20 anime like solo leveling where the MC keeps growing stronger
If you loved Solo Leveling, chances are you're a fan of overpowered protagonists, epic battles, and thrilling power progression. The series follows Jin-Woo, a weak hunter who gains an incredible system that allows him to grow stronger beyond imagination. The mix of intense action, RPG mechanics, and a lone hero dominating enemies makes it an unforgettable experience.
But what if you're craving more anime with similar vibes? Whether it's characters leveling up, facing overwhelming foes, or building a reputation as an unstoppable force, this list of 20 anime like Solo Leveling has got you covered.
20 Anime Like Solo Leveling
No. | Anime |
---|---|
20 | Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody |
19 | The Rising of the Shield Hero |
18 | Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? |
17 | Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest |
16 | Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy |
15 | The Fruit of Evolution: Before I Knew It, My Life Had It Made |
14 | I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled in The Real World, Too |
13 | The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter |
12 | Berserk of Gluttony |
11 | Re:Monster |
10 | That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime |
9 | Overlord |
8 | The King's Avatar |
7 | The Irregular at Magic High School |
6 | The Misfit of Demon King Academy |
5 | Noblesse |
4 | Tower of God |
3 | Darwin's Game |
2 | I'm Standing on a Million Lives |
1 | Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells |
20. Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody
Ichirou Suzuki, a programmer nearing his thirties, is drowning in work. Worn out, he eventually has a chance to catch up on sleep, only to wake up and discover himself in a fantasy RPG world, which is mashed together from the games he was debugging in reality. In this new place, he realizes that not only has his appearance changed to a younger version of himself, but his name has also changed to Satou, a nickname he used while running beta tests on games.
However, before Satou can fully grasp his situation, an army of lizardmen launch an assault on him. Forced to cast a powerful spell in retaliation, Satou wipes them out completely and his level is boosted to 310, effectively maximizing his stats. Now, as a high-leveled adventurer armed with a plethora of skills and no way to return to reality, Satou sets out to explore this magical new world.
19. The Rising of the Shield Hero
The Four Cardinal Heroes are a group of ordinary men from modern-day Japan summoned to the kingdom of Melromarc to become its saviors. Melromarc is a country plagued by the Waves of Catastrophe that have repeatedly ravaged the land and brought disaster to its citizens for centuries. The four heroes are respectively bestowed a sword, spear, bow, and shield to vanquish these Waves. Naofumi Iwatani, an otaku, becomes cursed with the fate of being the "Shield Hero." Armed with only a measly shield, Naofumi is belittled and ridiculed by his fellow heroes and the kingdom's people due to his weak offensive capabilities and lackluster personality.
When the heroes are provided with resources and comrades to train with, Naofumi sets out with the only person willing to train alongside him, Malty Melromarc. He is soon betrayed by her, however, and becomes falsely accused of taking advantage of her. Naofumi then becomes heavily discriminated against and hated by the people of Melromarc for something he didn't do. With a raging storm of hurt and mistrust in his heart, Naofumi begins his journey of strengthening himself and his reputation. Further along however, the difficulty of being on his own sets in, so Naofumi buys a demi-human slave on the verge of death named Raphtalia to accompany him on his travels.
As the Waves approach the kingdom, Naofumi and Raphtalia must fight for the survival of the kingdom and protect the people of Melromarc from their ill-fated future.
18. Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?
Life in the bustling city of Orario is never dull, especially for Bell Cranel, a naĂŻve young man who hopes to become the greatest adventurer in the land. After a chance encounter with the lonely goddess, Hestia, his dreams become a little closer to reality. With her support, Bell embarks on a fantastic quest as he ventures deep within the city's monster-filled catacombs, known only as the "Dungeon." Death lurks around every corner in the cavernous depths of this terrifying labyrinth, and a mysterious power moves amidst the shadows.
Even on the surface, survival is a hard-earned privilege. Indeed, nothing is ever certain in a world where gods and humans live and work together, especially when they often struggle to get along. One thing is for sure, though: a myriad of blunders, triumphs and friendships awaits the dauntlessly optimistic protagonist of this herculean tale.
17. Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest
The ordinary life of 17-year-old otaku Hajime Nagumo is disrupted when he and his classmates are summoned to a fantasy world and tasked with saving mankind. While his classmates are gifted with impressive abilities useful in combat, Hajime is belittled for only gaining an inferior transmutation skill that lacks any real offensive power.
During an expedition in the Great Orcus Labyrinth, Hajime is betrayed by one of his classmates, plummeting him to the bottom of an abyss. Though he survives the fall, Hajime is faced with menacing monsters and misfortunes that send him spiraling into a grim nightmare. Desperate to live and return home one day, he resolves to fight for his survival—only to meet an imprisoned vampire he names Yue, who is also seeking to escape the labyrinth. Taking an interest in him, Yue and a few others along the way accompany Hajime on his journey to find a way back home, while steadily transforming from commonplace to the world's strongest.
16. Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy
As part of a mysterious contract agreed upon by a goddess and his parents years ago, Makoto Misumi finds himself sent to another world to meet the goddess and become the hero. However, the deity deems Makoto to be "hideous," refusing to even lay eyes upon him and revokes his heroic title. Disdainfully giving him the ability to understand all languages except the human language as compensation, the goddess drives Makoto off to the farthest edges of the wasteland, far from human civilization.
15. The Fruit of Evolution: Before I Knew It, My Life Had It Made
One day, a man claiming to be a god suddenly hacks a certain school's intercoms, ordering all of its students to team up and prepare to be transported to another world. There, they will be given special skills in the hopes that they become that world's heroes and defeat the Demon King that ravages the land.
The initial transfer is a success. However, Seiichi Hiiragi, who suffers from his classmates' constant bullying due to his somewhat undesirable appearance, is left behind as no one is willing to be his teammate. Nevertheless, the self-proclaimed god decides to send Seiichi to the parallel world and lets him join his peers. Unfortunately, this fateful ordeal causes Seiichi to arrive at a location deep in the forest, far not only from his schoolmates but from human civilization as well.
Desperately searching for a way to change his predicament, Seiichi's miserable days only seem to continue to worsen. Yet when all hope seems lost, Seiichi discovers a strange fruit known as the "Fruit of Evolution"—which may be his first step toward a significantly better future.
14. I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled in The Real World, Too
All his life, Yuuya Tenjou has been the subject of resentment and contempt from everyone around him, even from his parents. To make matters worse, his grandfather—the only person who ever showed him affection—suddenly dies, leaving Yuuya truly alone.
13. The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter
Despite his noble title, Noir Stalgia is at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Because of this, his fellow nobles oppress him and treat him like garbage. However, he possesses a rare yet powerful ability to communicate with the Great Sage, an oracle who grants Noir the answer to absolutely anything.
After failing to secure a job as a librarian, Noir decides to join the Hero Academy. He knows he must become stronger to enter the institution. The Great Sage advises him to explore a hidden dungeon deep within the mountains. There, Noir meets Olivia Servant, a beautiful yet enchained maiden trapped within the labyrinth. Olivia bestows upon Noir a set of ridiculously powerful skills that grants him virtually total control over reality. Naturally, there is a catch—every time Noir attempts to use his powers, his life points decrease, putting his life at risk. To replenish his energy, he must give in to worldly pleasures such as kissing his childhood friend!
With his newfound powers, Noir begins his journey as a student in the Hero Academy, meeting new acquaintances and helping them through the dire situations ahead.
12. Berserk of Gluttony
Fate Graphite lives miserably as a gatekeeper in a world where skills given at birth determine an individual's entire life. Afflicted by the seemingly harmful skill Gluttony, which makes him perpetually hungry, he is abused by the holy knights—the supposed protectors of the populace—who view him as a dreg on society due to his skill. However, Fate's destiny takes a dramatic turn after he kills an escaping injured thief. To his surprise, Gluttony activates, enhancing his stats and granting him new skills.
Following this epiphanic event, Fate receives a job offer from Roxy Hart, the only benevolent holy knight in the city, which he happily accepts. Eager to further explore Gluttony's true potential, he partners with a mysterious talking sword named Greed, who warns him that Gluttony is a taboo skill that breaks the logic of the world. Now forced to live a double life, Fate must slay monsters at night to satisfy his awakened appetite for souls, lest he go berserk and lose all chances at finding happiness.
11. Re:Monster
Tomokui Kanata has been re-incarnated in the weakest goblin, named Goburou, after having undergone an unfortunate death. However Goburou has retained his previous life's memories, an unusual evolution, as well as becoming strong enough to gain status boosts from eating.
In this alternate world of survival of the fittest, events unfold with competent subordinates and comrades, delightful case of the tail-wagging dog...
10. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
Thirty-seven-year-old Satoru Mikami is a typical corporate worker, who is perfectly content with his monotonous lifestyle in Tokyo, other than failing to nail down a girlfriend even once throughout his life. In the midst of a casual encounter with his colleague, he falls victim to a random assailant on the streets and is stabbed. However, while succumbing to his injuries, a peculiar voice echoes in his mind, and recites a bunch of commands which the dying man cannot make sense of.When Satoru regains consciousness, he discovers that he has reincarnated as a goop of slime in an unfamiliar realm. In doing so, he acquires newfound skills—notably, the power to devour anything and mimic its appearance and abilities. He then stumbles upon the sealed Catastrophe-level monster "Storm Dragon" Veldora who had been sealed away for the past 300 years for devastating a town to ashes. Sympathetic to his predicament, Satoru befriends him, promising to assist in destroying the seal. In return, Veldora bestows upon him the name Rimuru Tempest to grant him divine protection.
Now, liberated from the mundanities of his past life, Rimuru embarks on a fresh journey with a distinct goal in mind. As he grows accustomed to his new physique, his gooey antics ripple throughout the world, gradually altering his fate.
9. Overlord
The final hour of the popular virtual reality game Yggdrasil has come. However, Momonga, a powerful wizard and master of the dark guild Ainz Ooal Gown, decides to spend his last few moments in the game as the servers begin to shut down. To his surprise, despite the clock having struck midnight, Momonga is still fully conscious as his character and, moreover, the non-player characters appear to have developed personalities of their own!
Confronted with this abnormal situation, Momonga commands his loyal servants to help him investigate and take control of this new world, with the hopes of figuring out what has caused this development and if there may be others in the same predicament.
8. The King's Avatar
Widely regarded as a trailblazer and top-tier professional player in the online multiplayer game Glory, Ye Xiu is dubbed the "Battle God" for his skills and contributions to the game over the years. However, when forced to retire from the team and to leave his gaming career behind, he finds work at a nearby internet café. There, when Glory launches its tenth server, he throws himself into the game once more using a new character named "Lord Grim."
Ye Xiu's early achievements on the new server immediately catch the attention of many players, as well as the big guilds, leaving them to wonder about the identity of this exceptional player. However, while he possesses ten years of experience and in-depth knowledge, starting afresh with neither sponsors nor a team in a game that has changed over the years presents numerous challenges. Along with talented new comrades, Ye Xiu once again dedicates himself to traversing the path to Glory's summit!
7. The Irregular at Magic High School
In the dawn of the 21st century, magic, long thought to be folklore and fairy tales, has become a systematized technology and is taught as a technical skill. In First High School, the institution for magicians, students are segregated into two groups based on their entrance exam scores: "Blooms," those who receive high scores, are assigned to the First Course, while "Weeds" are reserve students assigned to the Second Course.
Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei follows the siblings, Tatsuya and Miyuki Shiba, who are enrolled in First High School. Upon taking the exam, the prodigious Miyuki is placed in the First Course, while Tatsuya is relegated to the Second Course. Though his practical test scores and status as a "Weed" show him to be magically inept, he possesses extraordinary technical knowledge, physical combat capabilities, and unique magic techniques—making Tatsuya the irregular at a magical high school.
6. The Misfit of Demon King Academy
In the distant past, a war between humans and demons brought about widespread chaos and bloodshed. To put an end to this seemingly endless conflict, Demon King Anos Voldigoad willingly sacrificed his life, hoping to be reborn in a peaceful future.
In preparation for their king's return, the demon race created the Demon King Academy, an elite institution tasked with determining Anos' identity when he reawakens. He reincarnates two millennia later, but to his surprise, he soon learns that the level of magic in the world has drastically waned during his absence. Moreover, when he enrolls at the academy to reclaim his rightful title, he finds out that demonkind remembers him differently. His personality, his deeds, and even his legacy are all falsified—masked beneath the name of an impostor. This "lack" of common knowledge renders him the academy's outlier—a misfit never before seen in history.
Despite these drawbacks, Anos remains unfazed. As he sets out to uncover those altering his glorious past, he takes it upon himself to make his descendants recognize that their ruler has finally returned.
5. Noblesse
The "Noblesse" Cadis Etrama di Raizel, also known as "Rai," is enrolled in Ye Ran High School by his servant Frankenstein to stay hidden from the sights of the Union, a mysterious organization out for Rai's blood. Rai commences his life as a student, making himself familiar with his classmates and the daily activities of humans. However, his new life is far from peaceful, and Rai is soon forced to save his new friends from the hands of the Union that had abducted them.
Meanwhile, M-21—a Union agent gone rogue during Rai's rescue operation—joins the Ye Ran High School security staff after a proposition by the school's director, who happens to be none other than Frankenstein himself. On the surface, M-21 is a prim and proper employee, but in truth he is shackled by his former ties to the Union and the inevitable consequences of betraying the organization.
To further complicate matters, Nobles Regis K. Landegre and Seira J. Loyard enroll in the same school to investigate the Noblesse. While the Union conducts a manhunt for M-21 to extract clues regarding their missing agents, Rai is forced to keep his identity hidden while protecting all that he holds dear.
4. Tower of God
There is a tower that summons chosen people called "Regulars" with the promise of granting their deepest desires. Whether it be wealth, fame, authority, or something that surpasses them all—everything awaits those who reach the top.
Twenty-Fifth Bam is a boy who had only known a dark cave, a dirty cloth, and an unreachable light his entire life. So when a girl named Rachel came to him through the light, his entire world changed. Becoming close friends with Rachel, he learned various things about the outside world from her. But when Rachel says she must leave him to climb the Tower, his world shatters around him. Vowing to follow after her no matter what it takes, he sets his sight on the tower, and a miracle occurs.
Thus begins the journey of Bam, a young boy who was not chosen by the Tower but opened its gates by himself. They call his kind "Irregulars"—beings that have shaken the very foundation of the Tower each time they set foot inside it.
3. Darwin's Game
High school student Kaname Sudou receives an invitation from a classmate to play Darwin's Game, a mobile game he has never heard of. However, as soon as he opens the application, a green snake suddenly pops out from his phone screen and bites his neck, leaving him unconscious. Waking up in the infirmary without any signs of a snake bite, he is told by the school to take the rest of the day off. Although he is puzzled by what has happened, he dismisses the surreal experience as a hallucination and boards the train home.
Unfortunately, his curiosity gets the better of him and he uses the application once again. As the application appears to be just like any other battle game, Kaname breathes out a sigh of relief and decides to start his first match. However, the pleasant surprise is short-lived, as his in-game opponent unexpectedly appears right in front of him and attempts to hunt him down with a knife.
As he desperately runs for his life, Kaname puts two and two together and realizes that Darwin's Game is not an ordinary game, but rather, it's a brutal fight for survival.
2. I'm Standing on a Million Lives
Yuusuke Yotsuya has always disliked Tokyo, but he especially hates the people who live in it. He would rather thrive in a virtual world than try to get along with those around him. At the end of one school day, he sees the popular athlete Iu Shindou talking to Kusue Hakozaki, who spends less time in school due to illness. But when he looks away from the two and back again, they have seemingly disappeared.
Mere moments later, Yotsuya enters a state of free-fall, and the world begins to change around him. Dropping into a large pool of water, the first thing he sees when he comes to his senses is an assortment of enormous monsters. He soon finds out that he has been brought into a game world by Shindou and Hakozaki and that he must complete a quest within 14 days.
There is one thing that separates this world from the real world: anyone who dies will be brought back to life in 30 seconds as long as one party member is alive. Tasked with numerous quests that increase in difficulty over time, Yotsuya, Shindou, and Hakozaki attempt to discover the mystery behind the perplexing game world.
1. Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells
When loner Touka Mimori is summoned to another world alongside his classmates, he obtains the power to inflict status ailments, such as paralysis or poison, on his enemies. Unfortunately for him, skills of this nature are considered useless due to their low success rate, and Touka is thus assigned the title of E-rank hero. Things take a further turn for the worse when Vicius, the goddess who summoned the class, reveals that the lowest-ranked hero will be disposed of so that they do not hinder those with greater talent.
Banished to a notoriously dangerous area, Touka comes face-to-face with death after being cornered by a minotaur-like creature. In a desperate attempt to survive, he uses his supposedly worthless skill—only to quickly realize that it works almost every time. Armed with the ability to render the monsters standing in his way completely helpless, Touka resolves to track down the goddess that tossed him aside and exact his revenge.
With so many anime out there featuring god-tier protagonists, thrilling battles, and RPG-inspired worlds, there's no shortage of excitement for Solo Leveling fans. Whether you're in the mood for a dark and gritty adventure, a power fantasy, or a story where the underdog becomes an unstoppable force, these 20 anime deliver the same adrenaline rush.
Now the question is—where will you start? Will you dive into a world of magic, dungeons, or high-stakes battles? Let us know which one you're adding to your watchlist!
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