Solo Leveling has captured viewers’ attention with its captivating tale of a weak hunter who develops extraordinary abilities and advances through levels in a world akin to a game—a setup that the average person in today’s world would find immensely entertaining. If you want more stories that explore a character’s development through training or levelling up like an MMORPG, look no further. The following ten anime are comparable to Solo Leveling.

10 Anime That Are Like Solo Leveling

1. The Rising of the Shield Hero

The premise and character development of The Rising of the Shield Hero are strikingly similar to those of Solo Leveling. Like Solo Leveling, the main character, Naofumi Iwatani, is placed in a world where monsters threaten to destroy it, and he needs to level up and get stronger to protect himself from the Waves. RPG elements are woven into the plot of The Rising of the Shield Hero, and the protagonists of both anime series are dark anti-heroes. Shield Hero Naofumi Iwatani experiences early rejection and grows more pragmatist and cynical in his heroism, much like Jinwoo. He discovers that he has a more vicious, darker side, especially when dealing with people who oppose him or threaten his loved ones.

2. Overlord

The main character of Overlord, a skeletal overlord with immense power, is imprisoned in a massively multiplayer online role-playing game in virtual reality. Like Solo Leveling, the protagonist must level up his skills and broaden his influence while navigating a world of obstacles, adversaries, and mysteries. Both shows fully embrace role-playing game concepts, incorporating aspects like skill acquisition, character progression, and strategic combat derived from video games. In the Overlord game world, Ainz uses his in-depth understanding of gaming mechanics to dominate NPCs and factions. At the same time, Jinwoo strategically builds up his skills and forms alliances to take on formidable opponents in Solo Leveling.

3. Tower of God

Tower of God follows Bahm as he ascends the enigmatic Tower of God, which bestows wishes on anyone who makes it to the summit. Like Sung Jin-Woo in Solo Leveling, Bahm has an inherent ability that makes him stand out. Because of his irregular status, Bam possesses powers that are not available to Regulars, which enables him to move through the Tower with strength and agility that defies expectations. Similar to Solo Leveling, the protagonist of this anime aspires to become stronger and overcome challenges in a fantastical world. Like in RPGs, the Tower plays a significant role in both stories, much like dungeons and levelling-up systems do.

4. Accel World

The protagonist of Accel World has access to a virtual reality fighting game where users can advance in level and unlock new skills to engage in duels. At first glance in the virtual world, Haruyuki Arita seems to be a timid and helpless individual. But he has a secret ability that makes him capable of using the Brain Burst program’s incredibly potent powers, making him an unstoppable force in the parallel universe. Accel World and Solo Leveling protagonists begin as among the weakest people in their respective worlds. They progressively rise to become among the strongest through a narrative trajectory. This anime features fantastic mecha battle scenes, ecchi elements, and an exploration of a well-made virtual world.

5. Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defence

In Bofuri, the main character, Maple, unintentionally maxes out her defence stat, making her one of the most influential players in the massively multiplayer online game New World Online in virtual reality. This anime tackles the idea of levelling up and gaining power in a game-like world as players acquire new abilities, improve their gear, and modify their playstyle to overcome obstacles, even though it is lighter than Solo Leveling. Fans of stories with a gaming theme will enjoy the action, comedy, and adventure this series offers.

6. Log Horizon

Characters in Log Horizon are imprisoned within the Elder Tale massively multiplayer online role-playing game, forcing them to interact with other players, progress through dungeons, and improve their skills. Shiroe in Log Horizon is similar to Sung Jin-Woo in Solo Leveling in that he is wise and cautious. Shiroe is renowned for his strategic thinking and detailed preparation; he frequently chooses deliberate thought over hasty decision-making. The intricacies of virtual reality and the pursuit of power and mastery are explored in both shows.

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7. Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious

The protagonist of Cautious Hero is sent to a fantastical world to prevent it from collapsing. Still, he approaches challenges and levelling up exceptionally cautiously. There is no denying that Cautious Hero is a lot like Solo Leveling, even though it takes a humorous approach to the isekai RPG genre. In both series, the protagonists are overpowered and use RPG elements to level up and battle monsters and demons. Either carefully arranging every action or circumspectly evaluating every circumstance, Sung Jinwoo and Seiya Ryuguin represent the quintessence of real heroes in their respective realms.

8. Death March To The Parallel World Rhapsody

Ichiro ‘Satou’ Suzuki, the main character of Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, is thrown into a fantastical world that mirrors the RPG game he debugged in his everyday reality, giving him easy access to defeat enemies and level up. This abrupt change in tone is similar to Solo Leveling’s “Player Rebirth” idea. This anime’s protagonist’s journey is simpler than Solo Leveling’s. Still, it examines character development, exploration, and adventure themes in an RPG environment.

9. Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? (DanMachi)

Adventurers in DanMachi explore dungeons searching for treasures to seize and monsters to defeat, all while earning experience and levelling up their skills. Bell meets the lone goddess, Hestia. Like Sung Jinwoo’s meetings with influential people who spur him on to strength, he has renewed determination to accomplish his goals. Bell’s journey and Jinwoo’s are remarkably similar. Both protagonists begin as weak people from modest backgrounds who strive for greatness in their respective realms.

10. Grimgar, Ashes and Illusions

A group of people who wake up in a fantasy world with no memories are the subject of Grimgar, Ashes, and Illusions. They must learn to survive by levelling up their skills and going on monster hunts. The anime offers an original interpretation of the ‘ stuck in a game’ cliché, consistent with Solo Leveling’s exploration of virtual worlds and character development. Despite having a slower tempo and tone than Solo Leveling, this anime tackles themes of friendship, perseverance in the face of hardship, and character development.

From characters levelling up and becoming more vital to navigating through immersive fantasy worlds full of danger and adventure, these ten anime offer a diverse range of stories that connect with the themes of Solo Leveling. With these engaging series, get ready, hone your abilities, and set out on a fantastic levelling journey.