Last updated: 1 November 2026
Solo Leveling is a fantasy action anime by A-1 Pictures about Sung Jinwoo, the weakest hunter in a world of monster-filled gates, who gains a mysterious System that lets him grow without limit. Its two seasons (2024 and 2025) run to 25 episodes, and people watch it for the fast, satisfying rise from weakest to strongest and its polished dungeon battles.
About Solo Leveling
Sung Jinwoo starts as the weakest hunter in a world where gates to monster-filled dungeons open everywhere. After a near-death experience he gains a mysterious system that lets him level up without limit. His rise from weakest to strongest is fast, stylish and very satisfying to watch. The Solo Leveling anime is produced by A-1 Pictures, adapted from the hit Korean web novel and webtoon. It became a global phenomenon, one of Crunchyroll's most talked-about series, and winner of Anime of the Year at the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. Its appeal is pure momentum: every episode leaves Jinwoo stronger, cooler and closer to the truth behind the System that chose him, while the world of hunters, guilds and gates grows more dangerous around him.
Solo Leveling is a TV anime from 2024, first released in Winter 2024. It belongs to the Action and Fantasy genres. The summary above is written by the AnimeYug team in our own words.
Official Trailer
Story & Plot
Ten years ago, gates began opening around the world, connecting Earth to dungeons full of monsters. Some humans awakened as hunters, but a hunter's power is fixed at birth, and Sung Jinwoo, an E-rank hunter nicknamed the weakest of all mankind, barely survives the weakest gates. During a raid on a hidden double dungeon, Jinwoo sacrifices himself for his party, and wakes up with a mysterious System only he can see.
The System gives him quests, stats and something no other hunter has: the ability to level up without limit. As Jinwoo grows from prey to predator, he uncovers an army of shadows waiting for a monarch, and a war between cosmic powers that has chosen Earth as its battlefield.
Jinwoo does not rise alone: every shadow he raises from the dead becomes a soldier in an army that answers only to him. But the stronger he becomes, the more the world's real powers begin to move, the great guilds and hunter associations who fear him, the mysterious Monarchs who hunt him, and the truth about why the System chose the weakest hunter of all as its player.
Story Arcs & Episode Guide
The Solo Leveling anime is split into story sagas. Here is every saga in order, with its episodes and years.
| Arc | Episodes | Years | About |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-Rank Dungeon Arc | Episodes 1–3 | 2024 | Jinwoo enters a hidden double dungeon and barely survives its deadly trials. |
| Instant Dungeon Arc | Episodes 3–4 | 2024 | Chosen by the System, Jinwoo starts secret training dungeons no one else can see. |
| Dungeon & Lizards Arc | Episodes 5–6 | 2024 | A raid with Yoo Jinho turns into a trap set by the party's own leader. |
| Dungeon & Prisoners Arc | Episodes 7–9 | 2024 | Jinwoo guards prisoner hunters on a raid that hides a murderer among them. |
| Yoo Jinho Raid Party Arc | Episode 10 | 2024 | Jinwoo and Jinho clear gate after gate together and build real trust. |
| Job Change Arc | Episodes 11–12 | 2024 | A brutal job-change quest ends with Jinwoo gaining a hidden new class. |
| Red Gate Arc | Episodes 13–14 | 2025 | A training gate seals shut in a frozen world ruled by ice elves. |
| Demon Castle Arc | Episode 15 | 2025 | Jinwoo hunts demons inside a castle, searching for a cure for his mother. |
| Hunters Guild Gate Arc | Episodes 16–18 | 2025 | His retest shocks the hunter world, and a guild gate goes badly wrong. |
| Return to Demon Castle Arc | Episodes 18–21 | 2025 | Jinwoo returns to finish the castle and complete the Elixir of Life. |
| Jeju Island Arc | Episodes 21–25 | 2025 | Korea and Japan's best hunters raid an island overrun by flying ants. |
Why Watch Solo Leveling
- A true weakest-to-strongest rise, with visible progress almost every episode
- Stylish, hard-hitting dungeon fights animated by A-1 Pictures
- Hiroyuki Sawano's score gives every level-up a big-event feel
- A simple, addictive game-style system of quests, stats and loot
- Season 2's Jeju Island raid is one of modern anime's biggest battles
Who Is It For?
Best for action and dark-fantasy fans who enjoy power-growth stories and game-like systems. It is rated TV-MA in the US, with strong monster violence and gore, so it suits older teens and adults rather than younger viewers.
Main Characters
View all characters →
Voice Actors
The Japanese voices behind the main characters of Solo Leveling.
- Sung JinwooE-rank hunter who becomes the System's only playerJapanese voiceTaito Ban
- Cha Hae-InS-rank swordswoman and vice guild master of the Hunters GuildJapanese voiceReina Ueda
- Yoo JinhoD-rank hunter and Jinwoo's loyal sworn brotherJapanese voiceGenta Nakamura
- Go GunheeChairman of the Korean Hunters AssociationJapanese voiceBanjo Ginga
- Choi Jong-InS-rank fire mage and master of the Hunters GuildJapanese voiceDaisuke Hirakawa
- Woo JinchulChief inspector of the Hunters Association surveillance teamJapanese voiceMakoto Furukawa
- Sung JinahJinwoo's younger sister, a high-school studentJapanese voiceHaruna Mikawa
- Lee JooheeB-rank healer and Jinwoo's friend from his weakest daysJapanese voiceRina Honnizumi
- BeruShadow soldier born from the Ant King of Jeju IslandJapanese voiceAkira Ishida
Staff & Production
- Original Creator
- Chugong (web novel); Dubu / Redice Studio (webtoon art)
- Animation Studio
- A-1 Pictures
- Director
- Shunsuke Nakashige
- Series Composition
- Noboru Kimura
- Music
- Hiroyuki Sawano
Manga & Source Material
Solo Leveling began as a South Korean web novel by Chugong before becoming a hit webtoon, and the anime adapts that story.
- Written by South Korean author Chugong
- First serialised on KakaoPage from 25 July 2016; published in print by D&C Media
- The web novel was collected in 14 books
- The webtoon, drawn by Dubu (Jang Sung-rak) of Redice Studio, ran on KakaoPage from March 2018 to December 2021
- The webtoon has been collected in 15 volumes as of October 2025
- A spin-off webtoon, Solo Leveling: Ragnarok, began in July 2024
Music
Each season has one opening and one ending theme. Hiroyuki Sawano composed the score, and also produced the first opening under his SawanoHiroyuki[nZk] project.
Opening Themes
- “LEveL”by SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]: Tomorrow X TogetherSeason 1 opening (2024)
- “Reawaker”by LiSA feat. Felix of Stray KidsSeason 2 opening (2025)
Ending Themes
- “Request”by krageSeason 1 ending (2024)
- “Un-Apex”by TK from Ling Tosite SigureSeason 2 ending (2025)
Series Timeline
- 2016
Chugong's web novel begins serialisation on KakaoPage in South Korea.
- 2018
The webtoon adaptation, drawn by Dubu, launches and builds a huge global readership.
- 2024
The anime's first season airs from January to March; the ReAwakening compilation film screens late in the year.
- 2025
Season 2, Arise from the Shadow, airs from January to March and ends with the Jeju Island raid.
- 2026
A sequel anime film, Solo Leveling: Beyond the System, is announced at Anime Expo 2026; no release date yet.
Quick Answers
Is Solo Leveling finished?
Solo Leveling has not been announced as finished, so more of the story may still come in the future.
What genre is Solo Leveling?
Solo Leveling is a Action and Fantasy anime. You can browse more titles like it on our Action anime page.
When did Solo Leveling release?
Solo Leveling first released in Winter 2024. It is a TV series.
Has Solo Leveling Season 3 been announced?
Not yet. As of late 2026, no Solo Leveling Season 3 has been officially announced by Aniplex or Crunchyroll. The next confirmed anime project is the theatrical movie Solo Leveling: Beyond the System, announced at Anime Expo 2026, which continues the story after Season 2. We will update this page the moment Season 3 is officially confirmed.
Is Solo Leveling based on a manhwa?
Yes. It began as a Korean web novel by Chugong and then became a hugely popular webtoon (manhwa). The anime adapts that story, and the webtoon is complete, if you want to read ahead.
Why is Sung Jinwoo called the weakest hunter?
At the start, Jinwoo is an E-rank hunter, the lowest rank, who struggles in even the easiest gates and is famous among hunters for being weak. His rise from that starting point is the heart of the series.
News
← Back to Browse Anime
Watch Order
Here is the release order for Solo Leveling and the series connected to it. Start at step 1 and work your way down.
- 1Solo LevelingSeason 1 (2024): this series; Jinwoo's rise begins here.
- 2Solo Leveling: ReAwakeningCompilation film (2024): optional recap of Season 1 plus a preview of Season 2's first episodes.
- 3Solo Leveling Season 2: Arise from the ShadowSeason 2 (2025): the Red Gate, Demon Castle and Jeju Island arcs.
- 4Solo Leveling: Beyond the SystemMovie (announced): upcoming sequel film continuing after Season 2; no release date yet.
Where to Watch
Solo Leveling is officially available to stream on these platforms:
Streaming availability changes often and differs by country. Please check the platform in your region.