Solo leveling is a blockbuster anime series from Aniplex and A-1 Pictures that has created a huge buzz in the anime community over the past two years. Following the conclusion of Solo Leveling Season 2 on March 30, 2025, the series was discontinued, but on June 9, 2026, it was officially confirmed that a third season would be in production for 2027-2028. Meanwhile, Sung Jinwoo returns via his spiritual successor with a brand new anime that will be a hit among all Solo Leveling fans. This new anime character is none other than Seo Joo-Heon, the protagonist King of the Tomb Raider.
Tomb Raider King is another action-heavy anime from Manhwa and is set to release in July 2026. It recently released a new trailer that shows the protagonist embodying Jinwoo to perfection like no other anime character in the past.
Tomb Raider King's official new opening crowns Seo Joo-Heon as the next Sung Jinwoo's
Solo levelingoriginally a web novel by Chugong, is a series that was later adapted into Manhwa form by Redice before receiving an anime adaptation by Aniplex and A-1 Studio in 2024. The anime adaptation proved to be extremely successful and returned in 2025 for a second season to continue the story of Sung Jinwoo – the protagonist who started off very weak but eventually became a stunning, powerful character after surviving the Double Dungeon and unlocking video game-like abilities with the System. That being said, Solo Leveling won't be returning with any new animated content in 2026, meaning fans won't be able to enjoy exciting new content from the series.
While it's unfortunate, at least we can look forward to a similar project soon that will resemble Solo Leveling, so much so that fans have started calling it a copycat Solo Leveling. This new anime series is Tomb Raider King. While Solo Leveling follows Sung Jinwo as he levels up as a hunter, Tomb Raider King follows Seo Joo-Heon, another overpowered MC who also gets another chance with the system's ability, but hunts tomb relics to gain strength. Both series are extremely action-heavy and it is one of their main attractions.
Tomb Raider King is also a Manhwa based series as well Solo leveling. This story was originally written in web novel format by Sanji Jiksong and was published between November 1, 2016 and May 4, 2018, before being made into a Manhwa by Redice Studio between June 30, 2019 and March 27, 2023. Redice Studio is the same company behind Solo Leveling, which only highlights the similarities.
Earlier today, June 13th, 2026, the official anime launch for Tomb Raider King was released, showcasing incredible action, surprising fans who expected little from this Solo Leveling anime clone, and at the same time giving us all a taste of what's coming next. For those who haven't seen it yet, you can watch the new Tomb Raider King trailer right here:
Solo Leveling officially sets Hunter's S-Rank to Jinwoo level
Solo Leveling Season 2 made Jinwoo powerful, but the S-rank hunter has officially leveled up in Japan.
Why Seo Joo-Heon is Sung Jinwoo's spiritual successor
The main reason why Seo Joo-Heon is called the next Sung Jinwoo is the fighting style and immense aura he exudes in the new opening which was officially revealed on June 13, 2026. In this new release, Seo Joo-Heon is shown fighting with daggers just like Jinwoo, and the close combat is reminiscent of our beloved Shanow Monarch. What's more, this new main character's personality is also extremely similar to Solo Leveling's Sung Jinwoo. Seo Joo-Heon seems flooded with tremendous energy and an aura of invincibility right from the start, and this is very evident in the new release. If anything, this made the comparison to Sung Jinwoo even stronger.
There are more similarities between Sung Jinwoo and Seo Joo-Heon, but a large part also comes from Redice Studio. This studio is particularly known for creating similar designs across the various web novels that they adapted into Manhwa, with the main characters of Solo Leveling and Tomb Raider King being massive examples of this. Immediately after the release of the first trailer for Tomb Raider King, many thought that Seo Joo-Heon was Sung Jinwoo.
It must be said that Solo Leveling was definitely revolutionary in the Manhwa genre, so it's not out of the question to be inspired by it, but a lot of similarities can be attributed to coincidence or the work of Redice Studio. Either way, a series reminiscent of Solo Leveling will be more exciting to have with Jinwoo absent due to project delays and future seasons still unfinished.
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Tomb Raider King is officially set for a massive release on July 8, 2026
The King of the Tomb Raider the anime has been in the works for some time. The series was first revealed to be in the works during Anime Expo 2024 in July. It's been in the works for quite some time and now we have an exact release date as well. Tomb Raider King has been confirmed to be released on July 8, 2026 on TV in Japan and worldwide on Crunchyroll.
Just looking at the new opening that came out today, it looks like a promising series. Its opening alone will attract fans of established anime like Solo Leveling, but the brilliant show it's created today is strong on its own and seems to have done enough to pique the interest of many more.
King of the Tomb Raider brought to life by Studio EEK and it already looks pretty solid. However, the opening alone is not enough to judge the entire anime. Reaching the level of what Aniplex and A-1 Pictures were able to put out with Solo Leveling will be difficult. However, the signs look good for this series based on the start of online screenings. The way it's shaping up, Tomb Raider King could definitely be a distraction at the moment and could even develop a large fan base of its own, which we hope will happen.
Solo Leveling will not return until at least 2027
While King of the Tomb Raider looks like an incredibly exciting release, many fans are eagerly waiting for the return of Solo Leveling Season 3 and Sung Jinwoo. Solo Leveling has been out for over a year, and while the studio has been quiet for a while, comments from producer Atsushi Kaneko, as well as Crunchyroll's CEO, have kept fans going with hope and excitement.
It was recently officially confirmed that another Solo Leveling project is on the way by D&C Media, Solo Leveling's original publisher and one of its biggest investors. Their recent investment report revealed that Solo Leveling Season 3 is a project they are currently investing in. In addition, this news also confirmed that Solo Leveling Season 3 will be set for 2027 or 2028. That's exciting, but the wait is still long as it won't come until 2027.
Currently, fans can instead rewatch previous seasons of Solo Leveling, all of which are available on the Crunchyroll platform. Alternatively, die-hard fans can also take advantage of the Solo Leveling video games. Solo Leveling: Arise and Overdrive are already available and often get new content and Solo Alignment: Karma is a new release set to arrive sometime in 2026 to expand the series' legacy with exciting new stories.
Tomb Raider King and Solo Leveling are available to watch on Crunchyroll.
