Goodbye Jinwoo, Anime's newest Summoner takes over the Winter 2026 season

Solo Leveling's Sung Jinwoo is one of the strongest summoners in anime of all time. His skill in Shadow Extraction earned him loyal and elite shadows who are always ready to fight on his behalf. Other summoners enter Solo Leveling can only dream of using such a powerful ability, as their mana and magic output is nowhere near the level of power Sung Jinwoo has at his disposal.

However, Sung Jinwoo's summoning career is on hiatus, as Solo Leveling Season 3 is still unconfirmed. Fortunately, the Winter 2026 anime season introduces Allen, a new summoner in the upcoming isekai and fantasy anime called HELL MODE: The hardcore player dominates in another world of junk balancing. It's time to welcome Allen and see how he takes advantage of his summoner class in another world!

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Solo Leveling: 21 Strongest Characters in Manhwa, Ranked

From the absolute essence of Sung Jin-Woo, Shadow Monarch, Solo Leveling has remarkably powerful characters.

HELL MODE: The hardcore player dominates in another world has a Summoner protagonist as Solo Leveling's Jinwoo

A Winter Isekai Anime with an OP Summoner Protagonist

solo leveling jinwoo and hell mode anime allen

HELL MODE: The Hardcore Gamer anime has a summoner as its main character.
Jinwoo summons shadows, while Allen summons magical monstrosities.

One of the reasons why Solo Leveling is so popular among other modern power fantasy anime is the existence of a summoner like Sung Jinwoo. Specifically, Jinwoo is of the necromancer class, but he is technically a summoner that summons shadows on the battlefield mostly for combat purposes. His summoned shadows are far superior to other S-rank hunters in the series, and they only disappear if he drains or depletes his mana.

Unfortunately, as much as fans would love to see Sung Jinwoo summon his new shadows in Solo Leveling Season 3, neither the production committee nor the series creator have confirmed the adaptation. For now, anime fans will have to settle for a new show to watch in the 2026 winter season to fill the void left by Solo Leveling and Sung Jinwoo.

Introducing HELL MODE: The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World, also known as Hell Mode: Yarikomizuki no playeran isekai and fantasy anime that has a summoner as its main character. While Jinwoo summons shadows, Allen, formerly known as Kenichi Yamada in his past life, summons magical beasts to aid him in everything he does!

HELL MODE: The hardcore player dominates in another world and Solo Leveling contains video game elements

HELL MODE is Allen's True Gamer Test

hell mode hardcore gamer anime allen summoner

As fans know, Solo Leveling thrives on its simple but straightforward power system, designed like a video game. The system controls Sung Jinwoo's growth for most of the series, preparing his body to inherit the Shadow Monarch's powers. The Architect of the System deliberately designed the system with video game mechanics for Jinwoo's convenience.

In the meantime, HELL MODE: The hardcore player dominates in another world has MMORPG at its core, with Allen being an avid gamer. He was once a 35-year-old salaryman who spent his time completing MMORPGs until he decided to challenge the “Hell Mode” difficulty in an endless game. Just like any regular isekai and fantasy anime with video game elements, HELL MODE is full of game-like mechanics that will guide Allen on his long and difficult journey.

Still, between Solo Leveling and HELL MODE, the former is still a top contender in the genre. Time and time again, Solo Leveling proved how incredible the series was, from the coolest main character to the intense fights with high-quality animation.

HELL MODE: The Hardcore Gamer Dominates Another World Episode 1 Release Date

Where to watch HELL MODE: The hardcore player dominates in another world

While most shows of the 2026 winter anime season are headed to Crunchyroll, HELL MODE: The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World Episode 1 is coming to HIDIVE on January 9, 2026, at 11:35am EST/8:35am PT. As usual, the anime will be released with the original Japanese dub and English subtitles.

For other international regions, fans can watch HELL MODE: The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World Episode 1 on Animation Digital Network and ANIPLUS. Although there is no news about Solo Leveling Season 3, anime fans can enjoy HELL MODE: The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World this winter season!