There's nothing quite like the high of Solo Leveling — the weakest hunter clawing his way to unstoppable, the satisfying little "ding" of a level-up, fight scenes so well drawn you stop scrolling just to stare. So when you finish it, the hole it leaves is real. I've watched friends hit that last chapter and message me at midnight: "Okay. What now." This page is my answer to that exact text.
The good news is that Korean webtoons are full of stories built on the same addictive power-fantasy DNA. The format practically invented the modern "system" story, and there's a deep bench of titles doing their own spin on dungeons, awakenings, and zero-to-god climbs. The trick is matching what you specifically loved about Solo Leveling — because the genre splits into a few different flavours, and the wrong one can feel like a knock-off while the right one feels like a sequel.
So below I've ranked these from the closest matches to the broader "you'll still love it" picks, and I've been honest about what each one does differently. Read the "why" note under each — that's where I tell you whether it's the system, the action, or the power climb that this particular title nails.
Three things: a game-like "system" (levels, quests, stats), a satisfying power climb from zero to god-tier, and incredible action art. Every pick below nails at least one of these. Already read Solo Leveling? See our full Solo Leveling review, or find it in our best action & fantasy webtoons list.
What you're really looking for
Before you dive in, it's worth knowing why this genre hooks so hard, because it'll help you pick. Underneath the monsters, these stories run on a very simple, very satisfying loop: a clear goal, a measurable step forward, a reward, repeat. It's the same loop that makes video games compulsive. When the hero gets stronger and you can see the number go up, your brain treats it like a small win. Stack a few hundred of those small wins across a few hundred chapters and you've got something genuinely hard to put down.
But not every "Solo Leveling-like" hits the same nerve. Some are pure system stories — stat windows, quests, level-ups — where the mechanics are the joy. Some are hunter-and-dungeon worlds where the setting and the raids matter most. And some are really just great action with a power climb, lighter on the game-logic but heavy on spectacle. None is better than the others; they just scratch slightly different itches. As you read the list, notice which part of Solo Leveling you miss most, and steer toward the picks I've flagged for it.
What to read after Solo Leveling
The only reader of an obscure web novel suddenly finds himself living inside it — as the apocalypse it described begins for real. Armed with knowledge of how the story ends, he fights to survive a world of monsters, "scenarios," and a literal star-rating system. Epic, emotional, and endlessly clever.
An ordinary student wakes up one day to discover his entire life now works like a video game — complete with stat windows, skill points, quests, and level-ups he can grind in real life. The purest "system" webtoon out there, and one of the originals that defined the genre.
The #1 ranked player of the world's biggest virtual game loses everything in a single night — his rank, his power, his progress — and has to claw his way back from level one. Explosive, colourful action set inside a fully-realised game world, from a beloved Korean creator.
A low-ranked hunter gains a terrifying power: he can copy the abilities of anyone he kills — including, fatally, himself. By dying over and over he grows impossibly strong. A dark, gripping take on the hunters-and-dungeons world Solo Leveling fans know so well.
When a popular game suddenly becomes reality, a former game-streamer who memorised every detail of it is the most prepared person alive. He uses his insider knowledge to climb the tower of monsters faster than anyone. Fast-paced, knowing, and very satisfying.
A kind-hearted boy with secret super-speed teams up with a grumpy, immensely powerful awakened being trapped in the body of a fat cat. Warmer and funnier than Solo Leveling, but with some of the best-drawn, most thrilling fight sequences in all of webtoons.
A powerful but lonely king dies and is reborn as a baby in a world of magic — carrying all his old memories and strength into a fresh life he intends to live better. Equal parts cosy and epic, it pairs serious power-progression with genuine warmth about second chances. Wildly popular with English readers in particular.
A dirt-poor young man dives into a hyper-realistic virtual game to earn real money — and through sheer grind and cunning becomes one of its most legendary players. One of the foundational Korean "trapped in a game economy" stories, full of clever grinding, underdog hustle, and satisfying come-ups.
In a world of hunters and gates, a man with a relatively modest power and a knack for keeping people alive ends up mentoring the strongest awakened beings around him. A warmer, more character-driven take on the hunter world, where the hook is the relationships as much as the fights.
A bullied outcast in a martial-arts clan has a nanomachine from the future implanted in his body, giving him a guide and a path to absurd strength. It blends the Korean martial-arts (murim) world with system-style progression, and the action is razor-sharp. The power climb is as steep and satisfying as anything in the genre.
A man trapped in a brutal virtual-reality game for a thousand subjective years emerges impossibly skilled — only to be thrown into a real fantasy world where those hard-won abilities make him a monster among men. Pure, focused power fantasy with a relentless level-up engine and clean, kinetic art.
How to choose by mood
Different parts of Solo Leveling hooked different people. Pick based on what you miss most.
- Miss the epic scale and emotional weight most? → Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint or The Beginning After the End.
- Miss the level-up system itself? → The Gamer or Survival Story of a Sword King.
- Miss the hunters-and-dungeons world? → SSS-Class Suicide Hunter or The S-Classes That I Raised.
- Want the pure underdog-to-god power climb? → Nano Machine or Hardcore Leveling Warrior.
- Want the satisfying long grind? → The Legendary Moonlight Sculptor.
- Want more heart, humour, and friendship? → Eleceed.
- Want the "I already know how this works" advantage? → Solo Max-Level Newbie.
Where to read these webtoons
Most of these are officially translated, which is part of why this genre exploded internationally. The biggest share live on Webtoon (LINE Webtoon), free to start and the easiest first app to grab. Tapas hosts several of the action and reincarnation titles too. A few sit on Tappytoon, Lezhin, or KakaoPage — the last of which is often where a series runs first in Korea before an English version appears elsewhere. Because so many of these started as web novels, you can sometimes read far ahead in novel form on one app while the webtoon catches up on another.
Licensing moves around, so if a title isn't where I listed it, search inside one or two of those apps before giving up — these popular ones are nearly always available somewhere. Our guide on where to read webtoons in English has the full rundown.
Frequently asked questions
Is anything actually as good as Solo Leveling? Honestly, Solo Leveling is a high bar — that combination of clean art, tight pacing, and a perfectly satisfying climb is rare. Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint is the title most fans agree comes closest in scale and quality, and it arguably has deeper characters. The rest each do one thing as well or better; just don't expect a carbon copy.
Do I have to read the web novels these are based on? No. Many of these adapt web novels, but each webtoon stands on its own. The novels are there if you fall in love and want to race ahead of the comic — the webtoon almost always lags well behind — but they're never required reading.
Are these finished, or will I get stuck waiting for chapters? It's a mix. A few are complete — The Legendary Moonlight Sculptor wrapped up, for instance — but most of the action titles here are ongoing and update weekly, so you'll catch up and then wait with everyone else. If you specifically want a complete story you can binge end to end, lean toward the completed picks and check the status badge on each card above.
Tell our Webtoon Finder AI tool what you loved about Solo Leveling and it'll find your next obsession. Or browse more action & fantasy webtoons.