You watched Sung Jin-woo go from the weakest hunter alive to the Shadow Monarch, and now every other show feels a bit slow. You are not after just any action anime. You want the climb: the underdog, the numbers going up, the moment a lead finally stops being the weak one. The closest matches are Jujutsu Kaisen, Tower of God and Overlord, and the other seven picks below cover every other flavour of that fantasy. We picked them by what they share with Solo Leveling and we say where each one is different, so you can choose by mood.
The short version
- Closest in feel: Jujutsu Kaisen (weak lead, clear power system) and Tower of God (an underdog climbing level by level).
- For the overpowered lead: Overlord, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime and Mushoku Tensei.
- For the grind and the dungeon: Sword Art Online and Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?
- For the underdog with no magic: Black Clover. For the long adventure: Hunter x Hunter.
- Where to watch: it changes by service and region, so check your streaming service for each title.
What makes Solo Leveling work (and what to look for next)
Solo Leveling is the story of Sung Jin-woo, the weakest E-rank hunter, who survives a deadly double dungeon and is then chosen by a mysterious System that lets him, and only him, level up. As he grows he learns he is meant to become the Shadow Monarch, a necromancer with power over the dead. A-1 Pictures adapted the web novel by Chugong, with Season 1 airing in early 2024 and Season 2, Arise from the Shadow, in early 2025.
So what are you actually chasing? Three things. A lead who starts at the bottom, a system you can follow (ranks, levels, abilities, so every win feels earned) and fights that get bigger. Every pick below hits at least two of those, and we have put them in rough order of how closely they match.
1. Jujutsu Kaisen
Best for: fans of well-defined power systems and weak-to-strong leads.
Yuji Itadori swallows a cursed finger of the demon Ryomen Sukuna to save a friend and becomes Sukuna's host. Satoru Gojo takes him to Tokyo Jujutsu High to train, with an execution order hanging over him. MAPPA animated it, and the most recent season, The Culling Game Part 1, aired in early 2026, with Part 2 announced.
Why does it fit? Dexerto's list of Solo Leveling follow-ups pairs the two for the same reason we do: clear rules for how power works and a lead who grows into it. The difference is tone. Jujutsu Kaisen is more about the cast than one hero, and Yuji never turns into a lone monarch. Start with our Jujutsu Kaisen watch order so you do not miss the film.
2. Tower of God
Best for: fans of the climb itself.
Twenty-Fifth Bam has lived beneath a vast Tower with his friend Rachel. When she enters it, he opens the door and follows her, and each floor brings new allies, new tests and new rules. It is based on a webtoon by S.I.U. that began in 2010, and the anime ran for two seasons, the second in 2024.
This is the nearest thing to Solo Leveling's structure: one floor, one test, then up. It is slower and more political, so it suits you if you liked the world of Solo Leveling more than the fights.
3. Overlord
Best for: fans who want the lead to already be a monster.
The full-dive game YGGDRASIL is about to shut down. Momonga, a skeletal lich and the last active leader of his guild, stays logged in, and when the servers should close he finds himself trapped in his avatar in a world where the game's characters have come to life. Madhouse has made four seasons of it.
Where Solo Leveling is about getting strong, Overlord starts you at the top and asks what a very powerful player does with a whole world. It is also a good pick if the game-system side of Solo Leveling was the draw.
4. Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
Best for: fans of a second chance and steady growth.
A jobless man dies at 34 saving strangers and is reborn as Rudeus Greyrat in a fantasy world, determined to live without regrets. Studio Bind animates it, and Season 3 is under way, with its first part airing in mid 2026 and the second part set for 2027.
Rudeus grows through study and training rather than a System, so the levelling feels slower and more personal. If you want a world to settle into for a few seasons, this is a good one.
5. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
Best for: fans of a lead who builds something bigger than himself.
Satoru Mikami, an office worker, dies protecting a friend and wakes as a slime in a fantasy world. Taking the name Rimuru Tempest, he gathers allies and builds a nation of monsters. Eight Bit produces the anime and Season 4 premiered in April 2026.
Rimuru's growth echoes the "army that keeps growing" feel of Jin-woo's shadows, only warmer and funnier. Pick it if you want the power fantasy without the grim tone.
6. Black Clover
Best for: fans of the underdog who refuses to quit.
Asta is an orphan born without magic in a world where everyone has it, while his friend and rival Yuno is a prodigy. Both want to become the Wizard King. Asta's rare five-leaf grimoire gives him anti-magic abilities. Pierrot made a long TV series of 170 episodes, a film followed, and a second anime season premiered on 3 October 2026.
If the best part of Solo Leveling for you was the weakest guy in the room working harder than everyone, Asta is that character with more shouting. It is a shonen at heart, bright and loud where Solo Leveling is dark.
7. Hunter x Hunter
Best for: fans of smart fights and a world with rules.
Gon Freecss learns his father Ging is a famous Hunter, leaves Whale Island to take the Hunter Exam and finds Kurapika, Leorio and Killua on the way. Madhouse's 2011 anime ran 148 episodes. The manga by Yoshihiro Togashi began in 1998 and goes on long hiatuses, so the story is not finished.
It is not a levelling story in the System sense, but power is a puzzle you can learn, and the fights reward thinking over strength. Worth knowing before you start: the anime covers a long stretch and the source is still on break, so you may catch up and have to wait.
8. Sword Art Online
Best for: fans of the game-world side of Solo Leveling.
Players log into a virtual MMORPG and cannot log out. Their creator says they must clear all 100 floors of the castle Aincrad to escape, and that dying in the game means dying for real. Kirito, a former beta tester, plays mostly alone. A-1 Pictures, the studio behind Solo Leveling, animated it.
It shares the idea of floors to clear and a lone strong player. It feels more like classic isekai than the sharper modern action of Solo Leveling.
9. The Rising of the Shield Hero
Best for: fans of the revenge-and-redemption part of the story.
Naofumi Iwatani is summoned to another world with three other heroes and gets the Legendary Shield, a purely defensive weapon. After a companion frames him and steals his belongings, he is shunned and has to train alone until he gains allies. Kinema Citrus animates it, Season 4 aired in 2025 and a fifth season is set for 2027.
It leans on the same pleasure as Solo Leveling's early episodes: a lead looked down on by everyone who then earns his place. It is a darker isekai, so expect an uncomfortable first stretch.
10. Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?
Best for: fans of dungeon-crawling and a rookie levelling up.
Bell Cranel is a 14-year-old rookie adventurer and the only member of the Hestia Familia, exploring the labyrinth beneath the city of Orario. J.C.Staff animated it, and its fifth season ran from late 2024 into 2025, with a sixth announced.
It is the lightest-hearted pick here, but the loop is the one you liked: go in, get stronger, go deeper. Pick it when you want the dungeon without the dread.
Which one should you watch first?
Not sure where to start? Match the show to what you miss most:
| If you miss... | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The power system | Jujutsu Kaisen | Clear rules, weak lead who grows |
| The climb | Tower of God | One floor at a time |
| An overpowered lead | Overlord | Starts at the top |
| A dark revenge arc | The Rising of the Shield Hero | Shunned lead earns his place |
| The dungeon grind | Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? | Go in, level up, repeat |
| Hard-working underdog energy | Black Clover | No magic, never quits |
Common questions
What is the closest anime to Solo Leveling?
Jujutsu Kaisen and Tower of God are the two most often paired with it: the first for its clear power system and growing lead, the second for its level-by-level climb. Neither is a perfect copy, which is why we gave you ten.
Is there anything with a System like Solo Leveling's?
Sword Art Online and Overlord are the closest for game-style rules, since both are set in virtual game worlds. Mushoku Tensei and Black Clover grow their leads through training instead.
What if I want something still airing?
Mushoku Tensei, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime and Black Clover all have seasons in 2026 or announced for 2027. Check your streaming service for where each one is showing.
Is Solo Leveling getting more anime?
A sequel film, Solo Leveling: Beyond the System, was announced and is being made by A-1 Pictures. We do not have a release date, so we will update this guide when there is one.
What to do next
If you remember one thing, make it this: pick the show by what you loved most about Jin-woo, not by the genre label. If it was the system, start with Jujutsu Kaisen. If it was the climb, start with Tower of God. If you want to relive the original while you decide, read our ranking of the strongest Solo Leveling characters and pick your favourite Monarch, then gear up with something from the Solo Leveling collection, from Shadow Monarch tees to the ARISE hoodie. New to anime in general? Our best anime for beginners list is a good second stop. Every show detail above comes from the Solo Leveling anime page on Wikipedia.
Featured image: © Solo Leveling Animation Partners, via sololeveling-anime.net.