This article contains spoilers from the Solo Leveling series.
Solo leveling has enjoyed an incredible year so far, with its second season dominating as far as new anime releases go. Solo leveling Season 1 already set the bar high, but Season 2 went beyond new heights and ensured that the series became more popular than ever before. Since the first season, the series has been incredibly popular and won the Anime of the Year awardit's no surprise that fans expect Season 2 to garner even more awards.
It's time to admit that Sung Jinwoo isn't the best solo leveling hero
Jinwoo is popular, but Solo Leveling has a superior protagonist.
However, 2025 as a whole was a great year for anime. Solo Leveling isn't the only amazing anime release fans have received this year. Actually, 3 other main anime beats Solo Leveling in IMDb ratings already and they are My Hero Academia Season 8, Takopi's Original Sin and Lord of the Mysteries.
Solo leveling was surpassed by the 3 big 2025 anime
Solo leveling Season 2 marked a phenomenal start to the anime year, where fans got to see one of the best-produced anime of all time with tremendous action. At the time, many fans thought that Solo Leveling Season 2 would be unbeatable, but as the year went on, newer and arguably even better anime kept coming out. Of course, taste in anime is subjective at the end of the day, and for some fans, Solo Leveling Season 2 will probably still be the best anime of the year.
I use the System and the System uses me. — Sung Jinwoo
For some others, it might be another anime that isn't even considered great. This is exactly where anime forums or anime rating platforms come into play. While Solo Leveling Season 2 was phenomenal, it's not the best anime on IMDb for 2025. It was surpassed by 3 animewith the latest being season 8 of Kohei Horikoshi's My Hero Academia, which is now nearing its end.
My Hero Academia has a 9.5 rating on IMDb
So far Kohei Horikoshi's My Hero Academia is the highest rated anime of 2025and will likely end the year in that position. My Hero Academia Season 8 marks the end of a phenomenal story that ran for about a decade, and fans know how to give it the perfect buzz it deserves.
This is the story of how we all became the greatest heroes! — Izuku Midoriya
It also didn't go unnoticed that the crew delivered absolutely top quality for the final season of My Hero Academia, and with a handful of episodes left, it will most likely get even better. Overall, MHA Season 8 received a 9.5 rating on IMDbwhich makes him the highest rated anime of the year.
Takopi's Original Sin has a 9.4 rating on IMDb
Takopi's original sin had a very short run in the summer of 2025 and certainly did not disappoint. This anime series was one that fans would never care about if it wasn't great, and that's a fact it has a 9.4 rating on IMDb he says it was absolutely spectacular. The anime exceeded all expectations and in a year dominated by big releases, Takopi's Original Sin earned a place with very high fan ratings, beating even Solo Leveling Season 2.
Lord of the Mysteries has a 9.1 rating on IMDb
Finally, the third anime to beat Solo Leveling Season 2 is Lord of the Mysteries, Chinese series. In 2025, Chinese anime has become more widespread, and Lord of the Mysteries has a lot to do with that. It finished the year strong with a 9.1 score on IMDband it's safe to say that this anime is an absolute must for everyone.
Solo Leveling is still the best anime of 2025
Of course, that doesn't mean that Solo Leveling itself isn't good. That being said, Solo Leveling Season 2 reached incredible heights at the start of the year. On IMDb, the series continued and secured a 9.0 ratingmaking it the fourth best anime of the year. That's still a very high rating and fans still love it. Getting beaten by three more good streaks doesn't make Solo Leveling bad, and that's something every fan should keep in mind.
Solo Leveling has 25 episodes available to watch right now, divided into two main seasons, the most recent of which ended in 2025. The series can be streamed on Crunchyroll. There have been no major announcements about the third season yet. Fans can get more Solo Leveling content through the Manhwa.
