the goddess condemns him to repeat the cycle in an infinite loop until he receives her approval.

This is the story of a villainous character who becomes a true hero, only to realize that to become the hero the world needs, he must become the next demon lord. An endless cycle of misadventure awaits any reader who picks up this wicked manhwa, with heavy doses of dark comedy.

1

The villain lives twice

She gets a second chance to fix her mistakes

• Genres: Romance, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Shoujo, Isekai, Reincarnation
• Author: Mint
• Status: PEACHBERRY

Artezia, the most villainous child of the nobility, is reincarnated and offered a second chance. She decides to turn away from her old misdeeds and come to the aid of the hero and help him bring peace to a kingdom full of war, political conspiracies and the suffering of the “lesser people”.

This story that follows the concept noblesse obligè through the eyes of a former villain turned heroine of history. It's a good read, with many heartwarming moments, some spicy romance scenes, and plenty of action and adventure.