Portals, reincarnation, and worlds inspired by gaming are plenty to be had in Solo Leveling. However, it’s certainly not the first to do so. Here’s some fun anime like Solo Leveling if you want something similar.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Puella Magi Madoka Magica is not your typical Magical Girl show by any means, with a shady creature named Kyubey offering contracts of power to young middle schoolers. The protagonist Madoka’s friends all take the offer, but she spends much of the first show as a regular human trying to decide what she wants to do.
As the girls will discover, there’s a big catch to this power — never forget being a Magical Girl or an Adventurer is very dangerous and deadly. That theme connects it to Solo Leveling’s theme.
So I’m A Spider, So What?
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a small animal in a cave that few pay attention to? So I’m a Spider, So What? follows the story of a very charming and energetic spider that lives in a boss dungeon in a game world after being isekai’d. Each time she nibbles a fly or kills something, she gets stronger and stronger.
Nicknamed Kumoko by fans, her story is pretty simple until she meets the Demon Lord Ariel. This interaction changes everything for her, bringing her to places she never imagined. I’m A Spider is the perfect combination of cute and edgy.
Devilman Crybaby
If you’re looking for a series that isn’t too long, Devilman Crybaby is incredible. In a city rumored to be infested by demons, main character Akira is very meek and fragile, hence the nickname Crybaby. When his mysterious friend Ryo comes back to town, he takes him to a place where he ends up in a Sabbath party.
Akira ends up getting the powers of a devil named Amon, gaining an entire new confident and bold personality. After that, his job is to stop the evil devils in the town from taking over. Not for the faint of heart, expect body horror and shady angels in this one.
Re: Zero – Starting Life In Another World
In Re: Zero – Starting Life In Another World, a teenager named Subaru is sent to a mysterious realm where he meets a half-elf girl named Emilia. Subaru finds that in this world he has an incredible power in the form of a curse put on him by the Witch of Envy. Basically, each time he dies, he comes back to life at spots in the previous timeline — he’s basically a game protagonist that respawns at checkpoints.
While it is difficult to manage, Subaru finds he can use this power to make the right choices on his path, something no one else can do. He might not be a powerful knight, but he certainly has a big heart.
The Rising Of The Shield Hero
The Rising Of The Shield Hero brings a group of people to a world where they are assigned to be heroes for different weapon classes, with the protagonist being the one assigned to the shield. Despite it being the most unwanted one, Naofumi is so excited for the opportunity until some very bad luck comes his way and he finds himself completely alone.
He’s done absolutely nothing wrong yet is treated as a criminal by corrupt royals. With his sunny disposition gone, he must press forward and pull himself up if he is to make it in this world.
The Unwanted Undead Adventurer
Adventuring is a risky and thankless business sometimes. The Unwanted Undead Adventurer follows the story of a monster hunter who bites off more than he can chew when he faces off against a dangerous dragon.
The weak man meets his end but instead of dying, he respawns as an undead skeleton. To get back to his human form, he must work his way up to being powerful by defeating all of those in his way. Being bony certainly won’t stop him!
Sword Art Online
Things can get complicated when game worlds and real worlds mesh. With the rise of VR gaming, a situation like the one in the classic Sword Art Online seems more possible than ever now. In this show’s universe, the eponymous game is a popular title played by thousands of people.
However, one day, they find that they are not able to log out back into the real world. The only way they can solve this mystery is by playing the game, which protagonist Kirito does. Can he beat the game’s enemies and find a way to escape?
I’ve Been Killing Slimes For 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level
You’ve been there, you grind and grind in a game and before you know it, reach the level cap. Palworld much? I’ve Been Killing Slimes For 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level is the perfect show if you want something that has a combination of slice of life and fantasy elements, the cozy aspect cutting some of the heaviness shows like Solo Leveling have.
The story documents the adventures of an ageless witch who battled monsters for so long that she maxed out her level and is now looking for new adventures to be had. What will she do next? The sky is the limit!
Chainsaw Man
Similar to Devilman, Chainsaw Man takes place in a totalitarian society where Devils are the basis of evil events in the world. A group known as the Public Safety Devil Hunters hunts them. Instead of becoming Devils themselves, they make contracts with them, which the main character Denji did and becomes the hero known as the Chainsaw Man.
However, he’ll find out quickly that this job and world is not as simple as it seems. No organization has clean hands, especially not ones with pretty girls that seem to have Siren-like powers; we’re looking at you Makima.
Bofuri: I Don’t Want To Get Hurt, So I’ll Max Out My Defense
People always say don’t put all of your eggs in one basket, but sometimes that comes in handy in unexpected ways. Bofuri is the story of a girl who plays the VR game New World Online. Being in a place like that can be pretty intimidating, so Maple decides to just toss any and all of her skills points into her defense and becomes an unstoppable tank.
Like the protagonist of Solo Leveling, she boosts herself up single-mindedly. She has no other skills, but nothing can damage her, so it works. This twist opens up all kinds of possibilities and makes for a really unique story in a genre that’s easily cookie cutter.
Princess Connect! Re: Dive
Based on the mobile game of the same name, Princess Connect! Re: Dive begins with a protagonist who came back to life after a fearsome battle he lost. He has no memories or personal context but seems to have a mysterious power of being able to boost the abilities of his friends. Along the way he meets foodie Pecorine, tsundere cat girl Karyl, and the elf Kokkoro.
Together, they form the Gourmet Guild, an adventurers’ group that looks for unique meals. It’s quite a sight to watch the silent protagonist get on with these three big personalities. Expect lots of laughs!
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
Would you believe us if we told you a slime could be as powerful as a god? That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime executes that, with the protagonist rebirthing in a fantasy world as an adorable little slime critter. Holding a fully charged determination, they work their way up to high levels of power, even gaining a new two-legged form along the way.
It’s an anime like Solo Leveling but with a cuter protagonist. Furthermore, the story is proof you can really do anything you put your heart set to no matter what your form is, even if you just start with the small steps.
Chained Soldier
Feeling up to watching something a little spicy? Portals randomly opening up usually tend to spell trouble for those in said world. However, for the ladies of Chained Soldier, it’s anything but that.
The ports brought demons, but they also offered gifts of magic to girls which turned them into powerful commanders. When a high school student goes in a portal, he meets demon commander Kyouka and his world is changed forever.
Blue Lock
The intersection between the dungeon raiding themes of Solo Leveling and a soccer anime like Blue Lock might not seem immediately apparent, however there are some character parallels that can be easily overlooked.
Whereas sports anime are typified by players coming together to overcome challenges, Blue Lock is all about embracing one’s ego. Both Sung Jinwoo and Yoichi Isagi start off as well-intended good guys left behind by their rivals, who go down a dark path in pursuit of true power. As their overwhelming strength grows, their humanity begins to crumble away to reveal something truly terrifying.
Any of these amazing shows are sure to level up your inspiration!
