10 Best Anime Like ‘Solo Leveling’ & Why You Should Watch Them
Solo Leveling is a South Korean novel series written by Chugong and published online at KakaoPage, before being published by D&C Media under its Papyrus publishing imprint. The series consists of 14 volumes and 270 chapters. A webtoon adaptation comprising 179 chapters was completed on December 29, 2021. An anime television series adaptation by A-1 Pictures was also announced, set to premiere in January 2024. Now, while we’re eagerly awaiting the upcoming anime series, we decided that we should warm you up with a list that we think you’ll thoroughly enjoy.
In this article, we are going to bring you a list of the 10 best anime series similar to Solo Leveling that you definitely need to check out and that you will definitely enjoy.
1. Fate series
What it’s about: The entire franchise basically revolves around the adventures of Shirou Emiya, a teenage girl who gets drawn into the deadly game known as the Fifth Holy Grail War and has to navigate through several game worlds in order to prevail and return to normal.
Why you should watch it: As far as the Fate franchise is concerned, you will certainly have some initial problems with grasping the structure, but once you do, we promise – you’ll love the series.
2. OVERLORD
What it’s about: The hugely popular online role-playing game Yggdrasil is poised to close down permanently after 12 years of operation, which will set the stage for the events of OVERLORD. The main character, Momonga, struggles to accept that life in “reality” has no meaning for him and that he has no family, friends, or a lover. He is the captain of the Ainz Ooal Gown guild, which is composed solely of “non-human” characters and has the “Great Tomb of Nazarick” as its headquarters. The guild is ranked among the top ten best in the game.
Why you should watch it: The OVERLORD anime is still active, and it is one of the most popular isekai titles out there. The concept is not completely identical to Solo Leveling, but there are enough shared elements for you to love it.
3. Hunter×Hunter
What it’s about: Gon, who has always believed that his parents have died away, finds out one day that his father is still alive and has become one of the greatest hunters thanks to Kite, his father’s apprentice. He is now acknowledged as a member of the elite, capable of searching for people, rare animals, and even hidden riches. Motivated by this insight, Gon decides to leave his home and join up for the Hunter Exam, a series of exercises intended to evaluate a candidate’s ability, cooperation, and survival.
Why you should watch it: The Hunter×Hunter anime is like the manga – a mess, but the story of Gon and his endeavors to become the strongest Monster Hunter in the series is something that Solo Leveling fans will probably enjoy.
4. Jujutsu Kaisen
What it’s about: The world of Jujutsu Kaisen is one in which people create curses using their negative feelings. Facilities like schools and hospitals that are heavily invested in these feelings are protected by a relic, or a receptacle of a curse, because humans can only overcome curses with more force. These are invisible to people except for a select few, such as jujutsu sorcerers. The sorcerer’s job is to lift the curses and protect the people from them, but there are risks because these disasters might have different power levels.
Why you should watch it: Aside from its popularity, great characters, brilliant animation, and a thrilling plot, do we really need a reason to watch Jujutsu Kaisen? Although not identical to Solo Leveling, the anime will definitely see you fall in love with it.
5. RWBY
What it’s about: The show takes place in the made-up planet of Remnant, where teenagers are taught to hunt Grimms, or creatures of the night, by Beacon Academy. According to old traditions, during their disastrous battle with the adversary, humanity found the energy source known as Dust. They can make weapons and cast spells that work against Grimm’s creatures thanks to this power source. Since then, dust has played a crucial role in the advancement of humanity on Remnant.
Why you should watch it: RWBY might be the odd one out for some fans of the series, while it does have a specific animation style and is not a major title, it can still provide you with a lot of fun, so we listed it here to give it a small push.
6. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
What it’s about: If he could have had a partner, 37-year-old salaryman from Tokyo Satoru Mikami would have been happy enough with his boring life. Panic breaks out on the sidewalk as a psychotic individual with a knife rushes through the crowd. He meets up with his younger brother in the street, who introduces him to his fiancée. In an attempt to save the marriage, Satoru steps in and ends up being stabbed in his back. His “last words” are analyzed by a “voice” who listens to him in his agony and reflects momentarily on himself.
Why you should watch it: That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime has become an isekai classic in a very short period of time, and sure – it might not be identical to Solo Leveling – but the isekai aspect is definitely something that you’ll love.
7. Sword Art Online
What it’s about: Sword Art Online, a popular VRMMORPG, is a virtual reality massively multiplayer online role-playing game that was recently published in the year 2022. This is the setting for the Sword Art Online series. There, gamers can operate their avatars in the same way they would their physical bodies by donning the NerveGear virtual reality headset, which stimulates the brain in addition to the five senses. Still, many find that they are unable to quit the game.
Why you should watch it: Sword Art Online, or SAO for short, is also an enormously popular isekai title that has a lot in common with Solo Leveling, so we’re definitely sure that you’ll enjoy it thoroughly.
8. Darker than Black
What it’s about: A decade ago, Tokyo witnessed the arrival of an enigmatic site known as Hell’s Gate, which altered the sky and devastated the surrounding neighborhood. The heavenly bodies disappeared and were replaced with fake ones. Not too much time passes before we find out about the existence of individuals with magical talents called “pactisants”. Today, an enormous wall is being built to prevent people from entering Hell’s Gate.
Why you should watch it: Although not a major anime title, Darker than Black has become a cult classic that everyone will enjoy. The characters are great and the urban fantasy setting is something you’ll definitely love.
9. Devil May Cry
What it’s about: Two millennia ago, when the demons’ incursion into the human world from their world threatened humanity. However, Sparda—a demon himself—turned on them, engaged in combat, and shut the entrance to the world of demons. Although the danger has passed, demons are still present in the realm of humans. Dante, the son of Sparda, is the owner of Devil May Cry, a company where he executes demon-killing orders.
Why you should watch it: Well, Devil May Cry might not have that isekai element you’re looking for, but it is based on a video game series and features an individual slaying monsters and demons. What more could we ask for?
10. Chainsaw Man
What it’s about: The world in which Chainsaw Man takes place is one in which demonic forces arise from human concerns, their malevolence being correlated with the degree of those anxieties. Humans are able to control demon powers through contracts, and trained people called demon hunters hunt and use these animals. With the help of the Hell Devil, Devils are always in a state of eternal rotation between Earth and Hell. In Hell, some extremely strong demons called Primal Fears never lose.
Why you should watch it: Okay, this is a bit of a stretch, but just like Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man does share some common elements with Solo Leveling, and since the series is incredibly popular, we thought you might enjoy it.
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!