The 15 Best Action Anime Similar to Solo Leveling

Anime expert Dianté Richard shares anime recs for fans of Solo Leveling

Co-authored by Dianté Richard and Glenn Carreau

Last Updated: July 31, 2026 Fact Checked

So, you’ve watched the Solo Leveling anime and decided that you absolutely can’t get enough…but you’ve run out of episodes to watch. What next? Well, you can always find another anime series that has a thing or two in common with Solo Leveling, and watch that next! In this handy guide, we’ve put together a list of anime series like Solo Leveling in one way or another; some have similar isekai or shonen vibes, while others have similar protagonists or electrifying action. Either way, you’re sure to find your next anime series below!

Some of the Best Action Anime Like Solo Leveling

Anime expert Dianté Richard recommends watching Sword Art Online if you’re looking for a video game-themed anime or Demon Slayer if you like action and flashy animation. Here are some other series to check out:

Black Summoner - An isekai anime in which a high schooler is transported with his classmates to a fantasy world, and must survive by honing his seemingly weak powers.
Log Horizon - A video game-themed anime in which players are physically transported to the world of Elder Tale, and must band up in communities to survive.
Overlord - An isekai anime in which one player, Momonga, is transported into his favorite video game and sets out to become the world’s new overlord.

1

Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest (2019)

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We’ll start with Arifureta, an isekai series that follows a similar trajectory to Solo Leveling. Its protagonist is just as much an underdog as Jinwoo; it follows Hajime Nagumo as he’s summoned from regular old high school life to a fantasy world. But while his classmates get incredible powers, Hajime gets a seemingly weak ability. Although still a dark fantasy series, Arifureta isn’t as intense as some of its peers, which is something for Solo Leveling fans to consider.
- Genres: Action, dark fantasy, isekai
- Release date: July 8, 2019
- Season(s): 3
- Streaming Service(s): Crunchyroll, Hulu

2

Black Summoner (2022)

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If you haven’t heard of Black Summoner, that’s a shame—it’s a heavily underrated isekai anime, and it’s only a 12-episode watch (so it’s easy to binge). As an anime, it’s simple yet effective! It follows Kelvin as he’s reincarnated into another world and begins to learn the skills of a “Summoner.” Not only does it fulfill the ‘power fantasy’ aspect of the genre, but its protagonist also tackles obstacles that feel grounded and intriguing.^{[1]
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- Genres: Fantasy, isekai
- Release date: July 9, 2022
- Season(s): 1
- Streaming Service(s): Crunchyroll

3

BOFURI: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense (2020)

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BOFURI is basically Solo Leveling if Jinwoo had decided to become an overpowered defensive fighter instead of a powerhouse on the offensive. Its protagonist, Kaede Honjou (codename Maple), journeys with her guild through the world of an online game. Along the way, she’s got to level up her skills until her defenses are the best of the best! BOFURI interestingly subverts the power fantasy genre, and it has a much lighter tone than shows with a similar theme.
- Genres: Action-adventure, comedy, fantasy
- Release date: January 8, 2020
- Season(s): 2
- Streaming Service(s): Crunchyroll, Disney+, Hulu

4

Chainsaw Man (2022)

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Let’s take a break from isekai—after all, Solo Leveling has isekai elements, but it’s not actually a true isekai show. Instead, let’s look at the shonen series Chainsaw Man. Like Solo Leveling’s Jinwoo, Denji is a young man who enters into a partnership with a powerful entity that saves his life. Now merged with the Chainsaw Devil, Denji becomes a human-devil hybrid and joins a government agency devoted to hunting the malevolent devils that embody humanity’s greatest fears.^{[2]
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- Genres: Action, comedy, horror, dark fantasy
- Release date: October 12, 2022
- Season(s): 1
- Streaming Service(s): Crunchyroll, Disney+, Hulu

5

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (2019)

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Demon Slayer is a super-popular shonen anime with incredible action sequences that could even top those in Solo Leveling! Anime expert Elijah Martinez explains that the show’s main character, Tanjiro, embarks on the same sort of uphill battle to grow stronger and become powerful as Jinwoo, even if he’s not using video game-like mechanics to do it.^{[3]
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Elijah Martinez
Anime Expert

Expert Interview} But regardless, Solo Leveling fans are sure to appreciate Tanjiro’s transformation…and his quest to defeat the King of the Demons.^{[4]
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- Genres: Adventure, dark fantasy, martial arts
- Release date: April 6, 2019
- Season(s): 4
- Streaming Service(s): Crunchyroll, Netflix

6

Gachiakuta (2025)

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Gachiakuta is a recent anime release from 2025, and it shares plenty of similarities with Solo Leveling: dynamic action sequences, in-depth worldbuilding, and, of course, a main character who gradually learns to control a special, incredible power. Its protagonist, Rudo, lives in the slums of a floating city until he’s framed for murder and flung to the abyss below, where he joins a group of “Cleaners” and trains to fight monsters.
- Genres: Action, dark fantasy, dystopian
- Release date: July 6, 2025
- Season(s): 1
- Streaming Service(s): Crunchyroll

7

Hunter x Hunter (2011)

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Hunter x Hunter is a popular shonen anime set in a world with “Hunters”: licensed professionals who handle the gnarly tasks other people can’t, from finding lost treasure to capturing dangerous outlaws. And upon learning that the father who left him is a world-famous Hunter, Gon Freecss resolves to become one, too! It’s a great show for anyone who enjoys watching their humble protagonist work, train, and take on epic opponents to become the best of the best (while meeting a lovably eccentric cast of characters along the way).
- Genres: Action-adventure, fantasy, martial arts
- Release date: October 2, 2011
- Season(s): 6
- Streaming Service(s): Crunchyroll, Disney+, Hulu, Netflix, Peacock, Tubi

8

Jujutsu Kaisen (2020)

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Jujutsu Kaisen is one of the decade’s most popular shonen animes, and it definitely deserves the acclaim! It follows high schooler Yuji Itadori as he discovers the hidden world of jujutsu sorcerers. And when Yuji selflessly becomes the vessel for the most powerful (and evil) sorcerer in history, he must train as a jujutsu sorcerer, too. Though it has lighthearted moments, JJK just gets darker and more intense with each arc—with jujutsu battles that offer heart-pounding, high-stakes action, just like Solo Leveling, says Martinez.^{[5]
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Elijah Martinez
Anime Expert

Expert Interview}^{[6]
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- Genres: Dark fantasy, adventure, supernatural
- Release date: October 3, 2020
- Season(s): 3
- Streaming Service(s): Crunchyroll, Disney+, Hulu, Netflix

9

Log Horizon (2013)

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Log Horizon is a video game-themed anime in which players are physically drawn into the fantasy world of Elder Tale (not just mentally projected there). That means getting injured—or dying—actually has consequences! Players must team up and form communities to survive this fantastical world, including the series’ protagonist (and formerly a bit of a lone wolf), Shiroe, who teams up with his old friends to explore their new reality.
- Genres: Adventure, fantasy, sci-fi
- Release date: October 5, 2013
- Season(s): 3
- Streaming Service(s): Crunchyroll

10

Overlord (2015)

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As much as Solo Leveling can get into moral grey areas from time to time, it’s still mostly a “good guy defeats bad guys” kind of story. But if you’re looking for something a little darker, Overlord is your show: it’s a series following a gamer, Momonga, who gets trapped in his favorite game…and basically makes it his mission to take over the world! Momonga definitely isn’t what you’d call a hero, but his adventures as a burgeoning “Overlord” are compelling nonetheless.
- Genres: Dark fantasy, sci-fi, isekai, action-adventure
- Release date: July 7, 2015
- Season(s): 4
- Streaming Service(s): Crunchyroll, Netflix

11

Shangri-La Frontier (2023)

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Like Solo Leveling, the events of Shangri-La Frontier are split between the real world and an alternate fantasy world rife with swords and sorcery. But in Shangri-La Frontier’s case, the fantasy world is contained within a Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Game (VRMMORPG). The show follows Sunraku’s forays into the game, as he levels up his skills as a “trash game hunter”…all while playing as a character in a striking blue bird mask!
- Genres: Action-adventure, fantasy
- Release date: October 1, 2023
- Season(s): 2
- Streaming Service(s): Crunchyroll, Disney+, Hulu, Netflix

12

Sword Art Online (2012)

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We can’t talk about video game-themed isekai anime without mentioning Sword Art Online—arguably one of the most famous examples. It follows Kirito (born Narusaka Kazuto), a beta tester for the first-ever VRMMORPG. But he gets more than he bargained for and is trapped in the game’s world, forced to start at level one and work his way up in hopes of escaping SAO by the end. But, of course, there’s much more to the mystery than Kirito initially realizes!^{[7]
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Research source} “There might be a little bit more drama to it,” says Richard, “but it follows the same premise [as Solo Leveling] a bit.”^{[8]
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Expert Source

Dianté Richard
Anime Expert and Cosplayer

Expert Interview}
- Genres: Adventure, sci-fi
- Release date: July 8, 2012
- Season(s): 4
- Streaming Service(s): Crunchyroll

13

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (2023)

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That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is a fun anime series in which the main character, Satoru Mikami, is reincarnated as a slime in a fantastical world (much as the title suggests, after all). And while slimes are supposed to be weak little creatures, Satoru can copy the abilities and appearances of anyone he consumes—which, naturally, gives him a ton of power to play around with.
- Genres: Adventure, fantasy, isekai
- Release date: November 1, 2023
- Season(s): 4
- Streaming Service(s): Crunchyroll

14

The Rising of the Shield Hero (2019)

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In The Rising of the Shield Hero, Naofumi Iwatani is transported to a video game’s fantasy world as the titular “Shield Hero.” But unlike most isekai protagonists, Naofumi isn’t some pro gamer; he actually doesn’t have a ton of video game experience, which means he’s at a disadvantage right off the bat! And not long after, he’s betrayed and framed for a dreadful crime—but that still doesn’t stop him. From there, Naofumi begins training in hopes of rising from underdog to overpowered hero.
- Genres: Dark fantasy, isekai
- Release date: January 9, 2019
- Season(s): 4
- Streaming Service(s): Crunchyroll, Disney+, Hulu, Netflix

15

Tower of God (2020)

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Tower of God is a dark fantasy anime following Bam, a boy attempting to reach the top of a strange, enigmatic Tower with his best friend. But there’s no easy way up: he’s got to get there floor by floor, solving each mystery and besting each deadly challenge that comes his way. Like Solo Leveling, the show introduces a fascinating world and setting—not to mention an intriguing power system that keeps the Tower running!^{[9]
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- Genres: Action-adventure, dark fantasy, drama, mystery
- Release date: April 1, 2020
- Season(s): 2
- Streaming Service(s): Crunchyroll, Disney+, Hulu
- Want more Solo Leveling? Take our Solo Leveling character quiz!