Almost everyone in the action/fantasy segment of the anime community is eagerly waiting for another season of Solo Leveling. Thanks to its OP hero Jinwoo Sung, stellar fights, and refreshingly straightforward narrative, shonen anime viewers are dying for more. However, it may be some time before Jinwoo returns to the small screen. In the meantime, fans can re-read the original web novel or manhwa to sate their appetite, or they can branch out into other, similar titles.
Huge as it is, the Solo Leveling franchise is far from alone in its chosen genres, and it’s not necessarily the best anime in that corner of the industry, either. Whether Solo Leveling is a given fan’s #1 anime or just something cool to watch, viewers are encouraged to try more titles in the action/fantasy buffet. Right now, the Winter 2026 season offers goodies such as Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 2 and the final segment of Fire Force, and the rest of 2026 promises even more.
10 Anime That Need a New Season Before Solo Leveling Season 3
Anime fans might be excited for a new season of Solo Leveling, but these anime deserve one just as much.
7
Dr. Stone Will Return and Send Senku’s Kingdom to the Moon
Spring 2026
The edutainment sphere is a small one in anime, but it does feature fun titles such as Cells at Work! and Dr. Stone. The former shares the “monster hunter” concept with Solo Leveling, with autoimmune cells fighting monstrous bacteria in a human body, while Dr. Stone feels more shonen. Dr. Stone doesn’t focus as much on action, but it does have the same shonen spirit of growth, the power of friendship, and belief in oneself.
Senku Ishigami has already overcome incredible odds to rebuild society with his advanced science, but the biggest hurdle still lays ahead. Even if Stanley Snider’s team is no longer a threat, Senku must launch his own space program to reach Why-Man on the moon itself. It’s a much more intriguing and thrilling challenge than any boss battle in Solo Leveling, since science is far more complex than any RPG-inspired skill set.
6
Dandadan’s Zany Adventure Isn’t Over Yet
Fall 2026
Dandadan may be much sillier than Solo Leveling is, and Okarun hardly feels like the next Jinwoo Sung. Then again, that may be just what Solo Leveling fans need: a refreshing break from the grim action and humorless intensity of Jinwoo’s dungeon expeditions. Jinwoo does feel like a badass aura farmer with his stony expressions and hard dialogue, but anime is supposed to make viewers laugh, too. Dandadan delivers both the action and laughs needed to keep the shonen spirit alive and well.
It helps how the story of Dandadan is in a critical phase, what with the love triangle expanding into a love square as a new girl throws herself at Okarun with the power of kisses. Momo Ayase is just starting to realize her love for Okarun when this kind of competition arrives, and there’s no telling what will happen next. Also, viewers are determined to find out whether Jiji can control his Evil Eye powers by now, or whether he’ll continue to be a problem for a while.
5
Black Torch Finally Gets an Anime After Years of Waiting
Summer 2026
Plenty of the best anime for Solo Leveling fans this year are continuations of familiar series, from Dandadan to Mashle: Magic and Muscles, but there’s always room for newcomers. One of them is Black Torch, a title that relatively few fans even know. That’s understandable, since this short shonen manga came out years ago and didn’t get an anime until now. It’s the kind of niche title a fan may find once they’ve exhausted all the mainstream options and want something, anything, new to try.
New 2026 Anime Is Coming For Solo Leveling’s Throne
Solo Leveling is huge, but it might be dethroned soon enough on Crunchyroll.
Based on the original manga’s contents, at least, Black Torch won’t be the next Solo Leveling, but it may still try. It’s unlikely to become an overnight sensation, yet Black Torch may still be a thrilling ride for series such as Bleach and Jujutsu Kaisen. The character designs, combat system, and overall feel of the Black Torch manga make it likely the series borrowed heavily from Bleach, and that may endear it to Solo Leveling and Jujutsu Kaisen fans, too.
4
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime’s 4th Season Will Be Bigger and Better Than Ever
Spring 2026
A number of isekai anime are slated to return this year in 2026, such as Re:Zero and Saga of Tanya the Evil. Among all these isekai series, the one that should appeal most to Solo Leveling fans is That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. Also known as Tensura for short, this anime shares Solo Leveling‘s idea of an OP action star who fights monsters, but with a different flavor. Rimuru Tempest may be a colossal power trip, but he always makes it about the people around him.
Jinwoo has had his selfless moments too, such as fighting to support his mother and little sister, but Rimuru takes this to entirely new heights. Rimuru’s vast collection of powers is just a tool for building a nation of monsters where all feel welcome, all while Rimuru challenges himself to survive and thrive in the political sphere. Rimuru is strong in the ways that inspire people the most, rather than being an RPG fan’s self-insert fantasy.
3
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Has Arrived at Its Incredible Endgame Against Yhwach
Summer 2026
Few anime will be bigger and more important this year than Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War. The Bleach franchise has always been a part of the esteemed shonen “big three,” but it didn’t always feel that way. The anime had to wait until 2022 to burst back onto the scene and dazzle audiences once again, and now it’s time to finish the job. This will be the final of the four cours, where the stakes have reached apocalyptic heights and everyone’s power levels are at the max.
The story of Solo Leveling may be engaging fans with the likes of Jinwoo’s father’s return and the latest battle of Jeju Island, but Bleach is putting all that to shame. For the final time, Ichigo Kurosaki must battle King Yhwach to prevent the collapse of the universe as he knows it, all while Uryu Ishida turns on his own people to defend the power of friendship. And it’s anyone’s guess how Bleach‘s heroes will topple foes like Jugram, Gerard, Askin, and Yhwach himself.
2
Mashle: Magic and Muscles Will Raise the Stakes to Shocking New Heights This Year
Fall 2026
Not unlike Dandadan, the charming comedy anime Mashle: Magic and Muscles reminds Solo Leveling fans of the need to laugh while watching a 2-D adventure. Mash Burnedead is scarily strong as an underrated hero, which makes him oddly similar to Jinwoo in some ways, but they’re hardly clones. Mash sets himself apart with his theme of proving the worth of Muggles in a cruel wizarding world where magical blood counts for everything.
10 Most Bingeworthy Anime From 2025, Ranked
2025 was a great year for anime, but only these series were worth bingeing.
Mash is fighting for prestige, validation, and a diploma alike as he punches and kicks his way through the curriculum of not-Hogwarts, and now the story is really kicking into high gear. The ultimate villain, Innocent Zero, is a titanic threat to the entire wizarding world, and it’s up to Mash to defeat him to protect a society that treats him like trash. It’s a lot to ask of Mash, but he’s ready — after he downs one more protein shake, that is.
1
Delicious in Dungeon Made the Stakes More Personal at the End of Season 1
Fall 2026
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End earned its stellar reputation as one of the best fantasy anime of the modern era, but that’s no reason to overlook the likes of Delicious in Dungeon. If anyone wants more of what either Campfire Cooking in Another World or Dungeons & Dragons have to offer, then Delicious in Dungeon is not to be missed.
This anime draws fans in with its D&D-style fantasy dungeon crawls and its amusing culinary sequences, but the anime offers more than that. The real heart of this anime is the power of familial love as Laios fights to rescue his lost sister Falin, all while the anime explores the remarkable intricacies of an entire ecosystem. There’s more to this dungeon than token monsters and tricky traps, since it’s a living world where all organisms play a role, both in life and in something else’s stomach.
Solo Leveling
- Release Date
-
2024 – 2025-00-00
- Network
-
Tokyo MX, Gunma TV, BS11, Tochigi TV
- Directors
-
Tatsuya Sasaki, Toru Hamasaki
- Writers
-
Shigeru Murakoshi, Shingo Irie, Fuka Ishii
-
-
Genta Nakamura
Yoo Jin-ho
