15 Manga/ Manhwa that are better than Solo Leveling

Are you a fan of Solo Leveling but looking for some manga that might exceed its greatness? Look no further! We’ve compiled a list of 15 manhwa that are simply better than Solo Leveling in different ways, from character development to storylines to unique art styles.

While Solo Leveling has its undeniable appeal, there are many other manga out there that are equally, if not more, captivating. So, sit back and get ready to discover some new favourites that will take your manga experience to the next level.

For many of us, Solo Leveling is not just a manga/manhwa; it is an emotion. For many of us, it was our first webtoon and an introduction to the vast world of Korean and Chinese comics. Most love it, and some hate it, but you just can’t ignore it.

Many manhwa will come and go, but none will have the global impact and relevance of Solo Leveling.

That being said, the series is far from perfect. Not only it is highly predictable and formulaic, but the characters, especially the side characters, aren’t as well developed as those from other manga. Solo Leveling may be one of the most popular webtoon of all time, but when it comes down to it, it is far from being the best of all time.

So here are 15 manhwa that excels in areas that Solo Leveling does not.

Also read:10 Best Ongoing Ecchi Manga to read in 2023

1. Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint

• Author and Artist: sing N song, UMI, Studio REDICE, Sleepy-C
• Status: Ongoing

Synopsis:

“Omniscient Reader Viewpoint” is a highly popular manhwa and web novel in Korea, known for its gripping storyline and epic artistic style. The novel was exceedingly popular in the Korean webnovel reader community, exceeding 26 million views, the highest a novel has ever achieved and is still the most-read novel in Korea above the likes of Solo Leveling.

The story follows, Kim Dokja, an average office worker who discovers that the events of his favourite web novel he has been following for a decade, “Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse,” have suddenly become reality.

Using his unique knowledge of the story, Dokja allies with the protagonist of the novel, Yoo Joonghyuk, in an effort to change the course of events to quickly approach the end of the story and bring an end to the apocalypse.

As they progress through the scenarios, they face intense threats and challenges, striving to survive and defeat the Spectators who demand their suffering. With breathtaking artwork by Studio REDICE, “Omniscient Reader Viewpoint” is a must-read for fans of thrilling and action-packed storylines.

2. SSS-Class Suicide Hunter

• Author and Artist: Shin Noah, Neida and Bill K
• Status: Ongoing

Synopsis:

The story takes place in a mysterious tower where our main character Gong-ja lives a mundane existence, envying all the top star hunters. Suddenly, he is granted a unique skill that lets him copy others’ abilities at the cost of his life.

Before he understands it well, he is killed by the No. 1 Hunter, The Flame Emperor. When he wakes up he finds himself in his room 24 hours back in time. 

Gong-ja uses his new ability to travel back in time by continuously killing himself when Flame Emperor was a rookie to take his revenge.

3. Player Who Returned 10,000 Years Later

• Author and Artist: Butterfly Valley, Maeng JuKyung, Team 4PLAYER
• Status: Ongoing

Synopsis:

Our story begins with Oh Kangwoo who for the past 10,000 years has been fighting battles in the Nine Hells. He‘s devoured tens and hundreds of thousands of demons, even the nine kings of Baals using the power of gluttony granting him the title of the Apex Demon King.

But now he is tired of it, the scenery, the slaughter and no one to make with love except the ugly-looking Lilith have made him sick of life. Using all his strength he turns back the flow of time and returns to Earth after 10,000 years and the first thing he does is save a girl from a horde of goblins and instantly asks her to marry him.

4. The Return of the Disaster-Class Hero

• Author and Artist: Sanji Jiksong, Lee, Beomgeun, Studio Redice
• Status: Ongoing

Synopsis:

Out of nowhere unknown monsters called ‘Calamities’ appeared on Earth causing destruction and massacre.  To challenge these calamities, the zodiac gods chose 12 humans known as saints and blessed them with their power.

However, another one awoke, the unchosen thirteenth saint, Lee Geon. Despite not being chosen as a saint by any god, he emerged as the most powerful of them all, making him a Hero.

However, while fighting the Crimson Eyes, Lee Geon is betrayed by his own allies and is left to die inside the Tower of Demons.

But he continues to fight and after 20 years he emerges out of the tower stronger than ever and is ready to teach his fellow “saints” a lesson they’ll never forget.

5. The Beginning After the End

• Author and Artist: Fuyuki23, Turtleme
• Status: Ongoing

Synopsis:

The Beginning After the End in short known as TBATE is right now the most popular webtoon since The Solo Levelling ended. Its story begins with the mighty King Grey waking up as a newborn baby named Arthur Leywin.

He realizes that someone probably assassinated him and he has reincarnated into a new family, who resides on a continent called Dicathen.

After being given a chance at a new life, Arthur decides to live his life differently than before—he was going to be loved and supported by friends and family.

As the story progresses, the readers join Arthur on his journey in the new world, as he faces challenges, and gains power.

6. Eleceed

Author and Artist: Son Jae Ho, Zhena

Status: Ongoing

Chapters: 220+

Synopsis:

Jiwoo is a kind-hearted high schooler who loves cats and is able to harness the lightning-quick reflexes of a cat. He uses his power to secretly make the world a better place by helping whoever he can.

Meanwhile, Kayden is top-tier awakened and a secret agent on the run who finds himself stuck inside the body of a fat old fluffy street cat. Their fateful encounter helps Jiwoo Seo discover that he is an Awakener and there are even more people just like him who also have abilities.

After hiding his powers for most of his life, his coincidental encounter with Kayden introduces him to a new world with different rules.

However, this new world is also dangerous, follow Jiwoo as he tries to survive and get stronger under the tutelage of Kayden. Eleceed is a Manhwa written by Son Jae Ho, the author of the famous Noblesse series and illustrated by Zhena, the author of Girls of the wilds.

It is currently the highest-rated series on webtoon with a rating of 9.94 and has spawned a huge community of fans around the world.

7. Teenage Mercenary

• Author and Artist: YC, Rakhyun
• Status: Ongoing

Synopsis:

When he was eight years old, Yu Ijin was the sole survivor of a fiery plane crash in an unknown land. In order to survive, he became a notorious mercenary—honing his arm-to-arm capabilities, marksmanship, and combat prowess into those of a skilled predator.

However, 10 years later, after encountering soldiers deployed from South Korea, he rediscovers his remaining family: an adorable little sister named Dayun and a warm-hearted grandfather.

Upon returning to his home country, Ijin is presented with a brand new opportunity — to live the life of a typical high school student.

From scheming bullies to newfound friendships, every experience is new for Ijin. This is Ijin trying to make it through the Highschool battleground.

8. Tower of God

• Author and Artist: SIU
• Status: Ongoing

Synopsis:

The Tower of God follows the story of a young man named Twenty-Fifth Baam, who enters a mysterious tower in search of his best friend, Rachel. As Baam ascends the tower, he meets a diverse cast of characters, including other climbers with their own motivations for reaching the top, as well as mysterious beings known as “Regulars.”

Along the way, Baam discovers that the tower is full of secrets and dangers and that there is more at stake than just reaching the top. He must also confront his past and the power he possesses within himself.

Tower of God is the One Piece of the Manhwa industry, being one of the oldest ongoing manhwa started back in 2010. It is a story that is rich in world-building, lore, action scenes, well-written characters, and their dynamics and is full of mysteries which continuous to captivate millions of fans around the world.

Moreover, it is the first webtoon the receive an anime adaptation which aired in 2020 and due to its immediate success already has a second season in work.

So you can either the first watch the anime which covers the entirety of manhwa’s first season and then hop on to reading it from season 2 or directly start from chapter 1.

Well, it’s up to you but I think you should give the anime a try since it’s animated by Telecom Animations and features music by Kevin Penkin, the talent behind Made in Abyss’s.

9. The Legend of the Northern Blade

• Author and Artist: Ugak, Haemin 
• Status: Ongoing

Synopsis:

When the world was plunged into darkness by the ‘Silent Night’, Martial Artists from all over the place gathered to form the ‘Northern Heavenly Sect’. With overwhelming strength from the Northern Heavenly Sect, the Silent Night was pushed away and the people began to enjoy peace once more.

However, as time passed the martial artists from the mainland began to conspire against the ‘Northern Heavenly Sect’, and eventually caused the death of the Fourth Generation Sect Leader, Jin Kwan-Ho, destroying the sect with it.

As everyone left the sect, Jin Kwan-Ho’s only son, Jin Mu-Won was left behind. Mu-Won has never learned anything about martial arts, but he eventually finds the Martial Techniques secretly left behind by his father and begins to acquire the martial arts of the Northern Heavenly Sect. Then one day, a mysterious girl appears before Mu-Won who holds the key to a big change.

10. Doom Breaker/ Reincarnation of the Suicidal Battle God

• Author and Artist: Blue-Deep
• Status: Ongoing

Synopsis:

The final human, the greatest warrior on Earth, is defeated in his last stand against the Demon Lord, yet is given a second chance by the gods to go back ten years before the world’s end.

“I’ll pummel them all; the Demon Lord who took everything from me, and the gods who observed it all as entertainment!”

Zephyr is the last human fighting evil in a world abandoned by the gods. When he is killed in battle by Tartarus, the god of destruction, all hope for humanity seems lost.

But Zephyr’s fate is not sealed — the gods who find his battles entertaining have gifted him a second chance at life, as he is sent ten years into the past, back to when he was a slave instead of the most powerful human alive. 

This is Zephyr’s journey against the world’s end and save the woman he loves.

11. Existence

• Author and Artist: GwangJin, Kim Kyeong-jun
• Status: Ongoing

Synopsis:

This is fairly a new manga with only 30 chapters, but I can confidently say that it will be the best manhwa you’ll ever read. It’s not the typical style you see in most other manhwas. It has its own unique personality to it that just draws you in.

The story follows the journey of a being who is born to eradicate mankind, but as he meets different faces of humanity, he learns about unconditional love, ambition, and selflessness. The story touches the heart in a way that’s hard to describe.

One day he was an ant marching along the group, the other day a bird soaring the sky, another day a fish swimming in a river and other day a large dinosaur. This is the story of a soul who has gone through countless reincarnations as various lifeforms and faced death multiple times.

But over all the thousands of years of his existence, the one species he has hated the most are the Humans, the evils of Earth who kills others out of joy.

Upon his last reincarnation, he is born as a human with the power of every single lifeform he had ever been. Wondering why he has been given this gift, he realizes his ultimate goal:

“I exist to eradicate mankind.”

12. The Swordmaster’s Youngest Son

• Author and Artist: Emperor Penguin, AZI, Lee Je-Won
• Status: Ongoing

Synopsis:

Jin Runcandel is the youngest son of the greatest Swordmaster Runcandel who was destined to become the best of all from a young age after choosing the legendary sword Barisada. and bathe in success and glory.

But as fate turns out he had no talent for swordsmanship. Despite his continuous efforts he couldn’t wield it properly and was ridiculed by his siblings.

Ultimately at age 23 he was expelled from his clan and left to wander with no destination. Soon he meets his master and discovers his talent for magic, an act forbidden in his clan.

During one of his magic ceremonies, he meets the god Solderet, the master of all shadows and discovers that a curse has been put on since young age making him incapable of using his sword talent.

The god Solderet proposes a contract which he accepts making him the first Magic Swordsman of his clan but he soon dies within the next moment in an attack by unknown enemies. But the gods give him a second chance as he awakens as a baby standing right in front of the magical swords.

13. I’m the Max-Level Newbie

• Author and Artist: Maslow, WAN.Z, Swing Bat, Studio Redice
• Status: Ongoing

Synopsis:

Kang Jinhyeok is a gaming streamer and a hardcore fan of the game “Tower of Trials”. He is the only person to ever clear the game and saw its ending. However, as the game’s popularity declines, it becomes increasingly difficult for him to continue making a living as a content creator. 

So he decides to end his 11-year-long relationship with the game and end his streaming career. But on that very day, the Tower of Trials turns into reality with a dire message flashing: humanity will perish unless the first floor is cleared within 90 days.

Armed with his extensive knowledge of the game, Jinhyeok rises to the challenge and sets out to conquer the Tower of Trials and save the world.

It’s time to show the world what a True Pro looks like.

14. Reaper of the Drifting Moon

• Author and Artist: Mogin, Woo-Gak, Inkyo
• Status: Ongoing

Synopsis:

Pyo Wol was an orphan with nowhere to call home, wandering the lands until fate led him to a strange encounter with a mysterious figure and lost consciousness. When he wakes up, he finds himself in a dark, confined space with only one iron door for an exit.

Wol survives the next several gruelling months, trying to keep a cool head and stay in shape. When the iron door finally opens, he discovers he’s not the only one in this miserable situation.

A group of masked people has kidnapped 300 children to train them into human weapons. Wol now must fight and kill the others, as only a handful of the strongest will be selected.

15. Damn Reincarnation

• Author and Artist: Kiki, Mogma, Park Jeong yeol 
• Status: Ongoing

Synopsis:

The warrior Hamel went on an adventure with his fellow companion comrades to defeat the Demon Kings but dies while fighting the fourth of five Demon Kings. Years later is finds himself reincarnated as the descendant of his fellow warrior, Vermouth.

Hamel — now as Eugene Lionheart is reborn with the blood of the Great Vermouth and with a body that had higher specs right from the start, he showed explosive growth that far surpassed what he had achieved in his previous life.

Along with the unknown reasons for his reincarnation came the uneasy reality of having to coexist with demons. He was faced with a world that made him question everything he had believed in.

Gifted with this extraordinary body since birth, as Eugene, he begins walking down the unfinished path from his previous life and finally kills the Demon King.

Concluding Thoughts!

It seems like we’ve reached the end of the list. So, what are your thoughts on our list of manga better than Solo Leveling? Do you think any other manhwa should be on the list as well? If so, let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

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