Best manhwa where the main character breaks the power system

Summary

• Over-the-top protagonists break power scales in Manhwa.

• Protagonists wreak havoc and a shift in hierarchy.

• Incredible battles spice up stories for fans.

Manhwa with exaggerated protagonists often use the tropes of going “off the chart” or “breaking the scales of power”, and this often changes the hierarchy among superhumans, causing constant conflict and incidents. But it also leads to incredible fight scenes that spice up the story, and that's great for fans of big fight scenes.

This list spotlights Manhwa where the main character breaks the power system and transcends the limits of what humanity has determined to be “the strongest” and climb to the top of the food chain as the most powerful mortals.

6

The Knight King who returned with a god

There is no mortal or demon above him in terms of power – only the gods

• Genres: Dark fantasy, action, comedy, reverse isekai, drama
• Author: Salam Sallyeo
• Artist: Jeoncheon Huma Geomsa

This is one of those polarizing Isekai Manhwa where the main characters are so broken and mean they should qualify as villains. But as things turn out, the gods have determined that Leon is the savior of mankind, no matter how ruthless, cruel or prejudiced he may be.

His judgment seems to be almost always right, and he has a third eye to spot heretics, evildoers, and demon points in disguise. But the most incredible thing about this protagonist is that the second he descends on earth, the entire Awakener (Superhuman) association in Korea is turned upside down. Up until that moment, they had a very balanced power system (with S being the max rank), but Leon's arrival completely breaks the scale and turns them all into “inferior beings”.

5

Villain to kill

From S-Rank Hero to Disaster Class Villain and beyond

• Genre: Dystopian, action, martial arts, urban fantasy
• Author: Whoops
• Artist: Eunji

In his first life as Cassian Lee, the protagonist of this action Manhwa was qualified as S rank+, a title that not all Psyker (Hero) get from the association. Thus, he was marked as a threat to the balance of power and framed for the murder of another powerful hero (and his best friend). When the Elimination Squad was sent to ambush and kill him, he swore revenge even as life abandoned him.

But when he woke up in a stranger's body and found himself accompanied by a strange spirit called Mobos, he quickly figured out that he was now a villain – and a disaster class one at that (the highest among ordinary villains). However, as the story progresses, he undergoes several power-ups, until he finally breaks the scales of power and begins to be marked as one of the most dangerous villains, even defeating The Money King, one of the Four Evil Monarchs.

4

Solo section

S-rank was never enough for Sung Jin-woo

• Genres: Action, Fantasy, Adventure, Shōnen, and System-Based (LITRPG).
• Author: Chugong
• Artist: Jang Sung-Rak (Dubu) Redice Studio.

Sung Jin-Woo is perhaps one of the best examples of protagonists breaking the balance of power in their own worlds. A hunter who went from the lowest of the D-rank to breaking the umbrella at the top S-rank and becoming a one-man army and successor (or reincarnation) of the Shadow Monarch.

His powers are almost limited, and his mere presence can make some of the less prepared S-rank hunters shake in despair. Throughout the Manhwa (and even in its sequel), Sung Jin-Woo becomes god-like and fights to protect Earth from the most powerful beings in the universe.

3

The beginning after the end

His appearance in Dicathen completely changed the balance of power

• Genre: Isekai, action, drama, fantasy, sword and sorcery
• Author: Turtle
• Artist: Fuyuki23

King Gray was already powerful when he died, betrayed by the people he trusted the most, but when he reincarnated on the continent of Dicathen, in a fantasy world where magic and sorcery are common, he decided to change to a new perspective of life. Surrounded by people he could call a family, he was nurtured and given the freedom to experience magic and grow as a powerful wizard.

Combining the knowledge of his past life, Arthur Leywyn broke the mold, surpassing every magic of his generation and becoming the only mortal powerful enough to be trained by the Asura, a godlike race similar to angels, who can also take the form of Dragons. So he definitely raised the stakes of the story and forced other characters to overcome themselves and follow in his footsteps.

2

Dragon devouring magic

He broke the power system the second he finished his studies

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

Russel Raymond is one of those individuals who grows more and more powerful after each battle scene, and if readers consider that this person turned back time and managed to obtain a family heirloom that activated his draconic lineage, it makes sense.

From the moment he entered the academy after going back in time to his younger self, students and teachers alike knew he was completely broken. His powers surpassed those of his graduating class, and he was quickly recruited into the Red Tower (one of the most prestigious magical societies in the Empire). His mastery of fire magic and draconic magic makes him outclass any other archmage or battleMage alive.

1

Infinite belly

Shirone has transcended humanity and rejected divinity

• Genre: Fantasy, Magic, Comedy, Action, Drama, School Life, Sword and Sorcery, Mystery
• Author: Kim Chiwoo
• Artist: Redice Studio

When Arian Shirone became a late blooming apprentice at the academy, everyone mocked him for his humble origins and not knowing the basics of spells. However, when he developed his own characteristic spirit zone (Mana Field) and his calculation ability exceeded that of Eruki, the top student in the academy, it was clear that a new era had begun.

His power became even more evident during the Academy Invasion Arc, when Arian defended his colleagues from certain death, resisted the attacking arc and transcended the barrier of mortality. He appeared to have died, but he was actually in a stasis-like sleep while he transitioned into divinity, guided by a former human who had also overcome mortality. But in the end, Shirone decides to go back to his friends. After all, it is the most valuable thing he has, even more so than his infinite power.