Solo Leveling (IMDb rating as of August 30, 2026: 8.5/10) is loved worldwide. A-1 Pictures gave it genuinely stunning animation, especially in the fight scenes, and Sung Jinwoo’s arc from weakest hunter alive to unstoppable Shadow Monarch hit that perfect power fantasy sweet spot.
On top of that, it landed at the exact moment manhwa adaptations started getting real budgets, so it felt like a genre-defining event, not just another power fantasy anime. Naturally, every studio wanted their own Solo Leveling. A wave of “weak-to-strong protagonist” anime followed, hoping to ride that same wave.
Here are 5 that tried and couldn’t quite match the hype of Solo Leveling.
1. Tomb Raider King
Credit: Studio Eek
Credit: Studio Eek
Credit: Studio Eek
The source manhwa for Tomb Raider King had it all: a betrayed protagonist, a second chance at power, and a world where the protagonist can actually grow stronger. But the tone never matches the premise. Critics of this anime have pointed out that it can’t find any fun or whimsy in its own fantastical setup, and the lead comes off unlikable right out of the gate, as he is, according to critics, too smug.
Even worse, since Jooheon already knows what’s coming, a lot of the tension just isn’t there. This wasn’t the case for Jinwoo. In fact, his second chance at life felt earned, as he sacrificed himself, but that is not the case for Jooheon.
2. Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells
Touka from Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells | Credit: Seven Arcs
This one follows the same concept of Solo Leveling where an E-rank character turns out to be secretly broken, but the execution of the entire premise is just not good. This anime is full of clunky CGI monsters, stiff and poorly choreographed fights, and characters that never feel like they have anything going on emotionally.
While the same can be said about Solo Leveling, which gets a lot of criticism for not focusing on anyone other than Jinwoo, that anime is at least saved by its animations. Jinwoo’s fights hit hard because you cared about him and wanted him to win. Here, the action just doesn’t land the same way, no matter how strong the main character gets.
3. My Instant Death Ability is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me!
Yogiri from My Instant Death Ability is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! | Credit: Okuruto Noboru
This anime is similar to Solo Leveling when you compare the protagonists and how both win every fight they encounter. Sung Jinwoo’s power ceiling meant something because we first watched him struggle against even the weakest monsters. This anime, however, skips that step. The protagonist starts untouchable and stays that way.
With no earned struggle, there’s no tension either, and the focus never pivots to the supporting cast to compensate (something that The Beginning After the End did). This anime does get real credit for being self-aware and genuinely funny about its own premise. But that charm can’t substitute for stakes the anime never bothered building in the first place.
4. The Beginning After the End
Arthur from The Beginning After the End | Credit: Studio A-CAT
The Beginning After the End had some real potential to even surpass Solo Leveling. The reason is that the original source for this anime, the English webnovel of the same name by TurtleMe, had everything Solo Leveling did not: a protagonist that gets real character depth, a bunch of side characters you end up caring about, and a world that doesn’t feel stiff.
However, it ended up becoming a victim of poor anime adaptation, where it seemed like the studio simply did not care. When this anime was airing, there were a lot of memes about how the manhwa had more panels for a fight than the frames in the anime.
5. Jack-of-All-Trades, Party of None
Orhun from Jack-of-All-Trades, Party of None | Credit: animation studio42
Jack-of-All-Trades, Party of None could have been really amazing. It’s a competent kicked-out-of-the-party fantasy anime, but by the end of the season, the anime failed in many ways. For example, the anime simply does not live up to its name, as the protagonist keeps spamming the same skills again and again.
Furthermore, the anime suffered from bad animation as well. One of the worst moments in the entire anime was when a fight was being hyped up for 2 episodes, but the anime decided that we are not even going to show that.
Which of these anime do you think can rival Solo Leveling with a well-made sequel? Let us know in the comments.
Solo Leveling is streaming on Crunchyroll
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
